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Perhaps that day or perhaps the next Tereza walked in on Tomas reading a letter。 Hearing the door open； he slipped it in among some other papers； but she saw him do it。 On her way out of the room she also noticed him stuffing the letter into his pocket。 But he forgot about the envelope。 As soon as she was alone in the house； she studied it carefully。 The address was written in an unfamiliar hand； but it was very neat and she guessed it to be a woman's。
When he came back later； she asked him nonchalantly whether the mail had come。
No； said Tomas； and filled Tereza with despair； a despair all the worse for her having grown unaccustomed to it。 No； she did not believe he had a secret mistress in the village。 That was all but impossible。 She knew what he did with every spare minute。 He must have kept up with a woman in Prague who meant so much to him that he thought of her even if she could no longer leave the smell of her groin in his hair。 Tereza did not believe that Tomas meant to leave her for the woman； but the happiness of their two years in the country now seemed besmirched by lies。
An old thought came back to her： Her home was Karenin； not Tomas。 Who would wind the clock of their days when he was gone？
Transported mentally into the future； a future without Karenin； Tereza felt abandoned。
Karenin was lying in a corner whimpering。 Tereza went out into the garden。 She looked down at a patch of grass between two apple trees and imagined burying Karenin there。 She dug her heel into the earth and traced a rectangle in the grass。 That was where his grave would be。
What are you doing？ Tomas asked； surprising her just as she had surprised him reading the letter a few hours earlier。
She gave no answer。 He noticed her hands trembling for the first time in many months。 He grabbed hold of them。 She pulled away from him。
Is that a grave for Karenin？
She did not answer。
Her silence grated on him。 He exploded。 First you blame me for thinking of him in the past tense； and then what do you do？ You go and make the funeral arrangements！ She turned her back on him。
Tomas retreated into his room； slamming the door behind him。
Tereza went in and opened it。 Instead of thinking about yourself all the time； you might at least have some consideration for him； she said。 He was asleep until you woke him。 Now he'll start whimpering again。
She knew she was being unfair （the dog was not asleep）； she knew she was acting like the most vulgar of women； the kind that is out to cause pain and knows how。
Tomas tiptoed into the room where Karenin was lying； but she would not leave him alone with the dog。 They both leaned over him； each from his own side。 Not that there was a hint of reconciliation in the move。 Quite the contrary。 Each of them was alone。 Tereza with her dog； Tomas with his。
It is thus divided； each alone； that； sad to say； they remained with him until his last hour。
4
Why was the word idyll so important for Tereza？
Raised as we are on the mythology of the Old Testament； we might say that an idyll is an image that has remained with us like a memory of Paradise： life in Paradise was not like following a straight line to the unknown； it was not an adventure。 It moved in a circle among known objects。 Its monotony bred happiness； not boredom。
As long as people lived in the country； in nature； surrounded by domestic animals； in the bosom of regularly recurring seasons； they retained at least a glimmer of that paradisiac idyll。 That is why Tereza； when she met the chairman of the collective farm at the spa； conjured up an image of the countryside （a countryside she had never lived in or known） that she found enchanting。 It was her way of looking back； back to Paradise。
Adam； leaning over a well； did not yet realize that what he saw was himself。 He would not have understood Tereza when she stood before the mirror as a young girl and tried to see her soul through her body。 Adam was like Karenin。 Tereza made a game of getting him to look at himself in the mirror； but he never recognized his image； gazed at it vacantly； with incredible indifference。
Comparing Adam and Karenin leads me to the thought that in Paradise man was not yet man。 Or to be more precise； man had not yet been cast out on man's path。 Now we are longtime outcasts； Hying through the emptiness of time in a straight line。 Yet somewhere deep down a thin thread still ties us to that far…off misty Paradise； where Adam leans over a well and； unlike Narcissus； never even suspects that the pale yellow blotch appearing in it is he himself。 The longing for Paradise is man's longing not to be man。
Whenever； as a child； she came across her mother's sanitary napkins soiled with menstrual blood； she felt disgusted； and hated her mother for lacking the shame to hide them。 But Karenin； who was after all a female； had his periods； too。 They came once every six months and lasted a fortnight。 To keep him from soiling their flat； Tereza would put a wad of absorbent cotton between his legs and pull a pair of old panties over it； skillfully tying them to his body with a long ribbon。 She would go on laughing at the outfit for the entire two weeks of each period。
Why is it that a dog's menstruation made her lighthearted and gay； while her own menstruation made her squeamish？ The answer seems simple to me： dogs were never expelled from Paradise。 Karenin knew nothing about the duality of body and soul and had no concept of disgust。 That is why Tereza felt so free and easy with him。 （And that is why it is so dangerous to turn an animal into a machina animata； a cow into an automaton for the production of milk。 By so doing； man cuts the thread binding him to Paradise and has nothing left to hold or comfort him on his flight through the emptiness of time。）
From this jumble of ideas came a sacrilegious thought that Tereza could not shake off： the love that tied her to Karenin was better than the love between her and Tomas。 Better； not bigger。 Tereza did not wish to fault either Tomas or herself； she did not wish to claim that they could love each other more。 Her feeling was rather that； given the nature of the human couple； the love of man and woman is a priori inferior to that which can exist （at least in the best instances） in the love between man and dog； that oddity of human history probably unplanned by the Creator。
It is a completely selfless love： Tereza did not want anything of Karenin； she did not ever ask him to love her back。 Nor had she ever asked herself the questions that plague human couples： Does he love me？ Does he love anyone more than me？ Does he love me more than I love him？ Perhaps all the questions we ask of love； to measure； test； probe； and save it； have the additional effect of cutting it short。 Perhaps the reason we are unable to love is that we yearn to be loved； that is； we demand something （love） from our partner instead of delivering ourselves up to him demand…free and asking for nothing but his company。
And something else： Tereza accepted Karenin for what he was； she did not try to make him over in her image； she agreed from the outset with his dog's life； did not wish to deprive him of it； did not envy him his secret intrigues。 The reason she trained him was not t