novel notes-第46章

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ays　keeps　there；　not　remembering；　I　suppose；　that　it　was　loaded。　　We　heard　a　report；　and　on　rushing　into　the　room　found　him　lying　dead　on　the　floor。　　The　bullet　had　passed　right　through　his　heart。〃

Hardly　the　type　of　man　for　a　hero！　　And　yet　I　do　not　know。　　Perhaps　he　fought　harder　than　many　a　man　who　conquers。　　In　the　world's　courts；　we　are　compelled　to　judge　on　circumstantial　evidence　only；　and　the　chief　witness；　the　man's　soul；　cannot　very　well　be　called。

I　remember　the　subject　of　bravery　being　discussed　one　evening　at　a　dinner　party；　when　a　German　gentleman　present　related　an　anecdote；　the　hero　of　which　was　a　young　Prussian　officer。

〃I　cannot　give　you　his　name；〃　our　German　friend　explained〃the　man　himself　told　me　the　story　in　confidence；　and　though　he　personally；　by　virtue　of　his　after　record；　could　afford　to　have　it　known；　there　are　other　reasons　why　it　should　not　be　bruited　about。

〃How　I　learnt　it　was　in　this　way。　　For　a　dashing　exploit　performed　during　the　brief　war　against　Austria　he　had　been　presented　with　the　Iron　Cross。　　This；　as　you　are　well　aware；　is　the　most　highly…prized　decoration　in　our　army；　men　who　have　earned　it　are　usually　conceited　about　it；　and；　indeed；　have　some　excuse　for　being　so。　　He；　on　the　contrary；　kept　his　locked　in　a　drawer　of　his　desk；　and　never　wore　it　except　when　compelled　by　official　etiquette。　　The　mere　sight　of　it　seemed　to　be　painful　to　him。　　One　day　I　asked　him　the　reason。　　We　are　very　old　and　close　friends；　and　he　told　me。

〃The　incident　occurred　when　he　was　a　young　lieutenant。　　Indeed；　it　was　his　first　engagement。　　By　some　means　or　another　he　had　become　separated　from　his　company；　and；　unable　to　regain　it；　had　attached　himself　to　a　line　regiment　stationed　at　the　extreme　right　of　the　Prussian　lines。

〃The　enemy's　effort　was　mainly　directed　against　the　left　centre；　and　for　a　while　our　young　lieutenant　was　nothing　more　than　a　distant　spectator　of　the　battle。　　Suddenly；　however；　the　attack　shifted；　and　the　regiment　found　itself　occupying　an　extremely　important　and　critical　position。　　The　shells　began　to　fall　unpleasantly　near；　and　the　order　was　given　to　'grass。'

〃The　men　fell　upon　their　faces　and　waited。　　The　shells　ploughed　the　ground　around　them；　smothering　them　with　dirt。　　A　horrible；　griping　pain　started　in　my　young　friend's　stomach；　and　began　creeping　upwards。　　His　head　and　heart　both　seemed　to　be　shrinking　and　growing　cold。　　A　shot　tore　off　the　head　of　the　man　next　to　him；　sending　the　blood　spurting　into　his　face；　a　minute　later　another　ripped　open　the　back　of　a　poor　fellow　lying　to　the　front　of　him。

〃His　body　seemed　not　to　belong　to　himself　at　all。　　A　strange；　shrivelled　creature　had　taken　possession　of　it。　　He　raised　his　head　and　peered　about　him。　　He　and　three　soldiersyoungsters；　like　himself；　who　had　never　before　been　under　fireappeared　to　be　utterly　alone　in　that　hell。　　They　were　the　end　men　of　the　regiment；　and　the　configuration　of　the　ground　completely　hid　them　from　their　comrades。

〃They　glanced　at　each　other；　these　four；　and　read　one　another's　thoughts。　　Leaving　their　rifles　lying　on　the　grass；　they　commenced　to　crawl　stealthily　upon　their　bellies；　the　lieutenant　leading；　the　other　three　following。

〃Some　few　hundred　yards　in　front　of　them　rose　a　small；　steep　hill。　If　they　could　reach　this　it　would　shut　them　out　of　sight。　　They　hastened　on；　pausing　every　thirty　yards　or　so　to　lie　still　and　pant　for　breath；　then　hurrying　on　again；　quicker　than　before；　tearing　their　flesh　against　the　broken　ground。

〃At　last　they　reached　the　base　of　the　slope；　and　slinking　a　little　way　round　it；　raised　their　heads　and　looked　back。　　Where　they　were　it　was　impossible　for　them　to　be　seen　from　the　Prussian　lines。

〃They　sprang　to　their　feet　and　broke　into　a　wild　race。　　A　dozen　steps　further　they　came　face　to　face　with　an　Austrian　field　battery。

〃The　demon　that　had　taken　possession　of　them　had　been　growing　stronger　the　further　they　had　fled。　　They　were　not　men；　they　were　animals　mad　with　fear。　　Driven　by　the　same　frenzy　that　prompted　other　panic…stricken　creatures　to　once　rush　down　a　steep　place　into　the　sea；　these　four　men；　with　a　yell；　flung　themselves；　sword　in　hand；　upon　the　whole　battery；　and　the　whole　battery；　bewildered　by　the　suddenness　and　unexpectedness　of　the　attack；　thinking　the　entire　battalion　was　upon　them；　gave　way；　and　rushed　pell…mell　down　the　hill。

〃With　the　sight　of　those　flying　Austrians　the　fear；　as　independently　as　it　had　come　to　him；　left　him；　and　he　felt　only　a　desire　to　hack　and　kill。　　The　four　Prussians　flew　after　them；　cutting　and　stabbing　at　them　as　they　ran；　and　when　the　Prussian　cavalry　came　thundering　up；　they　found　my　young　lieutenant　and　his　three　friends　had　captured　two　guns　and　accounted　for　half　a　score　of　the　enemy。

〃Next　day；　he　was　summoned　to　headquarters。

〃'Will　you　be　good　enough　to　remember　for　the　future；　sir；'　said　the　Chief　of　the　Staff；　'that　His　Majesty　does　not　require　his　lieutenants　to　execute　manoeuvres　on　their　own　responsibility；　and　also　that　to　attack　a　battery　with　three　men　is　not　war；　but　damned　tomfoolery。　　You　ought　to　be　court…martialled；　sir！'

〃Then；　in　somewhat　different　tones；　the　old　soldier　added；　his　face　softening　into　a　smile：　　'However；　alertness　and　daring；　my　young　friend；　are　good　qualities；　especially　when　crowned　with　success。　If　the　Austrians　had　once　succeeded　in　planting　a　battery　on　that　hill　it　might　have　been　difficult　to　dislodge　them。　　Perhaps；　under　the　circumstances；　His　Majesty　may　overlook　your　indiscretion。'

〃'His　Majesty　not　only　overlooked　it；　but　bestowed　upon　me　the　Iron　Cross；'　concluded　my　friend。　　'For　the　credit　of　the　army；　I　judged　it　better　to　keep　quiet　and　take　it。　　But；　as　you　can　understand；　the　sight　of　it　does　not　recall　very　pleasurable　reflections。'〃


To　return　to　my　diary；　I　see　that　on　November　14th　we　held　another　meeting。　　But　at　this　there　were　present　only　〃Jephson；　MacShaughnassy；　and　Self〃；　and　of　Brown's　name　I　find　henceforth　no　further　trace。　　On　Christmas　eve　we　three　met　again；　and　my　notes　inform　me　that　MacShaughnassy　brewed　some　whiskey…punch；　according　to　a　recipe　of　his　own；　a　record　suggestive　of　a　sad　Christmas　for　all　three　of　us。　　No　particular　business　appears　to　have　been　accomplished　on　either　occasion。

Then　there　is　a　break　until　February　8th；　and　the　assemblage　has　shrunk　to　〃Jephson　and　Self。〃　　With　a　final　flicker；　as　of　a　dying　candle；　my　diary　at　this　point；　however；　grows　luminous；　shedding　much　light　upon　that　evening's　conversation。

Our　talk　seems　to　have　been　of　many　thingsof　most　things；　in　fact；　except　our　novel。　　Among　other　subjects　we　spoke　of　literature　generally。

〃I　am　tired　of　this　eternal　cackle　about　books；〃　said　Jephson；　〃these　columns　of　criticism　to　every　line　of　writing；　these　endless　books　about　books；　these　shrill　praises　and　shrill　denunciations；　this　silly　worship　of　novelist　Tom；　this　silly　hate　of　poet　Dick；　this　silly　squabbling　over　playwright　Harry。　　There　is　no　soberness；　no　sense　in　it　all。　　One　would　think；　to　listen　to　the　High　Priests　of　Culture；　that　man　was　made　for　literature；　not　literature　for　man。　　Thought　existed　before　the　Printing　Press；　and　the　men　who　wrote　the　best　hundred　books　never　read　them。　　Books　have　their　place　in　the　world；　but　they　are　not　its　purpose。　　They　are　things　side　by　side　with　beef　and　mutton；　the　scent　of　the　sea；　the　touch　of　a　hand；　the　memory　of　a　hope；　and　all　the　other　items　in　the　sum…　total　of　our　three…score　years　and　ten。　　Yet　we　speak　of　them　as　though　they　were　the　voice　of　Life　instead　of　merely　its　faint　echo。　Tales　are　delightful　AS　talessweet　as　primroses　after　the　long　winter；　restful　as　the　cawing　of　rooks　at　sunset。　　But　we　do　not　write　'tales'　now；　we　prepare　'human　documents'　and　dissect　souls。〃

He　broke　off　abruptly　in　the　midst　of　his　tirade。　　〃Do　you　know　what　these　'psychological　studies；'　that　are　so　fashionable　just　now；　always　make　me　think　of？〃　he　said。　　〃One　monkey　examining　another　monkey　for　fleas。

〃And　what；　after　all；　does　our　dissecting　pen　lay　bare？〃　he　continued。　　〃Human　nature？　or　merely　some　more　or　less　unsavoury　undergarment；　disguising　and　disfiguring　human　nature？　　There　is　a　story　told　of　an　elde