И вот еще что прошу заметить. Сойдется, например,...

And here is another thing I ask you to notice. For example, ten English converge, they immediately start talking about an underwater telegraph, a paper tax, a way to make rat skins, that is, something positive and definite; ten Germans will converge, well, here, of course, Schleswig-Holstein and German unity will appear on the scene; ten French converge, the conversation will inevitably touch the "strawberries", no matter how they wag; and ten Russians converge, the question instantly arises — you had a chance today to be convinced of it — the question of the significance, of the future of Russia, and in such general terms, from the eggs of Leda, is unproven, hopeless. They chew, they chew this unfortunate question, as if children were a piece of gummastic: neither juice, nor sense. Well, and of course, right away, by the way, the rotten West will also get it. What a parable, think! He beats us at all points, this West - and he rotted! And even if we really despised him, ”Potugin continued,“ it is all a phrase and a lie. ” We scold him, but only value his opinion and cherish, that is, in essence, the opinion of the Parisian squabblers.

I.S. Turgenev. Smoke.