the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第36节

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had　returned　from　his　trip。　　He　felt　the　necessity　of　seeing　at　least　the　outside　of　the　studio　windows；　as　if　they　might　give　him　news。　　And　in　order　to　justify　a　trip　so　at　variance　with　his　policy　of　ignoring　his　son；　he　remembered　that　the　carpenter　lived　in　the　same　street。

〃I　must　hunt　up　Robert。　　He　promised　a　week　ago　that　he　would　come　here。〃

This　Robert　was　a　husky　young　fellow　who；　to　use　his　own　words；　was　〃emancipated　from　boss　tyranny；〃　and　was　working　independently　in　his　own　home。　　A　tiny；　almost　subterranean　room　was　serving　him　for　dwelling　and　workshop。　　A　woman　he　called　〃my　affinity〃　was　looking　carefully　after　his　hearth　and　home；　with　a　baby　boy　clinging　to　her　skirts。　　Desnoyers　was　accustomed　to　humor　Robert's　tirades　against　his　fellow　citizens　because　the　man　had　always　humored　his　whimseys　about　the　incessant　rearrangement　of　his　furniture。　　In　the　luxurious　apartment　in　the　avenue　Victor　Hugo　the　carpenter　would　sing　La　Internacional　while　using　hammer　and　saw；　and　his　employer　would　overlook　his　audacity　of　speech　because　of　the　cheapness　of　his　work。

Upon　arriving　at　the　shop　he　found　the　man　with　cap　over　one　ear；　broad　trousers　like　a　mameluke's；　hobnailed　boots　and　various　pennants　and　rosettes　fastened　to　the　lapels　of　his　jacket。

〃You've　come　too　late；　Boss；〃　he　said　cheerily。　　〃I　am　just　going　to　close　the　factory。　　The　Proprietor　has　been　mobilized；　and　in　a　few　hours　will　join　his　regiment。〃

And　he　pointed　to　a　written　paper　posted　on　the　door　of　his　dwelling　like　the　printed　cards　on　all　establishments；　signifying　that　employer　and　employees　had　obeyed　the　order　of　mobilization。

It　had　never　occurred　to　Desnoyers　that　his　carpenter　might　become　a　soldier；　since　he　was　so　opposed　to　all　kinds　of　authority。　　He　hated　the　flics；　the　Paris　police；　with　whom　he　had；　more　than　once；　exchanged　fisticuffs　and　clubbings。　　Militarism　was　his　special　aversion。　　In　the　meetings　against　the　despotism　of　the　barracks　he　had　always　been　one　of　the　noisiest　participants。　　And　was　this　revolutionary　fellow　going　to　war　naturally　and　voluntarily？　。　。　。

Robert　spoke　enthusiastically　of　his　regiment；　of　life　among　comrades　with　Death　but　four　steps　away。

〃I　believe　in　my　ideas；　Boss；　the　same　as　before；〃　he　explained　as　though　guessing　the　other's　thought。　　〃But　war　is　war　and　teaches　many　thingsamong　others　that　Liberty　must　be　accompanied　with　order　and　authority。　　It　is　necessary　that　someone　direct　that　the　rest　may　followwillingly；　by　common　consent　。　。　。　but　they　must　follow。　　When　war　actually　comes　one　sees　things　very　differently　from　when　living　at　home　doing　as　one　pleases。〃

The　night　that　they　assassinated　Jaures　he　howled　with　rage；　announcing　that　the　following　morning　the　murder　would　be　avenged。　He　had　hunted　up　his　associates　in　the　district　in　order　to　inform　them　what　retaliation　was　being　planned　against　the　malefactors。　But　war　was　about　to　break　out。　　There　was　something　in　the　air　that　was　opposing　civil　strife；　that　was　placing　private　grievances　in　momentary　abeyance；　concentrating　all　minds　on　the　common　weal。

〃A　week　ago；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃I　was　an　anti…militarist！　　How　far　away　that　seems　nowas　if　a　year　had　gone　by！　　I　keep　thinking　as　before！　　I　love　peace　and　hate　war　like　all　my　comrades。　　But　the　French　have　not　offended　anybody；　and　yet　they　threaten　us；　wishing　to　enslave　us。　。　。　。　　But　we　French　can　be　fierce；　since　they　oblige　us　to　be；　and　in　order　to　defend　ourselves　it　is　just　that　nobody　should　shirk；　that　all　should　obey。　　Discipline　does　not　quarrel　with　Revolution。　　Remember　the　armies　of　the　first　Republicall　citizens；　Generals　as　well　as　soldiers；　but　Hoche；　Kleber　and　the　others　were　rough…hewn；　unpolished　benefactors　who　knew　how　to　command　and　exact　obedience。〃

The　carpenter　was　well　read。　　Besides　the　papers　and　pamphlets　of　〃the　Idea；〃　he　had　also　read　on　stray　sheets　the　views　of　Michelet　and　other　liberal　actors　on　the　stage　of　history。

〃We　are　going　to　make　war　on　War；〃　he　added。　　〃We　are　going　to　fight　so　that　this　war　will　be　the　last。〃

This　statement　did　not　seem　to　be　expressed　with　sufficient　clearness；　so　he　recast　his　thought。

〃We　are　going　to　fight　for　the　future；　we　are　going　to　die　in　order　that　our　grandchildren　may　not　have　to　endure　a　similar　calamity。　If　the　enemy　triumphs；　the　war…habit　will　triumph；　and　conquest　will　be　the　only　means　of　growth。　　First　they　will　overcome　Europe；　then　the　rest　of　the　world。　　Later　on；　those　who　have　been　pillaged　will　rise　up　in　their　wrath。　　More　wars！　。　。　。　　We　do　not　want　conquests。　We　desire　to　regain　Alsace　and　Lorraine；　for　their　inhabitants　wish　to　return　to　us　。　。　。　and　nothing　more。　　We　shall　not　imitate　the　enemy；　appropriating　territory　and　jeopardizing　the　peace　of　the　world。　　We　had　enough　of　that　with　Napoleon；　we　must　not　repeat　that　experience。　　We　are　going　to　fight　for　our　immediate　security；　and　at　the　same　time　for　the　security　of　the　worldfor　the　life　of　the　weaker　nations。　　If　this　were　a　war　of　aggression；　of　mere　vanity；　of　conquest；　then　we　Socialists　would　bethink　ourselves　of　our　anti…　militarism。　　But　this　is　self…defense；　and　the　government　has　not　been　at　fault。　　Since　we　are　attacked；　we　must　be　united　in　our　defensive。〃

The　carpenter；　who　was　also　anti…clerical；　was　now　showing　a　more　generous　tolerance；　an　amplitude　of　ideas　that　embraced　all　mankind。　The　day　before　he　had　met　at　the　administration　office　a　Reservist　who　was　just　leaving　to　join　his　regiment。　　At　a　glance　he　saw　that　this　man　was　a　priest。

〃I　am　a　carpenter；〃　he　had　said　to　him；　by　way　of　introduction；　〃and　you；　comrade；　are　working　in　the　churches？〃

He　employed　this　figure　of　speech　in　order　that　the　priest　might　not　suspect　him　of　anything　offensive。　　The　two　had　clasped　hands。

〃I　do　not　take　much　stock　in　the　clerical　cowl；〃　Robert　explained　to　Desnoyers。　　〃For　some　time　I　have　not　been　on　friendly　terms　with　religion。　　But　in　every　walk　of　life　there　must　be　good　people；　and　the　good　people　ought　to　understand　each　other　in　a　crisis　like　this。　　Don't　you　think　so；　Boss？〃

The　war　coincided　with　his　socialistic　tendencies。　　Before　this；　when　speaking　of　future　revolution；　he　had　felt　a　malign　pleasure　in　imagining　all　the　rich　deprived　of　their　fortunes　and　having　to　work　in　order　to　exist。　　Now　he　was　equally　enthusiastic　at　the　thought　that　all　Frenchmen　would　share　the　same　fate　without　class　distinction。

〃All　with　knapsacks　on　their　backs　and　eating　at　mess。〃

And　he　was　even　extending　this　military　sobriety　to　those　who　remained　behind　the　army。　　War　was　going　to　cause　great　scarcity　of　provisions；　and　all　would　have　to　come　down　to　very　plain　fare。

〃You；　too；　Boss；　who　are　too　old　to　go　to　waryou；　with　all　your　millions；　will　have　to　eat　the　same　as　I。　。　。　。　　Admit　that　it　is　a　beautiful　thing。〃

Desnoyers　was　not　offended　by　the　malicious　satisfaction　that　his　future　privations　seemed　to　inspire　in　the　carpenter。　　He　was　very　thoughtful。　　A　man　of　his　stamp；　an　enemy　of　existing　conditions；　who　had　no　property　to　defend；　was　going　to　warto　death；　perhaps　because　of　a　generous　and　distant　ideal；　in　order　that　future　generations　might　never　know　the　actual　horrors　of　war！　　To　do　this；　he　was　not　hesitating　at　the　sacrifice　of　his　former　cherished　beliefs；　all　that　he　had　held　sacred　till　now。　。　。　。　　And　he　who　belonged　to　the　privileged　class；　who　possessed　so　many　tempting　things；　requiring　defense；　had　given　himself　up　to　doubt　and　criticism！　。　。　。

Hours　after；　he　again　saw　the　carpenter；　near　the　Arc　de　Triomphe。　He　was　one　of　a　group　of　workmen　looking　much　as　he　did；　and　this　group　was　joining　others　and　still　others　that　represented　every　social　classwell…dressed　citizens；　stylish　and　anaemic　young　men；　graduate　students　with　worn　jackets；　pale　faces　and　thick　glasses；　and　youthful　priests　who　were　smiling　rather　shamefacedly　as　though　they　had　been　caught　at　some　ridiculous　escapade。　　At　the　head　of　this　human　herd　was　a　sergeant；　and　as　a　rear　guard；　various　soldiers　with　guns　on　their　shoulders。　　Forward　march；　Reservists！　。　。　。

And　a　musical　cry；　a　solemn　harmony　like　a　Greek　chant；　menacing　and　monotonous；　surged　up　from　this　mass　with　open　mouths；　swinging　arms；　and　legs　that　were　opening　and　shutting　like　compasses。

Robert　was　singing　the　martial　chorus　with　such　great

energy　that　his　eyes　and　Gallic　moustachios　were　fairly　trembling。　In　spite　of　his　corduroy　suit　and　his　bulging　linen　hand　bag；　he　had　the　same　grand　and　heroic　aspect　as　the　figures　by　Rude　in　the　Arc　de　Triomphe。　　The　〃affinity〃　and　the　boy　were　trudging　along　the　sidewalk　so　as　to　accompany　him　to　the　station。　　For　a　moment　he　took　his　eyes　from　them　to　speak　with　a　companion　in　the　line；　shaven　and　serious…looking；　undoubtedly　the　priest　whom　he　had　met　the　day　before。　　Now　they　were　talking　confidentially；　intimately；　with　that　brotherliness　which　contact　with　death　inspires　in　mankind。

The　millionaire　followed　the　carpenter　with　a　look　of　respect；　immeasurably　increased　since　he　had　taken　his　part　in　this　human　avalanche。　　And　this　respect　had　in　it　something　of　envy；　the　envy　that　springs　from　an　uneasy　conscience。

Whenever　Don　Marcelo　passed　a