Голод
Part IV
IfIwereluckyenoughtogetanythingwritten,itwouldhaveperforcetobeherewhereitwasquiet.Itwasnolongertheallegorythatoccupiedme;Ihadgotanewidea,aperfectlysplendidplot;Iwouldcomposeaone-actdrama—"TheSignoftheCross."SubjecttakenfromtheMiddleAges.Ihadespeciallythoughtouteverythinginconnectionwiththeprincipalcharacters:amagnificentlyfanaticalharlotwhohadsinnedinthetemple,notfromweaknessordesire,butforhateagainstheaven;sinnerrightatthefootofthealtar,withthealtar-clothunderherhead,justoutofdeliciouscontemptforheaven.
Igrewmoreandmoreobsessedbythiscreationasthehourswenton.Shestoodatlast,palpably,vividlyembodiedbeforemyeyes,andwasexactlyasIwishedhertoappear.Herbodywastobedeformedandrepulsive,tall,verylean,andratherdark;andwhenshewalked,herlonglimbsshouldgleamthroughherdraperiesateverystrideshetook.Shewasalsotohavelargeoutstandingears.Curtly,shewasnothingfortheeyetodwellupon,barelyendurabletolookat.Whatinterestedmeinherwasherwonderfulshamelessness,thedesperatelyfullmeasureofcalculatedsinwhichshehadcommitted.Shereallyoccupiedmetoomuch,mybrainwasabsolutelyinflatedbythissingularmonstrosityofacreature,andIworkedfortwohours,withoutapause,atmydrama.
