Sublime

In Nekhludoff, as in all people, there were two beings; one spiritual, who sought only such happiness for himself as also benefited others; and the animal being, seeking his own happiness for the sake of which he is willing to sacrifice that of the world.

bucolic

ignoble,

And when she brought me food and looked at me, I glanced at her and saw that death no longer dwelt in her; she had become alive, and in her, too, I saw God.

Among the stories we read in that class, Chekhov’s “Lady with Lapdog” moved me much more deeply. I especially remember the passage about how everyone has two lives—one open and visible, full of work, convention, responsibilities, jokes, and the other “running its course in secret”—and how easy it is for circumstances to line up so that everything y

I looked up, and did not recognize the same man; before, I had seen death in his face; but now he was alive, and I recognized in him the presence of God.

que c’étaient les sautes d’humeur de Szittya qui étaient la cause de tout. Tout d’un coup, comme si toute énergie vitale était morte en lui, il ne comptait plus que sur les hasards, et ne voulait plus rien faire pour lui et pour moi. C’étaient les croupissements d’après les grandes flambées.