Page:Garshin - A Red Flower (1911).djvu/19

17 "And when I found it, I felt myself born over again. My senses have become more acute; my brain works better than ever. What once required a long path of reasoning and conjecture I can do now intuitively. I have attained that degree in fact which has been projected in philosophy. I am experiencing those ideas in which time and space are essentials. I am living through all ages. I am living without space; everywhere or nowhere, as you wish. And that is why it is immaterial to me whether you hold me here or give me liberty, whether I am free or bound. I have noticed that there are several here such as I. But for the bulk of the inmates here the situation is terrible. Why don't you free them? Who needs"

"You remarked," the physician interrupted, "that you live without space or time. However, you cannot but agree with me that we are within this room, and that now (here the doctor pulled out his watch) is half-past ten A. M., on the sixth of May, of the 18—th year. What say you to that?"

"Nothing; it's all the same to me where I am and when I live. If it's all the same to me, does it not mean that I'm everywhere and always?"