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　should
  fall　side　by　side。　　Further；　this　is　not　only　an　improbability；
  but　it　is　certain　that　a　feeling　of　satiety　will　come　to　Helen　or
  to　Menelaus。　　The　whole　difference　is　that　to　one　it　comes
  sooner；　to　the　other　later。　　It　is　only　in　stupid　novels　that　it
  is　written　that　'they　loved　each　other　all　their　lives。'　　And
  none　but　children　can　believe　it。　　To　talk　of　loving　a　man　or
  woman　for　life　is　like　saying　that　a　candle　can　burn
  forever。〃
  〃But　you　are　talking　of　physical　love。　　Do　you　not　admit　a　love
  based　upon　a　conformity　of　ideals；　on　a　spiritual　affinity？〃
  〃Why　not？　　But　in　that　case　it　is　not　necessary　to　procreate
  together　（excuse　my　brutality）。　　The　point　is　that　this
  conformity　of　ideals　is　not　met　among　old　people；　but　among　young
  and　pretty　persons；〃　said　he；　and　he　began　to　laugh　disagreeably。
  〃Yes；　I　affirm　that　love；　real　love；　does　not　consecrate
  marriage；　as　we　are　in　the　habit　of　believing；　but　that；　on　the
  contrary；　it　ruins　it。〃
  〃Permit　me；〃　said　the　lawyer。　　〃The　facts　contradict　your　words。
  We　see　that　marriage　exists；　that　all　humanityat　least　the
  larger　portionlives　conjugally；　and　that　many　husbands　and
  wives　honestly　end　a　long　life　together。〃
  The　nervous　gentleman　smiled　ill…naturedly。
  〃And　what　then？　　You　say　that　marriage　is　based　upon　love；　and
  when　I　give　voice　to　a　doubt　as　to　the　existence　of　any　other
  love　than　sensual　love；　you　prove　to　me　the　existence　of　love　by
  marriage。　　But　in　our　day　marriage　is　only　a　violence　and
  falsehood。〃
  〃No；　pardon　me；〃　said　the　lawyer。　　〃I　say　only　that　marriages
  have　existed　and　do　exist。〃
  〃But　how　and　why　do　they　exist？　　They　have　existed；　and　they　do
  exist；　for　people　who　have　seen；　and　do　see；　in　marriage
  something　sacramental；　a　sacrament　that　is　binding　before　God。
  For　such　people　marriages　exist；　but　to　us　they　are　only
  hypocrisy　and　violence。　　We　feel　it；　a