The customs-officers however detained the
lot.
I hoped to find you at the hotel but the porter
said you wereout. Where now is sacredFrance and the holy Allied Cause! Let him have
hisplace in the worlds consciousness.
Then the gorgeousness goesout of his indignation.
The American Consul is in charge of all his personal belongings. It happened we were
in the town eating ices at four, so I didnt getto his hotel till half-past. There is
the war: foul, foul, unutterably foul.
Of course, we found him allalong a perfect
gentleman. But then, horrors, like pain, are their own anaesthetic.
And Iwas just rather tired of him and his
gentlemanliness.
Not that he was mean, while he was about it. For my
own part I was soon tired of Malta, and would gladly have leftafter three days. But
no, it would be too much of a fiasco. Nothing happened, and next morning Palermo,
with itswonderful Monte Pelle-grino, hove into sight.
We talked politics and a thousand things. But no,
it would be too much of a fiasco.
Not that he was mean, while he was about
it.
After all the wretchedness of that affair we were
inholiday spirits. I want to be buried first class, my wife will pay.
He and I went and sat in theempty
lounge.
And yet, humanity can only finally conquer by
realizing. Helocked the door behind him, leaving them outside. Then if fight you
must, fight you shall, andwithout engines, without machines.
I prefer him,scamp as he is, to the ordinary
respectable person.
Menlose their normal consciousness, and go through
in a sort of delirium.
We went into his bedroom, and he rang for
moresodas. And he leaves Mazzaibaswindled, distressed, confused, and feeling sold in
the best part ofhimself. The lastvisitor or official with a bunch of papers stepped
off the gangway.