the mysterious stranger-第14节

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turn　over　and　go　to　sleep　again。　　But　I　have　appointed　that　he　shall　get
up　and　close　the　window　first。　　That　trifle　will　change　his　career
entirely。　　He　will　rise　in　the　morning　two　minutes　later　than　the　chain
of　his　life　had　appointed　him　to　rise。　　By　consequence；　thenceforth
nothing　will　ever　happen　to　him　in　accordance　with　the　details　of　the　old
chain。〃　　He　took　out　his　watch　and　sat　looking　at　it　a　few　moments；　then
said：　〃Nikolaus　has　risen　to　close　the　window。　　His　life　is　changed；　his
new　career　has　begun。　　There　will　be　consequences。〃

It　made　me　feel　creepy；　it　was　uncanny。

〃But　for　this　change　certain　things　would　happen　twelve　days　from　now。
For　instance；　Nikolaus　would　save　Lisa　from　drowning。　　He　would　arrive　on
the　scene　at　exactly　the　right　momentfour　minutes　past　ten；　the　long…
ago　appointed　instant　of　timeand　the　water　would　be　shoal；　the
achievement　easy　and　certain。　　But　he　will　arrive　some　seconds　too　late；
now；　Lisa　will　have　struggled　into　deeper　water。　　He　will　do　his　best；
but　both　will　drown。〃

〃Oh；　Satan！　　oh；　dear　Satan！〃　I　cried；　with　the　tears　rising　in　my　eyes；
〃save　them！　　Don't　let　it　happen。　　I　can't　bear　to　lose　Nikolaus；　he　is
my　loving　playmate　and　friend；　and　think　of　Lisa's　poor　mother！〃

I　clung　to　him　and　begged　and　pleaded；　but　he　was　not　moved。　　He　made　me
sit　down　again；　and　told　me　I　must　hear　him　out。

〃I　have　changed　Nikolaus's　life；　and　this　has　changed　Lisa's。　　If　I　had
not　done　this；　Nikolaus　would　save　Lisa；　then　he　would　catch　cold　from
his　drenching；　one　of　your　race's　fantastic　and　desolating　scarlet　fevers
would　follow；　with　pathetic　after…effects；　for　forty…six　years　he　would
lie　in　his　bed　a　paralytic　log；　deaf；　dumb；　blind；　and　praying　night　and
day　for　the　blessed　relief　of　death。　　Shall　I　change　his　life　back？〃

〃Oh　no！　　Oh；　not　for　the　world！　　In　charity　and　pity　leave　it　as　it　is。〃

〃It　is　best　so。　　I　could　not　have　changed　any　other　link　in　his　life　and
done　him　so　good　a　service。　　He　had　a　billion　possible　careers；　but　not
one　of　them　was　worth　living；　they　were　charged　full　with　miseries　and
disasters。　　But　for　my　intervention　he　would　do　his　brave　deed　twelve
days　from　nowa　deed　begun　and　ended　in　six　minutesand　get　for　all
reward　those　forty…six　years　of　sorrow　and　suffering　I　told　you　of。　　It
is　one　of　the　cases　I　was　thinking　of　awhile　ago　when　I　said　that
sometimes　an　act　which　brings　the　actor　an　hour's　happiness　and　self…
satisfaction　is　paid　foror　punishedby　years　of　suffering。〃

I　wondered　what　poor　little　Lisa's　early　death　would　save　her　from。　　He
answered　the　thought：

〃From　ten　years　of　pain　and　slow　recovery　from　an　accident；　and　then　from
nineteen　years'　pollution；　shame；　depravity；　crime；　ending　with　death　at
the　hands　of　the　executioner。　　Twelve　days　hence　she　will　die；　her　mother
would　save　her　life　if　she　could。　　Am　I　not　kinder　than　her　mother？〃

〃Yesoh；　indeed　yes；　and　wiser。〃

〃Father　Peter's　case　is　coming　on　presently。　　He　will　be　acquitted；
through　unassailable　proofs　of　his　innocence。〃

〃Why；　Satan；　how　can　that　be？　　Do　you　really　think　it？〃

〃Indeed；　I　know　it。　　His　good　name　will　be　restored；　and　the　rest　of　his
life　will　be　happy。〃

〃I　can　believe　it。　　To　restore　his　good　name　will　have　that　effect。〃

〃His　happiness　will　not　proceed　from　that　cause。　　I　shall　change　his　life
that　day；　for　his　good。　　He　will　never　know　his　good　name　has　been
restored。〃

In　my　mindand　modestlyI　asked　for　particulars；　but　Satan　paid　no
attention　to　my　thought。　　Next；　my　mind　wandered　to　the　astrologer；　and　I
wondered　where　he　might　be。

〃In　the　moon；〃　said　Satan；　with　a　fleeting　sound　which　I　believed　was　a
chuckle。　　〃I've　got　him　on　the　cold　side　of　it；　too。　　He　doesn't　know
where　he　is；　and　is　not　having　a　pleasant　time；　still；　it　is　good　enough
for　him；　a　good　place　for　his　star　studies。　　I　shall　need　him　presently；
then　I　shall　bring　him　back　and　possess　him　again。　　He　has　a　long　and
cruel　and　odious　life　before　him；　but　I　will　change　that；　for　I　have　no
feeling　against　him　and　am　quite　willing　to　do　him　a　kindness。　　I　think　I
shall　get　him　burned。〃

He　had　such　strange　notions　of　kindness！　　But　angels　are　made　so；　and　do
not　know　any　better。　　Their　ways　are　not　like　our　ways；　and；　besides；
human　beings　are　nothing　to　them；　they　think　they　are　only　freaks。　　It
seems　to　me　odd　that　he　should　put　the　astrologer　so　far　away；　he　could
have　dumped　him　in　Germany　just　as　well；　where　he　would　be　handy。

〃Far　away？〃　said　Satan。　　〃To　me　no　place　is　far　away；　distance　does　not
exist　for　me。　　The　sun　is　less　than　a　hundred　million　miles　from　here；
and　the　light　that　is　falling　upon　us　has　taken　eight　minutes　to　come；
but　I　can　make　that　flight；　or　any　other；　in　a　fraction　of　time　so　minute
that　it　cannot　be　measured　by　a　watch。　　I　have　but　to　think　the　journey；
and　it　is　accomplished。〃

I　held　out　my　hand　and　said；　〃The　light　lies　upon　it；　think　it　into　a
glass　of　wine；　Satan。〃

He　did　it。　　I　drank　the　wine。

〃Break　the　glass；〃　he　said。

I　broke　it。

〃Thereyou　see　it　is　real。　　The　villagers　thought　the　brass　balls　were
magic　stuff　and　as　perishable　as　smoke。　　They　were　afraid　to　touch　them。
You　are　a　curious　lotyour　race。　　But　come　along；　I　have　business。　　I
will　put　you　to　bed。〃　　Said　and　done。　　Then　he　was　gone；　but　his　voice
came　back　to　me　through　the　rain　and　darkness　saying；　〃Yes；　tell　Seppi；
but　no　other。〃

It　was　the　answer　to　my　thought。




Chapter　8

Sleep　would　not　come。　　It　was　not　because　I　was　proud　of　my　travels　and
excited　about　having　been　around　the　big　world　to　China；　and　feeling
contemptuous　of　Bartel　Sperling；　〃the　traveler；〃　as　he　called　himself；
and　looked　down　upon　us　others　because　he　had　been　to　Vienna　once　and　was
the　only　Eseldorf　boy　who　had　made　such　a　journey　and　seen　the　world's
wonders。　　At　another　time　that　would　have　kept　me　awake；　but　it　did　not
affect　me　now。　　No；　my　mind　was　filled　with　Nikolaus；　my　thoughts　ran
upon　him　only；　and　the　good　days　we　had　seen　together　at　romps　and
frolics　in　the　woods　and　the　fields　and　the　river　in　the　long　summer
days；　and　skating　and　sliding　in　the　winter　when　our　parents　thought　we
were　in　school。　　And　now　he　was　going　out　of　this　young　life；　and　the
summers　and　winters　would　come　and　go；　and　we　others　would　rove　and　play
as　before；　but　his　place　would　be　vacant；　we　should　see　him　no　more。　　To…
morrow　he　would　not　suspect；　but　would　be　as　he　had　always　been；　and　it
would　shock　me　to　hear　him　laugh；　and　see　him　do　lightsome　and　frivolous
things；　for　to　me　he　would　be　a　corpse；　with　waxen　hands　and　dull　eyes；
and　I　should　see　the　shroud　around　his　face；　and　next　day　he　would　not
suspect；　nor　the　next；　and　all　the　time　his　handful　of　days　would　be
wasting　swiftly　away　and　that　awful　thing　coming　nearer　and　nearer；　his
fate　closing　steadily　around　him　and　no　one　knowing　it　but　Seppi　and　me。
Twelve　daysonly　twelve　days。　　It　was　awful　to　think　of。　　I　noticed　that
in　my　thoughts　I　was　not　calling　him　by　his　familiar　names；　Nick　and
Nicky；　but　was　speaking　of　him　by　his　full　name；　and　reverently；　as　one
speaks　of　the　dead。　　Also；　as　incident　after　incident　of　our　comradeship
came　thronging　into　my　mind　out　of　the　past；　I　noticed　that　they　were
mainly　cases　where　I　had　wronged　him　or　hurt　him；　and　they　rebuked　me　and
reproached　me；　and　my　heart　was　wrung　with　remorse；　just　as　it　is　when　we
remember　our　unkindnesses　to　friends　who　have　passed　beyond　the　veil；　and
we　wish　we　could　have　them　back　again；　if　only　for　a　moment；　so　that　we
could　go　on　our　knees　to　them　and　say；　〃Have　pity；　and　forgive。〃

Once　when　we　were　nine　years　old　he　went　a　long　errand　of　nearly　two
miles　for　the　fruiterer；　who　gave　him　a　splendid　big　apple　for　reward；
and　he　was　flying　home　with　it；　almost　beside　himself　with　astonishment
and　delight；　and　I　met　him；　and　he　let　me　look　at　the　apple；　not　thinking
of　treachery；　and　I　ran　off　with　it；　eating　it　as　I　ran；　he　following　me
and　begging；　and　when　he　overtook　me　I　offered　him　the　core；　which　was
all　that　was　left；　and　I　laughed。　　Then　he　turned　away；　crying；　and　said
he　had　meant　to　give　it　to　his　little　sister。　　That　smote　me；　for　she　was
slowly　getting　well　of　a　sickness；　and　it　would　have　been　a　proud　moment
for　him；　to　see　her　joy　and　surprise　and　have　her　caresses。　　But　I　was
ashamed　to　say　I　was　ashamed；　and　only　said　something　rude　and　mean；　to
pretend　I　did　not　care；　and　he　made　no　reply　in　words；　but　there　was　a
wounded　look　in　his　face　as　he　turned　away　toward　his　home　which　rose
before　me　many　times　in　after　years；　in　the　night；　and　reproached　me　and
made　me　ashamed　again。　　It　had　grown　dim　in　my　mind；　by　and　by；　then　it
disappeared；　but　it　was　back　now；　and　not　dim。

Once　at　school；　when　we　were　eleven；　I　upset　my　ink　and　spoiled　four
copy…books；　and　was　in　danger　of　severe　punishment；　but　I　put　it　upon
him；　and　he　got　the　whipping。

And　only　last　year　I　had　cheated　him　in　a　trade；　giving　him　a　large　fish…
hook　which　was　partly　broken　through　for　three　small　sound　ones。　　The
first　fish　he　caught　broke　the　hook；　but　he　did　not　know　I　was　blamable；
and　he　refused　to　take　back　one　of　the　small　hooks　which