（who　is　in　the　community　now）　was　blamed　because　when　she　left　her
  family　and。。。　devoted。。。　herself；　she　wrote　to　her　father　and　mother
  that　she　wouldn't　go　on　living　conventionally　and　was　entering　on　a
  free　marriage　and　it　was　said　that　that　was　too　harsh；　that　she
  might　have　spared　them　and　have　written　more　kindly。　I　think　that's
  all　nonsense　and　there's　no　need　of　softness；　on　the　contrary；
  what's　wanted　is　protest。　Varents　had　been　married　seven　years；　she
  abandoned　her　two　children；　she　told　her　husband　straight　out　in　a
  letter：　'I　have　realised　that　I　cannot　be　happy　with　you。　I　can
  never　forgive　you　that　you　have　deceived　me　by　concealing　from　me　that
  there　is　another　organisation　of　society　by　means　of　the
  communities。　I　have　only　lately　learned　it　from　a　great…hearted　man　to
  whom　I　have　given　myself　and　with　whom　I　am　establishing　a
  community。　I　speak　plainly　because　I　consider　it　dishonest　to
  deceive　you。　Do　as　you　think　best。　Do　not　hope　to　get　me　back；　you　are
  too　late。　I　hope　you　will　be　happy。'　That's　how　letters　like　that
  ought　to　be　written！〃
  〃Is　that　Terebyeva　the　one　you　said　had　made　a　third　free　marriage？〃
  〃No；　it's　only　the　second；　really！　But　what　if　it　were　the　fourth；
  what　if　it　were　the　fifteenth；　that's　all　nonsense！　And　if　ever　I
  regretted　the　death　of　my　father　and　mother；　it　is　now；　and　I
  sometimes　think　if　my　parents　were　living　what　a　protest　I　would
  have　aimed　at　them！　I　would　have　done　something　on　purpose。。。　I
  would　have　shown　them！　I　would　have　astonished　them！　I　am　really　sorry
  there　is　no　one！〃
  〃To　surprise！　He…he！　Well；　be　that　as　you　will；〃　Pyotr　Petrovitch
  interrupted；　〃but　tell　me　this；　do　you　know　the　dead　man's　daughter；
  the　delicate…looking　little　thing？　It's　true　what　they　say　about
  her；　isn't　it？〃
  〃What　of　it？　I　think；　that　is；　it　is　my　own　personal　conviction；
  that　this　is　the　normal　condition　of　women。　Why　not？　I　mean；
  distinguons。　In　our　present　society；　it　is　not　altogether　normal；
  because　it　is　compulsory；　but　in　the　future　society；　it　will　be
  perfectly　normal；　because　it　will　be　voluntary。　Even　as　it　is；　she　was
  quite　right：　she　was　suffering　and　that　was　her　asset；　so　to　speak；
  her　capital　which　she　had　a　perfect　right　to　dispose　of。　Of　course；　in
  the　future　society；　there　will　be　no　need　of　assets；　but　her　part　will
  have　another　significance；　rational　and　in　harmony　with　her
  environment。　As　to　Sofya　Semyonovna　personally；　I　regard　her　action　as
  a　vigorous　protest　against　the　organization　of　society；　and　I
  respect　her　deeply　for　it；　I　rejoice　indeed　when　I　look　at　her！〃
  〃I　was　told　that　you　got　her　turned　out　of　these　lodgings。〃
  Lebeziatnikov　was　enraged。
  〃That's　another　slander；〃　he　yelled。　〃It　was　not　so　at　all！　That　was
  all　Katerina　Ivanovna's　invention；　for　she　did　not　understand！　And　I
  never　made　love　to　Sofya　Semyonovna！　I　was　simply　developing　her；
  entirely　disinterestedly；　trying　to　rouse　her　to　protest。。。。　All　I
  wanted　was　her　protest　and　Sofya　Semyonovna　could　not　have　remained
  here　anyway！〃
  〃Have　you　asked　her　to　join　your　community？〃
  〃You　keep　on　laughing　and　very　inappropriately；　allow　me　to　tell
  you。　You　don't　understand！　There　is　no　such　role　in　a　community。　The
  community　is　established　that　there　should　be　no　such　roles。　In　a
  community；　such　a　role　is　essentially　transformed　and　what　is　stupid
  here　is　sensible　there；　what；　under　present　conditions；　is　unnatural
  becomes　perfectly　natural　in　the　community。　It　all　depends　on　the
  environment。　It's　all　the　environment　and　man　himself　is　nothing。
  And　I　am　on　good　terms　with　Sofya　Semyonovna　to　this　day；　which　is　a
  proof　that　she　never　regarded　me　as　having　wronged　her。　I　am　trying
  now　to　attract　her　to　the　community；　but　on　quite；　quite　a　different
  footing。　What　are　you　laughing　at？　We　are　trying　to　establish　a
  community　of　our　own；　a　special　one；　on　a　broader　basis。　We　have
  gone　further　in　our　convictions。　We　reject　more！　And　meanwhile　I'm
  still　developing　Sofya　Semyonovna。　She　has　a　beautiful；　beautiful
  character！〃
  〃And　you　take　advantage　of　her　fine　character；　eh？　He…he！〃
  〃No；　no！　Oh；　no！　On　the　contrary。〃
  〃Oh；　on　the　contrary！　He…he…he！　A　queer　thing　to　say！〃
  〃Believe　me！　Why　should　I　disguise　it？　In　fact；　I　feel　it　strange
  myself　how　timid；　chaste　and　modern　she　is　with　me！〃
  〃And　you；　of　course；　are　developing　her。。。　he…he！　trying　to　prove　to
  her　that　all　that　modesty　is　nonsense？〃
  〃Not　at　all；　not　at　all！　How　coarsely；　how　stupidly…　excuse　me
  saying　so…　you　misunderstand　the　word　development！　Good　heavens；
  how。。。　crude　you　still　are！　We　are　striving　for　the　freedom　of　women
  and　you　have　only　one　idea　in　your　head。。。。　Setting　aside　the
  general　question　of　chastity　and　feminine　modesty　as　useless　in
  themselves　and　indeed　prejudices；　I　fully　accept　her　chastity　with　me；
  because　that's　for　her　to　decide。　Of　course　if　she　were　to　tell　me
  herself　that　she　wanted　me；　I　should　think　myself　very　lucky；
  because　I　like　the　girl　very　much；　but　as　it　is；　no　one　has　ever
  treated　her　more　courteously　than　I；　with　more　respect　for　her
  dignity。。。　I　wait　in　hopes；　that's　all！〃
  〃You　had　much　better　make　her　a　present　of　something。　I　bet　you
  never　thought　of　that。〃
  〃You　don't　understand；　as　I've　told　you　already！　Of　course；　she　is
  in　such　a　position；　but　it's　another　question。　Quite　another　question！
  You　simply　despise　her。　Seeing　a　fact　which　you　mistakenly　consider
  deserving　of　contempt；　you　refuse　to　take　a　humane　view　of　a　fellow
  creature。　You　don't　know　what　a　character　she　is！　I　am　only　sorry　that
  of　late　she　has　quite　given　up　reading　and　borrowing　books。　I　used
  to　lend　them　to　her。　I　am　sorry；　too；　that　with　all　the　energy　and
  resolution　in　protesting…　which　she　has　already　shown　once…　she　has
  little　self…reliance；　little；　so　to　say；　independence；　so　as　to
  break　free　from　certain　prejudices　and　certain　foolish　ideas。　Yet
  she　thoroughly　understands　some　questions；　for　instance　about
  kissing　of　hands；　that　is；　that　it's　an　insult　to　a　woman　for　a　man　to
  kiss　her　hand；　because　it's　a　sign　of　inequality。　We　had　a　debate
  about　it　and　I　described　it　to　her。　She　listened　attentively　to　an
  account　of　the　workmen's　associations　in　France；　too。　Now　I　am
  explaining　the　question　of　coming　into　the　room　in　the　future
  society。〃
  〃And　what's　that；　pray？〃
  〃We　had　a　debate　lately　on　the　question：　Has　a　member　of　the
  community　the　right　to　enter　another　member's　room；　whether　man　or
  woman　at　any　time。。。　and　we　decided　that　he　has！〃
  〃It　might　be　at　an　inconvenient　moment；　he…he！〃
  Lebeziatnikov　was　really　angry。
  〃You　are　always　thinking　of　something　unpleasant；〃　he　cried　with
  aversion。　〃Tfoo！　How　vexed　I　am　that　when　I　was　expounding　our　system；
  I　referred　prematurely　to　the　question　of　personal　privacy！　It's
  always　a　stumbling…block　to　people　like　you；　they　turn　into　ridicule
  before　they　understand　it。　And　how　proud　they　are　of　it；　too！　Tfoo！
  I've　often　maintained　that　that　question　should　not　be　approached　by　a
  novice　till　he　has　a　firm　faith　in　the　system。　And　tell　me；　please；
  what　do　you　find　so　shameful　even　in　cesspools？　I　should　be　the
  first　to　be　ready　to　clean　out　any　cesspool　you　like。　And　it's　not　a
  question　of　self…sacrifice；　it's　simply　work；　honourable；　useful
  work　which　is　as　good　as　any　other　and　much　better　than　the　work　of
  a　Raphael　and　a　Pushkin；　because　i