CHAPTER VIII
FINDING THEREIN ONE RIGHTEOUS MAN I HAVE COMPASSION ON BERLIN
~1~
My first call upon Marguerite had been followed by other visits when wehad talked of books and read together. On these occasions I hadcarefully suppressed my desire to speak of more personal things. But,constantly reminded by my own troubled conscience, I grew fearful lestthe old doctor should discover that the books were the lesser part ofthe attraction that drew me to Marguerite's apartment, and my fear wasincreased as I realized that my calls on Zimmern had abruptly ceased.
Thinking to make amends I went one evening to the doctor's apartment.
"I was going out shortly," said Zimmern, as he greeted me. "I have adinner engagement with Hellar on the Free Level. But I still have a littletime; if it pleases you we might walk along to our library."
I promptly accepted the invitation, hoping that it would enable mebetter to establish my relation to Marguerite and Zimmern in a safetriangle of mutual friendship. As we walked, Zimmern, as if he read mythoughts, turned the conversation to the very subject that was uppermostin my mind.
"I am glad, Armstadt," he said with a gracious smile, "that you andMarguerite seem to enjoy each other's friendship. I had often wishedthere were younger men in our group, since her duties as caretaker ofour books quite forbids her cultivating the acquaintance of any menoutside our chosen few. Marguerite is very patient with the dull talk ofus old men, but life is not all books, and there is much that youthmay share."
For these words of Zimmern's I was quite unprepared. He seemed to beinviting me to make love to Marguerite, and I wondered to what extentthe prevailing social ethics might have destroyed the finersensibilities that forbid the sharing of a woman's love.
When we reached the apartment Marguerite greeted us with a perfectdemocracy of manner. But my reassurance of the moment was presentlydisturbed when she turned to Zimmern and said: "Now that you are here, Iam going for a bit of a walk; I have not been out for two whole days."
"Very well," the doctor replied. "I cannot remain long as I have anengagement with Hellar, but perhaps Armstadt will remain untilyou return."
"Then I shall have him all to myself," declared Marguerite with quietseriousness.
Though I glanced from the old doctor to the young woman in questioningamazement, neither seemed in the least embarrassed or aware thatanything had been said out of keeping with the customary proprietyof life.
Marguerite, throwing the blue velvet cape about her bare whiteshoulders, paused to give the old doctor an affectionate kiss, and witha smile for me was gone.
For a few moments the doctor sat musing; but when he turned to me it wasto say: "I hope that you are making good use of our preciousaccumulation of knowledge."
In reply I assured him of my hearty appreciation of the library.
"You can see now," continued Zimmern, "how utterly the mind of the racehas been enslaved, how all the vast store of knowledge, that as a wholemakes life possible, is parcelled out for each. Not one of us issupposed to know of those vital things outside our own narrow field.That knowledge is forbidden us lest we should understand the workings ofour social system and question the wisdom of it all. And so, while eachis wiser in his own little cell than were the men of the old order, yeton all things else we are little children, accepting what we are taught,doing what we are told, with no mind, no souls of our own. Scientistshave ceased to be men, and have become thinking machines, specializedfor their particular tasks."
"That is true," I said, "but what are we to do about it? You have bythese forbidden books acquired a realization of the enslavement of therace--but the others, all these millions of professional men, are theynot hopelessly rendered impotent by the systematic Suppression ofknowledge?"
"The millions, yes," replied Zimmern, "but there are the chosen few; wewho have seen the light must find a way for the liberation of all."
"Do you mean," I asked eagerly, "that you are planning some secretrebellion--that you hope for some possible rising of the people tooverthrow the system?"
Zimmern looked at me in astonishment. "The people," he said, "cannotrise. In the old order such a thing was possible--revolutions theycalled them--the people led by heroes conceived passions for liberty.But such powers of mental reaction no longer exist in German minds. Wehave bred and trained it out of them. One might as well have expectedthe four-footed beasts of burden in the old agricultural days to rebelagainst their masters."
"But," I protested, "if the people could be enlightened?"
"How," exclaimed Zimmern impatiently, "can you enlighten them? You areyoung, Armstadt, very young to talk of such things--even if a rebellionwas a possibility what would be the gain? Rebellion means disorder--oncethe ventilating machinery of the city and the food processes weredisturbed we should all perish in this trap--we should all die ofsuffocation and starvation."
"Then why," I asked, "do you talk of this thing? If rebellion isimpossible and would, if possible, destroy us all, then is thereany hope?"
Zimmern paced the floor for a time in silence and then, facing mesquarely, he said, "I have confessed to you my dissatisfaction with theexisting state. In doing this I placed myself in great danger, but Irisked that and now I shall risk more. I ask you now, Are you with usto the end?"
"Yes," I replied very gravely, "I am with you although I cannot fullyunderstand on what you base your hope."
"Our hope," replied Zimmern, "is out there in the world from whence comethose flying men who rain bombs on the roof of Berlin and for ever keepus patching it. We must get word to them. We must throw ourselves uponthe humanity of our enemies and ask them to save us."
"But," I questioned, in my excitement, "what can Germany expect of theenemy? She has made war against the world for centuries--will that worldpermit Germany to live could they find a way to destroy her?"
"As a nation, no, but as men, yes. Men do not kill men as individuals,they only make war against a nation of men. As long as Germany iscapable of making war against the world so long will the world attemptto destroy her. You, Colonel Armstadt, hold in your protium secret thepower of Germany to continue the war against the world. Because you wereabout to gain that power I risked my own life to aid you in getting awider knowledge. Because you now hold that power I risk it again byasking you to use it to destroy Germany and save the Germans. The menwho are with me in this cause, and for whom I speak, are but a few. Themillions materially alive, are spiritually dead. The world alone cangive them life again as men. Even though a few million more be destroyedin the giving have not millions already been destroyed? What if you dosave Germany now--what does it mean merely that we breed millions morelike we now have, soulless creatures born to die like worms in theground, brains working automatically, stamping out one sort of idea,like machines that stamp out buttons--or mere mouths shouting likephonographs before this gaudy show of royalty?"
"But," I said, "you speak for the few emancipated minds; what of allthese men who accept the system--you call them slaves, yet are they notcontent with their slavery, do they want to be men of the world orcontinue here in their bondage and die fighting to keep up their ownsystem of enslavement?"
"It makes no difference what they want," replied Zimmern, in a voicethat trembled with emotion; "we bred them as slaves to the _kultur_ ofGermany, the thing to do is to stop the breeding."
"But how," I asked, "can men who have been beaten into the mould of theox ever be restored to their humanity?"
"The old ones cannot," sighed Zimmern; "it was always so; when a peoplehas once fallen into evil ways the old generation can never be whollyredeemed, but youth can always be saved--youth is plastic."
"But the German race," I said, "has not only been mis-educated, it hasbeen mis-bred. Can you undo inheritance? Can this race with its vasthorde of workers bred for a maximum of muscle and a minimum of brainsever escape from that stupidity that has been bred into the blood?"
"You have been trained as a chemist," said Zim
mern, "you despair of thefuture because you do not understand the laws of inheritance. Aspecialized type of man or animal is produced from the selection of theextreme individuals. That you know. But what you do not know is that thetype once established does not persist of its own accord. It can only bemaintained by the rigid continuance of the selection. The averagestature of man did not change a centimetre in a thousand years, till wecame in with our meddlesome eugenics. Leave off our scientific meddlingand the race will quickly revert to the normal type.
"That applies to the physical changes; in the mental powers therestoration will be even more rapid, because we have made less change inthe psychic elements of the germ plasm. The inborn capacity of the humanbrain is hard to alter. Men are created more nearly equal than even thewriters of democratic constitutions have ever known. If the World Statewill once help us to free ourselves from these shackles of rigid casteand cultured ignorance, this folly of scientific meddling with the bloodand brains of man, there is yet hope for this race, for we have changedfar less than we pretend, in the marrow we are human still."
The old man sank back in his chair. The fire in his soul had burned out.His hand fumbled for his watch. "I must leave you now," he said;"Marguerite should be back shortly. From her you need conceal nothing.She is the soul of our hopes and our dreams. She keeps our books safeand our hearts fine. Without her I fear we should all have given uplong ago."
With a trembling handclasp he left me alone in Marguerite's apartment.And alone too with my conflicting and troubled emotions. He was alovable soul, ripe with the wisdom of age, yet youthful in his hopes toredeem his people from the curse of this unholy blend of socialism andautocracy that had prostituted science and made a black Utopiannightmare of man's millennial dream.
Vaguely I wondered how many of the three hundred millions of Germansouls--for I could not accept the soulless theory of Zimmern--were yetcapable of a realization of their humanity. To this query there could beno answer, but of one conclusion I was certain, it was not my place toask what these people wanted, for their power to decide was destroyed bythe infernal process of their making--but here at least, my democratictraining easily gave the answer that Dr. Zimmern had achieved by sheergenius, and my answer was that for men whose desire for liberty has beendestroyed, liberty must be thrust upon them.
But it remained for me to work out a plan for so difficult a salvation.Of this I was now assured that I need no longer work alone, for as I hadlong suspected, Dr. Zimmern and his little group of rebellious soulswere with me. But what could so few do amidst all the millions? Myanswer, like Zimmern's, was that the salvation of Germany lay in theenemies' hands--and I alone was of that enemy. Yet never again could Ipray for the destruction of the city at the hands of the outragedgod--Humanity. And I thought of Sodom and Gomorrah which the God ofAbraham had agreed to spare if there be found ten righteous men therein.
~2~
From these far-reaching thoughts my mind was drawn sharply back to thefact of my presence in Marguerite's apartment and the realization thatshe would shortly return to find me there alone. I resented the factthat the old doctor and the young woman could conspire to place me insuch a situation. I resented the fact that a girl like Marguerite couldbe bound to a man three times her age, and yet seem to accept it withperfect grace. But I resented most of all the fact that both she andZimmern appeared to invite me to share in a triangle of love, open andunashamed.
My bitter brooding was disturbed by the sound of a key turning in thelock, and Marguerite, fresh and charming from the exhilaration of herwalk, came into the room.
"I am so glad you remained," she said. "I hope no one else comes and wecan have the evening to ourselves."
"It seems," I answered with a touch of bitterness, "that Dr. Zimmernconsiders me quite a safe playmate for you."
At my words Marguerite blushed prettily. "I know you do not quiteunderstand," she said, "but you see I am rather peculiarly situated. Icannot go out much, and I can have no girl friends here, and no meneither except those who are in this little group who know of our books.And they, you see, are all rather old, mostly staff officers like thedoctor himself, and Col. Hellar. You rank quite as well as some of theothers, but you are ever so much younger. That is why the doctor thinksyou are so wonderful--I mean because you have risen so high at so earlyan age--but perhaps I think you are rather wonderful just because youare young. Is it not natural for young people to want friends oftheir own age?"
"It is," I replied with ill-concealed sarcasm.
"Why do you speak like that?" asked Marguerite in pained surprise.
"Because a burnt child dreads the fire."
"I do not understand," she said, a puzzled look in her eyes. "How coulda child be burned by a fire since it could never approach one. They onlyhave fires in the smelting furnaces, and children could never gonear them."
Despite my bitter mood I smiled as I said: "It is just a figure ofspeech that I got out of an old book. It means that when one is hurt bysomething he does not want to be hurt in the same way again. Youremember what you said to me in the cafe about looking up the girl whoplayed the innocent role? I did look her up, and you were right aboutit. She has been, here three years and has a score of lovers."
"And you dropped her?"
"Of course I dropped her."
"And you have not found another?"
"No, and I do not want another, and I had not made love to this girleither, as you think I had; perhaps I would have done so, but thanks toyou I was warned in time. I may be even younger than you think I am,young at least in experience with the free women of Berlin. This is thesecond apartment I have ever been in on this level."
"Why do you tell me this?" questioned Marguerite.
"Because," I said doggedly, "because I suppose that I want you to knowthat I have spent most of my time in a laboratory. I also want you toknow that I do not like the artful deceit that you all seem tocultivate."
"And do you think I am trying to deceive you?" cried Margueritereproachfully.
"Your words may be true," I said, "but the situation you place me in isa false one. Dr. Zimmern brings me here that I may read your books. Heleaves me alone here with you and urges me to come as often as I choose.All that is hard enough, but to make it harder for me, you tell me thatyou particularly want my company because you have no other youngfriends. In fact you practically ask me to make love to you and yet youknow why I cannot."
In the excitement of my warring emotions I had risen and was pacing thefloor, and now as I reached the climax of my bitter speech, Marguerite,with a choking sob, fled from the room.
Angered at the situation and humiliated by what I had said, I was on thepoint of leaving at once. But a moment of reflection caused me to turnback. I had forced a quarrel upon Marguerite and the cause for my angershe perhaps did not comprehend. If I left now it would be impossible toreturn, and if I did not come back, there would be explanations to maketo Zimmern and perhaps an ending of my association with him and hisgroup, which was not only the sole source of my intellectual lifeoutside my work, but which I had begun to hope might lead to someenterprise of moment and possibly to my escape from Berlin.
So calming my anger, I turned to the library and doggedly pulled down abook and began scanning its contents. I had been so occupied for sometime, when there was a ring at the bell. I peered out into thereception-room in time to see Marguerite come from another door. Hereyes revealed the fact that she had been crying. Quickly she closed thedoor of the little library, shutting me in with the books. A momentlater she came in with a grey-haired man, a staff officer of theelectrical works. She introduced us coolly and then helped the old manfind a book he wanted to take out, and which she entered on her records.
After the visitor had gone Marguerite again slipped out of the room andfor a time I despaired of a chance to speak to her before I felt I mustdepart. Another hour passed and then she stole into the library andseated herself very quietly on a little dressing chair and watched me asI proc
eeded with my reading.
I asked her some questions about one of the volumes and she replied witha meek and forgiving voice that made me despise myself heartily. Otherquestions and answers followed and soon we were talking again of booksas if we had no overwhelming sense of the personal presence ofeach other.
The hours passed; by all my sense of propriety I should have been longdeparted, but still we talked of books without once referring to myheated words of the earlier evening.
She had stood enticingly near me as we pulled down the volumes. My heartbeat wildly as she sat by my side, while I mechanically turned thepages. The brush of her garments against my sleeve quite maddened me. Ihad not dared to look into her eyes, as I talked meaningless,bookish words.
Summoning all my self-control, I now faced her. "Marguerite," I saidhoarsely, "look at me."
She lifted her eyes and met my gaze unflinchingly, the moisture of freshtears gleaming beneath her lashes.
"Forgive me," I entreated.
"For what?" she asked simply, smiling a little through her tears.
"For being a fool," I declared fiercely, "for believing your cordialitytoward me as Dr. Zimmern's friend to mean more than--than itshould mean."
"But I do not understand," she said. "Should I not have told you that Iliked you because you were young? Of course if you don't want meto--to--" She paused abruptly, her face suffused with adelicate crimson.
I stepped toward her and reached out my arms. But she drew back andslipped quickly around the table. "No," she cried, "no, you have saidthat you did not want me."
"But I do," I cried. "I do want you."
"Then why did you say those things to me?" she asked haughtily.
I gazed at her across the narrow table. Was it possible that such awoman had no understanding of ideals of honour in love? Could it be thatshe had no appreciation of the fight I had waged, and so nearly lost, torespect the trust and confidence that the old doctor had placed in me.With these thoughts the ardour of my passion cooled and a feeling ofpity swept over me, as I sensed the tragedy of so fine a woman ethicallyimpoverished by false training and environment. Had she known honour,and yet discarded it, I too should have been unable to resist theimpulse of youth to deny to age its less imperious claims.
But either she chose artfully to ignore my struggle or she was trulyunaware of it. In either case she would not share the responsibility forthe breach of faith. I was puzzled and confounded.
It was Marguerite who broke the bewildering silence. "I wish you wouldgo now," she said coolly; "I am afraid I misunderstood."
"And shall I come again?" I asked awkwardly.
She looked up at me and smiled bravely. "Yes," she said, "if--you aresure you wish to."
A resurge of passionate longing to take her in my arms swept over me,but she held out her hand with such rare and dignified grace that Icould only take the slender fingers and press them hungrily to myfevered lips and so bid her a wordless adieu.
~3~
But despite wild longing to see her again, I did not return toMarguerite's apartment for many weeks. A crisis in my work at thelaboratory denied me even a single hour of leisure outside briefsnatches of food and sleep.
I had previously reported to the Chemical Staff that I had found meansto increase materially the extraction percentage of the precious elementprotium from the crude imported ore. I had now received word that Ishould prepare to make a trial demonstration before the Staff.
Already I had revealed certain results of my progress to Herr von Uhl,as this had been necessary in order to get further grants of the rarematerial and of expensive equipment needed for the research, but inthese smaller demonstrations, I had not been called upon to disclose mymethod. Now the Staff, hopeful that I had made the great discovery,insisted that I prepare at once to make a large scale demonstration andreveal the method that it might immediately be adopted for the wholesaleextraction in the industrial works.
If I now gave away the full secret of my process, I would receivecompensation that would indeed seem lavish for a man whose mentalhorizon was bounded by these enclosing walls; yet to me for whom thesewalls would always be a prison, credit at the banks of Berlin and thebaubles of decoration and rank and social honour would be soundingbrass. But I wanted power; and, with the secret of protium extraction inmy possession, I would have control of life or death over three hundredmillion men. Why should I sacrifice such power for useless credit andempty honour? If Eitel I of the House of Hohenzollern would lengthen thedays of his rule, let him deal with me and meet whatever terms I choseto name, for in my chemical retorts I had brewed a secret before whichvaunted efficiency and hypocritical divinity could be made to bend ahungry belly and beg for food!
It was a laudable and rather thrilling ambition, and yet I was not clearas to just what terms I would dictate, nor how I could enforce thedictation. To ask for an audience with the Emperor now, and to take anysuch preposterous stand would merely be to get myself locked up for alunatic. But I reasoned that if I could make the demonstration so thatit would be accepted as genuine and yet not give away my secret, thesituation would be in my hands. Yet I was expected to reveal the processstep by step as the demonstration proceeded. There was but one way outand that was to make a genuine demonstration, but with falselywritten formulas.
To plan and prepare such a demonstration required more genuine inventionthan had the discovery of the process, but I set about the task withfeverish enthusiasm. I kept my assistants busy with the preparation ofthe apparatus and the more simple work which there was no need todisguise, while night after night I worked alone, altering anddisguising the secret steps on which my great discovery hinged. As thesepreparations were nearing completion I sent for Dr. Zimmern and Col.Hellar to meet me at my apartment.
"Comrades," I said, "you have endangered your own lives by confiding inme your secret desires to overthrow the rule of the House ofHohenzollern as it was overthrown once before. You have done thisbecause you believed that I would have power that others do not have."
The two old men nodded in grave assent.
"And you have been quite fortunate in your choice," I concluded, "fornot only have I pledged myself to your ends, but I shall soon possessthe coveted power. In a few days I shall demonstrate my process on alarge scale before the Chemical Staff. But I shall do this thing withoutrevealing the method. The formulas I shall give them will bemeaningless. As long as I am in charge in my own laboratory the processwill be a success; when it is tried elsewhere it will fail, until Ichoose to make further revelations.
"So you see, for a time, unless I be killed or tortured into confession,I shall have great power. How then may I use that power to help you inthe cause to which we are pledged?"
The older men seemed greatly impressed with my declaration and dancedabout me and cried with joy. When they had regained their composureZimmern said: "There is but one thing you can do for us and that is tofind some way to get word of the protium mines to the authorities of theWorld State. Berlin will then be at their mercy, but whatever happenscan be no worse than the continuance of things as they are."
"But how," I said, "can a message be sent from Berlin to the outerworld?"
"There is only one way," replied Hellar, "and that is by the submarinesthat go out for this ore. The Submarine Staff are members of the RoyalHouse. So, indeed, are the captains. We have tried for years to gain theconfidence of some of these men, but without avail. Perhaps through yourwork on the protium ore you can succeed where we have failed."
"And how," I asked eagerly, "do the ore-bringing vessels get from Berlinto the sea?"
My visitors glanced at each other significantly. "Do you not know that?"exclaimed Zimmern. "We had supposed you would have been told when youwere assigned to the protium research."
By way of answer I explained that I knew the source of the ore but notthe route of its coming.
"All such knowledge is suppressed in books," commented Hellar; "we oldermen know of this by word of mouth from t
he days when the submarinetunnel was completed to the sea, but you are younger. Unless this wastold you at the time you were assigned the work it is not to be expectedthat you would know."
I questioned Hellar and Zimmern closely but found that all they knew wasthat a submarine tunnel did exist leading from Berlin somewhere into theopen sea; but its exact location they did not know. Again I pressed myquestion as to what I could do with the power of my secret and theycould only repeat that they staked their hopes on getting word to theouter world by way of submarines.
Much as I might admire the strength of character that would lead men torebel against the only life they knew because they sensed that it washopeless, I now found myself a little exasperated at the vagueness oftheir plans. Yet I had none better. To defy the Emperor would merely beto risk my life and the possible loss of my knowledge to the world.Perhaps after all the older heads were wiser than my own rebelliousspirit; and so, without making any more definite plans, I ended theinterview with a promise to let them know of the outcome of thedemonstration.
Returning once more to my work I finished my preparations and sent wordto the Chemical Staff that all was ready. They came with solemn faces.The laboratory was locked and guards were posted. The place was examinedthoroughly, the apparatus was studied in detail. All my ingredients weretested for the presence of extracted protium, lest I be trying to "saltthe mine." But happily for me they accepted my statement as to theirchemical nature in other respects. Then when all had been approved thetest lot of ore was run. It took us thirty hours to run the extractionand sample and weigh and test the product. But everything went throughexactly as I had planned.
With solemn faces the Chemical Staff unanimously declared that theproblem had been solved and marvelled that the solution should come fromthe brain of so young a man. And so I received their adulation andworship, for I could not give credit to the chemists of the worldoutside to whom I was really indebted for my seeming miraculous genius.Telling me to take my rest and prepare myself for an audience with HisMajesty three days later, the Chemical Staff departed, carrying, withguarded secrecy, my false formulas.
~4~
Exultant and happy I left the laboratory. I had not slept for fortyhours and scarcely half my regular allotment for many weeks. And yet I wasnot sleepy now but awake and excited. I had won a great victory, and Iwanted to rejoice and share my conquest with sympathetic ears. I couldgo to Zimmern, but instead I turned my steps toward the elevator and,alighting on the Level of the Free Women, I went straightway toMarguerite's apartment.
Despite my feeling of exhilaration, my face must have revealed somethingof my real state of exhaustion, for Marguerite cried in alarm at thesight of me.
"A little tired," I replied, in answer to her solicitous questions; "Ihave just finished my demonstration before the Chemical Staff."
"And you won?" cried Marguerite in a burst of joy. "You deceived themjust as the doctor said you would. And they know you have solved theprotium problem and they do not know how you did it?"
"That is correct," I said, sinking back into the cushions of the divan."I have done all that. I came here first to tell you. You see I couldnot come before, all these weeks, I have had no time for sleep oranything. I would have telephoned or written but I feared it would notbe safe. Did you think I was not coming again?"
"I missed you at first,--I mean at first I thought you were staying awaybecause you did not want to see me, and then Dr. Zimmern told me whatyou were doing, and I understood--and waited, for I somehow knew youwould come as soon as you could."
"Yes, of course you knew. Of course, I had to come--Marguerite--" ButMarguerite faded before my vision. I reached out my hand for her--and itseemed to wave in empty space....
~5~
When I awoke, I was lying on a couch and a screen bedecked with cupidswas standing before me. At first I thought I was alone and then Irealized that I was in Marguerite's apartment and that Margueriteherself was seated on a low stool beside the couch and gazing at me outof dreamy eyes.
"How did I get here?" I asked.
"You fell asleep while you were talking, and then some one came forbooks, and when the bell rang I hid you with the screen."
"How long have I slept?"
"For many hours," she answered.
"I ought not to have come," I said, but despite my remark I made nohaste to go, but reached out and ran my fingers through her massy hair.And then I slowly drew her toward me until her luxuriant locks weretumbled about my neck and face and her head was pillowed on my breast.
"I am so happy," she whispered. "I am so glad you came first to me."
For a moment my reason was drugged by the opiate of her touch; and then,as the realization of the circumstances re-formed in my brain, thefeeling of guilt arose and routed the dreamy bliss. Yet I could onlyblame myself, for there was no guile in her act or word, nor could Ibelieve there was guile in her heart. Gently I pushed her away andarose, stating that I must leave at once.
It was plainly evident that Marguerite did not share my sense ofembarrassment, that she was aware of no breach of ethics. But her easeonly served to impress upon me the greater burden of my responsibilityand emphasize the breach of honour of which I was guilty in permittingthis expression of my love to a woman whom circumstances had boundto Zimmern.
Pleading need for rest and for time to plan my interview with HisMajesty, I hastened away, feeling that I dare not trust myself alonewith her again.
~6~
I returned to my own apartment, and when another day had passed, foodand sleep had fully restored me to a normal state. I then recalled mypromise to inform Hellar and Zimmern of the outcome of my demonstration.I called at Zimmern's quarters but he was not at home. Hence I went tocall on Hellar, to ask of Zimmern's whereabouts.
"I have an appointment to meet him tonight," said Hellar, "on the Levelof Free Women. Will you not come along?"
I could not well do otherwise than accept, and Hellar led me again tothe apartment from which I had fled twenty-four hours before. There wefound Zimmern, who received me with his usual graciousness.
"I have already heard from Marguerite," said Zimmern, "of your success."
I glanced apprehensively at the girl but she was in no wise disturbed,and proceeded to relate for Hellar's information the story of my comingto her exhausted from my work and of my falling asleep in her apartment.All of them seemed to think it amusing, but there was no evidence thatany one considered it the least improper. Their matter-of-fact attitudepuzzled and annoyed me; they seemed to treat the incident as if it hadbeen the experience of a couple of children.
This angered me, for it seemed proof that they considered Marguerite'slove as the common property of any and all.
"Could it be," I asked myself, "that jealousy has been bred and trainedout of this race? Is it possible they have killed the instinct thatdemands private and individual property in love?" Even as I pondered theproblem it seemed answered, for as I sat and talked with Zimmern andHellar of my chemical demonstration and the coming interview with HisMajesty, Marguerite came and seated herself on the arm of my chair andpillowed her head on my shoulder.
Troubled and embarrassed, yet not having the courage to repulse hercaresses, I stared at Zimmern, who smiled on us with indulgence. In factit seemed that he actually enjoyed the scene. My anger flamed up againsthim, but for Marguerite I had only pity, for her action seemed sonatural and unaffected that I could not believe that she was makingsport of me, and could only conclude that she had been so bred in thespirit of the place that she knew nothing else.
My talk with the men ended as had the last one, without arriving at anyparticular plan of action, and when Hellar arose first to go, I took theopportunity to escape from what to me was an intolerable situation.
~7~
I separated from Hellar and for an hour or more I wandered on the level.Then resolving to end the strain of my enigmatical position I turnedagain toward Marguerite's apartment. She answered my ring. I entered a
ndfound her alone.
"Marguerite," I began, "I cannot stand this intolerable situation. Icannot share the love of a woman with another man--I cannot steal awoman's love from a man who is my friend--"
At this outburst Marguerite only stared at me in puzzled amazement."Then you do not want me to love you," she stammered.
"God knows," I cried, "how I do want you to love me, but it must not bewhile Dr. Zimmern is alive and you--"
"So," said a voice--and glancing up I saw Zimmern himself framed in thedoorway of the book room. The old doctor looked from me to Marguerite,while a smile beamed on his courtly countenance.
"Sit down and calm yourself, Armstadt," said Zimmern. "It is time Ispoke to you of Marguerite and of the relation I bear to her. As youknow, I brought her to this level from the school for girls of forbiddenbirth. But what you do not know is that she was born on the Royal Level.
"I knew Marguerite's mother. She was Princess Fedora, a third cousin ofthe Empress. I was her physician, for I have not always been in theEugenic Service. But Marguerite was born out of wedlock, and the motherdeclined to name the father of her child. Because of that the child wasconsigned to the school for forbidden love-children, which meant thatshe would be fated for the life of a free woman and become the propertyof such men as had the price to pay.
"When her child was taken away from her, the mother killed herself; andbecause I declined to testify as to what I knew of the case I lost mycommission as a physician of Royalty. But still having the freedom ofthe school levels, I was permitted to keep track of Marguerite. As soonas she reached the age of her freedom I brought her here, and by the aidof her splendid birth and the companionship of thinking men she hasbecome the woman you now find her."
In my jealousy I had listened to the first words of the old doctor withbut little comprehension. But as he talked on so calmly and kindly aneager hope leaped up within me. Was it possible that it had been I whohad misunderstood--and that Zimmern's love for Marguerite was of anothersort than mine?
Tensely I awaited his further words, but I did not dare to look atMarguerite, who had taken her place beside him.
"I brought her here," Zimmern continued, "for there was no other placewhere she could go except into the keeping of some man. I have given herthe work of guarding our books, and for that I could have well affordedto pay for her living.
"You find in Marguerite a woman of intelligence, and there are fewenough like her. And she finds in you a man of rare gifts, and you areboth young, so it is not strange that you two should love each other.All this I considered before I brought you here to meet her. I was happywhen Marguerite told me that it was so. But your happiness is marred,because you, Armstadt, think that I am in the way; you have believedthat I bear the relation to Marguerite that the fact of my paying forher presence on this level would imply.
"It speaks well of your honour," the doctor went on, "that you have feltas you did. I should have explained sooner, but I did not wish to speakof this until it was necessary to Marguerite's happiness. But now that Ihave spoken there is nothing to stand in the way of your happiness, forMarguerite is as worthy of your love as if she had but made her debut onthe Royal Level to which she was born. As for what is to be between you,I can only leave it to the best that is in yourselves, and whatever thatmay be has my blessing."
As I listened to the doctor's words entranced with rapture, the visionof Marguerite floated hazily before my eyes as if she were an etherealessence that might, at any moment, be snatched away. But as the doctor'swords ceased my eyes met Marguerite's and all else seemed to fade butthe love light that shone from out their liquid depths.
Forgetting utterly the presence of the man whose words had set us free,our hearts reached out with hungry arms to claim their own.
For us, time lost her reckoning amidst our tears and kisses, and when mybrain at last made known to me the existence of other souls than ours, Ilooked up and found that we were alone. A saucy little clock tickedrhythmically on a mantel. I felt an absurd desire to smash it, for theimpudent thing had been running all the while.
City of Endless Night Page 8
