Спрут: Калифорнийская история
Chapter IX
Presley,thegoodneverdies;evildies,cruelty,oppression,selfishness,greed—thesedie;butnobility,butlove,butsacrifice,butgenerosity,buttruth,thankGodforit,smallastheyare,difficultasitistodiscoverthem—theseliveforever,theseareeternal.Youareallbroken,allcastdownbywhatyouhaveseeninthisvalley,thishopelessstruggle,thisapparentlyhopelessdespair.Well,theendisnotyet.Whatisitthatremainsafterallisover,afterthedeadareburiedandtheheartsarebroken?Lookatitallfromthevastheightofhumanity—’thegreatestgoodtothegreatestnumbers.’Whatremains?Menperish,menarecorrupted,heartsarerentasunder,butwhatremainsuntouched,unassailable,undefiled?Trytofindthat,notonlyinthis,butineverycrisisoftheworld’slife,andyouwillfind,ifyourviewbelargeenough,thatitisnotevil,butgood,thatintheendremains.”
Therewasalongpause.Presley,hismindfullofnewthoughts,heldhispeace,andVanameeaddedatlength:
“IbelievedAngeledead.Iweptoverhergrave;mournedforherasdeadincorruption.Shehascomebacktome,morebeautifulthanever.Donotaskmeanyfurther.Toputthisstory,thisidyl,intowords,would,forme,beaprofanation.Thismustsufficeyou.Angelehasreturnedtome,andIamhappy.Adios.”
Herosesuddenly.Thefriendsclaspedeachother’shands.
“Weshallprobablynevermeetagain,”saidVanamee;“butifthesearethelastwordsIeverspeaktoyou,listentothem,andrememberthem,becauseIknowIspeakthetruth.Evilisshort-lived.
