the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第34节

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〃And　when　the　sun　arises　in　a　few　hours；　the　world　will　see　coursing　through　its　fields　the　four　horsemen；　enemies　of　mankind。　。　。　。　Already　their　wild　steeds　are　pawing　the　ground　with　impatience；　already　the　ill…omened　riders　have　come　together　and　are　exchanging　the　last　words　before　leaping　into　the　saddle。〃

〃What　horsemen　are　these？〃　asked　Argensola。

〃Those　which　go　before　the　Beast。〃

The　two　friends　thought　this　reply　as　unintelligible　as　the　preceding　words。　　Desnoyers　again　said　mentally；　〃He　is　drunk；〃　but　his　curiosity　forced　him　to　ask；　〃What　beast　is　that？〃

〃That　of　the　Apocalypse。〃

There　was　a　brief　silence；　but　the　Russian's　terseness　of　speech　did　not　last　long。　　He　felt　the　necessity　of　expressing　his　enthusiasm　for　the　dreamer　on　the　island　rock　of　Patmos。　　The　poet　of　great　and　mystic　vision　was　exerting；　across　two　thousand　years；　his　influence　over　this　mysterious　revolutionary；　tucked　away　on　the　top　floor　of　a　house　in　Paris。　　John　had　foreseen　it　all。　　His　visions；　unintelligible　to　the　masses；　nevertheless　held　within　them　the　mystery　of　great　human　events。

Tchernoff　described　the　Apocalyptic　beast　rising　from　the　depths　of　the　sea。　　He　was　like　a　leopard；　his　feet　like　those　of　a　bear；　his　mouth　like　the　snout　of　a　lion。　　He　had　seven　heads　and　ten　horns。　And　upon　the　horns　were　ten　crowns；　and　upon　each　of　his　heads　the　name　of　a　blasphemy。　　The　evangelist　did　not　say　just　what　these　blasphemies　were；　perhaps　they　differed　according　to　the　epochs；　modified　every　thousand　years　when　the　beast　made　a　new　apparition。　The　Russian　seemed　to　be　reading　those　that　were　flaming　on　the　heads　of　the　monsterblasphemies　against　humanity；　against　justice；　against　all　that　makes　life　sweet　and　bearable。　　〃Might　is　superior　to　Right！〃　。　。　。　　〃The　weak　should　not　exist。〃　。　。　。　　〃Be　harsh　in　order　to　be　great。〃　。　。　。　　And　the　Beast　in　all　its　hideousness　was　attempting　to　govern　the　world　and　make　mankind　render　him　homage！

〃But　the　four　horsemen？〃　persisted　Desnoyers。

The　four　horsemen　were　preceding　the　appearance　of　the　monster　in　John's　vision。

The　seven　seals　of　the　book　of　mystery　were　broken　by　the　Lamb　in　the　presence　of　the　great　throne　where　was　seated　one　who　shone　like　jasper。　　The　rainbow　round　about　the　throne　was　in　sight　like　unto　an　emerald。　　Twenty…four　thrones　were　in　a　semicircle　around　the　great　throne；　and　upon　them　twenty…four　elders　with　white　robes　and　crowns　of　gold。　　Four　enormous　animals；　covered　with　eyes　and　each　having　six　wings；　seemed　to　be　guarding　the　throne。　　The　sounding　of　trumpets　was　greeting　the　breaking　of　the　first　seal。

〃Come　and　see；〃　cried　one　of　the　beasts　in　a　stentorian　tone　to　the　vision…seeing　poet。　。　。　。　　And　the　first　horseman　appeared　on　a　white　horse。　　In　his　hand　he　carried　a　bow；　and　a　crown　was　given　unto　him。　　He　was　Conquest；　according　to　some；　the　Plague　according　to　others。　　He　might　be　both　things　at　the　same　time。　　He　wore　a　crown；　and　that　was　enough　for　Tchernoff。

〃Come　forth；〃　shouted　the　second　animal；　removing　his　thousand　eyes。　And　from　the　broken　seal　leaped　a　flame…colored　steed。　　His　rider　brandished　over　his　head　an　enormous　sword。　　He　was　War。　　Peace　fled　from　the　world　before　his　furious　gallop；　humanity　was　going　to　be　exterminated。

And　when　the　third　seal　was　broken；　another　of　the　winged　animals　bellowed　like　a　thunder　clap；　〃Come　and　see！〃　　And　John　saw　a　black　horse。　　He　who　mounted　it　held　in　his　hand　a　scale　in　order　to　weigh　the　maintenance　of　mankind。　　He　was　Famine。

The　fourth　animal　saluted　the　breaking　of　the　fourth　seal　with　a　great　roaring〃Come　and　see！〃　　And　there　appeared　a　pale…colored　horse。　　His　rider　was　called　Death；　and　power　was　given　him　to　destroy　with　the　sword　and　with　hunger　and　with　death；　and　with　the　beasts　of　the　earth。

The　four　horsemen　were　beginning　their　mad；　desolating　course　over　the　heads　of　terrified　humanity。

Tchernoff　was　describing　the　four　scourges　of　the　earth　exactly　as　though　he　were　seeing　them。　　The　horseman　on　the　white　horse　was　clad　in　a　showy　and　barbarous　attire。　　His　Oriental　countenance　was　contracted　with　hatred　as　if　smelling　out　his　victims。　　While　his　horse　continued　galloping；　he　was　bending　his　bow　in　order　to　spread　pestilence　abroad。　　At　his　back　swung　the　brass　quiver　filled　with　poisoned　arrows；　containing　the　germs　of　all　diseasesthose　of　private　life　as　well　as　those　which　envenom　the　wounded　soldier　on　the　battlefield。

The　second　horseman　on　the　red　steed　was　waving　the　enormous；　two…　edged　sword　over　his　hair　bristling　with　the　swiftness　of　his　course。　　He　was　young；　but　the　fierce　scowl　and　the　scornful　mouth　gave　him　a　look　of　implacable　ferocity。　　His　garments；　blown　open　by　the　motion　of　his　wild　race；　disclosed　the　form　of　a　muscular　athlete。

Bald；　old　and　horribly　skinny　was　the　third　horseman　bouncing　up　and　down　on　the　rawboned　back　of　his　black　steed。　　His　shrunken　legs　clanked　against　the　thin　flanks　of　the　lean　beast。　　In　one　withered　hand　he　was　holding　the　scales；　symbol　of　the　scarcity　of　food　that　was　going　to　become　as　valuable　as　gold。

The　knees　of　the　fourth　horseman；　sharp　as　spurs；　were　pricking　the　ribs　of　the　pale　horse。　　His　parchment…like　skin　betrayed　the　lines　and　hollows　of　his　skeleton。　　The　front　of　his　skull…like　face　was　twisted　with　the　sardonic　laugh　of　destruction。　　His　cane…like　arms　were　whirling　aloft　a　gigantic　sickle。　　From　his　angular　shoulders　was　hanging　a　ragged；　filthy　shroud。

And　the　furious　cavalcade　was　passing　like　a　hurricane　over　the　immense　assemblage　of　human　beings。　　The　heavens　showed　above　their　heads；　a　livid；　dark…edged　cloud　from　the　west。　　Horrible　monsters　and　deformities　were　swarming　in　spirals　above　the　furious　horde；　like　a　repulsive　escort。　　Poor　Humanity；　crazed　with　fear；　was　fleeing　in　all　directions　on　hearing　the　thundering　pace　of　the　Plague；　War；　Hunger　and　Death。　　Men　and　women；　young　and　old；　were　knocking　each　other　down　and　falling　to　the　ground　overwhelmed　by　terror；　astonishment　and　desperation。　　And　the　white　horse；　the　red；　the　black　and　the　pale；　were　crushing　all　with　their　relentless；　iron　treadthe　athletic　man　was　hearing　the　crashing　of　his　broken　ribs；　the　nursing　babe　was　writhing　at　its　mother's　breast；　and　the　aged　and　feeble　were　closing　their　eyes　forever　with　a　childlike　sob。

〃God　is　asleep；　forgetting　the　world；〃　continued　the　Russian。　　〃It　will　be　a　long　time　before　he　awakes；　and　while　he　sleeps　the　four　feudal　horsemen　of　the　Beast　will　course　through　the　land　as　its　only　lords。〃

Tchernoff　was　overpowered　by　the　intensity　of　his　dramatic　vision。　Springing　from　his　seat；　he　paced　up　and　down　with　great　strides；　but　his　picture　of　the　fourfold　catastrophe　revealed　by　the　gloomy　poet's　trance；　seemed　to　him　very　weak　indeed。　　A　great　painter　had　given　corporeal　form　to　these　terrible　dreams。

〃I　have　a　book；〃　he　murmured；　〃a　rare　book。〃　。　。　。

And　suddenly　he　left　the　studio　and　went　to　his　own　quarters。　　He　wanted　to　bring　the　book　to　show　to　his　friends。　　Argensola　accompanied　him；　and　they　returned　in　a　few　minutes　with　the　volume；　leaving　the　doors　open　behind　them；　so　as　to　make　a　stronger　current　of　air　among　the　hollows　of　the　facades　and　the　interior　patio。

Tchernoff　placed　his　precious　book　under　the　light。　　It　was　a　volume　printed　in　1511；　with　Latin　text　and　engravings。　　Desnoyers　read　the　title；　〃The　Apocalypse　Illustrated。〃　　The　engravings　were　by　Albert　Durer；　a　youthful　effort；　when　the　master　was　only　twenty…seven　years　old。　　The　three　were　fascinated　by　the　picture　portraying　the　wild　career　of　the　Apocalyptic　horsemen。　　The　quadruple　scourge；　on　fantastic　mounts；　seemed　to　be　precipitating　itself　with　a　realistic　sweep；　crushing　panic…stricken　humanity。

Suddenly　something　happened　which　startled　the　three　men　from　their　contemplative　admirationsomething　unusual；　indefinable；　a　dreadful　sound　which　seemed　to　enter　directly　into　their　brains　without　passing　through　their　earsa　clutch　at　the　heart。　　Instinctively　they　knew　that　something　very　grave　had　just　happened。

They　stared　at　each　other　silently　for　a　few　interminable　seconds。

Through　the　open　door；　a　cry　of　alarm　came　up　from　the　patio。

With　a　common　impulse；　the　three　ran　to　the　interior　window；　but　before　reaching　them；　the　Russian　had　a　presentiment。

〃My　neighbor！　。　。　。　　It　must　be　my　neighbor。　　Perhaps　she　has　killed　herself！〃

Looking　down；　they　could　see　lights　below；　people　moving　around　a　form　stretched　out　on　the　tiled　floor。　　The　alarm　had　instantly　filled　all　the　court　windows；　for　it　was　a　sleepless　nighta　night　of　nervous　apprehension　when　everyone　was　keeping　a　sad　vigil。

〃She　has　killed　herself；〃　said　a　voice　which　seemed　to　come　up　from　a　well。　　〃The　German　woman　has　committed　suicide。〃

The　explanation　of　the　concierge　leaped　from　window　to　window　up　to　the　top　floor。

The　Russian　was　shaking　his　head　with　a　fatalistic　expression。　　The　unhappy　woman　had　not　taken　the　death…leap　of　her　own　accord。　Someone　had　intensified　her　desperation；　someone　had　pushed　her。　。　。　。　The　horsemen！　　The　four　horsemen　of　the　Apocalypse！　。　。　。　Already　they　were　in　the　saddle！　　Already　they　were　beginning　their　merciless　gallop　of　des