О дивный новый мир
Chapter 18
Seeingthem,theSavagemadeagrimace;buthewastobecomereconciledtothemincourseoftime;foratnighttheytwinkledgailywithgeometricalconstellations,orelse,flood-lighted,pointedtheirluminousfingers(withagesturewhosesignificancenobodyinEnglandbuttheSavagenowunderstood)solemnlytowardstheplumblessmysteriesofheaven.
InthevalleywhichseparatedtheHog’sBackfromthesandyhillonwhichthelighthousestood,Puttenhamwasamodestlittlevillageninestorieshigh,withsilos,apoultryfarm,andasmallvitamin-Dfactory.Ontheothersideofthelighthouse,towardstheSouth,thegroundfellawayinlongslopesofheathertoachainofponds.
Beyondthem,abovetheinterveningwoods,rosethefourteen-storytowerofElstead.DiminthehazyEnglishair,HindheadandSelborneinvitedtheeyeintoablueromanticdistance.ButitwasnotalonethedistancethathadattractedtheSavagetohislighthouse;thenearwasasseductiveasthefar.Thewoods,theopenstretchesofheatherandyellowgorse,theclumpsofScotchfirs,theshiningpondswiththeiroverhangingbirchtrees,theirwaterlilies,theirbedsofrushes–thesewerebeautifuland,toaneyeaccustomedtotheariditiesoftheAmericandesert,astonishing.Andthenthesolitude!Wholedayspassedduringwhichheneversawahumanbeing.Thelighthousewasonlyaquarterofanhour’sflightfromtheCharing-TTower;butthehillsofMalpaiswerehardlymoredesertedthanthisSurreyheath.
