laus. 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 humanity--at least the larger
portion--lives 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, and, to
clear ourselves, we preach free love; but, really, to preach free love
is only a call backward to the promiscuity of the sexes (excuse me,
he said to the lady), the haphazard sin of certain raskolniks. The old
foundation is shattered; we must build a new one, but we must not preach
debauchery."

He grew so warm that all became silent, looking at him in astonishment.

"And yet the transition state is terrible. People feel that haphazard
sin is inadmissible. It is necessary in some way or other to regulate
the sexual relations; but there exists no other foundation than the old
one, in which nobody longer believes? People marry in the old fashion,
without believing in what they do, and the result is falsehood,
violenc