Produced by Dagny, and David Widger
He begged for Light! . . Lo, Darkness fell,
And round him cast its stifling pall!
In vain he clamoured! Ev'ry Hell
Poured forth its fumes to drown his call.
He cried for Truth! . . Lo, Falsehood came,
In robes of Impudence array'd,
Polluting Patriotism's name,
Degrading Honour to a trade.
He asked for Justice! . . Lo, between
Him and the judgment-seat there rose
The Sword of Menace, ever keen
To smite the braggart War-Wolf's foes!
Light, Truth, and Justice all denied,
He struggled on 'mid threat and blow—
A brave Voice battling by his side—
Till Error's minions struck him low.
Yet is his faith not dead, nor mine:
O'er deepest gloom, o'er worst distress,
Ever the mighty Sun doth shine
Aglow with Truth and Righteousness.
The blackest clouds are rent at last;
And the divine resistless flame
Through all, some morn, its blaze shall cast,
The Wrong disclose, the Right proclaim!
February 23, 1898.
[Printed in 'The Star' on the morrow of M. Zola's condemnation in Paris]
All that I claim for this little book, reprinted from the columns of 'TheEvening News,' is the quality of frankness. I do not desire to check ordisarm criticism, but I have a right to point out that I have performedmy work rapidly and have largely subordinated certain literaryconsiderations to a desire to write my story naturally and simply, inmuch the same way as I should have told it in conversation with a friend.Very rarely, I think, have I departed from this rule.
The book supplies an accurate account of Emile Zola's exile in thiscountry; but some matters I have treated briefly because he himselfproposes to give the world—probably in diary form—some impressions ofhis sojourn in England with a record of his feelings day by day whilstthe great campaign in favour of the unfortunate Alfred Dreyfus was inprogress.
First, however, M. Zola intends to collect in a volume all his publisheddeclarations, articles and letters on the Affair. Secondly, he willrecount in another volume his trials at Paris and Versailles; and only ina third volume will he be able to deal with his English experiences. Thelast work can scarcely be ready before the end of 1900, and possibly itmay not appear until the following year. And this is one of the reasonswhich have induced me to offer to all who are interested in the greatFrench writer this present narrative of mine. Should the master'spromised record duly appear, my own will sink into oblivion; but if, forone or another reason, M. Zola is prevented from carrying out his plans,here, then, will at least be found some account of one of the mostcurious passages in his life. And then, perchance, my narra