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“Furthermore, I knew an Englishman—a modest man—who, for me, is as great as Goethe. I did not speak with him for more than an hour, but during that time, he was Goethe.”

This passage occurs early in the story, as Yu Tsun declares that his work as a spy is not motivated by love of Germany or hatred of the English, instead praising an Englishman by comparing him to Goethe, who is considered one of Germany’s greatest writers. At this point in the story, Borges has not introduced Albert to the reader, but the passage clearly refers to him, demonstrating Yu Tsun’s respect for him and subtly undermining the idea that national origin determines character, or that loyalty in wartime is straightforward. Like Albert, Goethe was a scholar of wide-ranging intellectual interests. Among his most important works are poems seeking to bring together European and Asian cultural ideas, just as Albert’s scholarship of Chinese literature and even the contents of his library celebrate the exchange of ideas between East and West. By comparing Albert, an Englishman, to a great German scholar, Borges underscores the idea running throughout the story that national origin does not determine character and also demonstrates that Albert is a great man worthy of respect and reverence, despite the fact that he is ostensibly Yu Tsun’s enemy.

“His countenance, in the bright circle of lamplight, was certainly that of an ancient, but it shone with something unyielding, even immortal.”

In this line of narration, Yu Tsun describes Albert as he reads part of Ts-ui Pên’s novel out loud. Throughout the story, Yu Tsun describes Albert as an old man with gray hair and deep wrinkles. However, in this scene, Yu Tsun sees him not as an ordinary elderly man but as a supernaturally old being. Yu Tsun has come to understand that Albert is uniquely wise and able to bridge the gap in understanding between Yu Tsun and his great-grandfather through his interpretation of Ts-ui Pên’s work. In addition, this line reinforces the story’s theme of the non-linear nature of time and reality. Ts-ui Pên’s story puts forth the idea that infinite realities split like forking paths when people make decisions, but that those paths sometimes intersect at moments that exist in multiple timelines. Borges suggests that the meeting between Yu Tsun and Albert occurs in many versions of the universe. By describing Albert as immortal, Borges suggests he is an unchanging aspect of the universe. Yu Tsun may approach him as a friend or an enemy, but Albert is always there, unlocking the mystery of his great-grandfather’s work and expanding his view of the universe, like an ancient sage.

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