classic mystery and detective stories-第76章

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but　one　alternative：　either　Europe　must　once　more　join　in　a　crusade

with　a　pope　at　the　head；　or　it　must　hoist　the　red　flag。　　There　is

no　other　issue。〃



〃Heaven　preserve　us　from　both！　　And　I　think　we　shall　be　preserved

from　the　Pope　by　the　rottenness　of　the　Church；　from　the　drapeau

rouge　by　the　indignation　and　horror　of　all　honest　men。　　You　see　how

the　Provisional　Government　has　resisted　the　insane　attempt　of　the

fanatics　to　make　the　red　flag　accepted　as　the　national　banner？〃



〃Yes；　and　it　is　the　one　thing　which　dashes　my　pleasure　in　the　new

revolution。　　It　is　the　one　act　of　weakness　which　the　Government　has

exhibited；　a　concession　which　will　be　fatal　unless　it　be　happily

set　aside　by　the　energetic　party　of　action。〃



〃An　act　of　weakness？　say　rather　an　act　of　strength。　　A　concession？

say　rather　the　repudiation　of　anarchy；　the　assertion　of　law　and

justice。〃



〃Not　a　bit。　　It　was　concession　to　the　fears　of　the　timid；　and　to

the　vanity　of　the　French　people。　　The　tricolor　is　a　French　flag

not　the　banner　of　humanity。　　It　is　because　the　tricolor　has　been

identified　with　the　victories　of　France　that　it　appeals　to　the

vanity　of　the　vainest　of　people。　　They　forget　that　it　is　the　flag

of　a　revolution　which　failed；　and　of　an　empire　which　was　one

perpetual　outrage　to　humanity。　　Whereas　the　red　is　new；　it　is　the

symbol　of　an　energetic；　thorough…going　creed。　　If　it　carries　terror

with　it；　so　much　the　better。　　The　tyrants　and　the　timid　should　be

made　to　tremble。〃



〃I　had　no　idea　you　were　so　bloodthirsty；〃　said　I；　laughing　at　his

vehemence。



〃I　am　not　bloodthirsty　at　all；　I　am　only　logical　and　consistent。

There　is　a　mass　of　sophistry　current　in　the　world　which　sickens　me。

People　talk　of　Robespierre　and　St。　Just；　two　of　the　most　virtuous

men　that　ever　livedand　of　Dominic　and　Torquemada；　two　of　the　most

single…mindedas　if　they　were　cruel　and　bloodthirsty；　whereas　they

were　only　convinced。〃



〃Is　it　from　love　of　paradox　that　you　defend　these　tigers？〃



〃Tigers；　againhow　those　beasts　are　calumniated！〃



He　said　this　with　a　seriousness　which　was　irresistibly　comic。　　I

shouted　with　laughter；　but　he　continued　gravely：



〃You　think　I　am　joking。　　But　let　me　ask　you　why　you　consider　the

tiger　more　bloodthirsty　than　yourself？　　He　springs　upon　his　food

you　buy　yours　from　the　butcher。　　He　cannot　live　without　animal

food：　it　is　a　primal　necessity；　and　he　obeys　the　ordained　instinct。

You　can　live　on　vegetables；　yet　you　slaughter　beasts　of　the　field

and　birds　of　the　air　（or　buy　them　when　slaughtered）；　and　consider

yourself　a　model　of　virtue。　　The　tiger　only　kills　his　food　or　his

enemies；　you　not　only　kill　both；　but　you　kill　one　animal　to　make

gravy　for　another！　　The　tiger　is　less　bloodthirsty　than　the

Christian！〃



〃I　don't　know　how　much　of　that　tirade　is　meant　to　be　serious；　but

to　waive　the　question　of　the　tiger's　morality；　do　you　reallyI

will　not　say　sympathize；but　justify　Robespierre；　Dominic；　St。

Just；　and　the　rest　of　the　fanatics　who　have　waded　to　their　ends

through　blood。〃



〃He　who　wills　the　END；　wills　the　MEANS。〃



〃A　devil's　maxim。〃



〃But　a　truth。　　What　the　foolish　world　shrinks　at　as

bloodthirstiness　and　cruelty　is　very　often　mere　force　and　constancy

of　intellect。　　It　is　not　that　fanatics　thirst　for　bloodfar　from

it；but　they　thirst　for　the　triumph　of　their　cause。　　Whatever

obstacle　lies　on　their　path　must　be　removed；　if　a　torrent　of　blood

is　the　only　thing　that　will　sweep　it　awaythe　torrent　must　sweep。〃



〃And　sweep　with　it　all　the　sentiments　of　pity；　mercy；　charity；

love？〃



〃No；　these　sentiments　may　give　a　sadness　to　the　necessity；　they

make　the　deed　a　sacrifice；　but　they　cannot　prevent　the　soul　from

seeing　the　aim　to　which　it　tends。〃



〃This　is　detestable　doctrine！　　It　is　the　sophism　which　has

destroyed　families；　devastated　cities；　and　retarded　the　moral

progress　of　the　world　more　than　anything　else。　　No　single　act　of

injustice　is　ever　done　on　this　earth　but　it　tends　to　perpetuate　the

reign　of　iniquity。　　By　the　feelings　it　calls　forth　it　keeps　up　the

native　savagery　of　the　heart。　　It　breeds　injustice；　partly　by

hardening　the　minds　of　those　who　assent；　and　partly　by　exciting　the

passion　of　revenge　in　those　who　resist。〃



〃You　are　wrong。　　The　great　drag…chain　on　the　car　of　progress　is　the

faltering　inconsistency　of　man。　　Weakness　is　more　cruel　than

sternness。　　Sentiment　is　more　destructive　than　logic。〃



The　arrival　of　Schwanthaler　was　timely；　for　my　indignation　was

rising。　　The　sculptor　received　us　with　great　cordiality；　and　in　the

pleasure　of　the　subsequent　hour　I　got　over　to　some　extent　the

irritation　Bourgonef's　talk　had　excited。



The　next　day　I　left　Munich　for　the　Tyrol。　　My　parting　with

Bourgonef　was　many　degrees　less　friendly　than　it　would　have　been　a

week　before。　　I　had　no　wish　to　see　him　again；　and　therefore　gave

him　no　address　or　invitation　in　case　he　should　come　to　England。　　As

I　rolled　away　in　the　Malleposte；　my　busy　thoughts　reviewed　all　the

details　of　our　acquaintance；　and　the　farther　I　was　carried　from　his

presence；　the　more　obtrusive　became　the　suspicions　which　connected

him　with　the　murder　of　Lieschen　Lehfeldt。　　How；　or　upon　what

motive；　was　indeed　an　utter　mystery。　　He　had　not　mentioned　the　name

of　Lehfeldt。　　He　had　not　mentioned　having　before　been　at　Nuremberg。

At　Heidelberg　the　tragedy　occurredor　was　Heidelberg　only　a　mask？

It　occurred　to　me　that　he　had　first　ascertained　that　I　had　never

been　at　Heidelberg　before　he　placed　the　scene　of　his　story　there。



Thoughts　such　as　these　tormented　me。　　Imagine；　then；　the　horror

with　which　I　heard；　soon　after　my　arrival　at　Salzburg；　that　a

murder　had　been　committed　at　Grosshessloheone　of　the　pretty

environs　of　Munich　much　resorted　to　by　holiday　folkcorresponding

in　all　essential　features　with　the　murder　at　Nuremberg！　　In　both

cases　the　victim　was　young　and　pretty。　　In　both　cases　she　was　found

quietly　lying　on　the　ground；　stabbed　to　the　heart；　without　any

other　traces　of　violence。　　In　both　cases　she　was　a　betrothed　bride；

and　the　motive　of　the　unknown　assassin　a　mystery。



Such　a　correspondence　in　the　essential　features　inevitably

suggested　an　appalling　mystery　of　unity　in　these　crimes；either　as

the　crimes　of　one　man；　committed　under　some　impulse　of　motiveless

malignity　and　thirst　for　innocent　bloodor　as　the　equally

appalling　effect　of　IMITATION　acting　contagiously　upon　a　criminal

imagination；　of　which　contagion　there　have　been；　unfortunately；　too

many　exampleshorrible　crimes　prompting　certain　weak　and　feverish

imaginations；　by　the　very　horror　they　inspire；　first　to　dwell　on；

and　finally　to　realize　their　imitations。



It　was　this　latter　hypothesis　which　found　general　acceptance。

Indeed　it　was　the　only　one　which　rested　upon　any　ground　of

experience。　　The　disastrous　influence　of　imitation；　especially

under　the　fascination　of　horror；　was　well　known。　　The　idea　of　any

diabolical　malice　moving　one　man　to　pass　from　city　to　city；　and

there　quietly　single　out　his　victimsboth　of　them；　by　the　very

hypothesis；　unrelated　to　him；　both　of　them　at　the　epoch　of　their

lives；　when





　　　　　〃The　bosom's　lord　sits　lightly　on　its　throne；〃





when　the　peace　of　the　heart　is　assured；　and　the　future　is　radiantly

beckoning　to　them；that　any　man　should　choose　such　victims　for

such　crimes　was　too　preposterous　an　idea　long　to　be　entertained。

Unless　the　man　were　mad；　the　idea　was　inconceivable；　and　even　a

monomaniac　must　betray　himself　in　such　a　course；　because　he　would

necessarily　conceive　himself　to　be　accomplishing　some　supreme　act

of　justice。



It　was　thus　I　argued；　and　indeed　I　should　much　have　preferred　to

believe　that　one　maniac　were　involved；　rather　than　the　contagion　of

crime；since　one　maniac　must　inevitably　be　soon　detected；　whereas

there　were　no　assignable　limits　to　the　contagion　of　imitation。　　And

this　it　was　which　so　profoundly　agitated　German　society。　　In　every

fa