But what then?
Shall we the neighbours make it worse still?
Shall we think so poorly of each other as to suppose that the slain man calls on us to revenge him, when we know that if he had been maimed, he would, when in cold blood and able to weigh all the circumstances, have forgiven his manner?
Or will the death of the slayer bring the slain man to life again and cure the unhappiness his loss has caused ?" "Yes," I said, "but consider, must not the safety of society be safeguarded by some punishment ?" "There, neighbour!" said the old man, with some exultation "You have hit the mark.

That _punishment_ of which men used to talk so wisely and act so foolishly, what was it but the expression of their fear?
And they had need to fear, since they--_i.e._, the rulers of society--were dwelling like an armed band in a hostile country.

But we who live amongst our friends need neither fear nor punish.

Surely if we, in dread of an occasional rare homicide, an occasional rough blow, were solemnly and legally to commit homicide and violence, we could only be a society of ferocious cowards.

Don't you think so, neighbour ?" "Yes, I do, when I come to think of it from that side," said I.
"Yet you must understand," said the old man, "that when any violence is committed, we expect the transgressor to make any atonement possible to him, and he himself expects it.