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who had provoked death by no professions of philosophic negation。
He apologized in wild gasps through all his wild wet labours to bring
her to the shore； and when he had done so at last； he seems to have
proposed to her on the bank。 Anyhow； with the same impetuosity
with which he had nearly murdered her； he completely married her；
and she was the lady in green to whom I had recently and ‘good…night。'
〃They had settled down in these high narrow houses
near Highbury。 Perhaps； indeed； that is hardly the word。
One could strictly say that Smith was married； that he was very
happily married； that he not only did not care for any woman
but his wife； but did not seem to care for any place but his home；
but perhaps one could hardly say that he had settled down。
‘I am a very domestic fellow；' he explained with gravity；
‘and have often come in through a broken window rather than be
late for tea。'
〃He lashed his soul with laughter to prevent it falling asleep。
He lost his wife a series of excellent servants by knocking at
the door as a total stranger； and asking if Mr。 Smith lived there
and what kind of a man he was。 The London general servant is not
used to the master indulging in such transcendental ironies。
And it was found impossible to explain to her that he did it in order
to feel the same interest in his own affairs that he always felt
in other people's。
〃‘I know there's a fellow called Smith；' he said in his rather
weird way； ‘living in one of the tall houses in this terrace。
I know he is really happy； and yet I can never catch him at it。'
〃Sometimes he would； of a sudden； treat his wife with a kind of paralyzed
politeness； like a young stranger struck with love at first sight。
Sometimes he would extend this poetic fear to the very furniture；
would seem to apologize to the chair he sat on； and climb the staircase
as cautiously as a cragsman； to renew in himself the sense of their skeleton
of reality。 Every stair is a ladder and every stool a leg； he said。
And at other times he would play the stranger exactly in the opposite sense；
and would enter by another way； so as to feel like a thief and a robber。
He would break and violate his own home； as he had done with me that night。
It was near morning before I could tear myself from this queer confidence
of the Man Who Would Not Die； and as I shook hands with him on the doorstep
the last load of fog was lifting； and rifts of daylight revealed the stairway
of irregular street levels that looked like the end of the world。
〃It will be enough for many to say that I had passed a night with a maniac。
What other term； it will be said； could be applied to such a being？
A man who reminds himself that he is married by pretending not to be married！
A man who tries to covet his own goods instead of his neighbor's！ On
this I have but one word to say； and I feel it of my honour to say it；
though no one understands。 I believe the maniac was one of those who
do not merely come； but are sent； sent like a great gale upon ships
by Him who made His angels winds and His messengers a flaming fire。
This； at least； I know for certain。 Whether such men have laughed
or wept； we have laughed at their laughter as much as at their weeping。
Whether they cursed or blessed the world； they have never fitted it。
It is true that men have shrunk from the sting of a great satirist
as if from the sting of an adder。 But it is equally true that men flee
from the embrace of a great optimist as from the embrace of a bear。
Nothing brings down more curses than a real benediction。
For the goodness of good things； like the badness of bad things；
is a prodigy past speech； it is to be pictured rather than spoken。
We shall have gone deeper than the deeps of heaven and grown older than
the oldest angels before we feel； even in its first faint vibrations；
the everlasting violence of that double passion with which God hates
and loves the world。I am； yours faithfully；
〃Raymond Percy。〃
〃Oh； 'oly； 'oly； 'oly！〃 said Mr。 Moses Gould。
The instant he had spoken all the rest knew they had been
in an almost religious state of submission and assent。
Something had bound them together； something in the sacred tradition
of the last two words of the letter； something also in the touching
and boyish embarrassment with which Inglewood had read them
for he had all the thin…skinned reverence of the agnostic。
Moses Gould was as good a fellow in his way as ever lived；
far kinder to his family than more refined men of pleasure；
simple and steadfast in his admiration； a thoroughly wholesome
animal and a thoroughly genuine character。 But wherever there
is conflict； crises come in which any soul； personal or racial；
unconsciously turns on the world the most hateful of its hundred faces。
English reverence； Irish mysticism； American idealism；
looked up and saw on the face of Moses a certain smile。
It was that smile of the Cynic Triumphant； which has been the tocsin
for many a cruel riot in Russian villages or mediaeval towns。
〃Oh； 'oly； 'oly； 'oly！〃 said Moses Gould。
Finding that this was not well received； he explained further；
exuberance deepening on his dark exuberant features。
〃Always fun to see a bloke swallow a wasp when 'e's corfin' up a fly；〃
he said pleasantly。 〃Don't you see you've bunged up old Smith anyhow。
If this parson's tale's O。K。why； Smith is 'ot。 'E's pretty 'ot。
We find him elopin' with Miss Gray （best respects！） in a cab。
Well； what abart this Mrs。 Smith the curate talks of； with her
blarsted shynesstransmigogrified into a blighted sharpness？
Miss Gray ain't been very sharp； but I reckon she'll be pretty shy。〃
〃Don't be a brute；〃 growled Michael Moon。
None could lift their eyes to look at Mary； but Inglewood sent a glance
along the table at Innocent Smith。 He was still bowed above his paper toys；
and a wrinkle was on his forehead that might have been worry or shame。
He carefully plucked out one corner of a complicated paper and tucked it
in elsewhere； then the wrinkle vanished and he looked relieved。
Chapter III
The Round Road；
or； the Desertion Charge
Pym rose with sincere embarrassment； for he was an American；
and his respect for ladies was real； and not at all scientific。
〃Ignoring；〃 he said； 〃the delicate and considerable knightly protests
that have been called forth by my colleague's native sense of oration；
and apologizing to all for whom our wild search for truth seems unsuitable
to the grand ruins of a feudal land； I still think my colleague's question
by no means devoid of rel'vancy。 The last charge against the accused was
one of burglary； the next charge on the paper is of bigamy and desertion。
It does without question appear that the defence； in aspiring to rebut
this last charge； have really admitted the next。 Either Innocent Smith
is still under a charge of attempted burglary； or else that is exploded；
but he is pretty well fixed for attempted bigamy。 It all depends on
what view we take of the alleged letter from Curate Percy。 Under these
conditions I feel jus