Портрет художника в юности
Chapter 5
Addressingitasitlay,hesaid:
—Departfromme,yecursed,intoeverlastingfire!TakingStephen’sarms,hewentonagainandsaid:
—DoyounotfearthatthosewordsmaybespokentoyouonthedayofJudgement?
—Whatisofferedmeontheotherhand?Stephenasked.Aneternityofblissinthecompanyofthedeanofstudies?
—Remember,Cranlysaid,thathewouldbeglorified.
—Ay,Stephensaidsomewhatbitterly,bright,agile,impassibleand,aboveall,subtle.
—Itisacuriousthing,doyouknow,Cranlysaiddispassionately,howyourmindissupersaturatedwiththereligioninwhichyousayyoudisbelieve.Didyoubelieveinitwhenyouwereatschool?Ibetyoudid.
—Idid,Stephenanswered.
—Andwereyouhappierthen?Cranlyaskedsoftly,happierthanyouarenow,forinstance?
—Oftenhappy,Stephensaid,andoftenunhappy.Iwassomeoneelsethen.
—Howsomeoneelse?Whatdoyoumeanbythatstatement?
—Imean,saidStephen,thatIwasnotmyselfasIamnow,asIhadtobecome.
—Notasyouarenow,notasyouhadtobecome,Cranlyrepeated.Letmeaskyouaquestion.Doyouloveyourmother?
Stephenshookhisheadslowly.
—Idon’tknowwhatyourwordsmean,hesaidsimply.
—Haveyouneverlovedanyone?Cranlyasked.