It should be a
welcome sight. And yet," he added, "see how strangely we men are
made! my revenge is not yet five minutes old, and already I am
beginning to ask myself if even revenge be attainable on this
precarious stage of life. The ill he did, who can undo it? The
career in which he amassed a huge fortune (for the house itself in
which we stand belonged to him) - that career is now a part of the
destiny of mankind for ever; and I might weary myself making
thrusts in carte until the crack of judgment, and Geraldine's
brother would be none the less dead, and a thousand other innocent
persons would be none the less dishonoured and debauched! The
existence of a man is so small a thing to take, so mighty a thing
to employ! Alas!" he cried, "is there anything in life so
disenchanting as attainment?"
"God's justice has been done," replied the Doctor. "So much I
behold. The lesson, your Highness, has been a cruel one for me;
and I await my own turn with deadly apprehension."
"What was I saying?" cried the Prince. "I have punished, and here
is the man beside us who can help me to undo. Ah, Dr. Noel! you
and I have before us many a day of hard and honourable toil; and
perhaps, before we have none, you may have more than redeemed your
early errors."
"And in the meantime," said the Doctor, "let me go and bury my
oldest friend."
(And this, observes the erudite Arabian, is the fortunate
conclusion of the tale.
Pages:
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124