Сердце тьмы

           ’Youwouldhaveperceiveddirectlythenhowcompletelyshewasoutofit.AndtheloftyfrontalboneofMr.Kurtz!Theysaythehairgoesongrowingsometimes,butthis—ah—specimen,wasimpressivelybald.Thewildernesshadpattedhimonthehead,and,behold,itwaslikeaball—anivoryball;ithadcaressedhim,and—lo!—hehadwithered;ithadtakenhim,lovedhim,embracedhim,gotintohisveins,consumedhisflesh,andsealedhissoultoitsownbytheinconceivableceremoniesofsomedevilishinitiation.Hewasitsspoiledandpamperedfavourite.Ivory?Ishouldthinkso.Heapsofit,stacksofit.Theoldmudshantywasburstingwithit.Youwouldthinktherewasnotasingletusklefteitheraboveorbelowthegroundinthewholecountry.‘Mostlyfossil,’themanagerhadremarked,disparagingly.ItwasnomorefossilthanIam;buttheycallitfossilwhenitisdugup.Itappearstheseniggersdoburythetuskssometimes—butevidentlytheycouldn’tburythisparceldeepenoughtosavethegiftedMr.Kurtzfromhisfate.Wefilledthesteamboatwithit,andhadtopilealotonthedeck.Thushecouldseeandenjoyaslongashecouldsee,becausetheappreciationofthisfavourhadremainedwithhimtothelast.Youshouldhaveheardhimsay,‘Myivory.’Oh,yes,Iheardhim.‘MyIntended,myivory,mystation,myriver,my—’everythingbelongedtohim.Itmademeholdmybreathinexpectationofhearingthewildernessburstintoaprodigiouspealoflaughterthatwouldshakethefixedstarsintheirplaces.