when their real front doors open inwards。'
〃Something from the folk…lore of my infancy still kept me foolishly silent；
and before I could speak； the Englishman had leaned over and was saying
in a sort of loud whisper； ‘I have found out how to make a big thing small。
I have found out how to turn a house into a doll's house。 Get a long
way off it： God lets us turn all things into toys by his great gift
of distance。 Once let me see my old brick house standing up quite
little against the horizon； and I shall want to go back to it again。
I shall see the funny little toy lamp…post painted green against the gate；
and all the dear little people like dolls looking out of the window。
For the windows really open in my doll's house。'
〃‘But why？' I asked； ‘should you wish to return to that particular
doll's house？ Having taken； like Nora； the bold step against convention；
having made yourself in the conventional sense disreputable； having dared
to be free； why should you not take advantage of your freedom？
As the greatest modern writers have pointed out； what you called your
marriage was only your mood。 You have a right to leave it all behind；
like the clippings of your hair or the parings of your nails。
Having once escaped； you have the world before you。 Though the words
may seem strange to you； you are free in Russia。'
〃He sat with his dreamy eyes on the dark circles of the plains；
where the only moving thing was the long and labouring trail of smoke
out of the railway engine； violet in tint； volcanic in outline；
the one hot and heavy cloud of that cold clear evening of pale green。
〃‘Yes；' he said with a huge sigh； ‘I am free in Russia。 You are right。
I could really walk into that town over there and have love all over again；
and perhaps marry some beautiful woman and begin again； and nobody could
ever find me。 Yes； you have certainly convinced me of something。'
〃His tone was so queer and mystical that I felt impelled to ask
him what he meant； and of what exactly I had convinced him。
〃‘You have convinced me；' he said with the same dreamy eye；
‘why it is really wicked and dangerous for a man to run away
from his wife。'
〃‘And why is it dangerous？' I inquired。
〃‘Why； because nobody can find him；' answered this odd person；
‘and we all want to be found。'
〃‘The most original modern thinkers；' I remarked；
‘Ibsen； Gorki； Nietzsche； Shaw； would all rather say that what we
want most is to be lost： to find ourselves in untrodden paths；
and to do unprecedented things： to break with the past and belong
to the future。'
〃He rose to his whole height somewhat sleepily； and looked round on
what was； I confess； a somewhat desolate scenethe dark purple plains；
the neglected railroad； the few ragged knots of malcontents。
‘I shall not find the house here；' he said。 ‘It is still eastward
further and further eastward。'
〃Then he turned upon me with something like fury； and struck the foot
of his pole upon the frozen earth。
〃‘And if I do go back to my country；' he cried； ‘I may be locked up in a
madhouse before I reach my own house。 I have been a bit unconventional
in my time！ Why； Nietzsche stood in a row of ramrods in the silly old
Prussian army； and Shaw takes temperance beverages in the suburbs；
but the things I do are unprecedented things。 This round road I
am treading is an untrodden path。 I do believe in breaking out；
I am a revolutionist。 But don't you see that all these real leaps
and destructions and escapes are only attempts to get back to Eden
to something we have had； to something we at least have heard of？
Don't you see one only breaks the fence or shoots the moon in order
to get HOME？'
〃‘No；' I answered after due reflection； ‘I don't think I should accept that。'
〃‘Ah；' he said with a sort of a sigh； ‘then you have explained a second
thing to me。'
〃‘What do you mean？' I asked； ‘what thing？'
〃‘Why your revolution has failed；' he said； and walking across quite
suddenly to the train he got into it just as it was steaming away at last。
And as I saw the long snaky tail of it disappear along the darkening flats。
〃I saw no more of him。 But though his views were adverse to the best
advanced thought； he struck me as an interesting person： I should
like to find out if he has produced any literary works。Yours； etc。；
〃Paul Nickolaiovitch。〃
There was something in this odd set of glimpses into foreign lives which kept
the absurd tribunal quieter than it had hitherto been； and it was again
without interruption that Inglewood opened another paper upon his pile。
〃The Court will be indulgent；〃 he said； 〃if the next note lacks the special
ceremonies of our letter…writing。 It is ceremonious enough in its own way：
〃The Celestial Principles are permanent： Greeting。I am Wong…Hi；
and I tend the temple of all the ancestors of my family in the forest
of Fu。 The man that broke through the sky and came to me said that it
must be very dull； but I showed him the wrongness of his thought。
I am indeed in one place； for my uncle took me to this
temple when I was a boy； and in this I shall doubtless die。
But if a man remain in one place he shall see that the place changes。
The pagoda of my temple stands up silently out of all the trees；
like a yellow pagoda above many green pagodas。 But the skies
are sometimes blue like porcelain； and sometimes green like jade；
and sometimes red like garnet。 But the night is always ebony
and always returns； said the Emperor Ho。
〃The sky…breaker came at evening very suddenly； for I had hardly
seen any stirring in the tops of the green trees over which I look
as over a sea； when I go to the top of the temple at morning。
And yet when he came； it was as if an elephant had strayed
from the armies of the great kings of India。 For palms snapped；
and bamboos broke； and there came forth in the sunshine before
the temple one taller than the sons of men。
〃Strips of red and white hung about him like ribbons of a carnival；
and he carried a pole with a row of teeth on it like the teeth of a dragon。
His face was white and discomposed； after the fashion of the foreigners；
so that they look like dead men filled with devils； and he spoke
our speech brokenly。
〃He said to me； ‘This is only a temple； I am trying to find a house。'
And then he told me with indelicate haste that the lamp outside his house
was green； and that there was a red post at the corner of it。
〃‘I have not seen your house nor any houses；' I answered。
‘I dwell in this temple and serve the gods。'
〃‘Do you believe in the gods？' he asked with hunger in his eyes；
like the hunger of dogs。 And this seemed to me a strange question
to ask； for what should a man do except what men have done？
〃‘My Lord；' I said； ‘it must be good for men to hold up their hands even
if the skies are empty。 For if there are gods； they will be pleased；
and if there are none； then there are none to be displeased。
Sometimes the skies are gold and sometimes porphyry and sometimes
ebony； but the trees and the temple stand still under it all。
So the great Confucius taught us that if we do always the same things
with our hands and our feet as do the wise beasts and birds； with our
heads we may think many things： yes； my Lord； and doubt many things。
So long as men offer rice at the right season； and kindle lanterns
at the right hour； it matters little whether there be gods or no。
For these things are not to appease gods； but to appease men。'
〃He came yet closer to me； so that he seemed enormous；
yet his look was very gentle。
〃‘Break your temple；' he said； ‘and your gods will be freed。'
〃And I； smiling at his simplicity； answered： ‘And so； if there be no gods；
I shall have nothing but a broken temple。'
〃And at this； that giant from whom the light of reason was
withheld threw out his mighty arms and asked me to forgive him。
And when I asked him for what he should be forgiven he answered：
‘For being right。'
〃‘Your idols and emperors are so old and wise and satisfying；'
he cried； ‘it is a shame that they should be wrong。
We are so vulgar and violent； we have done you so many iniquities
it is a shame we should be right after all。'
〃And I； still enduring his harmlessness； asked him why he thought
that he and his people were right。
〃And he answered： ‘We are right because we are bound where
men should be bound； and free where men should be free。
We are right because we doubt and destroy laws and customs
but we do not doubt our own right to destroy them。 For you live
by customs； but we live by creeds。 Behold me！ In my country I
am called Smip。 My country is abandoned； my name is defiled；
because I pursue around the world what really belongs to me。
You are steadfast as the trees because you do not believe。
I am as fickle as the tempest because I do believe。
I do believe in my own house； which I shall find again。
And at the last remaineth the green lantern and the red post。'
〃I said to him： ‘At the last remaineth only wisdom。'
〃But even as I said the word he uttered a horrible shout；
and rushing forward disappeared among the trees。
I have not seen this man again nor any oth