the mysterious stranger-第13节

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they　should　be。　　The　difference　between　them　and　me　is　abysmal；
immeasurable。　　They　have　no　intellect。〃

〃No　intellect？〃

〃Nothing　that　resembles　it。　　At　a　future　time　I　will　examine　what　man
calls　his　mind　and　give　you　the　details　of　that　chaos；　then　you　will　see
and　understand。　　Men　have　nothing　in　common　with　methere　is　no　point　of
contact；　they　have　foolish　little　feelings　and　foolish　little　vanities
and　impertinences　and　ambitions；　their　foolish　little　life　is　but　a
laugh；　a　sigh；　and　extinction；　and　they　have　no　sense。　　Only　the　Moral
Sense。　　I　will　show　you　what　I　mean。　　Here　is　a　red　spider；　not　so　big　as
a　pin's　head。　　Can　you　imagine　an　elephant　being　interested　in　him
caring　whether　he　is　happy　or　isn't；　or　whether　he　is　wealthy　or　poor；　or
whether　his　sweetheart　returns　his　love　or　not；　or　whether　his　mother　is
sick　or　well；　or　whether　he　is　looked　up　to　in　society　or　not；　or　whether
his　enemies　will　smite　him　or　his　friends　desert　him；　or　whether　his
hopes　will　suffer　blight　or　his　political　ambitions　fail；　or　whether　he
shall　die　in　the　bosom　of　his　family　or　neglected　and　despised　in　a
foreign　land？　　These　things　can　never　be　important　to　the　elephant；　they
are　nothing　to　him；　he　cannot　shrink　his　sympathies　to　the　microscopic
size　of　them。　　Man　is　to　me　as　the　red　spider　is　to　the　elephant。　　The
elephant　has　nothing　against　the　spiderhe　cannot　get　down　to　that
remote　level；　I　have　nothing　against　man。　　The　elephant　is　indifferent；　I
am　indifferent。　　The　elephant　would　not　take　the　trouble　to　do　the　spider
an　ill　turn；　if　he　took　the　notion　he　might　do　him　a　good　turn；　if　it
came　in　his　way　and　cost　nothing。　　I　have　done　men　good　service；　but　no
ill　turns。

〃The　elephant　lives　a　century；　the　red　spider　a　day；　in　power；　intellect；
and　dignity　the　one　creature　is　separated　from　the　other　by　a　distance
which　is　simply　astronomical。　　Yet　in　these；　as　in　all　qualities；　man　is
immeasurably　further　below　me　than　is　the　wee　spider　below　the　elephant。

〃Man's　mind　clumsily　and　tediously　and　laboriously　patches　little
trivialities　together　and　gets　a　resultsuch　as　it　is。　　My　mind　creates！
Do　you　get　the　force　of　that？　　Creates　anything　it　desiresand　in　a
moment。　　Creates　without　material。　　Creates　fluids；　solids；　colors
anything；　everythingout　of　the　airy　nothing　which　is　called　Thought。　　A
man　imagines　a　silk　thread；　imagines　a　machine　to　make　it；　imagines　a
picture；　then　by　weeks　of　labor　embroiders　it　on　canvas　with　the　thread。
I　think　the　whole　thing；　and　in　a　moment　it　is　before　youcreated。

〃I　think　a　poem；　music；　the　record　of　a　game　of　chessanythingand　it
is　there。　　This　is　the　immortal　mindnothing　is　beyond　its　reach。
Nothing　can　obstruct　my　vision；　the　rocks　are　transparent　to　me；　and
darkness　is　daylight。　　I　do　not　need　to　open　a　book；　I　take　the　whole　of
its　contents　into　my　mind　at　a　single　glance；　through　the　cover；　and　in　a
million　years　I　could　not　forget　a　single　word　of　it；　or　its　place　in　the
volume。　　Nothing　goes　on　in　the　skull　of　man；　bird；　fish；　insect；　or
other　creature　which　can　be　hidden　from　me。　　I　pierce　the　learned　man's
brain　with　a　single　glance；　and　the　treasures　which　cost　him　threescore
years　to　accumulate　are　mine；　he　can　forget；　and　he　does　forget；　but　I
retain。

〃Now；　then；　I　perceive　by　your　thoughts　that　you　are　understanding　me
fairly　well。　　Let　us　proceed。　　Circumstances　might　so　fall　out　that　the
elephant　could　like　the　spidersupposing　he　can　see　itbut　he　could　not
love　it。　　His　love　is　for　his　own　kindfor　his　equals。　　An　angel's　love
is　sublime；　adorable；　divine；　beyond　the　imagination　of　maninfinitely
beyond　it！　　But　it　is　limited　to　his　own　august　order。　　If　it　fell　upon
one　of　your　race　for　only　an　instant；　it　would　consume　its　object　to
ashes。　　No；　we　cannot　love　men；　but　we　can　be　harmlessly　indifferent　to
them；　we　can　also　like　them；　sometimes。　　I　like　you　and　the　boys；　I　like
Father　Peter；　and　for　your　sakes　I　am　doing　all　these　things　for　the
villagers。〃

He　saw　that　I　was　thinking　a　sarcasm；　and　he　explained　his　position。

〃I　have　wrought　well　for　the　villagers；　though　it　does　not　look　like　it
on　the　surface。　　Your　race　never　know　good　fortune　from　ill。　　They　are
always　mistaking　the　one　for　the　other。　　It　is　because　they　cannot　see
into　the　future。　　What　I　am　doing　for　the　villagers　will　bear　good　fruit
some　day；　in　some　cases　to　themselves；　in　others；　to　unborn　generations
of　men。　　No　one　will　ever　know　that　I　was　the　cause；　but　it　will　be　none
the　less　true；　for　all　that。　　Among　you　boys　you　have　a　game：　you　stand　a
row　of　bricks　on　end　a　few　inches　apart；　you　push　a　brick；　it　knocks　its
neighbor　over；　the　neighbor　knocks　over　the　next　brickand　so　on　till
all　the　row　is　prostrate。　　That　is　human　life。　　A　child's　first　act
knocks　over　the　initial　brick；　and　the　rest　will　follow　inexorably。　　If
you　could　see　into　the　future；　as　I　can；　you　would　see　everything　that
was　going　to　happen　to　that　creature；　for　nothing　can　change　the　order　of
its　life　after　the　first　event　has　determined　it。　　That　is；　nothing　will
change　it；　because　each　act　unfailingly　begets　an　act；　that　act　begets
another；　and　so　on　to　the　end；　and　the　seer　can　look　forward　down　the
line　and　see　just　when　each　act　is　to　have　birth；　from　cradle　to　grave。〃

〃Does　God　order　the　career？〃

〃Foreordain　it？　　No。　　The　man's　circumstances　and　environment　order　it。
His　first　act　determines　the　second　and　all　that　follow　after。　　But
suppose；　for　argument's　sake；　that　the　man　should　skip　one　of　these　acts；
an　apparently　trifling　one；　for　instance；　suppose　that　it　had　been
appointed　that　on　a　certain　day；　at　a　certain　hour　and　minute　and　second
and　fraction　of　a　second　he　should　go　to　the　well；　and　he　didn't　go。
That　man's　career　would　change　utterly；　from　that　moment；　thence　to　the
grave　it　would　be　wholly　different　from　the　career　which　his　first　act　as
a　child　had　arranged　for　him。　　Indeed；　it　might　be　that　if　he　had　gone　to
the　well　he　would　have　ended　his　career　on　a　throne；　and　that　omitting　to
do　it　would　set　him　upon　a　career　that　would　lead　to　beggary　and　a
pauper's　grave。　　For　instance：　if　at　any　timesay　in　boyhoodColumbus
had　skipped　the　triflingest　little　link　in　the　chain　of　acts　projected
and　made　inevitable　by　his　first　childish　act；　it　would　have　changed　his
whole　subsequent　life；　and　he　would　have　become　a　priest　and　died　obscure
in　an　Italian　village；　and　America　would　not　have　been　discovered　for　two
centuries　afterward。　　I　know　this。　　To　skip　any　one　of　the　billion　acts
in　Columbus's　chain　would　have　wholly　changed　his　life。　　I　have　examined
his　billion　of　possible　careers；　and　in　only　one　of　them　occurs　the
discovery　of　America。　　You　people　do　not　suspect　that　all　of　your　acts
are　of　one　size　and　importance；　but　it　is　true；　to　snatch　at　an　appointed
fly　is　as　big　with　fate　for　you　as　is　any　other　appointed　act〃

〃As　the　conquering　of　a　continent；　for　instance？〃

〃Yes。　　Now；　then；　no　man　ever　does　drop　a　linkthe　thing　has　never
happened！　　Even　when　he　is　trying　to　make　up　his　mind　as　to　whether　he
will　do　a　thing　or　not；　that　itself　is　a　link；　an　act；　and　has　its　proper
place　in　his　chain；　and　when　he　finally　decides　an　act；　that　also　was　the
thing　which　he　was　absolutely　certain　to　do。　　You　see；　now；　that　a　man
will　never　drop　a　link　in　his　chain。　　He　cannot。　　If　he　made　up　his　mind
to　try；　that　project　would　itself　be　an　unavoidable　linka　thought　bound
to　occur　to　him　at　that　precise　moment；　and　made　certain　by　the　first　act
of　his　babyhood。〃

It　seemed　so　dismal！

〃He　is　a　prisoner　for　life；〃　I　said　sorrowfully；　〃and　cannot　get　free。〃

〃No；　of　himself　he　cannot　get　away　from　the　consequences　of　his　first
childish　act。　　But　I　can　free　him。〃

I　looked　up　wistfully。

〃I　have　changed　the　careers　of　a　number　of　your　villagers。〃

I　tried　to　thank　him；　but　found　it　difficult；　and　let　it　drop。

〃I　shall　make　some　other　changes。　　You　know　that　little　Lisa　Brandt？〃

〃Oh　yes；　everybody　does。　　My　mother　says　she　is　so　sweet　and　so　lovely
that　she　is　not　like　any　other　child。　　She　says　she　will　be　the　pride　of
the　village　when　she　grows　up；　and　its　idol；　too；　just　as　she　is　now。〃

〃I　shall　change　her　future。〃

〃Make　it　better？〃　I　asked。

〃Yes。　　And　I　will　change　the　future　of　Nikolaus。〃

I　was　glad；　this　time；　and　said；　〃I　don't　need　to　ask　about　his　case；　you
will　be　sure　to　do　generously　by　him。〃

〃It　is　my　intention。〃

Straight　off　I　was　building　that　great　future　of　Nicky's　in　my
imagination；　and　had　already　made　a　renowned　general　of　him　and
hofmeister　at　the　court；　when　I　noticed　that　Satan　was　waiting　for　me　to
get　ready　to　listen　again。　　I　was　ashamed　of　having　exposed　my　cheap
imaginings　to　him；　and　was　expecting　some　sarcasms；　but　it　did　not
happen。　　He　proceeded　with　his　subject：

〃Nicky's　appointed　life　is　sixty…two　years。〃

〃That's　grand！〃　I　said。

〃Lisa's；　thirty…six。　　But；　as　I　told　you；　I　shall　change　their　lives　and
those　ages。　　Two　minutes　and　a　quarter　from　now　Nikolaus　will　wake　out　of
his　sleep　and　find　the　rain　blowing　in。　　It　was　appointed　that　he　should
turn　over　and　go　to　sleep　again。　　But　I　have　appointed　that　he　shall　get
up　and