“They won’t be when they learn the law of life!” roared Bromberg.
“There is only one law of life!” cried Palla, turning to look around her at the agitated audience. “The only law in the world worth obedience is the Law of Love and of Service! No other laws amount to anything. Under that law every problem you agitate here is already solved. There is no injustice that cannot be righted under it! There is no aspiration that cannot be realised!”
She turned on Bromberg, her hazel eyes very bright, her face surging with colour.
“You came here to pervert the exhortation of Karl Marx, and unite under the banner of envy and greed every unhappy heart!
“Very well. Others also can unite to combat you. A league of evil is not the only league that can be formed under this roof. Nor are the soldiers and police the only or the better weapons to use against you. What you agitators and mischief makers are really afraid of is that somebody may really educate your audiences. And that’s exactly what such people as I intend to do!”
A score or more of people had crowded around her while she was speaking. Shotwell and Brisson, too, had risen and stepped to her side. And the entire audience was on its feet, craning hundreds of necks and striving to hear and see.
Somewhere in the crowd a shrill American voice cried: “Throw them guys out! They got Wall Street cash in their pockets!”
Sondheim levelled a finger at Brisson:
“Look out for that man!” he said. “He published those lies about Lenine and Trotsky, and he’s here 162 from Washington to lie about us in the newspapers!”