penguin island-第30章

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　pew。　The　congregation　was　numerous　and　brilliant。　According　to　M。　Bigourd's　expression　it　was　both　crowded　and　select。　In　the　front　rank　was　to　be　seen　M。　de　la　Bertheoseille；　Chamberlain　to　his　Highness　Prince　Crucho。　Near　the　pulpit；　which　was　to　be　ascended　by　the　Reverend　Father　Douillard；　of　the　Order　of　St。　Francis；　were　gathered；　in　an　attitude　of　attention　with　their　hands　crossed　upon　their　wands　of　office；　the　great　dignitaries　of　the　Anti…Pyrotist　association；　Viscount　Olive；　M。　de　La　Trumelle；　Count　Clena；　the　Duke　d'Ampoule；　and　Prince　des　Boscenos。　Father　Agaric　was　in　the　apse　with　the　teachers　and　pupils　of　St。　Mael　College。　The　right…hand　transept　and　aisle　were　reserved　for　officers　and　soldiers　in　uniform；　this　side　being　thought　the　more　honourable；　since　the　Lord　leaned　his　head　to　the　right　when　he　died　on　the　Cross。　The　ladies　of　the　aristocracy；　and　among　them　Countess　Clena；　Viscountess　Olive；　and　Princess　des　Boscenos；　occupied　reserved　seats。　In　the　immense　building　and　in　the　square　outside　were　gathered　twenty　thousand　clergy　of　all　sorts；　as　well　as　thirty　thousand　of　the　laity。

After　the　expiatory　and　propitiatory　ceremony　the　Reverend　Father　Douillard　ascended　the　pulpit。　The　sermon　had　at　first　been　entrusted　to　the　Reverend　Father　Agaric；　but；　in　spite　of　his　merits；　he　was　thought　unequal　to　the　occasion　in　zeal　and　doctrine；　and　the　eloquent　Capuchin　friar；　who　for　six　months　had　gone　through　the　barracks　preaching　against　the　enemies　of　God　and　authority；　had　been　chosen　in　his　place。

The　Reverend　Father　Douillard；　taking　as　his　text；　〃He　hath　put　down　the　mighty　from　their　seat；〃　established　that　all　temporal　power　has　God　as　its　principle　and　its　end；　and　that　it　is　ruined　and　destroyed　when　it　turns　aside　from　the　path　that　Providence　has　traced　out　for　it　and　from　the　end　to　which　He　has　directed　it。

Applying　these　sacred　rules　to　the　government　of　Penguinia；　he　drew　a　terrible　picture　of　the　evils　that　the　country's　rulers　had　been　unable　either　to　prevent　or　to　foresee。

〃The　first　author　of　all　these　miseries　and　degradations；　my　brethren；〃　said　he；　〃is　only　too　well　known　to　you。　He　is　a　monster　whose　destiny　is　providentially　proclaimed　by　his　name；　for　it　is　derived　from　the　Greek　word；　pyros；　which　means　fire。　Eternal　wisdom　warns　us　by　this　etymology　that　a　Jew　was　to　set　ablaze　the　country　that　had　welcomed　him。〃

He　depicted　the　country；　persecuted　by　the　persecutors　of　the　Church；　and　crying　in　its　agony：

〃O　woe！　O　glory！　Those　who　have　crucified　my　God　are　crucifying　me！〃

At　these　words　a　prolonged　shudder　passed　through　the　assembly。

The　powerful　orator　excited　still　greater　indignation　when　he　described　the　proud　and　crime…stained　Colomban；　plunged　into　the　stream；　all　the　waters　of　which　could　not　cleanse　him。　He　gathered　up　all　the　humiliations　and　all　the　perils　of　the　Penguins　in　order　to　reproach　the　President　of　the　Republic　and　his　Prime　Minister　with　them。

〃That　Minister；〃　said　he；　〃having　been　guilty　of　degrading　cowardice　in　not　exterminating　the　seven　hundred　Pyrotists　with　their　allies　and　defenders；　as　Saul　exterminated　the　Philistines　at　Gibeah；　has　rendered　himself　unworthy　of　exercising　the　power。　that　God　delegated　to　him；　and　every　good　citizen　ought　henceforth　to　insult　his　contemptible　government。　Heaven　will　look　favourably　on　those　who　despise　him。　'He　hath　put　down　the　mighty　from　their　seat。'　God　will　depose　these　pusillanimous　chiefs　and　will　put　in　their　place　strong　men　who　will　call　upon　Him。　I　tell　you；　gentlemen；　I　tell　you　officers；　non…commissioned　officers；　and　soldiers　who　listen　to　me；　I　tell　you　General　of　the　Penguin　armies；　the　hour　has　come！　If　you　do　not　obey　God's　orders；　if　in　His　name　you　do　not　depose　those　now　in　authority；　if　you　do　not　establish　a　religious　and　strong　government　in　Penguinia；　God　will　none　the　less　destroy　what　He　has　condemned；　He　will　none　the　less　save　His　people。　He　will　save　them；　but；　if　you　are　wanting；　He　will　do　so　by　means　of　a　humble　artisan　or　a　simple　corporal。　Hasten！　The　hour　will　soon　be　past。〃

Excited　by　this　ardent　exhortation；　the　sixty　thousand　people　present　rose　up　trembling　and　shouting：　〃To　arms！　To　arms！　Death　to　the　Pyrotists！　Hurrah　for　Crucho！〃　and　all　of　them；　monks；　women；　soldiers；　noblemen；　citizens；　and　loafers；　who　were　gathered　beneath　the　superhuman　arm　uplifted　in　the　pulpit；　struck　up　the　hymn；　〃Let　us　save　Penguinia！　They　rushed　impetuously　from　the　basilica　and　marched　along　the　quays　to　the　Chamber　of　Deputies。

Left　alone　in　the　deserted　nave；　the　wise　Cornemuse；　lifting　his　arms　to　heaven；　murmured　in　broken　accents：

〃Agnosco　fortunam　ecclesiae　penguicanae！　I　see　but　too　well　whither　this　will　lead　us。〃

The　attack　which　the　crowd　made　upon　the　legislative　palace　was　repulsed。　Vigorously　charged　by　the　police　and　Alcan　guards；　the　assailants　were　already　fleeing　in　disorder；　when　the　Socialists；　running　from　the　slums　and　led　by　comrades　Phoenix；　Dagobert；　Lapersonne；　and　Varambille；　threw　themselves　upon　them　and　completed　their　discomfiture。　MM。　de　La　Trumelle　and　d'Ampoule　were　taken　to　the　police　station。　Prince　des　Boscenos；　after　a　valiant　struggle；　fell　upon　the　bloody　pavement　with　a　fractured　skull。

In　the　enthusiasm　of　victory；　the　comrades；　mingled　with　an　innumerable　crowd　of　paper…sellers　and　gutter…merchants；　ran　through　the　boulevards　all　night；　carrying；　Maniflore　in　triumph；　and　breaking　the　mirrors　of　the　cafes　and　the　glasses　of　the　street　lamps　amid　cries　of　〃Down　with　Crucho！　Hurrah　for　the　Social　Revolution！〃　The　Anti…Pyrotists　in　their　turn　upset　the　newspaper　kiosks　and　tore　down　the　hoardings。

These　were　spectacles　of　which　cool　reason　cannot　approve　and　they　were　fit　causes　for　grief　to　the　municipal　authorities；　who　desired　to　preserve　the　good　order　of　the　roads　and　streets。　But；　what　was　sadder　for　a　man　of　heart　was　the　sight　or　the　canting　humbugs；　who；　from　fear　of　blows；　kept　at　an　equal　distance　from　the　two　camps；　and　who；　although　they　allowed　their　selfishness　and　cowardice　to　be　visible；　claimed　admiration　for　the　generosity　of　their　sentiments　and　the　nobility　of　their　souls。　They　rubbed　their　eyes　with　onions；　gaped　like　whitings；　blew　violently　into　their　handkerchiefs；　and；　bringing　their　voices　out　of　the　depths　of　their　stomachs；　groaned　forth：　〃O　Penguins；　cease　these　fratricidal　struggles；　cease　to　rend　your　mother's　bosom！〃　As　if　men　could　live　in　society　without　disputes　and　without　quarrels；　and　as　if　civil　discords　were　not　the　necessary　conditions　of　national　life　and　progress。　They　showed　themselves　hypocritical　cowards　by　proposing　a　compromise　between　the　just　and　the　unjust；　offending　the　just　in　his　rectitude　and　the　unjust　in　his　courage。　One　of　these　creatures；　the　rich　and　powerful　Machimel；　a　champion　coward；　rose　upon　the　town　like　a　colossus　of　grief；　his　tears　formed　poisonous　lakes　at　his　feet　and　his　sighs　capsized　the　boats　of　the　fishermen。

During　these　stormy　nights　Bidault…Coquille　at　the　top　of　his　old　steam…engine；　under　the　serene　sky；　boasted　in　his　heart；　while　the　shooting　stars　registered　themselves　upon　his　photographic　plates。　He　was　fighting　for　justice。　He　loved　and　was　loved　with　a　sublime　passion。　Insult　and　calumny　raised　him　to　the　clouds。　A　caricature　of　him　in　company　with　those　of　Colomban；　Kerdanic；　and　Colonel　Hastaing　was　to　be　seen　in　the　newspaper　kiosks。　The　Anti…Pyrotists　proclaimed　that　he　had　received　fifty　thousand　francs　from　the　big　Jewish　financiers。　The　reporters　of　the　militarist　sheets　held　interviews　regarding　his　scientific　knowledge　with　official　scholars；　who　declared　he　had　no　knowledge　of　the　stars；　disputed　his　most　solid　observations；　denied　his　most　certain　discoveries；　and　condemned　his　most　ingenious　and　most　fruitful　hypotheses。　He　exulted　under　these　flattering　blows　of　hatred　and　envy。

He　contemplated　the　black　immensity　pierced　by　a　multitude　of　lights；　without　giving　a　thought　to　all　the　heavy　slumbers；　cruel　insomnias；　vain　dreams；　spoilt　pleasures；　and　infinitely　diverse　miseries　that　a　great　city　contains。

〃It　is　in　this　enormous　city；〃　said　he　to　himself；　〃that　the　just　and　the　unjust　are　joining　battle。〃

And　substituting　a　simple　and　magnificent　poetry　for　the　multiple　and　vulgar　reality；　he　represented　to　himself　the　Pyrot　affair　as　a　struggle　between　good　and　bad　angels。　He　awaited　the　eternal　triumph　of　the　Sons　of　Light　and　congratulated　himself　on　being　a　Child　of　the　Day　confounding　the　Children　of　Night。



X。　MR。　JUSTICE　CHAUSSEPIED

Hitherto　blinded　by　fear；　incautious　and　stupid　before　the　bands　of　Friar　Douillard　and　the　partisans　of　Prince　Crucho；　the　Republicans　at　last　opened　their　eyes　and　grasped　the　real　meaning　of　the　Pyrot　affair。　The　deputies　who　had　for　two　years　turned　pale　at　the　shouts　of　the　patriotic　crowds　became；　not　indeed　more　courageous；　but　altered　their　cowardice　and　blamed　Robin　Mielleux　for　disorders　which　their　own　compliance　had　encouraged；　and　the　instigators　of　which　they　had　several　times　slavishly　congratulated。　They　reproached　him　for　having　imperilled　the　Republic　by　a　weakness　which　was　really　theirs　and　a　timidity　which　they　themselves　had　imposed　upon　him。　Some　of　them　began　to　doubt　whether　it　was　not　to　their　interest　to　believe　in　Pyrot's　innocence　rather　than　in　his　guilt；　and　thenceforward　they　felt　a　bitter　anguish　at　the　thought　that　the　unhappy　man　might　have　been　wrongly　convicted　and　that　in　his　aerial　cage　he　might　be　expiating　another　man's　crimes。　〃I　cannot　sleep　on　account　of　it！〃　was　what　several　members　of　Minister　Guillaumette's　majority　used　to　say。　But　these　were　ambitious　to　replace　their　chief。

These　generous　legislators　overthrew　the　cabinet；　and　the　President　of　the　Republic　put　in　Robin　Mielleux's　place；　a　patriarchal　Republican　with　a　flowing　beard；　La　Trinite　by　name；　who；　like　most　of　the　Penguins；　understood　nothing　about　the　affair；　but　thought　that　too　many　monks　were　mixed　up　in　it。

General　Greatauk　before　leaving　the　Ministry　of　War；　gave　his　final　advice　to　Pariler；　the　Chief　of　the　Staff。

〃I　go　and　you　remain；〃　said　he；　as　he　shook　hands　with　him。　〃The　Pyrot　affair　is　my　daughter；　I　confide　her　to　you；　she　is　worthy　of　your　love　and　your　care；　she　is　beautiful。　Do　not　forget　that　her　beauty　loves　the　shade；　is　leased　with　mystery；　and　likes　to　remain　veiled。　Great　her　modesty　with　gentleness。　Too　many　indiscreet　looks　have　already　profaned　her　charms。　。　。　。　Panther；　you　desired　proofs　and　you　obtained　them。　You　have　many；　perhaps　too　many；　in　your　possession。　I　see　that　there　will　be　many　tiresome　interventions　and　much　dangerous　curiosity。　If　I　were　in　your　place　I　would　tear　up　all　those　documents。　Believe　me；　the　best　of　proofs　is　none　at　all。　That　is　the　only　one　which　nobody　discusses。〃

Alas！　General　Panther　did　not　realise　the　wisdom　of　this　advice。　The　future　was　only　too　thoroughly　to　justify　Greatauk's　perspicacity。　La　Trinite　demanded　the　documents　belonging；　to　the　Pyrot　affair。　Peniche；　his　Minister　of　War；　refused　them　in　the　superior　interests　of　the　national　defence；　telling　him　that　the　documents　under　General　Panther's　care　formed　the　hugest　mass　of　archives　in　the　world。　La　Trinite　studied　the　case