I am a very unhappy man. You must forgive me. I am deeply, irreparably, and infinitely unhappy.
He
But why? Explain it to me. [Starts walking up and down.] You say yourself that your book is a tremendous success, you are famous, you have glory; there is not a yellow newspaper in which you and your thoughts are not mentioned. Who knows me? Who cares about my heavy abstractions, from which it was difficult for them to derive a single thought? You—you are the great vulgarizer! You have made my thoughts comprehensible even to horses! With the art of a great vulgarizer, a tailor of ideas, you dressed my Apollo in a barber's jacket, you handed my Venus a yellow ticket, and to my bright hero you gave the ears of an ass. And then your career is made, as Jackson says. And wherever I go, the whole street looks at me with thousands of faces, in which—what mockery—I recognize the traits of my own children. Oh! How ugly your son must be, if he resembles me! Why then are you unhappy, you poor devil? [The gentleman bows his head, plucking at his gloves.] The police haven't caught you, as yet. What am I talking about? Is it possible to catch you? You always keep within the limits of the law. You have been torturing yourself up to now because you are not married to my wife. A notary public is always present at your thefts. What is the use of this self-torture, my friend? Get married. I died. You are not satisfied with having taken only my wife? Let my glory remain in your possession. It is yours. Accept my ideas. Assume all the rights, my most lawful heir! I died! And when I was dying [making a stupidly pious face] I forgave thee! [Bursts out laughing. The gentleman raises his head, and bending forward, looks straight into HE's eyes.]
Gentleman
And my pride?
He
Have you any pride? [The gentleman straightens up, and nods his head silently.] Yes! But please stand off a little. I don't like to look at you. Think of it. There was a time when I loved you a little, even thought you a little gifted! You—my empty shadow.
Gentleman
[Nodding his head]: I am your shadow. [HE keeps on walking, and looks over his shoulder at the gentleman, with a smile.]
He