all roads lead to calvary-第28节
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to be good slaves and give no trouble to your taskmasters。 Let them turn the world into a hell for you。 The gravethe grave shall be your gate to happiness。
〃Helpful to the poor？ Helpful to their rulers； to their owners。 They take good care that Christ shall be well taught。 Their fat priests shall bear his message to the poor。 The rod may be broken； the prison door be forced。 It is Christ that shall bind the people in eternal fetters。 Christ； the lackey； the jackal of the rich。〃
Mr。 Simson was visibly shocked。 Evidently he was less familiar with the opinions of The Rationalist than he had thought。
〃I really must protest；〃 exclaimed Mr。 Simson。 〃To whatever wrong uses His words may have been twisted； Christ Himself I regard as divine； and entitled to be spoken of with reverence。 His whole life； His sufferings〃
But the old fanatic's vigour had not yet exhausted itself。
〃His sufferings！〃 he interrupted。 〃Does suffering entitle a man to be regarded as divine？ If so； so also am I a God。 Look at me！〃 He stretched out his long； thin arms with their claw…like hands； thrusting forward his great savage head that the bony； wizened throat seemed hardly strong enough to bear。 〃Wealth； honour； happiness： I had them once。 I had wife； children and a home。 Now I creep an outcast； keeping to the shadows； and the children in the street throw stones at me。 Thirty years I have starved that I might preach。 They shut me in their prisons； they hound me into garrets。 They jibe at me and mock me； but they cannot silence me。 What of my life？ Am I divine？〃
Miss Ensor； having finished her supper； sat smoking。
〃Why must you preach？〃 she asked。 〃It doesn't seem to pay you。〃 There was a curious smile about the girl's lips as she caught Joan's eye。
He turned to her with his last flicker of passion。
〃Because to this end was I born； and for this cause came I into the world； that I should bear witness unto the truth；〃 he answered。
He sank back a huddled heap upon the chair。 There was foam about his mouth； great beads of sweat upon his forehead。 Mary wiped them away with a corner of her apron； and felt again his trembling hands。 〃Oh； please don't talk to him any more；〃 she pleaded； 〃not till he's had his supper。〃 She fetched her fine shawl； and pinned it round him。 His eyes followed her as she hovered about him。 For the first time； since he had entered the room； they looked human。
They gathered round the table。 Mr。 Baptiste was still pinned up in Mary's bright shawl。 It lent him a curious dignity。 He might have been some ancient prophet stepped from the pages of the Talmud。 Miss Ensor completed her supper with a cup of tea and some little cakes： 〃just to keep us all company；〃 as Mary had insisted。
The old fanatic's eyes passed from face to face。 There was almost the suggestion of a smile about the savage mouth。
〃A strange supper…party；〃 he said。 〃Cyril the Apostate； and Julius who strove against the High Priests and the Pharisees； and Inez a dancer before the people； and Joanna a daughter of the rulers； gathered together in the house of one Mary a servant of the Lord。〃
〃Are you； too； a Christian？〃 he asked of Joan。
〃Not yet；〃 answered Joan。 〃But I hope to be； one day。〃 She spoke without thinking； not quite knowing what she meant。 But it came back to her in after years。
The talk grew lighter under the influence of Mary's cooking。 Mr。 Baptiste could be interesting when he got away from his fanaticism； and even the apostolic Mr。 Simson had sometimes noticed humour when it had chanced his way。
A message came for Mary about ten o'clock； brought by a scared little girl； who whispered it to her at the door。 Mary apologized。 She had to go out。 The party broke up。 Mary disappeared into the next room and returned in a shawl and bonnet； carrying a small brown paper parcel。 Joan walked with her as far as the King's Road。
〃A little child is coming；〃 she confided to Joan。 She was quite excited about it。
Joan thought。 〃It's curious；〃 she said； 〃one so seldom hears of anybody being born on Christmas Day。〃
They were passing a lamp。 Joan had never seen a face look quite so happy as Mary's looked； just then。
〃It always seems to me Christ's birthday；〃 she said； 〃whenever a child is born。〃
They had reached the corner。 Joan could see her bus in the distance。
She stooped and kissed the little withered face。
〃Don't stop；〃 she whispered。
Mary gave her a hug； and almost ran away。 Joan watched the little child…like figure growing smaller。 It glided in and out among the people。
CHAPTER XI
In the spring； Joan； at Mrs。 Denton's request； undertook a mission。 It was to go to Paris。 Mrs。 Denton had meant to go herself； but was laid up with sciatica； and the matter； she considered； would not brook of any delay。
〃It's rather a delicate business；〃 she told Joan。 She was lying on a couch in her great library； and Joan was seated by her side。 〃I want someone who can go into private houses and mix with educated people on their own level； and especially I want you to see one or two women： they count in France。 You know French pretty well； don't you？〃
〃Oh； sufficiently；〃 Joan answered。 The one thing her mother had done for her had been to talk French with her when she was a child； and at Girton she had chummed on with a French girl； and made herself tolerably perfect。
〃You will not go as a journalist；〃 continued Mrs。 Denton； 〃but as a personal friend of mine； whose discretion I shall vouch for。 I want you to find out what the people I am sending you among are thinking themselves； and what they consider ought to be done。 If we are not very careful on both sides we shall have the newspapers whipping us into war。〃
The perpetual Egyptian trouble had cropped up again and the Carleton papers； in particular； were already sounding the tocsin。 Carleton's argument was that we ought to fall upon France and crush her； before she could develop her supposed submarine menace。 His flaming posters were at every corner。 Every obscure French newspaper was being ransacked for 〃Insults and Pinpricks。〃
〃A section of the Paris Press is doing all it can to help him； of course；〃 explained Mrs。 Denton。 〃It doesn't seem to matter to them that Germany is only waiting her opportunity； and that； if Russia comes in； it is bound to bring Austria。 Europe will pay dearly one day for the luxury of a free Press。〃
〃But you're surely not suggesting any other kind of Press； at this period of the world's history？〃 exclaimed Joan。
〃Oh； but I am；〃 answered the old lady with a grim tightening of the lips。 〃Not even Carleton would be allowed to incite to murder or arson。 I would have him prosecuted for inciting a nation to war。〃
〃Why is the Press always so eager for war？〃 mused Joan。 〃According to their own account； war doesn't pay them。〃
〃I don't suppose it does： not directly；〃 answered Mrs。 Denton。 〃But it helps them to establish their position and get a tighter hold upon the public。 War does pay the newspaper in the long run。 The daily newspaper lives on commotion； crime； lawlessness in general。 If people no longer enjoyed reading about violence and bloodshed half their occupation； and that the most profitable half would be gone。 It is the interest of the newspaper to keep alive the savage in human nature； and war affords the readiest means of doing this。 You can't do much to increase the number of gruesome murders and loathsome assaults； beyond giving all possible advertisement to them when they do occur。 But you can preach war； and cover yourself with glory； as a patriot； at the same time。〃
〃I wonder how many of my ideals will be left to me；〃 sighed Joan。 〃I always used to regard the Press as the modern pulpit。〃
〃The old pulpit became an evil； the moment it obtained unlimited power；〃 answered Mrs。 Denton。 〃It originated persecution and inflamed men's passions against one another。 It； too； preached war for its own ends； taught superstition； and punished thought as a crime。 The Press of to…day is stepping into the shoes of the medieval priest。 It aims at establishing the worst kind of tyranny： the tyranny over men's minds。 They pretend to fight among themselves； but it's rapidly becoming a close corporation。 The Institute of Journalists will soon be followed by the Union of Newspaper Proprietors and the few independent journals will be squeezed out。 Already we have German shareholders on English papers； and English capital is interested in the St。 Petersburg Press。 It will one day have its International Pope and its school of cosmopolitan cardinals。〃
Joan laughed。 〃I can see Carleton rather fancying himself in a tiara；〃 she said。 〃I must tell Phillips what you say。 He's out for a fight with him。 Government by Parliament or Government by Press is going to be his war cry。〃
〃Good man；〃 said Mrs。 Denton。 〃I'm quite serious。 You tell him from me that the next revolution has got to be against the Press。 And it will be the stiffest fight Democracy has ever had。〃
The old lady had tired herself。 Joan undertook the mission。 She thought she would rather enjoy it； and Mrs。 Denton promised to let her have full instructions。 She would write to her friends
