the research magnificent-第52部分

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uried　in　mines　will　sing；　people　going　down　in　ships。〃　〃The　Sussex　labourers　don't　sing；〃　said　Amanda。　　〃These　people　sing　well。〃　〃They　would　probably　sing　as　well　if　they　were　civilized。　　Even　if　they　didn't　I　shouldn't　care。　　All　the　rest　of　their　lives　is　muddle　and　cruelty　and　misery。　　Look　at　the　women。　　There　was　that　party　of　bent　creatures　we　met　yesterday；　carrying　great　bundles；　carrying　even　the　men's　cloaks　and　pipes；　while　their　rascal　husbands　and　brothers　swaggered　behind。　　Look　at　the　cripples　we　have　seen　and　the　mutilated　men。　　If　we　have　met　one　man　without　a　nose；　we　have　met　a　dozen。　　And　stunted　people。　　All　these　people　are　like　evil　schoolboys；　they　do　nothing　but　malicious　mischief；　there　is　nothing　adult　about　them　but　their　voices；　they　are　like　the　heroic　dreams　of　young　ruffians　in　a　penitentiary。　　You　saw　that　man　at　Scutari　in　the　corner　of　the　bazaar；　the　gorgeous　brute；　you　admired　him。〃　〃The　man　with　the　gold　inlaid　pistols　and　the　diamonds　on　his　yataghan。　　He　wanted　to　show　them　to　us。〃　〃Yes。　　You　let　him　see　you　admired　him。〃　〃I　liked　the　things　on　his　stall。〃　〃Well；　he　has　killed　nearly　thirty　people。〃　〃In　duels？〃　〃Good　Lord！　　NO！　　Assassinations。　　His　shoemaker　annoyed　him　by　sending　in　a　bill。　　He　went　to　the　man's　stall；　found　him　standing　with　his　child　in　his　arms　and　blew　out　his　brains。　　He　blundered　against　a　passer…by　in　the　road　and　shot　him。　　Those　are　his　feats。　Sometimes　his　pistols　go　off　in　the　bazaar　just　by　accident。〃　〃Does　nobody　kill　him？〃　〃I　wanted　to；〃　said　Benham　and　became　thoughtful　for　a　time。　　〃I　think　I　ought　to　have　made　some　sort　of　quarrel。　　But　then　as　I　am　an　Englishman　he　might　have　hesitated。　　He　would　have　funked　a　strange　beast　like　me。　　And　I　couldn't　have　shot　him　if　he　had　hesitated。　　And　if　he　hadn't〃　〃But　doesn't　a　blood　feud　come　down　on　him？〃　〃It　only　comes　down　on　his　family。　　The　shoemaker's　son　thought　the　matter　over　and　squared　accounts　by　putting　the　muzzle　of　a　gun　into　the　small　of　the　back　of　our　bully's　uncle。　　It　was　easier　that　way。　。　。　。　　You　see　you're　dealing　with　men　of　thirteen　years　old　or　thereabouts；　the　boy　who　doesn't　grow　up。〃　〃But　doesn't　the　law？〃　〃There's　no　law。　　Only　custom　and　the　Turkish　tax　collector。　〃You　see　this　is　what　men　are　where　there　is　no　power；　no　discipline；　no　ruler；　no　responsibility。　　This　is　a　masterless　world。　　This　is　pure　democracy。　　This　is　the　natural　state　of　men。　This　is　the　world　of　the　bully　and　the　brigand　and　assassin；　the　world　of　the　mud…pelter　and　brawler；　the　world　of　the　bent　woman；　the　world　of　the　flea　and　the　fly；　the　open　drain　and　the　baying　dog。　　This　is　what　the　British　sentimentalist　thinks　a　noble　state　for　men。〃　〃They　fight　for　freedom。〃　〃They　fight　among　each　other。　　There　are　their　private　feuds　and　their　village　feuds　and　above　all　that　great　feud　religion。　　In　Albania　there　is　only　one　religion　and　that　is　hate。　　But　there　are　three　churches　for　the　better　cultivation　of　hate　and　cruelty；　the　Latin；　the　Greek　and　the　Mahometan。〃　〃But　no　one　has　ever　conquered　these　people。〃　〃Any　one　could；　the　Servians；　the　Bulgarians；　the　Greeks；　the　Italians；　the　Austrians。　　Why；　they　can't　even　shoot！　　It's　just　the　balance　of　power　and　all　that　foolery　keeps　this　country　a　roadless　wilderness。　　Good　God；　how　I　tire　of　it！　　These　men　who　swagger　and　stink；　their　brawling　dogs；　their　greasy　priests　and　dervishes；　the　down…at…heel　soldiers；　the　bribery　and　robbery；　the　cheating　over　the　money。　。　。　。〃

He　slipped　off　the　parapet；　too　impatient　to　sit　any　longer；　and　began　to　pace　up　and　down　in　the　road。　〃One　marvels　that　no　one　comes　to　clear　up　this　country；　one　itches　to　be　at　the　job；　and　then　one　realizes　that　before　one　can　begin　here；　one　must　get　to　work　back　there；　where　the　fools　and　pedants　of　WELT　POLITIK　scheme　mischief　one　against　another。　　This　country　frets　me。　　I　can't　see　any　fun　in　it；　can't　see　the　humour　of　it。　And　the　people　away　there　know　no　better　than　to　play　off　tribe　against　tribe；　sect　against　sect；　one　peasant　prejudice　against　another。　　Over　this　pass　the　foolery　grows　grimmer　and　viler。　　We　shall　come　to　where　the　Servian　plots　against　the　Bulgarian　and　the　Greek　against　both；　and　the　Turk；　with　spasmodic　massacres　and　indulgences；　broods　over　the　brew。　　Every　division　is　subdivided。　There　are　two　sorts　of　Greek　church；　Exarchic；　Patriarchic；　both　teaching　by　threat　and　massacre。　　And　there　is　no　one；　no　one；　with　the　sense　to　over…ride　all　these　squalid　hostilities。　　All　those　fools　away　there　in　London　and　Vienna　and　St。　Petersburg　and　Rome　take　sides　as　though　these　beastly　tribes　and　leagues　and　superstitions　meant　anything　but　blank；　black；　damnable　ignorance。　One　fool　stands　up　for　the　Catholic　Albanians；　another　finds　heroes　in　the　Servians；　another　talks　of　Brave　Little　Montenegro；　or　the　Sturdy　Bulgarian；　or　the　Heroic　Turk。　　There　isn't　a　religion　in　the　whole　Balkan　peninsula；　there　isn't　a　tribal　or　national　sentiment　that　deserves　a　moment's　respect　from　a　sane　man。　　They're　things　like　niggers'　nose…rings　and　Chinese　secret　societies；　childish　things；　idiot　things　that　have　to　go。　　Yet　there　is　no　one　who　will　preach　the　only　possible　peace；　which　is　the　peace　of　the　world…　state；　the　open　conspiracy　of　all　the　sane　men　in　the　world　against　the　things　that　break　us　up　into　wars　and　futilities。　　And　here　am　Iwho　have　the　lightWANDERING！　　Just　wandering！〃　He　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　came　to　stare　at　the　torrent　under　the　bridge。　〃You're　getting　ripe　for　London；　Cheetah；〃　said　Amanda　softly。　〃I　want　somehow　to　get　to　work；　to　get　my　hands　on　definite　things。〃　〃How　can　we　get　back？〃　She　had　to　repeat　her　question　presently。　〃We　can　go　on。　　Over　the　hills　is　Ochrida　and　then　over　another　pass　is　Presba；　and　from　there　we　go　down　into　Monastir　and　reach　a　railway　and　get　back　to　the　world　of　our　own　times　again。〃

8

But　before　they　reached　the　world　of　their　own　times　Macedonia　was　to　show　them　something　grimmer　than　Albania。　They　were　riding　through　a　sunlit　walnut　wood　beyond　Ochrida　when　they　came　upon　the　thing。　The　first　they　saw　of　it　looked　like　a　man　lying　asleep　on　a　grassy　bank。　　But　he　lay　very　still　indeed；　he　did　not　look　up；　he　did　not　stir　as　they　passed；　the　pose　of　his　hand　was　stiff；　and　when　Benham　glanced　back　at　him；　he　stifled　a　little　cry　of　horror。　　For　this　man　had　no　face　and　the　flies　had　been　busy　upon　him。　。　。　。　Benham　caught　Amanda's　bridle　so　that　she　had　to　give　her　attention　to　her　steed。　〃Ahead！〃　he　said；　〃Ahead！　　Look；　a　village！〃　（Why　the　devil　didn't　they　bury　the　man？　　Why？　And　that　fool　Giorgio　and　the　others　were　pulling　up　and　beginning　to　chatter。　　After　all　she　might　look　back。）　Through　the　trees　now　they　could　see　houses。　　He　quickened　his　pace　and　jerked　Amanda's　horse　forward。　。　。　。　But　the　village　was　a　still　one。　　Not　a　dog　barked。　Here　was　an　incredible　village　without　even　a　dog！　And　then；　then　they　saw　some　more　people　lying　about。　　A　woman　lay　in　a　doorway。　　Near　her　was　something　muddy　that　might　have　been　a　child；　beyond　were　six　men　all　spread　out　very　neatly　in　a　row　with　their　faces　to　the　sky。　〃Cheetah！〃　cried　Amanda；　with　her　voice　going　up。　　〃They've　been　killed。　　Some　one　has　killed　t