the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第74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！



When　the　delighted　father　was　finally　able　to　control　his　emotion；　his　eyes；　still　filled　with　tears；　glowed　with　a　malignant　light。　　A　spasm　of　hatred　furrowed　his　face。

〃Go；〃　he　said　simply。　　〃You　do　not　know　what　war　is；　I　have　just　come　from　it；　I　have　seen　it　close　by。　　This　is　not　a　war　like　other　wars；　with　rational　enemies；　it　is　a　hunt　of　wild　beasts。　。　。　。　Shoot　without　a　scruple　against　them　all。　。　。　。　　Every　one　that　you　overcome；　rids　humanity　of　a　dangerous　menace。〃

He　hesitated　a　few　seconds；　and　then　added　with　tragic　calm：

〃Perhaps　you　may　encounter　familiar　faces。　　Family　ties　are　not　always　formed　to　our　tastes。　　Men　of　your　blood　are　on　the　other　side。　　If　you　see　any　one　of　them　。　。　。　do　not　hesitate。　　Shoot！　　He　is　your　enemy。　　Kill　him！　。　。　。　Kill　him！〃



PART　III


CHAPTER　I

AFTER　THE　MARNE


At　the　end　of　October；　the　Desnoyers　family　returned　to　Paris。　　Dona　Luisa　could　no　longer　live　in　Biarritz；　so　far　from　her　husband。　　In　vain　la　Romantica　discoursed　on　the　dangers　of　a　return。　　The　Government　was　still　in　Bordeaux；　the　President　of　the　Republic　and　the　Ministry　making　only　the　most　hurried　apparitions　in　the　Capital。　　The　course　of　the　war　might　change　at　any　minute；　that　little　affair　of　the　Marne　was　but　a　momentary　relief。　。　。　。　　But　the　good　senora；　after　having　read　Don　Marcelo's　letters；　opposed　an　adamantine　will　to　all　contrary　suggestions。　　Besides；　she　was　thinking　of　her　son；　her　Julio；　now　a　soldier。　。　。　。　　She　believed　that；　by　returning　to　Paris；　she　might　in　some　ways　be　more　in　touch　with　him　than　at　this　seaside　resort　near　the　Spanish　frontier。

Chichi　also　wished　to　return　because　Rene　was　now　filling　the　greater　part　of　her　thoughts。　　Absence　had　shown　her　that　she　was　really　in　love　with　him。　　Such　a　long　time　without　seeing　her　little　sugar　soldier！　。　。　。　　So　the　family　abandoned　their　hotel　life　and　returned　to　the　avenue　Victor　Hugo。

Since　the　shock　of　the　first　September　days；　Paris　had　been　gradually　changing　its　aspect。　　The　nearly　two　million　inhabitants　who　had　been　living　quietly　in　their　homes　without　letting　themselves　be　drawn　into　the　panic；　had　accepted　the　victory　with　grave　serenity。　　None　of　them　could　explain　the　exact　course　of　the　battle；　they　would　learn　all　about　it　when　it　was　entirely　finished。

One　September　Sunday；　at　the　hour　when　the　Parisians　are　accustomed　to　take　advantage　of　the　lovely　twilight；　they　had　learned　from　the　newspapers　of　the　great　triumph　of　the　Allies　and　of　the　great　danger　which　they　had　so　narrowly　escaped。　　The　people　were　delighted；　but　did　not；　however；　abandon　their　calm　demeanor。　　Six　weeks　of　war　had　radically　changed　the　temperament　of　turbulent　and　impressionable　Paris。

The　victory　was　slowly　restoring　the　Capital　to　its　former　aspect。　A　street　that　was　practically　deserted　a　few　weeks　before　was　now　filled　with　transients。　　The　shops　were　reopening。　　The　neighbors　accustomed　to　the　conventional　silence　of　their　deserted　apartment　houses；　again　heard　sounds　of　returning　life　in　the　homes　above　and　below　them。

Don　Marcelo's　satisfaction　in　welcoming　his　family　home　was　considerably　clouded　by　the　presence　of　Dona　Elena。　　She　was　Germany　returning　to　the　encounter；　the　enemy　again　established　within　his　tents。　　Would　he　never　be　able　to　free　himself　from　this　bondage？　。　。　。　　She　was　silent　in　her　brother…in…law's　presence　because　recent　events　had　rather　bewildered　her。　　Her　countenance　was　stamped　with　a　wondering　expression　as　though　she　were　gazing　at　the　upsetting　of　the　most　elemental　physical　laws。　　In　reflective　silence　she　was　puzzling　over　the　Marne　enigma；　unable　to　understand　how　it　was　that　the　Germans　had　not　conquered　the　ground　on　which　she　was　treading；　and　in　order　to　explain　this　failure；　she　resorted　to　the　most　absurd　suppositions。

One　especially　engrossing　matter　was　increasing　her　sadness。　　Her　sons。　。　。　。　　What　would　become　of　her　sons！　　Don　Marcelo　had　never　told　her　of　his　meeting　with　Captain　von　Hartrott。　　He　was　maintaining　absolute　silence　about　his　sojourn　at　Villeblanche。　　He　had　no　desire　to　recount　his　adventures　at　the　battle　of　the　Marne。　What　was　the　use　of　saddening　his　loved　ones　with　such　miseries？　。　。　。　He　simply　told　Dona　Luisa；　who　was　alarmed　about　the　possible　fate　of　the　castle；　that　they　would　not　be　able　to　go　there　for　many　years　to　come；　because　the　hostilities　had　rendered　it　uninhabitable。　　A　covering　of　zinc　sheeting　had　been　substituted　for　the　ancient　roof　in　order　to　prevent　further　injury　from　wind　and　rain　to　the　wrecked　interior。　　Later　on；　after　peace　had　been　declared；　they　would　think　about　its　renovation。　　Just　now　it　had　too　many　inhabitants。　　And　all　the　ladies；　including　Dona　Elena；　shuddered　in　imagining　the　thousands　of　buried　bodies　forming　their　ghastly　circle　around　the　building。　　This　vision　made　Frau　von　Hartrott　again　groan；　〃Ay；　my　sons！〃

Finally；　for　humanity's　sake；　her　brother…in…law　set　her　mind　at　rest　regarding　the　fate　of　one　of　them；　the　Captain　von　Hartrott。　He　was　in　perfect　health　at　the　beginning　of　the　battle。　　He　knew　that　this　was　so　from　a　friend　who　had　conversed　with　him　。　。　。　and　he　did　not　wish　to　talk　further　about　him。

Dona　Luisa　was　spending　a　part　of　each　day　in　the　churches；　trying　to　quiet　her　uneasiness　with　prayer。　　These　petitions　were　no　longer　vague　and　generous　for　the　fate　of　millions　of　unknown　men；　for　the　victory　of　an　entire　people。　　With　maternal　self…centredness　they　were　focussed　on　one　single　personher　son；　who　was　a　soldier　like　the　others；　and　perhaps　at　this　very　moment　was　exposed　to　the　greatest　danger。　　The　tears　that　he　had　cost　her！　。　。　。　　She　had　implored　that　he　and　his　father　might　come　to　understand　each　other；　and　finally　just　as　God　was　miraculously　granting　her　supplication；　Julio　had　taken　himself　off　to　the　field　of　death。

Her　entreaties　never　went　alone　to　the　throne　of　grace。　　Someone　was　praying　near　her；　formulating　identical　requests。　　The　tearful　eyes　of　her　sister　were　raised　at　the　same　time　as　hers　to　the　figure　of　the　crucified　Savior。　　〃Lord；　save　my　son！　。　。　。　　When　uttering　these　words；　Dona　Luisa　always　saw　Julio　as　he　looked　in　a　pale　photograph　which　he　had　sent　his　father　from　the　trencheswith　kepis　and　military　cloak；　a　gun　in　his　right　hand；　and　his　face　shadowed　by　a　growing　beard。　　〃O　Lord　have　mercy　upon　us！〃　。　。　。　and　Dona　Elena　was　at　the　same　time　contemplating　a　group　of　officers　with　helmets　and　reseda　uniforms　reinforced　with　leather　pouches　for　the　revolver；　field　glasses　and　maps；　with　sword…belt　of　the　same　material。

Oftentimes　when　Don　Marcelo　saw　them　setting　forth　together　toward　Saint　Honore　d'Eylau；　he　would　wax　very　indignant。

〃They　are　juggling　with　God。　。　。　。　　This　is　most　unreasonable！　　How　could　He　grant　such　contrary　petitions？　。　。　。　　Ah；　these　women！〃

And　then；　with　that　superstition　which　danger　awakens；　he　began　to　fear　that　his　sister…in…law　might　cause　some　grave　disaster　to　his　son。　　Divinity；　fatigued　with　so　many　contradictory　prayers　was　going　to　turn　His　back　and　not　listen　to　any　of　them。　　Why　did　not　this　fatal　woman　take　herself　off？　。　。　。

He　felt　as　exasperated　at　her　presence　in　his　home　as　he　had　at　the　beginning　of　hostilities。　　Dona　Luisa　was　still　innocently　repeating　her　sister's　statements；　submitting　them　to　the　superior　criticism　of　her　husband。　　In　this　way；　Don　Marcelo　had　learned　that　the　victory　of　the　Marne　had　never　really　happened；　it　was　an　invention　of　the　allies。　　The　German　generals　had　deemed　it　prudent　to　retire　through　profound　strategic　foresight；　deferring　till　a　little　later　the　conquest　of　Paris；　and　the　French　had　done　nothing　but　follow　them　over　the　ground　which　they　had　left　free。　　That　was　all。　　She　knew　the　opinions　of　military　men　of　neutral　countries；　she　had　been　talking　in　Biarritz　with　some　people　of　unusual　intelligence；　she　knew　what　the　German　papers　were　saying　about　it。　　Nobody　over　there　believed　that　yarn　about　the　Marne。　　The　people　did　not　even　know　that　there　had　been　such　a　battle。

〃Your　sister　said　that？〃　interrupted　Desnoyers；　pale　with　wrath　and　amazement。

But　he　could　do　nothing　but　keep　on　longing　for　the　bodily　transformation　of　this　enemy　planted　under　his　roof。　　Ay；　if　she　could　only　be　changed　into　a　man！　　If　only　the　evil　genius　of　her　husband　could　but　take　her　place　for　a　brief　half　hour！　。　。　。

〃But　the　war　still　goes　on；〃　said　Dona　Luisa　in　artless　perplexity。　〃The　enemy　is　still　in　France。　。　。　。　　What　good　did　the　battle　of　the　Marne　do？〃

She　accepted　his　explanations　with　intelligent　noddings　of　the　head；　seeming　to　take　them　all　in；　and　an　hour　afterwards　would　be　repeating　the　same　doubts。

She；　nevertheless；　began　to　evince　a　mute　hostility　toward　her　sister。　　Until　now；　she　had　been　tolerating　her　enthusiasms　in　favor　of　her　husband's　country　because　she　always　considered　family　ties　of　more　importance　than　the　rivalries　of　nations。　　Just　because　Desnoyers　happened　to　be　a　Frenchman　and　Karl　a　German；　she　was　not　going　to　quarrel　with　Elena。　　But　suddenly　this　forbearance　had　vanished。　　Her　son　was　now　in　danger。　。　。　。　　Better　that　all　the　von　Hartrotts　should　die　than　that　Julio　should　receive　the　most　ins