"You are not in hell,"it resumed."Neither am I in hell.But those skeletons are in hell!"Ere he ended I caught sight of the raven on the bough of a beech,right over my head.The same moment he left it,and alighting on the ground,stood there,the thin old man of the library,with long nose and long coat.
"The male was never a gentleman,"he went on,"and in the bony stage of retrogression,with his skeleton through his skin,and his character outside his manners,does not look like one.The female is less vulgar,and has a little heart.But,the restraints of society removed,you see them now just as they are and always were!""Tell me,Mr.Raven,what will become of them,"I said.
"We shall see,"he replied."In their day they were the handsomest couple at court;and now,even in their dry bones,they seem to regard their former repute as an inalienable possession;to see their faces,however,may yet do something for them!They felt themselves rich too while they had pockets,but they have already begun to feel rather pinched!My lord used to regard my lady as a worthless encumbrance,for he was tired of her beauty and had spent her money;now he needs her to cobble his joints for him!These changes have roots of hope in them.Besides,they cannot now get far away from each other,and they see none else of their own kind:
they must at last grow weary of their mutual repugnance,and begin to love one another!for love,not hate,is deepest in what Love `loved into being.'""I saw many more of their kind an hour ago,in the hall close by!"I said.
"Of their kind,but not of their sort,"he answered."For many years these will see none such as you saw last night.Those are centuries in advance of these.You saw that those could even dress themselves a little!It is true they cannot yet retain their clothes so long as they would--only,at present,for a part of the night;but they are pretty steadily growing more capable,and will by and by develop faces;for every grain of truthfulness adds a fibre to the show of their humanity.Nothing but truth can appear;and whatever is must seem.""Are they upheld by this hope?"I asked.
"They are upheld by hope,but they do not in the least know their hope;to understand it,is yet immeasurably beyond them,"answered Mr.Raven.
His unexpected appearance had caused me no astonishment.I was like a child,constantly wondering,and surprised at nothing.
"Did you come to find me,sir?"I asked.
"Not at all,"he replied."I have no anxiety about you.Such as you always come back to us.""Tell me,please,who am I such as?"I said.
"I cannot make my friend the subject of conversation,"he answered,with a smile.
"But when that friend is present!"I urged.
"I decline the more strongly,"he rejoined.
"But when that friend asks you!"I persisted.
"Then most positively I refuse,"he returned.
"Why?"
"Because he and I would be talking of two persons as if they were one and the same.Your consciousness of yourself and my knowledge of you are far apart!"The lapels of his coat flew out,and the lappets lifted,and Ithought the metamorphosis of HOMO to CORVUS was about to take place before my eyes.But the coat closed again in front of him,and he added,with seeming inconsequence,"In this world never trust a person who has once deceived you.
Above all,never do anything such a one may ask you to do.""I will try to remember,"I answered;"--but I may forget!""Then some evil that is good for you will follow.""And if I remember?"
"Some evil that is not good for you,will not follow."The old man seemed to sink to the ground,and immediately I saw the raven several yards from me,flying low and fast.