He nodded, and rubbed his hands with a sort of bitter satisfaction.
"Yes. Now you see what these Bolsheviki have done. They have raised
the counter-revolution against us. The Revolution is lost. The
Revolution is lost."
"But won't you defend the Revolution?"
"Of course we will defend it-to the last drop of our blood. But we
won't cooperate with the Bolsheviki in any way...."
"But if Kaledin comes to Petrograd, and the Bolsheviki defend the
city. Won't you join with them?"
"Of course not. We will defend the city also, but we won't support
the Bolsheviki. Kaledin is the enemy of the Revolution, but the
Bolsheviki are equally enemies of the Revolution."
"Which do you prefer-Kaledin or the Bolsheviki?"
"It is not a question to be discussed!" he burst out impatiently. "I
tell you, the Revolution is lost. And it is the Bolsheviki who are
to blame. But listen-why should we talk of such things? Kerensky is
comming.... Day after tomorrow we shall pass to the offensive....
Already Smolny has sent delegates inviting us to form a new
Government. But we have them now-they are absolutely impotent.... We
shall not cooperate...."
Outside there was a shot. We ran to the windows. A Red Guard,
finally exasperated by the taunts of the crowd, had shot into it,
wounding a young girl in the arm. We could see her being lifted into
a cab, surrounded by an excited throng, the clamour of whose voices
floated up to us.
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