"
"This," said I, "that though I die and end, yet mankind yet liveth,
therefore I end not, since I am a man; and even so thou deemest, good
friend; or at the least even so thou doest, since now thou art ready
to die in grief and torment rather than be unfaithful to the
Fellowship, yea rather than fail to work thine utmost for it; whereas,
as thou thyself saidst at the cross, with a few words spoken and a
little huddling-up of the truth, with a few pennies paid, and a few
masses sung, thou mightest have had a good place on this earth and in
that heaven. And as thou doest, so now doth many a poor man unnamed
and unknown, and shall do while the world lasteth: and they that do
less than this, fail because of fear, and are ashamed of their
cowardice, and make many tales to themselves to deceive themselves,
lest they should grow too much ashamed to live. And trust me if this
were not so, the world would not live, but would die, smothered by its
own stink. Is the wall betwixt us gone, friend?"
He smiled as he looked at me, kindly, but sadly and shamefast, and
shook his head.
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