MS-HRC-SB-5-10

[2153] believe I've piped up before ^{they've done with me.}[2154] The master
in any case, ^{we don't intend}, ^{listen to them hedging}
, we don't intend, unless absolutely ^{driven to it},
to make the mistake of ⁱnquiring into him, he'd turn out to
be a mere high official, we'd end up by ^needing God,
^{[↓] and though admittedly we have lost all sense of decency there still are certain depths we prefer not to sink to.}

[2155] Let us ^keep to the family circle,
it's more intimate, we know ^one another by now, no surprises
to be feared, the will has been opened, nothing for anybody.
[2156] This eye, curious how this eye invites inspection, de^mands
sympathy, solicits attention, ^implores assistance, to do what,
it's not clear, to stop weeping, have a ^quick look round, ^{goggle
an instant} and close forever.

[2157] It's it you see and it alone,
in this face, it's from it you set out to look for ^a face, to
it you return having found nothing, nothing worth while, nothing
but a kind of ashen smear, perhaps it's long grey hair, hanging
in a tangle ^round the mouth, greasy with ancient tears, or the
fringe of a mantle spread like a veil,
or fingers opening and ^closing to try and shut out the world,
or all together, fingers, hair and rags, mingled inextricably.

[2158] Suppositions all equally inane, it's enough to enounce them to
regret having spoken, familiar torment, a different past, it's
often to be wished, different from yours,
^{when you find out what it was.}
[2159] He is hair^less ^and naked and his hand^s, laid flat on his knees once
and for all, are in no danger of getting into mischief.
[2160] ^And the face?

[2161] Balls, ^all balls, I don't believe in the
eye either, , there's nothing here, nothing to see, nothing ^{to see with}
blessed coincidence, when you think what it would
be, a world without ^{[⁁] spectator}, and vice versa, brrr![2162] No spectator
then, and ^{better still} no specta^cle, good riddance.

[2163] If this noise
could stop there'd be nothing more to say.[2164] I wonder what the ^{all the} chat
is about at the moment.[2165] Worm presumably.[2166] Ma^hood ^being abandoned.
[2167] And I await my turn.[2168] Yes, I do not despair, all things considered,
of drawing their attention to my case, some ^fine day.Not that it

[2169] Not that it