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Chapter 2
Inamomenthecameupagainwithajump,possessedhimselfofbothmyhands,shookthemcontinuously,whilehegabbled:‘Brothersailor...honour...pleasure...delight...introducemyself...Russian...sonofanarch-priest...GovernmentofTambov...What?Tobacco!Englishtobacco;theexcellentEnglishtobacco!Now,that’sbrotherly.Smoke?Where’sasailorthatdoesnotsmoke?"
"Thepipesoothedhim,andgraduallyImadeouthehadrunawayfromschool,hadgonetoseainaRussianship;ranawayagain;servedsometimeinEnglishships;wasnowreconciledwiththearch-priest.Hemadeapointofthat.‘Butwhenoneisyoungonemustseethings,gatherexperience,ideas;enlargethemind.’‘Here!’Iinterrupted.‘Youcannevertell!HereImetMr.Kurtz,’hesaid,youthfullysolemnandreproachful.Iheldmytongueafterthat.ItappearshehadpersuadedaDutchtrading-houseonthecoasttofithimoutwithstoresandgoods,andhadstartedfortheinteriorwithalightheartandnomoreideaofwhatwouldhappentohimthanababy.Hehadbeenwanderingaboutthatriverfornearlytwoyearsalone,cutofffromeverybodyandeverything.‘IamnotsoyoungasIlook.Iamtwenty-five,’hesaid.‘AtfirstoldVanShuytenwouldtellmetogotothedevil,’henarratedwithkeenenjoyment;‘butIstucktohim,andtalkedandtalked,tillatlasthegotafraidIwouldtalkthehind-legoffhisfavouritedog,sohegavemesomecheapthingsandafewguns,andtoldmehehopedhewouldneverseemyfaceagain