"I don't blame Sanine," said Yourii with emphasis.

"He could not have acted otherwise. The horrible part of it all is that
the paths of these two men crossed, so that one or the other was
obliged to give way. It is also horrible that the victor does not
realize that his triumph is an appalling one. He calmly sweeps a man
off the face of the earth, and yet is in the right."

"Yes, he's in the right, and--" exclaimed Sina, who had not heard all
that Yourii had said. Her bosom heaved with excitement.

"But I call it horrible!" cried Yourii, hastily interrupting her, as he
glanced at her shapely form and eager face.

"Why is it so?" asked Sina in a timid voice. She blushed suddenly, and
her eyes lost their brightness.

"Anyone else would have felt remorse, or have suffered some kind of
spiritual anguish," said Yourii. "But he showed not the slightest sign
of it. 'I'm very sorry,' says he, 'but it's not my fault.' Fault,
indeed! As if the question were one of fault or of blame!"

"Then of what is it?" asked Sina. Her voice faltered, and she looked
downwards, fearing to offend her companion.

"That I don't know; but a man has no right to behave like a brute," was
the indignant rejoinder.