- end_line
- 6355
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:52.921Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 6312
- text
- that way strongly bent, would only serve the more hopelessly to cripple
him in his practical resolves. He determined to pry not at all into this
sacred problem. For him now the mystery of Isabel possessed all the
bewitchingness of the mysterious vault of night, whose very darkness
evokes the witchery.
The thoughtful river still ran on in him, and now it floated still
another thing to him.
Though the letter of Isabel gushed with all a sister's sacred longings
to embrace her brother, and in the most abandoned terms painted the
anguish of her life-long estrangement from him; and though, in effect,
it took vows to this,--that without his continual love and sympathy,
further life for her was only fit to be thrown into the nearest
unfathomed pool, or rushing stream; yet when the brother and the sister
had encountered, according to the set appointment, none of these
impassionedments had been repeated. She had more than thrice thanked
God, and most earnestly blessed himself, that now he had come near to
her in her loneliness; but no gesture of common and customary sisterly
affection. Nay, from his embrace had she not struggled? nor kissed him
once; nor had he kissed her, except when the salute was solely sought by
him.
Now Pierre began to see mysteries interpierced with mysteries, and
mysteries eluding mysteries; and began to seem to see the mere
imaginariness of the so supposed solidest principle of human
association. Fate had done this thing for them. Fate had separated the
brother and the sister, till to each other they somehow seemed so not at
all. Sisters shrink not from their brother's kisses. And Pierre felt
that never, never would he be able to embrace Isabel with the mere
brotherly embrace; while the thought of any other caress, which took
hold of any domesticness, was entirely vacant from his uncontaminated
soul, for it had never consciously intruded there.
Therefore, forever unsistered for him by the stroke of Fate, and
apparently forever, and twice removed from the remotest possibility of
that love which had drawn him to his Lucy; yet still the object of the
ardentest and deepest emotions of his soul; therefore, to him, Isabel
wholly soared out of the realms of mortalness, and for him became
transfigured in the highest heaven of uncorrupted Love.
- title
- Chunk 4