Marlow's Hero Worship.

Why does Marlow lie to Kurtz's intended? Especially since he was very firm in his conviction to being a truthful man.

My thoughts are because Kurtz's lover clung to Marlow and pleaded of him to tell her what became of Kurtz, he simply told her this

'The last word he pronounced was - your name.' (1947)

What is this a lie? Indeed it appears to be considering Kurtz cried out on his death bed 'the horror the horror' which doesn't translate over to the name of a woman. Why indeed did he lie? I wonder, definitely there could be a number of reasons; to save the woman from pain, to save himself from the woman, to be a good person, because he misinterpreted, because he's a liar, because Kurtz told him to. Remember that Marlow liked Kurtz and had him on a pedestal, in the memory of his heroic inslavement he might've done what he thought Kurtz would do, simply lie. Even after his outright statement against liars, would Marlow do such a thing? I've seen obsession taken a long ways in life, even to the point of going against your moral beliefs (Girls saving themselves for marriage who will sleep with their favorite rock star if propositioned. A boy, who would vandalize a car to get back at the girl who broke his heart for the first time. People who would do anything, even breaking the law for their closest friends.). So why couldn't Marlow be like this, his idol's lover shaking him and begging him to tell her what Kurtz said. Honestly the way she demands it's like she wants him to lie to her.

'Ah, but I believed in him more than any one on earth -more than his own mother, more than -himself. He needed me! ME! I would have treasured every sigh, every word, every sign, every glance.' (1947)

So in the memory of Kurtz, he goes against his very moral beliefs and lies. You