the mysterious stranger-第15部分

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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
stake。〃

We　could　not　speak；　we　were　frozen　with　horror；　for　if　we　had　not　meddled
with　her　career　she　would　have　been　spared　this　awful　fate。　　Satan
noticed　these　thoughts；　and　said：

〃What　you　are　thinking　is　strictly　human…likethat　is　to　say；　foolish。
The　woman　is　advantaged。　　Die　when　she　might；　she　would　go　to　heaven。　　By
this　prompt　death　she　gets　twenty…nine　years　more　of　heaven　than　she　is
entitled　to；　and　escapes　twenty…nine　years　of　misery　here。〃

A　moment　before　we　were　bitterly　making　up　our　minds　that　we　would　ask　no
more　favors　of　Satan　for　friends　of　ours；　for　he　did　not　seem　to　know　any
way　to　do　a　person　a　kindness　but　by　killing　him；　but　the　whole　aspect　of
the　case　was　changed　now；　and　we　were　glad　of　what　we　had　done　and　full
of　happiness　in　the　thought　of　it。

After　a　little　I　began　to　feel　troubled　about　Fischer；　and　asked；
timidly；　〃Does　this　episode　change　Fischer's　life…scheme；　Satan？〃

〃Change　it？　　Why；　certainly。　　And　radically。　　If　he　had　not　met　Frau
Brandt　awhile　ago　he　would　die　next　year；　thirty…four　years　of　age。　　Now
he　will　live　to　be　ninety；　and　have　a　pretty　prosperous　and　comfortable
life　of　it；　as　human　lives　go。〃

We　felt　a　great　joy　and　pride　in　what　we　had　done　for　Fischer；　and　were
expecting　Satan　to　sympathize　with　this　feeling；　but　he　showed　no　sign
and　this　made　us　uneasy。　　We　waited　for　him　to　speak；　but　he　didn't；　so；
to　assuage　our　solicitude　we　had　to　ask　him　if　there　was　any　defect　in
Fischer's　good　luck。　　Satan　considered　the　question　a　moment；　then　said；
with　some　hesitation：

〃Well；　the　fact　is；　it　is　a　delicate　point。　　Under　his　several　former
possible　life…careers　he　was　going　to　heaven。〃

We　were　aghast。　　〃Oh；　Satan！　　and　under　this　one〃

〃There；　don't　be　so　distressed。　　You　were　sincerely　trying　to　do　him　a
kindness；　let　that　comfort　you。〃

〃Oh；　dear；　dear；　that　cannot　comfort　us。　　You　ought　to　have　told　us　what
we　were　doing；　then　we　wouldn't　have　acted　so。〃

But　it　made　no　impression　on　him。　　He　had　never　felt　a　pain　or　a　sorrow；
and　did　not　know　what　they　were；　in　any　really　informing　way。　　He　had　no
knowledge　of　them　except　theoreticallythat　is　to　say；　intellectually。
And　of　course　that　is　no　good。　　One　can　never　get　any　but　a　loose　and
ignorant　notion　of　such　things　except　by　experience。　　We　tried　our　best
to　make　him　comprehend　the　awful　thing　that　had　been　done　and　how　we　were
compromised　by　it；　but　he　couldn't　seem　to　get　hold　of　it。　　He　said　he
did　not　think　it　important　where　Fischer　went　to；　in　heaven　he　would　not
be　missed；　there　were　〃plenty　there。〃　　We　tried　to　make　him　see　that　he
was　missing　the　point　entirely；　that　Fischer；　and　not　other　people；　was
the　proper　one　to　decide　about　the　importance　of　it；　but　it　all　went　for
nothing；　he　said　he　did　not　care　for　Fischerthere　were　plenty　more
Fischers。

The　next　minute　Fischer　went　by　on　the　other　side　of　the　way；　and　it　made
us　sick　and　faint　to　see　him；　remembering　the　doom　that　was　upon　him；　and
we　the　cause　of　it。　　And　how　unconscious　he　was　that　anything　had
happened　to　him！　　You　could　see　by　his　elastic　step　and　his　alert　manner
that　he　was　well　satisfied　with　himself　for　doing　that　hard　turn　for　poor
Frau　Brandt。　　He　kept　glancing　back　over　his　shoulder　expectantly。　　And；
sure　enough；　pretty　soon　Frau　Brandt　followed　after；　in　charge　of　the
officers　and　wearing　jingling　chains。　　A　mob　was　in　her　wake；　jeering　and
shouting；　〃Blasphemer　and　heretic！〃　and　some　among　them　were　neighbors
and　friends　of　her　happier　days。　　Some　were　trying　to　strike　her；　and　the
officers　were　not　taking　as　much　trouble　as　they　might　to　keep　them　from
it。

〃Oh；　stop　them；　Satan！〃　It　was　out　before　we　remembered　that　he　could　not
interrupt　them　for　a　moment　without　changing　their　whole　after…lives。　　He
puffed　a　little　puff　toward　them　with　his　lips　and　they　began　to　reel　and
stagger　and　grab　at　the　empty　air；　then　they　broke　apart　and　fled　in
every　direction；　shrieking；　as　if　in　intolerable　pain。　　He　had　crushed　a
rib　of　each　of　them　with　that　little　puff。　　We　could　not　help　asking　if
their　life…chart　was　changed。

〃Yes；　entirely。　　Some　have　gained　years；　some　have　lost　them。　　Some　few
will　profit　in　various　ways　by　the　change；　but　only　that　few。〃

We　did　not　ask　if　we　had　brought　poor　Fischer's　luck　to　any　of　them。　　We
did　not　wish　to　know。　　We　fully　believed　in　Satan's　desire　to　do　us
kindnesses；　but　we　were　losing　confidence　in　his　judgment。　　It　was　at
this　time　that　our　growing　anxiety　to　have　him　look　over　our　life…charts
and　suggest　improvements　began　to　fade　out　and　give　place　to　other
interests。

For　a　day　or　two　the　whole　village　was　a　chattering　turmoil　over　Frau
Brandt's　case　and　over　the　mysterious　calamity　that　had　overtaken　the
mob；　and　at　her　trial　the　place　was　crowded。　　She　was　easily　convicted　of
her　blasphemies；　for　she　uttered　those　terrible　words　again　and　said　she
would　not　take　them　back。　　When　warned　that　she　was　imperiling　her　life；
she　said　they　could　take　it　in　welcome；　she　did　not　want　it；　she　would
rather　live　with　the　professional　devils　in　perdition　than　with　these
imitators　in　the　village。　　They　accused　her　of　breaking　all　those　ribs　by
witchcraft；　and　asked　her　if　she　was　not　a　witch？　　She　answered
scornfully：

〃No。　　If　I　had　that　power　would　any　of　you　holy　hypocrites　be　alive　five
minutes？　　No；　I　would　strike　you　all　dead。　　Pronounce　your　sentence　and
let　me　go；　I　am　tired　of　your　society。〃

So　they　found　her　guilty；　and　she　was　excommunicated　and　cut　off　from　the
joys　of　heaven　and　doomed　to　the　fires　of　hell；　then　she　was　clothed　in　a
coarse　robe　and　delivered　to　the　secular　arm；　and　conducted　to　the
market…place；　the　bell　solemnly　tolling　the　while。　　We　saw　her　chained　to
the　stake；　and　saw　the　first　film　of　blue　smoke　rise　on　the　still　air。
Then　her　hard　face　softened；　and　she　looked　upon　the　packed　crowd　in
front　of　her　and　said；　with　gentleness：

〃We　played　together　once；　in　long…agone　days　when　we　were　innocent　little
creatures。　　For　the　sake　of　that；　I　forgive　you。〃

We　went　a