the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第24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！


ned　little　of　his　neighbor's　real　existence。　　Sometimes　he　would　mention　Jaures　and　other　socialistic　orators。　　His　surest　means　of　existence　was　the　translation　of　periodicals　or　party　papers。　　On　various　occasions　the　name　of　Siberia　escaped　from　his　lips；　and　he　admitted　that　he　had　been　there　a　long　time；　but　he　did　not　care　to　talk　about　a　country　visited　against　his　will。　　He　would　merely　smile　modestly；　showing　plainly　that　he　did　not　wish　to　make　any　further　revelations。

The　morning　after　the　return　of　Julio　Desnoyers；　while　Argensola　was　talking　on　the　stairway　with　Tchernoff；　the　bell　rang。　　How　annoying！　　The　Russian；　who　was　well　up　in　advanced　politics；　was　just　explaining　the　plans　advanced　by　Jaures。　　There　were　still　many　who　hoped　that　war　might　be　averted。　　He　had　his　motives　for　doubting　it。　。　。　。　　He；　Tchernoff；　was　commenting　on　these　illusions　with　the　smile　of　a　flat…nosed　sphinx　when　the　bell　rang　for　a　second　time；　so　that　Argensola　was　obliged　to　break　away　from　his　interesting　friend；　and　run　to　open　the　main　door。

A　gentleman　wished　to　see　Julio。　　He　spoke　very　correct　French；　though　his　accent　was　a　revelation　for　Argensola。　　Upon　going　into　the　bedroom　in　search　of　his　master；　who　was　just　arising；　he　said　confidently；　〃It's　the　cousin　from　Berlin　who　has　come　to　say　good…　bye。　　It　could　not　be　anyone　else。〃

When　the　three　came　together　in　the　studio；　Desnoyers　presented　his　comrade；　in　order　that　the　visitor　might　not　make　any　mistake　in　regard　to　his　social　status。

〃I　have　heard　him　spoken　of。　　The　gentleman　is　Argensola；　a　very　deserving　youth。〃

Doctor　Julius　von　Hartrott　said　this　with　the　self…sufficiency　of　a　man　who　knows　everything　and　wishes　to　be　agreeable　to　an　inferior；　conceding　him　the　alms　of　his　attention。

The　two　cousins　confronted　each　other　with　a　curiosity　not　altogether　free　from　distrust。　　Although　closely　related；　they　knew　each　other　very　slightly；　tacitly　admitting　complete　divergence　in　opinions　and　tastes。

After　slowly　examining　the　Sage；　Argensola　came　to　the　conclusion　that　he　looked　like　an　officer　dressed　as　a　civilian。　　He　noticed　in　his　person　an　effort　to　imitate　the　soldierly　when　occasionally　discarding　uniformthe　ambition　of　every　German　burgher　wishing　to　be　taken　for　the　superior　class。　　His　trousers　were　narrow；　as　though　intended　to　be　tucked　into　cavalry　boots。　　His　coat　with　two　rows　of　buttons　had　the　contracted　waist　with　very　full　skirt　and　upstanding　lapels；　suggesting　vaguely　a　military　great　coat。　　The　reddish　moustachios；　strong　jaw　and　shaved　head　completed　his　would…　be　martial　appearance；　but　his　eyes；　large；　dark…circled　and　near…　sighted；　were　the　eyes　of　a　student　taking　refuge　behind　great　thick　glasses　which　gave　him　the　aspect　of　a　man　of　peace。

Desnoyers　knew　that　he　was　an　assistant　professor　of　the　University；　that　he　had　published　a　few　volumes；　fat　and　heavy　as　bricks；　and　that　he　was　a　member　of　an　academic　society　collaborating　in　documentary　research　directed　by　a　famous　historian。　　In　his　lapel　he　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　me