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other；　and　had　become　reconciled；　and　that　it　would　not　happen

again。　　But　in　this　same　honeymoon　there　came　a　period　of

satiety；　in　which　we　ceased　to　be　necessary　to　each　other；　and　a

new　quarrel　broke　out。



〃It　became　evident　that　the　first　was　not　a　matter　of　chance。　

'It　was　inevitable；'　I　thought。　This　second　quarrel　stupefied　me

the　more；　because　it　was　based　on　an　extremely　unjust　cause。　It

was　something　like　a　question　of　money；and　never　had　I　haggled

on　that　score；　it　was　even　impossible　that　I　should　do　so　in

relation　to　her。　　I　only　remember　that；　in　answer　to　some　remark

that　I　made；　she　insinuated　that　it　was　my　intention　to　rule　her

by　means　of　money；　and　that　it　was　upon　money　that　I　based　my

sole　right　over　her。　　In　short；　something　extraordinarily　stupid

and　base；　which　was　neither　in　my　character　nor　in　hers。



〃I　was　beside　myself。　　I　accused　her　of　indelicacy。　　She　made　the

same　accusation　against　me；　and　the　dispute　broke　out。　　In　her

words；　in　the　expression　of　her　face；　of　her　eyes；　I　noticed

again　the　hatred　that　had　so　astonished　me　before。　　With　a

brother；　friends；　my　father；　I　had　occasionally　quarrelled；　but

never　had　there　been　between　us　this　fierce　spite。　　Some　time

passed。　　Our　mutual　hatred　was　again　concealed　beneath　an　access

of　sensual　desire；　and　I　again　consoled　myself　with　the

reflection　that　these　scenes　were　reparable　faults。



〃But　when　they　were　repeated　a　third　and　a　fourth　time；　I

understood　that　they　were　not　simply　faults；　but　a　fatality　that

must　happen　again。　　I　was　no　longer　frightened；　I　was　simply

astonished　that　I　should　be　precisely　the　one　to　live　so

uncomfortably　with　my　wife；　and　that　the　same　thing　did　not

happen　in　other　households。　　I　did　not　know　that　in　all

households　the　same　sudden　changes　take　place；　but　that　all；　like

myself；　imagine　that　it　is　a　misfortune　exclusively　reserved　for

themselves　alone；　which　they　carefully　conceal　as　shameful；　not

only　to　others；　but　to　themselves；　like　a　bad　disease。



〃That　was　what　happened　to　me。　　Begun　in　the　early　days；　it

continued　and　increased　with　characteristics　of　fury　that　were

ever　more　pronounced。　　At　the　bottom　of　my　soul；　from　the　first

weeks；　I　felt　that　I　was　in　a　trap；　that　I　had　what　I　did　not

expect；　and　that　marriage　is　not　a　joy；　but　a　painful　trial。　

Like　everybody　else；　I　refused　to　confess　it　（I　should　not　have

confessed　it　even　now　but　for　the　outcome）。　　Now　I　am　astonished

to　think　that　I　did　not　see　my　real　situation。　　It　was　so　easy　to

perceive　it；　in　view　of　those　quarrels；　begun　for　reasons　so

trivial　that　afterwards　one　could　not　recall　them。



〃Just　as　it　often　happens　among　gay　young　people　that；　in　the

absence　of　jokes；　they　laugh　at　their　own　laughter；　so　we　found

no　reasons　for　our　hatred；　and　we　hated　each　other　because　hatred

was　naturally　boiling　up　in　us。　　More　extraordinary　still　was　the

absence　of　causes　for　reconciliation。



〃Sometimes　words；　explanations；　or　even　tears；　but　sometimes；　I

remember；　after　insulting　words；　there　tacitly　followed　embraces

and　declarations。　　Abomination！　　Why　is　it　that　I　did　not　then

perceive　this　baseness？



　

CHAPTER　XIII。



〃All　of　us；　men　and　women；　are　brought　up　in　these　aberrations

of　feeling　that　we　call　love。　　I　from　childhood　had　prepared

myself　for　this　thing；　and　I　loved；　and　I　loved　during　all　my

youth；　and　I　was　joyous　in　loving。　　It　had　been　put　into　my　head

that　it　was　the　noblest　and　highest　occupation　in　the　world。　　But

when　this　expected　feeling　came　at　last；　and　I；　a　man；　abandoned

myself　to　it；　the　lie　was　pierced　through　and　through。　

Theoretically　a　lofty　love　is　conceivable；　practically　it　is　an

ignoble　and　degrading　thing；　which　it　is　equally　disgusting　to

talk　about　and　to　remember。　　It　is　not　in　vain　that　nature　has

made　ceremonies；　but　people　pretend　that　the　ignoble　and　the

shameful　is　beautiful　and　lofty。



〃I　will　tell　you　brutally　and　briefly　what　were　the　first　signs

of　my　love。　　I　abandoned　myself　to　beastly　excesses；　not　only　not

ashamed　of　them；　but　proud　of　them；　giving　no　thought　to　the

intellectual　life　of　my　wife。　　And　not　only　did　I　not　think　of

her　intellectual　life；　I　did　not　even　consider　her　physical　life。



I　was　astonished　at　the　origin　of　our　hostility；　and　yet　how

clear　it　was！　　This　hostility　is　nothing　but　a　protest　of　human

nature　against　the　beast　that　enslaves　it。　　It　could　not　be

otherwise。　　This　hatred　was　the　hatred　of　accomplices　in　a　crime。

Was　it　not　a　crime　that；　this　poor　woman　having　become　pregnant

in　the　first　month；　our　liaison　　should　have　continued　just　the

same？



〃You　imagine　that　I　am　wandering　from　my　story。　　Not　at　all。　　I

am　always　giving　you　an　account　of　the　events　that　led　to　the

murder　of　my　wife。　　The　imbeciles！　　They　think　that　I　killed　my

wife　on　the　5th　of　October。　　It　was　long　before　that　that　I

immolated　her；　just　as　they　all　kill　now。　　Understand　well　that

in　our　society　there　is　an　idea　shared　by　all　that　woman　procures

man　pleasure　（and　vice　versa；　probably；　but　I　know　nothing　of

that；　I　only　know　my　own　case）。　　Wein；　Weiber　und　Gesang。　　So　say

the　poets　in　their　verses：　Wine；　women；　and　song！



〃If　it　were　only　that！　　Take　all　the　poetry；　the　painting；　the

sculpture；　beginning　with　Pouschkine's　'Little　Feet；'　with　'Venus

and　Phryne；'　and　you　will　see　that　woman　is　only　a　means　of

enjoyment。　　That　is　what　she　is　at　Trouba；*　at　Gratchevka；　and　in

a　court　ball…room。　　And　think　of　this　diabolical　trick：　if　she

were　a　thing　without　moral　value；　it　might　be　said　that　woman　is

a　fine　morsel；　but；　in　the　first　place；　these　knights　assure　us

that　they　adore　woman　（they　adore　her　and　look　upon　her；　however；

as　a　means　of　enjoyment）；　then　all　assure　us　that　they　esteem

woman。　　Some　give　up　their　seats　to　her；　pick　up　her

handkerchief；　others　recognize　in　her　a　right　to　fill　all

offices；　participate　in　government；　etc。；　but；　in　spite　of　all

that；　the　essential　point　remains　the　same。　　She　is；　she　remains；

an　object　of　sensual　desire；　and　she　knows　it。　　It　is　slavery；

for　slavery　is　nothing　else　than　the　utilization　of　the　labor　of

some　for　the　enjoyment　of　others。　　That　slavery　may　not　exist

people　must　refuse　to　enjoy　the　labor　of　others；　and　look　upon　it

as　a　shameful　act　and　as　a　sin。



*A　suburb　of　Moscow。





〃Actually；　this　is　what　happens。　　They　abolish　the　external

form；　they　suppress　the　formal　sales　of　slaves；　and　then　they

imagine　and　assure　others　that　slavery　is　abolished。　　They　are

unwilling　to　see　that　it　still　exists；　since　people；　as　before；

like　to　profit　by　the　labor　of　others；　and　think　it　good　and

just。　　This　being　given；　there　will　always　be　found　beings

stronger　or　more　cunning　than　others　to　profit　thereby。　　The　same

thing　happens　in　the　emancipation　of　woman。　　At　bottom　feminine

servitude　consists　entirely　in　her　assimilation　with　a　means　of

pleasure。　　They　excite　woman；　they　give　her　all　sorts　of　rights

equal　to　those　of　men；　but　they　continue　to　look　upon　her　as　an

object　of　sensual　desire；　and　thus　they　bring　her　up　from　infancy

and　in　public　opinion。



〃She　is　always　the　humiliated　and　corrupt　serf；　and　man　remains

always　the　debauched　Master。　　Yes；　to　abolish　slavery；　public

opinion　must　admit　that　it　is　shameful　to　exploit　one's　neighbor；

and；　to　make　woman　free；　public　opinion　must　admit　that　it　is

shameful　to　consider　woman　as　an　instrument　of　pleasure。



〃The　emancipation　of　woman　is　not　to　be　effected　in　the　public

courts　or　in　the　chamber　of　deputies；　but　in　the　sleeping

chamber。　　Prostitution　is　to　be　combated；　not　in　the　houses　of

ill…fame；　but　in　the　family。　　They　free　woman　in　the　public

courts　and　in　the　chamber　of　deputies；　but　she　remains　an

instrument。　　Teach　her；　as　she　is　taught　among　us；　to　look　upon

herself　as　such；　and　she　will　always　remain　an　inferior　being。　

Either；　with　the　aid　of　the　rascally　doctors；　she　will　try　to

prevent　conception；　and　descend；　not　to　the　level　of　an　animal；

but　to　the　level　of　a　thing；　or　she　will　be　what　she　is　in　the

great　majority　of　cases；sick；　hysterical；　wretched；　without

hope　of　spiritual　progress。〃　。　。　。



〃But　why　that？〃　I　asked。



〃Oh！　the　most　astonishing　thing　is　that　no　one　is　willing　to　see

this　thing；　evident　as　it　is；　which　the　doctors　must　understand；

but　which　they　take　good　care　not　to　do。　　Man　does　not　wish　to

know　the　law　of　nature；children。　　But　children　are　born　and

become　an　embarrassment。　　Then　man　devises　means　of　avoiding　this

embarrassment。　　We　have　not　yet　reached　the　low　level　of　Europe；

nor　Paris；　nor　the　'system　of　two　children；'　nor　Mahomet。　　We

have　discovered　nothing；　because　we　have　given　it　no　thought。　　We

feel　that　there　is　something　bad　in　the　two　first　means；　but　we

wish　to　preserve　the　family；　and　our　view　of　woman　is　still

worse。



〃With　us　woman　must　be　at　the　same　time　mistress　and　nurse；　and

her　strength　is　not　sufficient。　　That　is　why　we　have　hysteria；

nervous　attacks；　and；　among　the　peasants；　witchcraft。　　Note　that

among　the　young　girls　of　the　peasantry　this　state　of　things　does

not　exist；　but　only　among　the　wives；　and　the　wives　who　live　with

their　husbands。　　The　reason　is　clear；　and　this　is　the　cause　of

the　intellectual　and　moral　decline　of　woman；　and　of　her

abasement。



〃If　they　would　only　reflect　what　a　grand　work　for　the　wife　is　the

period　of　gestation！　　In　her　is　forming　the　being　who　continues

us；　and　this　holy　work　is　thwarted　and　rendered　painful　。　。　。　by

what？　　It　is　frightful　to　think　of　it！　　And　after　that　they　talk

of　the　liberties　and　the　rights　of　woman！　　It　is　like　the

cannibals　fattening　their　prisoners　in　order　to　devour　them；　and

assuring　these　unfortunates　at　the　same　time　that　their　rights

and　their　liberties　are　guarded！〃



All　this　was　new　to　me；　and　astonished　me　very　much。



〃But　if　this　is　so；〃　said　I；　〃it　follows　tha