Белые люди
Chapter X
Nature’sagrand,rich,endlessthing,alwaysunrollingherscrollwithwritingsthatseemnewonit.They’renotnew.Theywerealwayswrittenthere.Buttheywerenotunrolled.Neveralawbroken,neveranewlaw,onlylawsreadwithstrongereyes.”
AngusandIhadalwaysbeenveryfondoftheBible—thestrangeoldtempleofwonders,fullofallthepoemsandtragediesandhistoriesofman,hishatesandbattlesandlovesandfollies,andoftheWisdomoftheuniverseandthepromisesofthesplendorsofit,andwhicheventhoseofuswhothinkourselvesthemostbelievingneitherwhollybelievenorwillunderstand.Wehadporedoverandtalkedofit.Wehadneverthoughtofitasonlyapiousthingtodo.Thebookwastousoneofthemystic,awe-inspiring,propheticmarvelsoftheworld.
Thatwaswhatmademesay,halfwhispering:“Ihavewonderedandwonderedwhatitmeant—thatverseinIsaiah:‘BeholdtheformerthingsarecometopassandnewthingsdoIdeclare;beforetheyspringforthItellyouofthem.’Perhapsitmeansonlytheunrollingofthescroll.”
“Aye,aye!”saidAngus;“itisfullofsuchdeepsayings,andnoneofuswilllistentothem.”
“Ithastakenmaneonsoftime,”HectorMacNairnsaid,thinkingitoutashespoke—“eonsoftimetoreachthepointwhereheisbeginningtoknowthatineverystockandstoneinhispathmayliehiddensomepowerhehasnotyetdreamedof.