"Man cannot be above life," replied Sanine, "for he himself is but a

fraction of it. He may be dissatisfied, but the cause for such

discontent lies in himself. He either cannot or dare not take from

life's treasures enough for his actual needs. There are people who

spend their lives in a prison. Others are afraid to escape from it,

like some captive bird that fears to fly away when set free.... The

body and spirit of man form one complete harmonious whole, disturbed

only by the dread approach of death. But it is we ourselves who disturb

such harmony by our own distorted conception of life. We have branded

as bestial our physical desires; we have become ashamed of them; we

have shrouded them in degrading forms and trammels. Those of us who by

nature are weak, do not notice this, but drag on through life in

chains, while those who are crippled by a false conception of life, it

is they who are the martyrs. The pent-up forces crave an outlet; the

body pines for joy, and suffers torment through its own impotence.

Their life is one of perpetual discord and uncertainty, and they catch

at any straw that might help them to a newer theory of morals, till at

last so melancholy do they become that they are afraid to live, afraid

to feel."

"Yes, yes," was Sina's vigorous assent.

A host of new thoughts invaded her mind. As with shining eyes she

glanced round, the splendour of the night, the beauty of the calm river

and of the dreaming woods in moonlight seemed to penetrate her whole

being. Again she was possessed by that vague longing for sheer dominant

strength that should yield her delight.

"My dream is always of some golden age," continued Sanine, "when

nothing shall stand between man and his happiness, and when, fearless

and free, he can gave himself up to all attainable enjoyments."

"Yes, but how is he to do that? By a return to barbarism?"

"No. The epoch when man lived like a brute was a miserable, barbarous

one, and our own epoch, in which the body, dominated by the mind, is

kept under and set in the background lacks sense and vigour. But

humanity has not lived in vain. It has created new conditions of life

which give no scope either for grossness or asceticism."

"Yes, but what of love? Does not that impose obligations upon us?"

asked Sina hurriedly.

"No. If love imposes grievous obligations, it is through jealousy, and

jealousy is the outcome of slavery. In any form slavery causes harm.

Men should enjoy what love can give them fearlessly and without

restrictions. If this were so, love would be infinitely richer and more

varied in all its forms, and more influenced by chance and

opportunity."




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