man and superman-第38章

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THE　STATUE。　I！　Oh；　I　swore　that　I　would　be　faithful　to　the　death；
that　I　should　die　if　they　refused　me；　that　no　woman　could　ever　be
to　me　what　she　was

ANA。　She？　Who？

THE　STATUE。　Whoever　it　happened　to　be　at　the　time；　my　dear。　I　had
certain　things　I　always　said。　One　of　them　was　that　even　when　I
was　eighty；　one　white　hair　of　the　woman　I　loved　would　make　me
tremble　more　than　the　thickest　gold　tress　from　the　most　beautiful
young　head。　Another　was　that　I　could　not　bear　the　thought　of
anyone　else　being　the　mother　of　my　children。

DON　JUAN。　＇revolted＇　You　old　rascal！

THE　STATUE。　＇Stoutly＇　Not　a　bit；　for　I　really　believed　it　with
all　my　soul　at　the　moment。　I　had　a　heart：　not　like　you。　And　it
was　this　sincerity　that　made　me　successful。

DON　JUAN。　Sincerity！　To　be　fool　enough　to　believe　a　ramping；
stamping；　thumping　lie：　that　is　what　you　call　sincerity！　To　be　so
greedy　for　a　woman　that　you　deceive　yourself　in　your　eagerness　to
deceive　her：　sincerity；　you　call　it！

THE　STATUE。　Oh；　damn　your　sophistries！　I　was　a　man　in　love；　not　a
lawyer。　And　the　women　loved　me　for　it；　bless　them！

DON　JUAN。　They　made　you　think　so。　What　will　you　say　when　I　tell
you　that　though　I　played　the　lawyer　so　callously；　they　made　me
think　so　too？　I　also　had　my　moments　of　infatuation　in　which　I
gushed　nonsense　and　believed　it。　Sometimes　the　desire　to　give
pleasure　by　saying　beautiful　things　so　rose　in　me　on　the　flood　of
emotion　that　I　said　them　recklessly。　At　other　times　I　argued
against　myself　with　a　devilish　coldness　that　drew　tears。　But　I
found　it　just　as　hard　to　escape　in　the　one　case　as　in　the　others。
When　the　lady's　instinct　was　set　on　me；　there　was　nothing　for　it
but　lifelong　servitude　or　flight。

ANA。　You　dare　boast；　before　me　and　my　father；　that　every　woman
found　you　irresistible。

DON　JUAN。　Am　I　boasting？　It　seems　to　me　that　I　cut　the　most
pitiable　of　figures。　Besides；　I　said　〃when　the　lady's　instinct
was　set　on　me。〃　It　was　not　always　so；　and　then；　heavens！　what
transports　of　virtuous　indignation！　what　overwhelming　defiance　to
the　dastardly　seducer！　what　scenes　of　Imogen　and　Iachimo！

ANA。　I　made　no　scenes。　I　simply　called　my　father。

DON　JUAN。　And　he　came；　sword　in　hand；　to　vindicate　outraged　honor
and　morality　by　murdering　me。

THE　STATUE。　Murdering！　What　do　you　mean？　Did　I　kill　you　or　did
you　kill　me？

DON　JUAN。　Which　of　us　was　the　better　fencer？

THE　STATUE。　I　was。

DON　JUAN。　Of　course　you　were。　And　yet　you；　the　hero　of　those
scandalous　adventures　you　have　just　been　relating　to　us；　you　had
the　effrontery　to　pose　as　the　avenger　of　outraged　morality　and
condemn　me　to　death！　You　would　have　slain　me　but　for　an　accident。

THE　STATUE。　I　was　expected　to；　Juan。　That　is　how　things　were
arranged　on　earth。　I　was　not　a　social　reformer；　and　I　always　did
what　it　was　customary　for　a　gentleman　to　do。

DON　JUAN。　That　may　account　for　your　attacking　me；　but　not　for　the
revolting　hypocrisy　of　your　subsequent　proceedings　as　a　statue。

THE　STATUE。　That　all　came　of　my　going　to　Heaven。

THE　DEVIL。　I　still　fail　to　see；　Senor　Don　Juan；　that　these
episodes　in　your　earthly　career　and　in　that　of　the　Senor
Commander　in　any　way　discredit　my　view　of　life。　Here；　I　repeat；
you　have　all　that　you　sought　without　anything　that　you　shrank
from。

DON　JUAN。　On　the　contrary；　here　I　have　everything　that
disappointed　me　without　anything　that　I　have　not　already　tried
and　found　wanting。　I　tell　you　that　as　long　as　I　can　conceive
something　better　than　myself　I　cannot　be　easy　unless　I　am
striving　to　bring　it　into　existence　or　clearing　the　way　for　it。
That　is　the　law　of　my　life。　That　is　the　working　within　me　of
Life's　incessant　aspiration　to　higher　organization；　wider；
deeper；　intenser　self…consciousness；　and　clearer
self…understanding。　It　was　the　supremacy　of　this　purpose　that
reduced　love　for　me　to　the　mere　pleasure　of　a　moment；　art　for　me
to　the　mere　schooling　of　my　faculties；　religion　for　me　to　a　mere
excuse　for　laziness；　since　it　had　set　up　a　God　who　looked　at　the
world　and　saw　that　it　was　good；　against　the　instinct　in　me　that
looked　through　my　eyes　at　the　world　and　saw　that　it　could　be
improved。　I　tell　you　that　in　the　pursuit　of　my　own　pleasure；　my
own　health；　my　own　fortune；　I　have　never　known　happiness。　It　was
not　love　for　Woman　that　delivered　me　into　her　hands：　it　was
fatigue；　exhaustion。　When　I　was　a　child；　and　bruised　my　head
against　a　stone；　I　ran　to　the　nearest　woman　and　cried　away　my
pain　against　her　apron。　When　I　grew　up；　and　bruised　my　soul
against　the　brutalities　and　stupidities　with　which　I　had　to
strive；　I　did　again　just　what　I　had　done　as　a　child。　I　have
enjoyed；　too；　my　rests；　my　recuperations；　my　breathing　times；　my
very　prostrations　after　strife；　but　rather　would　I　be　dragged
through　all　the　circles　of　the　foolish　Italian's　Inferno　than
through　the　pleasures　of　Europe。　That　is　what　has　made　this　place
of　eternal　pleasures　so　deadly　to　me。　It　is　the　absence　of　this
instinct　in　you　that　makes　you　that　strange　monster　called　a
Devil。　It　is　the　success　with　which　you　have　diverted　the
attention　of　men　from　their　real　purpose；　which　in　one　degree　or
another　is　the　same　as　mine；　to　yours；　that　has　earned　you　the
name　of　The　Tempter。　It　is　the　fact　that　they　are　doing　your
will；　or　rather　drifting　with　your　want　of　will；　instead　of　doing
their　own；　that　makes　them　the　uncomfortable；　false；　restless；
artificial；　petulant；　wretched　creatures　they　are。

THE　DEVIL。　＇mortified＇　Senor　Don　Juan：　you　are　uncivil　to　my
friends。

DON　JUAN。　Pooh！　why　should　I　be　civil　to　them　or　to　you？　In　this
Palace　of　Lies　a　truth　or　two　will　not　hurt　you。　Your　friends　are
all　the　dullest　dogs　I　know。　They　are　not　beautiful：　they　are
only　decorated。　They　are　not　clean：　they　are　only　shaved　and
starched。　They　are　not　dignified：　they　are　only　fashionably
dressed。　They　are　not　educated　they　are　only　college　passmen。
They　are　not　religious：　they　are　only　pewrenters。　They　are　not
moral：　they　are　only　conventional。　They　are　not　virtuous：　they
are　only　cowardly。　They　are　not　even　vicious：　they　are　only
〃frail。〃　They　are　not　artistic：　they　are　only　lascivious。　They
are　not　prosperous：　they　are　only　rich。　They　are　not　loyal；　they
are　only　servile；　not　dutiful；　only　sheepish；　not　public
spirited；　only　patriotic；　not　courageous；　only　quarrelsome；　not
determined；　only　obstinate；　not　masterful；　only　domineering；　not
self…controlled；　only　obtuse；　not　self…respecting；　only　vain；　not
kind；　only　sentimental；　not　social；　only　gregarious；　not
considerate；　only　polite；　not　intelligent；　only　opinionated；　not
progressive；　only　factious；　not　imaginative；　only　superstitious；
not　just；　only　vindictive；　not　generous；　only　propitiatory；　not
disciplined；　only　cowed；　and　not　truthful　at　allliars　every　one
of　them；　to　the　very　backbone　of　their　souls。

THE　STATUE。　Your　flow　of　words　is　simply　amazing；　Juan。　How　I
wish　I　could　have　talked　like　that　to　my　soldiers。

THE　DEVIL。　It　is　mere　talk；　though。　It　has　all　been　said　before；
but　what　change　has　it　ever　made？　What　notice　has　the　world　ever
taken　of　it？

DON　JUAN。　Yes；　it　is　mere　talk。　But　why　is　it　mere　talk？　Because；
my　friend；　beauty；　purity；　respectability；　religion；　morality；
art；　patriotism；　bravery　and　the　rest　are　nothing　but　words　which
I　or　anyone　else　can　turn　inside　out　like　a　glove。　Were　they
realities；　you　would　have　to　plead　guilty　to　my　indictment；　but
fortunately　for　your　self…respect；　my　diabolical　friend；　they　are
not　realities。　As　you　say；　they　are　mere　words；　useful　for　duping
barbarians　into　adopting　civilization；　or　the　civilized　poor　into
submitting　to　be　robbed　and　enslaved。　That　is　the　family　secret
of　the　governing　caste；　and　if　we　who　are　of　that　caste　aimed　at
more　Life　for　the　world　instead　of　at　more　power　and　luxury　for
our　miserable　selves；　that　secret　would　make　us　great。　Now；　since
I；　being　a　nobleman；　am　in　the　secret　too；　think　how　tedious　to
me　must　be　your　unending　cant　about　all　these　moralistic
figments；　and　how　squalidly　disastrous　your　sacrifice　of　your
lives　to　them！　If　you　even　believed　in　your　moral　game　enough　to
play　it　fairly；　it　would　be　interesting　to　watch；　but　you　don't：
you　che