第51章

Hesat，withhiselbowsonhisknees，smokingandthinking。

Beforelongtherestlessnessthathadgotpossessionofhimforcedhimtohisfeetagain。Herose，andpacedroundandroundthestripofgreenswardunderthewalnut-tree，likeawildbeastinacage。

Whatwasthemeaningofthisdisturbanceintheinnerman？Nowthathehadcommittedhimselftothebetrayalofthefriendwhohadtrustedandservedhim，washetornbyremorse？

Hewasnomoretornbyremorsethanyouarewhileyoureyeispassingoverthissentence。Hewassimplyinaragingfeverofimpatiencetoseehimselfsafelylandedattheendwhichhehadinview。

Whyshouldhefeelremorse？Allremorsesprings，moreorlessdirectly，fromtheactionoftwosentiments，whichareneitheroftheminbredinthenaturalman。Thefirstofthesesentimentsistheproductoftherespectwhichwelearntofeelforourselves。

Thesecondistheproductoftherespectwhichwelearntofeelforothers。Intheirhighestmanifestations，thesetwofeelingsexaltthemselves，untilthefirsthecomestheloveofGod，andthesecondtheloveofMan。Ihaveinjuredyou，andIrepentofitwhenitisdone。WhyshouldIrepentofitifIhavegainedsomethingbyitformyownselfandifyoucan’tmakemefeelitbyinjuringMe？IrepentofitbecausetherehasbeenasenseputintomewhichtellsmethatIhavesinnedagainstMyself，andsinnedagainstYou。Nosuchsenseasthatexistsamongtheinstinctsofthenaturalman。AndnosuchfeelingsasthesetroubledGeoffreyDelamayn；forGeoffreyDelamaynwasthenaturalman。

Whentheideaofhisschemehadsprungtolifeinhismind，thenoveltyofithadstartledhim——theenormousdaringofit，suddenlyself-revealed，haddauntedhim。Thesignsofemotionwhichhehadbetrayedatthewriting-tableinthelibrarywerethesignsofmerementalperturbation，andofnothingmore。

Thatfirstvividimpressionpast，theideahadmadeitselffamiliartohim。Hehadbecomecomposedenoughtoseesuchdifficultiesasitinvolved，andsuchconsequencesasitimplied。

Thesehadfrettedhimwithapassingtrouble；fortheseheplainlydiscerned。Asforthecrueltyandthetreacheryofthethinghemeditateddoing——thatconsiderationnevercrossedthelimitsofhismentalview。Hispositiontowardthemanwhoselifehehadpreservedwasthepositionofadog。The“nobleanimal“

whohassavedyouormefromdrowningwillflyatyourthroatormine，undercertainconditions，tenminutesafterward。Addtothedog’sunreasoninginstinctthecalculatingcunningofaman；

supposeyourselftobeinapositiontosayofsometriflingthing，“Curious!atsuchandsuchatimeIhappenedtopickupsuchandsuchanobject；andnowitturnsouttobeofsomeusetome!“——andthereyouhaveanindextothestateofGeoffrey’sfeelingtowardhisfriendwhenherecalledthepastorwhenhecontemplatedthefuture。WhenArnoldhadspokentohimatthecriticalmoment，Arnoldhadviolentlyirritatedhim；andthatwasall。

Thesameimpenetrableinsensibility，thesameprimitivelynaturalconditionofthemoralbeing，preventedhimfrombeingtroubledbytheslightestsenseofpityforAnne。“She’soutofmyway!“

washisfirstthought。“She’sprovidedfor，withoutanytroubletoMe!washissecond。Hewasnotintheleastuneasyabouther。

Nottheslightestdoubtcrossedhismindthat，whenoncesheha