Атлант расправил плечи
The Egoist
ShelookedatthefacesintheTerminaclass="underline"ifheweretodie,shethought,tobemurderedbytherulersoftheirsystem,thatthesemightcontinuetoeat,sleepandtravel—wouldsheworktoprovidethemwithtrains?Ifsheweretoscreamfortheirhelp,wouldoneofthemrisetohisdefense?
Didtheywanthimtolive,theywhohadheardhim?
Thecheckforfivehundredthousanddollarswasdeliveredtoheroffice,thatafternoon;itwasdeliveredwithabouquetofflowersfromMr.Thompson.Shelookedatthecheckandletitflutterdowntoherdesk:itmeantnothingandmadeherfeelnothing,notevenasuggestionofguilt.Itwasascrapofpaper,ofnogreatersignificancethantheonesintheofficewastebasket.Whetheritcouldbuyadiamondnecklaceorthecitydumporthelastofherfood,madenodifference.Itwouldneverbespent.Itwasnotatokenofvalueandnothingitpurchasedcouldbeavalue.Butthis—shethought—thisinanimateindifferencewasthepermanentstateofthepeoplearoundher,ofmenwhohadnopurposeandnopassion.Thiswasthestateofanon-valuingsoul;thosewhochoseit—shewondered—didtheywanttolive?
Thelightswereoutoforderinthehalloftheapartmenthouse,whenshecamehomethatevening,numbwithexhaustion—andshedidnotnoticetheenvelopeatherfeetuntilsheswitchedonthelightinherfoyer.Itwasablank,sealedenvelopethathadbeenslippedunderherdoor.
