the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第69节

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Another　day　passed　by；　like　its　predecessor。　　In　the　morning　of　the　following　day　his　perceptions；　sharpened　by　apprehension；　made　him　conjecture　that　something　extraordinary　had　occurred。　　The　automobiles　were　arriving　and　departing　with　greater　rapidity；　and　there　was　greater　disorder　and　confusion　among　the　executive　force。　The　telephone　was　ringing　with　mad　precipitation；　and　the　wounded　arrivals　seemed　more　depressed。　　The　day　before　they　had　been　singing　when　taken　from　the　vehicles；　hiding　their　woe　with　laughter　and　bravado；　all　talking　of　the　near　victory　and　regretting　that　they　would　not　be　able　to　witness　the　triumphal　entry　into　Paris。　Now　they　were　all　very　silent；　with　furrowed　brows；　thinking　no　longer　about　what　was　going　on　behind　them；　wondering　only　about　their　own　fate。

Outside　the　park　was　the　buzz　of　the　approaching　throng　which　was　blackening　the　roads。　　The　invasion　was　beginning　again；　but　with　a　refluent　movement。　　For　hours　at　a　time　great　strings　of　gray　trucks　went　puffing　by；　then　regiments　of　infantry；　squadrons；　rolling　stock。　　They　were　marching　very　slowly　with　a　deliberation　that　puzzled　Desnoyers；　who　could　not　make　out　whether　this　recessional　meant　flight　or　change　of　position。　　The　only　thing　that　gave　him　any　satisfaction　was　the　stupefied　and　downcast　appearance　of　the　soldiers；　the　gloomy　sulks　of　the　officers。　　Nobody　was　shouting；　they　all　appeared　to　have　forgotten　their　〃Nach　Paris！〃　　The　greenish　gray　monster　still　had　its　armed　head　stretched　across　the　other　side　of　the　Marne；　but　its　tail　was　beginning　to　uncoil　with　uneasy　wrigglings。

After　night　had　settled　down　the　troops　were　still　continuing　to　fall　back。　　The　cannonading　was　certainly　coming　nearer。　　Some　of　the　thunderous　claps　sounded　so　close　that　they　made　the　glass　tremble　in　the　windows。　　A　fugitive　farmer；　trying　to　find　refuge　in　the　park；　gave　Don　Marcelo　some　news。　　The　Germans　were　in　full　retreat。　　They　had　installed　some　of　their　batteries　on　the　banks　of　the　Marne　in　order　to　attempt　a　new　resistance。　。　。　。　　And　the　new　arrival　remained　without　attracting　the　attention　of　the　invaders　who；　a　few　days　before；　would　have　shot　him　on　the　slightest　suspicion。

The　mechanical　workings　of　discipline　were　evidently　out　of　gear。　Doctors　and　nurses　were　running　from　place　to　place；　shouting　orders　and　breaking　out　into　a　volley　of　curses　every　time　a　fresh　ambulance　load　arrived。　　The　drivers　were　commanded　to　take　their　patients　on　ahead　to　another　hospital　near　the　rear…guard。　　Orders　had　been　received　to　evacuate　the　castle　that　very　night。

In　spite　of　this　prohibition；　one　of　the　ambulances　unloaded　its　relay　of　wounded　men。　　So　deplorable　was　their　state　that　the　doctors　accepted　them；　judging　it　useless　for　them　to　continue　their　journey。　　They　remained　in　the　garden；　lying　on　the　same　stretchers　that　they　had　occupied　within　the　vehicle。　　By　the　light　of　the　lanterns　Desnoyers　recognized　one　of　the　dying。　　It　was　the　secretary　to　His　Excellency；　the　Socialist　professor　who　had　shut　him　in　the　cellar　vaults。

At　the　sight　of　the　owner　of　the　castle　he　smiled　as　though　he　had　met　a　comrade。　　His　was　the　only　familiar　face　among　all　those　people　who　were　speaking　his　language。　　He　was　ghastly　in　hue；　with　sunken　features　and　an　impalpable　glaze　spreading　over　his　eyes。　　He　had　no　visible　wounds；　but　from　under　the　cloak　spread　over　his　abdomen　his　torn　intestines　exhaled　a　fatal　warning。　　The　presence　of　Don　Marcelo　made　him　guess　where　they　had　brought　him；　and　little　by　little　he　co…ordinated　his　recollections。　　As　though　the　old　gentleman　might　be　interested　in　the　whereabouts　of　his　comrades；　he　told　him　all　he　knew　in　a　weak　and　strained　voice。　。　。　。　　Bad　luck　for　their　brigade！　　They　had　reached　the　front　at　a　critical　moment　for　the　reserve　troops。　　Commandant　Blumhardt　had　died　at　the　very　first；　a　shell　of　'75　taking　off　his　head。　　Dead；　too；　were　all　the　officers　who　had　lodged　in　the　castle。　　His　Excellency　had　had　his　jaw　bone　torn　off　by　a　fragment　of　shell。　　He　had　seen　him　on　the　ground；　howling　with　pain；　drawing　a　portrait　from　his　breast　and　trying　to　kiss　it　with　his　broken　mouth。　　He　had　himself　been　hit　in　the　stomach　by　the　same　shell。　　He　had　lain　forty…two　hours　on　the　field　before　he　was　picked　up　by　the　ambulance　corps。　。　。　。

And　with　the　mania　of　the　University　man；　whose　hobby　is　to　see　everything　reasoned　out　and　logically　explained；　he　added　in　that　supreme　moment；　with　the　tenacity　of　those　who　die　talking：

〃Sad　war；　sir。　。　。　。　　Many　premises　are　lacking　in　order　to　decide　who　is　the　culpable　party。　。　。　。　When　the　war　is　ended　they　will　have　to　。　。　。　will　have　to　。　　。　　。〃　　And　he　closed　his　eyes　overcome　by　the　effort。　　Desnoyers　left　the　dead　man；　thinking　to　himself。　Poor　fellow！　　He　was　placing　the　hour　of　justice　at　the　termination　of　the　war；　and　meanwhile　hundreds　like　him　were　dying；　disappearing　with　all　their　scruples　of　ponderous　and　disciplined　reasoning。

That　night　there　was　no　sleep　on　the　place。　　The　walls　of　the　lodge　were　creaking；　the　glass　crashing　and　breaking；　the　two　women　in　the　adjoining　room　crying　out　nervously。　　The　noise　of　the　German　fire　was　beginning　to　mingle　with　that　of　other　explosives　close　at　hand。　He　surmised　that　this　was　the　smashing　of　the　French　projectiles　which　were　coming　in　search　of　the　enemy's　artillery　above　the　Marne。

For　a　few　minutes　his　hopes　revived　as　the　possibility　of　victory　flashed　into　his　mind；　but　he　was　so　depressed　by　his　forlorn　situation　that　such　a　hope　evaporated　as　quickly　as　it　had　come。　His　own　troops　were　advancing；　but　this　advance　did　not；　perhaps；　represent　more　than　a　local　gain。　　The　line　of　battle　was　so　extensive！　。　。　。　　It　was　going　to　be　as　in　1870；　the　French　would　achieve　partial　victories；　modified　at　the　last　moment　by　the　strategy　of　the　enemies　until　they　were　turned　into　complete　defeat。

After　midnight　the　cannonading　ceased；　but　silence　was　by　no　means　re…established。　　Automobiles　were　rolling　around　the　lodge　midst　hoarse　shouts　of　command。　　It　must　be　the　hospital　convoy　that　was　evacuating　the　castle。　　Then　near　daybreak　the　thudding　of　horses'　hoofs　and　the　wheels　of　chugging　machines　thundered　through　the　gates；　making　the　ground　tremble。　　Half　an　hour　afterwards　sounded　the　tramp　of　multitudes　moving　at　a　quick　pace；　dying　away　in　the　depths　of　the　park。

At　dawn　the　old　gentleman　leaped　from　his　bed；　and　the　first　thing　he　spied　from　the　cottage　window　was　the　flag　of　the　Red　Cross　still　floating　from　the　top　of　the　castle。　　There　were　no　more　cots　under　the　trees。　　On　the　bridge　he　met　one　of　the　doctors　and　several　assistants。　　The　hospital　force　had　gone　with　all　its　transportable　patients。　　There　only　remained　in　the　castle；　under　the　care　of　a　company；　those　most　gravely　wounded。　　The　Valkyries　of　the　health　department　had　also　disappeared。

The　red…bearded　Shylock　was　among　those　left　behind；　and　on　seeing　Don　Marcelo　afar　off；　he　smiled　and　immediately　vanished。　　A　few　minutes　after　he　returned　with　full　hands。　　Never　before　had　he　been　so　generous。　　Foreseeing　pressing　necessity；　the　hungry　man　put　his　hands　in　his　pockets　as　usual；　but　was　astonished　to　learn　from　the　orderly's　emphatic　gestures　that　he　did　not　wish　any　money。

〃Nein。　。　。　。　　Nein！〃

What　generosity　was　this！　。　。　。　　The　German　persisted　in　his　negatives。　　His　enormous　mouth　expanded　in　an　ingratiating　grin　as　he　laid　his　heavy　paws　on　Marcelo's　shoulders。　　He　appeared　like　a　good　dog；　a　meek　dog；　fawning　and　licking　the　hands　of　the　passer…　by；　coaxing　to　be　taken　along　with　him。　　〃Franzosen。　。　。　。　Franzosen。〃　　He　did　not　know　how　to　say　any　more；　but　the　Frenchman　read　in　his　words　the　desire　to　make　him　understand　that　he　had　always　been　in　great　sympathy　with　the　French。　　Something　very　important　was　evidently　transpiringthe　ill…humored　air　of　those　left　behind　in　the　castle；　and　the　sudden　servility　of　this　plowman　in　uniform；　made　it　very　apparent。　。　。　。

Some　distance　beyond　the　castle　he　saw　soldiers；　many　soldiers。　　A　battalion　of　infantry　had　spread　itself　along　the　walls　with　trucks；　draught　horses　and　swift　mounts。　　With　their　pikes　the　soldiers　were　making　small　openings　in　the　mud　walls；　shaping　them　into　a　border　of　little　pinnacles。　　Others　were　kneeling　or　sitting　near　the　apertures；　taking　off　their　knapsacks　in　order　that　they　might　be　less　hampered。　　Afar　off　the　cannon　were　booming；　and　in　the　intervals　between　their　detonations　could　be　heard　the　bursting　of　shrapnel；　the　bubbling　of　frying　oil；　the　grinding　of　a　coffee…mill；　and　the　incessant　crackling　of　rifle…fire。　　Fleecy　clouds　were　floating　over　the　fields；　giving　to　near　objects　the　indefinite　lines　of　unreality。　　The　sun　was　a　faint　spot　seen　between　curtains　of　mist。　　The　trees　were　weeping　fog　moisture　from　all　the　cracks　in　their　bark。

A　thunderclap　rent　the　air　so　forcibly　that　it　seemed　very　near　the　castle。　　Desnoyers　trembled；　believing　that　he　had　received　a　blow　in　the　chest。　　The　other　men　remained　impassive　with　their　customary　indifference。　　A　cannon　had　just　been　discharged　but　a　few　feet　away　from　him；　and　not　till　then　did　he　realize　that　two　batteries　had　been　installed　in　the　park。　　The　p