第26章

Lingard，leaningback，claspedhishandsroundhisknees。Heseemednottobelisteningandd’Alcacer，pullingacigarettecaseoutofhispocket，lookedforalongtimeatthethreecigarettesitcontained。Itwasthelastoftheprovisionhehadonhimwhencaptured。D’Alcacerhadputhimselfonthestrictestallowance。Acigarettewasonlytobelightedonspecialoccasions；andnowtherewereonlythreeleftandtheyhadtobemadetolasttilltheendoflife。Theycalmed，theysoothed，theygaveanattitude。Andonlythreeleft！Onehadtobekeptforthemorning，tobelightedbeforegoingthroughthegateofdoom——thegateofBelarab’sstockade。Acigarettesoothed，itgaveanattitude。Wasthisthefittingoccasionforoneoftheremainingtwo？D’Alcacer，atrueLatin，wasnotafraidofalittleintrospection。Inthepausehedescendedintotheinnermostdepthsofhisbeing，thenglancedupatthenightsky。

Sportsman，traveller，hehadoftenlookedupatthestarsbeforetoseehowtimewent。Itwasgoingveryslowly。Hetookoutacigarette，snapped—tothecase，bentdowntotheembers。Thenhesatupandblewoutathincloudofsmoke。Themanbyhissidelookedwithhisbowedheadandclaspedkneelikeamasculinerenderingofmournfulmeditation。Suchattitudesaremetwithsometimesonthesculpturesofancienttombs。D’Alcacerbegantospeak：

"Sheisarepresentativewomanandyetoneofthoseofwhomtherearebutveryfewatanytimeintheworld。Notthattheyareveryrarebutthatthereisbutlittleroomontop。Theyaretheiridescentgleamsonahardanddarksurface。Fortheworldishard，CaptainLingard，itishard，bothinwhatitwillrememberandinwhatitwillforget。Itisforsuchwomenthatpeopletoilonthegroundandundergroundandartistsofallsortsinvoketheirinspiration。"

Lingardseemednottohaveheardaword。Hischinrestedonhisbreast。D’Alcacerappraisedtheremaininglengthofhiscigaretteandwentoninanequabletonethroughwhichpiercedacertainsadness：

"No，therearenotmanyofthem。Andyettheyareall。Theydecorateourlifeforus。Theyarethegraciousfiguresonthedrabwallwhichliesonthissideofourcommongrave。Theyleadasortofritualdance，thatmostofushaveagreedtotakeseriously。Itisaverybindingagreementwithwhichsincerityandgoodfaithandhonourhavenothingtodo。Verybinding。Woetohimorherwhobreaksit。Directlytheyleavethepageanttheygetlost。"

Lingardturnedhisheadsharplyanddiscoveredd’Alcacerlookingathimwithprofoundattention。

"Theygetlostinamaze，"continuedd’Alcacer，quietly。"Theywanderinitlamentingoverthemselves。IwouldshudderatthatfateforanythingIloved。Doyouknow，CaptainLingard，howpeoplelostinamazeend？"hewentonholdingLingardbyasteadfaststare。"No？……Iwilltellyouthen。Theyendbyhatingtheirveryselves，andtheydieindisillusionanddespair。"

Asifafraidoftheforceofhiswordsd’AlcacerlaidasoothinghandlightlyonLingard’sshoulder。ButLingardcontinuedtolookintotheembersathisfeetandremainedinsensibletothefriendlytouch。Yetd’Alcacercouldnotimaginethathehadnotbeenheard。Hefoldedhisarmsonhisbreast。

"Idon’tknowwhyIhavebeentellingyouallthis，"hesaid，apologetically。"IhopeIhavenotbeenintrudingonyourthoughts。"

"Icanthinkofnothing，"Lingarddeclared，unexpectedly。"Ionlyknowthatyourvoicewasfriendly；andfortherest——"

"Onemustgetthroughanightlikethissomehow，"saidd’Alcacer。

"Theverystarsseemtolagontheirway。It’sacommonbeliefthatadrowningmanisirresistiblycompelledtoreviewhispastexperience。JustnowIfeelquiteoutofmydepth，andwhateverI

havesaidhascomefrommyexperience。Iamsureyouwillforgiveme。Allthatitamountstoisthis：thatitisnaturalforustocryforthemoonbutitwouldbeveryfataltohaveourcriesheard。Forwhatcouldanyoneofusdowiththemoonifitweregiventohim？Iamspeakingnowofus——commonmortals。"

Itwasnotimmediatelyafterd’AlcacerhadceasedspeakingbutonlyafteramomentthatLingardunclaspedhisfingers，gotup，andwalkedaway。D’Alcacerfollowedwithaglanceofquietinterestthebig，shadowyformtillitvanishedinthedirectionofanenormousforesttreeleftinthemiddleofthestockade。

ThedeepestshadeofthenightwasspreadoverthegroundofBelarab’sfortifiedcourtyard。Theveryembersofthefireshadturnedblack，showingonlyhereandthereamerespark；andtheformsofthepronesleeperscouldhardlybedistinguishedfromthehardgroundonwhichtheyrested，withtheirarmslyingbesidethemonthemats。PresentlyMrs。Traversappearedquiteclosetod’Alcacer，whoroseinstantly。

"Martinisasleep，"saidMrs。Traversinatonethatseemedtohaveborrowedsomethingofthemysteryandquietnessofthenight。

"Alltheworld’sasleep，"observedd’Alcacer，solowthatMrs。

Traversbarelycaughtthewords，"Exceptyouandme，andoneotherwhohasleftmetowanderaboutinthenight。"

"Washewithyou？Wherehashegone？"

"Whereit’sdarkestIshouldthink，"answeredd’Alcacer，secretly。"It’snousegoingtolookforhim；butifyoukeepperfectlystillandholdyourbreathyoumaypresentlyhearhisfootsteps。"

"Whatdidhetellyou？"breathedoutMrs。Travers。

"Ididn’taskhimanything。Ionlyknowthatsomethinghashappenedwhichhasrobbedhimofhispowerofthinking……

Hadn’tIbettergotothehut？DonMartinoughttohavesomeonewithhimwhenhewakesup。"Mrs。Traversremainedperfectlystillandevennowandthenheldherbreathwithavaguefearofhearingthosefootstepswanderinginthedark。D’Alcacerhaddisappeared。AgainMrs。Traversheldherbreath。No。Nothing。Notasound。Onlythenighttohereyesseemedtohavegrowndarker。

Wasthatafootstep？"WherecouldIhidemyself？"shethought。

Butshedidn’tmove。

Afterleavingd’Alcacer，Lingardthreadinghiswaybetweenthefiresfoundhimselfunderthebigtree，thesametreeagainstwhichDamanhadbeenleaningonthedayofthegreattalkwhenthewhiteprisonershadbeensurrenderedtoLingard’skeepingondefiniteconditions。LingardpassedthroughthedeepobscuritymadebytheoutspreadboughsoftheonlywitnessleftthereofapastthatforendlessageshadseennomankindonthisshoredefendedbytheShallows，aroundthislagoonovershadowedbythejungle。Inthecalmnighttheoldgiant，withoutshuddersormurmursinitsenormouslimbs，sawtherestlessmandriftthroughtheblackshadeintothestarlight。

Inthatdistantpartofthecourtyardtherewereonlyafewsentrieswho，themselvesinvisible，sawLingard’swhitefigurepacetoandfroendlessly。Theyknewwellwhothatwas。Itwasthegreatwhiteman。Averygreatman。Averyrichman。A

possessoroffire—arms，whocoulddispensevaluablegiftsanddealdeadlyblows，thefriendoftheirRuler，theenemyofhisenemies，knowntothemforyearsandalwaysmysterious。Attheirposts，flattenedagainstthestakesnearconvenientloopholes，theycastbackwardglancesandexchangedfaintwhispersfromtimetotime。

Lingardmighthavethoughthimselfalone。Hehadlosttouchwiththeworld。Whathehadsaidtod’Alcacerwasperfectlytrue。Hehadnothought。Hewasinthestateofamanwho，havingcasthiseyesthroughtheopengatesofParadise，isrenderedinsensiblebythatmoment’svisiontoalltheformsandmattersoftheearth；andintheextremityofhisemotionceaseseventolookuponhimselfbutasthesubjectofasublimeexperiencewhichexaltsorunfits，sanctifiesordamns——hedidn’tknowwhich。

Everyshadowythought，everypassingsensationwaslikeabaseintrusiononthatsupremememory。Hecouldn’tbearit。

WhenhehadtriedtoresumehisconversationwithBelarabafterMrs。Travers’arrivalhehaddiscoveredhimselfunabletogoon。

Hehadjustenoughself—controltobreakofftheinterviewinmeasuredterms。Hepointedoutthelatenessofthehour，amostastonishingexcusetopeopletowhomtimeisnothingandwhoselifeandactivitiesarenotruledbytheclock。IndeedLingardhardlyknewwhathewassayingordoingwhenhewentoutagainleavingeverybodydumbwithastonishmentatthechangeinhisaspectand