the mysterious stranger-第8节

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〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Ah；　that　pleases　me；　I　see　you　remember　me。〃　　He　stepped　to　her　and
whispered：　〃I　told　you　it　is　a　Lucky　Cat。　　Don't　be　troubled；　it　will
provide。〃

That　sponged　the　slate　of　Ursula's　feelings　clean　of　its　anxieties；　and　a
deep；　financial　joy　shone　in　her　eyes。　　The　cat's　value　was　augmenting。
It　was　getting　full　time　for　Marget　to　take　some　sort　of　notice　of
Satan's　invitation；　and　she　did　it　in　the　best　way；　the　honest　way　that
was　natural　to　her。　　She　said　she　had　little　to　offer；　but　that　we　were
welcome　if　we　would　share　it　with　her。

We　had　supper　in　the　kitchen；　and　Ursula　waited　at　table。　　A　small　fish
was　in　the　frying…pan；　crisp　and　brown　and　tempting；　and　one　could　see
that　Marget　was　not　expecting　such　respectable　food　as　this。　　Ursula
brought　it；　and　Marget　divided　it　between　Satan　and　me；　declining　to　take
any　of　it　herself；　and　was　beginning　to　say　she　did　not　care　for　fish　to…
day；　but　she　did　not　finish　the　remark。　　It　was　because　she　noticed　that
another　fish　had　appeared　in　the　pan。　　She　looked　surprised；　but　did　not
say　anything。　　She　probably　meant　to　inquire　of　Ursula　about　this　later。
There　were　other　surprises：　flesh　and　game　and　wines　and　fruitsthings
which　had　been　strangers　in　that　house　lately；　but　Marget　made　no
exclamations；　and　now　even　looked　unsurprised；　which　was　Satan's
influence；　of　course。　　Satan　talked　right　along；　and　was　entertaining；
and　made　the　time　pass　pleasantly　and　cheerfully；　and　although　he　told　a
good　many　lies；　it　was　no　harm　in　him；　for　he　was　only　an　angel　and　did
not　know　any　better。　　They　do　not　know　right　from　wrong；　I　knew　this；
because　I　remembered　what　he　had　said　about　it。　　He　got　on　the　good　side
of　Ursula。　　He　praised　her　to　Marget；　confidentially；　but　speaking　just
loud　enough　for　Ursula　to　hear。　　He　said　she　was　a　fine　woman；　and　he
hoped　some　day　to　bring　her　and　his　uncle　together。　　Very　soon　Ursula　was
mincing　and　simpering　around　in　a　ridiculous　girly　way；　and　smoothing　out
her　gown　and　prinking　at　herself　like　a　foolish　old　hen；　and　all　the　time
pretending　she　was　not　hearing　what　Satan　was　saying。　　I　was　ashamed；　for
it　showed　us　to　be　what　Satan　considered　us；　a　silly　race　and　trivial。
Satan　said　his　uncle　entertained　a　great　deal；　and　to　have　a　clever　woman
presiding　over　the　festivities　would　double　the　attractions　of　the　place。

〃But　your　uncle　is　a　gentleman；　isn't　he？〃　asked　Marget。

〃Yes；〃　said　Satan　indifferently；　〃some　even　call　him　a　Prince；　out　of
compliment；　but　he　is　not　bigoted；　to　him　personal　merit　is　everything；
rank　nothing。〃

My　hand　was　hanging　down　by　my　chair；　Agnes　came　along　and　licked　it；　by
this　act　a　secret　was　revealed。　　I　started　to　say；　〃It　is　all　a　mistake；
this　is　just　a　common；　ordinary　cat；　the　hair…needles　on　her　tongue　point
inward；　not　outward。〃　　But　the　words　did　not　come；　because　they　couldn't。
Satan　smiled　upon　me；　and　I　understood。

When　it　was　dark　Marget　took　food　and　wine　and　fruit；　in　a　basket；　and
hurried　away　to　the　jail；　and　Satan　and　I　walked　toward　my　home。　　I　was
thinking　to　myself　that　I　should　like　to　see　what　the　inside　of　the　jail
was　like；　Satan　overheard　the　thought；　and　the　next　moment　we　were　in　the
jail。　　We　were　in　the　torture…chamber；　Satan　said。　　The　rack　was　there；
and　the　other　instruments；　and　there　was　a　smoky　lantern　or　two　hanging
on　the　walls　and　helping　to　make　the　place　look　dim　and　dreadful。　　There
were　people　thereand　executionersbut　as　they　took　no　notice　of　us；　it
meant　that　we　were　invisible。　　A　young　man　lay　bound；　and　Satan　said　he
was　suspected　of　being　a　heretic；　and　the　executioners　were　about　to
inquire　into　it。　　They　asked　the　man　to　confess　to　the　charge；　and　he
said　he　could　not；　for　it　was　not　true。　　Then　they　drove　splinter　after
splinter　under　his　nails；　and　he　shrieked　with　the　pain。　　Satan　was　not
disturbed；　but　I　could　not　endure　it；　and　had　to　be　whisked　out　of　there。
I　was　faint　and　sick；　but　the　fresh　air　revived　me；　and　we　walked　toward
my　home。　　I　said　it　was　a　brutal　thing。

〃No；　it　was　a　human　thing。　　You　should　not　insult　the　brutes　by　such　a
misuse　of　that　word；　they　have　not　deserved　it；〃　and　he　went　on　talking
like　that。　　〃It　is　like　your　paltry　racealways　lying；　always　claiming
virtues　which　it　hasn't　got；　always　denying　them　to　the　higher　animals；
which　alone　possess　them。　　No　brute　ever　does　a　cruel　thingthat　is　the
monopoly　of　those　with　the　Moral　Sense。　　When　a　brute　inflicts　pain　he
does　it　innocently；　it　is　not　wrong；　for　him　there　is　no　such　thing　as
wrong。　　And　he　does　not　inflict　pain　for　the　pleasure　of　inflicting　it
only　man　does　that。　　Inspired　by　that　mongrel　Moral　Sense　of　his！　　A
sense　whose　function　is　to　distinguish　between　right　and　wrong；　with
liberty　to　choose　which　of　them　he　will　do。　　Now　what　advantage　can　he
get　out　of　that？　　He　is　always　choosing；　and　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　he
prefers　the　wrong。　　There　shouldn't　be　any　wrong；　and　without　the　Moral
Sense　there　couldn't　be　any。　　And　yet　he　is　such　an　unreasoning　creature
that　he　is　not　able　to　perceive　that　the　Moral　Sense　degrades　him　to　the
bottom　layer　of　animated　beings　and　is　a　shameful　possession。　　Are　you
feeling　better？　　Let　me　show　you　something。〃




Chapter　6

In　a　moment　we　were　in　a　French　village。　　We　walked　through　a　great
factory　of　some　sort；　where　men　and　women　and　little　children　were
toiling　in　heat　and　dirt　and　a　fog　of　dust；　and　they　were　clothed　in
rags；　and　drooped　at　their　work；　for　they　were　worn　and　half　starved；　and
weak　and　drowsy。　　Satan　said：

〃It　is　some　more　Moral　Sense。　　The　proprietors　are　rich；　and　very　holy；
but　the　wage　they　pay　to　these　poor　brothers　and　sisters　of　theirs　is
only　enough　to　keep　them　from　dropping　dead　with　hunger。　　The　work…hours
are　fourteen　per　day；　winter　and　summerfrom　six　in　the　morning　till
eight　at　nightlittle　children　and　all。　　And　they　walk　to　and　from　the
pigsties　which　they　inhabitfour　miles　each　way；　through　mud　and　slush；
rain；　snow；　sleet；　and　storm；　daily；　year　in　and　year　out。　　They　get　four
hours　of　sleep。　　They　kennel　together；　three　families　in　a　room；　in
unimaginable　filth　and　stench；　and　disease　comes；　and　they　die　off　like
flies。　　Have　they　committed　a　crime；　these　mangy　things？　　No。　　What　have
they　done；　that　they　are　punished　so？　　Nothing　at　all；　except　getting
themselves　born　into　your　foolish　race。　　You　have　seen　how　they　treat　a
misdoer　there　in　the　jail；　now　you　see　how　they　treat　the　innocent　and
the　worthy。　　Is　your　race　logical？　　Are　these　ill…smelling　innocents
better　off　than　that　heretic？　　Indeed；　no；　his　punishment　is　trivial
compared　with　theirs。　　They　broke　him　on　the　wheel　and　smashed　him　to
rags　and　pulp　after　we　left；　and　he　is　dead　now；　and　free　of　your
precious　race；　but　these　poor　slaves　herewhy；　they　have　been　dying　for
years；　and　some　of　them　will　not　escape　from　life　for　years　to　come。　　It
is　the　Moral　Sense　which　teaches　the　factory　proprietors　the　difference
between　right　and　wrongyou　perceive　the　result。　　They　think　themselves
better　than　dogs。　　Ah；　you　are　such　an　illogical；　unreasoning　race！　　And
paltryoh；　unspeakably！〃

Then　he　dropped　all　seriousness　and　just　overstrained　himself　making　fun
of　us；　and　deriding　our　pride　in　our　warlike　deeds；　our　great　heroes；　our
imperishable　fames；　our　mighty　kings；　our　ancient　aristocracies；　our
venerable　historyand　laughed　and　laughed　till　it　was　enough　to　make　a
person　sick　to　hear　him；　and　finally　he　sobered　a　little　and　said；　〃But；
after　all；　it　is　not　all　ridiculous；　there　is　a　sort　of　pathos　about　it
when　one　remembers　how　few　are　your　days；　how　childish　your　pomps；　and
what　shadows　you　are！〃

Presently　all　things　vanished　suddenly　from　my　sight；　and　I　knew　what　it
meant。　　The　next　moment　we　were　walking　along　in　our　village；　and　down
toward　the　river　I　saw　the　twinkling　lights　of　the　Golden　Stag。　　Then　in
the　dark　I　heard　a　joyful　cry：

〃He's　come　again！〃

It　was　Seppi　Wohlmeyer。　　He　had　felt　his　blood　leap　and　his　spirits　rise
in　a　way　that　could　mean　only　one　thing；　and　he　knew　Satan　was　near；
although　it　was　too　dark　to　see　him。　　He　came　to　us；　and　we　walked　along
together；　and　Seppi　poured　out　his　gladness　like　water。　　It　was　as　if　he
were　a　lover　and　had　found　his　sweetheart　who　had　been　lost。　　Seppi　was　a
smart　and　animated　boy；　and　had　enthusiasm　and　expression；　and　was　a
contrast　to　Nikolaus　and　me。　　He　was　full　of　the　last　new　mystery；　now
the　disappearance　of　Hans　Oppert；　the　village　loafer。　　People　were
beginning　to　be　curious　about　it；　he　said。　　He　did　not　say　anxious
curious　was　the　right　word；　and　strong　enough。　　No　one　had　seen　Hans　for
a　couple　of　days。

〃Not　since　he　did　that　brutal　thing；　you　know；〃　he　said。

〃What　brutal　thing？〃　It　was　Satan　that　asked。

〃Well；　he　is　always　clubbing　his　dog；　which　is　a　good　dog；　and　his　only
friend；　and　is　faithful；　and　loves　him；　and　does　no　one　any　harm；　and　two
days　ago　he　was　at　it　again；　just　for　nothingjust　for　pleasureand　the
dog　was　howling　and　begging；　and　Theodor　and　I　begged；　too；　but　he
threatened　us；　and　struck　the　dog　again　with　all　his　might　and　knocked
one　of　his　eyes　out；　and　he　said　to　us；　'There；　I　hope