the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第26节

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ight　all　turn　out　peaceably　at　the　last　minute；　as　had　so　often　happened　before。　　His　cousin　was　seeing　things　entirely　distorted　by　an　aggressive　enthusiasm。

Oh；　the　ironical；　ferocious　and　cutting　smile　of　the　Doctor！　Argensola　had　never　known　old　Madariaga；　but　it；　nevertheless；　occurred　to　him　that　in　this　fashion　sharks　must　smile；　although　he；　too；　had　never　seen　a　shark。

〃It　is　war；〃　boomed　Hartrott。　　〃When　I　left　Germany；　fifteen　days　ago；　I　knew　that　war　was　inevitable。〃

The　certainty　with　which　he　said　this　dissipated　all　Julio's　hope。　Moreover；　this　man's　trip；　on　the　pretext　of　seeing　his　mother；　disquieted　him。　。　。　。　　On　what　mission　had　Doctor　Julius　von　Hartrott　come　to　Paris？　。　。　。

〃Well；　then；〃　asked　Desnoyers；　〃why　so　many　diplomatic　interviews？　Why　does　the　German　government　intervene　at　allalthough　in　such　a　lukewarm　wayin　the　struggle　between　Austria　and　Servia。　。　。　。　Would　it　not　be　better　to　declare　war　right　out？〃

The　professor　replied　with　simplicity：　〃Our　government　undoubtedly　wishes　that　the　others　should　declare　the　war。　　The　role　of　outraged　dignity　is　always　the　most　pleasing　one　and　justifies　all　ulterior　resolutions；　however　extreme　they　may　seem。　　There　are　some　of　our　people　who　are　living　comfortably　and　do　not　desire　war。　　It　is　expedient　to　make　them　believe　that　those　who　impose　it　upon　us　are　our　enemies　so　that　they　may　feel　the　necessity　of　defending　themselves。　　Only　superior　minds　reach　the　conviction　of　the　great　advancement　that　can　be　accomplished　by　the　sword　alone；　and　that　war；　as　our　grand　Treitschke　says；　is　the　highest　form　of　progress。〃

Again　he　smiled　with　a　ferocious　expression。　　Morality；　from　his　point　of　view；　should　exist　among　individuals　only　to　make　them　more　obedient　and　disciplined；　for　morality　per　se　impedes　governments　and　should　be　suppressed　as　a　useless　obstacle。　　For　the　State　there　exists　neither　truth　nor　falsehood；　it　only　recognizes　the　utility　of　things。　　The　glorious　Bismarck；　in　order　to　consummate　the　war　with　France；　the　base　of　German　grandeur；　had　not　hesitated　to　falsify　a　telegraphic　despatch。

〃And　remember；　that　he　is　the　most　glorious　hero　of　our　time！　History　looks　leniently　upon　his　heroic　feat。　　Who　would　accuse　the　one　who　triumphs？　。　。　。　　Professor　Hans　Delbruck　has　written　with　reason；　'Blessed　be　the　hand　that　falsified　the　telegram　of　Ems！'〃

It　was　convenient　to　have　the　war　break　out　immediately；　in　order　that　events　might　result　favorably　for　Germany；　whose　enemies　are　totally　unprepared。　　Preventive　war　was　recommended　by　General　Bernhardi　and　other　illustrious　patriots。　　It　would　be　dangerous　indeed　to　defer　the　declaration　of　war　until　the　enemies　had　fortified　themselves　so　that　they　should　be　the　ones　to　make　war。　Besides；　to　the　Germans　what　kind　of　deterrents　could　law　and　other　fictions　invented　by　weak　nations　possibly　be？　。　。　。　　No；　they　had　the　Power；　and　Power　creates　new　laws。　　If　they　proved　to　be　the　victors；　History　would　not　investigate　too　closely　the　means　by　which　they　had　conquered。　　It　was　Germany　that　was　going　to　win；　and　the　priests　of　all　cults　would　finally　sanctify　with　their　chants　the　blessed　warif　it　led　to　triumph。

〃We　are　not　making　war　in　order　to　punish　the　Servian　regicides；　nor　to　free　the　Poles；　nor　the　others　oppressed　by　Russia；　stopping　there　in　admiration　of　our　disinterested　magnanimity。　　We　wish　to　wage　it　because　we　are　the　first　people　of　the　earth　and　should　extend　our　activity　over　the　entire　planet。　　Germany's　hour　has　sounded。　　We　are　going　to　take　our　place　as　the　powerful　Mistress　of　the　World；　the　place　which　Spain　occupied　in　former　centuries；　afterwards　France；　and　England　to…day。　　What　those　people　accomplished　in　a　struggle　of　many　years　we　are　going　to　bring　about　in　four　months。　　The　storm…flag　of　the　Empire　is　now　going　to　wave　over　nations　and　oceans；　the　sun　is　going　to　shine　on　a　great　slaughter。　。　。　。

〃Old　Rome；　sick　unto　death；　called　'barbarians'　the　Germans　who　opened　the　grave。　　The　world　to…day　also　smells　death　and　will　surely　call　us　barbarians。　。　。　　。　　So　be　it！　　When　Tangiers　and　Toulouse；　Amberes　and　Calais　have　become　submissive　to　German　barbarism　。　。　。　then　we　will　speak　further　of　this　matter。　　We　have　the　power；　and　who　has　that　needs　neither　to　hesitate　nor　to　argue。　。　。　。　　Power！　。　。　。　　That　is　the　beautiful　wordthe　only　word　that　rings　true　and　clear。　。　。　。　　Power！　　One　sure　stab　and　all　argument　is　answered　forever！〃

〃But　are　you　so　sure　of　victory？〃　asked　Desnoyers。　　〃Sometimes　Destiny　gives　us　great　surprises。　　There　are　hidden　forces　that　we　must　take　into　consideration　or　they　may　overturn　the　best…laid　plans。〃

The　smile　of　the　Doctor　became　increasingly　scornful　and　arrogant。　Everything　had　been　foreseen　and　studied　out　long　ago　with　the　most　minute　Germanic　method。　　What　had　they　to　fear？　。　。　。　　The　enemy　most　to　be　reckoned　with　was　France；　incapable　of　resisting　the　enervating　moral　influences；　the　sufferings；　the　strain　and　the　privations　of　war；a　nation　physically　debilitated　and　so　poisoned　by　revolutionary　spirit　that　it　had　laid　aside　the　use　of　arms　through　an　exaggerated　love　of　comfort。

〃Our　generals；〃　he　announced；　〃are　going　to　leave　her　in　such　a　state　that　she　will　never　again　cross　our　path。〃

There　was　Russia；　too；　to　consider；　but　her　amorphous　masses　were　slow　to　assemble　and　unwieldy　to　move。　　The　Executive　Staff　of　Berlin　had　timed　everything　by　measure　for　crushing　France　in　four　weeks；　and　would　then　lead　its　enormous　forces　against　the　Russian　empire　before　it　could　begin　action。

〃We　shall　finish　with　the　bear　after　killing　the　cock；〃　affirmed　the　professor　triumphantly。

But　guessing　at　some　objection　from　his　cousin；　he　hastened　on〃I　know　what　you　are　going　to　tell　me。　　There　remains　another　enemy；　one　that　has　not　yet　leaped　into　the　lists　but　which　all　the　Germans　are　waiting　for。　　That　one　inspires　more　hatred　than　all　the　others　put　together；　because　it　is　of　our　blood；　because　it　is　a　traitor　to　the　race。　。　。　。　　Ah；　how　we　loathe　it！〃

And　in　the　tone　in　which　these　words　were　uttered　throbbed　an　expression　of　hatred　and　a　thirst　for　vengeance　which　astonished　both　listeners。

〃Even　though　England　attack　us；〃　continued　Hartrott；　〃we　shall　conquer；　notwithstanding。　　This　adversary　is　not　more　terrible　than　the　others。　　For　the　past　century　she　has　ruled　the　world。　　Upon　the　fall　of　Napoleon　she　seized　the　continental　hegemony；　and　will　fight　to　keep　it。　　But　what　does　her　energy　amount　to？　。　。　。　　As　our　Bernhardi　says；　the　English　people　are　merely　a　nation　of　renters　and　sportsmen。　　Their　army　is　formed　from　the　dregs　of　the　nation。　The　country　lacks　military　spirit。　　We　are　a　people　of　warriors；　and　it　will　be　an　easy　thing　for　us　to　conquer　the　English；　debilitated　by　a　false　conception　of　life。〃

The　Doctor　paused　and　then　added：　〃We　are　counting　on　the　internal　corruption　of　our　enemies；　on　their　lack　of　unity。　　God　will　aid　us　by　sowing　confusion　among　these　detested　people。　　In　a　few　days　you　will　see　His　hand。　　Revolution　is　going　to　break　out　in　France　at　the　same　time　as　war。　　The　people　of　Paris　will　build　barricades　in　the　streets　and　the　scenes　of　the　Commune　will　repeat　themselves。　Tunis；　Algiers　and　all　their　other　possessions　are　about　to　rise　against　the　metropolis。〃

Argensola　seized　the　opportunity　to　smile　with　an　aggressive　incredulity。

〃I　repeat　it；〃　insisted　Hartrott；　〃that　this　country　is　going　to　have　internal　revolution　and　colonial　insurrection。　　I　know　perfectly　well　what　I　am　talking　about。　。　。　。　　Russia　also　will　break　out　into　revolution　with　a　red　flag　that　will　force　the　Czar　to　beg　for　mercy　on　his　knees。　　You　have　only　to　read　in　the　papers　of　the　recent　strikes　in　Saint　Petersburg；　and　the　manifestations　of　the　strikers　with　the　pretext　of　President　Poincare's　visit。　。　。　。　England　will　see　her　appeals　to　her　colonies　completely　ignored。　India　is　going　to　rise　against　her；　and　Egypt；　too；　will　seize　this　opportunity　for　her　emancipation。〃

Julio　was　beginning　to　be　impressed　by　these　affirmations　enunciated　with　such　oracular　certainty；　and　he　felt　almost　irritated　at　the　incredulous　Argensola；　who　continued　looking　insolently　at　the　seer；　repeating　with　his　winking　eyes；　〃He　is　insaneinsane　with　pride。〃　The　man　certainly　must　have　strong　reasons　for　making　such　awful　prophecies。　　His　presence　in　Paris　just　at　this　time　was　difficult　for　Desnoyers　to　understand；　and　gave　to　his　words　a　mysterious　authority。

〃But　the　nations　will　defend　themselves；〃　he　protested　to　his　cousin。　　〃Victory　will　not　be　such　a　very　simple　thing　as　you　imagine。〃

〃Yes；　they　will　defend　themselves；　and　the　struggle　will　be　fiercely　contested。　　It　appears　that；　of　late　years；　France　has　been　paying　some　attention　to　her　army。　　We　shall　undoubtedly　encounter　some　resistance；　triumph　may　be　somewhat　difficult；　but　we　are　going　to　prevail。　。　。　。　　You　have　no　idea　to　what　extent　the　offensive　power　of　Germany　has　attained。　　Nobody　knows　with　certainty　beyond　the　frontiers。　　If　our　foes　should　comprehend　it　in　all　its　immensity；　they　would　fall　on　their　knees　beforehand　to　beg　for　mercy；　thus　obviating　the　necessity　for　useless　sacrifices。〃

There　was　a　long