Волны

           ’Onemustbequickandaddfactsdeftly,liketoystoatree,fixingthemwithatwistofthefingers.Hestoops,howhestoops,evenoveranazalea.Hestoopsovertheoldwomaneven,becauseshewearsdiamondsinherears,and,bundlingaboutherestateinaponycarriage,directswhoistobehelped,whattreefelled,andwhoturnedouttomorrow.(Ihavelivedmylife,Imusttellyou,alltheseyears,andIamnowpastthirty,perilously,likeamountaingoat,leapingfromcragtocrag;Idonotsettlelonganywhere;Idonotattachmyselftoonepersoninparticular;butyouwillfindthatifIraisemyarm,somefigureatoncebreaksoffandwillcome.)Andthatmanisajudge;andthatmanisamillionaire,andthatman,withtheeyeglass,shothisgovernessthroughtheheartwithanarrowwhenhewastenyearsold.Afterwardsherodethroughdesertswithdespatches,tookpartinrevolutionsandnowcollectsmaterialsforahistoryofhismother’sfamily,longsettledinNorfolk.Thatlittlemanwithabluechinhasarighthandthatiswithered.Butwhy?Wedonotknow.Thatwoman,youwhisperdiscreetly,withthepearlpagodashangingfromherears,wasthepureflamewholitthelifeofoneofourstatesmen;nowsincehisdeathsheseesghosts,tellsfortunes,andhasadoptedacoffee-colouredyouthwhomshecallstheMessiah.Thatmanwiththedroopingmoustache,likeacavalryofficer,livedalifeoftheutmostdebauchery(itisallinsomememoir)untilonedayhemetastrangerinatrainwhoconvertedhimbetweenEdinburghandCarlislebyreadingtheBible.