For at once he perceived that to retire from both his lives
without making the whole world know of it would be tantamount to
not retiring. "Only by a public act," he thought, "of so striking a
character that nobody can miss it can I bring the moral home to all
public and private men." And a hundred schemes swarmed like ants in his
brain. Nor was it till the cock crew that one adequate to this final
occasion occurred to him.
"It will want very careful handling," he thought, "for otherwise I shall
be prevented, and perhaps even arrested in the middle, which will be
both painful and ridiculous. So sublime, however, was his idea that he
shed many tears over it, and often paused in his tramping to regard the
unconscious Blink with streaming eyes. All the next day he went about
the house and heath taking a last look at objects which had been dear,
and at mealtimes ate and drank even less than usual, absorbed by
the pathos of his coming renunciation. He determined to make his
preparations for the final act during the night, when Mrs. Petty would
be prevented by Joe's snoring from hearing the necessary sounds; and at
supper he undertook the delicate and harrowing task of saying good-bye
to, his devoted housekeeper without letting her know that he, was doing
it.
Pages:
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200