- 'And who didn't read his books?!' - the Politician has connected to review. - 'All at least something, but - were reading. Or, at least, - heard.'

- 'The audience were breaking into the auditoriums!' - The Builder has added. - 'Happened, he arrives to a hall, is scheduled for the performance, and he have to stop at distance for one city block or two away. The streets are crammed with parked cars belonging to fans of lectures.

In peacetime, sometimes, the audience broke through and ticket collectors, and controllers and persons on duty.'

- 'Imagine, misters!' - the Writer couldn't appease emotions. - 'Wartime: hunger, fatigue. There wasn't enough the most necessary things. . But the crowds were flocking for the lectures of Tarle.

Both the commanders and the soldiers listened. also the Wounded in hospitals. Engineers and workers. Defenders of the Homeland!'

- 'He, by the way, transported me more than once on the automobile', - the Builder has connected to talk. - 'He on hand had not the own car. But attached governmental car in continuous use. Less hassle and distractions. And he had the same driver - a constant. Driver helped the academician much.'

- 'He once transported me in his railroad car-salon', - the Technical Designer remembered.. - 'During the military period all lived very modestly. All starved. And he was moving in "own" railroad car-salon. Accompanied by two conductoresses. Thanks to his railroad car-salon and its mobility I quickly and with comfort have moved from one city to another.'

- 'All this so, misters', - was added by the Writer. - 'But you would see his apartment in St. Petersburg, that is in Leningrad, on Neva Embankment near the Winter Palace. His flat is the former apartment of count Witte. He was writing in the office-room, looking at Neva, at a silhouette of Peter and Paul Cathedral... He liked to work there.

I will afford, misters, to conjecture. The academician begins to work. And he addresses to Witte for advices, recommendations. Witte was a person of enormous knowledge: and he will not recommend a bad offers.'

- 'You dreams, dear Writer', - has reacted the Technical Designer. - 'Knowledge of the academician Tarle had the same sources which are available to all: education, self-training, libraries, archives. Many saw him. In different libraries. Simultaneously. How he managed?

However, it isn't reasonable to deny intellectual continuity. But let's imagine the academician in the company of Napoleon, Talleyrand... Nakhimov, Ushakov, Kutuzov...'

After a pause, the Technical Designer added:

- 'And what a dacha he had!" In a coniferous-deciduous forest! On the banks of the Moskva River. he liked to walk, to get some fresh air. Dreamed on the conquest of the cosmos.'

- 'Dreamed on conquest of space?' - the Writer has expressed some doubt. - 'He also traveled to Moscow on different affairs: publishings, for example. I visited him in a Moscow apartment.'

Gorky has put a palm on the book with pleasure and has cleaned away a nonexistent tiny specks of dust off a book-cover.

The Writer has continued:

- 'Evgeny Viktorovich was familiar more than twenty years with the writer Eugene Lannes. Because of the circumstances E. Lannes was the namesake of the Napoleonic Marshal Jean Lannes. The writer Eugene Lannes, - according some memoirs, - acquired an engraving with the image of the Marshal Jean Lannes on a white horse. Eugene Lannes has allegedly hung up this engraving among family photos over a desk. One of memoirists reports that Eugene Lannes didn't deny what is a descendant of the marshal Jean Lannes in a straight line.

Imagine, gentlemen, the auditorium - for example, the huge hall - is filled with listeners. Evgeny Tarle read lecture about Napoleon. But many people know that in his environment, as well as in the environment of Napoleon, - Lannes.

Evgeny Viktorovich is fond of a subject. Listeners are fond of his story. And here they see before themselves (image of) Napoleon.

You would have refused, gentlemen, to go to a lecture, look at Napoleon?'

- "Were at the lectures Tarle!", "Personally I was present: powerful impression!", "I listened repeatedly!", - exclamations of participants of discussion have sounded.

- 'Evgeny Viktorovich liked to remember a request of Academy of Sciences as soon as possible to send exact date (day, month, year) of the birth. With a note: "Remember that to convert from old style to new should be for the XX century to add 13 days, for the XIX century - 12, XVIII - 11"', - added the Writer.

Gorky with pleasure has clapped a palm over the book.

- 'We need Comrade Tarle', - a familiar voice suddenly sounded to everyone. - 'It isn't necessary to rise.' 'Я нэ князь! (I'm not a prince!)'

The participants of the discussion became immovables as stones.

The person has taken the book Tarle "Napoleon", which was lying ahead Gorky, has opened it and has leafed through several pages.

Continuing to hold the book in hand, he began to stroll slowly, reflecting aloud:

- 'To the academician Tarle during war tired and hungry people were coming to lectures. Why?'

The person has made a small pause and has continued:

- 'Because he was speaking about Napoleon's invasion, about fight against this invasion, about a victory of the people. His performances and books became the important moral factor strengthening confidence that the difficult situation which has developed for army and the country has temporary, passing character.'

The person made a small pause and continued:

- 'People were coming for hope, for self-confidence, for confidence in inevitability of the Victory!'

The person has looked at the readers of cafe-library, which were listening to him. Continuing to stroll, he have added:

- 'We were needed Napoleon. We needed to mobilize him for our ideological front. The academician Tarle has executed a role of "a military commissariat". Thanks to the academician Tarle Napoleon "was at war" as a part of the anti-Hitlerite coalition.

As for the book by the academician Tarle about Talleyrand... Talleyrand was also very useful! Remember Tehran, Yalta, Potsdam!'

The person has again looked at the listeners. He returned the book at place ahead Gorky, having quietly added: "Thank you, Aleksey Maximovich!".

Addressing the audience, he have told:

- 'I was passing into automobile near a cafe-library. I have asked to stop. I have decided to visit. In order to see and to know. Continue to read books!'