THE SERMON
187
Then the chairman lifted his eyes and spoke with a certain
strain: "Have you finished?"
At that, Yudka jerked up and sprang to his feet.
"Right away, right away ..." He spoke hastily and with some
panic. "I said much too much.... That's not how I meant it, not
like I thought. It came out by itself. The devil knows how ... such
nonsense! Trifles, side issues like that, about Yiddish there, and the
names.... It was ridiculous, quite unnecessary. I see it myself....
But just those side issues, those unimportant details, you know,
they leap to the tongue.... Well, it's all the same. What I mean,
I really just wanted to explain . . . I no longer know how to tell
you .. . the main thing, what I'm after. It's not just ... yes! Well,
now. Now to the main thing. I beg just a few more minutes of
patience...."
The group all straightened up and were lightened, as though
he had rescued them from severe embarrassment, including the
chairman, who bowed his head and sat staring at his finger nails.
"Say what you have to say," said he, "and let's see
if
we can't
do it without philosophy...."
(Translated from the Hebrew by Ben Halpern)
Coming in the Summer 1956 issue of PR:
COMMUNISM IN THE POST-STALINIST ERA,
a
symposium
HERE AND NOW-HERE AND NOW!
a short novel
by
Saul Bellow
