the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第92节

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d　never　find　it。　　The　beloved　body　of　Otto　would　have　disappeared　forever　in　one　of　the　nameless　pits　which　they　had　just　passed。

〃O　Lord；　why　did　we　ever　come　to　these　lands？　　Why　did　we　not　continue　living　in　the　land　where　we　were　born？〃　。　。　。

Desnoyers；　too；　uniting　his　thoughts　with　hers；　was　seeing　again　the　pampas；　the　immense　green　plains　of　the　ranch　where　he　had　become　acquainted　with　his　wife。　　Again　he　could　hear　the　tread　of　the　herds。　　He　recalled　Madariaga　on　tranquil　nights　proclaiming；　under　the　splendor　of　the　stars；　the　joys　of　peace；　the　sacred　brotherhood　of　these　people　of　most　diverse　extraction；　united　by　labor；　abundance　and　the　lack　of　political　ambition。

And　as　his　thoughts　swung　back　to　the　lost　son　he；　too；　exclaimed　with　his　wife；　〃Oh；　why　did　we　ever　come？　。　。　。〃　　He；　too；　with　the　solidarity　of　grief；　began　to　sympathize　with　those　on　the　other　side　of　the　battle　front。　　They　were　suffering　just　as　he　was；　they　had　lost　their　sons。　　Human　grief　is　the　same　everywhere。

But　then　he　revolted　against　his　commiseration。　　Karl　had　been　an　advocate　of　this　war。　　He　was　among　those　who　had　looked　upon　war　as　the　perfect　state　for　mankind；　who　had　prepared　it　with　their　provocations。　　It　was　just　that　War　should　devour　his　sons；　he　ought　not　to　bewail　their　loss。　。　。　。　　But　he　who　had　always　loved　Peace！　He　who　had　only　one　son；　only　one！　。　。　。　and　now　he　was　losing　him　forever！　。　。　。

He　was　going　to　die；　he　was　sure　that　he　was　going　to　die。　。　。　。　Only　a　few　months　of　life　were　left　in　him。　　And　his　pitiful；　devoted　companion　kneeling　at　his　feet；　she；　too；　would　soon　pass　away。　　She　could　not　long　survive　the　blow　which　they　had　just　received。　　There　was　nothing　further　for　them　to　do；　nobody　needed　them　any　longer。

Their　daughter　was　thinking　only　of　herself；　of　founding　a　separate　home　interestwith　the　hard　instinct　of　independence　which　separates　children　from　their　parents　in　order　that　humanity　may　continue　its　work　of　renovation。

Julio　was　the　only　one　who　would　have　prolonged　the　family；　passing　on　the　name。　　The　Desnoyers　had　died；　his　daughter's　children　would　be　Lacour。　。　。　。　　All　was　ended。

Don　Marcelo　even　felt　a　certain　satisfaction　in　thinking　of　his　approaching　death。　　More　than　anything　else；　he　wished　to　pass　out　of　the　world。　　He　no　longer　had　any　curiosity　as　to　the　end　of　this　war　in　which　he　had　been　so　interested。　　Whatever　the　end　might　be；　it　would　be　sure　to　turn　out　badly。　　Although　the　Beast　might　be　mutilated；　it　would　again　come　forth　years　afterward；　as　the　eternal　curse　of　mankind。　。　。　。　　For　him　the　only　important　thing　now　was　that　the　war　had　robbed　him　of　his　son。　　All　was　gloomy；　all　was　black。　　The　world　was　going　to　its　ruin。　。　。　。　　He　was　going　to　rest。

Chichi　had　clambered　up　on　the　hillock　which　contained；　perhaps；　more　than　their　dead。　　With　furrowed　brow；　she　was　contemplating　the　plain。　　Graves　。　。　。　graves　everywhere！　　The　recollection　of　Julio　had　already　passed　to　second　place　in　her　mind。　　She　could　not　bring　him　back；　no　matter　how　much　she　might　weep。

This　vision　of　the　fields　of　death　made　her　think　all　the　more　of　the　living。　　As　her　eyes　roved　from　side　to　side；　she　tried；　with　her　hands；　to　keep　down　the　whirling　of　her　wind…tossed　skirts。　Rene　was　standing　at　the　foot　of　the　knoll；　and　several　times　after　a　sweeping　glance　at　the　numberless　mounds　around　them；　she　looked　thoughtfully　at　him；　as　though　trying　to　establish　a　relationship　between　her　husband　and　those　below。　　And　he　had　exposed　his　life　in　combats　just　as　these　men　had　done！　。　。　。

〃And　you；　my　poor　darling；〃　she　continued　aloud。　　〃At　this　very　moment　you；　too；　might　be　lying　here　under　a　heap　of　earth　with　a　wooden　cross　at　your　head；　just　like　these　poor　unfortunates！〃

The　sub…lieutenant　smiled　sadly。　　Yes；　it　was　so。

〃Come　here；　climb　up　here！〃　said　Chichi　impetuously。　　〃I　want　to　give　you　something！〃

As　soon　as　he　approached　her；　she　flung　her　arms　around　his　neck；　pressed　him　against　the　warm　softness　of　her　breast；　exhaling　a　perfume　of　life　and　love；　and　kissed　him　passionately　without　a　thought　of　her　brother；　without　seeing　her　aged　parents　grieving　below　them　and　longing　to　die。　。　。　。　　And　her　skirts；　freed　by　the　breeze；　molded　her　figure　in　the　superb　sweep　of　the　curves　of　a　Grecian　vase。




End