the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第27节

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orehand　to　beg　for　mercy；　thus　obviating　the　necessity　for　useless　sacrifices。〃

There　was　a　long　silence。　　Julius　von　Hartrott　appeared　lost　in　reverie。　　The　very　thought　of　the　accumulated　strength　of　his　race　submerged　him　in　a　species　of　mystic　adoration。

〃The　preliminary　victory；〃　he　suddenly　exclaimed；　〃we　gained　some　time　ago。　　Our　enemies；　therefore；　hate　us；　and　yet　they　imitate　us。　All　that　bears　the　stamp　of　Germany　is　in　demand　throughout　the　world。　　The　very　countries　that　are　trying　to　resist　our　arms　copy　our　methods　in　their　universities　and　admire　our　theories；　even　those　which　do　not　attain　success　in　Germany。　　Oftentimes　we　laugh　among　ourselves；　like　the　Roman　augurs；　upon　seeing　the　servility　with　which　they　follow　us！　。　。　。　　And　yet　they　will　not　admit　our　superiority！〃

For　the　first　time；　Argensola's　eyes　and　general　expression　approved　the　words　of　Hartrott。　　What　he　had　just　said　was　only　too　truethe　world　was　a　victim　of　〃the　German　superstition。〃　　An　intellectual　cowardice；　the　fear　of　Force　had　made　it　admire　en　masse　and　indiscriminately；　everything　of　Teutonic　origin；　just　because　of　the　intensity　of　its　glittergold　mixed　with　talcum。　　The　so…called　Latins；　dazed　with　admiration；　were；　with　unreasonable　pessimism；　becoming　doubtful　of　their　ability；　and　thus　were　the　first　to　decree　their　own　death。　　And　the　conceited　Germans　merely　had　to　repeat　the　words　of　these　pessimists　in　order　to　strengthen　their　belief　in　their　own　superiority。

With　that　Southern　temperament；　which　leaps　rapidly　from　one　extreme　to　another；　many　Latins　had　proclaimed　that　in　the　world　of　the　future；　there　would　be　no　place　for　the　Latin　peoples；　now　in　their　death…agonyadding　that　Germany　alone　preserved　the　latent　forces　of　civilization。　　The　French　who　declaimed　among　themselves；　with　the　greatest　exaggeration；　unconscious　that　folks　were　listening　the　other　side　of　the　door；　had　proclaimed　repeatedly　for　many　years　past；　that　France　was　degenerating　rapidly　and　would　soon　vanish　from　the　earth。　。　。　。　　Then　why　should　they　resent　the　scorn　of　their　enemies。　。　。　。　　Why　shouldn't　the　Germans　share　in　their　beliefs？

The　professor；　misinterpreting　the　silent　agreement　of　the　Spaniard　who　until　then　had　been　listening　with　such　a　hostile　smile；　added：

〃Now　is　the　time　to　try　out　in　France　the　German　culture；　implanting　it　there　as　conquerors。〃

Here　Argensola　interrupted；　〃And　what　if　there　is　no　such　thing　as　German　culture；　as　a　celebrated　Teuton　says？〃　　It　had　become　necessary　to　contradict　this　pedant　who　had　become　insufferable　with　his　egotism。　　Hartrott　almost　jumped　from　his　chair　on　hearing　such　a　doubt。

〃What　German　is　that？〃

〃Nietzsche。〃

The　professor　looked　at　him　pityingly。　　Nietzsche　had　said　to　mankind；　〃Be　harsh！〃　affirming　that　〃a　righteous　war　sanctifies　every　cause。〃　　He　had　exalted　Bismarck；　he　had　taken　part　in　the　war　of　'70；　he　was　glorifying　Germany　when　he　spoke　of　〃the　smiling　lion；〃　and　〃the　blond　beast。〃　　But　Argensola　listened　with　the　tranquillity　of　one　sure　of　his　ground。　　Oh；　hours　of　placid　reading　near　the　studio　chimney；　listening　to　the　rain　beating　against　the　pane！　。　。　。

〃The　philosopher　did　say　that；〃　he　admitted；　〃and　he　said　many　other　very　different　things；　like　all　great　thinkers。　　His　doctrine　is　one　of　pride；　but　of　individual　pride；　not　that　of　a　nation　or　race。　　He　always　spoke　against　'the　insidious　fallacy　of　race。'〃

Argensola　recalled　his　philosophy　word　for　word。　　Culture；　according　to　Nietzsche；　was　〃unity　of　style　in　all　the　manifestations　of　life。〃　　Science　did　not　necessarily　include　culture。　　Great　knowledge　might　be　accompanied　with　great　barbarity；　by　the　absence　of　style　or　by　the　chaotic　confusion　of　all　styles。　　Germany；　according　to　the　philosopher；　had　no　genuine　culture　owing　to　its　lack　of　style。　　〃The　French；〃　he　had　said；　〃were　at　the　head　of　an　authentic　and　fruitful　culture；　whatever　their　valor　might　be；　and　until　now　everybody　had　drawn　upon　it。〃　　Their　hatreds　were　concentrated　within　their　own　country。　　〃I　cannot　endure　Germany。　The　spirit　of　servility　and　pettiness　penetrates　everywhere。　。　。　。　I　believe　only　in　French　culture；　and　what　the　rest　of　Europe　calls　culture　appears　to　me　to　be　a　mistake。　　The　few　individual　cases　of　lofty　culture　that　I　met　in　Germany　were　of　French　origin。〃

〃You　know；〃　continued　Argensola；　〃that　in　quarrelling　with　Wagner　about　the　excess　of　Germanism　in　his　art；　Nietzsche　proclaimed　the　necessity　of　mediterraneanizing　music。　　His　ideal　was　a　culture　for　all　Europe；　but　with　a　Latin　base。〃

Julius　von　Hartrott　replied　most　disdainfully　to　this；　repeating　the　Spaniard's　very　words。　　Men　who　thought　much　said　many　things。　Besides；　Nietzsche　was　a　poet；　completely　demented　at　his　death；　and　was　no　authority　among　the　University　sages。　　His　fame　had　only　been　recognized　in　foreign　lands。　。　。　。　　And　he　paid　no　further　attention　to　the　youth；　ignoring　him　as　though　he　had　evaporated　into　thin　air　after　his　presumption。　　All　the　professor's　attention　was　now　concentrated　on　Desnoyers。

〃This　country；〃　he　resumed；　〃is　dying　from　within。　　How　can　you　doubt　that　revolution　will　break　out　the　minute　war　is　declared？　。　。　。　Have　you　not　noticed　the　agitation　of　the　boulevard　on　account　of　the　Caillaux　trial？　　Reactionaries　and　revolutionists　have　been　assaulting　each　other　for　the　past　three　days。　　I　have　seen　them　challenging　one　another　with　shouts　and　songs　as　if　they　were　going　to　come　to　blows　right　in　the　middle　of　the　street。　　This　division　of　opinion　will　become　accentuated　when　our　troops　cross　the　frontier。　　It　will　then　be　civil　war。　　The　anti…militarists　are　clamoring　mournfully；　believing　that　it　is　in　the　power　of　the　government　to　prevent　the　clash。　。　。　。　　A　country　degenerated　by　democracy　and　by　the　inferiority　of　the　triumphant　Celt；　greedy　for　full　liberty！　。　。　。　　We　are　the　only　free　people　on　earth　because　we　know　how　to　obey。〃

This　paradox　made　Julio　smile。　　Germany　the　only　free　people！　。　。　。

〃It　is　so；〃　persisted　Hartrott　energetically。　　〃We　have　the　liberty　best　suited　to　a　great　peopleeconomical　and　intellectual　liberty。〃

〃And　political　liberty？〃

The　professor　received　this　question　with　a　scornful　shrug。

〃Political　liberty！　。　。　。　　Only　decadent　and　ungovernable　people；　inferior　races　anxious　for　equality　and　democratic　confusion；　talk　about　political　liberty。　　We　Germans　do　not　need　it。　　We　are　a　nation　of　masters　who　recognize　the　sacredness　of　government；　and　we　wish　to　be　commanded　by　those　of　superior　birth。　　We　possess　the　genius　of　organization。〃

That；　according　to　the　Doctor；　was　the　grand　German　secret；　and　the　Teutonic　race　upon　taking　possession　of　the　world；　would　share　its　discovery　with　all。　　The　nations　would　then　be　so　organized　that　each　individual　would　give　the　maximum　of　service　to　society。　Humanity；　banded　in　regiments　for　every　class　of　production；　obeying　a　superior　officer；　like　machines　contributing　the　greatest　possible　output　of　laborthere　you　have　the　perfect　state！　　Liberty　was　a　purely　negative　idea　if　not　accompanied　with　a　positive　concept　which　would　make　it　useful。

The　two　friends　listened　with　astonishment　to　this　description　of　the　future　which　Teutonic　superiority　was　offering　to　the　world。　Every　individual　submitted　to　intensive　production；　the　same　as　a　bit　of　land　from　which　its　owner　wishes　to　get　the　greatest　number　of　vegetables。　。　。　。　　Mankind　reduced　to　mechanics。　。　。　。　　No　useless　operations　that　would　not　produce　immediate　results。　。　。　　。　And　the　people　who　heralded　this　awful　idea　were　the　very　philosophers　and　idealists　who　had　once　given　contemplation　and　reflection　the　first　place　in　their　existence！　。　。　。

Hartrott　again　harked　back　to　the　inferiority　of　their　racial　enemies。　　In　order　to　combat　successfully；　it　required　self…　assurance；　an　unquenchable　confidence　in　the　superiority　of　their　own　powers。

〃At　this　very　hour　in　Berlin；　everyone　is　accepting　war；　everyone　is　believing　that　victory　is　sure；　while　HERE！　。　。　。　　I　do　not　say　that　the　French　are　afraid；　they　have　a　brave　past　that　galvanizes　them　at　certain　timesbut　they　are　so　depressed　that　it　is　easy　to　guess　that　they　will　make　almost　any　sacrifices　in　order　to　evade　what　is　coming　upon　them。　　The　people　first　will　shout　with　enthusiasm；　as　it　always　cheers　that　which　carries　it　to　perdition。　　The　upper　classes　have　no　faith　in　the　future；　they　are　keeping　quiet；　but　the　presentiment　of　disaster　may　easily　be　conjectured。　　Yesterday　I　was　talking　with　your　father。　　He　is　French；　and　he　is　rich。　　He　was　indignant　against　the　government　of　his　country　for　involving　the　nation　in　the　European　conflict　in　order　to　defend　a　distant　and　uninteresting　people。　　He　complains　of　the　exalted　patriots　who　have　opened　the　abyss　between　Germany　and　France；　preventing　a　reconciliation。　　He　says　that　Alsace　and　Lorraine　are　not　worth　what　a　war　would　cost　in　men　and　money。　。　。　。　　He　recognizes　our　greatness　and　is　convinced　that　we　have　progressed　so　rapidly　that　the　other　countries　cannot　come　up　to　us。　。　。　。　　And　as　your　father　thinks；　so　do　many　othersall　those　who　are　wrapped　in　creature　comfort；　and　fear　to　lose　it。　　Believe　me；　a　country　that　hesitates