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1899.]

The Heart of Darkness.

for the doctor, so I proposed a drink, and thereupon he developed a vein of joviality. As we sat over our vermuths he glorified the Company's business, and by-and-by I expressed casually my surprise at him not going out there. He became very cool and col'I am not lected all at once. such a fool as I look, quoth Plato to his disciples,' he said sententiously, emptied his glass with great resolution, and we

rose.

the

"The old doctor felt my while. pulse, evidently thinking of something else 'Good, good for there,' he mumbled, and then with a certain eagerness asked me whether I would let him measure my head. Rather surprised, I said Yes, when he produced a thing like calipers and got the dimensions back and front and every notes carefully. way, taking notes carefully. He was an unshaven little man in a threadbare coat like a gaberdine, with his feet in slippers, and I thought him a harmless fool. I always ask leave, in the interests of science, to measure the crania of those going out there,' he said. And when they come back too?' I 'Oh, I never see them,' asked. he remarked; and, moreover, the changes take place inside, you know.' He smiled, as if at some quiet joke. 'So you are going out there. Famous. InHe gave me a teresting too.' searching glance, and made 'Ever any madanother note. I felt ness in your family?' he asked, in a matter-of-fact tone. very annoyed. 'Is that question in the interests of science

6

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201

too?' 'It would be,' he said,
without taking notice of my
irritation, 'interesting for science
'Are you an alienist?'
to watch the mental changes of
individuals, on the spot, but
I interrupted. Every doctor
should be a little,' answered
that original, imperturbably.
'I have a little theory which
you Messieurs who go out there
must help me to prove. This is
my share in the advantages my
possession of such a magnificent
country shall reap from the
dependency. The mere wealth
I hastened
questions, but you are the first
I leave to others. Pardon my
observation
Englishman coming under my
to assure him I was not in the
least typical. 'If I were,' said
I, 'I wouldn't be talking like
this with you.' 'What you say
to the
is rather profound, and probably
erroneous,' he said, with
laugh. 'Avoid irritation more
How do you English
Adieu.
laugh.
Good-bye. Ah!
eh?
In the
than
Adieu.
say,
'Du
Good-bye.
tropics one must before every-
thing keep calm.' . . . He lifted
a warning forefinger.
"One thing more remained
I found her
calme, du calme. Adieu.'
to do-say good-bye to my
excellent aunt.
triumphant. I had a cup of
tea for many days; and in
tea-the last decent cup of
a room that most soothingly
looked just as you would ex-
a long quiet
In the
pect a lady's drawing-room to
look, we had
course of these confidences it
chat by the fireside.
became quite plain to me I
had been represented to the

exposure

а

sun.

fascinating deadly like a
snake. Ough! A door opened,
a white-haired secretarial head,
but wearing a compassionate
expression, appeared, and a
skinny forefinger beckoned me
into the sanctuary. Its light
was dim, and a heavy writing-
desk squatted in the middle.
From behind that structure
came out an impression of
pale plumpness in a frock-
coat. The great man himself.
He was five feet six, I should
judge, and had his grip on
the handle - end of
many millions. He shook
hands, I fancy,
I fancy, murmured
vaguely, was satisfied with
my French. Bon voyage.

ever SO

"In about forty-five seconds I found myself again in the waiting-room with the compassionate secretary, who, full of desolation and sympathy, made me sign some document. I believe I undertook amongst other things not to disclose any trade secrets. Well, I am not going to.

affair on her head, had a wart on one cheek, and silver-rimmed spectacles hung on the tip of her nose.

She glanced at me above the glasses. The swift and indifferent placidity of that look troubled me. Two youths with foolish and cheery countenances were being piloted over, and she threw at them the same quick glance of unconcerned wisdom. She seemed to know all about them and about me too. An eerie feeling came over me. She seemed uncanny and fateful. Often far away there I thought of these two, guarding the door of Darkness, knitting black wool as for a warm pall, one introducing, introducing, continuously to the unknown, the other scrutinising the cheery and foolish faces with unconcerned old eyes. "Ave! Old knitter of black wool. Morituri te salutant. Not many of these she looked at ever saw her again-not half, by a long

way.

6

"There was yet a visit to "I began to feel slightly un- the doctor. A simple foreasy. You know I am not used mality,' assured me the secreto such ceremonies, and there tary, with an air of taking was something ominous in the an immense part in all my atmosphere. It was just as sorrows. Accordingly a young though I had been let into chap wearing his hat over the some conspiracy-I don't know left eyebrow, some clerk I sup-something not quite right; pose, there must have been and I was glad to get out. In clerks in the business, though the outer room the two women the house was as still as knitted black wool feverishly. house in a city of the dead,— People were arriving, and the came from somewhere up-stairs, younger one was walking back and led me forth. He was and forth introducing them. shabby and careless, with inkThe old one sat on her chair. stains on the sleeves of his Her flat cloth slippers were jacket, and his cravat was propped up on a foot-warmer, large and billowy, under a chin and a cat reposed on her lap. shaped like the toe of an old She wore a starched white boot. It was a little too early

a

for the doctor, so I proposed a drink, and thereupon he developed a vein of joviality. As we sat over our vermuths he glorified the Company's business, and by-and-by I expressed casually my surprise at him not going out there. He became very cool and collected all at once. 'I am not such a fool as I look, quoth Plato to his disciples,' he said sententiously, emptied his glass with great resolution, and we

rose.

"The old doctor felt my pulse, evidently thinking of something else the while. "Good, good for there,' he mumbled, and then with a certain eagerness asked me whether I would let him measure my head. Rather surprised, I said Yes, when he produced a thing like calipers and got the dimensions back and front and every way, taking notes carefully. He was an unshaven little man in a threadbare coat like a gaberdine, with his feet in slippers, and I thought him a harmless fool. 'I always ask leave, in the interests of science, to measure the crania of those going out there,' he said. And when they come back too?' I asked. 'Oh, I never see them,' he remarked; and, moreover, the changes take place inside, you know.' know.' He smiled, as if at some quiet joke. So you are going out there. Famous. Interesting too.' He gave me a searching glance, and made another note. 'Ever any madness in your family?' he asked, in a matter-of-fact tone. I felt very annoyed. 'Is that question in the interests of science

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'Are you an alienist?' I interrupted. 'Every doctor should be a little,' answered that original, imperturbably. 'I have a little theory which you Messieurs who go out there must help me to prove. This is my share in the advantages my country shall reap from possession of such a magnificent dependency. The mere wealth I leave to others. Pardon my questions, but you are the first Englishman coming under my observation I hastened

the

to assure him I was not in the least typical. 'If I were,' said I, 'I wouldn't be talking like this with you.' 'What you say is rather profound, and probably erroneous," he said, with a laugh. Avoid irritation more than to the sun. Adieu. How do you English say, eh? Good-bye. Ah! Good-bye. Adieu. In the tropics one must before everything keep calm.' . . . He lifted a warning forefinger. 'Du calme, du calme. Adieu.'

exposure

"One thing more remained to do-say good-bye to my excellent aunt. I found her triumphant. I had a cup of tea- the last decent cup of tea for many days; and in a room that most soothingly looked just as you would expect a lady's drawing-room to look, we had a long quiet chat by the fireside. In the course of these confidences it became quite plain to me I had been represented to the

wife of the high dignitary, I left. In the street-I don't and goodness knows to how know why a queer feeling many more people besides, as came to me that I was an iman exceptional and gifted crea- postor. Odd thing that I, who ture-a piece of good fortune used to clear out for any part of for the Company-a man you the world at twenty-four hours' don't get hold of every day. notice, with less thought than Good heavens! and I was most men give to the crossing going to take charge of a two- of a street, had a moment-I penny - halfpenny river-steam- won't say of hesitation, but of boat with a penny whistle at- startled pause, before this comtached! It appeared, however, monplace affair. The best way I was also one of the Workers, I can explain it to you is by with a capital-you know. saying that, for a second or Something like an emissary of two, I felt as though, instead light, something like a lower of going to the centre of a consort of apostle. There had tinent, I were about to set off for the centre of the earth.

been a lot of such rot let loose in print and talk just about that time, and the excellent woman, living right in the rush of all that humbug, got carried off her feet. She talked about 'weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways,' till, upon my word, she made me quite uncomfortable. I ventured to hint that the Company was run for profit.

666

'You forget, dear Charlie, that the labourer is worthy of his hire,' she said, brightly. It's queer how out of touch with truth women are. They live in a world of their own, and there had never been anything like it, and never can be. It is too beautiful altogether, and if they were to set it up it would go to pieces before the first sunset. Some confounded fact we men have been living contentedly with ever since the day of creation would start up and knock the whole thing over.

"After this I got embraced, told to wear flannel, be sure to write often, and so on-and

"I left in a French steamer, and she called in every blamed port they have out there, for, as far as I could see, the sole purpose of landing soldiers and custom-house officers. I watched the coast. Watching a coast as it slips by the ship is like thinking about an enigma. There it is before you-smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage, and always mute with an air of whispering, Come and find out. This one was almost featureless, as if still in the making, with an aspect of monotonous grimness. The edge of a colossal jungle, so darkgreen as to be almost black, fringed with white surf, ran straight, like a ruled line, far, far away along a blue sea whose glitter was blurred by a creeping mist. The sun was fierce, the land seemed to glisten and drip with steam. Here and there greyish- whitish specks showed up, clustered inside the white surf, with a flag flying above them perhaps. Settlements some centuries old,

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