〃Sometimes　words；　explanations；　or　even　tears；　but　sometimes；　I
  remember；　after　insulting　words；　there　tacitly　followed　embraces
  and　declarations。　　Abomination！　　Why　is　it　that　I　did　not　then
  perceive　this　baseness？
  CHAPTER　XIII。
  〃All　of　us；　men　and　women；　are　brought　up　in　these　aberrations
  of　feeling　that　we　call　love。　　I　from　childhood　had　prepared
  myself　for　this　thing；　and　I　loved；　and　I　loved　during　all　my
  youth；　and　I　was　joyous　in　loving。　　It　had　been　put　into　my　head
  that　it　was　the　noblest　and　highest　occupation　in　the　world。　　But
  when　this　expected　feeling　came　at　last；　and　I；　a　man；　abandoned
  myself　to　it；　the　lie　was　pierced　through　and　through。
  Theoretically　a　lofty　love　is　conceivable；　practically　it　is　an
  ignoble　and　degrading　thing；　which　it　is　equally　disgusting　to
  talk　about　and　to　remember。　　It　is　not　in　vain　that　nature　has
  made　ceremonies；　but　people　pretend　that　the　ignoble　and　the
  shameful　is　beautiful　and　lofty。
  〃I　will　tell　you　brutally　and　briefly　what　were　the　first　signs
  of　my　love。　　I　abandoned　myself　to　beastly　excesses；　not　only　not
  ashamed　of　them；　but　proud　of　them；　giving　no　thought　to　the
  intellectual　life　of　my　wife。　　And　not　only　did　I　not　think　of
  her　intellectual　life；　I　did　not　even　consider　her　physical　life。
  I　was　astonished　at　the　origin　of　our　hostility；　and　yet　how
  clear　it　was！　　This　hostility　is　nothing　but　a　protest　of　human
  nature　against　the　beast　that　enslaves　it。　　It　could　not　be
  otherwise。　　This　hatred　was　the　hatred　of　accomplices　in　a　crime。
  Was　it　not　a　crime　that；　this　poor　woman　having　become　pregnant
  in　the　first　month；　our　liaison　　should　have　continued　just　the
  same？
  〃You　imagine　that　I　am　wandering　from　my　story。　　Not　at　all。　　I
  am　always　giving　you　an　account　of　the　events　that　led　to　the
  murder　of　my　wife。　　The　imbeciles！　　They　think　that　I　killed　my
  wife　on　the　5th　of　October。　　It　was　long　before　that　that　I
  immolated　her；　just　as　they　all　kill　now。　　Understand　well　that
  in　our　society　there　is　an　idea　shared　by　all　that　woman　procures
  man　pleasure　（and　vice　versa；　probably；　but　I　know　nothing　of
  that；　I　only　know　my　own　case）。　　Wein；　Weiber　und　Gesang。　　So　say
  the　poets　in　their　verses：　Wine；　women；　and　song！
  〃If　it　were　only　that！　　Take　all　the　poetry；　the　painting；　the
  sculpture；　beginning　with　Pouschkine's　'Little　Feet；'　with　'Venus
  and　Phryne；'　and　you　will　see　that　woman　is　only　a　means　of
  enjoyment。　　That　is　what　she　is　at　Trouba；*　at　Gratchevka；　and　in
  a　court　ball…room。　　And　think　of　this　diabolical　trick：　if　she
  were　a　thing　without　moral　value；　it　might　be　said　that　woman　is
  a　fine　morsel；　but；　in　the　first　place；　these　knights　assure　us
  that　they　adore　woman　（they　adore　her　and　look　upon　her；　however；
  as　a　means　of　enjoyment）；　then　all　assure　us　that　they　esteem
  woman。　　Some　give　up　their　seats　to　her；　pick　up　her
  handkerchief；　others　recognize　in　her　a　right　to　fill　all
  offices；　participate　in　government；　etc。；　but；　in　spite　of　all
  that；　the　essential　point　remains　the　same。　　She　is；　she　remains；
  an　object　of　sensual　desire；　and　she　knows　it。　　It　is　slavery；
  for　slavery　is　nothing　else　than　the　utilization　of　the　labor　of
  some　for　the　enjoyment　of　others。　　That　slavery　may　not　exist
  people　must　refuse　to　enjoy　the　labor　of　others；　and　look　upon　it
  as　a　shameful　act　and　as　a　sin。
  *A　suburb　of　Moscow。
  〃Actually；　this　is　what　happens。　　They　abolish　the　external
  form；　they　suppress　the　formal　sales　of　slaves；　and　then　they
  imagine　and　assure　others　that　slavery　is　abolished。　　They　are
  unwilling　to　see　that　it　still　exists；　since　people；　as　before；
  like　to　profit　by　the　labor　of　others；　and　think　it　good　and
  just。　　This　being　given；　there　will　always　be　found　beings
  stronger　or　more　cunning　than　others　to　profit　thereby。　　The　same
  thing　happens　in　the　emancipation　of　woman。　　At　bottom　feminine
  servitude　consists　entirely　in　her　assimilation　with　a　means　of
  pleasure。　　They　excite　woman；　they　give　her　all　sorts　of　rights
  equal　to　those　of　men；　but　they　continue　to　look　upon　her　as　an
  object　of　sensual　desire；　and　thus　they　bring　her　up　from　infancy
  and　in　public　opinion。
  〃She　is　always　the　humiliated　and　corrupt　serf；　and　man　remains
  always　the　debauched　Master。　　Yes；　to　abolish　slavery；　public
  opinion　must　admit　that　it　is　shameful　to　exploit　one's　neighbor；
  and；　to　make　woman　free；　public　opinion　must　admit　that　it　is
  shameful　to　consider　woman　as　an　instrument　of　pleasure。
  〃The　emancipation　of　woman　is　not　to　be　effected　in　the　public
  courts　or　in　the　chamber　of　deputies；　but　in　the　sleeping
  chamber。　　Prostitution　is　to　be　combated；　not　in　the　houses　of
  ill…fame；　but　in　the　family。　　They　free　woman　in　the　public
  courts　and　in　the　chamber　of　deputies；　but　she　remains　an
  instrument。　　Teach　her；　as　she　is　taught　among　us；　to　look　upon
  herself　as　such；　and　she　will　always　remain　an　inferior　being。
  Either；　with　the　aid　of　the　rascally　doctors；　she　will　try　to
  prevent　conception；　and　descend；　not　to　the　level　of　an　animal；
  but　to　the　level　of　a　thing；　or　she　will　be　what　she　is　in　the
  great　majority　of　cases；sick；　hysterical；　wretched；　without
  hope　of　spiritual　progress。〃　。　。　。
  〃But　why　that？〃　I　asked。
  〃Oh！　the　most　astonishing　thing　is　that　no　one　is　willing　to　see
  this　thing；　evident　as　it　is；　which　the　doctors　must　understand；
  but　which　they　take　good　care　not　to　do。　　Man　does　not　wish　to
  know　the　law　of　nature；children。　　But　children　are　born　and
  become　an　embarrassment。　　Then　man　devises　means　of　avoiding　this
  embarrassment。　　We　have　not　yet　reached　the　low　level　of　Europe；
  nor　Paris；　nor　the　'system　of　two　children；'　nor　Mahomet。　　We
  have　discovered　nothing；　because　we　have　given　it　no　thought。　　We
  feel　that　there　is　something　bad　in　the　two　first　means；　but　we
  wish　to　preserve　the　family；　and　our　view　of　woman　is　still
  worse。
  〃With　us　woman　must　be　at　the　same　time　mistress　and　nurse；　and
  her　strength　is　not　sufficient。　　That　is　why　we　have　hysteria；
  nervous　attacks；　and；　among　the　peasants；　witchcraft。　　Note　that
  among　the　young　girls　of　the　peasantry　this　state　of　things　does
  not　exist；　but　only　among　the　wives；　and　the　wives　who　live　with
  their　husbands。　　The　reason　is　clear；　and　this　is　the　cause　of
  the　intellectual　and　moral　decline　of　woman；　and　of　her
  abasement。
  〃If　they　would　only　reflect　what　a　grand　work　for　the　wife　is　the
  period　of　gestation！　　In　her　is　forming　the　being　who　continues
  us；　and　this　holy　work　is　thwarted　and　rendered　painful　。　。　。　by
  what？　　It　is　frightful　to　think　of　it！　　And　after　that　they　talk
  of　the　liberties　and　the　rights　of　woman！　　It　is　like　the
  cannibals　fattening　their　prisoners　in　order　to　devour　them；　and
  assuring　these　unfortunates　at　the　same　time　that　their　rights
  and　their　liberties　are　guarded！〃
  All　this　was　new　to　me；　and　astonished　me　very　much。
  〃But　if　this　is　so；〃　said　I；　〃it　follows　that　one　may　love　his
  wife　only　once　every　two　years；　and　as　man〃　。　。　。
  〃And　as　man　has　need　of　her；　you　are　going　to　say。　　At　least；　so
  the　priests　of　science　assure　us。　　I　would　force　these　priests　to
  fulfil　the　function　of　these　women；　who；　in　their　opinion；　are
  necessary　to　man。　　I　wonder　what　song　they　would　sing　then。
  Assure　man　that　he　needs　brandy；　tobacco；　opium；　and　he　will
  believe　those　poisons　necessary。　　It　follows　that　God　did　not
  know　how　to　arrange　matters　properly；　since；　without　asking　the
  opinions　of　the　priests；　he　has　combined　things　as　they　are。　　Man
  needs；　so　they　have　decided；　to　satisfy　his　sensual　desire；　and
  here　this　function　is　disturbed　by　the　birth　and　the　nursing　of
  children。
  〃What；　then；　is　to　be　done？　　Why；　apply　to　the　priests；　they　will
  arrange　everything；　and　they　have　really　discovered　a　way。　　When；
  then；　will　these　rascals　with　their　lies　be　uncrowned！　　It　is
  high　time。　　We　have　had　enough　of　them。　　People　go　mad；　and　shoot
  each　other　with　revolvers；　and　always　because　of　that！　　And　how
  could　it　be　otherwise？
  〃One　would　say　that　the　animals　know　that　descent　continues　their
  race；　and　that　they　follow　a　certain　law　in　regard　thereto。　　Only
  man　does　not　know　this；　and　is　unwilling　to　know　it。　He　cares
  only　to　have　as　much　sensual　enjoyment　as　possible。　　The　king　of
  nature；man！　In　the　name　of　his　love　he　kills　half　the　human
  race。　　Of　woman；　who　ought　to　be　his　aid　in　the　movement　of
  humanity　toward　liberty；　he　makes；　in　the　name　of　his　pleasures；
  not　an　aid；　but　an　enemy。　　Who　is　it　that　everywhere　puts　a　check
  upon　the　progressive　movement　of　humanity？　　Woman。　　Why　is　it　so？
  For　the　reason　that　I　have　given；　and　for　that　reason　only。
  CHAPTER　XIV。
  〃Yes；　much　worse　than　the　animal　is　man　when　he　does　not　live　as
  a　man。　　Thus　was　I。　　The　horrible　part　is　that　I　believed；
  inasmuch　as　I　did　not　allow　myself　to　be　seduced　by　other　women
  that　I　was　leading　a