the mysterious stranger-第18章

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Then　he　tripped　out　and　went　clattering　down…stairs；　whistling。

We　did　not　look　at　the　things；　we　couldn't　take　any　interest　in　anything
but　the　clock。　　We　sat　staring　at　it　in　silence；　listening　to　the
ticking；　and　every　time　the　minute…hand　jumped　we　nodded　recognitionone
minute　fewer　to　cover　in　the　race　for　life　or　for　death。　　Finally　Seppi
drew　a　deep　breath　and　said：

〃Two　minutes　to　ten。　　Seven　minutes　more　and　he　will　pass　the　death…
point。　　Theodor；　he　is　going　to　be　saved！　　He's　going　to〃

〃Hush！　　I'm　on　needles。　　Watch　the　clock　and　keep　still。〃

Five　minutes　more。　　We　were　panting　with　the　strain　and　the　excitement。
Another　three　minutes；　and　there　was　a　footstep　on　the　stair。

〃Saved！〃　And　we　jumped　up　and　faced　the　door。

The　old　mother　entered；　bringing　the　kite。　　〃Isn't　it　a　beauty？〃　she
said。　　〃And；　dear　me；　how　he　has　slaved　over　itever　since　daylight；　I
think；　and　only　finished　it　awhile　before　you　came。〃　　She　stood　it
against　the　wall；　and　stepped　back　to　take　a　view　of　it。　　〃He　drew　the
pictures　his　own　self；　and　I　think　they　are　very　good。　　The　church　isn't
so　very　good；　I'll　have　to　admit；　but　look　at　the　bridgeany　one　can
recognize　the　bridge　in　a　minute。　　He　asked　me　to　bring　it　up。。。。　　Dear
me！　　it's　seven　minutes　past　ten；　and　I〃

〃But　where　is　he？〃

〃He？　　Oh；　he'll　be　here　soon；　he's　gone　out　a　minute。〃

〃Gone　out？〃

〃Yes。　　Just　as　he　came　down…stairs　little　Lisa's　mother　came　in　and　said
the　child　had　wandered　off　somewhere；　and　as　she　was　a　little　uneasy　I
told　Nikolaus　to　never　mind　about　his　father's　ordersgo　and　look　her
up。。。。　　Why；　how　white　you　two　do　look！　　I　do　believe　you　are　sick。　　Sit
down；　I'll　fetch　something。　　That　cake　has　disagreed　with　you。　　It　is　a
little　heavy；　but　I　thought〃

She　disappeared　without　finishing　her　sentence；　and　we　hurried　at　once　to
the　back　window　and　looked　toward　the　river。　　There　was　a　great　crowd　at
the　other　end　of　the　bridge；　and　people　were　flying　toward　that　point
from　every　direction。

〃Oh；　it　is　all　overpoor　Nikolaus！　　Why；　oh；　why　did　she　let　him　get　out
of　the　house！〃

〃Come　away；〃　said　Seppi；　half　sobbing；　〃come　quickwe　can't　bear　to　meet
her；　in　five　minutes　she　will　know。〃

But　we　were　not　to　escape。　　She　came　upon　us　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs；
with　her　cordials　in　her　hands；　and　made　us　come　in　and　sit　down　and　take
the　medicine。　　Then　she　watched　the　effect；　and　it　did　not　satisfy　her；
so　she　made　us　wait　longer；　and　kept　upbraiding　herself　for　giving　us　the
unwholesome　cake。

Presently　the　thing　happened　which　we　were　dreading。　　There　was　a　sound
of　tramping　and　scraping　outside；　and　a　crowd　came　solemnly　in；　with
heads　uncovered；　and　laid　the　two　drowned　bodies　on　the　bed。

〃Oh；　my　God！〃　that　poor　mother　cried　out；　and　fell　on　her　knees；　and　put
her　arms　about　her　dead　boy　and　began　to　cover　the　wet　face　with　kisses。
〃Oh；　it　was　I　that　sent　him；　and　I　have　been　his　death。　　If　I　had　obeyed；
and　kept　him　in　the　house；　this　would　not　have　happened。　　And　I　am
rightly　punished；　I　was　cruel　to　him　last　night；　and　him　begging　me；　his
own　mother；　to　be　his　friend。〃

And　so　she　went　on　and　on；　and　all　the　women　cried；　and　pitied　her；　and
tried　to　comfort　her；　but　she　could　not　forgive　herself　and　could　not　be
comforted；　and　kept　on　saying　if　she　had　not　sent　him　out　he　would　be
alive　and　well　now；　and　she　was　the　cause　of　his　death。

It　shows　how　foolish　people　are　when　they　blame　themselves　for　anything
they　have　done。　　Satan　knows；　and　he　said　nothing　happens　that　your　first
act　hasn't　arranged　to　happen　and　made　inevitable；　and　so；　of　your　own
motion　you　can't　ever　alter　the　scheme　or　do　a　thing　that　will　break　a
link。　　Next　we　heard　screams；　and　Frau　Brandt　came　wildly　plowing　and
plunging　through　the　crowd　with　her　dress　in　disorder　and　hair　flying
loose；　and　flung　herself　upon　her　dead　child　with　moans　and　kisses　and
pleadings　and　endearments；　and　by　and　by　she　rose　up　almost　exhausted
with　her　outpourings　of　passionate　emotion；　and　clenched　her　fist　and
lifted　it　toward　the　sky；　and　her　tear…drenched　face　grew　hard　and
resentful；　and　she　said：

〃For　nearly　two　weeks　I　have　had　dreams　and　presentiments　and　warnings
that　death　was　going　to　strike　what　was　most　precious　to　me；　and　day　and
night　and　night　and　day　I　have　groveled　in　the　dirt　before　Him　praying
Him　to　have　pity　on　my　innocent　child　and　save　it　from　harmand　here　is
His　answer！〃

Why；　He　had　saved　it　from　harmbut　she　did　not　know。

She　wiped　the　tears　from　her　eyes　and　cheeks；　and　stood　awhile　gazing
down　at　the　child　and　caressing　its　face　and　its　hair　with　her　hands；
then　she　spoke　again　in　that　bitter　tone：　〃But　in　His　hard　heart　is　no
compassion。　　I　will　never　pray　again。〃

She　gathered　her　dead　child　to　her　bosom　and　strode　away；　the　crowd
falling　back　to　let　her　pass；　and　smitten　dumb　by　the　awful　words　they
had　heard。　　Ah；　that　poor　woman！　　It　is　as　Satan　said；　we　do　not　know
good　fortune　from　bad；　and　are　always　mistaking　the　one　for　the　other。
Many　a　time　since　I　have　heard　people　pray　to　God　to　spare　the　life　of
sick　persons；　but　I　have　never　done　it。

Both　funerals　took　place　at　the　same　time　in　our　little　church　next　day。
Everybody　was　there；　including　the　party　guests。　　Satan　was　there；　too；
which　was　proper；　for　it　was　on　account　of　his　efforts　that　the　funerals
had　happened。　　Nikolaus　had　departed　this　life　without　absolution；　and　a
collection　was　taken　up　for　masses；　to　get　him　out　of　purgatory。　　Only
two…thirds　of　the　required　money　was　gathered；　and　the　parents　were　going
to　try　to　borrow　the　rest；　but　Satan　furnished　it。　　He　told　us　privately
that　there　was　no　purgatory；　but　he　had　contributed　in　order　that
Nikolaus's　parents　and　their　friends　might　be　saved　from　worry　and
distress。　　We　thought　it　very　good　of　him；　but　he　said　money　did　not　cost
him　anything。

At　the　graveyard　the　body　of　little　Lisa　was　seized　for　debt　by　a
carpenter　to　whom　the　mother　owed　fifty　groschen　for　work　done　the　year
before。　　She　had　never　been　able　to　pay　this；　and　was　not　able　now。　　The
carpenter　took　the　corpse　home　and　kept　it　four　days　in　his　cellar；　the
mother　weeping　and　imploring　about　his　house　all　the　time；　then　he　buried
it　in　his　brother's　cattle…yard；　without　religious　ceremonies。　　It　drove
the　mother　wild　with　grief　and　shame；　and　she　forsook　her　work　and　went
daily　about　the　town；　cursing　the　carpenter　and　blaspheming　the　laws　of
the　emperor　and　the　church；　and　it　was　pitiful　to　see。　　Seppi　asked　Satan
to　interfere；　but　he　said　the　carpenter　and　the　rest　were　members　of　the
human　race　and　were　acting　quite　neatly　for　that　species　of　animal。　　He
would　interfere　if　he　found　a　horse　acting　in　such　a　way；　and　we　must
inform　him　when　we　came　across　that　kind　of　horse　doing　that　kind　of
human　thing；　so　that　he　could　stop　it。　　We　believed　this　was　sarcasm；　for
of　course　there　wasn't　any　such　horse。

But　after　a　few　days　we　found　that　we　could　not　abide　that　poor　woman's
distress；　so　we　begged　Satan　to　examine　her　several　possible　careers；　and
see　if　he　could　not　change　her；　to　her　profit；　to　a　new　one。　　He　said　the
longest　of　her　careers　as　they　now　stood　gave　her　forty…two　years　to
live；　and　her　shortest　one　twenty…nine；　and　that　both　were　charged　with
grief　and　hunger　and　cold　and　pain。　　The　only　improvement　he　could　make
would　be　to　enable　her　to　skip　a　certain　three　minutes　from　now；　and　he
asked　us　if　he　should　do　it。　　This　was　such　a　short　time　to　decide　in
that　we　went　to　pieces　with　nervous　excitement；　and　before　we　could　pull
ourselves　together　and　ask　for　particulars　he　said　the　time　would　be　up
in　a　few　more　seconds；　so　then　we　gasped　out；　〃Do　it！〃

〃It　is　done；〃　he　said；　〃she　was　going　around　a　corner；　I　have　turned　her
back；　it　has　changed　her　career。〃

〃Then　what　will　happen；　Satan？〃

〃It　is　happening　now。　　She　is　having　words　with　Fischer；　the　weaver。　　In
his　anger　Fischer　will　straightway　do　what　he　would　not　have　done　but　for
this　accident。　　He　was　present　when　she　stood　over　her　child's　body　and
uttered　those　blasphemies。〃

〃What　will　he　do？〃

〃He　is　doing　it　nowbetraying　her。　　In　three　days　she　will　go　to　the
st