selected writings of guy de maupassant(莫伯桑作品选)-第41部分

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religion　of　nothingness；　and　at　last　a　day　was　fixed　for　us　to
meet　in　London。　He　lived　in　a　small；　one…storied　house　in
Pimlico；　with　a　tiny　garden　in　front；　and　nothing　noticeable
about　it。

〃We　were　first　of　all　shown　into　the　commonplace　parlor　of　all
English　homes；　and　then　upstairs。　The　room　where　the　Countess　and
I　were　left　was　small；　and　very　badly　furnished。　It　had　a　square
table　with　writing　materials　on　it；　in　the　center　of　the　room。
This　was　his　sanctuary。　The　deity　soon　appeared；　and　I　saw　him　in
flesh　and　boneespecially　in　flesh；　for　he　was　enormously　stout。
His　broad　face；　with　prominent　cheek…bones；　in　spite　of　fat；　a
nose　like　a　double　funnel；　and　small；　sharp　eyes；　which　had　a
magnetic　lock；　proclaimed　the　Tartar；　the　old　Turanian　blood
which　produced　the　Attilas；　the　Genghis…Khans；　the　Tamerlanes。
The　obesity　which　is　characteristic　of　nomad　races；　who　are
always　on　horseback　or　driving；　added　to　his　Asiatic　look。　The
man　was　certainly　not　a　European；　a　slave；　a　descendant　of　the
deistic　Aryans；　but　a　scion　of　the　atheistic　hordes　who　had
several　times　already　almost　overrun　Europe；　and　who；　instead　of
ideas　of　progress；　have　Nihilism　buried　in　their　hearts。

〃I　was　astonished；　for　I　had　not　expected　that　the　majesty　of　a
whole　race　could　be　thus　revived　in　a　man；　and　my　stupefaction
increased　after　an　hour's　conversation。　I　could　quite　understand
why　such　a　Colossus　had　not　wished　for　the　Countess　as　his
Egeria；　she　was　a　silly　child　to　have　dreamed　of　acting　such　a
part　to　such　a　thinker。　She　had　not　felt　the　profoundness　of　that
horrible；　philosophy　which　was　hidden　under　his　material
activity；　nor　had　she　seen　the　prophet　under　this　hero　of　the
barricades。　Perhaps　he　had　not　thought　it　advisable　to　reveal
himself　to　her；　but　he　revealed　himself　to　me；　and　inspired　me
with　terror。

〃A　prophet？　Oh！　yes。　He　thought　himself　an　Attila；　and　foresaw
the　consequences　of　his　revolution；　it　was　not　only　from　instinct
but　also　from　theory　that　he　urged　a　nation　on　to　Nihilism。　The
phrase　is　not　his；　but　Turgenieff's；　I　believe；　but　the　idea
certainly　belonged　to　him。　He　got　his　programme　of　agricultural
communism　from　Herzen；　and　his　destructive　radicalism　from
Pougatcheff；　but　he　did　not　stop　there。　I　mean　that　he　went　on　to
evil　for　the　sake　of　evil。　Herzen　wished　for　the　happiness　of　the
Slav　peasant；　Pougatcheff　wanted　to　be　elected　Emperor；　but　all
that　Bakounine　wanted　was　to　overthrow　the　actual　order　of
things；　no　matter　by　what　means；　and　to　replace　social
concentration　by　a　universal　upheaval。

〃It　was　the　dream　of　a　Tartar；　it　was　true　Nihilism　pushed　to
extreme　and　practical　conclusions。　It　was；　in　a　word；　the　applied
philosophy　of　chance；　the　indeterminate　end　of　anarchy。　Monstrous
it　may　be；　but　grand　in　its　monstrosity！

〃And　you　must　note　that　the　typical　man　of　action　so　despised　by
the　Countess　was；　in　Bakounine；　the　gigantic　dreamer　whom　I　have
just　shown　to　you。　His　dream　did　not　remain　a　dream；　but　began　to
be　realized。　It　was　by　the　care　of　Bakounine　that　the　Nihilistic
party　became　an　entity；　a　party　in　which　there　is　a　little　of
everything；　you　know；　but　on　the　whole；　a　formidable　party；　the
advanced　guard　of　which　is　true　Nihilism；　whose　object　is　nothing
less　than　to　destroy　the　Western　world；　to　see　it　blossom　from
under　the　ruins　of　a　general　dispersion；　the　last　conception　of
modern　Tartarism。

〃I　never　saw　Bakounine　again；　for　the　Countess's　conquest　would
have　been　too　dearly　bought　by　any　attempt　to　act　a　comedy　with
this　'Old…Man…of…the…Mountain。'　And　besides　that；　after　this
visit；　poor　Countess　Satan　appeared　to　me　quite　silly。　Her　famous
Satanism　was　nothing　but　the　flicker　of　a　spirit…lamp；　after　the
general　conflagration　of　which　the　other　had　dreamed。　She　had
certainly　shown　herself　very　silly；　when　she　could　not　understand
that　prodigious　monster。　And　as　she　had　seduced　me　only　by　her
intellect　and　her　perversity；　I　was　disgusted　as　soon　as　she　laid
aside　that　mask。　I　left　her　without　telling　her　of　my　intention；
and　never　saw　her　again；　either。

〃No　doubt　they　both　took　me　for　a　spy　from　the　'Third　Section　of
the　Imperial　Chancellery。'　In　that　case；　they　must　have　thought
me　very　clever　to　have　escaped　discovery；　and　all　I　have　to　do　is
to　look　out；　lest　any　affiliated　members　of　their　society
recognize　me！〃

Then　he　smiled　and；　turning　to　the　waiter　who　had　just　come　in；
said：　〃Open　another　bottle　of　champagne；　and　make　the　cork　pop！
It　will；　at　any　rate；　remind　us　of　the　day　when　we　ourselves
shall　be　blown　up　with　dynamite。〃



THE　COLONEL'S　IDEAS

〃upon　my　word；〃　said　Colonel　Laporte；　〃I　am　old　and　gouty；　my
legs　are　as　stiff　as　two　sticks；　and　yet　if　a　pretty　woman　were
to　tell　me　to　go　through　the　eye　of　a　needle；　I　believe　I　should
take　a　jump　at　it；　like　a　clown　through　a　hoop。　I　shall　die　like
that；　it　is　in　the　blood。　I　am　an　old　beau；　one　of　the　old
regime；　and　the　sight　of　a　woman；　a　pretty　woman；　stirs　me　to　the
tips　of　my　toes。　There！

〃And　then　we　are　all　very　much　alike　in　France；　we　remain
cavaliers；　cavaliers　of　love　and　fortune；　since　God　has　been
abolished；　whose　bodyguard　we　really　were。　But　nobody　will　ever
get　the　woman　out　of　our　hearts；　there　she　is；　and　there　she　will
remain；　we　love　her；　and　shall　continue　to　love　her；　and　to
commit　all　kinds　of　frolics　on　her　account；　so　long　as　there　is　a
France　on　the　map　of　Europe。　And　even　if　France　were　to　be　wiped
off　the　map；　there　would　always　be　Frenchmen　left。

〃When　I　am　in　the　presence　of　a　woman；　of　a　pretty　woman；　I　feel
capable　of　anything。　By　Jove；　when　I　feel　her　looks　penetrating
me；　those　confounded　looks　which　set　your　blood　on　fire；　I　could
do　anything：　fight　a　duel；　have　a　row；　smash　the　furniture；
anything　just　to　show　that　I　am　the　strongest；　the　bravest；　the
most　daring；　and　the　most　devoted　of　men。

〃But　I　am　not　the　only　onecertainly　not；　the　whole　French　army
is　like　me；　that　I　will　swear　to。　From　the　common　soldier　to　the
general；　we　all　go　forward；　and　to　the　very　end；　mark　you；　when
there　is　a　woman　in　the　case；　a　pretty　woman。　Remember　what　Joan
of　Arc　made　us　do　formerly！　Come；　I'd　make　a　bet　that　if　a　pretty
woman　had　taken　command　of　the　army　on　the　eve　of　Sedan；　when
Marshal　MacMahon　was　wounded；　we　should　have　broken　through　the
Prussian　lines；　by　Jove！　and　have　had　a　drink　out　of　their　guns。

〃It　was　not　Trochu；　but　Saint　Genevieve；　who　was　required　in
Paris；　and　I　remember　a　little　anecdote　of　the　war　which　proves
that　we　are　capable　of　everything　in　the　presence　of　a　woman。

〃I　was　a　captain；　a　simple　captain；　at　the　time；　and　was　in
command　of　a　detachment　of　scouts　who　were　retreating　through　a
district　swarming　with　Prussians。　We　were　surrounded；　pursued；
tired　out；　and　half　dead　with　fatigue　and　hunger；　and　by　the　next
day　we　had　to　reach　Bar…sur…Tain；　otherwise　we　should　be　done
for；　cut　off　from　the　main　body　and　killed。　I　do　not　know　how　we
managed　to　escape　so　far。　However；　we　had　ten　leagues　to　go
during　the　night；　ten　leagues　through　the　snow；　and　upon　empty
stomachs。　I　thought　to　myself：

〃　'It　is　all　over；　my　poor　fellows　will　never　be　able　to　do　it。'

〃We　had　eaten　nothing　since　the　day　before；　and　the　whole　day
long　we　remained　hidden　in　a　barn；　huddled　close　together；　so　as
not　to　feel　the　cold　so　much；　we　did　not　venture　to　speak　or　even
move；　and　we　slept　by　fits　and　starts；　like　you　sleep　when　you
are　worn　out　with　fatigue。

〃It　was　dark　by　five　o'clock；　that　wan　darkness　caused　by　the
snow；　and　I　shook　up　my　men。　Some　of　them　would　not　get　up；　they
were　almost　incapable　of　moving　or　of　standing　upright；　and　their
joints　were　stiff　from　the　cold　and　want　of　motion。

〃In　front　of　us　there　was　a　large　expanse　of　flat；　bare　country；
the　snow　was　still　falling　like　a　curtain；　in　large；　white
flakes；　which　concealed　everything　under　a　heavy；　thick；　frozen
mantle；　a　mattress　of　ice。　You　would　have　thought　that　it　was　the
end　of　things。

〃　'Come；　my　lads；　let　us　start。'

〃They　looked　at　the　thick；　white　dust　which　was　coming　down；　and
seemed　to　think：　'We　have　had　enough　of　this；　we　may　just　as　well
die　here！'　Then　I　took　out　my　revolver；　and　said：

〃　'I　will　shoot　the　first　man　who　flinches。'　And　so　they　set　off；
but　very　slowly；　like　men　whose　legs　were　of　very　little　use　to
them。　I　sent　four　of　them　three　hundred　yards　ahead；　to　scout；
and　the　others　followed　pellmell；　walking　at　random　and　without
any　order。　I　put　the　strongest　in　the　rear；　with　orders　to
quicken　the　pace　of　the　sluggards　with　the　points　of　their
bayonets　in　the　back。

〃The　snow　seemed　as　if　it　were　going　to　bury　us　alive；　it
powdered　our　kepis＇1＇　and　cloaks　without　melting；　and　made
phantoms　of　us；　ghosts　of　worn…out　soldiers　who　were　very　tired；
and　I　said　to　myself：　'We　shall　never　get　out　of　this；　except　by
a　miracle。'

＇1＇　Forage…caps。

〃Sometimes　we　had　to　stop　for　a　few　minutes；　on　account　of　those
who　could　not　follow　us；　hearing　nothing　but　the　falling　snow；
that　vague；　almost　indiscernible　sound　which　the　flakes　make；　as
they　come　down　together。　Some　of　the　men　shook　themselves；　but
others　did　not　move；　and　so　I　gave　the　order　to　set　off　again；
they　shouldered　their　rifles；　and　with　weary　feet　we　set　out
again；　when　suddenly　the　scouts　fell　back。　Something　had　alarmed
them；　　they　had　heard　voices　in　front　of　them；　and　so　I　sent　six
men　and　a　sergeant　on　ahead；　and　waited。

〃All　at　once　a　shrill　cry；　a　woman's　cry；　pierced　through　the
heavy　silence　of　the　snow；　and　in　a　few　minutes　they　brought　back
two　prisoners；　an　old　man　and　a　girl；　whom　I　questioned　in　a　low
voice。　They　were　escaping　from　the　Prussians；　who　had　occupied
their　house　during　the　evening；　and　who　had　got　drunk。　The　father
had　become　alarmed　on　his　daughter's　account；　and；　without　even
telling　their　servants；　they　had　made　their　escape　into　the
darkness。　I　saw　immediately　that　they　belonged　to　the　upper
classes；　and；　as　I　should　have　done　in　any　case；　I　invited　them
to　come　with　us。　So　we　started　off　together；　and　as　the　old　man
knew　the　road；　he　acted　as　our　guide。

〃It　had　ceased　snowing；　the　stars　appeared；　and　the　cold　became
inten