Pagina 408 di 490

"To cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means

of the soul!" How the words rang in his ears! His soul,

certainly, was sick to death. Was it true that the senses could

cure it? Innocent blood had been spilled. What could atone for

that? Ah! for that there was no atonement; but though forgiveness

was impossible, forgetfulness was possible still, and he was

determined to forget, to stamp the thing out, to crush it as one

would crush the adder that had stung one. Indeed, what right had

Basil to have spoken to him as he had done? Who had made him a

judge over others? He had said things that were dreadful,

horrible, not to be endured.