the research magnificent-第49章

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road　that　had　once　been　the　lordly　approach　to　his　fastness。　　Below　they　passed　an　abandoned　palace　of　vast　extent；　a　palace　with　great　terraces　and　the　still　traceable　outline　of　gardens；　though　there　were　green　things　pushing　between　the　terrace　steps；　and　trees　thrust　out　of　the　empty　windows。　　Here　from　a　belvedere　of　which　the　skull…like　vestige　still　remained；　the　negro　Emperor　Christophe；　after　fourteen　years　of　absolute　rule；　had　watched　for　a　time　the　smoke　of　the　burning　of　his　cane…fields　in　the　plain　below；　and　then；　learning　that　his　bodyguard　had　deserted　him；　had　gone　in　and　blown　out　his　brains。　He　had　christened　the　place　after　the　best　of　examples；　〃Sans　Souci。〃　But　the　citadel　above；　which　was　to　have　been　his　last　defence；　he　never　used。　　The　defection　of　his　guards　made　him　abandon　that。　　To　build　it；　they　say；　cost　Hayti　thirty　thousand　lives。　　He　had　the　true　Imperial　lavishness。　　So　high　it　was；　so　lost　in　a　wilderness　of　trees　and　bush；　looking　out　over　a　land　relapsed　now　altogether　to　a　barbarism　of　patch　and　hovel；　so　solitary　and　chill　under　the　tropical　skyfor　even　the　guards　who　still　watched　over　its　suspected　treasures　feared　to　live　in　its　ghostly　galleries　and　had　made　hovels　outside　its　wallsand　at　the　same　time　so　huge　and　grandiosethere　were　walls　thirty　feet　thick；　galleries　with　scores　of　rust…eaten　cannon；　circular　dining…halls；　king's　apartments　and　queen's　apartments；　towering　battlements　and　great　arched　doorways　that　it　seemed　to　Benham　to　embody　the　power　and　passing　of　that　miracle　of　human　history；　tyranny；　the　helpless　bowing　of　multitudes　before　one　man　and　the　transitoriness　of　such　glories；　more　completely　than　anything　he　had　ever　seen　or　imagined　in　the　world　before。　　Beneath　the　battlementsthey　are　choked　above　with　jungle　grass　and　tamarinds　and　many　flowery　weedsthe　precipice　fell　away　a　sheer　two　thousand　feet；　and　below　spread　a　vast　rich　green　plain　populous　and　diversified；　bounded　at　last　by　the　blue　sea；　like　an　amethystine　wall。　　Over　this　precipice　Christophe　was　wont　to　fling　his　victims；　and　below　this　terrace　were　bottle…shaped　dungeons　where　men；　broken　and　torn；　thrust　in　at　the　neck…like　hole　above；　starved　and　died：　it　was　his　headquarters　here；　here　he　had　his　torture　chambers　and　the　means　for　nameless　cruelties。　。　。　。　〃Not　a　hundred　years　ago；〃　said　Benham's　companion；　and　told　the　story　of　the　disgraced　favourite；　the　youth　who　had　offended。　〃Leap；〃　said　his　master；　and　the　poor　hypnotized　wretch；　after　one　questioning　glance　at　the　conceivable　alternatives；　made　his　last　gesture　of　servility；　and　then　stood　out　against　the　sky；　swayed；　and　with　a　convulsion　of　resolve；　leapt　and　shot　headlong　down　through　the　shimmering　air。　Came　presently　the　little　faint　sound　of　his　fall。　The　Emperor　satisfied　turned　away；　unmindful　of　the　fact　that　this　projectile　he　had　launched　had　caught　among　the　bushes　below；　and　presently　struggled　and　found　itself　still　a　living　man。　　It　could　scramble　down　to　the　road　and；　what　is　more　wonderful；　hope　for　mercy。　　An　hour　and　it　stood　before　Christophe　again；　with　an　arm　broken　and　bloody　and　a　face　torn；　a　battered　thing　now　but　with　a　faint　flavour　of　pride　in　its　bearing。　　〃Your　bidding　has　been　done；　Sire；〃　it　said。　〃So；〃　said　the　Emperor；　unappeased。　　〃And　you　live？　　Well　　Leap　again。　。　。　。〃　And　then　came　other　stories。　　The　young　man　told　them　as　he　had　heard　them；　stories　of　ferocious　wholesale　butcheries；　of　men　standing　along　the　walls　of　the　banqueting　chamber　to　be　shot　one　by　one　as　the　feast　went　on；　of　exquisite　and　terrifying　cruelties；　and　his　one　note　of　wonder；　his　refrain　was；　〃HERE！　　Not　a　hundred　years　ago。　。　。　。　　It　makes　one　almost　believe　that　somewhere　things　of　this　sort　are　being　done　now。〃　They　ate　their　lunch　together　amidst　the　weedy　flowery　ruins。　　The　lizards　which　had　fled　their　coming　crept　out　again　to　bask　in　the　sunshine。　　The　soldier…guide　and　guard　scrabbled　about　with　his　black　fingers　in　the　ruinous　and　rifled　tomb　of　Christophe　in　a　search　for　some　saleable　memento。　。　。　。　Benham　sat　musing　in　silence。　　The　thought　of　deliberate　cruelty　was　always　an　actual　physical　distress　to　him。　　He　sat　bathed　in　the　dreamy　afternoon　sunlight　and　struggled　against　the　pictures　that　crowded　into　his　mind；　pictures　of　men　aghast　at　death；　and　of　fear…　driven　men　toiling　in　agony；　and　of　the　shame　of　extorted　obedience　and　of　cringing　and　crawling　black　figures；　and　the　defiance　of　righteous　hate　beaten　down　under　blow　and　anguish。　　He　saw　eyes　alight　with　terror　and　lips　rolled　back　in　agony；　he　saw　weary　hopeless　flight　before　striding　proud　destruction；　he　saw　the　poor　trampled　mangled　dead；　and　he　shivered　in　his　soul。　。　。　。　He　hated　Christophe　and　all　that　made　Christophe；　he　hated　pride；　and　then　the　idea　came　to　him　that　it　is　not　pride　that　makes　Christophes　but　humility。　There　is　in　the　medley　of　man's　composition；　deeper　far　than　his　superficial　working　delusion　that　he　is　a　separated　self…seeking　individual；　an　instinct　for　cooperation　and　obedience。　　Every　natural　sane　man　wants；　though　he　may　want　it　unwittingly；　kingly　guidance；　a　definite　direction　for　his　own　partial　life。　　At　the　bottom　of　his　heart　he　feels；　even　if　he　does　not　know　it　definitely；　that　his　life　is　partial。　　He　is　driven　to　join　himself　on。　　He　obeys　decision　and　the　appearance　of　strength　as　a　horse　obeys　its　rider's　voice。　　One　thinks　of　the　pride；　the　uncontrolled　frantic　will　of　this　black　ape　of　all　Emperors；　and　one　forgets　the　universal　docility　that　made　him　possible。　　Usurpation　is　a　crime　to　which　men　are　tempted　by　human　dirigibility。　　It　is　the　orderly　peoples　who　create　tyrants；　and　it　is　not　so　much　restraint　above　as　stiff　insubordination　below　that　has　to　be　taught　to　men。　　There　are　kings　and　tyrannies　and　imperialisms；　simply　because　of　the　unkingliness　of　men。　And　as　he　sat　upon　the　battlements　of　La　Ferriere；　Benham　cast　off　from　his　mind　his　last　tolerance　for　earthly　kings　and　existing　States；　and　expounded　to　another　human　being　for　the　first　time　this　long…cherished　doctrine　of　his　of　the　Invisible　King　who　is　the　lord　of　human　destiny；　the　spirit　of　nobility；　who　will　one　day　take　the　sceptre　and　rule　the　earth。　。　。　。　　To　the　young　American's　naive　American　response　to　any　simply　felt　emotion；　he　seemed　with　his　white　earnestness　and　his　glowing　eyes　a　veritable　prophet。　。　。　。　〃This　is　the　root　idea　of　aristocracy；〃　said　Benham。　〃I　have　never　heard　the　underlying　spirit　of　democracy；　the　real　true　Thing　in　democracy；　so　thoroughly　expressed；〃　said　the　young　American。

5

Benham's　notes　on　race　and　racial　cultures　gave　White　tantalizing　glimpses　of　a　number　of　picturesque　experiences。　　The　adventure　in　Kieff　had　first　roused　Benham　to　the　reality　of　racial　quality。　　He　was　caught　in　the　wheels　of　a　pogrom。　〃Before　that　time　I　had　been　disposed　to　minimize　and　deny　race。　　I　still　think　it　need　not　prevent　men　from　the　completest　social　co…　operation；　but　I　see　now　better　than　I　did　how　difficult　it　is　for　any　man　to　purge　from　his　mind　the　idea　that　he　is　not　primarily　a　Jew；　a　Teuton；　or　a　Kelt；　but　a　man。　　You　can　persuade　any　one　in　five　minutes　that　he　or　she　belongs　to　some　special　and　blessed　and　privileged　sort　of　human　being；　it　takes　a　lifetime　to　destroy　that　persuasion。　　There　are　these　confounded　differences　of　colour；　of　eye　and　brow；　of　nose　or　hair；　small　differences　in　themselves　except　that　they　give　a　foothold　and　foundation　for　tremendous　fortifications　of　prejudice　and　tradition；　in　which　hostilities　and　hatreds　may　gather。　　When　I　think　of　a　Jew's　nose；　a　Chinaman's　eyes　or　a　negro's　colour　I　am　reminded　of　that　fatal　little　pit　which　nature　has　left　in　the　vermiform　appendix；　a　thing　no　use　in　itself　and　of　no　significance；　but　a　gathering…place　for　mischief。　　The　extremest　case　of　race…feeling　is　the　Jewish　case；　and　even　here；　I　am　convinced；　it　is　the　Bible　and　the　Talmud　and　the　exertions　of　those　inevitable　professional　champions　who　live　upon　racial　feeling；　far　more　than　their　common　distinction　of　blood；　which　holds　this　people　together　banded　against　mankind。〃　Between　the　lines　of　such　general　propositions　as　this　White　read　little　scraps　of　intimation　that　linked　with　the　things　Benham　let　fall　in　Johannesburg　to　reconstruct　the　Kieff　adventure。　Benham　had　been　visiting　a　friend　in　the　country　on　the　further　side　of　the　Dnieper。　　As　they　drove　back　along　dusty　stretches　of　road　amidst　fields　of　corn　and　sunflower　and　through　bright　little　villages；　they　saw　against　the　evening　blue　under　the　full　moon　a　smoky　red　glare　rising　from　amidst　the　white　houses　and　dark　trees　of　the　town。　　〃The　pogrom's　begun；〃　said　Benham's　friend；　and　was　surprised　when　Benham　wanted　to　end　a　pleasant　day　by　going　to　see　what　happens　after　the　beginning　of　a　pogrom。　He　was　to　have　several　surprises　before　at　last　he　left　Benham　in　disgust　and　went　home　by　himself。　For　Benham；　with　that　hastiness　that　so　flouted　his　exalted　theories；　passed　rapidly　from　an　attitude　of　impartial　enquiry　to　active　intervention。　　The　two　men　left　their　carriage　and　plunged　into　the　network　of　unlovely　dark　streets　in　which　the　Jews　and　traders　harboured。　。　。　。　　Benham's　first　intervention　was　on　behalf　of　a　crouching　and　yelping　bundle　of　humanity　that　was　being　dragged　about　and　kicked　at　a　street　corner。　　The　bundle　resolved　itself　into　a　filthy　little　old　man；　and　made　off　with　extraordinary　rapidity；　while　Benham　remonstrated　with　the　kickers。　　Benham's　tallness；　his　very　Gentile　face；　his　good　clothes；　and　an　air　of　tense　authority　about　him　had　its　effect；　and　the　kickers　shuffled　off　with　remarks　that　were　partly　apologies。　　But　Benham's　friend　revolted。　　This　was　no　business　of　theirs。　Benham　went　on　unaccompanied　towards　the　glare　of　the　burning　houses。　For　a　time　he　watched。　　Black　figures　moved　between　him　and　the　glare；　and　he　tried　to　find　out　the　exact　nature　of　the　conflict　by　enquiries　in　clumsy　Russian。　　He　was　told　that　the　Jews　had　insulted　a　religious　procession；　that　a　Jew　had　spat　at　an　ikon；　that　the　shop　of　a　cheating　Jew　trader　had　been　set　on　fire；　and　that　the　blaze　had　spread　to　the　adjacent　group　of　houses。　　He　gathered　that　the　Jews　were　running　out　of　the　burning　block　on　the　other　side　〃like　rats。〃　　The　crowd　was　mostly　composed　of　town　roughs　with　a　sprinkling　of　peasants。　　They　were　mischievous　but　undecided。　　Among　them　were　a　number　of　soldiers；　and　he　was　surprised　to　see　a　policemen；　brightly　lit　from　head　to　foot；　watching　the　looting　of　a　shop　that　was　still　untouched　by　the　flames。　He　held　back　some　men　who　had　discovered　a　couple　of　women's　figures　slinking　along　in　the　shadow　beneath　a　wall。　　Behind　his　remonstrances　the　Jewesses　escaped。　　His　anger　against　disorder　was　growing　upon　him。　。　。　。　Late　that　night　Benham　found　himself　the　leading　figure　amidst　a　party　of　Jews　who　had　made　a　counter　attack　upon　a　gang　of　roughs　in　a　court　that　had　become　the　refuge　of　a　crowd　of　fugitives。　　Some　of　the　young　Jewish　men　had　already　been　making　a　fight；　rather　a　poor　and　hopeless　fight；　from　the　windows　of　the　house　near　the　entrance　of　the　court；　but　it　is　doubtful　if　they　would　have　made　an　effective　resistance　if　it　had　not　been　for　this　tall　excited　stranger　who　was　suddenly　shouti