“He did not steal, he merely used. And every one of us at times does the same: one man with regard to government timber, and another with regard to a sum belonging to his employer, while a third defrauds his children for the sake of an actress, and a fourth robs his peasantry for the sake of smart furniture or a carriage.
What can one do when one is surrounded on every side with roguery, and everywhere there are insanely expensive restaurants, masked balls, and dances to the music of gipsy bands?
To abstain when every one else is indulging in these things, and fashion commands, is difficult indeed.”