the mysterious stranger-第14章

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before；　and　she　was　so　uplifted　by　it　and　so　charmed　that　what　she　was
feeling　lit　up　her　face　and　came　out　in　her　words；　and　Wilhelm　noticed　it
and　did　not　look　as　pleased　as　he　ought　to　have　done。　　And　next　Satan
branched　off　into　poetry；　and　recited　some；　and　did　it　well；　and　Marget
was　charmed　again；　and　again　Wilhelm　was　not　as　pleased　as　he　ought　to
have　been；　and　this　time　Marget　noticed　it　and　was　remorseful。

I　fell　asleep　to　pleasant　music　that　nightthe　patter　of　rain　upon　the
panes　and　the　dull　growling　of　distant　thunder。　　Away　in　the　night　Satan
came　and　roused　me　and　said：　〃Come　with　me。　　Where　shall　we　go？〃

〃Anywhereso　it　is　with　you。〃

Then　there　was　a　fierce　glare　of　sunlight；　and　he　said；　〃This　is　China。〃

That　was　a　grand　surprise；　and　made　me　sort　of　drunk　with　vanity　and
gladness　to　think　I　had　come　so　farso　much；　much　farther　than　anybody
else　in　our　village；　including　Bartel　Sperling；　who　had　such　a　great
opinion　of　his　travels。　　We　buzzed　around　over　that　empire　for　more　than
half　an　hour；　and　saw　the　whole　of　it。　　It　was　wonderful；　the　spectacles
we　saw；　and　some　were　beautiful；　others　too　horrible　to　think。　　For
instanceHowever；　I　may　go　into　that　by　and　by；　and　also　why　Satan　chose
China　for　this　excursion　instead　of　another　place；　it　would　interrupt　my
tale　to　do　it　now。　　Finally　we　stopped　flitting　and　lit。

We　sat　upon　a　mountain　commanding　a　vast　landscape　of　mountain…range　and
gorge　and　valley　and　plain　and　river；　with　cities　and　villages　slumbering
in　the　sunlight；　and　a　glimpse　of　blue　sea　on　the　farther　verge。　　It　was
a　tranquil　and　dreamy　picture；　beautiful　to　the　eye　and　restful　to　the
spirit。　　If　we　could　only　make　a　change　like　that　whenever　we　wanted　to；
the　world　would　be　easier　to　live　in　than　it　is；　for　change　of　scene
shifts　the　mind's　burdens　to　the　other　shoulder　and　banishes　old；　shop…
worn　wearinesses　from　mind　and　body　both。

We　talked　together；　and　I　had　the　idea　of　trying　to　reform　Satan　and
persuade　him　to　lead　a　better　life。　　I　told　him　about　all　those　things　he
had　been　doing；　and　begged　him　to　be　more　considerate　and　stop　making
people　unhappy。　　I　said　I　knew　he　did　not　mean　any　harm；　but　that　he
ought　to　stop　and　consider　the　possible　consequences　of　a　thing　before
launching　it　in　that　impulsive　and　random　way　of　his；　then　he　would　not
make　so　much　trouble。　　He　was　not　hurt　by　this　plain　speech；　he　only
looked　amused　and　surprised；　and　said：

〃What？　　I　do　random　things？　　Indeed；　I　never　do。　　I　stop　and　consider
possible　consequences？　　Where　is　the　need？　　I　know　what　the　consequences
are　going　to　bealways。〃

〃Oh；　Satan；　then　how　could　you　do　these　things？〃

〃Well；　I　will　tell　you；　and　you　must　understand　if　you　can。　　You　belong
to　a　singular　race。　　Every　man　is　a　suffering…machine　and　a　happiness…
machine　combined。　　The　two　functions　work　together　harmoniously；　with　a
fine　and　delicate　precision；　on　the　give…and…take　principle。　　For　every
happiness　turned　out　in　the　one　department　the　other　stands　ready　to
modify　it　with　a　sorrow　or　a　painmaybe　a　dozen。　　In　most　cases　the
man's　life　is　about　equally　divided　between　happiness　and　unhappiness。
When　this　is　not　the　case　the　unhappiness　predominatesalways；　never　the
other。　　Sometimes　a　man's　make　and　disposition　are　such　that　his　misery…
machine　is　able　to　do　nearly　all　the　business。　　Such　a　man　goes　through
life　almost　ignorant　of　what　happiness　is。　　Everything　he　touches；
everything　he　does；　brings　a　misfortune　upon　him。　　You　have　seen　such
people？　　To　that　kind　of　a　person　life　is　not　an　advantage；　is　it？　　It　is
only　a　disaster。　　Sometimes　for　an　hour's　happiness　a　man's　machinery
makes　him　pay　years　of　misery。　　Don't　you　know　that？　　It　happens　every
now　and　then。　　I　will　give　you　a　case　or　two　presently。　　Now　the　people
of　your　village　are　nothing　to　meyou　know　that；　don't　you？〃

I　did　not　like　to　speak　out　too　flatly；　so　I　said　I　had　suspected　it。

〃Well；　it　is　true　that　they　are　nothing　to　me。　　It　is　not　possible　that
they　should　be。　　The　difference　between　them　and　me　is　abysmal；
immeasurable。　　They　have　no　intellect。〃

〃No　intellect？〃

〃Nothing　that　resembles　it。　　At　a　future　time　I　will　examine　what　man
calls　his　mind　and　give　you　the　details　of　that　chaos；　then　you　will　see
and　understand。　　Men　have　nothing　in　common　with　methere　is　no　point　of
contact；　they　have　foolish　little　feelings　and　foolish　little　vanities
and　impertinences　and　ambitions；　their　foolish　little　life　is　but　a
laugh；　a　sigh；　and　extinction；　and　they　have　no　sense。　　Only　the　Moral
Sense。　　I　will　show　you　what　I　mean。　　Here　is　a　red　spider；　not　so　big　as
a　pin's　head。　　Can　you　imagine　an　elephant　being　interested　in　him
caring　whether　he　is　happy　or　isn't；　or　whether　he　is　wealthy　or　poor；　or
whether　his　sweetheart　returns　his　love　or　not；　or　whether　his　mother　is
sick　or　well；　or　whether　he　is　looked　up　to　in　society　or　not；　or　whether
his　enemies　will　smite　him　or　his　friends　desert　him；　or　whether　his
hopes　will　suffer　blight　or　his　political　ambitions　fail；　or　whether　he
shall　die　in　the　bosom　of　his　family　or　neglected　and　despised　in　a
foreign　land？　　These　things　can　never　be　important　to　the　elephant；　they
are　nothing　to　him；　he　cannot　shrink　his　sympathies　to　the　microscopic
size　of　them。　　Man　is　to　me　as　the　red　spider　is　to　the　elephant。　　The
elephant　has　nothing　against　the　spiderhe　cannot　get　down　to　that
remote　level；　I　have　nothing　against　man。　　The　elephant　is　indifferent；　I
am　indifferent。　　The　elephant　would　not　take　the　trouble　to　do　the　spider
an　ill　turn；　if　he　took　the　notion　he　might　do　him　a　good　turn；　if　it
came　in　his　way　and　cost　nothing。　　I　have　done　men　good　service；　but　no
ill　turns。

〃The　elephant　lives　a　century；　the　red　spider　a　day；　in　power；　intellect；
and　dignity　the　one　creature　is　separated　from　the　other　by　a　distance
which　is　simply　astronomical。　　Yet　in　these；　as　in　all　qualities；　man　is
immeasurably　further　below　me　than　is　the　wee　spider　below　the　elephant。

〃Man's　mind　clumsily　and　tediously　and　laboriously　patches　little
trivialities　together　and　gets　a　resultsuch　as　it　is。　　My　mind　creates！
Do　you　get　the　force　of　that？　　Creates　anything　it　desiresand　in　a
moment。　　Creates　without　material。　　Creates　fluids；　solids；　colors
anything；　everythingout　of　the　airy　nothing　which　is　called　Thought。　　A
man　imagines　a　silk　thread；　imagines　a　machine　to　make　it；　imagines　a
picture；　then　by　weeks　of　labor　embroiders　it　on　canvas　with　the　thread。
I　think　the　whole　thing；　and　in　a　moment　it　is　before　youcreated。

〃I　think　a　poem；　music；　the　record　of　a　game　of　chessanythingand　it
is　there。　　This　is　the　immortal　mindnothing　is　beyond　its　reach。
Nothing　can　obstruct　my　vision；　the　rocks　are　transparent　to　me；　and
darkness　is　daylight。　　I　do　not　need　to　open　a　book；　I　take　the　whole　of
its　contents　into　my　mind　at　a　single　glance；　through　the　cover；　and　in　a
million　years　I　could　not　forget　a　single　word　of　it；　or　its　place　in　the
volume。　　Nothing　goes　on　in　the　skull　of　man；　bird；　fish；　insect；　or
other　creature　which　can　be　hidden　from　me。　　I　pierce　the　learned　man's
brain　with　a　single　glance；　and　the　treasures　which　cost　him　threescore
years　to　accumulate　are　mine；　he　can　forget；　and　he　does　forget；　but　I
retain。

〃Now；　then；　I　perceive　by　your　thoughts　that　you　are　understanding　me
fairly　well。　　Let　us　proceed。　　Circumstances　might　so　fall　out　that　the
elephant　could　like　the　spidersupposing　he　can　see　itbut　he　could　not
love　it。　　His　love　is　for　his　own　kindfor　his　equals。　　An　angel's　love
is　sublime；　adorable；　divine；　beyond　the　imagination　of　maninfinitely
beyond　it！　　But　it　is　limited　to　his　own　august　order。　　If　it　fell　upon
one　of　your　race　for　only　an　instant；　it　would　consume　its　object　to
ashes。　　No；　we　cannot　love　men；　but　we　can　be　harmlessly　indifferent　to
them；　we　can　also　like　them；　sometimes。　　I　like　you　and　the　boys；　I　like
Father　Peter；　and　for　your　sakes　I　am　doing　all　these　things　for　the
villagers。〃

He　saw　that　I　was　thinking　a　sarcasm；　and　he　explained　his　position。

〃I　have　wrought　well　for　the　villagers；　though　it　does　not　look　like　it
on　the　surface。　　Your　race