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the　sleeping…rooms；　upon　the　bedding；　upon　the　morning…gowns；

upon　the　wrappers；　the　linen；　the　costumes！　　Understand　that　if

people　married　according　to　the　old　fashion；　as　this　old　man　said

just　now；　then　these　eiderdown　coverlets　and　this　bedding　would

all　be　sacred　details；　but　with　us；　out　of　ten　married　people

there　is　scarcely　to　be　found　one　who；　I　do　not　say　believes　in

sacraments　（whether　he　believes　or　not　is　a　matter　of

indifference　to　us）；　but　believes　in　what　he　promises。　　Out　of　a

hundred　men；　there　is　scarcely　one　who　has　not　married　before；

and　out　of　fifty　scarcely　one　who　has　not　made　up　his　mind　to

deceive　his　wife。



〃The　great　majority　look　upon　this　journey　to　the　church　as　a

condition　necessary　to　the　possession　of　a　certain　woman。　　Think

then　of　the　supreme　significance　which　material　details　must　take

on。　　Is　it　not　a　sort　of　sale；　in　which　a　maiden　is　given　over　to

a　debauche；　the　sale　being　surrounded　with　the　most　agreeable

details？



　　

CHAPTER　XI。



〃All　marry　in　this　way。　　And　I　did　like　the　rest。　　If　the　young

people　who　dream　of　the　honeymoon　only　knew　what　a　disillusion　it

is；　and　always　a　disillusion！　　I　really　do　not　know　why　all　think

it　necessary　to　conceal　it。



〃One　day　I　was　walking　among　the　shows　in　Paris；　when；　attracted

by　a　sign；　I　entered　an　establishment　to　see　a　bearded　woman　and

a　water…dog。　　The　woman　was　a　man　in　disguise；　and　the　dog　was　an

ordinary　dog；　covered　with　a　sealskin；　and　swimming　in　a　bath。　

It　was　not　in　the　least　interesting；　but　the　Barnum　accompanied

me　to　the　exit　very　courteously；　and；　in　addressing　the　people

who　were　coming　in；　made　an　appeal　to　my　testimony。　　'Ask　the

gentleman　if　it　is　not　worth　seeing！　　Come　in；　come　in！　　It　only

costs　a　franc！'　　And　in　my　confusion　I　did　not　dare　to　answer

that　there　was　nothing　curious　to　be　seen；　and　it　was　upon　my

false　shame　that　the　Barnum　must　have　counted。



〃It　must　be　the　same　with　the　persons　who　have　passed　through　the

abominations　of　the　honeymoon。　　They　do　not　dare　to　undeceive

their　neighbor。　　And　I　did　the　same。



〃The　felicities　of　the　honeymoon　do　not　exist。　On　the　contrary；

it　is　a　period　of　uneasiness；　of　shame；　of　pity；　and；　above　all；

of　ennui；of　ferocious　ennui。　　It　is　something　like　the

feeling　of　a　youth　when　he　is　beginning　to　smoke。　　He　desires　to

vomit；　he　drivels；　and　swallows　his　drivel；　pretending　to　enjoy

this　little　amusement。　The　vice　of　marriage〃　。　。　。



〃What！　　Vice？〃　I　said。　　〃But　you　are　talking　of　one　of　the　most

natural　things。〃



〃Natural！〃　said　he。　　〃Natural！　　No；　I　consider　on　the　contrary

that　it　is　against　nature；　and　it　is　I；　a　perverted　man；　who　have

reached　this　conviction。　　What　would　it　be；　then；　if　I　had　not

known　corruption？　　To　a　young　girl；　to　every　unperverted　young

girl；　it　is　an　act　extremely　unnatural；　just　as　it　is　to

children。　　My　sister　married；　when　very　young；　a　man　twice　her

own　age；　and　who　was　utterly　corrupt。　　I　remember　how　astonished

we　were　the　night　of　her　wedding；　when；　pale　and　covered　with

tears；　she　fled　from　her　husband；　her　whole　body　trembling；

saying　that　for　nothing　in　the　world　would　she　tell　what　he

wanted　of　her。



〃You　say　natural？　　It　is　natural　to　eat；　that　is　a　pleasant；

agreeable　function；　which　no　one　is　ashamed　to　perform　from　the

time　of　his　birth。　　No；　it　is　not　natural。　　A　pure　young　girl

wants　one　thing；children。　　Children；　yes；　not　a　lover。〃　。　。　。



〃But；〃　said　I；　with　astonishment；　〃how　would　the　human　race

continue？〃



〃But　what　is　the　use　of　its　continuing？〃　he　rejoined；

vehemently。



〃What！　　What　is　the　use？　　But　then　we　should　not　exist。〃



〃And　why　is　it　necessary　that　we　should　exist？〃



〃Why；　to　live；　to　be　sure。〃



〃And　why　live？　　The　Schopenhauers；　the　Hartmanns；　and　all　the

Buddhists；　say　that　the　greatest　happiness　is　Nirvana；　Non…Life；

and　they　are　right　in　this　sense；that　human　happiness　is

coincident　with　the　annihilation　of　'Self。'　Only　they　do　not

express　themselves　well。　　They　say　that　Humanity　should

annihilate　itself　to　avoid　its　sufferings；　that　its　object　should

be　to　destroy　itself。　　Now　the　object　of　Humanity　cannot　be　to

avoid　sufferings　by　annihilation；　since　suffering　is　the　result

of　activity。　　The　object　of　activity　cannot　consist　in

suppressing　its　consequences。　　The　object　of　Man；　as　of　Humanity；

is　happiness；　and；　to　attain　it；　Humanity　has　a　law　which　it　must

carry　out。　　This　law　consists　in　the　union　of　beings。　　This　union

is　thwarted　by　the　passions。　　And　that　is　why；　if　the　passions

disappear；　the　union　will　be　accomplished。　　Humanity　then　will

have　carried　out　the　law；　and　will　have　no　further　reason　to

exist。〃



〃And　before　Humanity　carries　out　the　law？〃



〃In　the　meantime　it　will　have　the　sign　of　the　unfulfilled　law；

and　the　existence　of　physical　love。　　As　long　as　this　love　shall

exist；　and　because　of　it；　generations　will　be　born；　one　of　which

will　finally　fulfil　the　law。　　When　at　last　the　law　shall　be

fulfilled；　the　Human　Race　will　be　annihilated。　　At　least　it　is

impossible　for　us　to　conceive　of　Life　in　the　perfect　union　of

people。〃



　　

CHAPTER　XII。



〃Strange　theory！〃　cried　I。



〃Strange　in　what？　　According　to　all　the　doctrines　of　the　Church；

the　world　will　have　an　end。　Science　teaches　the　same　fatal

conclusions。　Why；　then；　is　it　strange　that　the　same　thing　should

result　from　moral　Doctrine？　　'Let　those　who　can；　contain；'　said

Christ。　　And　I　take　this　passage　literally；　as　it　is　written。　

That　morality　may　exist　between　people　in　their　worldly

relations；　they　must　make　complete　chastity　their　object。　　In

tending　toward　this　end；　man　humiliates　himself。　　When　he　shall

reach　the　last　degree　of　humiliation；　we　shall　have　moral

marriage。



〃But　if　man；　as　in　our　society；　tends　only　toward　physical　love；

though　he　may　clothe　it　with　pretexts　and　the　false　forms　of

marriage；　he　will　have　only　permissible　debauchery；　he　will　know

only　the　same　immoral　life　in　which　I　fell　and　caused　my　wife　to

fall；　a　life　which　we　call　the　honest　life　of　the　family。　　Think

what　a　perversion　of　ideas　must　arise　when　the　happiest　situation

of　man；　liberty；　chastity；　is　looked　upon　as　something　wretched

and　ridiculous。　　The　highest　ideal；　the　best　situation　of　woman；

to　be　pure；　to　be　a　vestal；　a　virgin；　excites　fear　and　laughter

in　our　society。　　How　many；　how　many　young　girls　sacrifice　their

purity　to　this　Moloch　of　opinion　by　marrying　rascals　that　they

may　not　remain　virgins；that　is；　superiors！　Through　fear　of

finding　themselves　in　that　ideal　state；　they　ruin　themselves。



〃But　I　did　not　understand　formerly；　I　did　not　understand　that　the

words　of　the　Gospel；　that　'he　who　looks　upon　a　woman　to　lust

after　her　has　already　committed　adultery；'　do　not　apply　to　the

wives　of　others；　but　notably　and　especially　to　our　own　wives。　　I

did　not　understand　this；　and　I　thought　that　the　honeymoon　and　all

of　my　acts　during　that　period　were　virtuous；　and　that　to　satisfy

one's　desires　with　his　wife　is　an　eminently　chaste　thing。　　Know；

then；　that　I　consider　these　departures；　these　isolations；　which

young　married　couples　arrange　with　the　permission　of　their

parents；　as　nothing　else　than　a　license　to　engage　in　debauchery。



〃I　saw；　then；　in　this　nothing　bad　or　shameful；　and；　hoping　for

great　joys；　I　began　to　live　the　honeymoon。　　And　very　certainly

none　of　these　joys　followed。　　But　I　had　faith；　and　was　determined

to　have　them；　cost　what　they　might。　　But　the　more　I　tried　to

secure　them；　the　less　I　succeeded。　　All　this　time　I　felt　anxious；

ashamed；　and　weary。　　Soon　I　began　to　suffer。　　I　believe　that　on

the　third　or　fourth　day　I　found　my　wife　sad　and　asked　her　the

reason。　　I　began　to　embrace　her；　which　in　my　opinion　was　all　that

she　could　desire。　　She　put　me　away　with　her　hand；　and　began　to

weep。



〃At　what？　　She　could　not　tell　me。　　She　was　filled　with　sorrow；

with　anguish。　　Probably　her　tortured　nerves　had　suggested　to　her

the　truth　about　the　baseness　of　our　relations；　but　she　found　no

words　in　which　to　say　it。　　I　began　to　question　her；　she　answered

that　she　missed　her　absent　mother。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　she　was

not　telling　the　truth。　　I　sought　to　console　her　by　maintaining

silence　in　regard　to　her　parents。　　I　did　not　imagine　that　she

felt　herself　simply　overwhelmed；　and　that　her　parents　had　nothing

to　do　with　her　sorrow。　　She　did　not　listen　to　me；　and　I　accused

her　of　caprice。　　I　began　to　laugh　at　her　gently。　　She　dried　her

tears；　and　began　to　reproach　me；　in　hard　and　wounding　terms；　for

my　selfishness　and　cruelty。



〃I　looked　at　her。　　Her　whole　face　expressed　hatred；　and　hatred　of

me。　　I　cannot　describe　to　you　the　fright　which　this　sight　gave

me。　　'How？　What？'　thought　I；　'love　is　the　unity　of　souls；　and

here　she　hates　me？　　Me？　　Why？　　But　it　is　impossible！　　It　is　no

longer　she！'



〃I　tried　to　calm　her。　　I　came　in　conflict　with　an　immovable　and

cold　hostility；　so　that；　having　no　time　to　reflect；　I　was　seized

with　keen　irritation。　　We　exchanged　disagreeable　remarks。　　The

impression　of　this　first　quarrel　was　terrible。　　I　say　quarrel；

but　the　term　is　inexact。　　It　was　the　sudden　discovery　of　the

abyss　that　had　been　dug　between　us。　　Love　was　exhausted　with　the

satisfaction　of　sensuality。　　We　stood　face　to　face　in　our　true

light；　like　two　egoists　trying　to　procure　the　greatest　possible

enjoyment；　like　two　individuals　trying　to　mutually　exploit　each

other。



〃So　what　I　called　our　quarrel　was　our　actual　situation　as　it

appeared　after　the　satisfaction　of　sensual　desire。　　I　did　not

realize　that　this　cold　hostility　was　our　normal　state；　and　that

this　first　quarrel　would　soon　be　drowned　under　a　new　flood　of　the

intensest　sensuality。　　I　thought　that　we　had　disputed　with　each

other；　and　had　become　reconciled；　and　that　it　would　not　happen

again。　　But　in　this　same　honeymoon　there　came　a　period　of

satiety；