MS-WU-MSS008-3-49

[1294] familiar monument, so that I might say, I am in my town, after all, I
have been there all the time. [1295] The town was waking, doors opening and
shutting, soon the noise would be deafening. [1296] But espying a narrow alley
between two high buildings I lookd ^{[place = overwritten] e}d about me, then slipped into it. [1297] Only
little windows overlooked it, on either side, on every floor, [1298] face to
face. [1299] Lavatory lights I suppose. [1300] There are things from time to time,
in spite of everything, that impose themselves on the understanding with
the force of axioms, for unknown reasons.

[1301] There was no way out of the
alley, it was not so much an alley as a g ^{[place = overwritten] b}lind alley. [1302] At the end there
were two recesses, no, that's not the word, opposite each other, littered
with miscellaneous rubbish and with exf ^{[place = overwritten] c}rements, of dogs and masters,
some dry and odorless, others still humid. [1303] Ah those papers that none
will read again, perhaps never read. [1304] Here lovers must have lain at
night and exchanged their vows.

[1305] I entered one of the alcoves, wrong
again, and leant against the wall. [1306] I would have preferred to lie down
and there was no proof that I wouldn't. [1307] But for the moment I was content
to lean against the wall, my feet far from the wall, on the verge of
slipping, but I had other props, the tips of my crutches. [1308] But a few
minutes later I crossed the alley,and went into the other chapel, that's
the word, where I felt I would feel better, and settled myself in the
same hypotenusal posture.

[1309] Ah ^{[place = overwritten] n}d at first I did actually seem to feel a
little better, [1310] but little by little I acquired the conviction that such
was not the case. [1311] A fine rain was falling and I took off my hat to give
my skull the benefit of it, my skull all cracked and furrowed and burning,
burning. [1312] But I took it off equally because it was digging into my neck,
because of the thrust of the wall.

[1313] So I had two good reasons for taking
it off and they were none too many, neither alone would ever have
prevailed I feel. [1314] I threw it away with a careless lavish gesture and
back it came, at the end of its string or lace, and after a fr ^{[place = overwritten] e}w throes