01-the kreutzer sonata-第5节

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Posdnicheff　was　silent　for　a　moment；　and　then　resumed：



〃After　all；　no！　　It　is　better　that　things　happened　as　they　did；

better！〃　he　cried。　　〃It　was　a　good　thing　for　me。　　Besides；　it

makes　no　difference。　　I　was　saying　that　in　these　cases　it　is　the

poor　young　girls　who　are　deceived。　　As　for　the　mothers；　the

mothers　especially；　informed　by　their　husbands；　they　know　all；

and；　while　pretending　to　believe　in　the　purity　of　the　young　man；

they　act　as　if　they　did　not　believe　in　it。



〃They　know　what　bait　must　be　held　out　to　people　for　themselves

and　their　daughters。　　We　men　sin　through　ignorance；　and　a

determination　not　to　learn。　　As　for　the　women；　they　know　very

well　that　the　noblest　and　most　poetic　love；　as　we　call　it；

depends；　not　on　moral　qualities；　but　on　the　physical　intimacy；

and　also　on　the　manner　of　doing　the　hair；　and　the　color　and

shape。



〃Ask　an　experienced　coquette；　who　has　undertaken　to　seduce　a　man；

which　she　would　prefer；to　be　convicted；　in　presence　of　the　man

whom　she　is　engaged　in　conquering；　of　falsehood；　perversity；

cruelty；　or　to　appear　before　him　in　an　ill…fitting　dress；　or　a

dress　of　an　unbecoming　color。　　She　will　prefer　the　first

alternative。　　She　knows　very　well　that　we　simply　lie　when　we　talk

of　our　elevated　sentiments；　that　we　seek　only　the　possession　of

her　body；　and　that　because　of　that　we　will　forgive　her　every　sort

of　baseness；　but　will　not　forgive　her　a　costume　of　an　ugly　shade；

without　taste　or　fit。



〃And　these　things　she　knows　by　reason；　where　as　the　maiden　knows

them　only　by　instinct；　like　the　animal。　　Hence　these　abominable

jerseys；　these　artificial　humps　on　the　back；　these　bare

shoulders；　arms；　and　throats。



〃Women；　especially　those　who　have　passed　through　the　school　of

marriage；　know　very　well　that　conversations　upon　elevated

subjects　are　only　conversations；　and　that　man　seeks　and　desires

the　body　and　all　that　ornaments　the　body。　Consequently；　they　act

accordingly？　　If　we　reject　conventional　explanations；　and　view

the　life　of　our　upper　and　lower　classes　as　it　is；　with　all　its

shamelessness；　it　is　only　a　vast　perversity。　　You　do　not　share

this　opinion？　　Permit　me；　I　am　going　to　prove　it　to　you　（said　he；

interrupting　me）。



〃You　say　that　the　women　of　our　society　live　for　a　different

interest　from　that　which　actuates　fallen　women。　　And　I　say　no；

and　I　am　going　to　prove　it　to　you。　　If　beings　differ　from　one

another　according　to　the　purpose　of　their　life；　according　to

their　INNER　LIFE；　this　will　necessarily　be　reflected　also　in

their　OUTER　LIFE；　and　their　exterior　will　be　very　different。　

Well；　then；　compare　the　wretched；　the　despised；　with　the　women　of

the　highest　society：　the　same　dresses；　the　same　fashions；　the

same　perfumeries；　the　same　passion　for　jewelry；　for　brilliant　and

very　expensive　articles；　the　same　amusements；　dances；　music；　and

songs。　　The　former　attract　by　all　possible　means；　so　do　the

latter。　　No　difference；　none　whatever！



〃Yes；　and　I；　too；　was　captivated　by　jerseys；　bustles；　and　curly

hair。



　　

CHAPTER　VII。



〃And　it　was　very　easy　to　capture　me；　since　I　was　brought　up

under　artificial　conditions；　like　cucumbers　in　a　hothouse。　　Our

too　abundant　nourishment；　together　with　complete　physical

idleness；　is　nothing　but　systematic　excitement　of　the

imagination。　　The　men　of　our　society　are　fed　and　kept　like

reproductive　stallions。　　It　is　sufficient　to　close　the

valve；that　is；　for　a　young　man　to　live　a　quiet　life　for　some

time；to　produce　as　an　immediate　result　a　restlessness；　which；

becoming　exaggerated　by　reflection　through　the　prism　of　our

unnatural　life；　provokes　the　illusion　of　love。



〃All　our　idyls　and　marriage；　all；　are　the　result　for　the　most

part　of　our　eating。　　Does　that　astonish　you？　　For　my　part；　I　am

astonished　that　we　do　not　see　it。　　Not　far　from　my　estate　this

spring　some　moujiks　were　working　on　a　railway　embankment。　　You

know　what　a　peasant's　food　is；bread；　kvass；*　onions。　　With　this

frugal　nourishment　he　lives；　he　is　alert；　he　makes　light　work　in

the　fields。　　But　on　the　railway　this　bill　of　fare　becomes　cacha

and　a　pound　of　meat。　　Only　he　restores　this　meat　by　sixteen　hours

of　labor　pushing　loads　weighing　twelve　hundred　pounds。



*Kvass；　a　sort　of　cider。



　〃And　we；　who　eat　two　pounds　of　meat　and　game；　we　who　absorb　all

sorts　of　heating　drinks　and　food；　how　do　we　expend　it？　　In

sensual　excesses。　　If　the　valve　is　open；　all　goes　well；　but　close

it；　as　I　had　closed　it　temporarily　before　my　marriage；　and

immediately　there　will　result　an　excitement　which；　deformed　by

novels；　verses；　music；　by　our　idle　and　luxurious　life；　will　give

a　love　of　the　finest　water。　　I；　too；　fell　in　love；　as　everybody

does；　and　there　were　transports；　emotions；　poesy；　but　really　all

this　passion　was　prepared　by　mamma　and　the　dressmakers。　　If　there

had　been　no　trips　in　boats；　no　well…fitted　garments；　etc。；　if　my

wife　had　worn　some　shapeless　blouse；　and　I　had　seen　her　thus　at

her　home；　I　should　not　have　been　seduced。



　

CHAPTER　VIII。



〃And　note；　also；　this　falsehood；　of　which　all　are　guilty；　the

way　in　which　marriages　are　made。　　What　could　there　be　more

natural？　　The　young　girl　is　marriageable；　she　should　marry。　　What

simpler；　provided　the　young　person　is　not　a　monster；　and　men　can

be　found　with　a　desire　to　marry？　　Well；　no；　here　begins　a　new

hypocrisy。



〃Formerly；　when　the　maiden　arrived　at　a　favorable　age；　her

marriage　was　arranged　by　her　parents。　　That　was　done；　that　is

done　still；　throughout　humanity；　among　the　Chinese；　the　Hindoos；

the　Mussulmans；　and　among　our　common　people　also。　　Things　are　so

managed　in　at　least　ninety…nine　per　cent。　of　the　families　of　the

entire　human　race。



〃Only　we　riotous　livers　have　imagined　that　this　way　was　bad；　and

have　invented　another。　And　this　other；what　is　it？　　It　is　this。　

The　young　girls　are　seated；　and　the　gentlemen　walk　up　and　down

before　them；　as　in　a　bazaar；　and　make　their　choice。　　The　maidens

wait　and　think；　　but　do　not　dare　to　say：　'Take　me；　young　man；　me

and　not　her。　　Look　at　these　shoulders　and　the　rest。'　　We　males

walk　up　and　down；　and　estimate　the　merchandise；　and　then　we

discourse　upon　the　rights　of　woman；　upon　the　liberty　that　she

acquires；　I　know　not　how；　in　the　theatrical　halls。〃



〃But　what　is　to　be　done？〃　said　I　to　him。　〃Shall　the　woman　make

the　advances？〃



〃I　do　not　know。　　But；　if　it　is　a　question　of　equality；　let　the

equality　be　complete。　　Though　it　has　been　found　that　to　contract

marriages　through　the　agency　of　match…makers　is　humiliating；　it

is　nevertheless　a　thousand　times　preferable　to　our　system。　　There

the　rights　and　the　chances　are　equal；　here　the　woman　is　a　slave；

exhibited　in　the　market。　　But　as　she　cannot　bend　to　her

condition；　or　make　advances　herself；　there　begins　that　other　and

more　abominable　lie　which　is　sometimes　called　GOING　INTO　SOCIETY；

sometimes　AMUSING　ONE'S　SELF；　and　which　is　really　nothing　but　the

hunt　for　a　husband。



〃But　say　to　a　mother　or　to　her　daughter　that　they　are　engaged

only　in　a　hunt　for　a　husband。　　God！　　What　an　offence！　　Yet　they

can　do　nothing　else；　and　have　nothing　else　to　do；　and　the

terrible　feature　of　it　all　is　to　see　sometimes　very　young；　poor；

and　innocent　maidens　haunted　solely　by　such　ideas。　　If　only；　I

repeat；　it　were　done　frankly；　but　it　is　always　accompanied　with

lies　and　babble　of　this　sort：



〃'Ah；　the　descent　of　species！　　How　interesting　it　is！'



〃'Oh；　Lily　is　much　interested　in　painting。'



〃'Shall　you　go　to　the　Exposition？　　How　charming　it　is！'



〃'And　the　troika；　and　the　plays；　and　the　symphony。　　Ah；　how

adorable！'



〃'My　Lise　is　passionately　fond　of　music。'



〃'And　you；　why　do　you　not　share　these　convictions？'



〃And　through　all　this　verbiage；　all　have　but　one　single　idea：

'Take　me；　take　my　Lise。　　No；　me！　　Only　try！〃'



　　

CHAPTER　IX。



〃Do　you　know；〃　suddenly　continued　Posdnicheff；　〃that　this　power

of　women　from　which　the　world　suffers　arises　solely　from　what　I

have　just　spoken　of？〃



〃What　do　you　mean　by　the　power　of　women？〃　I　said。　　〃Everybody；　on

the　contrary；　complains　that　women　have　not　sufficient　rights；

that　they　are　in　subjection。〃



〃That's　it；　that's　it　exactly；〃　said　he；　vivaciously。　　〃That　is

just　what　I　mean；　and　that　is　the　explanation　of　this

extraordinary　phenomenon；　that　on　the　one　hand　woman　is　reduced

to　the　lowest　degree　of　humiliation　and　on　the　other　hand　she

reigns　over　everything。　　See　the　Jews：　with　their　power　of　money；

they　avenge　their　subjection；　just　as　the　women　do。　　'Ah！　you

wish　us　to　be　only　merchants？　　All　right；　remaining　merchants；　we

will　get　possession　of　you；'　say　the　Jews。　　'Ah！　you　wish　us　to

be　only　objects　of　sensuality？　　All　right；　by　the　aid　of

sensuality　we　will　bend　you　beneath　our　yoke；'　say　the　women。



〃The　absence　of　the　rights　of　woman　does　not　consist　in　the　fact

that　she　has　not　the　right　to　vote；　or　the　right　to　sit　o