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<h2> CHAPTER IV </h2>
<p>Soon after this there came into the dark chamber to fetch Pierre, not the
Rhetor but Pierre's sponsor, Willarski, whom he recognized by his voice.
To fresh questions as to the firmness of his resolution Pierre replied:
"Yes, yes, I agree," and with a beaming, childlike smile, his fat chest
uncovered, stepping unevenly and timidly in one slippered and one booted
foot, he advanced, while Willarski held a sword to his bare chest. He was
conducted from that room along passages that turned backwards and forwards
and was at last brought to the doors of the Lodge. Willarski coughed, he
was answered by the Masonic knock with mallets, the doors opened before
them. A bass voice (Pierre was still blindfolded) questioned him as to who
he was, when and where he was born, and so on. Then he was again led
somewhere still blindfolded, and as they went along he was told allegories
of the toils of his pilgrimage, of holy friendship, of the Eternal
Architect of the universe, and of the courage with which he should endure
toils and dangers. During these wanderings, Pierre noticed that he was
spoken of now as the "Seeker," now as the "Sufferer," and now as the
"Postulant," to the accompaniment of various knockings with mallets and
swords. As he was being led up to some object he noticed a hesitation and
uncertainty among his conductors. He heard those around him disputing in
whispers and one of them insisting that he should be led along a certain
carpet. After that they took his right hand, placed it on something, and
told him to hold a pair of compasses to his left breast with the other
hand and to repeat after someone who read aloud an oath of fidelity to the
laws of the Order. The candles were then extinguished and some spirit
lighted, as Pierre knew by the smell, and he was told that he would now
see the lesser light. The bandage was taken off his eyes and, by the faint
light of the burning spirit, Pierre, as in a dream, saw several men
standing before him, wearing aprons like the Rhetor's and holding swords
in their hands pointed at his breast. Among them stood a man whose white
shirt was stained with blood. On seeing this, Pierre moved forward with
his breast toward the swords, meaning them to pierce it. But the swords
were drawn back from him and he was at once blindfolded again.</p>
<p>"Now thou hast seen the lesser light," uttered a voice. Then the candles
were relit and he was told that he would see the full light; the bandage
was again removed and more than ten voices said together: "Sic transit
gloria mundi."</p>
<p>Pierre gradually began to recover himself and looked about at the room and
at the people in it. Round a long table covered with black sat some twelve
men in garments like those he had already seen. Some of them Pierre had
met in Petersburg society. In the President's chair sat a young man he did
not know, with a peculiar cross hanging from his neck. On his right sat
the Italian abbe whom Pierre had met at Anna Pavlovna's two years before.
There were also present a very distinguished dignitary and a Swiss who had
formerly been tutor at the Kuragins'. All maintained a solemn silence,
listening to the words of the President, who held a mallet in his hand.
Let into the wall was a star-shaped light. At one side of the table was a
small carpet with various figures worked upon it, at the other was
something resembling an altar on which lay a Testament and a skull. Round
it stood seven large candlesticks like those used in churches. Two of the
brothers led Pierre up to the altar, placed his feet at right angles, and
bade him lie down, saying that he must prostrate himself at the Gates of
the Temple.</p>
<p>"He must first receive the trowel," whispered one of the brothers.</p>
<p>"Oh, hush, please!" said another.</p>
<p>Pierre, perplexed, looked round with his shortsighted eyes without
obeying, and suddenly doubts arose in his mind. "Where am I? What am I
doing? Aren't they laughing at me? Shan't I be ashamed to remember this?"
But these doubts only lasted a moment. Pierre glanced at the serious faces
of those around, remembered all he had already gone through, and realized
that he could not stop halfway. He was aghast at his hesitation and,
trying to arouse his former devotional feeling, prostrated himself before
the Gates of the Temple. And really, the feeling of devotion returned to
him even more strongly than before. When he had lain there some time, he
was told to get up, and a white leather apron, such as the others wore,
was put on him: he was given a trowel and three pairs of gloves, and then
the Grand Master addressed him. He told him that he should try to do
nothing to stain the whiteness of that apron, which symbolized strength
and purity; then of the unexplained trowel, he told him to toil with it to
cleanse his own heart from vice, and indulgently to smooth with it the
heart of his neighbor. As to the first pair of gloves, a man's, he said
that Pierre could not know their meaning but must keep them. The second
pair of man's gloves he was to wear at the meetings, and finally of the
third, a pair of women's gloves, he said: "Dear brother, these woman's
gloves are intended for you too. Give them to the woman whom you shall
honor most of all. This gift will be a pledge of your purity of heart to
her whom you select to be your worthy helpmeet in Masonry." And after a
pause, he added: "But beware, dear brother, that these gloves do not deck
hands that are unclean." While the Grand Master said these last words it
seemed to Pierre that he grew embarrassed. Pierre himself grew still more
confused, blushed like a child till tears came to his eyes, began looking
about him uneasily, and an awkward pause followed.</p>
<p>This silence was broken by one of the brethren, who led Pierre up to the
rug and began reading to him from a manuscript book an explanation of all
the figures on it: the sun, the moon, a hammer, a plumb line, a trowel, a
rough stone and a squared stone, a pillar, three windows, and so on. Then
a place was assigned to Pierre, he was shown the signs of the Lodge, told
the password, and at last was permitted to sit down. The Grand Master
began reading the statutes. They were very long, and Pierre, from joy,
agitation, and embarrassment, was not in a state to understand what was
being read. He managed to follow only the last words of the statutes and
these remained in his mind.</p>
<p>"In our temples we recognize no other distinctions," read the Grand
Master, "but those between virtue and vice. Beware of making any
distinctions which may infringe equality. Fly to a brother's aid whoever
he may be, exhort him who goeth astray, raise him that falleth, never bear
malice or enmity toward thy brother. Be kindly and courteous. Kindle in
all hearts the flame of virtue. Share thy happiness with thy neighbor, and
may envy never dim the purity of that bliss. Forgive thy enemy, do not
avenge thyself except by doing him good. Thus fulfilling the highest law
thou shalt regain traces of the ancient dignity which thou hast lost."</p>
<p>He finished and, getting up, embraced and kissed Pierre, who, with tears
of joy in his eyes, looked round him, not knowing how to answer the
congratulations and greetings from acquaintances that met him on all
sides. He acknowledged no acquaintances but saw in all these men only
brothers, and burned with impatience to set to work with them.</p>
<p>The Grand Master rapped with his mallet. All the Masons sat down in their
places, and one of them read an exhortation on the necessity of humility.</p>
<p>The Grand Master proposed that the last duty should be performed, and the
distinguished dignitary who bore the title of "Collector of Alms" went
round to all the brothers. Pierre would have liked to subscribe all he
had, but fearing that it might look like pride subscribed the same amount
as the others.</p>
<p>The meeting was at an end, and on reaching home Pierre felt as if he had
returned from a long journey on which he had spent dozens of years, had
become completely changed, and had quite left behind his former habits and
way of life.</p>
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