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The Egotist Considers
Hesupposed"stupid"and"good"hadbecomesomehowintermingledthroughpreviousassociation.Whenhecalledthusitwasnotanactofwillatall—willhadturnedhimawayfromthemovingfigureinthestreet;itwasalmostinstinctthatcalled,justthepileonpileofinherenttraditionorsomewildprayerfromwayoverthenight.Thensomethingclangedlikealowgongstruckatadistance,andbeforehiseyesafaceflashedoverthetwofeet,afacepaleanddistortedwithasortofinfiniteevilthattwisteditlikeflameinthewind;butheknew,forthehalfinstantthatthegongtangedandhummed,thatitwasthefaceofDickHumbird.
Minuteslaterhesprangtohisfeet,realizingdimlythattherewasnomoresound,andthathewasaloneinthegrayingalley.Itwascold,andhestartedonasteadyrunforthelightthatshowedthestreetattheotherend.
ATTHEWINDOW
Itwaslatemorningwhenhewokeandfoundthetelephonebesidehisbedinthehoteltollingfrantically,andrememberedthathehadleftwordtobecalledateleven.Sloanewassnoringheavily,hisclothesinapilebyhisbed.Theydressedandatebreakfastinsilence,andthensaunteredouttogetsomeair.Amory’smindwasworkingslowly,tryingtoassimilatewhathadhappenedandseparatefromthechaoticimagerythatstackedhismemorythebareshredsoftruth.Ifthemorninghadbeencoldandgrayhecouldhavegraspedthereinsofthepastinaninstant,butitwasoneofthosedaysthatNewYorkgetssometimesinMay,whentheaironFifthAvenueisasoft,lightwine.
