The Ethics of the Dust | Page 6

is an
inscription in fiery letters, which they strive to read, but cannot; for it is
written in words which are like the words of all languages, and yet are
of none. Men say it is more like their own tongue to the English than it
is to any other nation; but the only record of it is by an Italian, who
heard the king himself cry it as a war cry, "Pape Satan, Pape Satan
Aleppe." [Footnote: Dante, Inf. 7, I.]
SIBYL. But do they all perish there? You said there was a way through
the valley, and out of it.
L. Yes; but few find it. If any of them keep to the grass paths, where the
diamonds are swept aside; and hold their hands over their eyes so as
not to be dazzled, the grass paths lead forward gradually to a place
where one sees a little opening in the golden rocks. You were at
Chamouni last year, Sibyl; did your guide chance to show you the
pierced rock of the Aiguille du Midi?
SIBYL. No, indeed, we only got up from Geneva on Monday night;
and it rained all Tuesday; and we had to be back at Geneva again, early
on Wednesday morning.
L. Of course. That is the way to see a country in a Sibylline manner, by
inner consciousness: but you might have seen the pierced rock in your
drive up, or down, if the clouds broke: not that there is much to see in it;
one of the crags of the aiguille- edge, on the southern slope of it, is
struck sharply through, as by an awl, into a little eyelet hole; which you
may see, seven thousand feet above the valley (as the clouds flit past
behind it, or leave the sky), first white, and then dark blue. Well, there's
just such an eyelet hole in one of the upper crags of the Diamond
Valley; and, from a distance, you think that it is no bigger than the eye
of a needle. But if you get up to it, they say you may drive a loaded
camel through it, and that there are fine things on the other side, but I
have never spoken with anybody who had been through.

SIBYL. I think we understand it now. We will try to write it down, and
think of it.
L. Meantime, Florrie, though all that I have been telling you is very
true, yet you must not think the sort of diamonds that people wear in
rings and necklaces are found lying about on the grass. Would you like
to see how they really are found?
FLORRIE. Oh, yes--yes.
L. Isabel--or Lily--run up to my room and fetch me the little box with a
glass lid, out of the top drawer of the chest of drawers. (Race between
LILY and ISABEL.)
(Re-enter ISABEL with the box, very much out of breath. LILY
behind.)
L. Why, you never can beat Lily in a race on the stairs, can you, Isabel?
ISABEL (panting). Lily--beat me--ever so far--but she gave me--the
box--to carry in.
L. Take off the lid, then; gently.
FLORRIE (after peeping in, disappointed). There's only a great ugly
brown stone!
L. Not much more than that, certainly, Florrie, if people were wise. But
look, it is not a single stone; but a knot of pebbles fastened together by
gravel: and in the gravel, or compressed sand, if you look close, you
will see grains of gold glittering everywhere, all through; and then, do
you see these two white beads, which shine, as if they had been covered
with grease?
FLORRIE. May I touch them?
L. Yes; you will find they are not greasy, only very smooth. Well, those
are the fatal jewels; native here in their dust with gold, so that you may
see, cradled here together, the two great enemies of mankind,--the
strongest of all malignant physical powers that have tormented our
race.
SIBYL. Is that really so? I know they do great harm; but do they not
also do great good?
L. My dear child, what good? Was any woman, do you suppose, ever
the better for possessing diamonds? but how many have been made
base, frivolous, and miserable by desiring them? Was ever man the
better for having coffers full of gold? But who shall measure the guilt
that is incurred to fill them? Look into the history of any civilized

nations; analyze, with reference to this one cause of crime and misery,
the lives and thoughts of their nobles, priests, merchants, and men of
luxurious life. Every other temptation is at last concentrated into this:
pride, and lust, and envy, and anger all give up their strength to avarice.
The sin of the whole world is essentially the sin of Judas.