01-the kreutzer sonata-第2部分

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is　very　difficult　to　view　the　matter　clearly。　　The　wife　loved　to

amuse　herself；　and　began　to　go　astray。　　He　is　a　capable　and

serious　man。　　First；　it　was　with　the　book…keeper。　　The　husband

tried　to　bring　her　back　to　reason　through　kindness。　　She　did　not

change　her　conduct。　　She　plunged　into　all　sorts　of　beastliness。　

She　began　to　steal　his　money。　　He　beat　her；　but　she　grew　worse

and　worse。　　To　an　unbaptized；　to　a　pagan；　to　a　Jew　（saving　your

permission）；　she　went　in　succession　for　her　caresses。　　What　could

the　employer　do？　　He　has　dropped　her　entirely；　and　now　he　lives

as　a　bachelor。　　As　for　her；　she　is　dragging　in　the　depths。〃



〃He　is　an　imbecile；〃　said　the　old　man。　　〃If　from　the　first　he　had

not　allowed　her　to　go　in　her　own　fashion；　and　had　kept　a　firm

hand　upon　her；　she　would　be　living　honestly；　no　danger。　　Liberty

must　be　taken　away　from　the　beginning。　　Do　not　trust　yourself　to

your　horse　upon　the　highway。　　Do　not　trust　yourself　to　your　wife

at　home。〃



At　that　moment　the　conductor　passed；　asking　for　the　tickets　for

the　next　station。　　The　old　man　gave　up　his。



〃Yes；　the　feminine　sex　must　be　dominated　in　season；　else　all　will

perish。〃



〃And　you　yourselves；　at　Kounavino；　did　you　not　lead　a　gay　life

with　the　pretty　girls？〃　asked　the　lawyer　with　a　smile。



〃Oh；　that's　another　matter；〃　said　the　merchant；　severely。　

〃Good…by；〃　he　added；　rising。　　He　wrapped　himself　in　his　cloak；

lifted　his　cap；　and；　taking　his　bag；　left　the　car。



　　CHAPTER　II。



　Scarcely　had　the　old　man　gone　when　a　general　conversation　began。



〃There's　a　little　Old　Testament　father　for　you；〃　said　the　clerk。



〃He　is　a　Domostroy；〃*　said　the　lady。　　〃What　savage　ideas　about　a

woman　and　marriage！〃



　*The　Domostroy　is　a　matrimonial　code　of　the　days　of　Ivan　the

Terrible。



　〃Yes；　gentlemen；〃　said　the　lawyer；　〃we　are　still　a　long　way　from

the　European　ideas　upon　marriage。　　First；　the　rights　of　woman；

then　free　marriage；　then　divorce；　as　a　question　not　yet　solved。〃

。　。　。



〃The　main　thing；　and　the　thing　which　such　people　as　he　do　not

understand；〃　rejoined　the　lady；　〃is　that　only　love　consecrates

marriage；　and　that　the　real　marriage　is　that　which　is　consecrated

by　love。〃



The　clerk　listened　and　smiled；　with　the　air　of　one　accustomed　to

store　in　his　memory　all　intelligent　conversation　that　he　hears；

in　order　to　make　use　of　it　afterwards。



〃But　what　is　this　love　that　consecrates　marriage？〃　said；

suddenly；　the　voice　of　the　nervous　and　taciturn　gentleman；　who；

unnoticed　by　us；　had　approached。



He　was　standing　with　his　hand　on　the　seat；　and　evidently

agitated。　　His　face　was　red；　a　vein　in　his　forehead　was　swollen；

and　the　muscles　of　his　cheeks　quivered。



〃What　is　this　love　that　consecrates　marriage？〃　he　repeated。



〃What　love？〃　said　the　lady。　　〃The　ordinary　love　of　husband　and

wife。〃



〃And　how；　then；　can　ordinary　love　consecrate　marriage？〃　continued

the　nervous　gentleman；　still　excited；　and　with　a　displeased　air。　

He　seemed　to　wish　to　say　something　disagreeable　to　the　lady。　　She

felt　it；　and　began　to　grow　agitated。



〃How？　　Why；　very　simply；〃　said　she。



The　nervous　gentleman　seized　the　word　as　it　left　her　lips。



〃No；　not　simply。〃



〃Madam　says；〃　interceded　the　lawyer　indicating　his　companion；

〃that　marriage　should　be　first　the　result　of　an　attachment；　of　a

love；　if　you　will；　and　that；　when　love　exists；　and　in　that　case

only；　marriage　represents　something　sacred。　　But　every　marriage

which　is　not　based　on　a　natural　attachment；　on　love；　has　in　it

nothing　that　is　morally　obligatory。　　Is　not　that　the　idea　that

you　intended　to　convey？〃　he　asked　the　lady。



The　lady；　with　a　nod　of　her　head；　expressed　her　approval　of　this

translation　of　her　thoughts。



〃Then；〃　resumed　the　lawyer；　continuing　his　remarks。



But　the　nervous　gentleman；　evidently　scarcely　able　to　contain

himself；　without　allowing　the　lawyer　to　finish；　asked：



〃Yes；　sir。　　But　what　are　we　to　understand　by　this　love　that　alone

consecrates　marriage？〃



〃Everybody　knows　what　love　is；〃　said　the　lady。



〃But　I　don't　know；　and　I　should　like　to　know　how　you　define　it。〃



〃How？　　It　is　very　simple；〃　said　the　lady。



And　she　seemed　thoughtful；　and　then　said：



〃Love　。　。　。　love　。　。　。　is　a　preference　for　one　man　or　one　woman

to　the　exclusion　of　all　others。　。　。　。〃



〃A　preference　for　how　long？　。　。　。　　For　a　month；　two　days；　or　half

an　hour？〃　said　the　nervous　gentleman；　with　special　irritation。



〃No；　permit　me；　you　evidently　are　not　talking　of　the　same　thing。〃



〃Yes；　I　am　talking　absolutely　of　the　same　thing。　　Of　the

preference　for　one　man　or　one　　woman　to　the　exclusion　of　all

others。　　But　I　ask：　a　preference　for　how　long？〃



〃For　how　long？　　For　a　long　time；　for　a　life…time　sometimes。〃



〃But　that　happens　only　in　novels。　　In　life；　never。　　In　life　this

preference　for　one　to　the　exclusion　of　all　others　lasts　in　rare

cases　several　years；　oftener　several　months；　or　even　weeks；　days；

hours。　。　。　。〃



〃Oh；　sir。　　Oh；　no；　no；　permit　me；〃　said　all　three　of　us　at　the

same　time。



The　clerk　himself　uttered　a　monosyllable　of　disapproval。



〃Yes；　I　know；〃　he　said；　shouting　louder　than　all　of　us；　〃you　are

talking　of　what　is　believed　to　exist；　and　I　am　talking　of　what

is。　　Every　man　feels　what　you　call　love　toward　each　pretty　woman

he　sees；　and　very　little　toward　his　wife。　That　is　the　origin　of

the　proverb；and　it　is　a　true　one；'Another's　wife　is　a　white

swan；　and　ours　is　bitter　wormwood。〃'



〃Ah；　but　what　you　say　is　terrible！　　There　certainly　exists　among

human　beings　this　feeling　which　is　called　love；　and　which　lasts；

not　for　months　and　years；　but　for　life。〃



〃No；　that　does　not　exist。　　Even　if　it　should　be　admitted　that

Menelaus　had　preferred　Helen　all　his　life；　Helen　would　have

preferred　Paris；　and　so　it　has　been；　is；　and　will　be　eternally。

And　it　cannot　be　otherwise；　just　as　it　cannot　happen　that；　in　a

load　of　chick…peas；　two　peas　marked　with　a　special　sign　should

fall　side　by　side。　　Further；　this　is　not　only　an　improbability；

but　it　is　certain　that　a　feeling　of　satiety　will　come　to　Helen　or

to　Menelaus。　　The　whole　difference　is　that　to　one　it　comes

sooner；　to　the　other　later。　　It　is　only　in　stupid　novels　that　it

is　written　that　'they　loved　each　other　all　their　lives。'　　And

none　but　children　can　believe　it。　　To　talk　of　loving　a　man　or

woman　for　life　is　like　saying　that　a　candle　can　burn

forever。〃



〃But　you　are　talking　of　physical　love。　　Do　you　not　admit　a　love

based　upon　a　conformity　of　ideals；　on　a　spiritual　affinity？〃



〃Why　not？　　But　in　that　case　it　is　not　necessary　to　procreate

together　（excuse　my　brutality）。　　The　point　is　that　this

conformity　of　ideals　is　not　met　among　old　people；　but　among　young

and　pretty　persons；〃　said　he；　and　he　began　to　laugh　disagreeably。



〃Yes；　I　affirm　that　love；　real　love；　does　not　consecrate

marriage；　as　we　are　in　the　habit　of　believing；　but　that；　on　the

contrary；　it　ruins　it。〃



〃Permit　me；〃　said　the　lawyer。　　〃The　facts　contradict　your　words。　

We　see　that　marriage　exists；　that　all　humanityat　least　the

larger　portionlives　conjugally；　and　that　many　husbands　and

wives　honestly　end　a　long　life　together。〃



The　nervous　gentleman　smiled　ill…naturedly。



〃And　what　then？　　You　say　that　marriage　is　based　upon　love；　and

when　I　give　voice　to　a　doubt　as　to　the　existence　of　any　other

love　than　sensual　love；　you　prove　to　me　the　existence　of　love　by

marriage。　　But　in　our　day　marriage　is　only　a　violence　and

falsehood。〃



〃No；　pardon　me；〃　said　the　lawyer。　　〃I　say　only　that　marriages

have　existed　and　do　exist。〃



〃But　how　and　why　do　they　exist？　　They　have　existed；　and　they　do

exist；　for　people　who　have　seen；　and　do　see；　in　marriage

something　sacramental；　a　sacrament　that　is　binding　before　God。

For　such　people　marriages　exist；　but　to　us　they　are　only

hypocrisy　and　violence。　　We　feel　it；　and；　to　clear　ourselves；　we

preach　free　love；　but；　really；　to　preach　free　love　is　only　a　call

backward　to　the　promiscuity　of　the　sexes　（excuse　me；　he　said　to

the　lady）；　the　haphazard　sin　of　certain　raskolniks。　　The　old

foundation　is　shattered；　we　must　build　a　new　one；　but　we　must　not

preach　debauchery。〃



He　grew　so　warm　that　all　became　silent；　looking　at　him　in

astonishment。



〃And　yet　the　transition　state　is　terrible。　　People　feel　that

haphazard　sin　is　inadmissible。　　It　is　necessary　in　some　way　or

other　to　regulate　the　sexual　relations；　but　there　exists　no　other

foundation　than　the　old　one；　in　which　nobody　longer　believes？　

People　marry　in　the　old　fashion；　without　believing　in　what　they

do；　and　the　result　is　falsehood；　violence。　　When　it　is　falsehood

alone；　it　is　easily　endured。　　The　husband　and　wife　simply　deceive

the　world　by　professing　to　live　monogamically。　　If　they　really

are　polygamous　and　polyandrous；　it　is　bad；　but　acceptable。　　But

when；　as　often　happens；　the　husband　and　the　wife　have　taken　upon

themselves　the　obligation　to　live　together　all　their　lives　（they

themselves　do　not　know　why）；　and　from　the　second　month　have

already　a　desire　to　separate；　but　continue　to　live　together　just

the　same；　then　comes　that　infernal　existence　in　which　they　resort

to　drink；　in　which　they　fire　revolvers；　in　which　they　assassinate

each　other；　in　which　they　poison　each　other。〃



All　were　silent；　but　we　felt　ill　at　ease。



〃Yes；　these　critical　episodes　happen　in　marital　life。　　For

instance；　there　is　the　Posdnicheff　affair；〃　said　the　lawyer；

wishing　to　stop　the　conversation　on　this　embarrassing　and　too

exciting　ground。　　〃Have　you　read　how　he　killed　his　wife　through

jealousy？〃



The　lady　said　that　she　had　not　read　it。　　The　nervous　gentleman

said　nothing；　and　changed　color。



〃I　see　that　you　have　divined　who　I　am；〃　said　he；　suddenly；　after

a　pause。



〃No；　I　have　not　had　that　pleasure。〃



〃It　is　no　great　pleasure。　　I　am　Posdnicheff。〃