第548章

第548章hissoulwasnotinitsnormalstate.amaninhealthusuallythinks,feelsandrememberssimultaneouslyanimmensenumberofdifferentthings,buthehasthepowerandthefacultyofselectingoneseriesofideasorphenomenaandconcentratingallhisattentiononthatseries.amaninhealthcanatthemomentoftheprofoundestthoughtbreakofftosayacivilwordtoanyonewhocomesin,andthenreturnagaintohisthoughts.princeandrey’ssoulwasnotinanormalconditioninthisrespect.allthefacultiesofhissoulwereclearerandmoreactivethanever,buttheyactedapartfromhiswill.themostdiverseideasandimageshadpossessionofhismindatthesametime.sometimeshisbrainsuddenlybegantowork,andwithaforce,clearness,anddepthwithwhichithadneverbeencapableofworkinginhealth.butsuddenlythetrainofthoughtbrokeoffinthemidst,tobereplacedbysomeunexpectedimage,andthepowertogobacktoitwaswanting.“yes,anewhappinesswasrevealedtome,thatcouldnotbetakenawayfromman,”hethought,ashelayinthestill,half-darkhut,gazingbeforehimwithfeverishlywide,staringeyes.“happinessbeyondthereachofmaterialforces,outsidematerial,externalinfluencesonman,thehappinessofthesoulalone,thehappinessoflove！tofeelitisineveryman’spower,butgodalonecanknowitandordainit.buthowdidgodordainthislaw？whytheson？…”andallatoncethattrainofthoughtbrokeoff,andprinceandreyheard（notknowingwhetherindeliriumorinactualfactheheardit）akindofsoft,whisperingvoice,incessantlybeatingtime：“piti-pitt-piti,”andthen“i-ti-ti,”andagain,“ipiti-piti-piti,”andagain“i-ti-ti.”andtothesoundofthismurmuringmusicprinceandreyfeltasthoughastrange,etherealedificeofdelicateneedlesorsplinterswerebeingraisedoverhisface,overtheverymiddleofit.hefeltthat（hardthoughitwasforhim）hemuststudiouslypreservehisbalancethatthisrisingedificemightnotfalltopieces;butyetitwasfallingtopieces,andslowlyrisingupagaintotherhythmicbeatofthemurmuringmusic.

“itisstretchingout,stretchingout,andspreadingandstretchingout！”princeandreysaidtohimself.whilehelistenedtothemurmurandfeltthatedificeofneedlesstretchingout,andrisingup,princeandreysawbyglimpsesaredringoflightroundthecandle,andheardtherustlingofthecockroachesandthebuzzingoftheflyasitfloppedagainsthispillowandhisface.andeverytimetheflytouchedhisface,itgavehimastingingsensation,butyetitsurprisedhimthatthoughtheflystruckhimintheverycentreoftherisingedificeitdidnotshatterit.but,apartfromallthis,therewasoneotherthingofimportance.thatwasthewhitethingatthedoor;thatwasastatueofthesphinx,whichoppressedhimtoo

“butperhapsitismyshirtonthetable,”thoughtprinceandrey,“andthat’smylegs,andthat’sthedoor,butwhythisstrainingandmovingandpiti-piti-pitiandti-tiandpiti-piti-piti…enough,cease,bestill,please,”princeandreybesoughtsomeonewearily.andallatoncethoughtandfeelingfloatedtothesurfaceagainwithextraordinaryclearnessandforce.