Read "Karain, a Memory" by Joseph Conrad online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
Hollis looked smiling into the box. He had lately made a dash home through the Canal. He had been away six months, and only joined us again just in time for this last trip. We had never seen the box before. His hands hovered above it; and he talked to us ironically, but his face became as grave as though he were pronouncing a powerful incantation over the things inside.
"Every one of us," he said, with pauses that somehow were more offensive than his words -- "every one of us, you'll admit, has been haunted by some woman. And. as to friends. dropped by the way. Well! . ask yourselves."