Сердце тьмы

           Thentheearthforyouisonlyastandingplace—andwhethertobelikethisisyourlossoryourgainIwon’tpretendtosay.Butmostofusareneitheronenortheother.Theearthforusisaplacetolivein,wherewemustputupwithsights,withsounds,withsmells,too,byJove!—breathedeadhippo,sotospeak,andnotbecontaminated.Andthere,don’tyousee?Yourstrengthcomesin,thefaithinyourabilityforthediggingofunostentatiousholestoburythestuffin—yourpowerofdevotion,nottoyourself,buttoanobscure,back-breakingbusiness.Andthat’sdifficultenough.Mind,Iamnottryingtoexcuseorevenexplain—Iamtryingtoaccounttomyselffor—for—Mr.Kurtz—fortheshadeofMr.Kurtz.ThisinitiatedwraithfromthebackofNowherehonouredmewithitsamazingconfidencebeforeitvanishedaltogether.ThiswasbecauseitcouldspeakEnglishtome.TheoriginalKurtzhadbeeneducatedpartlyinEngland,and—ashewasgoodenoughtosayhimself—hissympathieswereintherightplace.Hismotherwashalf–English,hisfatherwashalf–French.AllEuropecontributedtothemakingofKurtz;andbyandbyIlearnedthat,mostappropriately,theInternationalSocietyfortheSuppressionofSavageCustomshadintrustedhimwiththemakingofareport,foritsfutureguidance.Andhehadwrittenit,too.I’veseenit.I’vereadit.Itwaseloquent,vibratingwitheloquence,buttoohigh-strung,Ithink.