etablearticleofwhattoyouisanabstractideatheyhave,erethis,soldtheirsocialgreatnessandalsotheirblood-earnedfreedomtobetheservantsofforeignkings.”
“YouneverwereinSwitzerland?”
“Yes—Ihavebeentheretwice.”
“Youknownothingofit.”
“Ido.”
“AndyousaytheSwissaremercenary,asaparrotsays‘PoorPoll,’orastheBelgiansheresaytheEnglisharenotbrave,orastheFrenchaccusethemofbeingperfidious:thereisnojusticeinyourdictums.”
“Thereistruth.”
“Itellyou,Mr.Hunsden,youareamoreunpracticalmanthanIamanunpracticalwoman,foryoudon’tacknowledgewhatreallyexistsyouwanttoannihilateindividualpatriotismandnationalgreatnessasanatheistwouldannihilateGodandhisownsoul,bydenyingtheirexistence.”
“Whereareyouflyingto?Youareoffatatangent—IthoughtweweretalkingaboutthemercenarynatureoftheSwiss.”
“Wewere—andifyouprovedtomethattheSwissaremercenaryto-morrow(whichyoucannotdo)IshouldloveSwitzerlandstill.”
“Youwouldbemad,then—madasaMarchhare—toindulgeinapassionformillionsofshiploadsofsoil,timber,snow,andice.”
“Notsomadasyouwholovenothing.”
“There’samethodinmymadnessthere’snoneinyours.”
“Yourmethodistosqueezethesapoutofcreationandmakemanureoftherefuse,bywayofturningittowhatyoucalluse.”
“Youcannotreasonatall,”saidHunsden“thereisnologicinyou.”
“Bettertobewithoutlogicthanwithoutfeeling,”retortedFrances,whowasnowpassingbackwardsandforwardsfromhercupboardtothetable,intent,ifnotonhospitablethoughts,atleastonhospitabledeeds,forshewaslayingthecloth,andputtingplates,knivesandforksthereon.
“Isthatahitatme,mademoiselle?DoyousupposeIamwithoutfeeling?”
“Isupposeyouarealwaysinterferingwithyourownfeelings,andthoseofotherpeople,anddogmatizingabouttheirrationalityofthis,that,andtheothersentiment,andthenorderingittobesuppressedbecauseyouimagineittobeinconsistentwithlogic.”
“Idoright.”
Franceshadsteppedoutofsightintoasortoflittlepantryshesoonreappeared.
“Youdoright?Indeed,no!Youaremuchmistakenifyouthinkso.Justbesogoodastoletmegettothefire,Mr.HunsdenIhavesomethingtocook.”(Anintervaloccupiedinsettlingacasseroleonthefirethen,whileshestirreditscontents:)“Right!asifitwererighttocrushanypleasurablesentimentthatGodhasgiventoman,especiallyanysentimentthat,likepatriotism,spr