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“That one in the theatre also smiled that way when I entered," he thought, "and the smile of the former conveyed the same meaning as that of the latter. The only difference between them is that this one speaks openly and plainly, while the other pretends to be exercising higher and refined feelings. But in reality they are alike. This one is at least truthful, while the other is lying."

“And what if all my ideas are due to an over-wrought imagination, and I should be unable to live up to them? If I should repent of what I have done?" he asked himself, and, being unable to find answers to these questions, he was stricken with such sadness and despair as he had rarely experienced before, and he fell into that deep slumber which had been habitual with him after heavy losses at cards.

What is it that surprises you?

Everything.I can understand the orderly who acted under orders,but the assistant prosecutor who drew the indictment is an educated man-

That is the mistake.We are used to think that the court officers generally-are a kind of new, liberal men.& so they were at one time,but not now.The only thing that concerns these officers is to draw their salaries on the 20th of every month

One of the most popular superstitions consists in the belief that every man is endowed with definite qualities—that some men are kind, some wicked; some wise, some foolish; some energetic, some apathetic, etc. This is not true. We may say of a man that he is oftener kind than wicked; oftener wise than foolish; oftener energetic than apathetic, and vice versa.

I came to ask your forgiveness,

Oh! Forgiveness, forgiveness! That is all nonsense. You had better——

That I wish to atone for my sin, not by words but by deed. I have decided to marry you.

What is that for?

I feel that before God I must do it.

What God, now, are you talking about? You are not talking to the point. God? What God? Why didn't you think of God then?

The whole world was after pleasure. Her belief in this was strengthened by the old author whom she met during the second year of her independent life. He had told her frankly that this—he called it poetical and esthetic—is all of life's happiness.

Every one lived for himself only, for his own pleasure, and all the words about God and goodness were deception.

For a long time that night Maslova lay awake with open eyes, and, looking at the door, mused.

She was thinking that under no circumstances would she marry a convict on the island of Saghalin, but would settle down some other way—with some inspector, or clerk, or even the warden, or an assistant. They are all eager for such a thing. "Only I must not get thin. Otherwise I am done for.”

Nekhludoff was always wavering between two different relations he sustained toward Missy. Sometimes he looked at her as through blinking eyes or by moonlight, and then she seemed to him beautiful, fresh, pretty, clever and natural. At other times he looked at her as if under a bright sun, and then he saw only her defects. To-day was such a day.

Well? Have you been undermining the bases of society? asked Kolosoff, ironically, using an expression of a retrogressive newspaper, which was attacking the jury system.
You have acquitted the guilty and condemned the innocent? Have you?

Undermining the bases—undermining the bases-smilingly repeated the Prince, who had boundless confidence in the intelligence and honesty of his liberal comrade and friend.

There is a point in the love between man & woman when that love reaches its zenith; when it is free from consciousness, reason & sensuality. Such a moment arrived for Nekhludoff that Easter morn.

Now, whenever he thought of Katiousha, her appearance at that moment obscured every other recollection of her. The dark,smooth,resplendent head;the white dress with folds clinging to her graceful bust & undulating breast;

It was the same Katiousha—only more lovely than before.The naive,smiling,somewhat squinting black eyes still looked up;She brought a perfumed piece of soap,just taken from the wrapper, & two towels—one Russian & the other Turkish. The freshly unpacked soap,the towels & she herself,were all equally clean,fresh, pure & pleasant.The lovely, firm,red lips became creased from unrestrainable happiness at sight of him

And all this terrible transformation took place in him only because he ceased to have faith in himself,& began to believe in others.To live according to the faith that was in him was burdensome;every question would have to be decided almost always against his animal ego,which was seeking light pleasures;but reposing his faith in others, there remained nothing to decide,everything having been decided,

“It is impossible," it was she, that same servant ward with whom he had been in love at one time—yes, in love, real love, and whom in a moment of mental fever he led astray, then abandoned,& to whom he never gave a second thought, because the recollection of it was too painful, revealed too manifestly that he, who prided himself of his good breeding, not only did not treat her decently, but basely deceived her.

However,in favor of marrying Missy (Korchagin's name was Maria,but,as usual in families of the higher classes,she received a nickname) there was,first,the fact that she came of good stock,& was in everything,from her dress to her manner of speaking,walking & laughing,distinguished not by any exceptional qualities,but by "good breeding"—he knew no other expression for the quality which he prized very highly...

He had many reasons for,& as many against,marriage.There was the pleasure of domestic life,which made it possible to lead a moral life,as he called married life; then,& principally,the family & children would infuse his present aimless life with a purpose.This was for marriage generally.On the other hand there was, first, the loss of freedom which all elderly bachelors fear so much;

...walked into the adjoining dressing-room, which was permeated with the artificial odors of elixirs, perfumes, cosmetics. There he washed his partly gold-filled teeth with a tooth-powder, rinsed them with a perfumed mouth-wash, then began to sponge himself and dry his body with Turkish towels.

The wine attracted her, not because of its taste, but because it enabled her to forget her past life, to comfort herself with ease, and the confidence of her own worth that it gave her. Without wine she was despondent and abashed.

This unmarried woman gave birth to a child every year, and, as is the custom in the villages, baptized them; then neglected the troublesome newcomers, and they finally starved to death.

Plants, birds, insects and children were equally joyful. Only men—grown-up men—continued cheating and tormenting themselves and each other. People saw nothing holy in this spring morning, in this beauty of God's world—a gift to all living creatures—inclining to peace, good-will and love, but worshiped their own inventions for imposing their will on each other.

Ii ridica trupul firav si o imbratisa. Chipul ei era senin, si pe buze i se schita un zambet usor. N-o vazuse niciodata atat de frumoasa.
Incepu sa-i mangaie fata cu varful degetului aratator si simti ca i se umezeste. Pe obraz aluneca incetisor o picatura stralucitoare...
Prima ei lacrima.

Oh, daruieste-mi cerul,
cu lumea-i adormita,
cu povara tacerii,
arcul si abandonul,
tu mainile-mi aprinde,
fa-mi viata mai adanca,
cu gingasul dar ce ti-l cer.

(Idea Vilarino)

Prin tine am aflat ce chip are un vis...
Doar ochii...
Fata visurilor privire pura e, se indreapta limpede, zicand...
Te-aleg pe tine, pe tine dintre toti.
Un vis m-ales pe mine cu ochii sai...
Ce-mi vor parea intotdeauna ai tai.

“Daca-mi spui ca vii la patru, de la trei voi incepe sa fiu fericit.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Daca-mi spui ca vii intr-o vineri, de luni voi incepe sa...
Ce simpla si vie era emotia, si ea avea acum parte de una: emotia asteptarii.

- “Peisajul este o stare sufleteasca”.
- Ce spuneti? intreba anticarul din penumbra.
- A spus-o Henri Frederic Amiel: “Peisajul este o stare sufleteasca”. In ce anotimp traieste sufletul dumneavoastra?

TO YOU

Whoever you are, I fear you are walking the walks of dreams, I fear these supposed realities are to melt from under your feet and hands,
Even now your features, joys, speech, house, manners, follies...dissipate away from you,
Your true soul and body appear before me,
They stand forth out…eating, drinking, suffering, dying.

Whoever you are, now I place my hand upon you, that you be my poem,

De zile intregi, era fara vlaga. Voia sa simta, dar nu simtea; sa iubeasca, dar nu iubea; sa citeasca, dar nu citea. Pesimismul si scepticismul il amenintau sa-i vina de hac. Acum nu mai vorbea nici macar cu caii.

Oare ceea ce nu vede nimeni exista?

Anticarul se gandi ca amandoi erau doua abisuri, doua inteligente esuate. Ella, dorind sa se apropie de el, arunca fraze ca niste sageti; el, dorind sa se apropie de ea, se ferea.

Ciudati mai suntem noi, oamenii...

...Asteptand nemiscat ca ea sa treaca pragul, (el) lasa ca nasul sa-i atinga usor gatul fin si, aspirand profund, ii fura parfumul. Stia acum de unde provenea mirosul acela incantator pe care necunoscuta il imprima cartilor pe care le rasfoia. Intregul ei trup era o cadelnita plina de mirodenii minunate: scortisoara, ienupar, cuisoare, smirna, santal, floare de portocal...mirosea a Saptamana Mare!

Cauta o poveste care sa-i daruiasca viata...Dar ce sa faca oare cu viata? S-o traiasca singura?Ce ridicol! Nu voia sa fiinteze pe lumea asta, dar nici nu voia sa o paraseasca.Cat de stupida era faptura omeneasca!Cat de stupida era era! Detesta viata si totusi era aproape sigura ca, daca in vreo imprejurare i-ar fi dat sa aleaga intre a trai si a muri, ar alege sa traiasca. Era vorba despre frica, frica in toata legea

Doamna…ii zise, vi se vede in ochi o imensa rana.
Ea il privi intrebatoare si, fara sa stie de ce, ii raspunse.
E tot ce mi-a mai ramas.
Dar inca nu s-a vindecat, supureaza. Puneti-i un bandaj, caci pe acolo vi se poate scurge viata…si, credeti-ma, sa fiti fara viata si vie este tot ce vi se poate intampla mai rau.
“Fara viata si vie”…Ellei i se nazari sa bea o cafea in compania lui.