been there. Now let's cross the river.

CONFESSOR. Do you think one can climb up to that white house without
preparation?

STRANGER. I'm ready: you can examine me.

CONFESSOR. Good! The first monastic vow is: humility.

STRANGER. And the second: obedience! Neither of them was ever a special
virtue of mine; it's for that very reason that I want to make the great
attempt.

CONFESSOR. And show your pride through your humility.

STRANGER. Whatever it is, it's all the same to me.

CONFESSOR. What, everything? The world and its best gifts; the joy of
innocent children, the pleasant warmth of home, the approbation of your
fellow-men, the satisfaction brought by the fulfilment of duty--are you
indifferent to them all?

STRANGER. Yes! Because I was born without the power of enjoyment. There
have been moments when I've been an object of envy; but I've never
understood what it was I was envied for: my sufferings in misfortune, my
lack of peace in success, or the fact I hadn't long to live.

CONFESSOR. It's true that life has given you everything you wished; even
a little gold at the last. Why, I even seem to remember that a sculptor
was commissioned to make a portrait bust of you.

STRANGER. Oh yes! A bust was made of me.

CONFESSOR. Are you, of all men, impressed by such things?

STRANGER. Of course not! But they do at least mark well founded
appreciation, that neither envy nor lack of understanding can shake.

CONFESSOR. You think so? It seems to me that human greatness resides
in the good opinion of others; and that, if this opinion changes, the
greatest can quickly dwindle into nothing.

STRANGER. The opinions of others have never meant much to me.

CONFESSOR. Haven't they? Really?

STRANGER. No one's been so strict with himself as I! And no one's been
so humble! All have demanded my respect; whilst they spurned me and spat
on me. And when at last I found I'd duties towards the immortal soul
given into my keeping, I began to demand respect for this immortal soul.
Then I was branded as the proudest of the proud! And by whom? By the
proudest of all amongst the humble and lowly.

CONFESSOR. I think you're entangling yourself in contradictions.

STRANGER. I think so, too! For the whole of life consists of nothing
but contradictions. The rich are the poor in spirit; the many little men
hold the power, and the great only serve the little men. I've never met
such proud people as the humble; I've never met an uned