The Captain lit a cigarette as he leaned back in the carriage. The
horses snorted as they drew up the hill. "Why," he asked himself, "are
people afraid of dying? For many, life can hold little attraction, yet
even an imbecile fears death as though it were the devil himself. Yet
each man nurses his own pet fears."
The carriage rocked from side to side as it climbed the hill, and the
Captain turned his mind to his young wife. "It's all imagination; that's
what I think," he said to himself. "It's all in her mind. Now she's
afraid of this and afraid of that, and in this way she worries herself
ill.
"And the doctor thinks he knows it all, but he knows nothing. He should
have given her iron, she's too pale. Now we shall have to call him
again. It is all a trick that doctors have. Yes, each man looks out for
himself. But I will call him again and say to him: 'Don't you think a
little iron would be good for her, she is so pale?' And he will reply:
'Yes, it can't harm.' But I would have to say this to the doctor when he
is putting on his coat in the hallway so that Vera does not hear.
"No. Vera must not hear that I think her pale. It would worry her and
she might become worse. Then she would have to go to bed again, the
doctor would come again, and the servants would do as they pleased. And
Vera would grow worse and more nervous and--"
"Here we are!" called the coachman, and the Captain stepped out upon his
own lawn.
The house was built of stone, and although its architecture was plain,
it had the solidity of a castle. Even the vines that grew up the
lattice-work and walls seemed to intertwine their curly branches into a
living network that helped fortify the stone nest of the Captain and his
beautiful Vera.
The lovely creature was passing her hands lightly over the keyboard of
the piano as the Captain entered.
"It is only I," he called, but she was startled nevertheless.
"I am glad you came," she said as she rose to meet him, and placing her
pale head on his decorated breast added--"I am afraid to remain here
alone."
"But where are the servants, my dear?"
"Oh, servants don't count."
"Well, well, my darling," spoke the Captain, petting her. "You have
nothing to fear. It is all imagination."
"But I am so nervous."
"Come, my dear. Let's have tea and I will tell you a funny story."
Presently they were seated at the table drinking tea, and the Captain
began his story.
"You know, my dear," he said; "we are going to put an end to all this
foolish political talk and people's committees. Any beggar forms a
committee, and they do what they like. Civil authorities and military
authorities are all alike to them."
"Oh, I am so afraid of beggars," interrupted the beautiful Vera.
"Well, my dear; soon there will be nothing to be afraid of; a propaganda
council was organized at headquarters this morning, and what do you
think? This morning two men arrived with a moving picture camera to take
pictures of our orderly town, and in the afternoon we took an
object-lesson picture. I marched the soldiers into the square and we dug
up a plot so that the earth might be soft.
"Then we had a beggar dig his own grave as we took the picture. When he
had dug enough, I gave the signal and the firing squad drew up their
rifles and blazed away."
"Why did you kill him?"
"No, my dear; we only pretended to kill him. I myself was careful to see
that the leads were taken off the cartridge. But you see we could not
tell the beggar that he was not going to die because we wanted to make
the picture look realistic--he might have run away in the middle and
ruined the film.
"Well, my dear, to make a long story short, the fool beggar fell into
the pit, believing himself really killed. It will make a fine picture.
It will be shown in all the surrounding towns as an object lesson, and
before the picture itself appears on the screen it will be entitled--I
suggested it myself--it will read--'This is what happened to a fool who
thought he could oppose the military authorities,' and then will be
shown the picture of the beggar digging his own grave.
"It will be a great lesson and education to the people whose heads have
been turned. It will be sent all over the country and if the results are
favourable and it pleases headquarters who can say," at this point he
clasped his wife's pale hand, "who can say that I will not receive
another decoration, or perhaps a promotion? Who can tell, my dear?
Things move so quickly these days."
In the evening as they were eating, Vera looked up from her plate and
spoke: "You know, if it happened to me, I think I should die."
"Don't talk nonsense," replied the Captain angered by the idea. "How
could it happen to you?"
"Well, supposing the revolutionists took control, and then--"
"Supposing! Supposing the sky should fall," he interrupted, and smiled
on his lovely and delicate Vera.