the mysterious stranger-第15章

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〃I　have　wrought　well　for　the　villagers；　though　it　does　not　look　like　it
on　the　surface。　　Your　race　never　know　good　fortune　from　ill。　　They　are
always　mistaking　the　one　for　the　other。　　It　is　because　they　cannot　see
into　the　future。　　What　I　am　doing　for　the　villagers　will　bear　good　fruit
some　day；　in　some　cases　to　themselves；　in　others；　to　unborn　generations
of　men。　　No　one　will　ever　know　that　I　was　the　cause；　but　it　will　be　none
the　less　true；　for　all　that。　　Among　you　boys　you　have　a　game：　you　stand　a
row　of　bricks　on　end　a　few　inches　apart；　you　push　a　brick；　it　knocks　its
neighbor　over；　the　neighbor　knocks　over　the　next　brickand　so　on　till
all　the　row　is　prostrate。　　That　is　human　life。　　A　child's　first　act
knocks　over　the　initial　brick；　and　the　rest　will　follow　inexorably。　　If
you　could　see　into　the　future；　as　I　can；　you　would　see　everything　that
was　going　to　happen　to　that　creature；　for　nothing　can　change　the　order　of
its　life　after　the　first　event　has　determined　it。　　That　is；　nothing　will
change　it；　because　each　act　unfailingly　begets　an　act；　that　act　begets
another；　and　so　on　to　the　end；　and　the　seer　can　look　forward　down　the
line　and　see　just　when　each　act　is　to　have　birth；　from　cradle　to　grave。〃

〃Does　God　order　the　career？〃

〃Foreordain　it？　　No。　　The　man's　circumstances　and　environment　order　it。
His　first　act　determines　the　second　and　all　that　follow　after。　　But
suppose；　for　argument's　sake；　that　the　man　should　skip　one　of　these　acts；
an　apparently　trifling　one；　for　instance；　suppose　that　it　had　been
appointed　that　on　a　certain　day；　at　a　certain　hour　and　minute　and　second
and　fraction　of　a　second　he　should　go　to　the　well；　and　he　didn't　go。
That　man's　career　would　change　utterly；　from　that　moment；　thence　to　the
grave　it　would　be　wholly　different　from　the　career　which　his　first　act　as
a　child　had　arranged　for　him。　　Indeed；　it　might　be　that　if　he　had　gone　to
the　well　he　would　have　ended　his　career　on　a　throne；　and　that　omitting　to
do　it　would　set　him　upon　a　career　that　would　lead　to　beggary　and　a
pauper's　grave。　　For　instance：　if　at　any　timesay　in　boyhoodColumbus
had　skipped　the　triflingest　little　link　in　the　chain　of　acts　projected
and　made　inevitable　by　his　first　childish　act；　it　would　have　changed　his
whole　subsequent　life；　and　he　would　have　become　a　priest　and　died　obscure
in　an　Italian　village；　and　America　would　not　have　been　discovered　for　two
centuries　afterward。　　I　know　this。　　To　skip　any　one　of　the　billion　acts
in　Columbus's　chain　would　have　wholly　changed　his　life。　　I　have　examined
his　billion　of　possible　careers；　and　in　only　one　of　them　occurs　the
discovery　of　America。　　You　people　do　not　suspect　that　all　of　your　acts
are　of　one　size　and　importance；　but　it　is　true；　to　snatch　at　an　appointed
fly　is　as　big　with　fate　for　you　as　is　any　other　appointed　act〃

〃As　the　conquering　of　a　continent；　for　instance？〃

〃Yes。　　Now；　then；　no　man　ever　does　drop　a　linkthe　thing　has　never
happened！　　Even　when　he　is　trying　to　make　up　his　mind　as　to　whether　he
will　do　a　thing　or　not；　that　itself　is　a　link；　an　act；　and　has　its　proper
place　in　his　chain；　and　when　he　finally　decides　an　act；　that　also　was　the
thing　which　he　was　absolutely　certain　to　do。　　You　see；　now；　that　a　man
will　never　drop　a　link　in　his　chain。　　He　cannot。　　If　he　made　up　his　mind
to　try；　that　project　would　itself　be　an　unavoidable　linka　thought　bound
to　occur　to　him　at　that　precise　moment；　and　made　certain　by　the　first　act
of　his　babyhood。〃

It　seemed　so　dismal！

〃He　is　a　prisoner　for　life；〃　I　said　sorrowfully；　〃and　cannot　get　free。〃

〃No；　of　himself　he　cannot　get　away　from　the　consequences　of　his　first
childish　act。　　But　I　can　free　him。〃

I　looked　up　wistfully。

〃I　have　changed　the　careers　of　a　number　of　your　villagers。〃

I　tried　to　thank　him；　but　found　it　difficult；　and　let　it　drop。

〃I　shall　make　some　other　changes。　　You　know　that　little　Lisa　Brandt？〃

〃Oh　yes；　everybody　does。　　My　mother　says　she　is　so　sweet　and　so　lovely
that　she　is　not　like　any　other　child。　　She　says　she　will　be　the　pride　of
the　village　when　she　grows　up；　and　its　idol；　too；　just　as　she　is　now。〃

〃I　shall　change　her　future。〃

〃Make　it　better？〃　I　asked。

〃Yes。　　And　I　will　change　the　future　of　Nikolaus。〃

I　was　glad；　this　time；　and　said；　〃I　don't　need　to　ask　about　his　case；　you
will　be　sure　to　do　generously　by　him。〃

〃It　is　my　intention。〃

Straight　off　I　was　building　that　great　future　of　Nicky's　in　my
imagination；　and　had　already　made　a　renowned　general　of　him　and
hofmeister　at　the　court；　when　I　noticed　that　Satan　was　waiting　for　me　to
get　ready　to　listen　again。　　I　was　ashamed　of　having　exposed　my　cheap
imaginings　to　him；　and　was　expecting　some　sarcasms；　but　it　did　not
happen。　　He　proceeded　with　his　subject：

〃Nicky's　appointed　life　is　sixty…two　years。〃

〃That's　grand！〃　I　said。

〃Lisa's；　thirty…six。　　But；　as　I　told　you；　I　shall　change　their　lives　and
those　ages。　　Two　minutes　and　a　quarter　from　now　Nikolaus　will　wake　out　of
his　sleep　and　find　the　rain　blowing　in。　　It　was　appointed　that　he　should
turn　over　and　go　to　sleep　again。　　But　I　have　appointed　that　he　shall　get
up　and　close　the　window　first。　　That　trifle　will　change　his　career
entirely。　　He　will　rise　in　the　morning　two　minutes　later　than　the　chain
of　his　life　had　appointed　him　to　rise。　　By　consequence；　thenceforth
nothing　will　ever　happen　to　him　in　accordance　with　the　details　of　the　old
chain。〃　　He　took　out　his　watch　and　sat　looking　at　it　a　few　moments；　then
said：　〃Nikolaus　has　risen　to　close　the　window。　　His　life　is　changed；　his
new　career　has　begun。　　There　will　be　consequences。〃

It　made　me　feel　creepy；　it　was　uncanny。

〃But　for　this　change　certain　things　would　happen　twelve　days　from　now。
For　instance；　Nikolaus　would　save　Lisa　from　drowning。　　He　would　arrive　on
the　scene　at　exactly　the　right　momentfour　minutes　past　ten；　the　long…
ago　appointed　instant　of　timeand　the　water　would　be　shoal；　the
achievement　easy　and　certain。　　But　he　will　arrive　some　seconds　too　late；
now；　Lisa　will　have　struggled　into　deeper　water。　　He　will　do　his　best；
but　both　will　drown。〃

〃Oh；　Satan！　　oh；　dear　Satan！〃　I　cried；　with　the　tears　rising　in　my　eyes；
〃save　them！　　Don't　let　it　happen。　　I　can't　bear　to　lose　Nikolaus；　he　is
my　loving　playmate　and　friend；　and　think　of　Lisa's　poor　mother！〃

I　clung　to　him　and　begged　and　pleaded；　but　he　was　not　moved。　　He　made　me
sit　down　again；　and　told　me　I　must　hear　him　out。

〃I　have　changed　Nikolaus's　life；　and　this　has　changed　Lisa's。　　If　I　had
not　done　this；　Nikolaus　would　save　Lisa；　then　he　would　catch　cold　from
his　drenching；　one　of　your　race's　fantastic　and　desolating　scarlet　fevers
would　follow；　with　pathetic　after…effects；　for　forty…six　years　he　would
lie　in　his　bed　a　paralytic　log；　deaf；　dumb；　blind；　and　praying　night　and
day　for　the　blessed　relief　of　death。　　Shall　I　change　his　life　back？〃

〃Oh　no！　　Oh；　not　for　the　world！　　In　charity　and　pity　leave　it　as　it　is。〃

〃It　is　best　so。　　I　could　not　have　changed　any　other　link　in　his　life　and
done　him　so　good　a　service。　　He　had　a　billion　possible　careers；　but　not
one　of　them　was　worth　living；　they　were　charged　full　with　miseries　and
disasters。　　But　for　my　intervention　he　would　do　his　brave　deed　twelve
days　from　nowa　deed　begun　and　ended　in　six　minutesand　get　for　all
reward　those　forty…six　years　of　sorrow　and　suffering　I　told　you　of。　　It
is　one　of　the　cases　I　was　thinking　of　awhile　ago　when　I　said　that
sometimes　an　act　which　brings　the　actor　an　hour's　happiness　and　self…
satisfaction　is　paid　foror　punishedby　years　of　suffering。〃

I　wondered　what　poor　little　Lisa's　early　death　would　save　her　from。　　He
answered　the　thought：

〃From　ten　years　of　pain　and　slow　recovery　from　an　accident；　and　then　from
nineteen　years'　pollution；　shame；　depravity；　crime；　ending　with　death　at
the　hands　of　the　executioner。　　Twelve　days　hence　she　will　die；　her　mother
would　save　her　life　if　she　could。　　Am　I　not　kinder　than　her　mother？〃

〃Yesoh；　indeed　yes；　and　wiser。〃

〃Father　Peter's　case　is　coming　on　presently。　　He　will　be　acquitted；
through　unassailable　proofs　of　his　innocence。〃

〃Why；　Satan；　how　can　that　be？　　Do　you　really　think　it？〃

〃Indeed；　I　know　it。　　His　g