01-the kreutzer sonata- 第15部分

smoking。'



〃And　she　sat　down　beside　me　on　the　sofa；　resting　against　my

shoulder。　　I　recoiled；　that　I　might　not　touch　her。



〃'I　see　that　you　are　displeased　with　what　I　wish　to　play　on

Sunday；'　said　she。



〃'I　am　not　at　all　displeased；'　said　I。



〃'Can　I　not　see？'



〃'Well；　I　congratulate　you　on　your　clairvoyance。　　Only　to　you

every　baseness　is　agreeable；　and　I　abhor　it。'



〃'If　you　are　going　to　swear　like　a　trooper；　I　am　going　away。'



〃'Then　go　away。　　Only　know　that；　if　the　honor　of　the　family　is

nothing　to　you；　to　me　it　is　dear。　　As　for　you；　the　devil　take

you！'



〃'What！　　What　is　the　matter？'



〃'Go　away；　in　the　name　of　God。'



〃But　she　did　not　go　away。　　Was　she　pretending　not　to　understand；

or　did　she　really　not　understand　what　I　meant？　　But　she　was

offended　and　became　angry。



〃'You　have　become　absolutely　impossible；'　she　began；　or　some　such

phrase　as　that　regarding　my　character；　trying；　as　usual；　to　give

me　as　much　pain　as　possible。　　'After　what　you　have　done　to　my

sister　（she　referred　to　an　incident　with　her　sister；　in　which；

beside　myself；　I　had　uttered　brutalities；　she　knew　that　that

tortured　me；　and　tried　to　touch　me　in　that　tender　spot）　nothing

will　astonish　me。'



〃'Yes；　offended；　humiliated；　and　dishonored；　and　after　that　to

hold　me　still　responsible；'　thought　I；　and　suddenly　a　rage；　such

a　hatred　invaded　me　as　I　do　not　remember　to　have　ever　felt

before。　　For　the　first　time　I　desired　to　express　this　hatred

physically。　　I　leaped　upon　her；　but　at　the　same　moment　I

understood　my　condition；　and　I　asked　myself　whether　it　would　be

well　for　me　to　abandon　myself　to　my　fury。　　And　I　answered　myself

that　it　would　be　well；　that　it　would　frighten　her；　and；　instead

of　resisting；　I　lashed　and　spurred　myself　on；　and　was　glad　to

feel　my　anger　boiling　more　and　more　fiercely。



〃'Go　away；　or　I　will　kill　you！'　I　cried；　purposely；　with　a

frightful　voice；　and　I　grasped　her　by　the　arm。　　She　did　not　go

away。　　Then　I　twisted　her　arm；　and　pushed　her　away　violently。



〃'What　is　the　matter　with　you？　　Come　to　your　senses！'　she

shrieked。



〃'Go　away；'　roared　I；　louder　than　ever；　rolling　my　eyes　wildly。　

'It　takes　you　to　put　me　in　such　a　fury。　　I　do　not　answer　for

myself！　　Go　away！'



〃In　abandoning　myself　to　my　anger；　I　became　steeped　in　it；　and　I

wanted　to　commit　some　violent　act　to　show　the　force　of　my　fury。　

I　felt　a　terrible　desire　to　beat　her；　to　kill　her；　but　I　realized

that　that　could　not　be；　and　I　restrained　myself。　　I　drew　back

from　her；　rushed　to　the　table；　grasped　the　paper…weight；　and

threw　it　on　the　floor　by　her　side。　　I　took　care　to　aim　a　little

to　one　side；　and；　before　she　disappeared　（I　did　it　so　that　she

could　see　it）；　I　grasped　a　candlestick；　which　I　also　hurled；　and

then　took　down　the　barometer；　continuing　to　shout：



〃'Go　away！　　I　do　not　answer　for　myself！'



〃She　disappeared；　and　I　immediately　ceased　my　demonstrations。　　An

hour　later　the　old　servant　came　to　me　and　said　that　my　wife　was

in　a　fit　of　hysterics。　　I　went　to　see　her。　　She　sobbed　and

laughed；　incapable　of　expressing　anything；　her　whole　body　in　a

tremble。　　She　was　not　shamming；　she　was　really　sick。　　We　sent　for

the　doctor；　and　all　night　long　I　cared　for　her。　　Toward　daylight

she　grew　calmer；　and　we　became　reconciled　under　the　influence　of

that　feeling　which　we　called　'love。'　　The　next　morning；　when；

after　the　reconciliation；　I　confessed　to　her　that　I　was　jealous

of　Troukhatchevsky；　she　was　not　at　all　embarrassed；　and　began　to

laugh　in　the　most　natural　way；　so　strange　did　the　possibility　of

being　led　astray　by　such　a　man　appear　to　her。



　〃'With　such　a　man　can　an　honest　woman　entertain　any　feeling

beyond　the　pleasure　of　enjoying　music　with　him？　　But　if　you　like；

I　am　ready　to　never　see　him　again；　even　on　Sunday；　although

everybody　has　been　invited。　　Write　him　that　I　am　indisposed；　and

that　will　end　the　matter。　　Only　one　thing　annoys　me；that　any

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　t