all roads lead to calvary-第32章

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　you　to　see　one　or　two　women：　　they　count　in　France。　　You　know　French　pretty　well；　don't　you？〃

〃Oh；　sufficiently；〃　Joan　answered。　　The　one　thing　her　mother　had　done　for　her　had　been　to　talk　French　with　her　when　she　was　a　child；　and　at　Girton　she　had　chummed　on　with　a　French　girl；　and　made　herself　tolerably　perfect。

〃You　will　not　go　as　a　journalist；〃　continued　Mrs。　Denton；　〃but　as　a　personal　friend　of　mine；　whose　discretion　I　shall　vouch　for。　　I　want　you　to　find　out　what　the　people　I　am　sending　you　among　are　thinking　themselves；　and　what　they　consider　ought　to　be　done。　　If　we　are　not　very　careful　on　both　sides　we　shall　have　the　newspapers　whipping　us　into　war。〃

The　perpetual　Egyptian　trouble　had　cropped　up　again　and　the　Carleton　papers；　in　particular；　were　already　sounding　the　tocsin。　Carleton's　argument　was　that　we　ought　to　fall　upon　France　and　crush　her；　before　she　could　develop　her　supposed　submarine　menace。　　His　flaming　posters　were　at　every　corner。　　Every　obscure　French　newspaper　was　being　ransacked　for　〃Insults　and　Pinpricks。〃

〃A　section　of　the　Paris　Press　is　doing　all　it　can　to　help　him；　of　course；〃　explained　Mrs。　Denton。　　〃It　doesn't　seem　to　matter　to　them　that　Germany　is　only　waiting　her　opportunity；　and　that；　if　Russia　comes　in；　it　is　bound　to　bring　Austria。　　Europe　will　pay　dearly　one　day　for　the　luxury　of　a　free　Press。〃

〃But　you're　surely　not　suggesting　any　other　kind　of　Press；　at　this　period　of　the　world's　history？〃　exclaimed　Joan。

〃Oh；　but　I　am；〃　answered　the　old　lady　with　a　grim　tightening　of　the　lips。　　〃Not　even　Carleton　would　be　allowed　to　incite　to　murder　or　arson。　　I　would　have　him　prosecuted　for　inciting　a　nation　to　war。〃

〃Why　is　the　Press　always　so　eager　for　war？〃　mused　Joan。　　〃According　to　their　own　account；　war　doesn't　pay　them。〃

〃I　don't　suppose　it　does：　　not　directly；〃　answered　Mrs。　Denton。　〃But　it　helps　them　to　establish　their　position　and　get　a　tighter　hold　upon　the　public。　　War　does　pay　the　newspaper　in　the　long　run。　The　daily　newspaper　lives　on　commotion；　crime；　lawlessness　in　general。　　If　people　no　longer　enjoyed　reading　about　violence　and　bloodshed　half　their　occupation；　and　that　the　most　profitable　half　would　be　gone。　　It　is　the　interest　of　the　newspaper　to　keep　alive　the　savage　in　human　nature；　and　war　affords　the　readiest　means　of　doing　this。　　You　can't　do　much　to　increase　the　number　of　gruesome　murders　and　loathsome　assaults；　beyond　giving　all　possible　advertisement　to　them　when　they　do　occur。　　But　you　can　preach　war；　and　cover　yourself　with　glory；　as　a　patriot；　at　the　same　time。〃

〃I　wonder　how　many　of　my　ideals　will　be　left　to　me；〃　sighed　Joan。　〃I　always　used　to　regard　the　Press　as　the　modern　pulpit。〃

〃The　old　pulpit　became　an　evil；　the　moment　it　obtained　unlimited　power；〃　answered　Mrs。　Denton。　　〃It　originated　persecution　and　inflamed　men's　passions　against　one　another。　　It；　too；　preached　war　for　its　own　ends；　taught　superstition；　and　punished　thought　as　a　crime。　　The　Press　of　to…day　is　stepping　into　the　shoes　of　the　medieval　priest。　　It　aims　at　establishing　the　worst　kind　of　tyranny：　　the　tyranny　over　men's　minds。　　They　pretend　to　fight　among　themselves；　but　it's　rapidly　becoming　a　close　corporation。　The　Institute　of　Journalists　will　soon　be　followed　by　the　Union　of　Newspaper　Proprietors　and　the　few　independent　journals　will　be　squeezed　out。　　Already　we　have　German　shareholders　on　English　papers；　and　English　capital　is　interested　in　the　St。　Petersburg　Press。　　It　will　one　day　have　its　International　Pope　and　its　school　of　cosmopolitan　cardinals。〃

Joan　laughed。　　〃I　can　see　Carleton　rather　fancying　himself　in　a　tiara；〃　she　said。　　〃I　must　tell　Phillips　what　you　say。　　He's　out　for　a　fight　with　him。　　Government　by　Parliament　or　Government　by　Press　is　going　to　be　his　war　cry。〃

〃Good　man；〃　said　Mrs。　Denton。　　〃I'm　quite　serious。　　You　tell　him　from　me　that　the　next　revolution　has　got　to　be　against　the　Press。　And　it　will　be　the　stiffest　fight　Democracy　has　ever　had。〃

The　old　lady　had　tired　herself。　　Joan　undertook　the　mission。　　She　thought　she　would　rather　enjoy　it；　and　Mrs。　Denton　promised　to　let　her　have　full　instructions。　　She　would　write　to　her　friends　in　Paris　and　prepare　them　for　Joan's　coming。

Joan　remembered　Folk；　the　artist　she　had　met　at　Flossie's　party；　who　had　promised　to　walk　with　her　on　the　terrace　at　St。　Germain；　and　tell　her　more　about　her　mother。　　She　looked　up　his　address　on　her　return　home；　and　wrote　to　him；　giving　him　the　name　of　the　hotel　in　the　Rue　de　Grenelle　where　Mrs。　Denton　had　arranged　that　she　should　stay。　　She　found　a　note　from　him　awaiting　her　when　she　arrived　there。　　He　thought　she　would　like　to　be　quiet　after　her　journey。　　He　would　call　round　in　the　morning。　　He　had　presumed　on　the　privilege　of　age　to　send　her　some　lilies。　　They　had　been　her　mother's　favourite　flower。　　〃Monsieur　Folk；　the　great　artist；〃　had　brought　them　himself；　and　placed　them　in　her　dressing…room；　so　Madame　informed　her。

It　was　one　of　the　half…dozen　old　hotels　still　left　in　Paris；　and　was　built　round　a　garden　famous　for　its　mighty　mulberry　tree。　　She　breakfasted　underneath　it；　and　was　reading　there　when　Folk　appeared　before　her；　smiling　and　with　his　hat　in　his　hand。　　He　excused　himself　for　intruding　upon　her　so　soon；　thinking　from　what　she　had　written　him　that　her　first　morning　might　be　his　only　chance。　　He　evidently　considered　her　remembrance　of　him　a　feather　in　his　cap。

〃We　old　fellows　feel　a　little　sadly；　at　times；　how　unimportant　we　are；〃　he　explained。　　〃We　are　grateful　when　Youth　throws　us　a　smile。〃

〃You　told　me　my　coming　would　take　you　back　thirty…three　years；〃　Joan　reminded　him。　　〃It　makes　us　about　the　same　age。　　I　shall　treat　you　as　just　a　young　man。〃

He　laughed。　　〃Don't　be　surprised；〃　he　said；　〃if　I　make　a　mistake　occasionally　and　call　you　Lena。〃

Joan　had　no　appointment　till　the　afternoon。　　They　drove　out　to　St。　Germain；　and　had　dejeuner　at　a　small　restaurant　opposite　the　Chateau；　and　afterwards　they　strolled　on　to　the　terrace。

〃What　was　my　mother　doing　in　Paris？〃　asked　Joan；

〃She　was　studying　for　the　stage；〃　he　answered。　　〃Paris　was　the　only　school　in　those　days。　　I　was　at　Julien's　studio。　　We　acted　together　for　some　charity。　　I　had　always　been　fond　of　it。　　An　American　manager　who　was　present　offered　us　both　an　engagement；　and　I　thought　it　would　be　a　change　and　that　I　could　combine　the　two　arts。〃

〃And　it　was　here　that　you　proposed　to　her；〃　said　Joan。

〃Just　by　that　tree　that　leans　forward；〃　he　answered；　pointing　with　his　cane　a　little　way　ahead。　　〃I　thought　that　in　America　I'd　get　another　chance。　　I　might　have　if　your　father　hadn't　come　along。　　I　wonder　if　he　remembers　me。〃

〃Did　you　ever　see　her　again；　after　her　marriage？〃　asked　Joan。

〃No；〃　he　answered。　　〃We　used　to　write　to　one　another　until　she　gave　it　up。　　She　had　got　into　the　habit　of　looking　upon　me　as　a　harmless　sort　of　thing　to　confide　in　and　ask　advice　ofwhich　she　never　took。〃

〃Forgive　me；〃　he　said。　　〃You　must　remember　that　I　am　still　her　lover。〃　　They　had　reached　the　tree　that　leant　a　little　forward　beyond　its　fellows；　and　he　had　halted　and　turned　so　that　he　was　facing　her。　　〃Did　she　and　your　father　get　on　together。　　Was　she　happy？〃

〃I　don't　think　she　was　happy；〃　answered　Joan。　　〃She　was　at　first。　As　a　child；　I　can　remember　her　singing　and　laughing　about　the　house；　and　she　liked　always　to　have　people　about　her。　　Until　her　illness　came。　　It　changed　her　very　much。　　But　my　father　was　gentleness　itself；　to　the　end。〃

They　had　resumed　their　stroll。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　he　looked　at　her　once　or　twice　a　little　oddly　without　speaking。　　〃What　caused　your　mother's　illness？〃　he　asked；　abruptly。

The　question　troubled　her。　　It　struck　her　with　a　pang　of　self…　reproach　that　she　had　always　been　indifferent　to　her　mother's　illness；　regarding　it　as　more　or　less　imaginary。　　〃It　was　mental　rather　than　physical；　I　think；〃　she　answered。　　〃I　never　knew　what　brought　it　about。〃

Again　he　looked　at　her　with　that　odd；　inquisitive　expression。　　〃She　never　got　over　it？〃　he　asked。

〃Oh；　there　were　times；〃　answered　Joan；　〃when　she　was　more　like　her　old　self　again。　　But　I　don't　think　she　ever　quite　got　over　it。　Unless　it　was　towards　the　end；〃　she　added。　　〃They　told　me　she　seemed　much　b