For this, believe me, life will severely call you to account: a storm will break loose, and it will whisk and wash you off the earth, as wind and rain whisk and wash the dust off a tree I There is in human language only one word whose meaning is clear and dear to everybody, and when that word is pronounced, it sounds thus: 'Freedom!'" "Crush on!" roared Foma, jumping up from the lounge and grasping Yozhov by the shoulders.

With flashing eyes he gazed into Yozhov's face, bending toward him, and almost moaned with grief and affliction: "Oh! Nikolay! My dear fellow, I am mortally sorry for you! I am more sorry than words can tell!" "What's this?
What's the matter with you ?" cried Yozhov, pushing him away, amazed and shifted from his position by Foma's unexpected outburst and strange words.
"Oh, brother!" said Foma, lowering his voice, which thus sounded deeper, more persuasive.

"Oh, living soul, why do you sink to ruin ?" "Who?
I?
I sink?
You lie!" "My dear boy! You will not say anything to anybody! There is no one to speak to! Who will listen to you?
Only I!" "Go to the devil!" shouted Yozhov, angrily, jumping away from him as though he had been scorched.
And Foma went toward him, and spoke convincingly, with intense sorrow: "Speak! speak to me! I shall carry away your words to the proper place.
I understand them.

And, ah! how I will scorch the people! Just wait! My opportunity will come." "Go away!" screamed Yozhov, hysterically, squeezing his back to the wall, under Foma's pressure.

Perplexed, crushed, and infuriated he stood and waved off Foma's arms outstretched toward him.