The Enormous Room by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings
page 147 of 322 (45%)
page 147 of 322 (45%)
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subordinates with a weapon over any of us who refused to find room for
this desolating emotion in his heart of hearts; and, finally, through direct contact with his unutterable personality. Beneath the Demon was the Surveillant. I have already described the Surveillant. I wish to say, however, that in my opinion the Surveillant was the most decent official at La Ferte. I pay him this tribute gladly and honestly. To me, at least, he was kind: to the majority he was inclined to be lenient. I honestly and gladly believe that the Surveillant was incapable of that quality whose innateness, in the case of his superior, rendered that gentleman a (to my mind) perfect representative of the Almighty French Government: I believe that the Surveillant did not enjoy being cruel, that he was not absolutely without pity or understanding. As a personality I therefore pay him my respects. I am myself incapable of caring whether, as a tool of the Devil, he will find the bright firelight of Hell too warm for him or no. Beneath the Surveillant were the Secretaire, Monsieur Richard, the Cook, and the _plantons_. The first I have described sufficiently, since he was an obedient and negative--albeit peculiarly responsible--cog in the machine of decomposition. Of Monsieur Richard, whose portrait is included in the account of my first day at La Ferte, I wish to say that he had a very comfortable room of his own filled with primitive and otherwise imposing medicines; the walls of this comfortable room being beauteously adorned by some fifty magazine covers representing the female form in every imaginable state of undress, said magazine-covers being taken chiefly from such amorous periodicals as _Le Sourire_ and that old stand-by of indecency, _La Vie Parisienne_. Also Monsieur Richard kept a pot of geraniums upon his window-ledge, which haggard and aged-looking symbol of joy he doubtless (in his spare moments) peculiarly enjoyed |
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