the mysterious stranger-第17节

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uttered　those　blasphemies。〃

〃What　will　he　do？〃

〃He　is　doing　it　nowbetraying　her。　　In　three　days　she　will　go　to　the
stake。〃

We　could　not　speak；　we　were　frozen　with　horror；　for　if　we　had　not　meddled
with　her　career　she　would　have　been　spared　this　awful　fate。　　Satan
noticed　these　thoughts；　and　said：

〃What　you　are　thinking　is　strictly　human…likethat　is　to　say；　foolish。
The　woman　is　advantaged。　　Die　when　she　might；　she　would　go　to　heaven。　　By
this　prompt　death　she　gets　twenty…nine　years　more　of　heaven　than　she　is
entitled　to；　and　escapes　twenty…nine　years　of　misery　here。〃

A　moment　before　we　were　bitterly　making　up　our　minds　that　we　would　ask　no
more　favors　of　Satan　for　friends　of　ours；　for　he　did　not　seem　to　know　any
way　to　do　a　person　a　kindness　but　by　killing　him；　but　the　whole　aspect　of
the　case　was　changed　now；　and　we　were　glad　of　what　we　had　done　and　full
of　happiness　in　the　thought　of　it。

After　a　little　I　began　to　feel　troubled　about　Fischer；　and　asked；
timidly；　〃Does　this　episode　change　Fischer's　life…scheme；　Satan？〃

〃Change　it？　　Why；　certainly。　　And　radically。　　If　he　had　not　met　Frau
Brandt　awhile　ago　he　would　die　next　year；　thirty…four　years　of　age。　　Now
he　will　live　to　be　ninety；　and　have　a　pretty　prosperous　and　comfortable
life　of　it；　as　human　lives　go。〃

We　felt　a　great　joy　and　pride　in　what　we　had　done　for　Fischer；　and　were
expecting　Satan　to　sympathize　with　this　feeling；　but　he　showed　no　sign
and　this　made　us　uneasy。　　We　waited　for　him　to　speak；　but　he　didn't；　so；
to　assuage　our　solicitude　we　had　to　ask　him　if　there　was　any　defect　in
Fischer's　good　luck。　　Satan　considered　the　question　a　moment；　then　said；
with　some　hesitation：

〃Well；　the　fact　is；　it　is　a　delicate　point。　　Under　his　several　former
possible　life…careers　he　was　going　to　heaven。〃

We　were　aghast。　　〃Oh；　Satan！　　and　under　this　one〃

〃There；　don't　be　so　distressed。　　You　were　sincerely　trying　to　do　him　a
kindness；　let　that　comfort　you。〃

〃Oh；　dear；　dear；　that　cannot　comfort　us。　　You　ought　to　have　told　us　what
we　were　doing；　then　we　wouldn't　have　acted　so。〃

But　it　made　no　impression　on　him。　　He　had　never　felt　a　pain　or　a　sorrow；
and　did　not　know　what　they　were；　in　any　really　informing　way。　　He　had　no
knowledge　of　them　except　theoreticallythat　is　to　say；　intellectually。
And　of　course　that　is　no　good。　　One　can　never　get　any　but　a　loose　and
ignorant　notion　of　such　things　except　by　experience。　　We　tried　our　best
to　make　him　comprehend　the　awful　thing　that　had　been　done　and　how　we　were
compromised　by　it；　but　he　couldn't　seem　to　get　hold　of　it。　　He　said　he
did　not　think　it　important　where　Fischer　went　to；　in　heaven　he　would　not
be　missed；　there　were　〃plenty　there。〃　　We　tried　to　make　him　see　that　he
was　missing　the　point　entirely；　that　Fischer；　and　not　other　people；　was
the　proper　one　to　decide　about　the　importance　of　it；　but　it　all　went　for
nothing；　he　said　he　did　not　care　for　Fischerthere　were　plenty　more
Fischers。

The　next　minute　Fischer　went　by　on　the　other　side　of　the　way；　and　it　made
us　sick　and　faint　to　see　him；　remembering　the　doom　that　was　upon　him；　and
we　the　cause　of　it。　　And　how　unconscious　he　was　that　anything　had
happened　to　him！　　You　could　see　by　his　elastic　step　and　his　alert　manner
that　he　was　well　satisfied　with　himself　for　doing　that　hard　turn　for　poor
Frau　Brandt。　　He　kept　glancing　back　over　his　shoulder　expectantly。　　And；
sure　enough；　pretty　soon　Frau　Brandt　followed　after；　in　charge　of　the
officers　and　wearing　jingling　chains。　　A　mob　was　in　her　wake；　jeering　and
shouting；　〃Blasphemer　and　heretic！〃　and　some　among　them　were　neighbors
and　friends　of　her　happier　days。　　Some　were　trying　to　strike　her；　and　the
officers　were　not　taking　as　much　trouble　as　they　might　to　keep　them　from
it。

〃Oh；　stop　them；　Satan！〃　It　was　out　before　we　remembered　that　he　could　not
interrupt　them　for　a　moment　without　changing　their　whole　after…lives。　　He
puffed　a　little　puff　toward　them　with　his　lips　and　they　began　to　reel　and
stagger　and　grab　at　the　empty　air；　then　they　broke　apart　and　fled　in
every　direction；　shrieking；　as　if　in　intolerable　pain。　　He　had　crushed　a
rib　of　each　of　them　with　that　little　puff。　　We　could　not　help　asking　if
their　life…chart　was　changed。

〃Yes；　entirely。　　Some　have　gained　years；　some　have　lost　them。　　Some　few
will　profit　in　various　ways　by　the　change；　but　only　that　few。〃

We　did　not　ask　if　we　had　brought　poor　Fischer's　luck　to　any　of　them。　　We
did　not　wish　to　know。　　We　fully　believed　in　Satan's　desire　to　do　us
kindnesses；　but　we　were　losing　confidence　in　his　judgment。　　It　was　at
this　time　that　our　growing　anxiety　to　have　him　look　over　our　life…charts
and　suggest　improvements　began　to　fade　out　and　give　place　to　other
interests。

For　a　day　or　two　the　whole　village　was　a　chattering　turmoil　over　Frau
Brandt's　case　and　over　the　mysterious　calamity　that　had　overtaken　the
mob；　and　at　her　trial　the　place　was　crowded。　　She　was　easily　convicted　of
her　blasphemies；　for　she　uttered　those　terrible　words　again　and　said　she
would　not　take　them　back。　　When　warned　that　she　was　imperiling　her　life；
she　said　they　could　take　it　in　welcome；　she　did　not　want　it；　she　would
rather　live　with　the　professional　devils　in　perdition　than　with　these
imitators　in　the　village。　　They　accused　her　of　breaking　all　those　ribs　by
witchcraft；　and　asked　her　if　she　was　not　a　witch？　　She　answered
scornfully：

〃No。　　If　I　had　that　power　would　any　of　you　holy　hypocrites　be　alive　five
minutes？　　No；　I　would　strike　you　all　dead。　　Pronounce　your　sentence　and
let　me　go；　I　am　tired　of　your　society。〃

So　they　found　her　guilty；　and　she　was　excommunicated　and　cut　off　from　the
joys　of　heaven　and　doomed　to　the　fires　of　hell；　then　she　was　clothed　in　a
coarse　robe　and　delivered　to　the　secular　arm；　and　conducted　to　the
market…place；　the　bell　solemnly　tolling　the　while。　　We　saw　her　chained　to
the　stake；　and　saw　the　first　film　of　blue　smoke　rise　on　the　still　air。
Then　her　hard　face　softened；　and　she　looked　upon　the　packed　crowd　in
front　of　her　and　said；　with　gentleness：

〃We　played　together　once；　in　long…agone　days　when　we　were　innocent　little
creatures。　　For　the　sake　of　that；　I　forgive　you。〃

We　went　away　then；　and　did　not　see　the　fires　consume　her；　but　we　heard
the　shrieks；　although　we　put　our　fingers　in　our　ears。　　When　they　ceased
we　knew　she　was　in　heaven；　notwithstanding　the　excommunication；　and　we
were　glad　of　her　death　and　not　sorry　that　we　had　brought　it　about。

One　day；　a　little　while　after　this；　Satan　appeared　again。　　We　were　always
watching　out　for　him；　for　life　was　never　very　stagnant　when　he　was　by。
He　came　upon　us　at　that　place　in　the　woods　where　we　had　first　met　him。
Being　boys；　we　wanted　to　be　entertained；　we　asked　him　to　do　a　show　for
us。

〃Very　well；〃　he　said；　〃would　you　like　to　see　a　history　of　the　progress　of
the　human　race？　its　development　of　that　product　which　it　calls
civilization？〃

We　said　we　should。

So；　with　a　thought；　he　turned　the　place　into　the　Garden　of　Eden；　and　we
saw　Abel　praying　by　his　altar；　then　Cain　came　walking　toward　him　with　his
club；　and　did　not　seem　to　see　us；　and　would　have　stepped　on　my　foot　if　I
had　not　drawn　it　in。　　He　spoke　to　his　brother　in　a　language　which　we　did
not　understand；　then　he　grew　violent　and　threatening；　and　we　knew　what
was　going　to　happen；　and　turned　away　our　heads　for　the　moment；　but　we
heard　the　crash　of　the　blows　and　heard　the　shrieks　and　the　groans；　then
there　was　silence；　and　we　saw　Abel　lying　in　his　blood　and　gasping　out　his
life；　and　Cain　standing　over　him　and　looking　down　at　him；　vengeful　and
unrepentant。

Then　the　vision　vanished；　and　was　followed　by　a　long　series　of　unknown
wars；　murders；　and　massacres。　　Next　we　had　the　Flood；　and　the　Ark　tossing
around　in　the　stormy　waters；　with　lofty　mountains　in　the　distance　showing
veiled　and　dim　through　the　rain。　　Satan　said：

〃The　progress　of　your　race　was　not　satisfactory。　　It　is　to　have　another
chance　now。〃

The　scene　changed；　and　we　saw　Noah　overcome　with　wine。

Next；　we　had　Sodom　and　Gomorrah；　and　〃the　attempt　to　discover　two　or
three　respectable　persons　there；〃　as　Satan　described　it。　　Next；　Lot　and
his　daughters　in　the　cave。

Next　came　the　Hebraic　wars；　and　we　saw　the　victors　massacre　the　survivors
and　their　cattle；　and　save　the　young　girls　alive　and　distribute　them
around。

Next　we　had　Jael；　and　saw　her　slip　into　the　tent　and　drive　the　nail　into
the　temple　of　her　sleeping　guest；　and　we　were　so　close　that　when　the
blood　gushed　out　it　trickled　in　a　little；　red　stream　to　our　feet；　and　we
could　have　stained　our　hands　in　it　if　we　had　wanted　to。

Next　we　had　Egyptian　wars；　Greek　wars；　Roman　wars；　hideous　drenchings　of
the　earth　with　blood；　and　we　saw　the　treacheries　of　the　Romans　toward　the
Carthaginians；　and　the　sickening　spectacle　of　the　massacre　of　those　brave
people。　　Also　we　saw　Caesar　invade　Britain〃not　that　those　barbarians
had　done　him　any　harm；　but　because　he　wanted　their　land；　and　desired　to
confer　the　blessings　of　civilization　upon　their　widows　and　orphans；〃　as
Satan　explained。

Next；　Christianity　was　born。　　Then　ages　of　Europe　passed　in　review　before
us；　and　we　saw　Christianity　and　Civilization　march　hand　in　h