\"’Now，ifhedoesnotsaytherightthingtothemwearealldonefor，’saidtheRussianatmyelbow。Theknotofmenwiththestretcherhadstoppedtoo，half-waytothesteamer，asifpetrified。Isawthemanonthestretchersitup，lankandwithanupliftedarm，abovetheshouldersofthebearers。’Letushopethatthemanwhocantalksowellofloveingeneralwillfindsomeparticularreasontospareusthistime，’Isaid。I
resentedbitterlytheabsurddangerofoursituation，asiftobeatthemercyofthatatrociousphantomhadbeenadishonoringnecessity。Icouldnothearasound，butthroughmyglassesIsawthethinarmextendedcommandingly，thelowerjawmoving，theeyesofthatapparitionshiningdarklyfarinitsbonyheadthatnoddedwithgrotesquejerks。Kurtz——Kurtz——thatmeansshortinGerman——don’tit？Well，thenamewasastrueaseverythingelseinhislife——anddeath。Helookedatleastsevenfeetlong。Hiscoveringhadfallenoff，andhisbodyemergedfromitpitifulandappallingasfromawinding-sheet。Icouldseethecageofhisribsallastir，thebonesofhisarmwaving。Itwasasthoughananimatedimageofdeathcarvedoutofoldivoryhadbeenshakingitshandwithmenacesatamotionlesscrowdofmenmadeofdarkandglitteringbronze。Isawhimopenhismouthwide——itgavehimaweirdlyvoraciousaspect，asthoughhehadwantedtoswallowalltheair，alltheearth，allthemenbeforehim。
Adeepvoicereachedmefaintly。Hemusthavebeenshouting。Hefellbacksuddenly。Thestretchershookasthebearersstaggeredforwardagain，andalmostatthesametimeInoticedthatthecrowdofsavageswasvanishingwithoutanyperceptiblemovementofretreat，asiftheforestthathadejectedthesebeingssosuddenlyhaddrawntheminagainasthebreathisdrawninalongaspiration。
\"Someofthepilgrimsbehindthestretchercarriedhisarms——twoshot-guns，aheavyrifle，andalightrevolver-
carbine——thethunderboltsofthatpitifulJupiter。Themanagerbentoverhimmurmuringashewalkedbesidehishead。Theylaidhimdowninoneofthelittlecabins——justaroomforabed-placeandacamp-stoolortwo，youknow。Wehadbroughthisbelatedcorrespondence，andalotoftornenvelopesandopenletterslitteredhisbed。Hishandroamedfeeblyamongstthesepapers。I
wasstruckbythefireofhiseyesandthecomposedlanguorofhisexpression。Itwasnotsomuchtheex-
haustionofdisease。Hedidnotseeminpain。Thisshadowlookedsatiatedandcalm，asthoughforthemomentithadhaditsfillofalltheemotions。
\"Herustledoneoftheletters，andlookingstraightinmyfacesaid，’Iamglad。’Somebodyhadbeenwrit-
ingtohimaboutme。Thesespecialrecommendationswereturningupagain。Thevolumeoftoneheemittedwithouteffort，almostwithoutthetroubleofmovinghislips，amazedme。Avoice！avoice！Itwasgrave，pro-
found，vibrating，whilethemandidnotseemcapableofawhisper。However，hehadenoughstrengthinhim——factitiousnodoubt——toverynearlymakeanendofus，asyoushallheardirectly。
\"Themanagerappearedsilentlyinthedoorway;I
steppedoutatonceandhedrewthecurtainafterme。
TheRussian，eyedcuriouslybythepilgrims，wasstar-
ingattheshore。Ifollowedthedirectionofhisglance。
\"Darkhumanshapescouldbemadeoutinthedistance，flittingindistinctlyagainstthegloomyborderoftheforest，andneartherivertwobronzefigures，leaningontallspears，stoodinthesunlightunderfantastichead-
dressesofspottedskins，warlikeandstillinstatuesquerepose。Andfromrighttoleftalongthelightedshoremovedawildandgorgeousapparitionofawoman。
\"Shewalkedwithmeasuredsteps，drapedinstripedandfringedcloths，treadingtheearthproudly，withaslightjingleandflashofbarbarousornaments。Shecarriedherheadhigh;herhairwasdoneintheshapeofahelmet;shehadbrassleggingstotheknee，brasswiregauntletstotheelbow，acrimsonspotonhertawnycheek，innumerablenecklacesofglassbeadsonherneck;
bizarrethings，charms，giftsofwitch-men，thathungabouther，glitteredandtrembledateverystep。Shemusthavehadthevalueofseveralelephanttusksuponher。Shewassavageandsuperb，wild-eyedandmagnifi-
cent;therewassomethingominousandstatelyinherdeliberateprogress。Andinthehushthathadfallensuddenlyuponthewholesorrowfulland，theimmensewilderness，thecolossalbodyofthefecundandmys-
teriouslifeseemedtolookather，pensive，asthoughithadbeenlookingattheimageofitsowntenebrousandpassionatesoul。
\"Shecameabreastofthesteamer，stoodstill，andfacedus。Herlongshadowfelltothewater’sedge。Herfacehadatragicandfierceaspectofwildsorrowandofdumbpainmingledwiththefearofsomestruggling，half-shapedresolve。Shestoodlookingatuswithoutastirandlikethewildernessitself，withanairofbrood-
ingoveraninscrutablepurpose。Awholeminutepassed，andthenshemadeastepforward。Therewasalowjingle，aglintofyellowmetal，aswayoffringeddraper-
ies，andshestoppedasifherhearthadfailedher。Theyoungfellowbymysidegrowled。Thepilgrimsmur-
muredatmyback。Shelookedatusallasifherlifehaddependedupontheunswervingsteadinessofherglance。Suddenlysheopenedherbaredarmsandthrewthemuprigidaboveherhead，asthoughinanuncon-
trollabledesiretotouchthesky，andatthesametimetheswiftshadowsdartedoutontheearth，sweptaroundontheriver，gatheringthesteamerintoashadowyem-
brace。Aformidablesilencehungoverthescene。
\"Sheturnedawayslowly，walkedon，followingthebank，andpassedintothebushestotheleft。Onceonlyhereyesgleamedbackatusintheduskofthethicketsbeforeshedisappeared。
\"’IfshehadofferedtocomeaboardIreallythinkI
wouldhavetriedtoshoother，’saidthemanofpatches，nervously。’Ihadbeenriskingmylifeeverydayforthelastfortnighttokeepheroutofthehouse。Shegotinonedayandkickeduparowaboutthosemiser-
ableragsIpickedupinthestoreroomtomendmyclotheswith。Iwasn’tdecent。Atleastitmusthavebeenthat，forshetalkedlikeafurytoKurtzforanhour，point-
ingatmenowandthen。Idon’tunderstandthedia-
lectofthistribe。Luckilyforme，IfancyKurtzfelttooillthatdaytocare，ortherewouldhavebeenmis-
chief。Idon’tunderstand……No——it’stoomuchforme。Ah，well，it’sallovernow。’
\"AtthismomentIheardKurtz’sdeepvoicebehindthecurtain，’Saveme！——savetheivory，youmean。Don’ttellme。SaveME！Why，I’vehadtosaveyou。Youareinterruptingmyplansnow。Sick！Sick！Notsosickasyouwouldliketobelieve。Nevermind。I’llcarrymyideasoutyet——Iwillreturn。I’llshowyouwhatcanbedone。Youwithyourlittlepeddlingno-
tions——youareinterferingwithme。Iwillreturn。
I……’
\"Themanagercameout。Hedidmethehonortotakemeunderthearmandleadmeaside。’Heisverylow，verylow，’hesaid。Heconsidereditnecessarytosigh，butneglectedtobeconsistentlysorrowful。’Wehavedoneallwecouldforhim——haven’twe？Butthereisnodisguisingthefact，Mr。KurtzhasdonemoreharmthangoodtotheCompany。Hedidnotseethetimewasnotripeforvigorousaction。Cautiously，cau-
tiously——that’smyprinciple。Wemustbecautiousyet。
Thedistrictisclosedtousforatime。Deplorable！Uponthewhole，thetradewillsuffer。Idon’tdenythereisaremarkablequantityofivory——mostlyfossil。Wemustsaveit，atallevents——butlookhowprecarioustheposi-
tionis——andwhy？Becausethemethodisunsound。’
’Doyou，’saidI，lookingattheshore，’callit\"unsoundmethod\"？’’Withoutdoubt，’heexclaimed，hotly。
’Don’tyou？’……’Nomethodatall，’Imurmuredafterawhile。’Exactly，’heexulted。’Ianticipatedthis。Showsacompletewantofjudgment。Itismydutytopointitoutintheproperquarter。’’Oh，’saidI，’thatfellow——what’shisname？——thebrickmaker，willmakeareadablereportforyou。’Heappearedcon-
foundedforamoment。ItseemedtomeIhadneverbreathedanatmospheresovile，andIturnedmentallytoKurtzforrelief——positivelyforrelief。’Neverthe-
lessIthinkMr。Kurtzisaremarkableman，’Isaidwithemphasis。Hestarted，droppedonmeacoldheavyglance，saidveryquietly，’HeWAS，’andturnedhisbackonme。Myhouroffavorwasover;IfoundmyselflumpedalongwithKurtzasapartisanofmethodsforwhichthetimewasnotripe：Iwasunsound！Ah！butitwassomethingtohaveatleastachoiceofnightmares。
\"Ihadturnedtothewildernessreally，nottoMr。
Kurtz，who，Iwasreadytoadmit，wasasgoodasburied。
AndforamomentitseemedtomeasifIalsowereburiedinavastgravefullofunspeakablesecrets。I
feltanintolerableweightoppressingmybreast，thesmellofthedampearth，theunseenpresenceofvictoriouscorruption，thedarknessofanimpenetrablenight……
TheRussiantappedmeontheshoulder。Iheardhimmumblingandstammeringsomethingabout’brotherseaman——couldn’tconceal——knowledgeofmattersthatwouldaffectMr。Kurtz’sreputation。’Iwaited。ForhimevidentlyMr。Kurtzwasnotinhisgrave;IsuspectthatforhimMr。Kurtzwasoneoftheimmortals。
’Well！’saidIatlast，’speakout。Asithappens，IamMr。Kurtz’sfriend——inaway。’
\"Hestatedwithagooddealofformalitythathadwenotbeen’ofthesameprofession，’hewouldhavekeptthemattertohimselfwithoutregardtoconse-
quences。’Hesuspectedtherewasanactiveill-willto-
wardshimonthepartofthesewhitementhat——’
’Youareright，’Isaid，rememberingacertainconversa-
tionIhadoverheard。’Themanagerthinksyououghttobehanged。’Heshowedaconcernatthisintelligencewhichamusedmeatfirst。’Ihadbettergetoutofthewayquietly，’hesaid，earnestly。’IcandonomoreforKurtznow，andtheywouldsoonfindsomeexcuse。
What’stostopthem？There’samilitarypostthreehun-
dredmilesfromhere。’’Well，uponmyword，’saidI，’perhapsyouhadbettergoifyouhaveanyfriendsamongstthesavagesnearby。’’Plenty，’hesaid。’Theyaresimplepeople——andIwantnothing，youknow。’
Hestoodbitinghislips，then：’Idon’twantanyharmtohappentothesewhiteshere，butofcourseIwasthink-
ingofMr。Kurtz’sreputation——butyouareabrotherseamanand——’’Allright，’saidI，afteratime。
’Mr。Kurtz’sreputationissafewithme。’IdidnotknowhowtrulyIspoke。
\"Heinformedme，loweringhisvoice，thatitwasKurtzwhohadorderedtheattacktobemadeonthesteamer。’Hehatedsometimestheideaofbeingtakenaway——andthenagain……ButIdon’tunderstandthesematters。Iamasimpleman。Hethoughtitwouldscareyouaway——thatyouwouldgiveitup，thinkinghimdead。Icouldnotstophim。Oh，Ihadanawfultimeofitthislastmonth。’’Verywell，’Isaid。’Heisallrightnow。’’Ye-e-es，’hemuttered，notverycon-
vincedapparently。’Thanks，’saidI;’Ishallkeepmyeyesopen。’’Butquiet——eh？’heurged，anxiously。’Itwouldbeawfulforhisreputationifanybodyhere——’
Ipromisedacompletediscretionwithgreatgravity。’I
haveacanoeandthreeblackfellowswaitingnotveryfar。Iamoff。CouldyougivemeafewMartini-Henrycartridges？’Icould，anddid，withpropersecrecy。Hehelpedhimself，withawinkatme，toahandfulofmytobacco。’Betweensailors——youknow——goodEnglishtobacco。’Atthedoorofthepilot-househeturnedround——’Isay，haven’tyouapairofshoesyoucouldspare？’
Heraisedoneleg。’Look。’Thesolesweretiedwithknottedstringssandal-wiseunderhisbarefeet。Irootedoutanoldpair，atwhichhelookedwithadmirationbe-
foretuckingitunderhisleftarm。Oneofhispockets（brightred）wasbulgingwithcartridges，fromtheother（darkblue）peeped’Towson’sInquiry，’&c。，&c。
Heseemedtothinkhimselfexcellentlywellequippedforarenewedencounterwiththewilderness。’Ah！I’llnever，nevermeetsuchamanagain。Yououghttohaveheardhimrecitepoetry——hisowntooitwas，hetoldme。Poetry！’Herolledhiseyesattherecollectionofthesedelights。’Oh，heenlargedmymind！’’Good-
by，’saidI。Heshookhandsandvanishedinthenight。
SometimesIaskmyselfwhetherIhadeverreallyseenhim——whetheritwaspossibletomeetsuchaphenome-
non！……
\"WhenIwokeupshortlyaftermidnighthiswarningcametomymindwithitshintofdangerthatseemed，inthestarreddarkness，realenoughtomakemegetupforthepurposeofhavingalookround。Onthehillabigfireburned，illuminatingfitfullyacrookedcornerofthestation-house。Oneoftheagentswithapicketofafewofourblacks，armedforthepurpose，waskeepingguardovertheivory;butdeepwithintheforest，redgleamsthatwavered，thatseemedtosinkandrisefromthegroundamongstconfusedcolumnarshapesofintenseblackness，showedtheexactpositionofthecampwhereMr。Kurtz’sadorerswerekeepingtheirun-
easyvigil。Themonotonousbeatingofabigdrumfilledtheairwithmuffledshocksandalingeringvibration。A
steadydroningsoundofmanymenchantingeachtohimselfsomeweirdincantationcameoutfromtheblack，flatwallofthewoodsasthehummingofbeescomesoutofahive，andhadastrangenarcoticeffectuponmyhalf-awakesenses。IbelieveIdozedoffleaningovertherail，tillanabruptburstofyells，anover-
whelmingoutbreakofapent-upandmysteriousfrenzy，wokemeupinabewilderedwonder。Itwascutshortallatonce，andthelowdroningwentonwithaneffectofaudibleandsoothingsilence。Iglancedcasuallyintothelittlecabin。Alightwasburningwithin，butMr。
Kurtzwasnotthere。
\"IthinkIwouldhaveraisedanoutcryifIhadbe-
lievedmyeyes。ButIdidn’tbelievethematfirst——thethingseemedsoimpossible。ThefactisIwascompletelyunnervedbyasheerblankfright，pureabstractterror，unconnectedwithanydistinctshapeofphysicaldanger。
Whatmadethisemotionsooverpoweringwas——howshallIdefineit？——themoralshockIreceived，asifsomethingaltogethermonstrous，intolerabletothoughtandodioustothesoul，hadbeenthrustuponmeunexpectedly。Thislastedofcoursethemerestfractionofasecond，andthentheusualsenseofcommonplace，deadlydanger，thepossibilityofasuddenonslaughtandmassacre，orsome-
thingofthekind，whichIsawimpending，waspositivelywelcomeandcomposing。Itpacifiedme，infact，somuch，thatIdidnotraiseanalarm。
\"Therewasanagentbuttonedupinsideanulsterandsleepingonachairondeckwithinthreefeetofe。Theyellshadnotawakenedhim;hesnoredveryslightly;Ilefthimtohisslumbersandleapedashore。
IdidnotbetrayMr。Kurtz——itwasorderedIshouldneverbetrayhim——itwaswrittenIshouldbeloyaltothenightmareofmychoice。Iwasanxioustodealwiththisshadowbymyselfalone，——andtothisdayI
don’tknowwhyIwassojealousofsharingwithany-
onethepeculiarblacknessofthatexperience。
\"AssoonasIgotonthebankIsawatrail——abroadtrailthroughthegrass。IremembertheexultationwithwhichIsaidtomyself，’Hecan’twalk——heiscrawlingonall-fours——I’vegothim。’Thegrasswaswetwithdew。Istroderapidlywithclenchedfists。IfancyI
hadsomevaguenotionoffallinguponhimandgivinghimadrubbing。Idon’tknow。Ihadsomeimbecilethoughts。Theknittingoldwomanwiththecatob-
trudedherselfuponmymemoryasamostimproperpersontobesittingattheotherendofsuchanaffair。
IsawarowofpilgrimssquirtingleadintheairoutofWinchestersheldtothehip。IthoughtIwouldnevergetbacktothesteamer，andimaginedmyselflivingaloneandunarmedinthewoodstoanadvancedage。Suchsillythings——youknow。AndIrememberIconfoundedthebeatofthedrumwiththebeatingofmyheart，andwaspleasedatitscalmregularity。
\"Ikepttothetrackthough——thenstoppedtolisten。
Thenightwasveryclear：adarkbluespace，sparklingwithdewandstarlight，inwhichblackthingsstoodverystill。IthoughtIcouldseeakindofmotionaheadofme。Iwasstrangelycocksureofeverythingthatnight。Iactuallyleftthetrackandraninawidesemi-
circle（Iverilybelievechucklingtomyself）soastogetinfrontofthatstir，ofthatmotionIhadseen——
ifindeedIhadseenanything。IwascircumventingKurtzasthoughithadbeenaboyishgame。
\"Icameuponhim，and，ifhehadnotheardmecoming，Iwouldhavefallenoverhimtoo，buthegotupintime。Herose，unsteady，long，pale，indistinct，likeavaporexhaledbytheearth，andswayedslightly，mistyandsilentbeforeme;whileatmybackthefiresloomedbetweenthetrees，andthemurmurofmanyvoicesissuedfromtheforest。Ihadcuthimoffcleverly;butwhenactuallyconfrontinghimIseemedtocometomysenses，Isawthedangerinitsrightproportion。Itwasbynomeansoveryet。Supposehebegantoshout？Thoughhecouldhardlystand，therewasstillplentyofvigorinhisvoice。’Goaway——hideyourself，’hesaid，inthatprofoundtone。Itwasveryawful。Iglancedback。
Wewerewithinthirtyyardsfromthenearestfire。A
blackfigurestoodup，strodeonlongblacklegs，wavinglongblackarms，acrosstheglow。Ithadhorns——ante-
lopehorns，Ithink——onitshead。Somesorcerer，somewitch-man，nodoubt：itlookedfiend-likeenough。’Doyouknowwhatyouaredoing？’Iwhispered。’Per-
fectly，’heanswered，raisinghisvoiceforthatsingleword：itsoundedtomefaroffandyetloud，likeahailthroughaspeaking-trumpet。Ifhemakesarowwearelost，Ithoughttomyself。Thisclearlywasnotacaseforfisticuffs，evenapartfromtheverynaturalaversionIhadtobeatthatShadow——thiswanderingandtormentedthing。’Youwillbelost，’Isaid——’utterlylost。’Onegetssometimessuchaflashofinspiration，youknow。Ididsaytherightthing，thoughindeedhecouldnothavebeenmoreirretrievablylostthanhewasatthisverymoment，whenthefoundationsofourintimacywerebeinglaid——toendure——toendure——eventotheend——evenbeyond。
\"’Ihadimmenseplans，’hemutteredirresolutely。
’Yes，’saidI;’butifyoutrytoshoutI’llsmashyourheadwith——’therewasnotastickorastonenear。’I
willthrottleyouforgood，’Icorrectedmyself。’Iwasonthethresholdofgreatthings，’hepleaded，inavoiceoflonging，withawistfulnessoftonethatmademybloodruncold。’Andnowforthisstupidscoundrel——’
’YoursuccessinEuropeisassuredinanycase，’Iaf-
firmed，steadily。Ididnotwanttohavethethrottlingofhim，youunderstand——andindeeditwouldhavebeenverylittleuseforanypracticalpurpose。Itriedtobreakthespell——theheavy，mutespellofthewilder-
ness——thatseemedtodrawhimtoitspitilessbreastbytheawakeningofforgottenandbrutalinstincts，bythememoryofgratifiedandmonstrouspassions。Thisalone，Iwasconvinced，haddrivenhimouttotheedgeoftheforest，tothebush，towardsthegleamoffires，thethrobofdrums，thedroneofweirdincantations;thisalonehadbeguiledhisunlawfulsoulbeyondtheboundsofpermittedaspirations。And，don’tyousee，theterrorofthepositionwasnotinbeingknockedonthehead——thoughIhadaverylivelysenseofthatdangertoo——butinthis，thatIhadtodealwithabeingtowhomIcouldnotappealinthenameofanythinghighorlow。
Ihad，evenliketheniggers，toinvokehim——himself——
hisownexaltedandincredibledegradation。Therewasnothingeitheraboveorbelowhim，andIknewit。Hehadkickedhimselflooseoftheearth。Confoundtheman！hehadkickedtheveryearthtopieces。Hewasalone，andIbeforehimdidnotknowwhetherIstoodonthegroundorfloatedintheair。I’vebeentellingyouwhatwesaid——repeatingthephraseswepronounced，——butwhat’sthegood？Theywerecommoneverydaywords，——thefamiliar，vaguesoundsexchangedoneverywakingdayoflife。Butwhatofthat？Theyhadbe-
hindthem，tomymind，theterrificsuggestivenessofwordsheardindreams，ofphrasesspokeninnight-
mares。Soul！Ifanybodyhadeverstruggledwithasoul，Iamtheman。AndIwasn’targuingwithaluna-
ticeither。Believemeornot，hisintelligencewasper-
fectlyclear——concentrated，itistrue，uponhimselfwithhorribleintensity，yetclear;andthereinwasmyonlychance——barring，ofcourse，thekillinghimthereandthen，whichwasn’tsogood，onaccountofunavoidablenoise。Buthissoulwasmad。Beingaloneinthewilder-
ness，ithadlookedwithinitself，and，byheavens！Itellyou，ithadgonemad。Ihad——formysins，Isuppose——
togothroughtheordealoflookingintoitmyself。Noeloquencecouldhavebeensowitheringtoone’sbeliefinmankindashisfinalburstofsincerity。Hestruggledwithhimself，too。Isawit，——Iheardit。Isawthein-
conceivablemysteryofasoulthatknewnorestraint，nofaith，andnofear，yetstrugglingblindlywithitself。I
keptmyheadprettywell;butwhenIhadhimatlaststretchedonthecouch，Iwipedmyforehead，whilemylegsshookundermeasthoughIhadcarriedhalfatononmybackdownthathill。AndyetIhadonlysupportedhim，hisbonyarmclaspedroundmyneck——andhewasnotmuchheavierthanachild。
\"Whennextdayweleftatnoon，thecrowd，ofwhosepresencebehindthecurtainoftreesIhadbeenacutelyconsciousallthetime，flowedoutofthewoodsagain，filledtheclearing，coveredtheslopewithamassofnaked，breathing，quivering，bronzebodies。Isteamedupabit，thenswungdown-stream，andtwothousandeyesfollowedtheevolutionsofthesplashing，thumping，fierceriver-demonbeatingthewaterwithitsterribletailandbreathingblacksmokeintotheair。Infrontofthefirstrank，alongtheriver，threemen，plasteredwithbrightredearthfromheadtofoot，struttedtoandfrorestlessly。Whenwecameabreastagain，theyfacedtheriver，stampedtheirfeet，noddedtheirhornedheads，swayedtheirscarletbodies;theyshooktowardsthefierceriver-demonabunchofblackfeathers，amangyskinwithapendenttail——somethingthatlookedlikeadriedgourd;theyshoutedperiodicallytogetherstringsofamazingwordsthatresemblednosoundsofhumanlan-
guage;andthedeepmurmursofthecrowd，inter-
ruptedsuddenly，wereliketheresponseofsomesataniclitany。
\"WehadcarriedKurtzintothepilot-house：therewasmoreairthere。Lyingonthecouch，hestaredthroughtheopenshutter。Therewasaneddyinthemassofhumanbodies，andthewomanwithhelmetedheadandtawnycheeksrushedouttotheverybrinkofthestream。
Sheputoutherhands，shoutedsomething，andallthatwildmobtookuptheshoutinaroaringchorusofarticulated，rapid，breathlessutterance。
\"’Doyouunderstandthis？’Iasked。
\"Hekeptonlookingoutpastmewithfiery，longingeyes，withamingledexpressionofwistfulnessandhate。
Hemadenoanswer，butIsawasmile，asmileofinde-
finablemeaning，appearonhiscolorlesslipsthatamo-
mentaftertwitchedconvulsively。’DoInot？’hesaidslowly，gasping，asifthewordshadbeentornoutofhimbyasupernaturalpower。
\"Ipulledthestringofthewhistle，andIdidthisbecauseIsawthepilgrimsondeckgettingouttheirrifleswithanairofanticipatingajollylark。Atthesuddenscreechtherewasamovementofabjectterrorthroughthatwedgedmassofbodies。’Don’t！don’t！
youfrightenthemaway，’criedsomeoneondeckdis-
consolately。Ipulledthestringtimeaftertime。Theybrokeandran，theyleaped，theycrouched，theyswerved，theydodgedtheflyingterrorofthesound。Thethreeredchapshadfallenflat，facedownontheshore，asthoughtheyhadbeenshotdead。Onlythebarbarousandsuperbwomandidnotsomuchasflinch，andstretchedtragicallyherbarearmsafterusoverthesomberandglitteringriver。
\"Andthenthatimbecilecrowddownonthedeckstartedtheirlittlefun，andIcouldseenothingmoreforsmoke。
\"Thebrowncurrentranswiftlyoutoftheheartofdarkness，bearingusdowntowardstheseawithtwicethespeedofourupwardprogress;andKurtz’slifewasrunningswiftlytoo，ebbing，ebbingoutofhisheartintotheseaofinexorabletime。Themanagerwasveryplacid，hehadnovitalanxietiesnow，hetookusbothinwithacomprehensiveandsatisfiedglance：the’affair’
hadcomeoffaswellascouldbewished。IsawthetimeapproachingwhenIwouldbeleftaloneofthepartyof’unsoundmethod。’Thepilgrimslookeduponmewithdisfavor。Iwas，sotospeak，numberedwiththedead。
ItisstrangehowIacceptedthisunforeseenpartner-
ship，thischoiceofnightmaresforceduponmeinthetenebrouslandinvadedbythesemeanandgreedyphan-
toms。
\"Kurtzdiscoursed。Avoice！avoice！Itrangdeeptotheverylast。Itsurvivedhisstrengthtohideinthemagnificentfoldsofeloquencethebarrendarknessofhisheart。Oh，hestruggled！hestruggled！Thewastesofhiswearybrainwerehauntedbyshadowyimagesnow——imagesofwealthandfamerevolvingobsequiouslyroundhisunextinguishablegiftofnobleandloftyexpression。MyIntended，mystation，mycareer，myideas——thesewerethesubjectsfortheocca-
sionalutterancesofelevatedsentiments。TheshadeoftheoriginalKurtzfrequentedthebedsideofthehollowsham，whosefateitwastobeburiedpresentlyinthemoldofprimevalearth。Butboththediabolicloveandtheunearthlyhateofthemysteriesithadpenetratedfoughtforthepossessionofthatsoulsatiatedwithprimitiveemotions，avidoflyingfame，ofshamdis-
tinction，ofalltheappearancesofsuccessandpower。
\"Sometimeshewascontemptiblychildish。Hedesiredtohavekingsmeethimatrailway-stationsonhisreturnfromsomeghastlyNowhere，whereheintendedtoac-
complishgreatthings。’Youshowthemyouhaveinyousomethingthatisreallyprofitable，andthentherewillbenolimitstotherecognitionofyourability，’hewouldsay。’Ofcourseyoumusttakecareofthemo-
tives——rightmotives——always。’Thelongreachesthatwerelikeoneandthesamereach，monotonousbendsthatwereexactlyalike，slippedpastthesteamerwiththeirmultitudeofseculartreeslookingpatientlyafterthisgrimyfragmentofanotherworld，theforerunnerofchange，ofconquest，oftrade，ofmassacres，ofblessings。
Ilookedahead——piloting。’Closetheshutter，’saidKurtzsuddenlyoneday;’Ican’tbeartolookatthis。’
Ididso。Therewasasilence。’Oh，butIwillwringyourheartyet！’hecriedattheinvisiblewilderness。
\"Webrokedown——asIhadexpected——andhadtolieupforrepairsattheheadofanisland。ThisdelaywasthefirstthingthatshookKurtz’sconfidence。Onemorninghegavemeapacketofpapersandaphoto-
graph，——thelottiedtogetherwithashoe-string。’Keepthisforme，’hesaid。’Thisnoxiousfool’（meaningthemanager）’iscapableofpryingintomyboxeswhenIamnotlooking。’IntheafternoonIsawhim。Hewaslyingonhisbackwithclosedeyes，andIwithdrewquietly，butIheardhimmutter，’Liverightly，die，die……’Ilistened。Therewasnothingmore。Washerehearsingsomespeechinhissleep，orwasitafrag-
mentofaphrasefromsomenewspaperarticle？Hehadbeenwritingforthepapersandmeanttodosoagain，’forthefurtheringofmyideas。It’saduty。’
\"Hiswasanimpenetrabledarkness。Ilookedathimasyoupeerdownatamanwhoislyingatthebottomofaprecipicewherethesunnevershines。ButIhadnotmuchtimetogivehim，becauseIwashelpingtheengine-drivertotaketopiecestheleakycylinders，tostraightenabentconnecting-rod，andinothersuchmatters。Ilivedinaninfernalmessofrust，filings，nuts，bolts，spanners，hammers，ratchet-drills——thingsI
abominate，becauseIdon’tgetonwiththem。Itendedthelittleforgewefortunatelyhadaboard;Itoiledwearilyinawretchedscrap-heap——unlessIhadtheshakestoobadtostand。
\"OneeveningcominginwithacandleIwasstartledtohearhimsayalittletremulously，’Iamlyinghereinthedarkwaitingfordeath。’Thelightwaswithinafootofhiseyes。Iforcedmyselftomurmur，’Oh，nonsense！’andstoodoverhimasiftransfixed。
\"AnythingapproachingthechangethatcameoverhisfeaturesIhaveneverseenbefore，andhopenevertoseeagain。Oh，Iwasn’ttouched。Iwasfascinated。
Itwasasthoughaveilhadbeenrent。Isawonthativoryfacetheexpressionofsomberpride，ofruthlesspower，ofcraventerror——ofanintenseandhopelessdespair。Didhelivehislifeagainineverydetailofdesire，temptation，andsurrenderduringthatsuprememomentofcompleteknowledge？Hecriedinawhisperatsomeimage，atsomevision，——hecriedouttwice，acrythatwasnomorethanabreath——
\"’Thehorror！Thehorror！’
\"Iblewthecandleoutandleftthecabin。Thepil-
grimsweredininginthemess-room，andItookmyplaceoppositethemanager，wholiftedhiseyestogivemeaquestioningglance，whichIsuccessfullyignored。
Heleanedback，serene，withthatpeculiarsmileofhissealingtheunexpresseddepthsofhismeanness。Acon-
tinuousshowerofsmallfliesstreameduponthelamp，uponthecloth，uponourhandsandfaces。Suddenlythemanager’sboyputhisinsolentblackheadinthedoorway，andsaidinatoneofscathingcontempt——
\"’MistahKurtz——hedead。’
\"Allthepilgrimsrushedouttosee。Iremained，andwentonwithmydinner。IbelieveIwasconsideredbrutallycallous。However，Ididnoteatmuch。Therewasalampinthere——light，don’tyouknow——andoutsideitwassobeastly，beastlydark。Iwentnomoreneartheremarkablemanwhohadpronouncedajudgmentupontheadventuresofhissoulonthisearth。Thevoicewasgone。Whatelsehadbeenthere？ButIamofcourseawarethatnextdaythepilgrimsburiedsome-
thinginamuddyhole。
\"Andthentheyverynearlyburiedme。
\"However，asyousee，IdidnotgotojoinKurtzthereandthen。Ididnot。Iremainedtodreamthenightmareouttotheend，andtoshowmyloyaltytoKurtzoncemore。Destiny。Mydestiny！Drollthinglifeis——thatmysteriousarrangementofmercilesslogicforafutilepurpose。Themostyoucanhopefromitissomeknowledgeofyourself——thatcomestoolate——acropofunextinguishableregrets。Ihavewrestledwithdeath。Itisthemostunexcitingcontestyoucanimagine。
Ittakesplaceinanimpalpablegrayness，withnothingunderfoot，withnothingaround，withoutspectators，withoutclamor，withoutglory，withoutthegreatdesireofvictory，withoutthegreatfearofdefeat，inasicklyatmosphereoftepidskepticism，withoutmuchbeliefinyourownright，andstilllessinthatofyouradversary。
Ifsuchistheformofultimatewisdom，thenlifeisagreaterriddlethansomeofusthinkittobe。Iwaswithinahair’s-breadthofthelastopportunityforpro-
nouncement，andIfoundwithhumiliationthatprobablyIwouldhavenothingtosay。ThisisthereasonwhyI
affirmthatKurtzwasaremarkableman。Hehadsome-
thingtosay。Hesaidit。SinceIhadpeepedovertheedgemyself，Iunderstandbetterthemeaningofhisstare，thatcouldnotseetheflameofthecandle，butwaswideenoughtoembracethewholeuniverse，piercingenoughtopenetratealltheheartsthatbeatinthedark-
ness。Hehadsummedup——hehadjudged。’Thehorror！’Hewasaremarkableman。Afterall，thiswastheexpressionofsomesortofbelief;ithadcandor，ithadconviction，ithadavibratingnoteofrevoltinitswhisper，ithadtheappallingfaceofaglimpsedtruth——thestrangecomminglingofdesireandhate。AnditisnotmyownextremityIrememberbest——avisionofgraynesswithoutformfilledwithphysicalpain，andacarelesscontemptfortheevanescenceofallthings——evenofthispainitself。No！ItishisextremitythatIseemtohavelivedthrough。True，hehadmadethatlaststride，hehadsteppedovertheedge，whileIhadbeenpermittedtodrawbackmyhesitatingfoot。Andper-
hapsinthisisthewholedifference;perhapsallthewis-
dom，andalltruth，andallsincerity，arejustcompressedintothatinappreciablemomentoftimeinwhichwestepoverthethresholdoftheinvisible。Perhaps！Iliketothinkmysumming-upwouldnothavebeenawordofcarelesscontempt。Betterhiscry——muchbetter。Itwasanaffirmation，amoralvictorypaidforbyinnumerabledefeats，byabominableterrors，byabominablesatisfac-
tions。Butitwasavictory！ThatiswhyIhavere-
mainedloyaltoKurtztothelast，andevenbeyond，whenalongtimeafterIheardoncemore，nothisownvoice，buttheechoofhismagnificenteloquencethrowntomefromasoulastranslucentlypureasacliffofcrystal。
\"No，theydidnotburyme，thoughthereisaperiodoftimewhichIremembermistily，withashudderingwonder，likeapassagethroughsomeinconceivableworldthathadnohopeinitandnodesire。Ifoundmyselfbackinthesepulchralcityresentingthesightofpeoplehurryingthroughthestreetstofilchalittlemoneyfromeachother，todevourtheirinfamouscookery，togulptheirunwholesomebeer，todreamtheirinsignificantandsillydreams。Theytrespasseduponmythoughts。Theywereintruderswhoseknowledgeoflifewastomeanirritatingpretense，becauseIfeltsosuretheycouldnotpossiblyknowthethingsIknew。Theirbearing，whichwassimplythebearingofcommonplaceindividualsgoingabouttheirbusinessintheassuranceofperfectsafety，wasoffensivetomeliketheoutrageousflaunt-
ingsoffollyinthefaceofadangeritisunabletocomprehend。Ihadnoparticulardesiretoenlightenthem，butIhadsomedifficultyinrestrainingmyselffromlaughingintheirfaces，sofullofstupidimpor-
tance。IdaresayIwasnotverywellatthattime。I
totteredaboutthestreets——therewerevariousaffairstosettle——grinningbitterlyatperfectlyrespectableper-
sons。Iadmitmybehaviorwasinexcusable，butthenmytemperaturewasseldomnormalinthesedays。Mydearaunt’sendeavorsto’nurseupmystrength’seemedalto-
getherbesidethemark。Itwasnotmystrengththatwantednursing，itwasmyimaginationthatwantedsoothing。IkeptthebundleofpapersgivenmebyKurtz，notknowingexactlywhattodowithit。Hismotherhaddiedlately，watchedover，asIwastold，byhisIntended。Aclean-shavedman，withanofficialmannerandwearinggold-rimmedspectacles，calledonmeonedayandmadeinquiries，atfirstcircuitous，after-
wardssuavelypressing，aboutwhathewaspleasedtodenominatecertain’documents。’Iwasnotsurprised，becauseIhadhadtworowswiththemanageronthesubjectoutthere。Ihadrefusedtogiveupthesmallestscrapoutofthatpackage，andItookthesameattitudewiththespectacledman。Hebecamedarklymenacingatlast，andwithmuchheatarguedthattheCompanyhadtherighttoeverybitofinformationaboutits’ter-
ritories。’And，saidhe，’Mr。Kurtz’sknowledgeofunexploredregionsmusthavebeennecessarilyextensiveandpeculiar——owingtohisgreatabilitiesandtothedeplorablecircumstancesinwhichhehadbeenplaced：
therefore’——IassuredhimMr。Kurtz’sknowledge，howeverextensive，didnotbearupontheproblemsofcommerceoradministration。Heinvokedthenthenameofscience。’Itwouldbeanincalculablelossif，’&c。，&c。
Iofferedhimthereportonthe’SuppressionofSavageCustoms，’withthepostscriptumtornoff。Hetookitupeagerly，butendedbysniffingatitwithanairofcontempt。’Thisisnotwhatwehadarighttoexpect，’
heremarked。’Expectnothingelse，’Isaid。’Thereareonlyprivateletters。’Hewithdrewuponsomethreatoflegalproceedings，andIsawhimnomore;butan-
otherfellow，callinghimselfKurtz’scousin，appearedtwodayslater，andwasanxioustohearallthedetailsabouthisdearrelative’slastmoments。IncidentallyhegavemetounderstandthatKurtzhadbeenessentiallyagreatmusician。’Therewasthemakingofanim-
mensesuccess，’saidtheman，whowasanorganist，I
believe，withlankgrayhairflowingoveragreasycoat-
collar。Ihadnoreasontodoubthisstatement;andtothisdayIamunabletosaywhatwasKurtz’spro-
fession，whetherheeverhadany——whichwasthegreatestofhistalents。Ihadtakenhimforapainterwhowroteforthepapers，orelseforajournalistwhocouldpaint——buteventhecousin（whotooksnuffduringtheinter-
view）couldnottellmewhathehadbeen——exactly。Hewasauniversalgenius——onthatpointIagreedwiththeoldchap，whothereuponblewhisnosenoisilyintoalargecottonhandkerchiefandwithdrewinsenileagita-
tion，bearingoffsomefamilylettersandmemorandawithoutimportance。Ultimatelyajournalistanxioustoknowsomethingofthefateofhis’dearcolleague’
turnedup。ThisvisitorinformedmeKurtz’spropersphereoughttohavebeenpolitics’onthepopularside。’
Hehadfurrystraighteyebrows，bristlyhaircroppedshort，aneye-glassonabroadribbon，and，becomingexpansive，confessedhisopinionthatKurtzreallycouldn’twriteabit——’butheavens！howthatmancouldtalk！Heelectrifiedlargemeetings。Hehadfaith——
don’tyousee？——hehadthefaith。Hecouldgethimselftobelieveanything——anything。Hewouldhavebeenasplendidleaderofanextremeparty。’’Whatparty？’
Iasked。’Anyparty，’answeredtheother。’Hewasan——an——extremist。’DidInotthinkso？Iassented。
DidIknow，heasked，withasuddenflashofcuriosity，’whatitwasthathadinducedhimtogooutthere？’
’Yes，’saidI，andforthwithhandedhimthefamousReportforpublication，ifhethoughtfit。Heglancedthroughithurriedly，mumblingallthetime，judged’itwoulddo，’andtookhimselfoffwiththisplunder。
\"ThusIwasleftatlastwithaslimpacketoflettersandthegirl’sportrait。Shestruckmeasbeautiful——
Imeanshehadabeautifulexpression。Iknowthatthesunlightcanbemadetolietoo，yetonefeltthatnomanipulationoflightandposecouldhaveconveyedthedelicateshadeoftruthfulnessuponthosefeatures。Sheseemedreadytolistenwithoutmentalreservation，with-
outsuspicion，withoutathoughtforherself。Icon-
cludedIwouldgoandgiveherbackherportraitandthoselettersmyself。Curiosity？Yes;andalsosomeotherfeelingperhaps。AllthathadbeenKurtz’shadpassedoutofmyhands：hissoul，hisbody，hisstation，hisplans，hisivory，hiscareer。ThereremainedonlyhismemoryandhisIntended——andIwantedtogivethatuptootothepast，inaway，——tosurrenderpersonallyallthatremainedofhimwithmetothatoblivionwhichisthelastwordofourcommonfate。Idon’tdefendmyself。IhadnoclearperceptionofwhatitwasI
reallywanted。Perhapsitwasanimpulseofuncon-
sciousloyalty，orthefulfillmentofoneoftheseironicnecessitiesthatlurkinthefactsofhumanexistence。
Idon’tknow。Ican’ttell。ButIwent。
\"Ithoughthismemorywasliketheothermemoriesofthedeadthataccumulateineveryman’slife，——avagueimpressonthebrainofshadowsthathadfallenonitintheirswiftandfinalpassage;butbeforethehighandponderousdoor，betweenthetallhousesofastreetasstillanddecorousasawell-keptalleyinacemetery，I
hadavisionofhimonthestretcher，openinghismouthvoraciously，asiftodevouralltheearthwithallitsmankind。Helivedthenbeforeme;helivedasmuchashehadeverlived——ashadowinsatiableofsplendidappearances，offrightfulrealities;ashadowdarkerthantheshadowofthenight，anddrapednoblyinthefoldsofagorgeouseloquence。Thevisionseemedtoenterthehousewithme——thestretcher，thephantom-bearers，thewildcrowdofobedientworshipers，thegloomoftheforests，theglitterofthereachbetweenthemurkybends，thebeatofthedrum，regularandmuffledlikethebeat-
ingofaheart——theheartofaconqueringdarkness。Itwasamomentoftriumphforthewilderness，aninvad-
ingandvengefulrushwhich，itseemedtome，Iwouldhavetokeepbackaloneforthesalvationofanothersoul。AndthememoryofwhatIhadheardhimsayafarthere，withthehornedshapesstirringatmyback，intheglowoffires，withinthepatientwoods，thosebrokenphrasescamebacktome，wereheardagainintheirominousandterrifyingsimplicity。Irememberedhisabjectpleading，hisabjectthreats，thecolossalscaleofhisviledesires，themeanness，thetorment，thetem-
pestuousanguishofhissoul。AndlateronIseemedtoseehiscollectedlanguidmanner，whenhesaidoneday，’Thislotofivorynowisreallymine。TheCompanydidnotpayforit。Icollecteditmyselfataverygreatpersonalrisk。Iamafraidtheywilltrytoclaimitastheirsthough。H’m。Itisadifficultcase。WhatdoyouthinkIoughttodo——resist？Eh？Iwantnomorethanjustice。’……Hewantednomorethanjustice——
nomorethanjustice。Irangthebellbeforeamahoganydooronthefirstfloor，andwhileIwaitedheseemedtostareatmeoutoftheglassypanel——starewiththatwideandimmensestareembracing，condemning，loathingalltheuniverse。Iseemedtohearthewhisperedcry，’Thehorror！Thehorror！’
\"Theduskwasfalling。Ihadtowaitinaloftydraw-
ing-roomwiththreelongwindowsfromfloortoceilingthatwerelikethreeluminousandbedrapedcolumns。
Thebentgiltlegsandbacksofthefurnitureshoneinindistinctcurves。Thetallmarblefireplacehadacoldandmonumentalwhiteness。Agrandpianostoodmas-
sivelyinacorner，withdarkgleamsontheflatsur-
faceslikeasomberandpolishedsarcophagus。Ahighdooropened——closed。Irose。
\"Shecameforward，allinblack，withapalehead，floatingtowardsmeinthedusk。Shewasinmourning。
Itwasmorethanayearsincehisdeath，morethanayearsincethenewscame;sheseemedasthoughshewouldrememberandmournforever。Shetookbothmyhandsinhersandmurmured，’Ihadheardyouwerecoming。’Inoticedshewasnotveryyoung——I
meannotgirlish。Shehadamaturecapacityforfidelity，forbelief，forsuffering。Theroomseemedtohavegrowndarker，asifallthesadlightofthecloudyeveninghadtakenrefugeonherforehead。Thisfairhair，thispalevisage，thispurebrow，seemedsurroundedbyanashyhalofromwhichthedarkeyeslookedoutatme。Theirglancewasguileless，profound，confident，andtrustful。Shecarriedhersorrowfulheadasthoughshewereproudofthatsorrow，asthoughshewouldsay，I
——Ialoneknowhowtomournforhimashedeserves。
Butwhilewewerestillshakinghands，suchalookofawfuldesolationcameuponherfacethatIperceivedshewasoneofthosecreaturesthatarenottheplaythingsofTime。Forherhehaddiedonlyyesterday。And，byJove！theimpressionwassopowerfulthatformetooheseemedtohavediedonlyyesterday——nay，thisveryminute。Isawherandhiminthesameinstantoftime——hisdeathandhersorrow——Isawhersorrowintheverymomentofhisdeath。Doyouunderstand？Isawthemtogether——Iheardthemtogether。Shehadsaid，withadeepcatchofthebreath，’Ihavesurvived;’whilemystrainedearsseemedtoheardistinctly，mingledwithhertoneofdespairingregret，thesumming-upwhisperofhiseternalcondemnation。IaskedmyselfwhatI
wasdoingthere，withasensationofpanicinmyheartasthoughIhadblunderedintoaplaceofcruelandabsurdmysteriesnotfitforahumanbeingtobehold。
Shemotionedmetoachair。Wesatdown。Ilaidthepacketgentlyonthelittletable，andsheputherhandoverit……’Youknewhimwell，’shemurmured，afteramomentofmourningsilence。
\"’Intimacygrowsquickoutthere，’Isaid。’Iknewhimaswellasitispossibleforonemantoknowanother。’
\"’Andyouadmiredhim，’shesaid。’Itwasimpossibletoknowhimandnottoadmirehim。Wasit？’
\"’Hewasaremarkableman，’Isaid，unsteadily。Thenbeforetheappealingfixityofhergaze，thatseemedtowatchformorewordsonmylips，Iwenton，’Itwasimpossiblenotto——’
\"’Lovehim，’shefinishedeagerly，silencingmeintoanappalleddumbness。’Howtrue！howtrue！ButwhenyouthinkthatnooneknewhimsowellasI！I
hadallhisnobleconfidence。Iknewhimbest。’
\"’Youknewhimbest，’Irepeated。Andperhapsshedid。Butwitheverywordspokentheroomwasgrowingdarker，andonlyherforehead，smoothandwhite，re-
mainedilluminedbytheunextinguishablelightofbeliefandlove。
\"’Youwerehisfriend，’shewenton。’Hisfriend，’
sherepeated，alittlelouder。’Youmusthavebeen，ifhehadgivenyouthis，andsentyoutome。IfeelI
canspeaktoyou——andoh！Imustspeak。Iwantyou——youwhohaveheardhislastwords——toknowIhavebeenworthyofhim……Itisnotpride……Yes！
IamproudtoknowIunderstoodhimbetterthanany-
oneonearth——hetoldmesohimself。AndsincehismotherdiedIhavehadnoone——noone——to——to——’
\"Ilistened。Thedarknessdeepened。Iwasnotevensurewhetherhehadgivenmetherightbundle。Irathersuspecthewantedmetotakecareofanotherbatchofhispaperswhich，afterhisdeath，Isawthemanagerexaminingunderthelamp。Andthegirltalked，easingherpaininthecertitudeofmysympathy;shetalkedasthirstymendrink。IhadheardthatherengagementwithKurtzhadbeendisapprovedbyherpeople。Hewasn’trichenoughorsomething。AndindeedIdon’tknowwhetherhehadnotbeenapauperallhislife。Hehadgivenmesomereasontoinferthatitwashisim-
patienceofcomparativepovertythatdrovehimoutthere。
\"’……Whowasnothisfriendwhohadheardhimspeakonce？’shewassaying。’Hedrewmentowardshimbywhatwasbestinthem。’Shelookedatmewithintensity。’Itisthegiftofthegreat，’shewenton，andthesoundofherlowvoiceseemedtohavetheac-
companimentofalltheothersounds，fullofmystery，desolation，andsorrow，Ihadeverheard——therippleoftheriver，thesoughingofthetreesswayedbythewind，themurmursofwildcrowds，thefaintringofincom-
prehensiblewordscriedfromafar，thewhisperofavoicespeakingfrombeyondthethresholdofaneternaldarkness。’Butyouhaveheardhim！Youknow！’shecried。
\"’Yes，Iknow，’Isaidwithsomethinglikedespairinmyheart，butbowingmyheadbeforethefaiththatwasinher，beforethatgreatandsavingillusionthatshonewithanunearthlyglowinthedarkness，inthetriumphantdarknessfromwhichIcouldnothavede-
fendedher——fromwhichIcouldnotevendefendmyself。
\"’Whatalosstome——tous！’——shecorrectedherselfwithbeautifulgenerosity;thenaddedinamurmur，’Totheworld。’BythelastgleamsoftwilightIcouldseetheglitterofhereyes，fulloftears——oftearsthatwouldnotfall。
\"’Ihavebeenveryhappy——veryfortunate——veryproud，’shewenton。’Toofortunate。Toohappyforalittlewhile。AndnowIamunhappyfor——forlife。’
\"Shestoodup;herfairhairseemedtocatchalltheremaininglightinaglimmerofgold。Irosetoo。
\"’Andofallthis，’shewenton，mournfully，’ofallhispromise，andofallhisgreatness，ofhisgenerousmind，ofhisnobleheart，nothingremains——nothingbutamemory。YouandI——’
\"’Weshallalwaysrememberhim，’Isaid，hastily。
\"’No！’shecried。’Itisimpossiblethatallthisshouldbelost——thatsuchalifeshouldbesacrificedtoleavenothing——butsorrow。Youknowwhatvastplanshehad。Iknewofthemtoo——Icouldnotperhapsunder-
stand，——butothersknewofthem。Somethingmustre-
main。Hiswords，atleast，havenotdied。’
\"’Hiswordswillremain，’Isaid。
\"’Andhisexample，’shewhisperedtoherself。’Menlookeduptohim，——hisgoodnessshoneineveryact。Hisexample——’
\"’True，’Isaid;’hisexampletoo。Yes，hisexample。
Iforgotthat。’
\"’ButIdonot。Icannot——Icannotbelieve——notyet。
IcannotbelievethatIshallneverseehimagain，thatnobodywillseehimagain，never，never，never。’
\"Sheputoutherarmsasifafteraretreatingfigure，stretchingthemblackandwithclaspedpalehandsacrossthefadingandnarrowsheenofthewindow。Neverseehim！Isawhimclearlyenoughthen。IshallseethiseloquentphantomaslongasIlive，andIshallseehertoo，atragicandfamiliarShade，resemblinginthisges-
tureanotherone，tragicalso，andbedeckedwithpower-
lesscharms，stretchingbarebrownarmsovertheglitteroftheinfernalstream，thestreamofdarkness。Shesaidsuddenlyverylow，’Hediedashelived。’
\"’Hisend，’saidI，withdullangerstirringinme，’wasineverywayworthyofhislife。’
\"’AndIwasnotwithhim，’shemurmured。Myangersubsidedbeforeafeelingofinfinitepity。
\"’Everythingthatcouldbedone——’Imumbled。
\"’Ah，butIbelievedinhimmorethananyoneonearth——morethanhisownmother，morethan——himself。
Heneededme！Me！Iwouldhavetreasuredeverysigh，everyword，everysign，everyglance。’
\"Ifeltlikeachillgriponmychest。’Don’t，’Isaid，inamuffledvoice。
\"’Forgiveme。I——I——havemournedsolonginsilence——insilence……Youwerewithhim——tothelast？
Ithinkofhisloneliness。NobodyneartounderstandhimasIwouldhaveunderstood。Perhapsnoonetohear……’
\"’Totheveryend，’Isaid，shakily。’Iheardhisverylastwords……’Istoppedinafright。
\"’Repeatthem，’shesaidinaheart-brokentone。’I
want——Iwant——something——something——to——tolivewith。’
\"Iwasonthepointofcryingather，’Don’tyouhearthem？’Theduskwasrepeatingtheminapersistentwhisperallaroundus，inawhisperthatseemedtoswellmenacinglylikethefirstwhisperofarisingwind。’Thehorror！thehorror！’
\"’Hislastword——tolivewith，’shemurmured。’Don’tyouunderstandIlovedhim——Ilovedhim——Ilovedhim！’
\"Ipulledmyselftogetherandspokeslowly。
\"’Thelastwordhepronouncedwas——yourname。’
\"Iheardalightsigh，andthenmyheartstoodstill，stoppeddeadshortbyanexultingandterriblecry，bythecryofinconceivabletriumphandofunspeakablepain。’Iknewit——Iwassure！’……Sheknew。Shewassure。Iheardherweeping;shehadhiddenherfaceinherhands。ItseemedtomethatthehousewouldcollapsebeforeIcouldescape，thattheheavenswouldfalluponmyhead。Butnothinghappened。Theheavensdonotfallforsuchatrifle。Wouldtheyhavefallen，Iwonder，ifIhadrenderedKurtzthatjusticewhichwashisdue？Hadn’thesaidhewantedonlyjus-
tice？ButIcouldn’t。Icouldnottellher。Itwouldhavebeentoodark——toodarkaltogether……\"
Marlowceased，andsatapart，indistinctandsilent，intheposeofameditatingBuddha。Nobodymovedforatime。\"Wehavelostthefirstoftheebb，\"saidtheDi-
rector，suddenly。Iraisedmyhead。Theoffingwasbarredbyablackbankofclouds，andthetranquilwater-
wayleadingtotheuttermostendsoftheearthflowedsomberunderanovercastsky——seemedtoleadintotheheartofanimmensedarkness。