Anna Karenina - Part 3

"But you must understand that I want nothing," said Vronsky,

"except that all should be as it is."

Serpuhovskoy got up and stood facing him.

"You say that all should be as it is. I understand what that

means. But listen: we're the same age, you've known a greater

number of women perhaps than I have." Serpohovskoy's smile and

gestures told Vronsky that he mustn't be afraid, that he would be

tender and careful in touching the sore place. "But I'm married,

and believe me, in getting to know thoroughly one's wife, if one

loves her, as someone has said, one gets to know all women better

than if one knew thousands of them."

"We're coming directly!" Vronsky shouted to an officer, who

looked into the room and called them to the colonel.

Vronsky was longing now to hear to the end and know what

Serpuhovskey would say to him.

"And here's my opinion for you. Women are the chief stumbling

block in a man's career. It's hard to love a woman and do

anything. There's only one way of having love conveniently

without its being a hindrance--that's marriage. How, how am I

to tell you what I mean?" said Serpuhovskoy, who liked similes.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute! Yes, just as you can only carry a

_fardeau_ and do something with your hands, when the fardeau is

tied on your back, and that's marriage. And that's what I felt

when I was married. My hands were suddenly set free. But to

drag that _fardeau_ about with you without marriage, your hands

will always be so full that you can do nothing. Look at

Mazankov, at Krupov. They've ruined their careers for the sake

of women."

"What women!" said Vronsky, recalling the Frenchwoman and the

actress with whom the two men he had mentioned were connected.

"The firmer the woman's footing in society, the worse it is.

That's much the same as--not merely carrying the _fardeau_ in

your arms--but tearing it away from someone else."

"You have never loved," Vronsky said softly, looking straight

before him and thinking of Anna.

"Perhaps. But you remember what I've said to you. And another

thing, women are all more materialistic than men. We make

something immense out of love, but they are always

_terre-à-terre_."

"Directly, directly!" he cried to a footman who came in. But the

footman had not come to call them again, as he supposed. The

footman brought Vronsky a note.

"A man brought it from Princess Tverskaya."