Сердце тьмы
Chapter 3
ItisstrangehowIacceptedthisunforeseenpartnership,thischoiceofnightmaresforceduponmeinthetenebrouslandinvadedbythesemeanandgreedyphantoms.
"Kurtzdiscoursed.Avoice!avoice!Itrangdeeptotheverylast.Itsurvivedhisstrengthtohideinthemagnificentfoldsofeloquencethebarrendarknessofhisheart.Oh,hestruggled!hestruggled!Thewastesofhiswearybrainwerehauntedbyshadowyimagesnow—imagesofwealthandfamerevolvingobsequiouslyroundhisunextinguishablegiftofnobleandloftyexpression.MyIntended,mystation,mycareer,myideas—thesewerethesubjectsfortheoccasionalutterancesofelevatedsentiments.TheshadeoftheoriginalKurtzfrequentedthebedsideofthehollowsham,whosefateitwastobeburiedpresentlyinthemouldofprimevalearth.Butboththediabolicloveandtheunearthlyhateofthemysteriesithadpenetratedfoughtforthepossessionofthatsoulsatiatedwithprimitiveemotions,avidoflyingfame,ofshamdistinction,ofalltheappearancesofsuccessandpower.
"Sometimeshewascontemptiblychildish.Hedesiredtohavekingsmeethimatrailway-stationsonhisreturnfromsomeghastlyNowhere,whereheintendedtoaccomplishgreatthings.‘Youshowthemyouhaveinyousomethingthatisreallyprofitable,andthentherewillbenolimitstotherecognitionofyourability,’hewouldsay.‘Ofcourseyoumusttakecareofthemotives—rightmotives—always.’
