Chapter 25 We spent one night at the villa...

We spent the night at Duchess D's villa. The conversation unknowingly involved Mrs. Stahl.Baron D, in broken French, uttered a famous joke very poorly.Once Mrs. Stahl asked Napoleon: "Who is the first woman in the world?" His answer was ridiculous: "Whoever has the most children is the one."① "What an excellent one-liner!" said one visitor. "She deserves it!" said one lady. "How can such a compliment be brought up as a question?" "I don't think," said Sorohkin, who was just waking up from a nap in the Hambus armchair, "that Mrs. Stahl wasn't trying to be flattering, and Napoleon wasn't trying to be sarcastic. An understandable curiosity. Napoleon's words express exactly what he really thought. And you don't believe that geniuses can be simple-minded."

①The original text is French. ②Hambus is a well-known furniture dealer in Petersburg. The guests started arguing, and Sorokin dozed off again. "But really," said the hostess, "who do you think was the first woman in the world?" "Be careful! You don't say any more compliments..." "No! Don't be kidding..." Immediately divided into factions.One faction named Mrs. Starr.Another faction favored Joan of Arc.The third faction recommends Queen Elizabeth of England, Madame Mainjeon, Madame Roland, and so on. ① Mrs. Mainjeon (1635-1719), was originally the tutor of Louis XIV's daughter, and later married Louis XIV.

② Madame Roland (1754-1793), one of the leaders of the Gironde Party during the French Revolution. A young man stands by the fireplace (in Petersburg fireplaces are not superfluous all year round).His first conversation. He said: "For me, the most attractive woman - Kleapetra." "Kraapetra?" said the guests, "yes! Of course...but why? "There is a peculiarity of her life which has entered my mind so deeply that when I look at almost any woman I immediately think of Kleapetra." "What's that special?" asked the hostess, "tell me."

"I can't say it. It's hard to say it." "Why? Isn't it decent?" "Yes! It seems the whole point is that it is a vivid picture of the dreadful customs of antiquity." "Well! Speak, Speak!" "Oh! No, don't say it!" broke in the divorced woman Volskaya, lowering her fiery eyes primly. "Enough!" exclaimed the hostess impatiently. "Who is to be deceived here? We watched "Anthony" last night. Didn't I have a copy of "The Physiology of Marriage" on my mantelpiece? Disgraceful! Look what you can do to frighten us! Don't fool us, Alexey Ivanitch! You are not a reporter, tell us frankly! You know what Kleapetra has done, but... if you can , I promise you face."

Everyone laughed. "My God!" said the young man, "I'm afraid, and I'm ashamed to be the referee. Well, listen!  … "You know, among the Latin historians there is a man named Alfred Victor. You probably never heard of that man." "Avrieri Victor," rushed Vershinev, who had studied in the Jesuits, "Avrieri Victor was a writer of the fourth century. His works were mistaken for Arne Nebat, and even Svettoni. He wrote a book, The Lives of Rome — Lives of Rome, I know . . . " ①The original text is French. ② "Anthony" is a play by Alexandre Dumas.

③ "Physiology of Marriage" is a novel by Balzac. ④ The original text is Latin. "That's right," continued Alexey Ivanitch, "that little book is so worthless. But in the middle of it you'll find the anecdote about Kleapetra. It surprises me, and besides, , it is excellently written, and the dull Alfred Victor is here to match Tacitus. She is so lewd that she often sells her body; she is so beautiful that she has Many are willing to buy her for one night at the price of death... ①" "Excellent!" exclaimed Vershinev, "this reminds me of Salleusti, remember? . . . "

① The original text is Latin. ②Saleusti (86-35 BC) Roman historian. "What's this for, gentlemen?" said the hostess, "and it's your pleasure to talk all in Latin! Tell me, what's that Latin saying?" "That said: Kleapetra sold her looks, and many men bought her for a night with their lives..." "How dreadful!" said the ladies. "What do you find fascinating in this?" "What? I thought that Kleapetra was not a lowly slut, and that she valued herself not cheaply. I once suggested that X should write a long poem on the matter. He started it, and then threw it away."

"Does he write well?" "What conclusion is he trying to draw from this? What's the central idea? Don't you remember?" "He started with a big feast in the royal garden of the Queen of Egypt." ※ ※ ※ Dark, hot night hung over the African skies, Alexandria fell asleep, the squares were silent, and the lights in the houses were extinguished.Only the lighthouse on the island of Pharos radiates light over the vast sea, like a lamp at the bedside of Sleeping Beauty. ※ ※ ※ The palace of the Putolome ① was brightly lit and bustling: Empress Kleapetra was feasting her guests.Around the table were couches of ivory.Three hundred servants entertained the guests.Three hundred maids brought them amphora filled with Greek wine.

Three hundred black eunuchs watched the maids silently. ① Putolomei dynasty - the dynasty that ruled Egypt during the Hellenistic period (before 305-30). ※ ※ ※ One after another, the purple red columns are lined up from north to south to welcome the southeast breeze.The air was motionless.The flames of the palace lantern spit out flames and remained motionless.The smoke in the incense burner rises upwards and remains motionless.The waves of the sea, smooth as a mirror, spread out under the rose-colored steps of the semicircular palace, motionless.The sea reflected the golden claws and granite tails of the sphinxes who guarded the palace... Only the sound of lyres and flutes vibrated the fire, the air, and the sea.

※ ※ ※ Suddenly the queen fell into deep thought, and lowered her beautiful head melancholy.The glorious feast was overshadowed by her melancholy, as if a dark cloud covered the sun. ※ ※ ※ Why is she sad? Why did sorrow come over her? The Egyptian queen, What else is she lacking? The splendor of her capital, The queen was defended layer by layer by groups of slaves, The world is peaceful, and Jiangshan is in charge. The gods of the earth obey her, The palace is full of rare treasures from all over the world. No matter how hot the African day is, And however cool the shadows of the night may be,

She enjoys endless glory every moment, Art treasures soothed her dormant senses. All the lands under the sky, the waves of the world's seas, As a tribute, present her with ever-changing new makeup She casually changed one after another; Sometimes covered with rubies and sapphires, shining with light; Sometimes pick a Phoenician woman The scarlet robes and cloud garments that are often worn; Sometimes the jade body is exposed, and the hibiscus comes out of the water, She surrenders herself to the waves of the old Nile, In the shadow of the magnificent sails of the galley, Between the waves, a new Venus was born. Every moment before his eyes, The feast is withdrawn, and the feast is held again, Who can understand in the depths of his heart All the secrets of her dark nights? ... Forget it!Her heart is weary and weary, Hungry and thirsty, chasing nameless pleasures,— She's tired, tired, Suffering from a disease called sensory insensitivity... Kleapetra awoke from her contemplation. The banquet fell silent, as if about to doze, Her brow raised again, Eyes burning, eyes empty, She smiled sweetly and said: "Isn't it a great joy to get my love? it is good!And follow my command: I will forget the inequality between widow and subject, Yanfu will come to you, very likely. Who dares to answer my call? I sell my night, Speak!who among you dares Buy me for a night with your life? …………………… "That subject should be left to George Sand, the Marchioness, for she too is a slut, like your Cleopatra. She will rewrite your Egyptian stories in a modern style." ①George Sand (1804-1876), a French female writer. "Impossible. Impossible to be realistic. That story is ancient through and through. That kind of deal can't be done now, just like the pyramids can't be built now. " "Why can't that deal be done? Could it be that there isn't a bad breed among modern women who would really like to experience what she thinks all the time: that her love is worth more than many men's lives." "Perhaps it would be interesting to find out. But in what way can this pedantic experiment be carried out? Kleapetra has every means available to compel her debtors to pay. Can we do it?" Of course, that deed cannot be written in a stamped document and signed by the Privy Council." "A gentlemen's agreement in this situation: what you say means what you say." "so what?" "A woman can ask her lover to keep his word and promise that he will shoot himself the next day." "He's gone the next day, and the woman has to be taken in and made a fool of." "Then he is willing to be forever a dishonest person in the eyes of the woman he loves. Besides, is the contract really harsh? Is life so valuable that he is not willing to pay for it Do you buy happiness? Please judge! Suppose there is a troublemaker, I despise him, and he scolds me with a word that can't hurt me anyway, then I will fight with him, even if I don't hesitate to lose my head Before his bullets. I have no right to refuse the request of a daredevil who wants to test me. Am I timid when it comes to my happiness? When life is poisoned by sorrow and empty desires, What kind of life is this! What is there to live for when there is no joy left?" "Can you really sign that contract?..." Volskaya, who had been sitting silent, with her eyes downcast, fixed her eyes quickly on Alexey Ivanitch. "I don't speak of myself. But if a person is really in love, of course he doesn't hesitate for a minute..." "What? If the woman does not love you, will you do the same? (And the woman who agrees to your proposal will surely not love you.) Just remember the bestial barbarity, and the blindest love will The smoke vanished..." "No! She agreed to my proposal. I can only see the ardor of her fantasy. As for mutual love... I don't ask...I don't ask her for that. If I love her, then I'm with you What does it matter?..." "Shut up! God knows what you say! I see what you don't want to say..." …………………………………………… The young Countess K., a round and ugly woman who was trying to give a dignified expression to her little bulbous nose, which seemed to be sunk in a turnip, said: "There are still some women who think of themselves more than..." Her husband, a Polish duke, who had married her out of greed (he miscalculated, it is said), dropped his eyes and drained his cup of tea. "What do you mean by that, countess?" asked a young man, suppressing a laugh. "I mean," replied Countess K., "if a woman respects herself, if she respects..." She couldn't answer the question here.Vershinev hastened to help her. "You mean to say that a woman who respects herself won't let the guilty man die, don't you?" …………………………………………… The conversation changed subject. Alexey Ivanitch, sitting beside Volskaya, turned his head on one side, pretending to look at the woman in her hand, and said softly to her: "As for Kleapetra's terms, you What do you think?" Volskaya was silent.Alexey Ivanitch repeated the question again. "What can I tell you? Now, for example, there is another woman who thinks highly of herself. But men in the nineteenth century were too cold-blooded and too calculating to make such a contract." "You mean," said Alexey Ivanitch, with a sudden change of voice, "that in our time, in Petersburg, right here, a woman can be found who will Have enough pride, enough mental strength to make a Kleaptra-style pact with her lover?" "I think so, and even believe so." "Aren't you lying to me? Come to think of it, this is very cruel, even crueler than the contract itself..." Volskaya glanced at him with fiery eyes that could see through the internal organs, and then answered firmly: "No!" Alexey Ivanitch got up and disappeared at once.