He is discovered sitting on a rock among the ruins of the Capitol, thinking. He tosses a pebble from one hand to another and scowls. The shadows deepen, and he rises, passing his hand across his brow. (Flash-back showing the Latin verbs which govern the dative case. Pianist plays: "The March of the Jolly Grenadiers.")
He walks slowly to the Museo Nazionale, where he stands pondering before a statue of Venus, thinking about Roman art and history—and about his Education.
Caption: "CAN ALL THIS BE FITTED INTO A TIME-SEQUENCE? CAN RIENZI, GARIBALDI. TIBERIUS GRACCHUS, AURELIAN, ANY OF THESE FAMOUS NAMES OF ROME, BE ADAPTED TO A SYSTEMATIC SCHEME OF EVOLUTION? NO, NO ... A THOUSAND TIMES, NO!"
He sinks down on a rock and weeps bitterly.
The next scene is in England and our hero is found sitting at a desk in his study in London. He is gazing into space—thinking.
Caption: "AND SO, ALL THROUGH THE LONG, WEARY SUMMER, HENRY ADAMS SAT, HEAD IN HAND, WONDERING IF DARWIN WAS RIGHT. TO HIM THE GLACIAL EPOCH SEEMED LIKE A YAWNING CHASM BETWEEN A UNIFORMITARIAN WORLD AND HIMSELF. IF THE GLACIAL PERIOD WERE UNIFORMITY, WHAT WAS CATASTROPHE?... AND TO THIS QUESTION, THE COOL OF THE SUMMER'S EVENING IN SHROPSHIRE BROUGHT NO RELIEF."
He rises slowly and goes to the book-shelves, from which he draws a copy of "The Origin of Species." Placing it before him on the desk he turns the pages slowly until he comes to one which holds his attention.
Close-up of page 126, on which is read: "It is notorious that specific characters are more variable than generic....
| Feet | |
| Palæzoic strata (not including igneous beds) | 57,154 |
| Secondary strata | 13,190 |
| Tertiary strata | 2,400" |
The book drops to the floor from his nerveless fingers and he buries his head in his arms, sobbing. (Music: "When You and I Were Young, Maggie.")