Initials Only

第39章

Alone!

Heneededtobe。Thestrongestmustpausewhentheprecipiceyawnsbeforehim。Thegulfcanbespanned;hefeelshimselfforcefulenoughforthat;buthiseyesmusttaketheirmeasurementofitfirst;hemustknowitsdepthsandpossibledangers。Onlyafoolwouldignorethesesteepsofjaggedrock;andhewasnofool,onlyamantowhomtheunexpectedhadhappened,amanwhohadseenhiswaycleartothehorizonandthenhadcomeupagainstthis!Love,whenhethoughtsuchfollydead!Remorse,whenGlorycalledforthequietmindandheart!

Herecogniseditsmordantfang,andknewthatitsravages,thoughonlyjustbegun,wouldlasthislifetime。Nothingcouldstopthemnow,nothing,nothing。Andhelaughed,asthethoughtwenthome;

laughedattheironyoffateanditsinexorableness;laughedathisowndefeatandhisnearnesstoabarredParadise。OswaldlovedEdith,lovedheryet,withaflametimewouldtakelongtoquench。DorislovedOswaldandheDoris;andnotoneofthemwouldeverattainthedelightseachwassofittedtoenjoy。Whyshouldn’thelaugh?Whatislefttomanbutmockerywhenallpropsfall?Disappointmentwastheuniversallot;anditshouldgomerrilywithhimifhemusttakehisturnatit。Butherethestrongspiritofthemanre-asserteditself;itshouldbebutaturn。Aman’sjoysarenotboundedbyhislovesorevenbythesatisfactionofaperfectlyuntrammelledmind。Performancemakesaworldofitsownforthecapableandthestrong,andthiswasstilllefttohim。He,OrlandoBrotherson,despairwhilehisgreatworklayunfinished!Thatwouldbetolaystressontheinevitablepainsandfearsofcommonplacehumanity。

Hewasnotofthatilk。Intellectwashisgod;ambitionhismotivepower。Whatwouldthiscasualblightuponhissupremecontentmentbetohim,whenwiththewingsofhisair-carspread,heshouldspurntheearthandsoarintotheheavenoffamesimultaneouslywithhisflightintotheopen。

Hecouldwaitforthathour。Hehadmeasuredthegulfbeforehimandfounditpassable。Henceforthnolookingback。

Rising,hestoodforamomentgazing,withanalerteyenow,uponsuchsectionsofhiscarashadnotyetbeenfittedintotheirplaces;thenhebentforwardtohiswork,andsoonthelipswhichhadutteredthatsardoniclaughafewminutesbefore,partedingentlerfashion,andsongtooktheplaceofcurses-aballadofloveandfondesttruth。ButOrlandoneverknewwhathesang。Hehadthegiftandusedit。

Wouldhistones,however,haverungoutwithquitesomellowasweetnesshadheseentherestlessfigureeventhencirclinghisretreatwitheyesdartingaccusationandarmsliftedtowardshiminwildbutimpotentthreat?

Yes,Ithinktheywould;forheknewthatthemanwhothusexpressedhishelplessnessalongwithhisconvictions,wasnonearertheendhehadsethimselftoattainthanonthedayhefirstbetrayedhissuspicions。

THEHUTCHANGESITSNAME

ThatnightOswaldwastakenveryill。Forthreedayshislifehunginthebalance,thenyouthandhealthylivingtriumphedovershockandbereavement,andhecameslowlybacktohissadandcrippledexistence。

Hehadbeenconsciousforaweekormoreofhissurroundings,andofhisb

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