there as conquerors."

Here Argensola interrupted, "And what if there is no such thing as
German culture, as a celebrated Teuton says?" It had become necessary
to contradict this pedant who had become insufferable with his egotism.
Hartrott almost jumped from his chair on hearing such a doubt.

"What German is that?"

"Nietzsche."

The professor looked at him pityingly. Nietzsche had said to mankind,
"Be harsh!" affirming that "a righteous war sanctifies every cause."
He had exalted Bismarck; he had taken part in the war of '70; he was
glorifying Germany when he spoke of "the smiling lion," and "the blond
beast." But Argensola listened with the tranquillity of one sure of his
ground. Oh, hours of placid reading near the studio chimney, listening
to the rain beating against the pane! . . .

"The philosopher did say that," he admitted, "and he said many other
very different things, like all great thinkers. His doctrine is one of
pride, but of individual pride, not that of a nation or race. He always
spoke against 'the insidious fallacy of race.'"

Argensola recalled his philosophy word for word. Culture, according
to Nietzsche, was "unity of style in all the manifestations of life."
Science did not necessarily include culture. Great knowledge might be
accompanied with great barbarity, by the absence of style or by the
chaotic confusion of all styles. Germany, according to the philosopher,
had no genuine culture owing to its lack of style. "The French," he had