按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
A madman； with two obsessions。 A pitiable Samson with his arms round
the pillars of society to drag it down upon his head because society
had defiled his sister！ Ah； how many thousands in Russia like him！
A great yearning filled Gregor's heart； because he understood； but he
suppressed expression of it because the sick idea was stronger。
〃Yes； yes！ I loved those green stones because it was born in me to
love beautiful things。 Have you forgotten； Boris； the old days in
Moscow； when we were students and I made you weep with my fiddle？
There was hope for you then。 You had not become a pothouse orator
on the rights of the proletariat … the red…combed rooster on the
smouldering dungheap！ Beauty； no matter in what form； I loved it。
Yes； I was mad about those emeralds。 I was always stealing in to
see them； to hold them to the light； simply because they were
beautiful。〃 Gregor's hands flew to his throat； which he bared。 〃I
lured her there！ Twas I； Boris！ 。。。 Those beautiful hands of yours；
fit for the butcher's block！ Kill me！ Kill me！〃
But Karlov shrank back； covering his eyes。 〃No！ I see now！ You
wish to die！ You shall live！〃 He rushed toward the far wall； a
huge grotesque shadow rising to meet him … his own； thrown upon the
wall by the wavering candlelight。 He turned shaking； for the
temptation had been great。
At once Gregor realized his failure。 The tenseness went out of him。
He spoke calmly。 〃Yes； I wanted to die。 I no longer possess
anything。 I lied； Boris； but it is useless to tell you that。 I knew
nothing of Anna until it was too late。 I wanted to die。〃
Karlov began to pace furiously； the candle flame springing after him
each time he passed it。
There was a question in Gregor's mind。 It rushed to his lips a dozen
times but he dared not voice it。 Olga。 Since Karlov could not be
tempted to murder； it would be futile to ask for an additional burden
of mental torture。 Perhaps it had not happened … the terrible picture
he drew in his mind … since Karlov had not boasted of it。
〃Come； Boris。 There is blood on your hands。 What is one more daub
of it？〃
Karlov stopped； scowled； and ran his fingers through his hair。
Perhaps some ugly memory stirred the roots of it。 〃You wish to die！〃
Gregor bent his head to his hands and Karlov resumed his pacing。
After a while Gregor looked up。
〃Private vengeance。 You begin your rule with private vengeance。〃
〃The vengeance of a people。 All the breed。 Did France stop at
Louis？ Do we tear up the roots of the poisonous toadstool that
killed someone we loved and leave the other toadstools thriving？〃
〃To cure the world of all its ills by tearing up the toadstools and
the flowers together … do you call that justice？ The proletariat
shall have everything； and he begins by killing off noble and
bourgeoisie and dividing up the loot！ Even with his oppression the
noble had a right to live。 The bourgeoisie must die because of his
benefactions to a people。 The world for the proletariat； and
damnation for the rest！〃
〃Let each become one of us；〃 cried Karlov； hoarsely。 〃We give
them that right。〃
〃You lie！ You have done nothing but assassinate them when they
surrendered。 But tell me； have not you； Lenine； and Trotzky
overlooked something？〃
〃What？〃 Karlov was vaguely grateful for this diversion。 The lust
to kill was still upon him and he was fighting it。 He must remember
that Gregor wished to die。 〃What have we overlooked？〃
〃Human nature。 Can you tear it apart and reconstruct it； as you
would a clock？ What of creative genius in this proletariat
millennium of yours？〃
〃The state will carefully mother that。〃
Gregor laughed sardonically。 〃Will there be creative genius under
your rule？ Will you not suffocate it by taking away the air that
energizes it … ambition？ You will have all the present marvels of
invention to start with； but will you ever go beyond？ Have you read
history and observed the inexorable？ I doubt it。 What is progress？
A series of almost imperceptible steps。〃
〃Which capitalism has always obstructed；〃 flung back Karlov。
〃Which capitalism has always made possible。 Curb it； yes； but
abolish it； as you have done in unhappy Russia！ Why do you starve
there？ Poor fool； because you have assassinated those forces which
created food … that is to say； put it where you could get it。 Three
quarters of Russia are against you。 You read nothing in that？ The
efficient and the inefficient； they shall lie down together as the
lion and the ass； to paraphrase。 They shall become equal because
you say so。 What is； fundamentally； this Bolshevism？ The revolt
of the inefficient。 The mantle of horror that was Germany's you
have torn from her shoulders and thrown upon yours。 Fools！〃
The anarch's huge fists became knotted； wrinkles corrugated his
forehead； but he did not stir。 Gregor wanted to die。
Gregor pointed with trembling hand toward the brown litter on the
table。 〃To destroy。 You shattered a soul there。 You tore mine
apart when you did it。 For what？ To better humanity？ No； to rend
something； to obliterate something that was beautiful。 Demolition。
Go on。 You will tear and rend until exhaustion comes； then some
citizen king； some headstrong Napoleon； will step in。 The French
Revolution taught you nothing。 You play 'The Marseillaise' in the
Neva Prospekt and miss the significance of that song。 Liberty？
You choose license。 Equality？ You deny it in your acts。
Fraternity？ You slaughter your brothers。〃
〃Be silent！〃 roared Karlov； wavering。
But Gregor continued with a new…found hope。 He saw that his jeers
were wearing down the other's control。 Perhaps the weak side was
the political。 Karlov was a fanatic。 There might yet be death
in those straining fingers。
〃To seize by confiscation； without justice； indiscriminately all
that the group efficient laboriously constructed。 I enter your
house； kill your family and steal your silver。 Are your acts
fundamentally different from mine？ Remember； I am speaking from
the point of view as three quarters of Russia see it； and all the
other civilized nations。 There may be something magnificent in
that soviet constitution of yours； but you have deluged it in
blood and folly。 Ostensibly you are dividing up the great estates；
but actually you are parcelling them out and charging rent。 You
will not own anything。 The state shall own all the property。 What
will be the patriotism of the man who has nothing？ Why defend
something that is only his government's； not his own？ You are
legalizing women as cows。 The sense of motherhood will vanish when
a woman may not select her mate。 What is the greatest thing in the
world？ The human need of possession。 To own something； however
little。 The spur of creative genius。 Human beings will never be
equal except in lawful privileges。 The skillful will outpace the
unskillful； the thrifty will take from the improvident； genius will
overtop mediocrity。 And you will change all this with a scrape of
your bloody pen！〃
Karlov's body began to rock and sway like an angry bear's； but
still he held his ground。 Gregor wanted to die； to cheat him。
〃What of power？〃 went on his baiter。 〃Capitalism of might。 Lenine
and Trotzky； are they … have they been … honest？ Has Russia
actually voted them into office？ They sit in the seats of the mighty
by the capitalism of force。 For the capitalism of money； which is
progress physical and moral； you substitute the capitalism of force；
which is terror。 You speak of yourselves as internationalists。
Bats； that is the judgment day of God … internationalism！ For
only on the judgment day will nations become a single people。〃
A short silence。 Gregor was beginning to grow weak。 Presently he
picked up the thread of his diatribe。
〃I have lived in England； France； Italy； and here。 I am competent
to draw comparisons。 Where you went to distill poison I went to
absorb facts。 And I found that here in this great democracy is the
true idea。 But you will not read the lesson。〃
Sweat began to drop from Karlov's beetling eyebrows。
〃You will fail miserably here。 Why？ Because the Americans are the
greatest of individual property owners。 The sense of possession is
satisfied。 And woe to the fool who suggests they surrender this。
Little wooden houses； thousands and thousands of them； with a small
plot of ground in the rear where a man in the springtime may dig his
hands into the soil and say gratefully to God； 'Mine； mine！' I； too；
am a Russ。 I thought in the beginning that you would take this
country as an example； a government of the people； by the people；
for the people。 Wrongs？ Yes。 But day by day these wrongs are
being righted。 No lesson in this for Trotzky； a beer…hall orator
like yourself。 Ten million men drafted to carry arms。 Did they
revolt？ Shoulder to shoulder the selected millions marched to the
great ships； shoulder to shoulder they pressed toward the Rhine。
No lesson in that！
〃Capitalism； seeking to save its loans； you rant！ Capitalism of
blood and money that asked only for simple justice to mankind。 The
ideal of a great people … a mixtur