[begin page 147]

I wanted to know my whole history in advance, but I never asked Satan for it. I was afraid, for it might be an unhappy history. I could change it if I had the plan of it, but any change might happen to be for the worse. I knew this because Satan had shown me other people's lives and I saw that in nearly all cases there would be little or no advantage in altering them. He made maps of these lives, as cross-lined and intricate as spider-webs, and pointed out to me that while each change in a billion would introduce a new career, I could not trace any oneⒶalteration in the MS of them very far without perceiving that as a ruleⒶalteration in the MS it only skipped one kind of unhappiness to land in one of a different breed, andⒶalteration in the MS not any easier to bear. And there was another deterrent: I believed that to know my whole life beforehand would take the interest out of it. It would be destitute of surprises. No gladⒶalteration in the MS event could stir me, I should have discounted all its possible effects long before it arrived. I should fix my attention on coming griefs and calamities mainly, and be mourning and suffering on their account all the dragging years till their appointed dates came round and the disasters fell.

So I conquered my curiosity and left the secret of my future sealed, and I am sure it was best so. I did ask for Seppi's future, and got it instantly, beautifully printed in manyⒶalteration in the MS large volumes, which I hid away and still possessⒶemendation. But I read only a page or two in the beginning. They spoiled a couple of days for me, for during that time Seppi was merely a weariness to me, becauseⒶalteration in the MS every smart remark he made had a stale sound—I had read it in the book; and there was no surprise in anything he did—I had read it in the book. After that, he was interesting again; for I allowed him to do his day and say his say, and then at night reviewed the performance in the book to see that he had been honest and had not skipped anything.

I found afterward that he had my life, and was following the same system. When we grew to manhood we wereⒶemendation often separated [begin page 148] —sometimes years at a stretch—butⒶalteration in the MS the books kept us united. Every morning each of us read what was going to happen to the other that day.Ⓐalteration in the MS During separations we corresponded constantly, yet never wrote a letter. The letters which we were about to write, and which were in our minds, were alwaysⒶalteration in the MS in the books—put there by Satan long before. Whenever a great joy or a great sorrow came into my life I took my book andⒶalteration in the MS read Seppi's letter of sympathy about it. And when a joy or a sorrow came into Seppi's life I knew that he was finding a letter from me in his book concerning it. I have lost a grandchild to-day. I have his good letter of pity and condolence in my book.

But I am wandering too far from my boyhood. We oftenⒶalteration in the MS got Satan to furnish us the happenings of the town a day in advance, and this was a very good scheme, and interesting. When there was to be an event, we turned out and made bets with the other boys and bankrupted them. The time that the church was to be struck by lightning, we stripped them clean. It was a particularly good opportunity, for nothing could have made them believe that God would strike his own house; so they were an easy prey. We betted that it would happen on the morrowⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation; they took us up and gave us the odds of two to one; we betted that it would happen in the afternoon;Ⓐalteration in the MS we got odds of four to one on that; we betted that it would happen at two minutes to three; they willinglyⒶalteration in the MS granted us the odds of tenⒶalteration in the MS to one on that. They went home rejoicing, and we were not sad ourselves.

Next day it was beautiful weather; at noon it was the same. The boys began to make fun of us, and said perhaps we wanted to make some more bets, and we said noⒶalteration in the MS, and looked depressed, as well as we could. This was to draw them on. They offered us multipliedⒶalteration in the MS odds, but we declined. It made them bolder, and they followed us up, increasing the odds, and we looking ashamed and regretful, and not taking them up. This also was to draw them on. It had that effect. They still followed us around and raised the odds, and got everybody to laughing at us, and all had a good time. At a quarter past 2 we were looking cowed—which was intentional, and made them [begin page 149] lose the rest of their judgment. They raised the odds to the bursting point, and then all of a sudden we took them up!

At first they could not believe it, and were funnier over it than ever, for still the skies were bright. But only for a quarter of an hour. Then the clouds came and a storm began to gather. It grew blacker and blacker, and the lightnings began to glimmer and the thunder to mutter. The boys stopped laughing and began to look sober; and it was time. Then we began to jeer and offer odds, but there were no takers. They grew very anxious and went drifting toward the church, so that they could see the clock. At ten minutes to 3 the thunder was booming and the lightning glaring fiercelyⒶalteration in the MS out on the gloom every little while. We all stood in the rain, unconscious of it, saying not a word, holding our breath, gaping at the creeping minute-hand. It crept and crept, dragged and dragged—it seemed weeks to those boys, no doubt. Then at 2 minutes to 3 there was a crash and a blinding flash, and the gilt Apostle over the great door was struck down.

There was not a marble, nor a top, nor a kite, nor anyⒶalteration in the MS useful thing left in that town that did not belong to Seppi and me. And silbergroschen galore! It was a long time before those boys' fortunes recovered from that cataclysm. And when they did recover, at last, we could not get themⒶalteration in the MS to bet with us. They betted with each other, but were afraid to take risks with us, thinking we might be in league with the evil spirit which was occupying Father Adolf. But little by little we drew them on once more. This was by art. By a private arrangement Seppi made bets with me, in the boys' presence, and won them every time, he jeering and I losing my temper. So then they began to bet with me and I let them win, but they would not risk a bet with Seppi. At last they were ripe, and we set our trap for them. On a Monday Simon Hirsch was going to break his leg at seven minutes after 12, noon, and as soon as Satan told us the day before, Seppi went to betting with me that it would not happen, and soon they got excited and went to betting with me themselves. By working the game judiciously I presently had them in for all they were worth; and next day, sure enough, at 7 minutes [begin page 150] after 12 we skinned them again, and divided the take. We wereⒶalteration in the MS not sorry, for it was wrong for them to bet on Sunday. It seemed to me that it was a plain judgment on them. And not an accident, but intentional. Seppi said it was as manifest as the fly's case. Seppi knew about judgments, for his uncle was in the ministry.

We tried to sell advance-news to the man who wrote the daily news-letter in the cathedral town ten miles up the river, but he said we were fools: “how could we know what was going to happen next day.” But we had already told him; so next day he saw that we had been right; then he was ready to buy, and we furnished him the news early enough so that he could get his news-letter out a whole day before the happenings happened. His circulation was much increased, and there was an excitement. We offered to sell him news a year in advance—a century if he liked; but his faith was not strong enough for that; he said a couple of days ahead was good enough for him. The excitement increased; and presently we were able to tell him a speciallyⒶalteration in the MS good item—that inside of twenty-four hours he would be in jail as a wizard. It came near to scaring him to death, and in the jail he sent for us to come and tell him some more of his future, and how to beat it if possible. Satan said he was due to be burnt in a week, but that if he would not answer the jailor's knock at once, that night, but count five, first, it would change his career andⒶalteration in the MS he would live fifteen years and then be hanged; but he must be exact, for if he counted only four he would get his throat cut before the end of the year, and if he counted six he would break his neck inⒶalteration in the MS three months and be certainly damned besides—he could have his choice. So we went and reported, and he was very grateful, and paid us nobly, and elected to be hanged.

It was wonderful, the mastery Satan had over time and distance. For him they did not exist. He called them human inventions, and said they were mere artificialities. We oftenⒶalteration in the MS went to the most distant parts of the globe with him, and stayed weeks and months, and yetⒶalteration in the MS were gone only a fraction of a second, as a rule. You could prove it by the clock. One day when our people were in such awful distress because the witch-commission were afraid to proceed against Father Adolf and Father Peter's household, or against any, [begin page 151] indeed,Ⓐalteration in the MS but the poor and the friendless, they lost patience and took to witch-hunting on their own score, and began to chase a born lady who was known to have the habit of curing peopleⒶalteration in the MS by devilish arts, such as bathing them, washing them and nourishing them, instead of bleeding them and purging them through the ministrations of a barber-surgeon in the proper way. She came flying down, with the mob after her howling and cursing, and tried to take refuge in houses, but the doors were shut in her face. They chased her more than half an hour, we following, to see it, and at last she was exhausted, and fell, and they caught her. They dragged her to a tree and threw a rope over a limb and began to makeⒶalteration in the MS a noose in it, some holding her, meantime, and she crying and begging, and her young daughter looking on and weeping, but afraid to say or do anything.

In a way it was dreadful; still it was brave in the people, seeing they were not backed up by authority, but were willing to do their Christian duty without it, a thing which was to our Church'sⒶalteration in the MS credit, and I said so; and said only Catholics could have this courage. But Satan said—

“No, Protestants have it also. Come with me to Scotland and I will show you that which will rebuke your pride.”

So we went. The Protestants were chasing a middle-aged gentlewoman who was charged by a servant with secretly practising the papist religion. She was large and strong, and horribly frightened, and she ran like a deer, her gray hair flying out loose behind; and whenever the mob came near to overtaking her she dodged quickly off on another course and got ahead again, and it seemed as if they would never catch her. But after two hours the clergyman arrived, and he said “form a half-circle and close in on her and drive her to the sea-beach.” That worked better, and I think she lost hope, then. Still, she struggled on, in her despair, and it was another half hour before they caught her, so many ingenious ways did she invent to elude them. But at last she stumbled and fell, and before she could rise they were upon her, and a great shout of triumphⒶalteration in the MS went up. She struggled, but some held her down while others fetched a barn door and laid it upon her and stood on it. Even dying she struggled with [begin page 152] such power that she made the door rock and surge under their feet for a little while; then all was still, and she was dead. And sure enough, her daughter stood apart and saw it all, weeping, but afraid to speak or try to help her mother. Satan said—

“There—you see? You have nothing to be proud of more than these Protestants. Come back to Eseldorf.”

We had been gone moreⒶalteration in the MS thanⒶemendation three hours, and yet were back just as they finished making the noose. We had seen them begin it, it took them only a minute to finish it; and in that little interval we had spent all that time far away across the sea in Scotland. It was wonderful. They hanged the lady, and I threw a stone at her, although in my heart I was sorry for her; but all were throwing stones and each was watching his neighbor, and if I had not done as the others did it would have been noticed and spoken of. Satan burst out laughing.

All that were near by turned upon him astonished and not pleased. It was an ill time to laugh, for his free and scoffing ways and his supernatural music had brought him under suspicion all over the town and turned many privately against him. The big blacksmith called attention to him, now, raising his voice so that all should hear, and said—

“What are you laughing at? Answer!Ⓐalteration in the MS Moreover, please explain to the company why you threw no stone.”

“Are you sure I did not throw a stone?”

“Yes. You needn't try to get out of it; I had my eye on you.”

“And I—I noticed you!” shouted two others.

“Three witnesses,” said Satan. “Müller, the blacksmithⒶemendation; Klein, the butcher's man; Pfeiffer, the weaver's journeyman. Three very ordinary liars. Are there any more?”

“Never mind whether there are others or not, and never mind about what you consider usⒶalteration in the MS—three's enough to settle your matter for you. You'll prove that you threwⒶalteration in the MS a stone, or it shall go hard with you.”

“That's so!” shouted the crowd, and surged up as closely as they could to the centre of interest.

“And first you will answer that other question,” cried the black- [begin page 153] smith , pleased with himself for being mouthpieceⒶalteration in the MS to the public and hero of the occasion. “What were you laughing at?”

Satan smiled, and answered pleasantly—

“To see three cowards stoning a dying lady when they were so near to death themselves.”

You could see the superstitious crowd shrink and catch their breath under the sudden shock. The blacksmith, with a show of bravado, said—

“Pooh! what do you know about it?”

“I? Everything. By profession I am a fortune-teller, and I read the hands of you three—and some others—when you lifted them to stone the woman. One of you will die to-morrow week; another of you will die to-night; the third has but five minutes to live—and yonder is the clock!”

It made a sensation. The faces of the crowd blenched, and turned mechanically toward the clock. The butcher and the weaver seemed smitten with an illness, but the blacksmith braced up and said, with spirit—

“It is not long to wait for prediction Number One. If it fails, young master, you will not live a whole minute after, I promise you that.”

No one said anything; all watched the clock in a deep stillness which was impressive. When four and a half minutes were gone, the blacksmith gave a sudden gasp and clapped his hand upon his heart, saying, “Give me breath! give me room!” and began to sink down. The crowd surged back, no one offering to supportⒶalteration in the MS him, and he fell lumbering to the ground and was dead. The people stared at him, then at Satan, then at each other, and their lips moved but no words came. Then Satan said—

“Three saw that I threw no stone. Perhaps there are others; let them speak.”

It struck a kind of panic into them, and although no one answered him, many began to violently accuse each other, saying, “You said he didn't throw,” and getting for reply, “It is a lie, and I will make you eat it!” And so in a moment they were in a raging and noisy turmoil, andⒶalteration in the MS beating and banging each other; and in the [begin page 154] midst was the only indifferent one—the dead lady hanging from her rope, her troubles forgotten, her spiritⒶalteration in the MS at peace.

So we walked away, and I was not at ease, but was saying to myself, “He told them he was laughing at them, but it was a lie, he was laughing at me.”

That made him laugh again, and he said—

“Yes, I was laughing at you, because in fear of what others might report about you, you stoned the woman when your heart revolted at the act—but I was laughing at the others, too.”

“Why?”

“Because their case was yours.Ⓐemendation”

“How is that?”

“Well, there were sixty-eight people there, and sixty-two of them had no more desire to throw a stone than you had.”

“Satan!”

“Oh, it's true. I know your race. It is made up of sheep.Ⓐalteration in the MS It is governed by minorities, seldom orⒶalteration in the MS never by majorities. It suppresses its feelings and its beliefs and follows the handful that makes the most noise. Sometimes the noisyⒶalteration in the MS handful is right, sometimes wrongⒶalteration in the MS; but no matter, the crowd follows it. The vast majority of the race, whether savage or civilized, are secretly kind-hearted, and shrink from inflicting pain; but in the presence of the aggressive and pitilessⒶalteration in the MS minority they don't dare to assert themselves. Think of it! one kind-hearted creature spies upon another, and sees to it that he loyally helps in iniquities which revolt both of them. Speaking as an expert, I know that ninety-nine out of a hundred of your raceⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐalteration in the MS were strongly against the killing of witches when that foolishness was first agitated by a handful of pious lunaticsⒶalteration in the MS in the long ago. And I know that even to-day, after ages of transmitted prejudice and silly teaching, only one person in twenty puts any real heart into the harrying of a witch. And yet apparently everybody hates witches and wants them killed. Some day a handful will rise up on the other side and make the most noise—perhaps even a single daring manⒺexplanatory note with a big voice and a determined front will do itⒶalteration in the MS—and in a week all the sheep will wheel and follow him, and witch-hunt- [begin page 155] ing will come to a sudden end. In fact this happened within these ten years, in a little country called New England.

“Monarchies, aristocracies and religions are all based upon that large defect in your race—the individual's distrust of his neighbor, and his desire, for safety's or comfort'sⒶalteration in the MS sake, to stand well in his neighbor's eyes. These institutions will always remain, always flourishⒶalteration in the MS, and always oppress you, affrontⒶalteration in the MS you and degrade you, because you will always be and remain slaves of minorities. There was never a country where the majority of the people were in their secret hearts loyal to either of these institutions.”

I did not like to hear our race called sheep, and said I did not think they were.

“Still, it is true, lamb,” said Satan. “Look at you in war—what mutton you are, and how ridiculous.”Ⓐalteration in the MS

“In war? How?”

“There has never been a just one, never an honorable one—on the part of the instigator of the war. I can see a million years ahead, and this rule will never change in so many as half a dozen instances. The loud little handful—as usual—will shout for the war. The pulpit will—warily and cautiously—object—at first; theⒶalteration in the MS great big dull bulk of the nation will rub its sleepy eyes and try to make out why there should be a war, and will say, earnestly and indignantly, “It is unjust and dishonorable, and there is no necessity for it.” Then the handful will shout louder. A few fair men on the other side will argue and reason against the war with speech and pen, and at first will have a hearing and be applauded; but it will not last long; those others will out-shout them, and presently the anti-war audiences will thin out and lose popularity. Before long you will see this curious thing: the speakers stoned from the platform and free speech strangled, by hordes of furious men who in their secret hearts are still at one with those stoned speakers,—as earlier,—Ⓐalteration in the MSbut do not dare to say so! And now the whole nation—pulpit and all—Ⓐalteration in the MSwill take up the war-cry, and shout itself hoarse, and mob any honest man who ventures to open his mouth; and presently such mouths will cease to open. Next, the statesmenⒶalteration in the MS will [begin page 156] invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities,Ⓐalteration in the MS and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception.”

“But Satan, as civilization advances—”

Of courseⒶalteration in the MS he broke in with a laugh. He never could hear that word without jeering at it and making fun of it. He said he had seen thirteen of them rise in the world and decay and perish to savagery—three of them the superiors in every way to any now known to the histories or to be known to the histories in the next ten thousand years—and they were all poor things: shams and hypocrisies and tyrannies, every one.

“Two centuries from now,” he said, “the Christian civilization will reach its highest mark. Yet its kings will still be, then, what they are now, a close corporation of land-thieves. Is that an advance? England will be prodigious and strong; she will bear the most honorable name that ever a nation bore, and will lose it in a single little shameful war and carry the stench of it and the blot of it to the end of her days. To please a dozen rich adventurers her statesmen will pick a quarrel with a couple of wee little Christian farmer-communitiesⒶalteration in the MS, and send against that half dozen villages the mightiest army that ever invaded any country, and will crush those little nations and rob them of their independence and their land. She will make a noisy pretence of being proud of these things, but deep down in her heart she will be ashamed of them and will grieve for her soiled flag—once the symbol of liberty and honor and justice, now the pirate's emblem.”

“Satan,” I said, “this would not happen if she could have the true religion.”

“Ah, yes—the kind of treasure which you have here in Austria. My uncle is thinking of introducing it into his dominions.”

It was shocking to hear him talk so.

“Satan,” I said, “it would defile it!”

He only pulled down the corner of his eyeⒺexplanatory note with his finger.