पृष्ठ 866 / 1294

"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.