Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 21
Yes,alsowasIthegreatfighter,butsomehowitseemstomeasIsithereandevenlybalanceitall,thatIwas,morethanaughtelse,thegreatlover.ItwasbecauseIlovedgreatlythatIwasthegreatfighter.
SometimesIthinkthatthestoryofmanisthestoryoftheloveofwoman.ThismemoryofallmypastthatIwritenowisthememoryofmyloveofwoman.Ever,inthetenthousandlivesandguises,Ilovedher.Ilovehernow.Mysleepisfraughtwithher;mywakingfancies,nomatterwhencetheystart,leadmealwaystoher.Thereisnoescapingher,thateternal,splendid,ever-resplendentfigureofwoman.
Oh,makenomistake.Iamnocallow,ardentyouth.Iamanelderlyman,brokeninhealthandbody,andsoontodie.Iamascientistandaphilosopher.I,asallthegenerationsofphilosophersbeforeme,knowwomanforwhatsheis—herweaknesses,andmeannesses,andimmodesties,andignobilities,herearth-boundfeet,andhereyesthathaveneverseenthestars.But—andtheeverlasting,irrefragablefactremains:Herfeetarebeautiful,hereyesarebeautiful,herarmsandbreastsareparadise,hercharmispotentbeyondallcharmthathaseverdazzledmen;and,asthepolewilly-nillydrawstheneedle,justso,willy-nilly,doesshedrawmen.
Womanhasmademelaughatdeathanddistance,scornfatigueandsleep.
