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"I imagine," he said, "that no sort of activity is likely to be

lasting if it is not founded on self-interest, that's a universal

principle, a philosophical principle," he said, repeating the

word "philosophical" with determination, as though wishing to

show that he had as much right as anyone else to talk of

philosophy.

Sergey Ivanovitch smiled. "He too has a philosophy of his own at

the service of his natural tendencies," he thought.