Волны

           Louis,theatticdweller;Rhoda,thenymphofthefountainalwayswet;bothcontradictedwhatwasthensopositivetome;bothgavetheothersideofwhatseemedtomesoevident(thatwemarry,thatwedomesticate);forwhichIlovedthem,pitiedthem,andalsodeeplyenviedthemtheirdifferentlot.

           ’OnceIhadabiographer,deadlongsince,butifhestillfollowedmyfootstepswithhisoldflatteringintensityhewouldheresay,"AboutthistimeBernardmarriedandboughtahouse...Hisfriendsobservedinhimagrowingtendencytodomesticity...Thebirthofchildrenmadeithighlydesirablethatheshouldaugmenthisincome."Thatisthebiographicstyle,anditdoestotacktogethertornbitsofstuff,stuffwithrawedges.Afterall,onecannotfindfaultwiththebiographicstyleifonebeginsletters"DearSir",endsthem"yourfaithfully";onecannotdespisethesephraseslaidlikeRomanroadsacrossthetumultofourlives,sincetheycompelustowalkinsteplikecivilizedpeoplewiththeslowandmeasuredtreadofpolicementhoughonemaybehumminganynonsenseunderone’sbreathatthesametime--"Hark,hark,thedogsdobark","Comeaway,comeaway,death","Letmenottothemarriageoftrueminds",andsoon."Heattainedsomesuccessinhisprofession...Heinheritedasmallsumofmoneyfromanuncle"--thatishowthebiographercontinues,andifonewearstrousersandhitchesthemupwithbraces,onehastosaythat,thoughitistemptingnowandthentogoblackberrying;temptingtoplayducksanddrakeswithallthesephrases.Butonehastosaythat.