THE GRAND DUCHESS. Of course they do. Why should they not?

STRAMMFEST [hardly able to believe his ears]. Why should they
not?

THE GRAND DUCHESS. Yes: why should they not? We did it. You did
it, whip in hand: you flogged women for teaching children to
read.

STRAMMFEST. To read sedition. To read Karl Marx.

THP GRAND DUCHESS. Pshaw! How could they learn to read the Bible
without learning to read Karl Marx? Why do you not stand to your
guns and justify what you did, instead of making silly excuses?
Do you suppose I think flogging a woman worse than flogging a
man? I, who am a woman myself!

STRAMMFEST. I am at a loss to understand your Imperial Highness.
You seem to me to contradict yourself.

THE GRAND DUCHESS. Nonsense! I say that if the people cannot
govern themselves, they must be governed by somebody. If they
will not do their duty without being half forced and half
humbugged, somebody must force them and humbug them. Some
energetic and capable minority must always be in power. Well, I
am on the side of the energetic minority whose principles I agree
with. The Revolution is as cruel as we were; but its aims are my
aims. Therefore I stand for the Revolution.