204 LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 



on Ms hand and remained motionless. Metchnikoff 

 also was deeply moved, and the effect of music on 

 two such men, the pleasure that it gave them, was 

 the strongest plea in favour of pure Art. 



" I do not know what takes place in my mind 

 when I listen to Chopin," said Tolstoi a few moments 

 later, after the closing sounds had vanished, " Chopin 

 and Mozart move me to the depths. What lyrism ! 

 what purity ! " Metchnikoff liked Mozart and Beet- 

 hoven, but Tolstoi thought Beethoven too compli- 

 cated. As to Wagner and modem music, they both 

 agreed about it, thinking it unintelligible and lacking 

 harmony and simplicity. 



Around the tea-table conversation turned on 

 senility, and Metchnikoff developed his theory of the 

 discords of human nature. He illustrated his affirma- 

 tions by the example of Goethe's Faust, who, accord- 

 ing to him, formed the best picture of the evolution 

 of human phases. To his mind the second part of 

 Faust is but an allegory of the disharmonies of old age. 

 It is a striking picture of the dramatic contest between 

 the yet ardent and juvenile feelings of old Goethe 

 and his physical senility. Tolstoi seemed interested 

 by this interpretation and said he would read the 

 second part of Faust over again, but that he himself 

 would never offer an example of a similar lack of 

 harmony. A propos of Metchnikoff's theory, accord- 

 ing to which the fear of death exists because Death 

 itself is premature, Tolstoi affirmed that he had no 

 fear of death, but added, laughingly, that he would 

 nevertheless try to reach the age of 100 in order to 

 please Elie. 



Our train only left late in the night, and, until we 

 started, the conversation never ceased to be animated. 



