He was silent for a long time.

     "I laid the ghost of his gifts at last with a lie," he began, suddenly.

     ... Girl! What? Did I mention a girl? Oh, she is out of it -- completely. They -- the women, I mean -- are out of it -- should be out of it. We must help them to stay in that beautiful world of their own, lest ours gets worse.

     Oh, she had to be out of it. You should have heard the disinterred body of Mr. Kurtz saying, "My Intended." You would have perceived directly then how completely she was out of it. And the lofty frontal bone of Mr. Kurtz! They say the hair goes on growing sometimes, but this -- ah -- specimen, was impressively bald.

     The wilderness had patted him on the head, and, behold, it was like a ball -- an ivory ball; it had caressed him, and -- lo! -- he had withered; it had taken him, loved him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh, and sealed his soul to its own by the inconceivable ceremonies of some devilish initiation. He was its spoiled and pampered favourite.