 | Pierre, or, The ambiguities |  |
II.
When arrived in the city, and discovering the heartless neglect
of Glen, Pierre,—looking about him for whom to apply
to in this strait,—bethought him of his old boy-companion
Charlie, and went out to seek him, and found him at last; he
saw before him, a tall, well-grown, but rather thin and pale
vet strikingly handsome young man of two-and-twenty; occupying
building of the Apostles; assuming to be doing a very large,
and hourly increasing business among empty pigeon-holes, and
directly under the eye of an unopened bottle of ink; his mother
and sisters dwelling in a chamber overhead; and himself, not
only following the law for a corporeal living, but likewise interlinked
with the peculiar secret, theologico-politico-social schemes
of the masonic order of the seedy-coated Apostles; and pursuing
some crude, transcendental Philosophy, for both a contributory
means of support, as well as for his complete intellectual
aliment.
Pierre was at first somewhat startled by his exceedingly
frank and familiar manner; all old manorial deference for
Pierre was clean gone and departed; though at the first shock
of their encounter, Charlie could not possibly have known that
Pierre was cast off.
“Ha, Pierre! glad to see you, my boy! Hark ye, next
month I am to deliver an address before the Omega order of
the Apostles. The Grand Master, Plinlimmon, will be there.
I have heard on the best authority that he once said of me—
`That youth has the Primitive Categories in him; he is destined
to astonish the world.' Why, lad, I have received propositions
from the Editors of the Spinozaist to contribute a weekly
column to their paper, and you know how very few can understand
the Spinozaist; nothing is admitted there but the Ultimate
Transcendentals. Hark now, in your ear; I think of
throwing off the Apostolic disguise and coming boldly out;
Pierre! I think of stumping the State, and preaching our philosophy
to the masses.—When did you arrive in town?”
Spite of all his tribulations, Pierre could not restrain a smile
at this highly diverting reception; but well knowing the youth,
he did not conclude from this audacious burst of enthusiastic
egotism that his heart had at all corroded; for egotism is one
thing, and selfishness another. No sooner did Pierre intimate
and practical kindness; recommended the Apostles as the best
possible lodgment for him,—cheap, snug, and convenient to
most public places; he offered to procure a cart and see himself
to the transport of Pierre's luggage; but finally thought it
best to mount the stairs and show him the vacant rooms. But
when these at last were decided upon; and Charlie, all cheerfulness
and alacrity, started with Pierre for the hotel, to assist
him in the removal; grasping his arm the moment they
emerged from the great arched door under the tower of the
Apostles; he instantly launched into his amusing heroics, and
continued the strain till the trunks were fairly in sight.
“Lord! my law-business overwhelms me! I must drive
away some of my clients; I must have my exercise, and this
ever-growing business denies it to me. Besides, I owe something
to the sublime cause of the general humanity; I must
displace some of my briefs for my metaphysical treatises. I can
not waste all my oil over bonds and mortgages.—You said you
were married, I think?”
But without stopping for any reply, he rattled on. “Well,
I suppose it is wise after all. It settles, centralizes, and confirms
a man, I have heard.—No, I didn't; it is a random
thought of my own, that!—Yes, it makes the world definite to
him; it removes his morbid subjectiveness, and makes all
things objective; nine small children, for instance, may be considered
objective. Marriage, hey!—A fine thing, no doubt, no
doubt:—domestic—pretty—nice, all round. But I owe something
to the world, my boy! By marriage, I might contribute
to the population of men, but not to the census of mind. The
great men are all bachelors, you know. Their family is the
universe: I should say the planet Saturn was their elder son;
and Plato their uncle.—So you are married?”
But again, reckless of answers, Charlie went on. “Pierre, a
thought, my boy;—a thought for you! You do not say it,
Stump the State on the Kantian Philosophy! A dollar a
head, my boy! Pass round your beaver, and you'll get it. I
have every confidence in the penetration and magnanimousness
of the people! Pierre, hark in your ear;—it's my opinion
the world is all wrong. Hist, I say—an entire mistake. Society
demands an Avatar,—a Curtius, my boy! to leap into
the fiery gulf, and by perishing himself, save the whole empire
of men! Pierre, I have long renounced the allurements of
life and fashion. Look at my coat, and see how I spurn
them! Pierre! but, stop, have you ever a shilling? let's take
a cold cut here—it's a cheap place; I go here sometimes.
Come, let's in.”
| Pierre, or, The ambiguities | |