Page:Complete Works of Count Tolstoy - 18.djvu/363

 "Natural?" he said. "Natural? No, I will tell you, on the contrary, that I have come to the conclusion that it is not natural. Yes, entirely unnatural. Ask a child, ask an uncorrupted girl!

"You say natural!"

"It is natural to eat. It is a pleasure and a joy to eat, and comes easy and causes no shame from the very start; but in this case it is abominable, shameful, and painful. No, it is unnatural! And I have convinced myself that uncorrupted girls always hate it."

"But how," said I, "how would the human race be continued?"

"Yes, what is to be done in order that the human race may not perish!" he said, with malicious irony, as though expecting this familiar and unscrupulous retort. "Preach continence from childbirth in order that English lords may always be able to gormandize, that is all right. Preach continence from childbirth in order to derive as much pleasure as possible, that is all right. But only mention continence from childbirth in the name of morality,—Lord, what a cry is raised! The human race might come to an end because they want to stop being swine! However, excuse me, this light annoys me,—may I shade it?" he said, pointing to the lamp. I told him that it made no difference to me, and then he rose in his seat hurriedly, just as he did everything, and drew the cloth shade over the lamp.

"Still," I said, "if you considered this to be a law, the human race would soon stop."

He did not answer at once.

"You ask me how the human race will be continued?" he said, again taking a place opposite me, spreading his legs wide, and resting his elbows low upon them. Why should it be continued?" he said.

"Why? Else we should not be here."

"Why should we?"