378
PARTISAN REVIEW
stares at the young men he encounters with .as much interest as at
the old ones; though he notices the jaunty gait of others, he never
increases his pace; and there are many pauses "to examine the gor–
geous display of goods in the shop windows."
Nor does his lack of success make him impatient. Only the ap–
proach of the elderly gentleman he had first accosted causes him to
abandon his plan and turn down a side street. He is now so tired
and hungry that he
considers
demanding guidance from the first soli–
tary passerby he encounters. But while this resolution is, as Haw–
thorne puts it, "gaining strength," what he actually does is enter "a
street of mean appearance, on either side of which a row of ill-built
houses was straggling toward the harbor." It is of the utmost impor–
tance that Robin continues his "researches" on this less respectable
street, although no one is visible along its entire extent.
If
we were
not by now so completely immersed in the concealed story which is
unfolding itself, we might begin to wonder consciously whether Robin
is seriously searching for his kinsman.
The encounters with women which follow explain the attraction
of the street. They show that unconsciously Robin is searching for
sexual adventure. The strength of his desire is almost pathetically
betrayed by his half-willingness to believe the cock-and-bull story of
the pretty young "housekeeper." Here, if not before, we identify
one of the specific forces which is inhibiting Robin in his search for
his kinsman: he would like a greater measure of sexual freedom than
it is reasonable to suppose he would enjoy in the home of a colonial
official.
The encounter with the watchman furnishes additional evidence
of Robin's ambivalence. The youth could scarcely hope to find a
better person of whom to ask directions.
It
is likely that he is also
held back in this case by guilt about what he has just been doing, but
the ease with which he has permitted himself to be diverted from his
search is probably one of the sources of that guilt.
Mter further wandering Robin finally detains the passerby who
tells him that the Major will pass that very spot within the hour.
In talking with the kindly gentleman who joins him to await the ar–
rival of the Major, Robin is unable to restrain himself from boasting
of his shrewdness and grown-upness. These boasts help us to under–
stand another of the forces which has been holding him back: he
