Lord Jim

第27章

`Andthisquestionwasputwithanoteofpersonalpridethatmademesmile,asthoughhehadhadahandinregulatingthatuniquespectacle。

HehadregulatedsomanythingsinPatusan!Thingsthatwouldhaveappearedasmuchbeyondhiscontrolasthemotionsofthemoonandthestars。

`Itwasinconceivable。ThatwasthedistinctivequalityofthepartintowhichSteinandIhadtumbledhimunwittingly,withnoothernotionthantogethimoutoftheway;outofhisownway,beitunderstood。Thatwasourmainpurpose,though,Iown,Imighthavehadanothermotivewhichhadinfluencedmealittle。Iwasabouttogohomeforatime;anditmaybeIdesired,morethanIwasawareofmyself,todisposeofhim——todisposeofhim,youunderstand——beforeIleft。Iwasgoinghome,andhehadcometomefromthere,withhismiserabletroubleandhisshadowyclaim,likeamanpantingunderaburdeninamist。IcannotsayIhadeverseenhimdistinctly——noteventothisday,afterIhadmylastviewofhim;butitseemedtomethatthelessIunderstoodthemoreIwasboundtohiminthenameofthatdoubtwhichistheinseparablepartofourknowledge。

Ididnotknowsomuchmoreaboutmyself。Andthen,Irepeat,Iwasgoinghome——tothathomedistantenoughforallitshearthstonestobelikeonehearthstone,bywhichthehumblestofushastherighttosit。Wewanderinourthousandsoverthefaceoftheearth,theillustriousandtheobscure,earningbeyondtheseasourfame,ourmoney,oronlyacrustofbread;

butitseemstomethatforeachofusgoinghomemustbelikegoingtorenderanaccount。Wereturntofaceoursuperiors,ourkindred,ourfriends——thosewhomweobey,andthosewhomwelove;buteventheywhohaveneither,themostfree,lonely,irresponsible,andbereftofties——eventhoseforwhomhomeholdsnodearface,nofamiliarvoice——eventheyhavetomeetthespiritthatdwellswithintheland,underitssky,initsair,initsvalleys,andonitsrises,initsfields,initswatersanditstrees——amutefriend,judge,andinspirer。Saywhatyoulike,togetitsjoy,tobreatheitspeace,tofaceitstruth,onemustreturnwithaclearconsciousness。Allthismayseemtoyousheersentimentalism;andindeedveryfewofushavethewillorthecapacitytolookconsciouslyunderthesurfaceoffamiliaremotions。Therearethegirlswelove,themenwelookupto,thetenderness,thefriendships,theopportunities,thepleasures!Butthefactremainsthatyoumusttouchyourrewardwithcleanhands,lestitturntodeadleaves,tothorns,inyourgrasp。Ithinkitisthelonely,withoutafiresideoranaffectiontheymaycalltheirown,thosewhoreturnnottoadwellingbuttothelanditself,tomeetitsdisembodied,eternal,andunchangeablespirit——itisthosewhounderstandbestitsseverity,itssavingpower,thegraceofitssecularrighttoourfidelity,toourobedience。Yes!

fewofusunderstand,butweallfeelitthough,andIsayallwithoutexception,becausethosewhodonotfeeldonotcount。Eachbladeofgrasshasitsspotonearthwhenceitdrawsitslife,itsstrength;andsoismanrootedtothelandfromwhichhedrawshisfaithtogetherwithhislife。Idon’tknowhowmuchJimunderstood;butIknowhefelt,hefeltconfusedlybutpowerfully,thedemandofsomesuchtruthorsomesuchillusion——I

don’tcarehowyoucallit,thereissolittledifference,andthedifferencemeanssolittle。Thethingisthatinvirtueofhisfeelinghemattered。

Hewouldnevergohomenow。Nothe。Never。Hadhebeencapableofpicturesquemanifestationshewouldhaveshudderedatthethoughtandmadeyoushudder,too。Buthewasnotofthatsort,thoughhewasexpressiveenoughinhisway。Beforetheideaofgoinghomehewouldgrowdesperatelystiffandimmovable,withloweredchinandpoutedlips,andwithinthosecandidblueeyesofhisgloweringdarklyunderafrown,asifbeforesomethingunbearable,asifbeforesomethingrevolting。Therewasimaginationinthathardskullofhis,overwhichthethickclusteringhairfittedlikeacap。Astome,Ihavenoimagination(Iwouldbemorecertainabouthimto-day,ifIhad),andIdonotmeantoimplythatIfiguredtomyselfthespiritofthelanduprisingabovethewhitecliffsofDover,toaskmewhatI——returningwithnobonesbroken,sotospeak——haddonewithmyveryyoungbrother。Icouldnotmakesuchamistake。Iknewverywellhewasofthoseaboutwhomthereisnoinquiry;Ihadseenbettermengoout,disappear,vanishutterly,withoutprovokingasoundofcuriosityorsorrow。

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