MS-WU-MSS008-3-50-1

[0569] fastidious tread. [0570] The boatman rested his elbow on his knee, his
head ^[₰] on his hand. [0570|001] He had a long white beard. [0571] Every three or
four puffs, without taking his pipe from his mouth, he spat into
the water. [0571|001] I ^[₰] could not see his eyes. [0572] The horizon was burning
with sulphur and phosphorous, it was there I was bound.

[0573] At last
I got right down, hobbled down to the ditch and lay down, beside
my bicycle. [0574] I lay at full stretch, with outspread arms. [0575] The white
hawthorn stooped towards me, unfortunately I don't like the smell
of h^awthorn. [0576] In the ditch the grass was thick and high, I took off
my hat and pressed about my face the long leafy stalks.

[0577] Then I
could smell the earth, the smell of the earth was in the grass that
my hands wove round my face till I was blinded. [0578] I ate a little too,
a little grass. [0579] It came back to my mind, from nowhere, as a moment
before my name, that I had set out to see my mother, at the beginning
of this ending day.

[0580] My reasons? [0581] I had forgotten them. [0582] But I knew
them, I must have known them, I had only to find them again and I
would sweep, with the clipped wings of necessity, to my mother. [0583] Yes,
it's all easy when you know why, a mere matter of magic. [0584] Yes, the
whole thing is to know what saint to implore, any fool can implore
him.

[0585] For the particulars, if you are interested in particulars,
there is no need to despair, you may scrabble on the right doo^r[⁁]^r, in
the right way, in the end. [0586] It's for the whole there seems to be
no spell. [0587] Perhaps there is no whole, before you're dead. [0588] An opiate
for the life of the dead, that should be easy.

[0589] What am I waiting
for then, to exorci^ze mine? [0590] It's coming, it's coming. I hear from
here the howl resolving all, even if it is not mine. [0591] Meanwhile
there's no use knowing you are gone, you are not, you are writhing
yet, the hair is growing, the nails are ^{[→ p. 30]}