01-the kreutzer sonata-第2章

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and　turning　toward　us。　〃You　have　given　yourself　liberty。　　As　for

woman；　you　wish　to　keep　her　in　the　seraglio。　To　you；　everything

is　permissible。　　Is　it　not　so？〃



〃Oh；　man；that's　another　affair。〃



〃Then；　according　to　you；　to　man　everything　is　permissible？〃



〃No　one　gives　him　this　permission；　only；　if　the　man　behaves　badly

outside；　the　family　is　not　increased　thereby；　but　the　woman；　the

wife；　is　a　fragile　vessel；〃　continued　the　merchant；　severely。



His　tone　of　authority　evidently　subjugated　his　hearers。　　Even　the

lady　felt　crushed；　but　she　did　not　surrender。



〃Yes；　but　you　will　admit；　I　think；　that　woman　is　a　human　being；

and　has　feelings　like　her　husband。　　What　should　she　do　if　she

does　not　love　her　husband？〃



〃If　she　does　not　love　him！〃　repeated　the　old　man；　stormily；　and

knitting　his　brows；　〃why；　she　will　be　made　to　love　him。〃



This　unexpected　argument　pleased　the　clerk；　and　he　uttered　a

murmur　of　approbation。



〃Oh；　no；　she　will　not　be　forced；〃　said　the　lady。　　〃Where　there　is

no　love；　one　cannot　be　obliged　to　love　in　spite　of　herself。〃



〃And　if　the　wife　deceives　her　husband；　what　is　to　be　done？〃　said

the　lawyer。



〃That　should　not　happen；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃He　must　have　his

eyes　about　him。〃



〃And　if　it　does　happen；　all　the　same？　　You　will　admit　that　it

does　happen？〃



〃It　happens　among　the　upper　classes；　not　among　us；〃　answered　the

old　man。　　〃And　if　any　husband　is　found　who　is　such　a　fool　as　not

to　rule　his　wife；　he　will　not　have　robbed　her。　But　no　scandal；

nevertheless。　　Love　or　not；　but　do　not　disturb　the　household。　

Every　husband　can　govern　his　wife。　　He　has　the　necessary　power。　

It　is　only　the　imbecile　who　does　not　succeed　in　doing　so。〃



Everybody　was　silent。　　The　clerk　moved；　advanced；　and；　not

wishing　to　lag　behind　the　others　in　the　conversation；　began　with

his　eternal　smile：



〃Yes；　in　the　house　of　our　employer；　a　scandal　has　arisen；　and　it

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　shoul