The wheel-barrow--the one humble wheel--the unit of the firm. Then the
cart, with two wheels; then the truck, with four; then the
donkey-engine, with eight, then the winding-engine, with sixteen, and
so on, till it came to the miner, with a thousand wheels, and then the
electrician, with three thousand, and the underground manager, with
twenty thousand, and the general manager with a hundred thousand little
wheels working away to complete his make-up, and then Gerald, with a
million wheels and cogs and axles.
Poor Gerald, such a lot of little wheels to his make-up! He was more
intricate than a chronometer-watch. But oh heavens, what weariness!
What weariness, God above! A chronometer-watch--a beetle--her soul
fainted with utter ennui, from the thought. So many wheels to count and
consider and calculate! Enough, enough--there was an end to man's
capacity for complications, even. Or perhaps there was no end.
Meanwhile Gerald sat in his room, reading. When Gudrun was gone, he was
left stupefied with arrested desire.
Pages:
945
946
947
948
949
950
951
952
953
954
955
956
957
958
959
960
961
962
963
964
965
966
967
968
969