the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第22部分

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　was　wearing　the　badge　of　a　foreign　order。

Julio's　respect　for　the　learned　member　of　the　family　was　not　unmixed　with　contempt。　　He　and　his　sister　Chichi　had　from　childhood　felt　an　instinctive　hostility　toward　the　cousins　from　Berlin。　　It　annoyed　him；　too；　to　have　his　family　everlastingly　holding　up　as　a　model　this　pedant　who　only　knew　life　as　it　is　in　books；　and　passed　his　existence　investigating　what　men　had　done　in　other　epochs；　in　order　to　draw　conclusions　in　harmony　with　Germany's　views。　　While　young　Desnoyers　had　great　facility　for　admiration；　and　reverenced　all　those　whose　〃arguments〃　Argensola　had　doled　out　to　him；　he　drew　the　line　at　accepting　the　intellectual　grandeur　of　this　illustrious　relative。

During　his　stay　in　Berlin；　a　German　word　of　vulgar　invention　had　enabled　him　to　classify　this　prig。　　Heavy　books　of　minute　investigation　were　every　month　being　published　by　the　dozens　in　the　Fatherland。　　There　was　not　a　professor　who　could　resist　the　temptation　of　constructing　from　the　simplest　detail　an　enormous　volume　written　in　a　dull；　involved　style。　　The　people；　therefore；　appreciating　that　these　near…sighted　authors　were　incapable　of　any　genial　vision　of　comradeship；　called　them　Sitzfleisch　haben；　because　of　the　very　long　sittings　which　their　works　represented。　　That　was　what　this　cousin　was　for　him；　a　mere　Sitzfleisch　haben。

Doctor　von　Hartrott；　on　explaining　his　visit；　spoke　in　Spanish。　　He　availed　himself　of　this　language　used　by　the　family　during　his　childhood；　as　a　precaution；　looking　around　repeatedly　as　if　he　feared　to　be　heard。　　He　had　come　to　bid　his　cousin　farewell。　　His　mother　had　told　him　of　his　return；　and　he　had　not　wished　to　leave　Paris　without　seeing　him。　　He　was　leaving　in　a　few　hours；　since　matters　were　growing　more　strained。

〃But　do　you　really　believe　that　there　will　be　war？〃　asked　Desnoyers。

〃War　will　be　declared　to…morrow　or　the　day　after。　　Nothing　can　prevent　it　now。　　It　is　necessary　for　the　welfare　of　humanity。〃

Silence　followed　this　speech；　Julio　and　Argensola　looking　with　astonishment　at　this　peaceable…looking　man　who　had　just　spoken　with　such　martial　arrogance。　　The　two　suspected　that　the　professor　was　making　this　visit　in　order　to　give　vent　to　his　opinions　and　enthusiasms。　　At　the　same　time；　perhaps；　he　was　trying　to　find　out　what　they　might　think　and　know；　as　one　of　the　many　viewpoints　of　the　people　in　Paris。

〃You　are　not　French；〃　he　added　looking　at　his　cousin。　　〃You　were　born　in　Argentina；　so　before　you　I　may　speak　the　truth。〃

〃And　were　you　not　born　there？〃　asked　Julio　smiling。

The　Doctor　made　a　gesture　of　protest；　as　though　he　had　just　heard　something　insulting。　　〃No；　I　am　a　German。　　No　matter　where　a　German　may　be　born；　he　always　belongs　to　his　mother　country。〃　　Then　turning　to　Argensola〃This　gentleman；　too；　is　a　foreigner。　　He　comes　from　noble　Spain；　which　owes　to　us　the　best　that　it　hasthe　worship　of　honor；　the　knightly　spirit。〃

The　Spaniard　wished　to　remonstrate；　but　the　Sage　would　not　permit；　adding　in　an　oracular　tone：

〃You　were　miserable　Celts；　sunk　in　the　vileness　of　an　inferior　and　mongrel　race　whose　domination　by　Rome　but　made　your　situation　worse。　Fortunately　you　were　conquered　by　the　Goths　and　others　of　our　race　who　implanted　in　you　a　sense　of　personal　dignity。　　Do　not　forget；　young　man；　that　the　Vandals　were　the　ancestors　of　the　Prussians　of　to…day。〃

Again　Argensola　tried　to　speak；　but　his　friend　signed　to　him　not　to　interrupt　the　professor　who　appeared　to　have　forgotten　his　former　reserve　and　was　working　up　to　an　enthusiastic　pitch　with　his　own　words。

〃We　are　going　to　witness　great　events；〃　he　continued。　　〃Fortunate　are　those　born　in　this　epoch；　the　most　interesting　in　history！　　At　this　very　moment；　humanity　is　changing　its　course。　　Now　the　true　civilization　begins。〃

The　war；　according　to　him；　was　going　to　be　of　a　brevity　hitherto　unseen。　　Germany　had　been　preparing　herself　to　bring　about　this　event　without　any　long；　economic　world…disturbance。　　A　single　month　would　be　enough　to　crush　France；　the　most　to　be　feared　of　their　adversaries。　　Then　they　would　march　against　Russia；　who　with　her　slow；　clumsy　movements　could　not　oppose　an　immediate　defense。　Finally　they　would　attack　haughty　England；　so　isolated　in　its　archipelago　that　it　could　not　obstruct　the　sweep　of　German　progress。　This　would　make　a　series　of　rapid　blows　and　overwhelming　victories；　requiring　only　a　summer　in　which　to　play　this　magnificent　role。　　The　fall　of　the　leaves　in　the　following　autumn　would　greet　the　definite　triumph　of　Germany。

With　the　assurance　of　a　professor　who　does　not　expect　his　dictum　to　be　refuted　by　his　hearers；　he　explained　the　superiority　of　the　German　race。　　All　mankind　was　divided　into　two　groupsdolicephalous　and　the　brachicephalous；　according　to　the　shape　of　the　skull。　Another　scientific　classification　divided　men　into　the　light…haired　and　dark…haired。　　The　dolicephalous　（arched　heads）　represented　purity　of　race　and　superior　mentality。　　The　brachicephalous　（flat　heads）　were　mongrels　with　all　the　stigma　of　degeneration。　　The　German；　dolicephalous　par　excellence；　was　the　only　descendant　of　the　primitive　Aryans。　　All　the　other　nations；　especially　those　of　the　south　of　Europe　called　〃latins；〃　belonged　to　a　degenerate　humanity。

The　Spaniard　could　not　contain　himself　any　longer。　　〃But　no　person　with　any　intelligence　believes　any　more　in　those　antique　theories　of　race！　　What　if　there　no　longer　existed　a　people　of　absolutely　pure　blood；　owing　to　thousands　of　admixtures　due　to　historical　conquests！〃　。　。　。　　Many　Germans　bore　the　identical　ethnic　marks　which　the　professor　was　attributing　to　the　inferior　races。

〃There　is　something　in　that；〃　admitted　Hartrott；　〃but　although　the　German　race　may　not　be　perfectly　pure；　it　is　the　least　impure　of　all　races　and；　therefore；　should　have　dominion　over　the　world。〃

His　voice　took　on　an　ironic　and　cutting　edge　when　speaking　of　the　Celts；　inhabitants　of　the　lands　of　the　South。　　They　had　retarded　the　progress　of　Humanity；　deflecting　it　in　the　wrong　direction。　　The　Celt　is　individualistic　and　consequently　an　ungovernable　revolutionary　who　tends　to　socialism。　　Furthermore；　he　is　a　humanitarian　and　makes　a　virtue　of　mercy；　defending　the　existence　of　the　weak　who　do　not　amount　to　anything。

The　illustrious　German　places　above　everything　else；　Method　and　Power。　　Elected　by　Nature　to　command　the　impotent　races；　he　possesses　all　the　qualifications　that　distinguish　the　superior　leader。　　The　French　Revolution　was　merely　a　clash　between　Teutons　and　Celts。　　The　nobility　of　France　were　descended　from　Germanic　warriors　established　in　the　country　after　the　so…called　invasion　of　the　barbarians。　　The　middle　and　lower　classes　were　the　Gallic…Celtic　element。　　The　inferior　race　had　conquered　the　superior；　disorganizing　the　country　and　perturbing　the　world。　　Celtism　was　the　inventor　of　Democracy；　of　the　doctrines　of　Socialism　and　Anarchy。　Now　the　hour　of　Germanic　retaliation　was　about　to　strike；　and　the　Northern　race　would　re…establish　order；　since　God　had　favored　it　by　demonstrating　its　indisputable　superiority。

〃A　nation；〃　he　added；　〃can　aspire　to　great　destinies　only　when　it　is　fundamentally　Teutonic。　　The　less　German　it　is；　the　less　its　civilization　amounts　to。　　We　represent　'the　aristocracy　of　humanity；'　'the　salt　of　the　earth；'　as　our　William　said。〃

Argensola　was　listening　with　astonishment　to　this　outpouring　of　conceit。　　All　the　great　nations　had　passed　through　the　fever　of　Imperialism。　　The　Greeks　aspired　to　world…rule　because　they　were　the　most　civilized　and　believed　themselves　the　most　fit　to　give　civilization　to　the　rest　of　mankind。　　The　Romans；　upon　conquering　countries；　implanted　law　and　the　rule　of　justice。　　The　French　of　the　Revolution　and　the　Empire　justified　their　invasions　on　the　plea　that　they　wished　to　liberate　mankind　and　spread　abroad　new　ideas。　　Even　the　Spaniards　of　the　sixteenth　century；　when　battling　with　half　of　Europe　for　religious　unity　and　the　extermination　of　heresy；　were　working　toward　their　ideals　obscure　and　perhaps　erroneous；　but　disinterested。

All　the　nations　of　history　had　been　struggling　for　something　which　they　had　considered　generous　and　above　their　own　interests。　　Germany　alone；　according　to　this　professor；　was　trying　to　impose　itself　upon　the　world　in　the　name　of　racial　superioritya　superiority　that　nobody　had　recognized；　that　she　was　arrogating　to　herself；　coating　her　affirmations　with　a　varnish　of　false　science。

〃Until　now　wars　have　been　carried　on　by　the　soldiery；〃　continued　Hartrott。　　〃That　which　is　now　going　to　begin　will　be　waged　by　a　combination　of　soldiers　and　professors。　　In　its　preparation　the　University　has　taken　as　much　part　as　the　military　staff。　　German　science；　leader　of　all　sciences；　is　united　forever　with　what　the　Latin　revolutionists　disdainfully　term　militarism。　　Force；　mistress　of　the　world；　is　what　creates　right；　that　which　our　truly　unique　civilization　imposes。　　Our　armies　are　the　representatives　of　our　culture；　and　in　a　few　weeks　we　shall　free　the　world　from　its　decadence；　completely　rejuvenating　it。〃

The　vision　of　the　immense　future　of　his　race　was　leading　him　on　to　expose　himself　with　lyrical　enthusiasm。　　William　I；　Bismarck；　all　the　heroes　of　past　victories；　inspired　his　veneration；　but　he　spoke　of　them　as　dying　gods　whose　hour　had　passed。　　They　were　glorious　ancestors　of　modest　pretensions　who　had　confined　their　activities　to　enlarging　the　frontiers；　and　to　establishing　the　unity　of　the　Empire；　afterwards　opposing　themselves　with　the　prudence　of　valetudinarians　to　the　daring　of　the　new　generation。　　Their　ambitions　went　no　further　than　a　continental　hegemony　。　。　。　but　now　William　II　had　leaped　into　the　arena；　the　complex　hero　that　the　country　required。

〃Lamprecht；　my　master；　has　pictured　his　greatness。　　It　is　tradition　and　the　future；　method　and　audacity。　　Like　his　grandfather；　the　Emperor　holds　the　conviction　of　what　monarchy　by　the　grace　of　God　represents；　but　his　vivid　and　modern　intelligence　recognizes　and　accepts　modern　conditions。　　At　the　same　time　that　he　is　romantic；　feudal　and　a　supporter　of　the　agrarian　conservatives；　he　is　also　an　up…to…date　man　who　seeks　practical　solutions　and　shows　a　utilitarian　spirit。　　In　him　are　correctly　balanced　instinct　and　reas