01-the kreutzer sonata-第19章

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one　could　have　thought　him　dangerous。　　I　am　too　proud　not　to

detest　such　thoughts。'



〃And　she　did　not　lie。　　She　believed　what　she　said。　　She　hoped　by

her　words　to　provoke　in　herself　a　contempt　for　him；　and　thereby

to　defend　herself。　　But　she　did　not　succeed。　　Everything　was

directed　against　her；　especially　that　abominable　music。　　So　ended

the　quarrel；　and　on　Sunday　our　guests　came；　and　Troukhatchevsky

and　my　wife　again　played　together。



　

CHAPTER　　XXIII。



〃I　think　that　it　is　superfluous　to　say　that　I　was　very　vain。　　If

one　has　no　vanity　in　this　life　of　ours；　there　is　no　sufficient

reason　for　living。　So　for　that　Sunday　I　had　busied　myself　in

tastefully　arranging　things　for　the　dinner　and　the　musical

soiree。　　I　had　purchased　myself　numerous　things　for　the　dinner；

and　had　chosen　the　guests。　　Toward　six　o'clock　they　arrived；　and

after　them　Troukhatchevsky；　in　his　dress…coat；　with　diamond

shirt…studs；　in　bad　taste。　　He　bore　himself　with　ease。　　To　all

questions　he　responded　promptly；　with　a　smile　of　contentment　and

understanding；　and　that　peculiar　expression　which　was　intended　to

mean：　'All　that　you　may　do　and　say　will　be　exactly　what　I

expected。'　Everything　about　him　that　was　not　correct　I　now

noticed　with　especial　pleasure；　for　it　all　tended　to　tranquillize

me；　and　prove　to　me　that　to　my　wife　he　stood　in　such　a　degree　of

inferiority　that；　as　she　had　told　me；　she　could　not　stoop　to　his

level。　　Less　because　of　my　wife's　assurances　than　because　of　the

atrocious　sufferings　which　I　felt　in　jealousy；　I　no　longer

allowed　myself　to　be　jealous。



〃In　spite　of　that；　I　was　not　at　ease　with　the　musician　or　with

her　during　dinner…time　and　the　time　that　elapsed　before　the

beginning　of　the　music。　　Involuntarily　I　followed　each　of　their

gestures　and　looks。　　The　dinner；　like　all　dinners；　was　tiresome

and　conventional。　　Not　long　afterward　the　music　began。　　He　went

to　get　his　violin；　my　wife　advanced　to　the　piano；　and　rummaged

among　the　scores。　　Oh；　how　well　I　remember　all　the　details　of

that　evening！　　I　remember　how　he　brought　the　violin；　how　he

opened　the　box；　took　off　the　serge　embroidered　by　a　lady's　hand；

and　began　to　tune　the　instrument。　　I　can　still　see　my　wife　sit

down；　with　a　false　air　of　indifference；　under　which　it　was　plain

that　she　hid　a　great　timidity；　a　timidity　that　was　especially　due

to　her　comparative　lack　of　musical　knowledge。　　She　sat　down　with

that　false　air　in　front　of　the　piano；　and　then　began　the　usual

preliminaries；the　pizzicati　of　the　violin　and　the　arrangement

of　the　scores。　　I　remember　then　how　they　looked　at　each　other；

and　cast　a　glance　at　their　auditors　who　were　taking　their　seats。　

They　said　a　few　words　to　each　other；　and　the　music　began。　　They

played　Beethoven's　'Kreutzer　Sonata。'　　Do　you　know　the　first

presto？　Do　you　know　it？　　Ah！〃　。　。　。



Posdnicheff　heaved　a　sigh；　and　was　silent　for　a　long　time。



〃A　terrible　thing　is　that　sonata；　especially　the　presto！　　And　a

terrible　thing　is　music　in　general。　　What　is　it　？　　Why　does　it　do

what　it　does？　They　say　that　music　stirs　the　soul。　　Stupidity！　A

lie！　　It　acts；　it　acts　frightfully　（I　speak　for　myself）；　but　not

in　an　ennobling　way。　　It　acts　neither　in　an　ennobling　nor　a

debasing　way；　but　in　an　irritating　way。　　How　shall　I　say　it？　

Music　makes　me　forget　my　real　situation。　　It　transports　me　into　a

state　which　is　not　my　own。　　Under　the　influence　of　music　I　really

seem　to　feel　what　I　do　not　feel；　to　understand　what　I　do　not

understand；　to　have　powers　which　I　cannot　have。　Music　seems　to　me

to　act　like　yawning　or　laughter；　I　have　no　desire　to　sleep；　but　I

yawn　when　I　see　others　yawn；　with　no　reason　to　laugh；　I　laugh

when　I　hear　others　laugh。　　And　music　transports　me　immediately

into　the　condition　of　soul　in　which　he　who　wrote　the　music　found

himself　at　that　time。　　I　become　confounded　with　his　soul；　and

with　him　I　pass　from　one　condition　to　another。　　But　why　that？　　I

know　nothing　about　it？　　But　he　who　wrote　Beethoven's　'Kreutzer

Sonata'　knew　well　why　he　found　himself　in　a　certain　condition。　

That　condition　led　him　to　certain　actions；　and　for　that　reason　to

him　had　a　meaning；　but　to　me　none；　none　whatever。　　And　that　is

why　music　provokes　an　excitement　which　it　does　not　bring　to　a

conclusion。　　For　instance；　a　military　march　is　played；　the

soldier　passes　to　the　sound　of　this　march；　and　the　music　is

finished。　　A　dance　is　played；　I　have　finished　dancing；　and　the

music　is　finished。　　A　mass　is　sung；　I　receive　the　sacrament；　and

again　the　music　is　finished。　　But　any　other　music　provokes　an

excitement；　and　this　excitement　is　not　accompanied　by　the　thing

that　needs　properly　to　be　done；　and　that　is　why　music　is　so

dangerous；　and　sometimes　acts　so　frightfully。



〃In　China　music　is　under　the　control　of　the　State；　and　that　is

the　way　it　ought　to　be。　　Is　it　admissible　that　the　first　comer

should　hypnotize　one　or　more　persons；　and　then　do　with　them　as　he

likes？　　And　especially　that　the　hypnotizer　should　be　the　first

immoral　individual　who　happens　to　come　along？　　It　is　a　frightful

power　in　the　hands　of　any　one；　no　matter　whom。　　For　instance；

should　they　be　allowed　to　play　this　'Kreutzer　Sonata；'　the　first

presto；and　there　are　many　like　it；in　parlors；　among　ladies

wearing　low　necked　dresses；　or　in　concerts；　then　finish　the

piece；　receive　the　applause；　and　then　begin　another　piece？　　These

things　should　be　played　under　certain　circumstances；　only　in

cases　where　it　is　necessary　to　incite　certain　actions

corresponding　to　the　music。　　But　to　incite　an　energy　of　feeling

which　corresponds　to　neither　the　time　nor　the　place；　and　is

expended　in　nothing；　cannot　fail　to　act　dangerously。　　On　me　in

particular　this　piece　acted　in　a　frightful　manner。　One　would　have

said　that　new　sentiments；　new　virtualities；　of　which　I　was

formerly　ignorant；　had　developed　in　me。　　'Ah；　yes；　that's　it！　

Not　at　all　as　I　lived　and　thought　before！　　This　is　the　right　way

to　live！'



〃Thus　I　spoke　to　my　soul　as　I　listened　to　that　music。　　What　was

this　new　thing　that　I　thus　learned？　　That　I　did　not　realize；　but

the　consciousness　of　this　indefinite　state　filled　me　with　joy。　

In　that　state　there　was　no　room　for　jealousy。　　The　same　faces；

and　among　them　HE　and　my　wife；　I　saw　in　a　different　light。　　This

music　transported　me　into　an　unknown　world；　where　there　was　no

room　for　jealousy。　　Jealousy　and　the　feelings　that　provoke　it

seemed　to　me　trivialities；　nor　worth　thinking　of。



〃After　the　presto　followed　the　andante；　not　very　new；　with

commonplace　variations；　and　the　feeble　finale。　　Then　they　played

more；　at　the　request　of　the　guests；first　an　elegy　by　Ernst；　and

then　various　other　pieces。　　They　were　all　very　well；　but　did　not

produce　upon　me　a　tenth　part　of　the　impression　that　the　opening

piece　did。　　I　felt　light　and　gay　throughout　the　evening。　　As　for

my　wife；　never　had　I　seen　her　as　she　was　that　night。　　Those

brilliant　eyes；　that　severity　and　majestic　expression　while　she

was　playing；　and　then　that　utter　languor；　that　weak；　pitiable；

and　happy　smile　after　she　had　finished；I　saw　them　all　and

attached　no　importance　to　them；　believing　that　she　felt　as　I　did；

that　to　her；　as　to　me；　new　sentiments　had　been　revealed；　as

through　a　fog。　　During　almost　the　whole　evening　I　was　not

jealous。



〃Two　days　later　I　was　to　start　for　the　assembly　of　the　Zemstvo；

and　for　that　reason；　on　taking　leave　of　me　and　carrying　all　his

scores　with　him；　Troukhatchevsky　asked　me　when　I　should　return。　

I　inferred　from　that　that　he　believed　it　impossible　to　come　to　my

house　during　my　absence；　and　that　was　agreeable　to　me。　　Now　I　was

not　to　return　before　his　departure　from　the　city。　　So　we　bade

each　other　a　definite　farewell。　For　the　first　time　I　shook　his

hand　with　pleasure；　and　thanked　him　for　the　satisfaction　that　he

had　given　me。　　He　likewise　took　leave　of　my　wife；　and　their

parting　seemed　to　me　very　natural　and　proper。　　All　went

marvellously。　　My　wife　and　I　retired；　well