第201章

第201章“tocombattheevilthatisparamountintheworld…”pierrerepeated,andamentalimageofhisfutureactivityinthatdirectionrosebeforehim.heseemedtoseemensuchashehadbeenhimselfafortnightago,andhewasmentallyaddressinganedifyingexhortationtothem.hepicturedtohimselfpersonsviciousandunhappy,whomhewouldhelpinwordandindeed;hepicturedoppressorswhosevictimshewouldrescue.ofthethreeaimsenumeratedbytherhetorthelast—thereformationofthehumanrace—appealedparticularlytopierre.thegreatmysteryofwhichtherhetorhadmademention,thoughitexcitedhiscuriosity,didnotstrikehisimaginationasareality;whilethesecondaim,thepurificationandregenerationofhimself,hadlittleinterestforhim,becauseatthatmomenthewasfullofablissfulsenseofbeingcompletelycuredofallhisformervices,andbeingreadyfornothingbutgoodness.

halfanhourlatertherhetorreturnedtoenumeratetotheseekerthesevenvirtuescorrespondingtothesevenstepsofthetempleofsolomon,inwhicheveryfreemasonmusttrainhimself.thosevirtueswere：（1）discretion,thekeepingofthesecretsoftheorder;（2）obediencetothehigherauthoritiesoftheorder;（3）morality;（4）loveformankind;（5）courage;（6）liberality;and（7）loveofdeath.

“seventhly,strive,”saidtherhetor,“byfrequentmeditationupondeathtobringyourselftofeelitnotanenemytobedreaded,butafriend…whichdeliversthesoulgrownwearyinthelaboursofvirtuefromthisdistressfullifeandleadsittoitsplaceofrecompenseandpeace.”

“yes,that’sasitshouldbe,”thoughtpierre,whentherhetorafterthesewordslefthimagaintosolitaryreflection;“that’sasitoughttobe,buti’mstillsoweakastolovethislife,themeaningofwhichisonlynowbydegreesbeingrevealedtome.”buttheotherfivevirtueswhichpierrerecalled,reckoningthemonhisfingers,hefeltalreadyinhissoul;courageandliberality,moralityandloveformankind,andaboveallobedience,whichseemedtohimnottobeavirtue,indeed,butahappiness.（itwassuchajoytohimnowtobeescapingfromtheguidanceofhisowncaprice,andtobesubmittinghiswilltothosewhoknewtheabsolutetruth.）theseventhvirtuepierrehadforgotten,andhecouldnotrecallit.

thethirdtimetherhetorcamebacksooner,andaskedpierrewhetherhewerestillresoluteinhisintention,andwhetherhewerepreparedtosubmittoeverythingthatwouldbedemandedofhim.

“iamreadyforanything,”saidpierre.

“imustinformyoufurther,”saidtherhetor,“thatourorderpromulgatesitsdoctrinenotbywordonly,butbycertainmeanswhichhaveperhapsonthetrueseekerafterwisdomandvirtueamorepotenteffectthanmerelyverbalexplanations.thistemple,withwhatyouseetherein,shouldshedmorelightonyourheart,ifitissincere,thananywordscando.youwillsee,maybe,alikemethodofenlightenmentinthefurtherritesofyouradmittance.ourorderfollowstheusageofancientsocietieswhichrevealedtheirdoctrineinhieroglyphs.ahieroglyph,”saidtherhetor,“isthenamegiventoasymbolofsomeobject,imperceptibletothesensesandpossessingqualitiessimilartothoseofthesymbol.”

pierreknewverywellwhatahieroglyphwas,buthedidnotventuretosayso.helistenedtotherhetorinsilence,feelingfromeverythinghesaidthathisordealwassoontobegin.

“ifyouareresolved,imustproceedtoyourinitiation,”saidtherhetor,comingclosertopierre.“intokenofliberalityibegyoutogivemeeverythingpreciousyouhave.”

“butihavenothingwithme,”saidpierre,supposinghewasbeingaskedtogiveupallhispossessions.

“whatyouhavewithyou：watch,money,rings…”

pierremadehastetogetouthispurseandhiswatch,andwasalongtimetryingtogethisbetrothalringoffhisfatfinger.whenthishadbeendone,thefreemasonsaid：

“intokenofobedienceibegyoutoundress.”pierretookoffhiscoatandwaistcoatandleftbootattherhetor’sinstructions.themasonopenedhisshirtovertheleftsideofhischestandpulleduphisbreechesontheleftlegabovetheknee.pierrewouldhurriedlyhavetakenofftherightbootandtuckedupthetrouser-leg,tosavethisstrangerthetroubleofdoingso,butthemasontoldhimthiswasnotnecessaryandgavehimaslippertoputonhisleftfoot.withachildishsmileofembarrassment,ofdoubt,andofself-mockery,whichwouldcomeintohisfaceinspiteofhimself,pierrestoodwithhislegswideapartandhishandshangingathissides,facingtherhetorandawaitinghisnextcommands.

“andfinally,intokenofcandour,ibegyoutodisclosetomeyourchieftemptation,”hesaid.

“mytemptation！ihadsomany,”saidpierre.

“thetemptationwhichdoesmorethanalltheresttomakeyoustumbleonthepathofvirtue,”saidthefreemason.

pierrepaused,seekingareply.

“wine？gluttony？frivolity？laziness？hastytemper？anger？women？”hewentthroughhisvices,mentallybalancingthem,andnotknowingtowhichtogivethepre-eminence.

“women,”saidpierreinalow,hardlyaudiblevoice.thefreemasondidnotspeaknorstirforalongwhileafterthatreply.atlasthemoveduptopierre,tookthehandkerchiefthatlayonthetable,andagaintieditoverhiseyes.

“forthelasttimeisaytoyou：turnallyourattentionuponyourself,putabridleonyourfeelings,andseekblessednessnotinyourpassions,butinyourownheart.thesecretofblessingisnotwithoutbutwithinus.…”

pierrehadforalongwhilebeenconsciousofthisrefreshingfountofblessingwithinhimthatnowfloodedhisheartwithjoyandemotion.