the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第40部分

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the　other　mothers　who　were　inspiring　his　pitythose　who　were　living　tranquilly　in　their　smiling　little　Belgian　towns　when　their　sons　were　suddenly　shot　down；　their　daughters　violated　and　their　houses　burned　to　the　ground。

As　though　this　description　of　the　horrors　of　war　were　a　fresh　insult　to　her；　Dona　Elena　wept　harder　than　ever。　　What　falsehoods！　　The　Kaiser　was　an　excellent　man。　　His　soldiers　were　gentlemen；　the　German　army　was　a　model　of　civilization　and　goodness。　　Her　husband　had　belonged　to　this　army；　her　sons　were　marching　in　its　ranks。　　And　she　knew　her　sonswell…bred　and　incapable　of　wrong…doing。　　These　Belgian　calumnies　she　could　no　longer　listen　to　。　。　。　and；　with　dramatic　abandon；　she　flung　herself　into　the　arms　of　her　sister。

Senor　Desnoyers　raged　against　the　fate　that　condemned　him　to　live　under　the　same　roof　with　this　woman。　　What　an　unfortunate　complication　for　the　family！　。　。　。　and　the　frontiers　were　closed；　making　it　impossible　to　get　rid　of　her！

〃Very　well；　then；〃　he　thundered。　　〃Let　us　talk　no　more　about　it。　　We　shall　never　reach　an　understanding；　for　we　belong　to　two　different　worlds。　　It's　a　great　pity　that　you　can't　go　back　to　your　own　people。〃

After　that；　he　refrained　from　mentioning　the　war　in　his　sister…in…　law's　presence。　　Chichi　was　the　only　one　keeping　up　her　aggressive　and　noisy　enthusiasm。　　Upon　reading　in　the　papers　the　news　of　the　shootings；　sackings；　burning　of　cities；　and　the　dolorous　flight　of　those　who　had　seen　their　all　reduced　to　ashes；　she　again　felt　the　necessity　of　assuming　the　role　of　lady…assassin。　　Ay；　if　she　could　only　once　get　her　hands　on　one　of　those　bandits！　。　。　。　　What　did　the　men　amount　to　anyway　if　they　couldn't　exterminate　the　whole　lot？　。　。　。

Then　she　would　look　at　Rene　in　his　exquisitely　fresh　uniform；　sweet…　mannered　and　smiling　as　though　all　war　meant　to　him　was　a　mere　change　of　attire；　and　she　would　exclaim　enigmatically：

〃What　luck　that　you　will　never　have　to　go　to　the　front！　。　。　。　　How　fine　that　you　don't　run　any　risks！〃

And　her　lover　would　accept　these　words　as　but　another　proof　of　her　affectionate　interest。

One　day　Don　Marcelo　was　able　to　appreciate　the　horrors　of　the　war　without　leaving　Paris。　　Three　thousand　Belgian　refugees　were　quartered　provisionally　in　the　circus　before　being　distributed　among　the　provinces。　　When　Desnoyers　entered　this　place；　he　saw　in　the　vestibule　the　same　posters　which　had　been　flaunting　their　spectacular　gayeties　when　he　had　visited　it　a　few　months　before　with　his　family。

Now　he　noticed　the　odor　from　a　sick　and　miserable　multitude　crowded　togetherlike　the　exhalation　from　a　prison　or　poorhouse　infirmary。　He　saw　a　throng　that　seemed　crazy　or　stupefied　with　grief。　　They　did　not　know　exactly　where　they　were；　they　had　come　thither；　they　didn't　know　how。　　The　terrible　spectacle　of　the　invasion　was　still　so　persistent　in　their　minds　that　it　left　room　for　no　other　impression。　They　were　still　seeing　the　helmeted　men　in　their　peaceful　hamlets；　their　homes　in　flames；　the　soldiery　firing　upon　those　who　were　fleeing；　the　mutilated　women　done　to　death　by　incessant　adulterous　assault；　the　old　men　burned　alive；　the　children　stabbed　in　their　cradles　by　human　beasts　inflamed　by　alcohol　and　license。　。　。　。　　Some　of　the　octogenarians　were　weeping　as　they　told　how　the　soldiers　of　a　civilized　nation　were　cutting　off　the　breasts　from　the　women　in　order　to　nail　them　to　the　doors；　how　they　had　passed　around　as　a　trophy　a　new…born　babe　spiked　on　a　bayonet；　how　they　had　shot　aged　men　in　the　very　armchair　in　which　they　were　huddled　in　their　sorrowful　weakness；　torturing　them　first　with　their　jests　and　taunts。

They　had　fled　blindly；　pursued　by　fire　and　shot；　as　crazed　with　terror　as　the　people　of　the　middle　ages　trying　not　to　be　ridden　down　by　the　hordes　of　galloping　Huns　and　Mongols。　　And　this　flight　had　been　across　the　country　in　its　loveliest　festal　array；　in　the　most　productive　of　months；　when　the　earth　was　bristling　with　ears　of　grain；　when　the　August　sky　was　most　brilliant；　and　when　the　birds　were　greeting　the　opulent　harvest　with　their　glad　songs！

In　that　circus；　filled　with　the　wandering　crowds；　the　immense　crime　was　living　again。　　The　children　were　crying　with　a　sound　like　the　bleating　of　lambs；　the　men　were　looking　wildly　around　with　terrified　eyes；　the　frenzied　women　were　howling　like　the　insane。　　Families　had　become　separated　in　the　terror　of　flight。　　A　mother　of　five　little　ones　now　had　but　one。　　The　parents；　as　they　realized　the　number　missing；　were　thinking　with　anguish　of　those　who　had　disappeared。　Would　they　ever　find　them　again？　。　。　。　　Or　were　they　already　dead？　。　。　。

Don　Marcelo　returned　home；　grinding　his　teeth　and　waving　his　cane　in　an　alarming　manner。　　Ah；　the　bandits！　。　。　。　　If　only　his　sister…in…　law　could　change　her　sex！　　Why　wasn't　she　a　man？　。　。　。　　It　would　be　better　still　if　she　could　suddenly　assume　the　form　of　her　husband；　von　Hartrott。　　What　an　interesting　interview　the　two　brothers…in…law　would　have！　。　。　。

The　war　was　awakening　religious　sentiment　in　the　men　and　increasing　the　devotion　of　the　women。　　The　churches　were　filled。　　Dona　Luisa　was　no　longer　confining　herself　to　those　of　her　neighborhood。　　With　the　courage　induced　by　extraordinary　events；　she　was　traversing　Paris　afoot　and　going　from　the　Madeleine　to　Notre　Dame；　or　to　the　Sacre　Coeur　on　the　heights　of　Montmartre。　　Religious　festivals　were　now　thronged　like　popular　assemblies。　　The　preachers　were　tribunes。　Patriotic　enthusiasm　interrupted　many　sermon　with　applause。

Each　morning　on　opening　the　papers；　before　reading　the　war　news；　Senora　Desnoyers　would　hunt　other　notices。　　〃Where　was　Father　Amette　going　to　be　to…day？〃　　Then；　under　the　arched　vaultings　of　that　temple；　would　she　unite　her　voice　with　the　devout　chorus　imploring　supernatural　intervention。　　〃Lord；　save　France！〃　　Patriotic　religiosity　was　putting　Sainte　Genevieve　at　the　head　of　the　favored　ones；　so　from　all　these　fiestas；　Dona　Luisa；　tremulous　with　faith；　would　return　in　expectation　of　a　miracle　similar　to　that　which　the　patron　saint　of　Paris　had　worked　before　the　invading　hordes　of　Attila。

Dona　Elena　was　also　visiting　the　churches；　but　those　nearest　the　house。　　Her　brother…in…law　saw　her　one　afternoon　entering　Saint…　Honoree　d'Eylau。　　The　building　was　filled　with　the　faithful；　and　on　the　altar　was　a　sheaf　of　flagsFrance　and　the　allied　nations。　　The　imploring　crowd　was　not　composed　entirely　of　women。　　Desnoyers　saw　men　of　his　age；　pompous　and　grave；　moving　their　lips　and　fixing　steadfast　eyes　on　the　altar　on　which　were　reflected　like　lost　stars；　the　flames　of　the　candles。　　And　again　he　felt　envy。　　They　were　fathers　who　were　recalling　their　childhood　prayers；　thinking　of　their　sons　in　battle。　　Don　Marcelo；　who　had　always　considered　religion　with　indifference；　suddenly　recognized　the　necessity　of　faith。　　He　wanted　to　pray　like　the　others；　with　a　vague；　indefinite　supplication；　including　all　beings　who　were　struggling　and　dying　for　a　land　that　he　had　not　tried　to　defend。

He　was　scandalized　to　see　von　Hartrott's　wife　kneeling　among　these　people　raising　her　eyes　to　the　cross　in　a　look　of　anguished　entreaty。　　She　was　begging　heaven　to　protect　her　husband；　the　German　who　perhaps　at　this　moment　was　concentrating　all　his　devilish　faculties　on　the　best　organization　for　crushing　the　weak；　she　was　praying　for　her　sons；　officers　of　the　King　of　Prussia；　who　revolver　in　hand　were　entering　villages　and　farmlands；　driving　before　them　a　horror…stricken　crowd；　leaving　behind　them　fire　and　death。　　And　these　orisons　were　going　to　mingle　with　those　of　the　mothers　who　were　praying　for　the　youth　trying　to　check　the　onslaught　of　the　barbarianswith　the　petitions　of　these　earnest　men；　rigid　in　their　tragic　grief！　。　。　。

He　had　to　make　a　great　effort　not　to　protest　aloud；　and　he　left　the　church。　　His　sister…in…law　had　no　right　to　kneel　there　among　those　people。

〃They　ought　to　put　her　out！〃　he　growled　indignantly。　　〃She　is　compromising　God　with　her　absurd　entreaties。〃

But　in　spite　of　his　annoyance；　he　had　to　endure　her　living　in　his　household；　and　at　the　same　time　had　taken　great　pains　to　prevent　her　nationality　being　known　outside。

It　was　a　severe　trial　for　Don　Marcelo　to　be　obliged　to　keep　silent　when　at　table　with　his　family。　　He　had　to　avoid　the　hysterics　of　his　sister…in…law　who　promptly　burst　into　sighs　and　sobs　at　the　slightest　allusion　to　her　hero；　and　he　feared　equally　the　complaints　of　his　wife；　always　ready　to　defend　her　sister；　as　though　she　were　the　victim。　。　。　。　　That　a　man　in　his　own　home　should　have　to　curb　his　tongue　and　speak　tactfully！　。　。　。

The　only　satisfaction　permitted　him　was　to　announce　the　military　moves。　　The　French　had　entered　Belgium。　　〃It　appears　that　the　Boches　have　had　a　good　set…back。〃　　The　slightest　clash　of　cavalry；　a　simple　encounter　with　the　advance　troops；　he　would　glorify　as　a　decisive　victory。　　〃In　Lorraine；　too；　we　are　making　great　headway！〃　。　。　。　But　suddenly　the　fountain　of　his　bubbling　optimism　seemed　to　become　choked　up。　　To　judge　from　the　periodicals；　nothing　extraordinary　was　occurring。　　They　continued　publishing　war…stories　so　as　to　keep　enthusiasm　at　fever…heat；　but　nothing　definite。　　The　Government；　too；　was　issuing　communications　of　vague　and　rhetorical　verbosity。　Desnoyers　became　alarmed；　his　instinct　warning　him　of　danger。　〃There　is　something　wrong；〃　he　thought。　　〃There's　a　spring　broken　somewhere！〃

This　lack　of　encouraging　news　coincided　exactly　with　the　sudden　rise　in　Dona　Elena's　spirits。　　With　whom　had　that　woman　been　talking？　Whom　did　she　meet　when　she　was　on　the　street？　。　。　。　　Without　dropping　her　pose　as　a　martyr；　with　the　same　woebegone　look　and　drooping　mouth；　she　was　talking；　and　talking　treacherously。　　The　torment　of　Don　Marcelo　in　being　obliged　to　listen　to　the　enemy　harbored　within　his　gates！　。　。　。　　The　French　had　been　vanquished　in　Lorraine　and　in　Belgium　at　the　same　time。　　A　body　of　the　army　had　deserted　the　colors；　many　prisoners；　many　cannon　were　captured。　〃Lies！　　German　exaggerations！〃　howled　Desnoyers。　　And　Chichi　with　the　derisive　ha…ha's　of　an　insolent　girl；　drowned　out　the　triumphant　communications　of　the　aunt　from　Berlin。　　〃I　don't　know；　of　course；〃　said　the　unwelcome　lodger　with　mock　humility。　　〃Perhaps　it　is　not　authentic。