the Night Watch

his eyes to me at the beginning of my outburst and followed me complacently until I had done and stood before him breathless and dismayed. He waited a moment, as though seeing where to begin, and then said: ¡¡¡¡'Hump, do you know the parable of the sower who went forth to sow? If you will remember, some of the seed fell upon stony places, where there was not much earth, and forthwith they sprung up because they had no deepness of earth. And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up and choked them.' ¡¡¡¡'Well?' I said. ¡¡¡¡'Well?' he queried half petulantly. 'It was not well. I was one of those seeds.' ¡¡¡¡He dropped his head to the scale and resumed the copying. I finished my work, and had opened the door to leave, when he spoke to me.