Truth is honester than falsehood...." "I agree, I agree, I quite agree with you, but it is premature, premature in this country..." said Von Lembke, frowning.
"And how can you be an official of the government after that, when you agree to demolishing churches, and marching on Petersburg armed with staves, and make it all simply a question of date ?" Lembke was greatly put out at being so crudely caught.
"It's not so, not so at all," he cried, carried away and more and more mortified in his amour-propre.

"You're young, and know nothing of our aims, and that's why you're mistaken.

You see, my dear Pyotr Stepanovitch, you call us officials of the government, don't you?
Independent officials, don't you?
But let me ask you, how are we acting?
Ours is the responsibility, but in the long run we serve the cause of progress just as you do.

We only hold together what you are unsettling, and what, but for us, would go to pieces in all directions.

We are not your enemies, not a bit of it.