penguin island-第25章

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e　nation　learnt　with　thorough　satisfaction　that　the　traitor　was　a　Jew。　They　could　take　vengeance　on　all　Israel　in　his　person　without　any　fear　of　compromising　the　public　credit。

That　Pyrot　had　stolen　the　eighty　thousand　trusses　of　hay　nobody　hesitated　for　a　moment　to　believe。　No　one　doubted　because　the　general　ignorance　in　which　everybody　was　concerning　the　affair　did　not　allow　of　doubt；　for　doubt　is　a　thing　that　demands　motives。　People　do　not　doubt　without　reasons　in　the　same　way　that　people　believe　without　reasons。　The　thing　was　not　doubted　because　it　was　repeated　everywhere　and；　with　the　public；　to　repeat　is　to　prove。　It　was　not　doubted　because　people　wished　to　believe　Pyrot　guilty　and　one　believes　what　one　wishes　to　believe。　Finally；　it　was　not　doubted　because　the　faculty　of　doubt　is　rare　amongst　men；　very　few　minds　carry　in　them　its　germs　and　these　are　not　developed　without　cultivation。　Doubt　is　singular；　exquisite；　philosophic；　immoral；　transcendent；　monstrous；　full　of　malignity；　injurious　to　persons　and　to　property；　contrary　to　the　good　order　of　governments；　and　to　the　prosperity　of　empires；　fatal　to　humanity；　destructive　of　the　gods；　held　in　horror　by　heaven　and　earth。　The　mass　of　the　Penguins　were　ignorant　of　doubt：　it　believed　in　Pyrot's　guilt　and　this　conviction　immediately　became　one　of　its　chief　national　beliefs　and　an　essential　truth　in　its　patriotic　creed。

Pyrot　was　tried　secretly　and　condemned。

General　Panther　immediately　went　to　the　Minister　of　War　to　tell　him　the　result。

〃Luckily；〃　said　he；　〃the　judges　were　certain；　for　they　had　no　proofs。〃

〃Proofs；〃　muttered　Greatauk；　〃Proofs；　what　do　they　prove？　There　is　only　one　certain；　irrefragable　proofthe　confession　of　the　guilty　person。　Has　Pyrot　confessed？〃

〃No；　General。〃

〃He　will　confess；　he　ought　to。　Panther；　we　must　induce　him；　tell　him　it　is　to　his　interest。　Promise　him　that；　if　he　confesses；　he　will　obtain　favours；　a　reduction　of　his　sentence；　full　pardon；　promise　him　that　if　he　confesses　his　innocence　will　be　admitted；　that　he　will　be　decorated。　Appeal　to　his　good　feelings。　Let　him　confess　from　patriotism；　for　the　flag；　for　the　sake　of　order；　from　respect　for　the　hierarchy；　at　the　special　command　of　the　Minister　of　War　militarily。　。　。　。　But　tell　me；　Panther；　has　he　not　confessed　already？　There　are　tacit　confessions；　silence　is　a　confession。〃

〃But；　General；　he　is　not　silent；　he　keeps　on　squealing　like　a　pig　that　he　is　innocent。〃

〃Panther；　the　confessions　of　a　guilty　man　sometimes　result　from　the　vehemence　of　his　denials。　To　deny　desperately　is　to　confess。　Pyrot　has　confessed；　we　must　have　witnesses　of　his　confessions；　justice　requires　them。〃

There　was　in　Western　Penguinia　a　seaport　called　La　Cirque；　formed　of　three　small　bays　and　formerly　greatly　frequented　by　ships；　but　now　solitary　and　deserted。　Gloomy　lagoons　stretched　along　its　low　coasts　exhaling　a　pestilent　odour；　while　fever　hovered　over　its　sleepy　waters。　Here；　on　the　borders　of　the　sea；　there　was　built　a　high　square　tower；　like　the　old　Campanile　at　Venice；　from　the　side　of　which；　close　to　the　summit　hung　an　open　cage　which　was　fastened　by　a　chain　to　a　transverse　beam。　In　the　times　of　the　Draconides　the　Inquisitors　of　Alca　used　to　put　heretical　clergy　into　this　cage。　It　had　been　empty　for　three　hundred　years；　but　now　Pirot　was　imprisoned　in　it　under　the　guard　of　sixty　warders；　who　lived　in　the　tower　and　did　not　lose　sight　of　him　night　or　day；　spying　on　him　for　confessions　that　they　might　afterwards　report　to　the　Minister　of　War。　For　Greatauk；　careful　and　prudent；　desired　confessions　and　still　further　confessions。　Greatauk；　who　was　looked　upon　as　a　fool；　was　in　reality　a　man　of　great　ability　and　full　of　rare　foresight。

In　the　mean　time　Pyrot；　burnt　by　the　sun；　eaten　by　mosquitoes；　soaked　in　the　rain；　hail　and　snow；　frozen　by　the　cold；　tossed　about　terribly　by　the　wind；　beset　by　the　sinister　croaking　of　the　ravens　that　perched　upon　his　cage；　kept　writing　down　his　innocence　on　pieces　torn　off　his　shirt　with　a　tooth…pick　dipped　in　blood。　These　rags　were　lost　in　the　sea　or　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　gaolers。　But　Pyrot's　protests　moved　nobody　because　his　confessions　had　been　published。



III。　COUNT　DE　MAUBEC　DE　LA　DENTDULYNX

The　morals　of　the　Jews　were　not　always　pure；　in　most　cases　they　were　averse　from　none　of　the　vices　of　Christian　civilization；　but　they　retained　from　the　Patriarchal　age　a　recognition　of　family；　ties　and　an　attachment　to　the　interests　of　the　tribe。　Pyrot's　brothers；　half…brothers；　uncles；　great…uncles；　first；　second；　and　third　cousins；　nephews　and　great…nephews；　relations　by　blood　and　relations　by　marriage；　and　all　who　were　related　to　him　to　the　number　of　about　seven　hundred；　were　at　first　overwhelmed　by　the　blow　that　had　struck　their　relative；　and　they　shut　themselves　up　in　their　houses；　covering　themselves　with　ashes　and　blessing　the　hand　that　had　chastised　them。　For　forty　days　they　kept　a　strict　fast。　Then　they　bathed　themselves　and　resolved　to　search；　without　rest；　at　the　cost　of　any　toil　and　at　the　risk　of　eve　danger；　for　the　demonstration　of　an　innocence　which　they　did　not　doubt。　And　how　could　they　have　doubted？　Pyrot's　innocence　had　been　revealed　to　them　in　the　same　way　that　his　guilt　had　been　revealed　to　Christian　Penguinia's；　for　these　things；　being　hidden；　assume　a　mystic　character　and　take　on　the　authority　of　religious　truths。　The　seven　hundred　Pyrotists　set　to　work　with　as　much　zeal　as　prudence；　and　made　the　most　thorough　inquiries　in　secret。　They　were　everywhere；　they　were　seen　nowhere。　One　would　have　said　that；　like　the　pilot　of　Ulysses；　they　wandered　freely　over　the　earth。　They　penetrated　into　the　War　Office　and　approached；　under　different　disguises；　the　judges；　the　registrars；　and　the　witnesses　of　the　affair。　Then　Greatauk's　cleverness　was　seen。　The　witnesses　knew　nothing；　the　judges　and　registrars　knew　nothing。　Emissaries　reached　even　Pyrot　and　anxiously　questioned　him　in　his　cage　amid　the　prolonged　moanings　of　the　sea　and　the　hoarse　croaks　of　the　ravens。　It　was　in　vain；　the　prisoner　knew　nothing。　The　seven　hundred　Pyrotists　could　not　subvert　the　proofs　of　the　accusation　because　they　could　not　know　what　they　were；　and　they　could　not　know　what　they　were　because　there　were　none。　Pyrot's　guilt　was　indefeasible　through　its　very　nullity。　And　it　was　with　a　legitimate　pride　that　Greatauk；　expressing　himself　as　a　true　artist；　said　one　day　to　General　Panther：　〃This　case　is　a　master…piece：　it　is　made　out　of　nothing。〃　The　seven　hundred　Pyrotists　despaired　of　ever　clearing　up　this　dark　business；　when　suddenly　they　discovered；　from　a　stolen　letter；　that　the　eighty　thousand　trusses　of　hay　had　never　existed；　that　a　most　distinguished　nobleman；　Count　de　Maubec；　had　sold　them　to　the　State；　that　he　had　received　the　price　but　had　never　delivered　them。　Indeed　seeing　that　he　was　descended　from　the　richest　landed　proprietors　of　ancient　Penguinia；　the　heir　of　the　Maubecs　of　Dentdulynx；　once　the　possessors　of　four　duchies；　sixty　counties；　and　six　hundred　and　twelve　marquisates；　baronies；　and　viscounties；　he　did　not　possess　as　much　land　as　he　could　cover　with　his　hand；　and　would　not　have　been　able　to　cut　a　single　day'S　mowing　of　forage　off　his　own　domains。　As　to　his　getting　a　single　rush　from　a　land…owner　or　a　merchant；　that　would　have　been　quite　impossible；　for　everybody　except　the　Ministers　of　State　and　the　Government　officials　knew　that　it　would　be　easier　to　get　blood　from　a　stone　than　a　farthing　from　a　Maubec。

The　seven　hundred　Pyrotists　made　a　minute　inquiry　concerning　the　Count　Maubec　de　la　Dentdulynx's　financial　resources；　and　they　proved　that　that　nobleman　was　chiefly　supported　by　a　house　in　which　some　generous　ladies　were　ready　to　furnish　all　comers　with　the　most　lavish　hospitality。　They　publicly　proclaimed　that　he　was　guilty　of　the　theft　of　the　eighty　thousand　trusses　of　straw　for　which　an　innocent　man　had　been　condemned　and　was　now　imprisoned　in　the　cage。

Maubec　belonged　to　an　illustrious　family　which　was　allied　to　the　Draconides。　There　is　nothing　that　a　democracy　esteems　more　highly　than　noble　birth。　Maubec　had　also　served　in　the　Penguin　army；　and　since　the　Penguins　were　all　soldiers；　they　loved　their　army　to　idolatry。　Maubec；　on　the　field　of　battle；　had　received　the　Cross；　which　is　a　sign　of　honour　among　the　Penguins　and　which　they　valued　even　more　highly　than　the　embraces　of　their　wives。　All　Penguinia　declared　for　Maubec；　and　the　voice　of　the　people　which　began　to　assume　a　threatening　tone；　demanded　severe　punishments　for　the　seven　hundred　calumniating　Pyrotists。

Maubec　was　a　nobleman；　he　challenged　the　seven　hundred　Pyrotists　to　combat　with　either　sword；　sabre；　pistols；　carabines；　or　sticks。

〃Vile　dogs；〃　he　wrote　to　them　in　a　famous　letter；　〃you　have　crucified　my　God　and　you　want　my　life　too；　I　warn　you　that　I　will　not　be　such　a　duffer　as　He　was　and　that　I　will　cut　off　your　fourteen　hundred　ears。　Accept　my　boot　on　your　seven　hundred　behinds。〃

The　Chief　of　the　Government　at　the　time　was　a　peasant　called　Robin　Mielleux；　a　man　pleasant　to　the　rich　and　powerful；　but　hard　towards　the　poor；　a　man　of　small　courage　and　ignorant　of　his　own　interests。　In　a　public　declaration　he　guaranteed　Maubec's　innocence　and　honour；　and　presented　the　seven　hundred　Pyrotists：　to　the　criminal　courts　where　they　were　condemned；　as　libellers；　to　imprisonment；　to　enormous　fines；　and　to　all　the　damages　that　were　claimed　by　their　innocent　victim。

It　seemed　as　if　Pyrot　was　destined　to　remain　for　ever　shut　in　the　cage　on　which　the　ravens　perched。　But　all　the　Penguins　being　anxious　to　know　and　prove　that　this　Jew　was　guilty；　all　the　proofs　brought　forward　were　found　not　to　be　good；　while　some　of　them　were　also　contradictory。　The　officers　of　the　Staff　showed　zeal　but　lacked　prudence。　Whilst　Greatauk　kept　an　admirable　silence；　General　Panther　made　inexhaustible　speeches　and　every　morning　demonstrated　in　the　newspapers　that　the　condemned　man　was　guilty。　He　would　have　done　better；　perhaps；　if　he　had　said　nothing。　The　guilt　was　evident　and　what　is　evident　cannot　be　demonstrated。　So　much　reasoning　disturbed　people's　minds；　their　faith；　though　still　alive；　became　less　serene。　The　more　proofs　one　gives　a　crowd　the　more　they　ask　for。

Nevertheless　the　danger　of　proving　too　much　would　not　have　been　great　if　there　had　not　been　in　Penguinia；　as　there　are；　indeed；　everywhere；　minds　framed　for　free　inquiry；　capable　of　studying　a　difficult　question；　and　inclined　to　philosophic　doubt。　They　were　few；　they　were　not　all　inclined　to　speak；　and　the　public　was　by　no　means　inclined　to　listen　to　them。　Still；　they　did　not　always　meet　with　deaf　ears。　The　great　Jews；　all　the　Israelite　millionaires　of　Alca；　when　spoken　to　of　Pyrot；　said：　〃We　do　not　know　the　man〃；　but　they　thought　of　saving　him。　They　preserved　the　prudence　to　which　their　wealth　inclined　them　and　wished　that　others　would　be　less　timid。　Their　wish　was　to　be　gratified。



V。　COLOMBAN

Some　weeks　after　the　conviction　of　the　seven　hundred　Pyrotists；　a　little；　gruff；　hairy；　short…sighted　man　left　his　house　one　morning　with　a　paste…pot；　a　ladder；　and　a　bundle　of　posters　and　went　about　the　streets　pasting　placards　to　the　walls　on　which　might　be　read　in　large　letters：　Pyrot　is　innocent；　Maubec　is　guilty。　He　was　not　a　bill…poster；　his　name　was