the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第25部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃It　is　so；〃　persisted　Hartrott　energetically。　　〃We　have　the　liberty　best　suited　to　a　great　peopleeconomical　and　intellectual　liberty。〃

〃And　political　liberty？〃

The　professor　received　this　question　with　a　scornful　shrug。

〃Political　liberty！　。　。　。　　Only　decadent　and　ungovernable　people；　inferior　races　anxious　for　equality　and　democratic　confusion；　talk　about　political　liberty。　　We　Germans　do　not　need　it。　　We　are　a　nation　of　masters　who　recognize　the　sacredness　of　government；　and　we　wish　to　be　commanded　by　those　of　superior　birth。　　We　possess　the　genius　of　organization。〃

That；　according　to　the　Doctor；　was　the　grand　German　secret；　and　the　Teutonic　race　upon　taking　possession　of　the　world；　would　share　its　discovery　with　all。　　The　nations　would　then　be　so　organized　that　each　individual　would　give　the　maximum　of　service　to　society。　Humanity；　banded　in　regiments　for　every　class　of　production；　obeying　a　superior　officer；　like　machines　contributing　the　greatest　possible　output　of　laborthere　you　have　the　perfect　state！　　Liberty　was　a　purely　negative　idea　if　not　accompanied　with　a　positive　concept　which　would　make　it　useful。

The　two　friends　listened　with　astonishment　to　this　description　of　the　future　which　Teutonic　superiority　was　offering　to　the　world。　Every　individual　submitted　to　intensive　production；　the　same　as　a　bit　of　land　from　which　its　owner　wishes　to　get　the　greatest　number　of　vegetables。　。　。　。　　Mankind　reduced　to　mechanics。　。　。　。　　No　useless　operations　that　would　not　produce　immediate　results。　。　。　　。　And　the　people　who　heralded　this　awful　idea　were　the　very　philosophers　and　idealists　who　had　once　given　contemplation　and　reflection　the　first　place　in　their　existence！　。　。　。

Hartrott　again　harked　back　to　the　inferiority　of　their　racial　enemies。　　In　order　to　combat　successfully；　it　required　self…　assurance；　an　unquenchable　confidence　in　the　superiority　of　their　own　powers。

〃At　this　very　hour　in　Berlin；　everyone　is　accepting　war；　everyone　is　believing　that　victory　is　sure；　while　HERE！　。　。　。　　I　do　not　say　that　the　French　are　afraid；　they　have　a　brave　past　that　galvanizes　them　at　certain　timesbut　they　are　so　depressed　that　it　is　easy　to　guess　that　they　will　make　almost　any　sacrifices　in　order　to　evade　what　is　coming　upon　them。　　The　people　first　will　shout　with　enthusiasm；　as　it　always　cheers　that　which　carries　it　to　perdition。　　The　upper　classes　have　no　faith　in　the　future；　they　are　keeping　quiet；　but　the　presentiment　of　disaster　may　easily　be　conjectured。　　Yesterday　I　was　talking　with　your　father。　　He　is　French；　and　he　is　rich。　　He　was　indignant　against　the　government　of　his　country　for　involving　the　nation　in　the　European　conflict　in　order　to　defend　a　distant　and　uninteresting　people。　　He　complains　of　the　exalted　patriots　who　have　opened　the　abyss　between　Germany　and　France；　preventing　a　reconciliation。　　He　says　that　Alsace　and　Lorraine　are　not　worth　what　a　war　would　cost　in　men　and　money。　。　。　。　　He　recognizes　our　greatness　and　is　convinced　that　we　have　progressed　so　rapidly　that　the　other　countries　cannot　come　up　to　us。　。　。　。　　And　as　your　father　thinks；　so　do　many　othersall　those　who　are　wrapped　in　creature　comfort；　and　fear　to　lose　it。　　Believe　me；　a　country　that　hesitates　and　fears　war　is　conquered　before　the　first　battle。〃

Julio　evinced　a　certain　disquietude；　as　though　he　would　like　to　cut　short　the　conversation。

〃Just　leave　my　father　out　of　it！　　He　speaks　that　way　to…day　because　war　is　not　yet　an　accomplished　fact；　and　he　has　to　contradict　and　vent　his　indignation　on　whoever　comes　near　him。　　To…morrow　he　will　say　just　the　opposite。　。　。　。　　My　father　is　a　Latin。〃

The　professor　looked　at　his　watch。　　He　must　go；　there　were　still　many　things　which　he　had　to　do　before　going　to　the　station。　　The　Germans　living　in　Paris　had　fled　in　great　bands　as　though　a　secret　order　had　been　circulating　among　them。　　That　afternoon　the　last　of　those　who　had　been　living　ostensibly　in　the　Capital　would　depart。

〃I　have　come　to　see　you　because　of　our　family　interest；　because　it　was　my　duty　to　give　you　fair　warning。　　You　are　a　foreigner；　and　nothing　holds　you　here。　　If　you　are　desirous　of　witnessing　a　great　historic　event；　remainbut　it　will　be　better　for　you　to　go。　　The　war　is　going　to　be　ruthless；　very　ruthless；　and　if　Paris　attempts　resistance；　as　formerly；　we　shall　see　terrible　things。　　Modes　of　offense　have　greatly　changed。〃

Desnoyers　made　a　gesture　of　indifference。

〃The　same　as　your　father；〃　observed　the　professor。　　〃Last　night　he　and　all　your　family　responded　in　the　same　way。　　Even　my　mother　prefers　to　remain　with　her　sister；　saying　that　the　Germans　are　very　good；　very　civilized　and　there　is　nothing　to　apprehend　in　their　triumph。〃

This　good　opinion　seemed　to　be　troubling　the　Doctor。

〃They　don't　understand　what　modern　warfare　means。　　They　ignore　the　fact　that　our　generals　have　studied　the　art　of　overcoming　the　enemy　and　they　will　apply　it　mercilessly。　　Ruthlessness　is　the　only　means；　since　it　perturbs　the　intelligence　of　the　enemy；　paralyzes　his　action　and　pulverizes　his　resistance。　　The　more　ferocious　the　war；　the　more　quickly　it　is　concluded。　　To　punish　with　cruelty　is　to　proceed　humanely。　　Therefore；　Germany　is　going　to　be　cruel　with　a　cruelty　hitherto　unseen；　in　order　that　the　conflict　may　not　be　prolonged。〃

He　had　risen　and　was　standing；　cane　and　straw　hat　in　hand。　Argensola　was　looking　at　him　with　frank　hostility。　　The　professor；　obliged　to　pass　near　him；　did　so　with　a　stiff　and　disdainful　nod。

Then　he　started　toward　the　door；　accompanied　by　his　cousin。　　The　farewell　was　brief。

〃I　repeat　my　counsel。　　If　you　do　not　like　danger；　go！　　It　may　be　that　I　am　mistaken；　and　that　this　nation；　convinced　of　the　uselessness　of　defense；　may　give　itself　up　voluntarily。　。　。　。　　At　any　rate；　we　shall　soon　see。　　I　shall　take　great　pleasure　in　returning　to　Paris　when　the　flag　of　the　Empire　is　floating　over　the　Eiffel　Tower；　a　mere　matter　of　three　or　four　weeks；　certainly　by　the　beginning　of　September。〃

France　was　going　to　disappear　from　the　map。　　To　the　Doctor；　her　death　was　a　foregone　conclusion。

〃Paris　will　remain；〃　he　admitted　benevolently；　〃the　French　will　remain；　because　a　nation　is　not　easily　suppressed；　but　they　will　not　retain　their　former　place。　　We　shall　govern　the　world；　they　will　continue　to　occupy　themselves　in　inventing　fashions；　in　making　life　agreeable　for　visiting　foreigners；　and　in　the　intellectual　world；　we　shall　encourage　them　to　educate　good　actresses；　to　produce　entertaining　novels　and　to　write　witty　comedies。　。　。　。　　Nothing　more。〃

Desnoyers　laughed　as　he　shook　his　cousin's　hand；　pretending　to　take　his　words　as　a　paradox。

〃I　mean　it；〃　insisted　Hartrott。　　〃The　last　hour　of　the　French　Republic　as　an　important　nation　has　sounded。　　I　have　studied　it　at　close　range；　and　it　deserves　no　better　fate。　　License　and　lack　of　confidence　abovesterile　enthusiasm　below。〃

Upon　turning　his　head；　he　again　caught　Argensola's　malicious　smile。

〃We　know　all　about　that　kind　of　study；〃　he　added　aggressively。　　〃We　are　accustomed　to　examine　the　nations　of　the　past；　to　dissect　them　fibre　by　fibre；　so　that　we　recognize　at　a　glance　the　psychology　of　the　living。〃

The　Bohemian　fancied　that　he　saw　a　surgeon　talking　self…sufficiently　about　the　mysteries　of　the　will　before　a　corpse。　　What　did　this　pedantic　interpreter　of　dead　documents　know　about　life？　。　。　。

When　the　door　closed；　he　approached　his　friend　who　was　returning　somewhat　dismayed。　　Argensola　no　longer　considered　Doctor　Julius　von　Hartrott　crazy。

〃What　a　brute！〃　he　exclaimed；　throwing　up　his　hands。　　〃And　to　think　that　they　are　at　large；　these　originators　of　gloomy　errors！　。　。　。　Who　would　ever　believe　that　they　belong　to　the　same　land　that　produced　Kant；　the　pacifist；　the　serene　Goethe　and　Beethoven！　。　。　。　To　think　that　for　so　many　years；　we　have　believed　that　they　were　forming　a　nation　of　dreamers　and　philosophers　occupied　in　working　disinterestedly　for　all　mankind！　。　。　。〃

The　sentence　of　a　German　geographer　recurred　to　him：　〃The　German　is　bicephalous；　with　one　head　he　dreams　and　poetizes　while　with　the　other　he　thinks　and　executes。〃

Desnoyers　was　now　beginning　to　feel　depressed　at　the　certainty　of　war。　　This　professor　seemed　to　him　even　worse　than　the　Herr　Counsellor　and　the　other　Germans　that　he　had　met　on　the　steamer。　His　distress　was　not　only　because　of　his　selfish　thought　as　to　how　the　catastrophe　was　going　to　affect　his　plans　with　Marguerite。　　He　was　suddenly　discovering　that　in　this　hour　of　uncertainty　he　loved　France。　　He　recognized　it　as　his　father's　native　land　and　the　scene　of　the　great　Revolution。　。　。　。　　Although　he　had　never　mixed　in　political　campaigns；　he　was　a　republican　at　heart；　and　had　often　ridiculed　certain　of　his　friends　who　adored　kings　and　emperors；　thinking　it　a　great　sign　of　distinction。

Argensola　tried　to　cheer　him　up。

〃Who　knows？　。　。　。　　This　is　a　country　of　surprises。　　One　must　see　the　Frenchman　when　he　tries　to　remedy　his　want　of　foresight。　　Let　that　barbarian　of　a　cousin　of　yours　say　what　he　willthere　is　order；　there　is　enthusiasm。　。　。　。　　Worse　off　than　we　were　those　who　lived　in　the　days　before　Valmy。　　Entirely　disorganized；　their　only　defense　battalions　of　laborers　and　countrymen　handling　a　gun　for　the　first　time。　。　。　。　　But；　nevertheless；　the　Europe　of　the　old　monarchies　could　not　for　twenty　years　free　themselves　from　these　improvised　warriors！〃



CHAPTER　V

IN　WHICH　APPEAR　THE　FOUR　HORSEMEN


The　two　friends　now　lived　a　feverish　life；　considerably　accelerated　by　the　rapidity　with　which　events　succeeded　each　other。　　Every　hour　brought　forth　an　astonishing　bit　of　newsgenerally　falsewhich　changed　opinions　very　suddenly。　　As　soon　as　the　danger　of　war　seemed　arrested；　the　report　would　spread　that　mobilization　was　going　to　be　ordered　within　a　few　minutes。

Within　each　twenty…four　hours　were　compressed　the　disquietude；　anxiety　and　nervous　waste　of　a　normal　year。　　And　that　which　was　aggravating　the　situation　still　more　was　the　uncertainty；　the　expectation　of　the　event；　feared　but　still　invisible；　the　distress　on　account　of　a　danger　continually　threatening　but　never　arriving。

History　in　the　making　was　like　a　stream　overflowing　its　banks；　events　overlapping　each　other　like　the　waves　of　an　inundation。　Au