322 The Hunting IVasps 



find the door. And it is in the search for this 

 door that the mother persists, despite the 

 wide-open gallery, despite the provisions, despite 

 the grub, all exposed to view. At the moment 

 she cares not that her house is in ruins and her 

 family in danger ; what she wants above all 

 things is the familiar passage, the passage 

 through the loose sand. Perish everything, 

 dwelling and inmate, if this passage be not 

 found ! Her actions are like a series of echoes 

 each awakening the next in a settled order, 

 which allows none to sound until the previous 

 one has sounded. The first action could not 

 be performed, not because of an obstacle, for 

 the house is wide open, but for want of the 

 usual entrance. That is enough : the subse- 

 quent actions shall not be performed ; the first 

 echo was dumb and all the rest are silent. 

 What a gulf separates intelligence and instinct ! 

 Through the ruins of the demolished dwelling, 

 a mother guided by intelligence hurries straight 

 to her son ; guided by instinct, she comes to a 

 stubborn halt on the site of her old door. 



