Télécharger le PDF - Formules

common. Any computer of average reliability would have found that
they were ideal mates, and their bodies, which presumably held more
valuable practical information than mere machines, undersigned it every
time they made love together. But the design, beyond necessity, need
and determinacy, combined history and aesthetics in such a way that
it bypassed all the other criteria. Worse than that, beauty itself was
out of the question, criteria were out of the question. The design, in its
supremely frivolous elegance, left no leeway. Whether she eventually
married Fred or not —as her trust and affection grew in depth and
quality, it became in fact increasingly difficult to consent—, her failure
and suffering, Jacques’ errors and pain, the futile and visibly successful
pursuit of happiness now embodied by Jacques and Kathy, all that
endlessly repeated story would not wear out, it was the relevant and
reverent narrative of their being in the world and out of it; whatever the
outcome, it was right, it would happen in good faith, they were justified
by it. No comfort. But no need for comfort.
“Mattie, I want to tell you something Jacques doesn’t know
yet. I haven’t told Mum or anybody else. Can you guess what it is?
—You’ve got your travelling scholarship? —No. —You’re going to have
an exhibition? —No, Mattie, no: I am expecting a baby!” The voice,
always full and sweet, but usually dryer than hers, sounded so warm
that she could not resist the impression: she heard herself laughing and
screaming: “Oh boy! I am so happy, so happy!” But she wasn’t happy,
or distressed, or indifferent; the design had silently slid into the disguise
of a self-fulfilling prophecy, it was celebrating itself through her. At
long last she could dispense with feelings that tried to bear her mark
and parade as her own; now that it had become Kathy’s task to bear
and name feelings, adopt or reject them, all she could feel was: “So free!
My God, I’m free...” Kathy said that, if it was a girl, could she call her
Matilda? And it had to be a girl.
They had talked a good while. Matilda, who had gently declined all
invitations to see Jacques and Kathy since they had begun to live together,
offered to visit them at their home as early as next Friday, if they liked
the idea: “It will be fun!” Her students found her gay and easy-going,
much less emotional and sensitive to petty quibbles during that week.
And she looked good, healthy, rejuvenated. Mr Shearer, the headmaster,
ventured to tell her so much, it had to be a fairly striking transformation.
Words such as “wildlife management” no longer sounded preposterous:
they provided an accurate description of her new selfless self.
“The Director of NPWS is responsible for the management of the national
parks. The Director is required to prepare a management plan for:
202