{"id":"01KG8AKT5CFWX2PGAAM0QTJ8T6","cid":"bafkreigszpvznp7fmrfd3llj3mh6l4kgb2nb7uwomamsj7aq6udzh4kxzm","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":1726,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:15.023Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 3","source_file":"01KG89J1F4D8P9BBX9AMGZ7TX7","start_line":1657,"text":"suffice—in short, an assumption. But it appears I am deceived. Why,” I\r\nadded, unaffectedly starting, “you have not even touched that money\r\nyet,” pointing to it, just where I had left it the evening previous.\r\n\r\nHe answered nothing.\r\n\r\n“Will you, or will you not, quit me?” I now demanded in a sudden\r\npassion, advancing close to him.\r\n\r\n“I would prefer _not_ to quit you,” he replied gently emphasizing the\r\n_not_.\r\n\r\n“What earthly right have you to stay here? Do you pay any rent? Do you\r\npay my taxes? Or is this property yours?”\r\n\r\nHe answered nothing.\r\n\r\n“Are you ready to go on and write now? Are your eyes recovered? Could\r\nyou copy a small paper for me this morning? or help examine a few\r\nlines? or step round to the post-office? In a word, will you do\r\nanything at all, to give a coloring to your refusal to depart the\r\npremises?”\r\n\r\nHe silently retired into his hermitage.\r\n\r\nI was now in such a state of nervous resentment that I thought it but\r\nprudent to check myself at present from further demonstrations.\r\nBartleby and I were alone. I remembered the tragedy of the unfortunate\r\nAdams and the still more unfortunate Colt in the solitary office of the\r\nlatter; and how poor Colt, being dreadfully incensed by Adams, and\r\nimprudently permitting himself to get wildly excited, was at unawares\r\nhurried into his fatal act—an act which certainly no man could possibly\r\ndeplore more than the actor himself. Often it had occurred to me in my\r\nponderings upon the subject, that had that altercation taken place in\r\nthe public street, or at a private residence, it would not have\r\nterminated as it did. It was the circumstance of being alone in a\r\nsolitary office, up stairs, of a building entirely unhallowed by\r\nhumanizing domestic associations—an uncarpeted office, doubtless, of a\r\ndusty, haggard sort of appearance—this it must have been, which greatly\r\nhelped to enhance the irritable desperation of the hapless Colt.\r\n\r\nBut when this old Adam of resentment rose in me and tempted me\r\nconcerning Bartleby, I grappled him and threw him. How? Why, simply by\r\nrecalling the divine injunction: “A new commandment give I unto you,\r\nthat ye love one another.” Yes, this it was that saved me. Aside from\r\nhigher considerations, charity often operates as a vastly wise and\r\nprudent principle—a great safeguard to its possessor. Men have\r\ncommitted murder for jealousy’s sake, and anger’s sake, and hatred’s\r\nsake, and selfishness’ sake, and spiritual pride’s sake; but no man,\r\nthat ever I heard of, ever committed a diabolical murder for sweet\r\ncharity’s sake. Mere self-interest, then, if no better motive can be\r\nenlisted, should, especially with high-tempered men, prompt all beings\r\nto charity and philanthropy. At any rate, upon the occasion in\r\nquestion, I strove to drown my exasperated feelings towards the\r\nscrivener by benevolently construing his conduct.—Poor fellow, poor\r\nfellow! thought I, he don’t mean anything; and besides, he has seen\r\nhard times, and ought to be indulged.\r\n\r\nI endeavored, also, immediately to occupy myself, and at the same time\r\nto comfort my despondency. I tried to fancy, that in the course of the\r\nmorning, at such time as might prove agreeable to him, Bartleby, of his\r\nown free accord, would emerge from his hermitage and take up some\r\ndecided line of march in the direction of the door. But no. Half-past\r\ntwelve o’clock came; Turkey began to glow in the face, overturn his\r\ninkstand, and become generally obstreperous; Nippers abated down into\r\nquietude and courtesy; Ginger Nut munched his noon apple; and Bartleby\r\nremained standing at his window in one of his profoundest dead-wall\r\nreveries. Will it be credited? Ought I to acknowledge it? That\r\nafternoon I left the office without saying one further word to him.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 3"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AK419VG3PDA1PZZFDBDN6","peer_type":"section","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1F4D8P9BBX9AMGZ7TX7","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKT57JG0XYFVQFX39BGFR","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AKT5C7J5S5ZYFQKVMSFRV","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:16.556Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:23.379Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}