fact, pumping me. He alluded constantly to Europe, to the people I was
supposed to know there--putting leading questions as to my acquaintances
in the sepulchral city, and so on. His little eyes glittered like
mica discs--with curiosity,--though he tried to keep up a bit of
superciliousness. At first I was astonished, but very soon I became
awfully curious to see what he would find out from me. I couldn't
possibly imagine what I had in me to make it worth his while. It was
very pretty to see how he baffled himself, for in truth my body was full
of chills, and my head had nothing in it but that wretched steamboat
business. It was evident he took me for a perfectly shameless
prevaricator. At last he got angry, and to conceal a movement of furious
annoyance, he yawned. I rose. Then I noticed a small sketch in oils,
on a panel, representing a woman, draped and blindfolded, carrying a
lighted torch. The background was somber--almost black. The movement of
the woman was stately, and the effect of the torchlight on the face was
sinister.

"It arrested me, and he stood by civilly, holding a half-pint champagne
bottle (medical comforts) with the candle stuck in it. To my question he
said Mr. Kurtz had painted this--in this very station more than a year
ago--while waiting for means to go to his trading-post. 'Tell me, pray,'
said I, 'who is this Mr. Kurtz?'

"'The chief of the Inner Station,' he answered in a short tone, looking
away. 'Much obliged,' I said, laughing. 'And you are the brickmaker of
the Central Station. Everyone knows that.' He was silent for a while.
'He is a prodigy,' he said at last. 'He is an emissary of pity, and
science, and progress, and devil knows what else. We want,' he began
to declaim suddenly, 'for the guidance of the cause intrusted to us by
Europe, so to speak, higher intelligence, wide sympathies, a singleness
of purpose.' 'Who says that?' I asked. 'Lots of them,' he replied. 'Some
even write that; and so _he_ comes here, a special being, as you ought
to know.' 'Why ought I to know?' I interrupted, really surprised. He
paid no attention. 'Yes. To-day he is chief of the best station, next
year he will be assistant-manager, two years more and . . . but I dare
say you know what he will be in two years' time. You are of the new
gang--the gang of virtue. The same people who sent him specially also
recommended you. Oh, don't say no. I've my own eyes to trust.' Light
dawned upon me. My dear aunt's infl