the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第24部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


onary　spirit　that　it　had　laid　aside　the　use　of　arms　through　an　exaggerated　love　of　comfort。

〃Our　generals；〃　he　announced；　〃are　going　to　leave　her　in　such　a　state　that　she　will　never　again　cross　our　path。〃

There　was　Russia；　too；　to　consider；　but　her　amorphous　masses　were　slow　to　assemble　and　unwieldy　to　move。　　The　Executive　Staff　of　Berlin　had　timed　everything　by　measure　for　crushing　France　in　four　weeks；　and　would　then　lead　its　enormous　forces　against　the　Russian　empire　before　it　could　begin　action。

〃We　shall　finish　with　the　bear　after　killing　the　cock；〃　affirmed　the　professor　triumphantly。

But　guessing　at　some　objection　from　his　cousin；　he　hastened　on〃I　know　what　you　are　going　to　tell　me。　　There　remains　another　enemy；　one　that　has　not　yet　leaped　into　the　lists　but　which　all　the　Germans　are　waiting　for。　　That　one　inspires　more　hatred　than　all　the　others　put　together；　because　it　is　of　our　blood；　because　it　is　a　traitor　to　the　race。　。　。　。　　Ah；　how　we　loathe　it！〃

And　in　the　tone　in　which　these　words　were　uttered　throbbed　an　expression　of　hatred　and　a　thirst　for　vengeance　which　astonished　both　listeners。

〃Even　though　England　attack　us；〃　continued　Hartrott；　〃we　shall　conquer；　notwithstanding。　　This　adversary　is　not　more　terrible　than　the　others。　　For　the　past　century　she　has　ruled　the　world。　　Upon　the　fall　of　Napoleon　she　seized　the　continental　hegemony；　and　will　fight　to　keep　it。　　But　what　does　her　energy　amount　to？　。　。　。　　As　our　Bernhardi　says；　the　English　people　are　merely　a　nation　of　renters　and　sportsmen。　　Their　army　is　formed　from　the　dregs　of　the　nation。　The　country　lacks　military　spirit。　　We　are　a　people　of　warriors；　and　it　will　be　an　easy　thing　for　us　to　conquer　the　English；　debilitated　by　a　false　conception　of　life。〃

The　Doctor　paused　and　then　added：　〃We　are　counting　on　the　internal　corruption　of　our　enemies；　on　their　lack　of　unity。　　God　will　aid　us　by　sowing　confusion　among　these　detested　people。　　In　a　few　days　you　will　see　His　hand。　　Revolution　is　going　to　break　out　in　France　at　the　same　time　as　war。　　The　people　of　Paris　will　build　barricades　in　the　streets　and　the　scenes　of　the　Commune　will　repeat　themselves。　Tunis；　Algiers　and　all　their　other　possessions　are　about　to　rise　against　the　metropolis。〃

Argensola　seized　the　opportunity　to　smile　with　an　aggressive　incredulity。

〃I　repeat　it；〃　insisted　Hartrott；　〃that　this　country　is　going　to　have　internal　revolution　and　colonial　insurrection。　　I　know　perfectly　well　what　I　am　talking　about。　。　。　。　　Russia　also　will　break　out　into　revolution　with　a　red　flag　that　will　force　the　Czar　to　beg　for　mercy　on　his　knees。　　You　have　only　to　read　in　the　papers　of　the　recent　strikes　in　Saint　Petersburg；　and　the　manifestations　of　the　strikers　with　the　pretext　of　President　Poincare's　visit。　。　。　。　England　will　see　her　appeals　to　her　colonies　completely　ignored。　India　is　going　to　rise　against　her；　and　Egypt；　too；　will　seize　this　opportunity　for　her　emancipation。〃

Julio　was　beginning　to　be　impressed　by　these　affirmations　enunciated　with　such　oracular　certainty；　and　he　felt　almost　irritated　at　the　incredulous　Argensola；　who　continued　looking　insolently　at　the　seer；　repeating　with　his　winking　eyes；　〃He　is　insaneinsane　with　pride。〃　The　man　certainly　must　have　strong　reasons　for　making　such　awful　prophecies。　　His　presence　in　Paris　just　at　this　time　was　difficult　for　Desnoyers　to　understand；　and　gave　to　his　words　a　mysterious　authority。

〃But　the　nations　will　defend　themselves；〃　he　protested　to　his　cousin。　　〃Victory　will　not　be　such　a　very　simple　thing　as　you　imagine。〃

〃Yes；　they　will　defend　themselves；　and　the　struggle　will　be　fiercely　contested。　　It　appears　that；　of　late　years；　France　has　been　paying　some　attention　to　her　army。　　We　shall　undoubtedly　encounter　some　resistance；　triumph　may　be　somewhat　difficult；　but　we　are　going　to　prevail。　。　。　。　　You　have　no　idea　to　what　extent　the　offensive　power　of　Germany　has　attained。　　Nobody　knows　with　certainty　beyond　the　frontiers。　　If　our　foes　should　comprehend　it　in　all　its　immensity；　they　would　fall　on　their　knees　beforehand　to　beg　for　mercy；　thus　obviating　the　necessity　for　useless　sacrifices。〃

There　was　a　long　silence。　　Julius　von　Hartrott　appeared　lost　in　reverie。　　The　very　thought　of　the　accumulated　strength　of　his　race　submerged　him　in　a　species　of　mystic　adoration。

〃The　preliminary　victory；〃　he　suddenly　exclaimed；　〃we　gained　some　time　ago。　　Our　enemies；　therefore；　hate　us；　and　yet　they　imitate　us。　All　that　bears　the　stamp　of　Germany　is　in　demand　throughout　the　world。　　The　very　countries　that　are　trying　to　resist　our　arms　copy　our　methods　in　their　universities　and　admire　our　theories；　even　those　which　do　not　attain　success　in　Germany。　　Oftentimes　we　laugh　among　ourselves；　like　the　Roman　augurs；　upon　seeing　the　servility　with　which　they　follow　us！　。　。　。　　And　yet　they　will　not　admit　our　superiority！〃

For　the　first　time；　Argensola's　eyes　and　general　expression　approved　the　words　of　Hartrott。　　What　he　had　just　said　was　only　too　truethe　world　was　a　victim　of　〃the　German　superstition。〃　　An　intellectual　cowardice；　the　fear　of　Force　had　made　it　admire　en　masse　and　indiscriminately；　everything　of　Teutonic　origin；　just　because　of　the　intensity　of　its　glittergold　mixed　with　talcum。　　The　so…called　Latins；　dazed　with　admiration；　were；　with　unreasonable　pessimism；　becoming　doubtful　of　their　ability；　and　thus　were　the　first　to　decree　their　own　death。　　And　the　conceited　Germans　merely　had　to　repeat　the　words　of　these　pessimists　in　order　to　strengthen　their　belief　in　their　own　superiority。

With　that　Southern　temperament；　which　leaps　rapidly　from　one　extreme　to　another；　many　Latins　had　proclaimed　that　in　the　world　of　the　future；　there　would　be　no　place　for　the　Latin　peoples；　now　in　their　death…agonyadding　that　Germany　alone　preserved　the　latent　forces　of　civilization。　　The　French　who　declaimed　among　themselves；　with　the　greatest　exaggeration；　unconscious　that　folks　were　listening　the　other　side　of　the　door；　had　proclaimed　repeatedly　for　many　years　past；　that　France　was　degenerating　rapidly　and　would　soon　vanish　from　the　earth。　。　。　。　　Then　why　should　they　resent　the　scorn　of　their　enemies。　。　。　。　　Why　shouldn't　the　Germans　share　in　their　beliefs？

The　professor；　misinterpreting　the　silent　agreement　of　the　Spaniard　who　until　then　had　been　listening　with　such　a　hostile　smile；　added：

〃Now　is　the　time　to　try　out　in　France　the　German　culture；　implanting　it　there　as　conquerors。〃

Here　Argensola　interrupted；　〃And　what　if　there　is　no　such　thing　as　German　culture；　as　a　celebrated　Teuton　says？〃　　It　had　become　necessary　to　contradict　this　pedant　who　had　become　insufferable　with　his　egotism。　　Hartrott　almost　jumped　from　his　chair　on　hearing　such　a　doubt。

〃What　German　is　that？〃

〃Nietzsche。〃

The　professor　looked　at　him　pityingly。　　Nietzsche　had　said　to　mankind；　〃Be　harsh！〃　affirming　that　〃a　righteous　war　sanctifies　every　cause。〃　　He　had　exalted　Bismarck；　he　had　taken　part　in　the　war　of　'70；　he　was　glorifying　Germany　when　he　spoke　of　〃the　smiling　lion；〃　and　〃the　blond　beast。〃　　But　Argensola　listened　with　the　tranquillity　of　one　sure　of　his　ground。　　Oh；　hours　of　placid　reading　near　the　studio　chimney；　listening　to　the　rain　beating　against　the　pane！　。　。　。

〃The　philosopher　did　say　that；〃　he　admitted；　〃and　he　said　many　other　very　different　things；　like　all　great　thinkers。　　His　doctrine　is　one　of　pride；　but　of　individual　pride；　not　that　of　a　nation　or　race。　　He　always　spoke　against　'the　insidious　fallacy　of　race。'〃

Argensola　recalled　his　philosophy　word　for　word。　　Culture；　according　to　Nietzsche；　was　〃unity　of　style　in　all　the　manifestations　of　life。〃　　Science　did　not　necessarily　include　culture。　　Great　knowledge　might　be　accompanied　with　great　barbarity；　by　the　absence　of　style　or　by　the　chaotic　confusion　of　all　styles。　　Germany；　according　to　the　philosopher；　had　no　genuine　culture　owing　to　its　lack　of　style。　　〃The　French；〃　he　had　said；　〃were　at　the　head　of　an　authentic　and　fruitful　culture；　whatever　their　valor　might　be；　and　until　now　everybody　had　drawn　upon　it。〃　　Their　hatreds　were　concentrated　within　their　own　country。　　〃I　cannot　endure　Germany。　The　spirit　of　servility　and　pettiness　penetrates　everywhere。　。　。　。　I　believe　only　in　French　culture；　and　what　the　rest　of　Europe　calls　culture　appears　to　me　to　be　a　mistake。　　The　few　individual　cases　of　lofty　culture　that　I　met　in　Germany　were　of　French　origin。〃

〃You　know；〃　continued　Argensola；　〃that　in　quarrelling　with　Wagner　about　the　excess　of　Germanism　in　his　art；　Nietzsche　proclaimed　the　necessity　of　mediterraneanizing　music。　　His　ideal　was　a　culture　for　all　Europe；　but　with　a　Latin　base。〃

Julius　von　Hartrott　replied　most　disdainfully　to　this；　repeating　the　Spaniard's　very　words。　　Men　who　thought　much　said　many　things。　Besides；　Nietzsche　was　a　poet；　completely　demented　at　his　death；　and　was　no　authority　among　the　University　sages。　　His　fame　had　only　been　recognized　in　foreign　lands。　。　。　。　　And　he　paid　no　further　attention　to　the　youth；　ignoring　him　as　though　he　had　evaporated　into　thin　air　after　his　presumption。　　All　the　professor's　attention　was　now　concentrated　on　Desnoyers。

〃This　country；〃　he　resumed；　〃is　dying　from　within。　　How　can　you　doubt　that　revolution　will　break　out　the　minute　war　is　declared？　。　。　。　Have　you　not　noticed　the　agitation　of　the　boulevard　on　account　of　the　Caillaux　trial？　　Reactionaries　and　revolutionists　have　been　assaulting　each　other　for　the　past　three　days。　　I　have　seen　them　challenging　one　another　with　shouts　and　songs　as　if　they　were　going　to　come　to　blows　right　in　the　middle　of　the　street。　　This　division　of　opinion　will　become　accentuated　when　our　troops　cross　the　frontier。　　It　will　then　be　civil　war。　　The　anti…militarists　are　clamoring　mournfully；　believing　that　it　is　in　the　power　of　the　government　to　prevent　the　clash。　。　。　。　　A　country　degenerated　by　democracy　and　by　the　inferiority　of　the　triumphant　Celt；　greedy　for　full　liberty！　。　。　。　　We　are　the　only　free　people　on　earth　because　we　know　how　to　obey。〃

This　paradox　made　Julio　smile。　　Germany　the　only　free　people！　。　。　。

〃It　is　so；〃　persisted　Hartrott　energetically。　　〃We　have　the　liberty　best　suited　to　a　great　peopleeconomical　and　intellectual　liberty。〃

〃And　political　liberty？〃

The　profess