the mysterious stranger-第8部分

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better　than　dogs。　　Ah；　you　are　such　an　illogical；　unreasoning　race！　　And
paltryoh；　unspeakably！〃

Then　he　dropped　all　seriousness　and　just　overstrained　himself　making　fun
of　us；　and　deriding　our　pride　in　our　warlike　deeds；　our　great　heroes；　our
imperishable　fames；　our　mighty　kings；　our　ancient　aristocracies；　our
venerable　historyand　laughed　and　laughed　till　it　was　enough　to　make　a
person　sick　to　hear　him；　and　finally　he　sobered　a　little　and　said；　〃But；
after　all；　it　is　not　all　ridiculous；　there　is　a　sort　of　pathos　about　it
when　one　remembers　how　few　are　your　days；　how　childish　your　pomps；　and
what　shadows　you　are！〃

Presently　all　things　vanished　suddenly　from　my　sight；　and　I　knew　what　it
meant。　　The　next　moment　we　were　walking　along　in　our　village；　and　down
toward　the　river　I　saw　the　twinkling　lights　of　the　Golden　Stag。　　Then　in
the　dark　I　heard　a　joyful　cry：

〃He's　come　again！〃

It　was　Seppi　Wohlmeyer。　　He　had　felt　his　blood　leap　and　his　spirits　rise
in　a　way　that　could　mean　only　one　thing；　and　he　knew　Satan　was　near；
although　it　was　too　dark　to　see　him。　　He　came　to　us；　and　we　walked　along
together；　and　Seppi　poured　out　his　gladness　like　water。　　It　was　as　if　he
were　a　lover　and　had　found　his　sweetheart　who　had　been　lost。　　Seppi　was　a
smart　and　animated　boy；　and　had　enthusiasm　and　expression；　and　was　a
contrast　to　Nikolaus　and　me。　　He　was　full　of　the　last　new　mystery；　now
the　disappearance　of　Hans　Oppert；　the　village　loafer。　　People　were
beginning　to　be　curious　about　it；　he　said。　　He　did　not　say　anxious
curious　was　the　right　word；　and　strong　enough。　　No　one　had　seen　Hans　for
a　couple　of　days。

〃Not　since　he　did　that　brutal　thing；　you　know；〃　he　said。

〃What　brutal　thing？〃　It　was　Satan　that　asked。

〃Well；　he　is　always　clubbing　his　dog；　which　is　a　good　dog；　and　his　only
friend；　and　is　faithful；　and　loves　him；　and　does　no　one　any　harm；　and　two
days　ago　he　was　at　it　again；　just　for　nothingjust　for　pleasureand　the
dog　was　howling　and　begging；　and　Theodor　and　I　begged；　too；　but　he
threatened　us；　and　struck　the　dog　again　with　all　his　might　and　knocked
one　of　his　eyes　out；　and　he　said　to　us；　'There；　I　hope　you　are　satisfied
now；　that's　what　you　have　got　for　him　by　your　damned　meddling'and　he
laughed；　the　heartless　brute。〃　　Seppi's　voice　trembled　with　pity　and
anger。　　I　guessed　what　Satan　would　say；　and　he　said　it。

〃There　is　that　misused　word　againthat　shabby　slander。　　Brutes　do　not
act　like　that；　but　only　men。〃

〃Well；　it　was　inhuman；　anyway。〃

〃No；　it　wasn't；　Seppi；　it　was　humanquite　distinctly　human。　　It　is　not
pleasant　to　hear　you　libel　the　higher　animals　by　attributing　to　them
dispositions　which　they　are　free　from；　and　which　are　found　nowhere　but　in
the　human　heart。　　None　of　the　higher　animals　is　tainted　with　the　disease
called　the　Moral　Sense。　　Purify　your　language；　Seppi；　drop　those　lying
phrases　out　of　it。〃

He　spoke　pretty　sternlyfor　himand　I　was　sorry　I　hadn't　warned　Seppi
to　be　more　particular　about　the　word　he　used。　　I　knew　how　he　was　feeling。
He　would　not　want　to　offend　Satan；　he　would　rather　offend　all　his　kin。
There　was　an　uncomfortable　silence；　but　relief　soon　came；　for　that　poor
dog　came　along　now；　with　his　eye　hanging　down；　and　went　straight　to
Satan；　and　began　to　moan　and　mutter　brokenly；　and　Satan　began　to　answer
in　the　same　way；　and　it　was　plain　that　they　were　talking　together　in　the
dog　language。　　We　all　sat　down　in　the　grass；　in　the　moonlight；　for　the
clouds　were　breaking　away　now；　and　Satan　took　the　dog's　head　in　his　lap
and　put　the　eye　back　in　its　place；　and　the　dog　was　comfortable；　and　he
wagged　his　tail　and　licked　Satan's　hand；　and　looked　thankful　and　said　the
same；　I　knew　he　was　saying　it；　though　I　did　not　understand　the　words。
Then　the　two　talked　together　a　bit；　and　Satan　said：

〃He　says　his　master　was　drunk。〃

〃Yes；　he　was；〃　said　we。

〃And　an　hour　later　he　fell　over　the　precipice　there　beyond　the　Cliff
Pasture。〃

〃We　know　the　place；　it　is　three　miles　from　here。〃

〃And　the　dog　has　been　often　to　the　village；　begging　people　to　go　there；
but　he　was　only　driven　away　and　not　listened　to。〃

We　remembered　it；　but　hadn't　understood　what　he　wanted。

〃He　only　wanted　help　for　the　man　who　had　misused　him；　and　he　thought　only
of　that；　and　has　had　no　food　nor　sought　any。　　He　has　watched　by　his
master　two　nights。　　What　do　you　think　of　your　race？　　Is　heaven　reserved
for　it；　and　this　dog　ruled　out；　as　your　teachers　tell　you？　　Can　your　race
add　anything　to　this　dog's　stock　of　morals　and　magnanimities？〃　He　spoke
to　the　creature；　who　jumped　up；　eager　and　happy；　and　apparently　ready　for
orders　and　impatient　to　execute　them。　　〃Get　some　men；　go　with　the　doghe
will　show　you　that　carrion；　and　take　a　priest　along　to　arrange　about
insurance；　for　death　is　near。〃

With　the　last　word　he　vanished；　to　our　sorrow　and　disappointment。　　We　got
the　men　and　Father　Adolf；　and　we　saw　the　man　die。　　Nobody　cared　but　the
dog；　he　mourned　and　grieved；　and　licked　the　dead　face；　and　could　not　be
comforted。　　We　buried　him　where　he　was；　and　without　a　coffin；　for　he　had
no　money；　and　no　friend　but　the　dog。　　If　we　had　been　an　hour　earlier　the
priest　would　have　been　in　time　to　send　that　poor　creature　to　heaven；　but
now　he　was　gone　down　into　the　awful　fires；　to　burn　forever。　　It　seemed
such　a　pity　that　in　a　world　where　so　many　people　have　difficulty　to　put
in　their　time；　one　little　hour　could　not　have　been　spared　for　this　poor
creature　who　needed　it　so　much；　and　to　whom　it　would　have　made　the
difference　between　eternal　joy　and　eternal　pain。　　It　gave　an　appalling
idea　of　the　value　of　an　hour；　and　I　thought　I　could　never　waste　one　again
without　remorse　and　terror。　　Seppi　was　depressed　and　grieved；　and　said　it
must　be　so　much　better　to　be　a　dog　and　not　run　such　awful　risks。　　We　took
this　one　home　with　us　and　kept　him　for　our　own。　　Seppi　had　a　very　good
thought　as　we　were　walking　along；　and　it　cheered　us　up　and　made　us　feel
much　better。　　He　said　the　dog　had　forgiven　the　man　that　had　wronged　him
so；　and　maybe　God　would　accept　that　absolution。

There　was　a　very　dull　week；　now；　for　Satan　did　not　come；　nothing　much　was
going　on；　and　we　boys　could　not　venture　to　go　and　see　Marget；　because　the
nights　were　moonlit　and　our　parents　might　find　us　out　if　we　tried。　　But
we　came　across　Ursula　a　couple　of　times　taking　a　walk　in　the　meadows
beyond　the　river　to　air　the　cat；　and　we　learned　from　her　that　things　were
going　well。　　She　had　natty　new　clothes　on　and　bore　a　prosperous　look。
The　four　groschen　a　day　were　arriving　without　a　break；　but　were　not　being
spent　for　food　and　wine　and　such　thingsthe　cat　attended　to　all　that。

Marget　was　enduring　her　forsakenness　and　isolation　fairly　well；　all
things　considered；　and　was　cheerful；　by　help　of　Wilhelm　Meidling。　　She
spent　an　hour　or　two　every　night　in　the　jail　with　her　uncle；　and　had
fattened　him　up　with　the　cat's　contributions。　　But　she　was　curious　to
know　more　about　Philip　Traum；　and　hoped　I　would　bring　him　again。　　Ursula
was　curious　about　him　herself；　and　asked　a　good　many　questions　about　his
uncle。　　It　made　the　boys　laugh；　for　I　had　told　them　the　nonsense　Satan
had　been　stuffing　her　with。　　She　got　no　satisfaction　out　of　us；　our
tongues　being　tied。

Ursula　gave　us　a　small　item　of　information：　money　being　plenty　now；　she
had　taken　on　a　servant　to　help　about　the　house　and　run　errands。　　She
tried　to　tell　it　in　a　commonplace；　matter…of…course　way；　but　she　was　so
set　up　by　it　and　so　vain　of　it　that　her　pride　in　it　leaked　out　pretty
plainly。　　It　was　beautiful　to　see　her　veiled　delight　in　this　grandeur；
poor　old　thing；　but　when　we　heard　the　name　of　the　servant　we　wondered　if
she　had　been　altogether　wise；　for　although　we　were　young；　and　often
thoughtless；　we　had　fairly　good　perception　on　some　matters。　　This　boy　was
Gottfried　Narr；　a　dull；　good　creature；　with　no　harm　in　him　and　nothing
against　him　personally；　still；　he　was　under　a　cloud；　and　properly　so；　for
it　had　not　been　six　months　since　a　social　blight　had　mildewed　the　family
his　grandmother　had　been　burned　as　a　witch。　　When　that　kind　of　a　malady
is　in　the　blood　it　does　not　always　come　out　with　just　one　burning。　　Just
now　was　not　a　good　time　for　Ursula　and　Marget　to　be　having　dealings　with
a　member　of　such　a　family；　for　the　witch…terror　had　risen　higher　during
the　past　year　than　it　had　ever　reached　in　the　memory　of　the　oldest
villagers。　　The　mere　mention　of　a　witch　was　almost　enough　to　frighten　us
out　of　our　wits。　　This　was　natural　enough；　because　of　late　years　there
were　more　kinds　of　witches　than　there　used　to　be；　in　old　times　it　had
been　only　old　women；　but　of　late　years　they　were　of　all　ageseven
children　of　eight　and　nine；　it　was　getting　so　that　anybody　might　turn　out
to　be　a　familiar　of　the　Devilage　and　sex　hadn't　anything　to　do　with　it。
In　our　little　region　we　had　tried　to　extirpate　the　witches；　but　the　more
of　them　we　burned　the　more　of　the　breed　rose　up　in　their　places。

Once；　in　a　school　for　girls　only　ten　miles　away；　the　teachers　found　that
the　back　of　one　of　the　girls　was　all　red　and　inflamed；　and　they　were
greatly　frightened；　believing　it　to　be　the　Devil's　marks。　　The　girl　was
scared；　and　begged　them　not　to　denounce　her；　and　said　it　was　only　fleas；
but　of　course　it　would　not　do　to　let　the　matter　rest　there。　　All　the
girls　were　examined；　and　eleven　out　of　the　fifty　were　badly　marked；　the
rest　less　so。　　A　commission　was　appointed；　but　the　eleven　only　cried　for
their　mothers　and　would　not　confess。　　Then　they　were　shut　up；　each　by
herself；　in　the　dark；　and　put　on　black　bread　and　water　for　ten　days　and
nights；　and　by　that　time　they　were　haggard　and　wild；　and　their　eyes　were
dry　and　they　did　not　cry　any　more；　but　only　sat　and　mumbled；　and　would
not　take　the　food。　　Then　one　of　them　confessed；　and　said　they　had　often
ridden　through　the　air　on　broomsticks　to　the　witches'　Sabbath；　and　in　a
bleak　place　high　up　in　the　mountains　had　danced　and　drunk　and　caroused
with　several　hundred　other　witches　and　the　Evil　One；　and　all　had
conducted　themselves　in　a　scandalous　way　and　had　reviled　the　priests　and
blasphemed　God。　　That　is　what　she　saidnot　in　narrative　form；　for　she
was　not　able　to　remember　any　of　the　details　without　having　them　cal