"That's a nasty and immoral idea and shows the worthlessness of your development.
I beg you not to address me again," the girl rattled off.
"Stavrogin," began the lady of the house, "they've been discussing the rights of the family before you came—this officer here"—she nodded towards her relation, the major—"and, of course, I am not going to worry you with such stale nonsense, which has been dealt with long ago.
But how have the rights and duties of the family come about in the superstitious form in which they exist at present?
That's the question.
What's your opinion?"
"What do you mean by 'come about'?" Stavrogin asked in his turn.
"We know, for instance, that the superstition about God came from thunder and lightning." The girl-student rushed into the fray again, staring at Stavrogin with her eyes almost jumping out of her head. "It's well known that primitive man, scared by thunder and lightning, made a god of the unseen enemy, feeling their weakness before it.
But how did the superstition of the family arise?
How did the family itself arise?"
"That's not quite the same thing...." Madame Virginsky tried to check her.
"I think the answer to this question wouldn't be quite discreet," answered Stavrogin.
"How so?" said the girl-student, craning forward suddenly.
But there was an audible titter in the group of teachers, which was at once caught up at the other end by Lyamshin and the schoolboy and followed by a hoarse chuckle from the major.
"You ought to write vaudevilles," Madame Virginsky observed to Stavrogin.
"It does you no credit, I don't know what your name is," the girl rapped out with positive indignation.
"And don't you be too forward," boomed the major.
"You are a young lady and you ought to behave modestly, and you keep jumping about as though you were sitting on a needle."
"Kindly hold your tongue and don't address me familiarly with your nasty comparisons.
I've never seen you before and I don't recognise the relationship."
"But I am your uncle; I used to carry you about when you were a baby!"
"I don't care what babies you used to carry about.
I didn't ask you to carry me. It must have been a pleasure to you to do so, you rude officer.
And allow me to observe, don't dare to address me so familiarly, unless it's as a fellow-citizen. I forbid you to do it, once for all."
"There, they are all like that!" cried the major, banging the table with his fist and addressing Stavrogin, who was sitting opposite.
"But, allow me, I am fond of Liberalism and modern ideas, and I am fond of listening to clever conversation; masculine conversation, though, I warn you.
But to listen to these women, these nightly windmills—no, that makes me ache all over!
Don't wriggle about!" he shouted to the girl, who was leaping up from her chair.
"No, it's my turn to speak, I've been insulted."
"You can't say anything yourself, and only hinder other people talking," the lady of the house grumbled indignantly.
"No, I will have my say," said the major hotly, addressing Stavrogin.
"I reckon on you, Mr. Stavrogin, as a fresh person who has only just come on the scene, though I haven't the honour of knowing you.
Without men they'll perish like flies—that's what I think.
All their woman question is only lack of originality.
I assure you that all this woman question has been invented for them by men in foolishness and to their own hurt. I only thank God I am not married.
There's not the slightest variety in them, they can't even invent a simple pattern; they have to get men to invent them for them!
Here I used to carry her in my arms, used to dance the mazurka with her when she was ten years old; to-day she's come, naturally I fly to embrace her, and at the second word she tells me there's no God.
She might have waited a little, she was in too great a hurry!
Clever people don't believe, I dare say; but that's from their cleverness. But you, chicken, what do you know about God, I said to her.
'Some student taught you, and if he'd taught you to light the lamp before the ikons you would have lighted it.'"
"You keep telling lies, you are a very spiteful person. I proved to you just now the untenability of your position," the girl answered contemptuously, as though disdaining further explanations with such a man.
"I told you just now that we've all been taught in the Catechism if you honour your father and your parents you will live long and have wealth.
That's in the Ten Commandments.
If God thought it necessary to offer rewards for love, your God must be immoral.
That's how I proved it to you. It wasn't the second word, and it was because you asserted your rights.
It's not my fault if you are stupid and don't understand even now.
You are offended and you are spiteful—and that's what explains all your generation."
"You're a goose!" said the major.
"And you are a fool!"
"You can call me names!"