the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第30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！


vior　is　beautiful。　　The　generosity　of　these　women　when　they　believe　that　the　moment　for　sacrifice　has　come！　　She　is　terribly　afraid　of　her　father；　and　yet　she　stays　away　from　home　all　night　with　a　person　whom　she　hardly　knows；　and　whom　she　was　not　even　thinking　of　in　the　middle　of　the　afternoon！　。　。　。　　The　entire　nation　feels　gratitude　toward　those　who　are　going　to　imperil　their　lives；　and　she；　poor　child；　wishing　to　do　something；　too；　for　those　destined　for　death；　to　give　them　a　little　pleasure　in　their　last　hour　。　。　。　is　giving　the　best　she　has；　that　which　she　can　never　recover。　　I　have　sketched　her　role　poorly；　perhaps。　。　。　。　　Laugh　at　me　if　you　want　to；　but　admit　that　it　is　beautiful。〃

Desnoyers　laughed　heartily　at　his　friend's　discomfiture；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　he；　too；　was　suffering　a　good　deal　of　secret　annoyance。　　He　had　seen　Marguerite　but　once　since　the　day　of　his　return。　　The　only　news　of　her　that　he　had　received　was　by　letter。　。　。　。　This　cursed　war！　　What　an　upset　for　happy　people！　　Marguerite's　mother　was　ill。　　She　was　brooding　over　the　departure　of　her　son；　an　officer；　on　the　first　day　of　the　mobilization。　　Marguerite；　too；　was　uneasy　about　her　brother　and　did　not　think　it　expedient　to　come　to　the　studio　while　her　mother　was　grieving　at　home。　　When　was　this　situation　ever　to　end？　。　。　。

That　check　for　four　hundred　thousand　francs　which　he　had　brought　from　America　was　also　worrying　him。　　The　day　before；　the　bank　had　declined　to　pay　it　for　lack　of　the　customary　official　advice。　Afterward　they　said　that　they　had　received　the　advice；　but　did　not　give　him　the　money。　　That　very　afternoon；　when　the　trust　companies　had　closed　their　doors；　the　government　had　already　declared　a　moratorium；　in　order　to　prevent　a　general　bankruptcy　due　to　the　general　panic。　　When　would　they　pay　him？　。　。　。　　Perhaps　when　the　war　which　had　not　yet　begun　was　endedperhaps　never。　　He　had　no　other　money　available　except　the　two　thousand　francs　left　over　from　his　travelling　expenses。　　All　of　his　friends　were　in　the　same　distressing　situation；　unable　to　draw　on　the　sums　which　they　had　in　the　banks。　　Those　who　had　any　money　were　obliged　to　go　from　shop　to　shop；　or　form　in　line　at　the　bank　doors；　in　order　to　get　a　bill　changed。　　Oh；　this　war！　　This　stupid　war！

In　the　Champs　Elysees；　they　saw　a　man　with　a　broad…brimmed　hat　who　was　walking　slowly　ahead　of　them　and　talking　to　himself。　　Argensola　recognized　him　as　he　passed　near　the　street　lamp；　〃Friend　Tchernoff。〃　　Upon　returning　their　greeting；　the　Russian　betrayed　a　slight　odor　of　wine。　　Uninvited；　he　had　adjusted　his　steps　to　theirs；　accompanying　them　toward　the　Arc　de　Triomphe。

Julio　had　merely　exchanged　silent　nods　with　Argensola's　new　acquaintance　when　encountering　him　in　the　vestibule；　but　sadness　softens　the　heart　and　makes　us　seek　the　friendship　of　the　humble　as　a　refreshing　shelter。　　Tchernoff；　on　the　contrary；　looked　at　Desnoyers　as　though　he　had　known　him　all　his　life。

The　man　had　interrupted　his　monologue；　heard　only　by　the　black　masses　of　vegetation；　the　blue　shadows　perforated　by　the　reddish　tremors　of　the　street　lights；　the　summer　night　with　its　cupola　of　warm　breezes　and　twinkling　stars。　　He　took　a　few　steps　without　saying　anything；　as　a　mark　of　consideration　to　his　companions；　and　then　renewed　his　arguments；　taking　them　up　where　he　had　broken　off；　without　offering　any　explanation；　as　though　he　were　still　talking　to　himself。　。　。　。

〃And　at　this　very　minute；　they　are　shouting　with　enthusiasm　the　same　as　they　are　doing　here；　honestly　believing　that　they　are　going　to　defend　their　outraged　country；　wishing　to　die　for　their　families　and　firesides　that　nobody　has　threatened。〃

〃Who　are　'they；'　Tchernoff？〃　asked　Argensola。

The　Russian　stared　at　him　as　though　surprised　at　such　a　question。

〃They；〃　he　said　laconically。

The　two　understood。　。　。　。　　THEY！　　It　could　not　be　anyone　else。

〃I　have　lived　ten　years　in　Germany；〃　he　continued；　connecting　up　his　words；　now　that　he　found　himself　listened　to。　　〃I　was　daily　correspondent　for　a　paper　in　Berlin　and　I　know　these　people。　Passing　along　these　thronged　boulevards；　I　have　been　seeing　in　my　imagination　what　must　be　happening　there　at　this　hour。　　They；　too；　are　singing　and　shouting　with　enthusiasm　as　they　wave　their　flags。　On　the　outside；　they　seem　just　alikebut　oh；　what　a　difference　within！　。　。　。　　Last　night　the　people　beset　a　few　babblers　in　the　boulevard　who　were　yelling；　'To　Berlin！'a　slogan　of　bad　memories　and　worse　taste。　　France　does　not　wish　conquests；　her　only　desire　is　to　be　respected；　to　live　in　peace　without　humiliations　or　disturbances。　　To…night　two　of　the　mobilized　men　said　on　leaving；　'When　we　enter　Germany　we　are　going　to　make　it　a　republic！'　。　。　。　　A　republic　is　not　a　perfect　thing；　but　it　is　better　than　living　under　an　irresponsible　monarchy　by　the　grace　of　God。　　It　at　least　presupposes　tranquillity　and　absence　of　the　personal　ambitions　that　disturb　life。　　I　was　impressed　by　the　generous　thought　of　these　laboring　men　who；　instead　of　wishing　to　exterminate　their　enemies；　were　planning　to　give　them　something　better。〃

Tchernoff　remained　silent　a　few　minutes；　smiling　ironically　at　the　picture　which　his　imagination　was　calling　forth。

〃In　Berlin；　the　masses　are　expressing　their　enthusiasm　in　the　lofty　phraseology　befitting　a　superior　people。　　Those　in　the　lowest　classes；　accustomed　to　console　themselves　for　humiliations　with　a　gross　materialism；　are　now　crying　'Nach　Paris！　　We　are　going　to　drink　champagne　gratis！'　　The　pietistic　burgher；　ready　to　do　anything　to　attain　a　new　honor；　and　the　aristocracy　which　has　given　the　world　the　greatest　scandals　of　recent　years；　are　also　shouting；　'Nach　Paris！'　　To　them　Paris　is　the　Babylon　of　the　deadly　sin；　the　city　of　the　Moulin　Rouge　and　the　restaurants　of　Montmartre；　the　only　places　that　they　know。　。　。　。　　And　my　comrades　of　the　Social…　Democracy；　they　are　also　cheering；　but　to　another　tune。'To…morrow！　To　St。　Petersburg！　　Russian　ascendency；　the　menace　of　civilization；　must　be　obliterated！'　　The　Kaiser　waving　the　tyranny　of　another　country　as　a　scarecrow　to　his　people！　。　。　。　　What　a　joke！〃

And　the　loud　laugh　of　the　Russian　sounded　through　the　night　like　the　noise　of　wooden　clappers。

〃We　are　more　civilized　than　the　Germans；〃　he　said；　regaining　his　self…control。

Desnoyers；　who　had　been　listening　with　great　interest；　now　gave　a　start　of　surprise；　saying　to　himself；　〃This　Tchernoff　has　been　drinking。〃

〃Civilization；〃　continued　the　Socialist；　〃does　not　consist　merely　in　great　industry；　in　many　ships；　armies　and　numerous　universities　that　only　teach　science。　　That　is　material　civilization。　　There　is　another；　a　superior　one；　that　elevates　the　soul　and　does　not　permit　human　dignity　to　suffer　without　protesting　against　continual　humiliations。　　A　Swiss　living　in　his　wooden　chalet　and　considering　himself　the　equal　of　the　other　men　of　his　country；　is　more　civilized　than　the　Herr　Professor　who　gives　precedence　to　a　lieutenant；　or　to　a　Hamburg　millionaire　who；　in　turn；　bends　his　neck　like　a　lackey　before　those　whose　names　are　prefixed　by　a　von。〃

Here　the　Spaniard　assented　as　though　he　could　guess　what　Tchernoff　was　going　to　say。

〃We　Russians　endure　great　tyranny。　　I　know　something　about　that。　　I　know　the　hunger　and　cold　of　Siberia。　。　。　。　　But　opposed　to　our　tyranny　has　always　existed　a　revolutionary　protest。　　Part　of　the　nation　is　half…barbarian；　but　the　rest　has　a　superior　mentality；　a　lofty　moral　spirit　which　faces　danger　and　sacrifice　because　of　liberty　and　truth。　。　。　。　　And　Germany？　　Who　there　has　ever　raised　a　protest　in　order　to　defend　human　rights？　　What　revolutions　have　ever　broken　out　in　Prussia；　the　land　of　the　great　despots？

Frederick　William；　the　founder　of　militarism；　when　he　was　tired　of　beating　his　wife　and　spitting　in　his　children's　plates；　used　to　sally　forth；　thong　in　hand；　in　order　to　cowhide　those　subjects　who　did　not　get　out　of　his　way　in　time。　　His　son；　Frederick　the　Great；　declared　that　he　died；　bored　to　death　with　governing　a　nation　of　slaves。　　In　two　centuries　of　Prussian　history；　one　single　revolutionthe　barricades　of　1848a　bad　Berlinish　copy　of　the　Paris　revolution；　and　without　any　result。　　Bismarck　corrected　with　a　heavy　hand　so　as　to　crush　completely　the　last　attempts　at　protest　if　such　ever　really　existed。　　And　when　his　friends　were　threatening　him　with　revolution；　the　ferocious　Junker；　merely　put　his　hands　on　his　hips　and　roared　with　the　most　insolent　of　horse　laughs。　　A　revolution　in　Prussia！　。　。　。　　Nothing　at　all；　as　he　knew　his　people！〃

Tchernoff　was　not　a　patriot。　　Many　a　time　Argensola　had　heard　him　railing　against　his　country；　but　now　he　was　indignant　in　view　of　the　contempt　with　which　Teutonic　haughtiness　was　treating　the　Russian　nation。　　Where；　in　the　last　forty　years　of　imperial　grandeur；　was　that　universal　supremacy　of　which　the　Germans　were　everlastingly　boasting？　。　。　。

Excellent　workers　in　science；　tenacious　and　short…sighted　academicians；　each　wrapped　in　his　specialty！Benedictines　of　the　laboratory　who　experimented　painstakingly　and　occasionally　hit　upon　something；　in　spite　of　enormous　blunders　given　out　as　truths；　because　they　were　their　own　。　。　。　that　was　all！　　And　side　by　side　with　such　patient　laboriosity；　really　wort