Samuel Beckett
Digital Manuscript Project
Molloy

MS-WU-MSS008-3-50-2

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Segment 1

[2475] said. [2476] He was still there. [2477] I asked him what he was waiting for to do as
I had told him.
[2478] If I had been my son I would have left me long ago. [2479] He
was not worthy of me, not in the same class at all.
[2480] I could not escape
this conclusion.
[2481] [] Cold comfort that is, to feel superior to one's son,
and hardly sufficient to calm the remorse of having begotten him.

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Segment 2

[2482] May I
bring my stamps? he said.
[2483] My son had two albums, a big one for his
collection properly speaking and a small one for the duplicates.
[2484] I
authorised him to bring the latter.
[2485] When I can give pleasure, without
doing violence to my principles, I do so gladly.
[2486] He withdrew.

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Segment 3

[2487] I got up and went to the window. [2488] I could not keep still. [2489] I passed
my head between the curtains.
[2490] Fine rain, lowering sky. [2491] He had not lied
to me.
[2492] Likely to lift round about eight. [2493] Fine sunset, twilight, night.
[2494] Waning moon, rising towards midnight. [2495] I rang for Martha and lay down
again.
[2496] We shall dine at home, I said. [2497] She looked at me in astonishment.
[2498] Did we not always dine at home? [2499] I had not yet told her we were leaving.

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Segment 4

[2500] I would not tell her till the last moment, one foot in the stirrup as the
saying is.
[2501] I did not wholly trust her. [2502] I would call her at the last
moment and say, Martha, we're leaving, for one day, two days,
three days, a week, two weeks, God knows, goodbye.
[2503] It was important to
leave her in the dark.
[2504] Then why had I called her? [2505] She would have served
us dinner in any case, as she did every day.
[2506] I had made the mistake of
putting myself in her place.

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Segment 5

[2508] That was understandable. [2509] But to tell her
we would dine at home, what a blunder.
[2510] For she knew it already, thought
she knew, did know.
[2511] And as a result of this []useless reminder she would
sense that something was afoot and spy on us, in the hope of learning what
it was.
[2512] First mistake. [2513] The second, first in time, was my not having
enjoined my son to keep what I had told him to himself.
[2514] Not that this
would have served any purpose.
[2515] Nevertheless I should have insisted on it,

Transcription
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