Мхи старой усадьбы
Egotism; or, The Bosom Serpent
Untilarecentperiodhehadfollowedthesea,andwas,infact,theveryshipmasterwhomGeorgeHerkimerhadencountered,undersuchsingularcircumstances,intheGrecianArchipelago.
"Whatbosomserpenthasthesharpeststing?"repeatedthisman;butheputthequestionasifbyareluctantnecessity,andgrewpalewhilehewasutteringit.
"Whyneedyouask?"repliedRoderick,withalookofdarkintelligence."Lookintoyourownbreast.Hark!myserpentbestirshimself!Heacknowledgesthepresenceofamasterfiend!"
Andthen,astheby-standersafterwardsaffirmed,ahissingsoundwasheard,apparentlyinRoderickElliston’sbreast.Itwassaid,too,thatanansweringhisscamefromthevitalsoftheshipmaster,asifasnakewereactuallylurkingthereandhadbeenarousedbythecallofitsbrotherreptile.Iftherewereinfactanysuchsound,itmighthavebeencausedbyamaliciousexerciseofventriloquismonthepartofRoderick.
Thusmakinghisownactualserpent—ifaserpentthereactuallywasinhisbosom—thetypeofeachman’sfatalerror,orhoardedsin,orunquietconscience,andstrikinghisstingsounremorsefullyintothesorestspot,wemaywellimaginethatRoderickbecamethepestofthecity.Nobodycouldeludehim—nonecouldwithstandhim.Hegrappledwiththeugliesttruththathecouldlayhishandon,andcompelledhisadversarytodothesame.
