01-the kreutzer sonata-第6章

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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　on　the

bench；　but　in　the　fact　that　in　her　affectional　relations　she　is

not　the　equal　of　man；　she　has　not　the　right　to　abstain；　to　choose

instead　of　being　chosen。　　You　say　that　that　would　be　abnormal。　

Very　well！　But　then　do　not　let　man　enjoy　these　rights；　while　his

companion　is　deprived　of　them；　and　finds　herself　obliged　to　make

use　of　the　coquetry　by　which　she　governs；　so　that　the　result　is

that　man　chooses　'formally；'　whereas　really　it　is　woman　who

chooses。　　As　soon　as　she　is　in　possession　of　her　means；　she

abuses　them；　and　acquires　a　terrible　supremacy。〃



〃But　where　do　you　see　this　exceptional　power？〃



〃Where？　　Why；　everywhere；　in　everything。　　Go　see　the　stores　in

the　large　cities。　　There　are　millions　there；　millions。　　It　is

impossible　to　estimate　the　enormous　quantity　of　labor　that　is

expended　there。　　In　nine…tenths　of　these　stores　is　there　anything

whatever　for　the　use　of　men？　　All　the　luxury　of　life　is　demanded

and　sustained　by　woman。　　Count　the　factories；　the　greater　part　of

them　are　engaged　in　making　feminine　ornaments。　　Millions　of　men；

generations　of　slaves；　die　toiling　like　convicts　simply　to

satisfy　the　whims　of　our　companions。



〃Women；　like　queens；　keep　nine…tenths　of　the　　human　race　as

prisoners　of　war；　or　as　prisoners　at　hard　labor。　　And　all　this

because　they　have　been　humiliated；　because　they　have　been

deprived　of　rights　equal　to　those　which　men　enjoy。　They　take

revenge　for　our　sensuality；　they　catch　us　in　their　nets。



〃Yes；　the　whole　thing　is　there。　　Women　have　made　of　themselves

such　a　weapon　to　act　upon　the　senses　that　a　young　man；　and　even

an　old　man；　cannot　remain　tranquil　in　their　presence。　Watch　a

popular　festival；　or　our　receptions　or　ball…rooms。　　Woman　well

knows　her　influence　there。　　You　will　see　it　in　her　triumphant

smiles。



〃As　soon　as　a　young　man　advances　toward　a　woman；　directly　he

falls　under　the　influence　of　this　opium；　and　loses　his　head。　

Long　ago　I　felt　ill　at　ease　when　I　saw　a　woman　too　well

adorned；whether　a　woman　of　the　people　with　her　red　neckerchief

and　her　looped　skirt；　or　a　woman　of　our　own　society　in　her

ball…room　dress。　　But　now　it　simply　terrifies　me。　　I　see　in　it　a

danger　to　men；　something　contrary　to　the　laws；　and　I　feel　a

desire　to　call　a　policeman；　to　appeal　for　defence　from　some

quarter；　to　demand　that　this　dangerous　object　be　removed。



〃And　this　is　not　a　joke；　by　any　means。　　I　am　convinced；　I　am

sure；　that　the　time　will　comeand　perhaps　it　is　not　far

distantwhen　the　world　will　understand　this；　and　will　be

astonished　that　a　society　could　exist　in　which　actions　as　harmful

as　those　which　appeal　to　sensuality　by　adorning　the　body　as　our

companions　do　were　allowed。　　As　well　set　traps　along　our　public

streets；　or　worse　than　that。



　　

CHAPTER　X。



〃That；　then；　was　the　way　in　which　I　was　captured。　　I　was　in

love；　as　it　is　called；　not　only　did　she　appear　to　me　a　perfect

being；　but　I　considered　myself　a　white　blackbird。　　It　is　a

commonplace　fact　t