01-the kreutzer sonata-第13章

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had　the　belief　that　'God　has　given；　God　has　taken　away；'　that　the

soul　of　the　little　angel　is　going　to　heaven；　and　that　it　is

better　to　die　innocent　than　to　die　in　sin。　　If　the　women　of

to…day　had　something　like　this　faith；　they　could　endure　more

peacefully　the　sickness　of　their　children。　　But　of　all　that　there

does　not　remain　even　a　trace。　　And　yet　it　is　necessary　to　believe

in　something；　consequently　they　stupidly　believe　in　medicine；　and

not　even　in　medicine；　but　in　the　doctor。　　One　believes　in　X；

another　in　Z；　and；　like　all　believers；　they　do　not　see　the　idiocy

of　their　beliefs。　　They　believe　quia　absurdum；　because；　in

reality；　if　they　did　not　believe　in　a　stupid　way；　they　would　see

the　vanity　of　all　that　these　brigands　prescribe　for　them。

Scarlatina　is　a　contagious　disease；　so；　when　one　lives　in　a　large

city；　half　the　family　has　to　move　away　from　its　residence　（we　did

it　twice）；　and　yet　every　man　in　the　city　is　a　centre　through

which　pass　innumerable　diameters；　carrying　threads　of　all　sorts

of　contagions。　　There　is　no　obstacle：　the　baker；　the　tailor；　the

coachman；　the　laundresses。



〃And　I　would　undertake；　for　every　man　who　moves　on　account　of

contagion；　to　find　in　his　new　dwelling…place　another　contagion

similar；　if　not　the　same。



〃But　that　is　not　all。　　Every　one　knows　rich　people　who；　after　a

case　of　diphtheria；　destroy　everything　in　their　residences；　and

then　fall　sick　in　houses　newly　built　and　furnished。　　Every　one

knows；　likewise；　numbers　of　men　who　come　in　contact　with　sick

people　and　do　not　get　infected。　Our　anxieties　are　due　to　the

people　who　circulate　tall　stories。　　One　woman　says　that　she　has

an　excellent　doctor。　　'Pardon　me；'　answers　the　other；　'he　killed

such　a　one；'　or　such　a　one。　And　vice　versa。　　Bring　her　another；

who　knows　no　more；　who　learned　from　the　same　books；　who　treats

according　to　the　same　formulas；　but　who　goes　about　in　a　carriage；

and　asks　a　hundred　roubles　a　visit；　and　she　will　have　faith　in

him。



〃It　all　lies　in　the　fact　that　our　women　are　savages。　　They　have

no　belief　in　God；　but　some　of　them　believe　in　the　evil　eye；　and

the　others　in　doctors　who　charge　high　fees。　　If　they　had　faith

they　would　know　that　scarlatina；　diphtheria；　etc。；　are　not　so

terrible；　since　they　cannot　disturb　that　which　man　can　and　should

love；the　soul。　There　can　result　from　them　only　that　which　none

of　us　can　avoid；disease　and　death。　　Without　faith　in　God；　they

love　only　physically；　and　all　their　energy　is　concentrated　upon

the　preservation　of　life；　which　cannot　be　preserved；　and　which

the　doctors　promise　the　fools　of　both　sexes　to　save。　　And　from

that　time　there　is　nothing　to　be　done；　the　doctors　must　be

summoned。



〃Thus　the　presence　of　the　children　not　only　did　not　improve　our

relations　as　husband　and　wife；　but；　on　the　contrary；　disunited

us。　　The　children　became　an　additional　cause　of　dispute；　and　the

larger　they　grew；　the　more　they　became　an　instrument　of　struggle。



One　would　have　said　that　we　used　them　as　weapons　with　which　to

combat　each　other。　　Each　of　us　had　his　favorite。　　I　made　use　of

little　Basile　（the　eldest）；　she　of　Lise。　　Further；　when　the

children　reached　an　age　where　their　characters　began　to　be

defined；　they　became　allies；　which　we　drew　each　in　his　or　her　own

direction。　　They　suffered　horribly　from　this；　the　poor　things；

but　we；　in　our　perpetual　hubbub；　were　not　clear…headed　enough　to

think　of　them。　　The　little　girl　was　devoted　to　me；　but　the　eldest

boy；　who　resembled　my　wife；　his　favorite；　often　inspired　me　with

dislike。



　　

CHAPTER　XVII。



〃We　lived　at　first　in　the　country；　then　in　the　city；　and；　if　the

final　misfortune　had　not　happened；　I　should　have　lived　thus　until

my　old　age　and　should　then　have　believed　that　I　had　had　a　good

life；not　too　good；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　not　bad；an

existence　such　as　other　people　lead。　　I　should　not　have

understood　the　abyss　of　misfortune　and　ignoble　falsehood　in　which

I　floundered　about；　feeling　that　something　was　not　right。　　I

felt；　in　the　first　place；　that　I；　a　man；　who；　according　to　my

ideas；　ought　to　be　the　master；　wore　the　petticoats；　and　that　I

could　not　get　rid　of　them。　　The　principal　cause　of　my　subjection

was　the　children。　　I　should　have　liked　to　free　myself；　but　I

could　not。　　Bringing　up　the　children；　and　resting　upon　them；　my

wife　ruled。　　I　did　not　then　realize　that　she　could　not　help

ruling；　especially　because；　in　marrying；　she　was　morally　superior

to　me；　as　every　young　girl　is　incomparably　superior　to　the　man；

since　she　is　incomparably　purer。　　Strange　thing！　　The　ordinary

wife　in　our　society　is　a　very　commonplace　person　or　worse；

selfish；　gossiping；　whimsical；　whereas　the　ordinary　young　girl；

until　the　age　of　twenty；　is　a　charming　being；　ready　for

everything　that　is　beautiful　and　lofty。　　Why　is　this　so？　

Evidently　because　husbands　pervert　them；　and　lower　them　to　their

own　level。



〃In　truth；　if　boys　and　girls　are　born　equal；　the　little　girls

find　themselves　in　a　better　situation。　　In　the　first　place；　the

young　girl　is　not　subjected　to　the　perverting　conditions　to　which

we　are　subjected。　　She　has　neither　cigarettes；　nor　wine；　nor

cards；　nor　comrades；　nor　public　houses；　nor　public　functions。　

And　then　the　chief　thing　is　that　she　is　physically　pure；　and　that

is　why；　in　marrying；　she　is　superior　to　her　husband。　　She　is

superior　to　man　as　a　young　girl；　and　when　she　becomes　a　wife　in

our　society；　where　there　is　no　need　to　work　in　order　to　live；　she

becomes　superior；　also；　by　the　gravity　of　the　acts　of　generation；

birth；　and　nursing。



〃Woman；　in　bringing　a　child　into　the　world；　and　giving　it　her

bosom；　sees　clearly　that　her　affair　is　more　serious　than　the

affair　of　man；　who　sits　in　the　Zemstvo；　in　the　court。　　She　knows

that　in　these　functions　the　main　thing　is　money；　and　money　can　be

made　in　different　ways；　and　for　that　very　reason　money　is　not

inevitably　necessary；　like　nursing　a　child。　　Consequently　woman

is　necessarily　superior　to　man；　and　must　rule。　　But　man；　in　our

society；　not　only　does　not　recognize　this；　but；　on　the　contrary；

always　looks　upon　her　from　the　height　of　his　grandeur；　despising

what　she　does。



〃Thus　my　wife　despised　me　for　my　work　at　the　Zemstvo；　because　she

gave　birth　to　children　and　nursed　them。　　I；　in　turn；　thought　that

woman's　labor　was　most　contemptible；　which　one　might　and　should

laugh　at。



〃Apart　from　the　other　motives；　we　were　also　separated　by　a　mutual

contempt。　　Our　relations　grew　ever　more　hostile；　and　we　arrived

at　that　period　when；　not　only　did　dissent　provoke　hostility；　but

hostility　provoked　dissent。　　Whatever　she　might　say；　I　was　sure

in　advance　to　hold　a　contrary　opinion；　and　she　the　same。　　Toward

the　fourth　year　of　our　marriage　it　was　tacitly　decided　between　us

that　no　intellectual　community　was　possible；　and　we　made　no

further　attempts　at　it。　　As　to　the　simplest　objects；　we　each　held

obstinately　to　our　own　opinions。　　With　strangers　we　talked　upon

the　most　varied　and　most　intimate　matters；　but　not　with　each

other。　　Sometimes；　in　listening　to　my　wife　talk　with　others　in　my

presence；　I　said　to　myself：　'What　a　woman！　Everything　that　she

says　is　a　lie！'　　And　I　was　astonished　that　the　person　with　whom

she　was　conversing　did　not　see　that　she　was　lying。　　When　we　were

together；　we　were　condemned　to　silence；　or　to　conversations

which；　I　am　sure；　might　have　been　carried　on　by　animals。



〃'What　time　is　it？　　It　is　bed…time。　　What　is　there　for　dinner

to…day？　　Where　shall　we　go？　　What　is　there　in　the　newspaper？　　The

doctor　must　be　sent　for；　Lise　has　a　sore　throat。'



〃Unless　we　kept　within　the　extremely　narrow　limits　of　such

conversation；　irritation　was　sure　to　ensue。　　The　presence　of　a

third　person　relieved　us；　for　through　an　intermediary　we　could

still　communicate。　　She　probably　believed　that　she　was　always

right。　　As　for　me；　in　my　own　eyes；　I　was　a　saint　beside　her。



〃The　periods　of　what　we　call　love　arrived　as　often　as　f