the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第16节

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！


n　mind　that　a　celebrated　professor　could；　in　time；　acquire　a　social　rank　almost　equal　to　that　of　a　colonel。

Her　other　four　sons　would　become　officers。　　Their　father　was　preparing　the　ground　so　that　they　might　enter　the　Guard　or　some　aristocratic　regiment　without　any　of　the　members　being　able　to　vote　against　their　admission。　　The　two　daughters　would　surely　marry；　when　they　had　reached　a　suitable　age　with　officers　of　the　Hussars　whose　names　bore　the　magic　〃von〃　of　petty　nobility；　haughty　and　charming　gentlemen　about　whom　the　daughter　of　Misia　Petrona　waxed　most　enthusiastic。

The　establishment　of　the　Hartrotts　was　in　keeping　with　these　new　relationships。　　In　the　home　in　Berlin；　the　servants　wore　knee…　breeches　and　white　wigs　on　the　nights　of　great　banquets。　　Karl　had　bought　an　old　castle　with　pointed　towers；　ghosts　in　the　cellars；　and　various　legends　of　assassinations；　assaults　and　abductions　which　enlivened　its　history　in　an　interesting　way。　　An　architect；　decorated　with　many　foreign　orders；　and　bearing　the　title　of　〃Councillor　of　Construction；〃　was　engaged　to　modernize　the　mediaeval　edifice　without　sacrificing　its　terrifying　aspect。　　The　Romantica　described　in　anticipation　the　receptions　in　the　gloomy　salon；　the　light　diffused　by　electricity；　simulating　torches；　the　crackling　of　the　emblazoned　hearth　with　its　imitation　logs　bristling　with　flames　of　gas；　all　the　splendor　of　modern　luxury　combined　with　the　souvenirs　of　an　epoch　of　omnipotent　nobilitythe　best；　according　to　her；　in　history。　　And　the　hunting　parties；　the　future　hunting　parties！　。　。　。　in　an　annex　of　sandy　and　loose　soil　with　pine　woods　in　no　way　comparable　to　the　rich　ground　of　their　native　ranch；　but　which　had　the　honor　of　being　trodden　centuries　ago　by　the　Princes　of　Brandenburg；　founders　of　the　reigning　house　of　Prussia。　　And　all　this　advancement　in　a　single　year！　。　。　。

They　had；　of　course；　to　compete　with　other　oversea　families　who　had　amassed　enormous　fortunes　in　the　United　States；　Brazil　or　the　Pacific　coast；　but　these　were　Germans　〃without　lineage；〃　coarse　plebeians　who　were　struggling　in　vain　to　force　themselves　into　the　great　world　by　making　donations　to　the　imperial　works。　　With　all　their　millions；　the　very　most　that　they　could　ever　hope　to　attain　would　be　to　marry　their　daughters　with　ordinary　soldiers。　　Whilst　Karl！　。　。　。　　The　relatives　of　Karl！　。　。　。　and　the　Romantica　let　her　pen　run　on；　glorifying　a　family　in　whose　bosom　she　fancied　she　had　been　born。

From　time　to　time　were　enclosed　with　Elena's　effusions　brief；　crisp　notes　directed　to　Desnoyers。　　The　brother…in…law　continued　giving　an　account　of　his　operations　the　same　as　when　living　on　the　ranch　under　his　protection。　　But　with　this　deference　was　now　mixed　a　badly　concealed　pride；　an　evident　desire　to　retaliate　for　his　times　of　voluntary　humiliation。　　Everything　that　he　was　doing　was　grand　and　glorious。　　He　had　invested　his　millions　in　the　industrial　enterprises　of　modern　Germany。　　He　was　stockholder　of　munition　factories　as　big　as　towns；　and　of　navigation　companies　launching　a　ship　every　half　year。　　The　Emperor　was　interesting　himself　in　these　works；　looking　benevolently　on　all　those　who　wished　to　aid　him。　Besides　this；　Karl　was　buying　land。　　At　first　sight；　it　seemed　foolish　to　have　sold　the　fertile　fields　of　their　inheritance　in　order　to　acquire　sandy　Prussian　wastes　that　yielded　only　to　much　artificial　fertilizing；　but　by　becoming　a　land　owner；　he　now　belonged　to　the　〃Agrarian　Party；〃　the　aristocratic　and　conservative　group　par　excellence；　and　thus　he　was　living　in　two　different　but　equally　distinguished　worldsthat　of　the　great　industrial　friends　of　the　Emperor；　and　that　of　the　Junkers；　knights　of　the　countryside；　guardians　of　the　old　traditions　and　the　supply…source　of　the　officials　of　the　King　of　Prussia。

On　hearing　of　these　social　strides；　Desnoyers　could　not　but　think　of　the　pecuniary　sacrifices　which　they　must　represent。　　He　knew　Karl's　past；　for　on　the　ranch；　under　an　impulse　of　gratitude；　the　German　had　one　day　revealed　to　the　Frenchman　the　cause　of　his　coming　to　America。　　He　was　a　former　officer　in　the　German　army；　but　the　desire　of　living　ostentatiously　without　other　resources　than　his　salary；　had　dragged　him　into　committing　such　reprehensible　acts　as　abstracting　funds　belonging　to　the　regiment；　incurring　debts　of　honor　and　paying　for　them　with　forged　signatures。　　These　crimes　had　not　been　officially　prosecuted　through　consideration　of　his　father's　memory；　but　the　members　of　his　division　had　submitted　him　to　a　tribunal　of　honor。　　His　brothers　and　friends　had　advised　him　to　shoot　himself　as　the　only　remedy；　but　he　loved　life　and　had　fled　to　South　America　where；　in　spite　of　humiliations；　he　had　finally　triumphed。

Wealth　effaces　the　spots　of　the　past　even　more　rapidly　than　Time。　The　news　of　his　fortune　on　the　other　side　of　the　ocean　made　his　family　give　him　a　warm　reception　on　his　first　voyage　home；　introducing　him　again　into　their　world。　　Nobody　could　remember　shameful　stories　about　a　few　hundred　marks　concerning　a　man　who　was　talking　about　his　father…in…law's　lands；　more　extensive　than　many　German　principalities。　　Now；　upon　installing　himself　definitely　in　his　country；　all　was　forgotten。　　But；　oh；　the　contributions　levied　upon　his　vanity　。　。　。　　Desnoyers　shrewdly　guessed　at　the　thousands　of　marks　poured　with　both　hands　into　the　charitable　works　of　the　Empress；　into　the　imperialistic　propagandas；　into　the　societies　of　veterans；　into　the　clubs　of　aggression　and　expansion　organized　by　German　ambition。

The　frugal　Frenchman；　thrifty　in　his　expenditures　and　free　from　social　ambitions；　smiled　at　the　grandeurs　of　his　brother…in…law。　　He　considered　Karl　an　excellent　companion　although　of　a　childish　pride。　He　recalled　with　satisfaction　the　years　that　they　had　passed　together　in　the　country。　　He　could　not　forget　the　German　who　was　always　hovering　around　him；　affectionate　and　submissive　as　a　younger　brother。　　When　his　family　commented　with　a　somewhat　envious　vivacity　upon　the　glories　of　their　Berlin　relatives；　Desnoyers　would　say　smilingly；　〃Leave　them　in　peace；　they　are　paying　very　dear　for　their　whistle。〃

But　the　enthusiasm　which　the　letters　from　Germany　breathed　finally　created　an　atmosphere　of　disquietude　and　rebellion。　　Chichi　led　the　attack。　　Why　were　they　not　going　to　Europe　like　other　folks？　　all　their　friends　had　been　there。　　Even　the　Italian　and　Spanish　shopkeepers　were　making　the　voyage；　while　she；　the　daughter　of　a　Frenchman；　had　never　seen　Paris！　。　。　。　Oh；　Paris。　　The　doctors　in　attendance　on　melancholy　ladies　were　announcing　the　existence　of　a　new　and　terrible　disease；　〃the　mania　for　Paris。〃　　Dona　Luisa　supported　her　daughter。　　Why　had　she　not　gone　to　live　in　Europe　like　her　sister；　since　she　was　the　richer　of　the　two？　　Even　Julio　gravely　declared　that　in　the　old　world　he　could　study　to　better　advantage。　America　is　not　the　land　of　the　learned。

Infected　by　the　general　unrest；　the　father　finally　began　to　wonder　why　the　idea　of　going　to　Europe　had　not　occurred　to　him　long　before。　Thirty…four　years　without　going　to　that　country　which　was　not　his！　。　。　。　　It　was　high　time　to　start！　　He　was　living　too　near　to　his　business。　　In　vain　the　retired　ranchman　had　tried　to　keep　himself　indifferent　to　the　money　market。　　Everybody　was　coining　money　around　him。　　In　the　club；　in　the　theatre；　wherever　he　went；　the　people　were　talking　about　purchases　of　lands；　of　sales　of　stock；　of　quick　negotiations　with　a　triple　profit；　of　portentous　balances。　　The　amount　of　money　that　he　was　keeping　idle　in　the　banks　was　beginning　to　weigh　upon　him。　　He　finally　ended　by　involving　himself　in　some　speculation；　like　a　gambler　who　cannot　see　the　roulette　wheel　without　putting　his　hand　in　his　pocket。

His　family　was　right。　　〃To　Paris！〃　　For　in　the　Desnoyers'　mind；　to　go　to　Europe　meant；　of　course；　to　go　to　Paris。　　Let　the　〃aunt　from　Berlin〃　keep　on　chanting　the　glories　of　her　husband's　country！　〃It's　sheer　nonsense！〃　exclaimed　Julio　who　had　made　grave　geographical　and　ethnic　comparisons　in　his　nightly　forays。　　〃There　is　no　place　but　Paris！〃　　Chichi　saluted　with　an　ironical　smile　the　slightest　doubt　of　it〃Perhaps　they　make　as　elegant　fashions　in　Germany　as　in　Paris？　。　。　。　Bah！〃　　Dona　Luisa　took　up　her　children's　cry。　　〃Paris！〃　。　。　。　　Never　had　it　even　occurred　to　her　to　go　to　a　Lutheran　land　to　be　protected　by　her　sister。

〃Let　it　be　Paris；　then！〃　said　the　Frenchman；　as　though　he　were　speaking　of　an　unknown　city。

He　had　accustomed　himself　to　believe　that　he　would　never　return　to　it。　　During　the　first　years　of　his　life　in　America；　the　trip　would　have　been　an　impossibility　because　of　the　military　service　which　he　had　evaded。　　Then　he　had　vague　news　of　different　amnesties。　　After　the　time　for　conscription　had　long　since　passed；　an　inertness　of　will　had　made　him　consider　a　return　to　his　country　as　somewhat　absurd　and　useless。　　On　the　other　side；　nothing　remained　to　attract　him。　　He　had　even　lost　track　of　those　country　relatives　with　whom　his　mother　had　lived。　　In　his　heaviest　hours　he　had　tried　to　occupy　his　activity　by　planning　an　enormous　mausoleum；　all　of　marble；　in　La　Recoleta；　the　cemetery　of　the　rich；　in　order　to　move　thither　the　remains　of　Madariaga　as　founder　of　the　dynasty；　following　him　with　all　his　o