The Idiots
by Joseph Conrad
We
we
driving
along
the
road
from
Treguier
to
Kervanda.
We
passed
at
a
sma
trot
between
the
hedg
topping
an
earth
wa
on
ea
side
of
the
roa
then
at
the
foot
of
the
ste
asce
before
Ploumar
the
horse
dropped
in
a
walk,
and
the
driver
jum
down
heavily
from
the
box.
He
flicked
his
whip
and
climbed
the
incline,
steppi
clumsily
uphill
by
the
side
of
the
carriage,
one
hand
on
the
footboard,
his
ey
on
the
ground.
After
a
while
he
lifted
his
head,
poi
up
the
road
with
the
end
of
the
whip,
and
sa
"The
idiot!"
The
sun
was
shining
violently
upon
the
undulating
surface
of
the
land.
The
ris
were
topped
by
cl
of
meagre
tree
with
th
branches
showi
hi
on
the
sky
as
if
th
had
been
perched
up
stilts.
The
small
fie
cut
up
by
hedges
and
stone
walls
th
zig-zagged
over
the
slopes,
lay
in
rectangular
patches
of
vivid
gree
and
yellows,
resembli
the
unskilful
daubs
of
a
naive
picture.
And
the
landscape
was
di
in
two
by
the
white
streak
of
a
ro
st
in
long
loops
far
away,
li
a
river
of
dust
crawling
out
of
the
hills
on
its
way
to
the
sea.
"He
he
is,"
said
the
driver,
again.
In
the
lo
grass
bordering
the
ro
a
face
glided
past
the
carriage
at
the
level
of
the
wheels
as
we
drove
sl
by.
The
imbecile
fa
was
red,
and
the
bullet
head
with
close-cropped
hair
seemed
to
lie
alone,
its
chin
in
the
dust.
The
body
was
lo
in
the
bu
gr
th
along
the
bottom
of
the
deep
ditch.
It
was
a
boy's
face.
He
mi
have
been
sixteen,
judging
from
the
size--perhaps
less,
perhaps
more.
Such
crea
are
forgotten
by
time,
and
live
untouched
by
years
ti
de
gathers
them
up
into
its
compassionate
bos
the
faithful
death
that
never
forgets
in
the
pre
of
work
the
mo
insignificant
of
its
children.
"Ah!
there's
another,"
said
the
man,
wi
a
certain
satisfaction
in
his
tone,
as
if
he
had
ca
sight
of
something
expected.
There
was
another.
That
one
sto
nearly
in
the
middle
of
the
road
in
the
blaze
of
sunshine
at
the
end
of
his
own
sho
shadow.
And
he
stood
with
han
pushed
into
the
opposite
sleev
of
his
long
coat,
his
head
sunk
between
the
shoulders,
all
hunched
up
in
the
flood
of
heat.
From
a
distance
he
had
the
aspect
of
one
suffering
from
intense
co
wieder zur Hauptseite (Test abbrechen)