"My love for human beings?"
"No, my friend: your contempt for human beings! Your _contempt_ and
at the same time your naïve faith in them arising from it. You regard
human beings so far below you, you are so convinced of their fatal
powerlessness that you do not fear them at all and are quite ready to
pat the rattlesnake's head: such a nice little rattlesnake! One should
fear people, comrade! I know your _game_, but at times you were quite
sincere in your prattle about man, you even pitied him, but from an
elevation or from a sidetrack--I know not which. Oh, if you could only
hate people I would take you along with me with pleasure. But you are
an egotist, a terrible egotist, Wondergood, and I am even beginning to
shed my regrets for having robbed you, when I think of that! Whence
comes this base contempt of yours?"
"I am still only learning to be a man."
"Well, go on learning. But why do you call your professor a scoundrel:
For I am your professor, Wondergood!"
"To the devil with this prattle. So...you do not intend to take me
along with you?"
"No, my friend, I do not."
"So. Only my billions. Very well, but what about your plan: to blow
up the earth or something of that kind? Or did you lie on this point,
too? I cannot believe that you simply intend to open...a money
changer's bureau or become some ragged king!"
Magnus looked at me gloomily. There was even a gleam of sympathy in
his eyes as he replied slowly:
"No, on that point I did not lie. But you won't do for me. You would
always be hanging on to my coat tails. Just now you shouted: liar,
scoundrel, thief.... It's strange, but you are yet only learning to
be a man and you have already imbibed so much pettiness. When I shall
raise my hand to strike some one, your contempt will begin to whine:
don't strike, leave him alone, have pity. Oh, if you could only hate!
No, you are a terrible egotist, old man."