No one seemed to know what had been done in Germany, in America, in
England, or in France. The people's orator is a man of many questions
and much fist-banging. The moujiks of Osterno gazed at him beneath their
shaggy brows. Half of them did not understand him. They were as yet
uneducated to a comprehension of the street orator's periods. A few of
the more intelligent waited for him to answer his own questions, which
he failed to do. A vague and ominous question carries as much weight
with some people as a statement, and has the signal advantage of being
less incriminating.
The speaker--a neckless, broad-shouldered ruffian of the type known in
England as "unemployed"--looked round with triumphant head well thrown
back. From his attitude it was obvious that he had been the salvation of
the countries named, and had now come to Russia to do the same for her.
He spoke with the throaty accent of the Pole. It was quite evident that
his speech was a written one--probably a printed harangue issued to him
and his compeers for circulation throughout the country. He delivered
many of the longer words with a certain unctuous roll of the tongue, and
an emphasis indicating the fact that he did not know their meaning.
"From afar," he went on, "we have long been watching you. We have noted
your difficulties and your hardships, your sickness, your starvation.
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