NICE,
February 23, 1898.
... _Novoye Vremya_ has behaved simply abominably about the Zola case. The
old man and I have exchanged letters on the subject (in a tone of great
moderation, however), and have both dropped the subject.
I don’t want to write and I don’t want his letters, in which he keeps
justifying the tactlessness of his paper by saying he loves the military: I
don’t want them because I have been thoroughly sick of it all for a long
time past. I love the military too, but I would not if I had a newspaper
allow the _cactuses_ to print Zola’s novel _for nothing_ in the Supplement,
while they pour dirty water over this same Zola in the paper--and what for?
For what not one of the cactuses has ever known--for a noble impulse and
moral purity. And in any case to abuse Zola when he is on his trial--that
is unworthy of literature....