An American Tragedy Theodore Dreiser (whitelam books .TXT) đ
- Author: Theodore Dreiser
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Yet in the blowâ âthe accidental blow that had followed upon her rising and attempting to come to him, had been some anger against her for wanting to come near him at all. And that it was perhapsâ âhe was truly not sure, even now, that had given that blow its so destructive force. It was so afterward, anyhow, that he was compelled to think of it. And yet there was also the truth that in rising he was seeking to save herâ âeven in spite of his hate. That he was also, for the moment at least, sorry for that blow. Again, though, once the boat had upset and both were in the waterâ âin all that confusion, and when she was drowning, he had been moved by the thought: âDo nothing.â For thus he would be rid of her. Yes, he had so thought. But again, there was the fact that all through, as Mr. Belknap and Mr. Jephson had pointed out, he had been swayed by his obsession for Miss X, the super motivating force in connection with all of this. But now, did the Reverend McMillan, considering all that went before and all that came afterâ âthe fact that the unintentional blow still had had anger in itâ âangry dissatisfaction with herâ âreallyâ âand that afterwards he had not gone to her rescueâ âas nowâ âhonestly and truly as he was trying to showâ âdid he think that that constituted murderâ âmortal blood guilt for which spiritually, as well as legally, he might be said to deserve death? Did he? He would like to know for his own soulâs peaceâ âso that he could pray, maybe.
The Reverend McMillan hearing all thisâ âand never in his life before having heard or having had passed to him so intricate and elusive and strange a problemâ âand because of Clydeâs faith in and regard for him, enormously impressed. And now sitting before him quite still and pondering most deeply, sadly and even nervouslyâ âso serious and important was this request for an opinionâ âsomething which, as he knew, Clyde was counting on to give him earthly and spiritual peace. But, none-the-less, the Reverend McMillan was himself too puzzled to answer so quickly.
âUp to the time you went in that boat with her, Clyde, you had not changed in your mood toward herâ âyour intention toâ âtoâ ââ
The Reverend McMillanâs face was gray and drawn. His eyes were sad. He had been listening, as he now felt, to a sad and terrible storyâ âan evil and cruel self-torturing and destroying story. This young boyâ âreallyâ â! His hot, restless heart which plainly for the lack of so many things which he, the Reverend McMillan, had never wanted for, had rebelled. And because of that rebellion had sinned mortally and was condemned to die. Indeed his reason was as intensely troubled as his heart was moved.
âNo, I had not.â
âYou were, as you say, angry with yourself for being so weak as not to be able to do what you had planned to do.â
âIn a way it was like that, yes. But then I was sorry, too, you see. And maybe afraid. Iâm not exactly sure now. Maybe not, either.â
The Reverend McMillan shook his head. So strange! So evasive! So evil! And yetâ â
âBut at the same time, as you say, you were angry with her for having driven you to that point.â
âYes.â
âWhere you were compelled to wrestle with so terrible a problem?â
âYes.â
âTst! Tst! Tst! And so you thought of striking her.â
âYes, I did.â
âBut you could not.â
âNo.â
âPraised be the mercy of God. Yet in the blow that you did strikeâ âunintentionallyâ âas you sayâ âthere was still some anger against her. That was why the blow was soâ âso severe. You did not want her to come near you.â
âNo, I didnât. I think I didnât, anyhow. Iâm not quite sure. It may be that I wasnât quite right. Anyhowâ âall worked up, I guessâ âsick almost. Iâ âIâ ââ In his uniformâ âhis hair cropped so close, Clyde sat there, trying honestly now to think how it really was (exactly) and greatly troubled by his inability to demonstrate to himself evenâ âeither his guilt or his lack of guilt. Was heâ âor was he not? And the Reverend McMillanâ âhimself intensely strained, muttering: âWide is the gate and broad the way that leadeth to destruction.â And yet finally adding: âBut you did rise to save her.â
âYes, afterwards, I got up. I meant to catch her after she fell back. That was what upset the boat.â
âAnd you did really want to catch her?â
âI
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