“I’d like to see you in my place, old man — yes, that’s something I’d like to see. Old Russia is a swamp — the farther you go, the more the ground gives, you sink in just when you least expect to … And then, the human rubbish! … To remake the hopeless human animal will take centuries. I haven’t got centuries to work with, not I … Well, what’s the latest news?” “It’s execrable. Three fronts barely
