MS-HRC-SB-4-3

[1594] not begun to reproach himself with what he had done, namely with
having lain down on the ground instead of continuing on his course,
in as straight a line as possible, in the hope of chancing sooner
or later on a tree, or a ruin.

[1595] And instead of being astonished at
such long and violent rain, he was astonished at not having under-
stood, from the moment the first timid drops began to fall, that
it was going to rain violently and long and that he must not stop
and lie down, but on the contrary press forward, as fast as his legs
could carry him, for he was no more than human, than the son and
grandson and greatgrandson of humans.

[1596] But between ^{him and} those grave and
sober men, first bearded, then moustached, there was this difference,
that his semen had never done any harm to anyone. [1597] So his liks ^link with
his species was through his ax^scendants only, who were all dead, in
the fond hope they had perpetuated themselves.

[1598] But the better late
than never thanks to which true men, true links, can acknowledge
the error od^f their ways and hasten on to the next, was beyond the
power of Macmann, to whom it sometimes seemed that he could grovel
and wallow in his mortality until the end of time, and not have
done.

[1599] And without going as far as that, hew he who has waited long
enough will wait for ever. And there comes the hour when nothing
more can happen and nobody ^more can come and all is ended but the wait-
ing that knows itself in vain. [1600] Perhaps he had come to that.

[1601] And
when (for example) you die, it is you ^too late, you have been waiting
too long, you are no longer sufficiently alive to be able to stop.
[1602] Perhaps he had come to that. [1603] But apparently not, though acts don't
matter, I know, I know, nor thoughts. [1605] For having reproached himself
with wa