Сердце тьмы

           ‘Youknewhimwell,’shemurmured,afteramomentofmourningsilence.

           "‘Intimacygrowsquicklyoutthere,’Isaid.‘Iknewhimaswellasitispossibleforonemantoknowanother.’

           "‘Andyouadmiredhim,’shesaid.‘Itwasimpossibletoknowhimandnottoadmirehim.Wasit?’

           "‘Hewasaremarkableman,’Isaid,unsteadily.Thenbeforetheappealingfixityofhergaze,thatseemedtowatchformorewordsonmylips,Iwenton,‘Itwasimpossiblenotto—’

           "‘Lovehim,’shefinishedeagerly,silencingmeintoanappalleddumbness.‘Howtrue!howtrue!ButwhenyouthinkthatnooneknewhimsowellasI!Ihadallhisnobleconfidence.Iknewhimbest.’

           "‘Youknewhimbest,’Irepeated.Andperhapsshedid.Butwitheverywordspokentheroomwasgrowingdarker,andonlyherforehead,smoothandwhite,remainedilluminedbytheinextinguishablelightofbeliefandlove.

           "‘Youwerehisfriend,’shewenton.‘Hisfriend,’sherepeated,alittlelouder.‘Youmusthavebeen,ifhehadgivenyouthis,andsentyoutome.IfeelIcanspeaktoyou—andoh!Imustspeak.Iwantyou—youwhohaveheardhislastwords—toknowIhavebeenworthyofhim...Itisnotpride...Yes!IamproudtoknowIunderstoodhimbetterthananyoneonearth—hetoldmesohimself.AndsincehismotherdiedIhavehadnoone—noone—to—to—’

           "Ilistened.Thedarknessdeepened.Iwasnotevensurewhetherhehadgivenmetherightbundle.