He had still to lift his body,with all its
frailties, to the close-knit resolution of his mind.
By the way, he added, theres one thing you may like
to know.
He was a disgracedman to whom all honourable
careers were closed. It appeared tobe the special purpose of everyone to talk to
him. By the way, he added, theres one thing you may like to know.
A man was entitledto sacrifice much in the way of
duty, but was he entitled tosacrifice his soul? God would forgive, thought Adam, a
mans sin if it wasdesigned to shield the weak.
Thereafter Adam entered upon a varied
life.
You must think yourself into it, he was told, and
imagine thatyou have never been otherwise. At lastFrank straightened himself and
laughed. A man was entitledto sacrifice much in the way of duty, but was he entitled
tosacrifice his soul? But in a battalionyoull be no better than a hundred thousand
others.
Two especially, on which he would dwell with
anemotion that had in it more of comfort than pain.
He had sunk into the underworldof those who are
eternally discounted.
At firsthis talk meandered about several
continents.
He slept badly, and would lie and torture himself
with a retrospectlike a chess-board.
Youll be doing thekindest thing in the world if you
give me a run for my money.
By the way, he added, theres one thing you may like
to know. For weeks he worked hard under the tuition of a very
differentMacandrew.
You have the root of the matter, I think, were
hislast words.
Adam was back in the delirious mood when youth is
firstconscious of its temporal heritage. In the early afternoon they came to a stone
wall bounding a greatestate.
At lastFrank straightened himself and laughed.