Icouldn’thelpjumpingstraightup——Istoodbeforehim。\"SothatwhoevermayhaveBEENtheman，themanNOW，theactualman——\"
\"Oh，\"saidObert，looking，luminousandstraight，upatmefromhisseat，\"themannow，theactualman——！\"Buthestoppedshort，withhiseyessuddenlyquittingmeandhiswordsbecomingaformlessejaculation。Thedooroftheroom，towhichmybackwasturned，hadopened，andIquicklylookedround。ItwasBrissendenhimselfwho，tomysupremesurprise，stoodthere，withrapidinquiryinhisattitudeandface。Isaw，assoonashecaughtmine，thatIwaswhathewanted，and，immediatelyexcusingmyselfforaninstanttoObert，Ianticipated，bymovingacrosstheroom，theneed，onpoorBriss’spart，ofmyfurtherdemonstration。Mywholesenseofthesituationblazedupatthetouchofhispresence，andevenbeforeIreachedhimithadrolledovermeinaprodigiouswavethatIhadlostnothingwhatever。Ican’tbegintosayhowthefactofhisappearancecrownedthecommunicationmyinterlocutorhadjustmademe，norinwhatabrightconfusionofmanythingsIfoundmyselffacingpoorBriss。OneofthesethingswaspreciselythathehadneverbeensomuchpoorBrissasatthismoment。Thatministeredtotheconfusionaswellastothebrightness，forifhisbeingthereatallrenewedmysourcesandreplenishedmycurrent——spokeall，inshort，formygain——so，ontheotherhand，inthelightofwhatIhadjusthadfromObert，hisparticularaspectwassomethingofashock。
Ican’tpresentthisespecialimpressionbetterthanbythementionofmyinstantcertitudethatwhathehadcomeforwastobringmeamessageandthatsomehow——yes，indubitably——thiscircumstanceseemedtohaveplacedhimagainattheverybottomofhishole。Itwasdowninthatdepththatheletmeseehim——itwasoutofitthathedeliveredhimself。PoorBriss！
poorBriss！——IhadaskedmyselfbeforehespokewithwhatkindnessenoughIcouldmeethim。PoorBriss！poorBriss！——IamnotevennowsurethatIdidn’tfirstmeethimbyTHATirrepressiblemurmur。Itwasinitallformethat，thus，atmidnight，hehadtraversedonhiserrandthelengthofthegreatdarkhouse。Itrodwithhim，overthevelvetandthemarble，throughthetwistsandturns，amongthegloomsandglimmersandechoes，everyinchoftheway，andIdon’tknowwhathumiliation，forhim，wasconstitutedthere，betweenus，byhislongpilgrimage。Itwasthefinalexpressionofhissacrifice。
\"Mywifehassomethingtosaytoyou。\"