What does he mean, “that’s our way”? The Russian way, the way of Russian masters, the human way? It’s beautiful: it doesn’t occur to him that this has never been his way, not at all, until this moment right now. This is a first for him. Or is it? It’s certainly the first time he’s been willing to sacrifice his comfort, or well-being, or life for someone else (a peasant, no less), but it’s not the first time he’s felt himself to be doing good for the world through action. He feels he’s been doing that all his life.
