"But what about?"
"Listen: suppose you were married, that you loved your wife, but had been drawn away by another woman ...."
"Excuse me. I really can't imagine any such thing. As it looks to me, it would be as if in coming out from dinner, I should steal a loaf of bread from a bakery."
Stepan Arkadyevitch's eyes sparkled more than usual. "Why not? Bread sometimes smells so good, that one cannot resist the temptation: —
Meine irdische Begier:
Aber doch wenn's nicht gelungen,
Hätt' ich auf recht hübsch Plaisir."[1]
As he repeated these lines, Oblonsky smiled.
Levin could not refrain from smiling also.
"But a truce to pleasantries," continued Oblonsky. "Imagine a woman, a charming, modest, loving creature, poor, and alone in the world, who had sacrificed everything for you. Now, imagine, after the thing is done, is it necessary to give her up? We'll allow that it is necessary to break with her, so as not to disturb the peace of the family; but ought we not to pity her, to make provision for her, to soften the blow?"
"Pardon me; but you know that for me all women are divided into two classes, .... no, that is, .... there are women, and there are .... But I never yet have seen or expect to see beautiful fallen women, beautiful repentant Magdalens; and such women as that painted French creature at the bar, with her false curls, fill me with disgust, and all fallen women are the same!"
"But the woman in the New Testament?"
"Akh! hold your peace. Never would Christ have said those words if he had known to what bad use they would be put. Out of the whole Gospel, only those
- ↑ It was heavenly when I gained
What my heart desired on earth:
Yet if not all were attained,
Still I had my share or mirth.
