"Yousayyoucan', , hereonthisearth" (Pierrepointedtothefields), "thereisnotruth, allisfalseandevil; butintheuniverse, inthewholeuniversethereisakingdomoftruth, andwewhoarenowthechildrenofearthare—eternally—'tIfeelinmysoulthatIampartofthisvastharmoniouswhole? Don'tIfeelthatIformonelink, onestep, betweenthelowerandhigherbeings, inthisvastharmoniousmultitudeofbeingsinwhomtheDeity—theSupremePowerifyouprefertheterm—ismanifest? IfIsee, clearlysee, thatladderleadingfromplanttoman, whyshouldIsupposeitbreaksoffatmeanddoesnotgofartherandfarther? IfeelthatIcannotvanish, sincenothingvanishesinthisworld, , andthatinthisworldthereistruth."
"Yes, thatisHerder'stheory," saidPrinceAndrew, "butitisnotthatwhichcanconvinceme, dearfriend—, boundupwithone'sownlife, beforewhomonewastoblameandhadhopedtomakeitright" (PrinceAndrew'svoicetrembledandheturnedaway), "andsuddenlythatbeingisseizedwithpain, suffers, andceasestoexist....Why? ....That'swhatconvinces, thatiswhathasconvincedme," saidPrinceAndrew.
"Yes, yes, ofcourse," saidPierre, "isn'tthatwhatI'msaying?"
", butthis: whenyougohandinhandwithsomeoneandallatoncethatpersonvanishesthere, intonowhere, andyouyourselfareleftfacingthatabyss, ...."
"Well, that'sitthen! YouknowthatthereisathereandthereisaSomeone? —God."
, ontothefartherbank, , butPierreandAndrew, totheastonishmentofthefootmen, coachmen, andferrymen, stillstoodontheraftandtalked.
"IfthereisaGodandfuturelife, thereistruthandgood, andman', wemustlove, andwemustbelievethatwelivenotonlytodayonthisscrapofearth, buthavelivedandshallliveforever, there, intheWhole," saidPierre, andhepointedtothesky.
PrinceAndrewstoodleaningontherailingoftheraftlisteningtoPierre, 'swords, whispering:
"Itistrue, believeit."
Hesighed, andglancedwitharadiant, childlike, tenderlookatPierre'sface, flushedandrapturous, butyetshybeforehissuperiorfriend.
"Yes, ifitonlywereso!" saidPrinceAndrew."However, itistimetogeton," headded, and, steppingofftheraft, helookedupattheskytowhichPierrehadpointed, andforthefirsttimesinceAusterlitzsawthathigh, everlastingskyhehadseenwhilelyingonthatbattlefield; andsomethingthathadlongbeenslumbering, somethingthatwasbestwithinhim, suddenlyawoke, joyfulandyouthful, , ', inwardlyhebegananewlife.
