People overstrained with wanting to do, people overstrained with wanting
to be.... People, in fact, overstrained.... The real trouble of life,
Ponderevo, isn't that we exist--that's a vulgar error; the real trouble
is that we DON'T really exist and we want to. That's what this--in
the highest sense--just stands for! The hunger to be--for once--really
alive--to the finger tips!...

"Nobody wants to do and be the things people are--nobody. YOU don't want
to preside over this--this bottling; I don't want to wear these beastly
clothes and be led about by you; nobody wants to keep on sticking labels
on silly bottles at so many farthings a gross. That isn't existing!
That's--sus--substratum. None of us want to be what we are, or to do
what we do. Except as a sort of basis. What do we want? You know. I
know. Nobody confesses. What we all want to be is something perpetually
young and beautiful--young Joves--young Joves, Ponderevo"--his voice
became loud, harsh and declamatory--"pursuing coy half-willing nymphs
through everlasting forests."...

There was a just-perceptible listening hang in the work about us.

"Come downstairs," I interrupted, "we can talk better there."

"I can talk better here," he answered.

He was just going on, but fortunately the implacable face of Mrs.
Hampton Diggs appeared down the aisle of bottling machines.

"All right," he said, "I'll come."

In the little sanctum below, my uncle was taking a digestive pause after