penguin island-第31章

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General　Panther's　care　formed　the　hugest　mass　of　archives　in　the　world。　La　Trinite　studied　the　case　as　well　as　he　could；　and；　without　penetrating　to　the　bottom　of　the　matter；　suspected　it　of　irregularity。　Conformably　to　his　rights　and　prerogatives　he　then　ordered　a　fresh　trial　to　be　held。　Immediately；　Peniche；　his　Minister　of　War；　accused　him　of　insulting　the　army　and　betraying　the　country　and　flung　his　portfolio　at　his　head。　He　was　replaced　by　a　second；　who　did　the　same。　To　him　succeeded　a　third；　who　imitated　these　examples；　and　those　after　him　to　the　number　of　seventy　acted　like　their　predecessors；　until　the　venerable　La　Trinite　groaned　beneathe　the　weight　of　bellicose　portfolios。　The　seventy…first　Minister　of　War；　van　Julep；　retained　office。　Not　that　he　was　in　disagreement　with　so　many　and　such　noble　colleagues；　but　he　had　been　commissioned　by　them　generously　to　betray　his　Prime　Minister；　to　cover　him　with　shame　and　opprobrium；　and　to　convert　the　new　trial　to　the　glory　of　Greatauk；　the　satisfaction　of　the　Anti…Pyrotists；　the　profit　of　the　monks；　and　the　restoration　of　Prince　Crucho。

General　van　Julep；　though　endowed　with　high　military　virtues；　was　not　intelligent　enough　to　employ　the　subtle　conduct　and　exquisite　methods　of　Greatauk。　He　thought；　like　General　Panther；　that　tangible　proofs　against　Pyrot　were　necessary；　that　they　could　never　ave　too　many　of　them；　that　they　could　never　have　even　enough。　He　expressed　these'　sentiments　to　his　Chief　of　Staff；　who　was　only　too　inclined　to　agree　with　them。

〃Panther；〃　said　he；　〃we　are　at　the　moment　when　we　need　abundant　and　superabundant　proofs。〃

〃You　have　said　enough；　General；〃　answered　Panther；　〃I　will　complete　my　piles　of　documents。〃

Six　months　later　the　proofs　against　Pyrot　filled　two　storeys　of　the　Ministry　of　War。　The　ceiling　fell　in　beneath　the　weight　of　the　bundles；　and　the　avalanche　of　falling　documents　crushed　two　head　clerks；　fourteen　second　clerks；　and　sixty　copying　clerks；　who　were　at　work　upon　the　ground　floor　arranging　a　change　in　the　fashion　of　the　cavalry　gaiters。　The　walls　of　the　huge　edifice　had　to　be　propped。　Passers…by　saw　with　amazement　enormous　beams　and　monstrous　stanchions　which　reared　themselves　obliquely　against　the　noble　front　of　the　building；　now　tottering　and　disjointed；　and　blocked　up　the　streets；　stopped　the　carriages；　and　presented　to　the　motor…omnibuses　an　obstacle　against　which　they　dashed　with　their　loads　of　passengers。

The　judges　who　had　condemned　Pyrot　were　not；　properly　speaking；　judges　but　soldiers。　The　judges　who　had　condemned　Colomban　were　real　judges；　but　of　inferior　rank；　wearing　seedy　black　clothes　like　church　vergers；　unlucky　wretches　of　judges；　miserable　judgelings。　Above　them　were　the　superior　judges　who　wore　ermine　robes　over　their　black　gowns。　These；　renowned　for　their　knowledge　and　doctrine；　formed　a　court　whose　terrible　name　expressed　power。　It　was　called　the　Court　of　Appeal　（Cassation）　so　as　to　make　it　clear　that　it　was　the　hammer　suspended　over　the　judgments　and　decrees　of　all　other　jurisdictions。

One　of　these　superior　red　Judges　of　the　Supreme　Court；　called　Chaussepied；　led　a　modest　and　tranquil　life　in　a　suburb　of　Alca。　His　soul　was　pure；　his　heart　honest；　his　spirit　just。　When　he　had　finished　studying　his　documents　he　used　to　play　the　violin　and　cultivate　hyacinths。　Every　Sunday　he　dined　with　his　neighbours　the　Mesdemoiselles　Helbivore。　His　old　age　was　cheerful　and　robust　and　his　friends　often　praised　the　amenity　of　his　character。

For　some　months；　however；　he　had　been　irritable　and　touchy；　and　when　he　opened　a　newspaper　his　broad　and　ruddy　face　would　become　covered　with　dolorous　wrinkles　and　darkened　with　an　angry　purple。　Pyrot　was　the　cause　of　it。　Justice　Chaussepied　could　not　understand　how　an　officer　could　have　committed　so　black　a　crime　as　to　hand　over　eighty　thousand　trusses　of　military　hay　to　a　neighbouring　and　hostile　Power。　And　he　could　still　less　conceive　how　a　scoundrel　should　have　found　official　defenders　in　Penguinia。　The　thought　that　there　existed　in　his　country　a　Pyrot；　a　Colonel　Hastaing；　a　Colomban；　a　Kerdanic；　a　Phoenix；　spoilt　his　hyacinths；his　violin；　his　heaven；　and　his　earth；　all　nature；　and　even　his　dinner　with　the　Mesdemoiselles　Helbivore！

In　the　mean　time　the　Pyrot　case；　having　been　presented　to　the　Supreme　Court　by　the　Keeper　of　Seals；　it　fell　to　Chaussepied　to　examine　it　and　cover　its　defects；　in　case　any　existed。　Although　as　upright　and　honest　as　a　man　can　be；　and　trained　by　long　habit　to　exercise　his　magistracy　without　fear　or　favour；　he　expected　to　find　in　the　documents　he　submitted　to　him　proofs　of　certain　guilt　and　obvious　criminality。　After　lengthened　difficulties　and　repeated　refusals　on　the　part　of　General　Julep；　Justice　Chaussepied　was　allowed　to　examine　the　documents。　Numbered　and　initialed　they　ran　to　the　number　of　fourteen　millions　six　hundred　and　twenty…six　thousand　three　hundred　and　twelve。　As　he　studied　them　the　judge　was　at　first　surprised；　then　astonished；　then　stupefied；　amazed；　and；　if　I　dare　say　so；　flabbergasted。　He　found　among　the　documents　prospectuses　of　new　fancy　shops；　newspapers；　fashion…plates；　paper　bags；　old　business　letters；　exercise　books；　brown　paper；　green　paper　for　rubbing　parquet　floors；　playing　cards；　diagrams；　six　thousand　copies　of　the　〃Key　to　Dreams；〃　but　not　a　single　document　in　which　any　mention　was　made　of　Pyrot。



XI。　CONCLUSION

The　appeal　was　allowed；　and　Pyrot　was　brought　down　from　his　cage。　But　the　Anti…Pyrotists　did　not　regard　themselves　as　beaten。　The　military　judges　re…tried　Pyrot。　Greatauk；　in　this　second　affair；　surpassed　himself。　He　obtained　a　second　conviction；　he　obtained　it　by　declaring　that　the　proofs　communicated　to　the　Supreme　Court　were　worth　nothing；　and　that　great　care　had　been　taken　to　keep　back　the　good　ones；　since　they　ought　to　remain　secret。　In　the　opinion　of　connoisseurs　he　had　never　shown　so　much　address。　On　leaving　the　court；　as　he　passed　through　the　vestibule　with　a　tranquil　step；　and　his　hands　behind　his　back；　amidst　a　crowd　of　sight…seers；　a　woman　dressed　in　red　and　with　her　face　covered　by　a　black　veil　rushed　at　him；　brandishing　a　kitchen　knife。

〃Die；　scoundrel！〃　she　cried。　It　was　Maniflore。　Before　those　present　could　understand　what　was　happening；　the　general　seized　her　by　the　wrist；　and　with　apparent　gentleness；　squeezed　it　so　forcibly　that　the　knife　fell　from　her　aching　hand。

Then　he　picked　it　up　and　handed　it　to　Maniflore。

〃Madam；〃　said　he　with　a　bow；　〃you　have　dropped　a　household　utensil。〃

He　could　not　prevent　the　heroine　from　being　taken　to　the　police…station；　but　he　had　her　immediately　released　and　afterwards　he　employed　all　his　influence　to　stop　the　prosecution。

The　second　conviction　of　Pyrot　was　Greatauk's　last　victory。

Justice　Chaussepied；　who　had　formerly　liked　soldiers　so　much；　and　esteemed　their　justice　so　highly；；　being　now　enraged　with　the　military　judges；　quashed　their　judgments　as　a　monkey　cracks　nuts。　He　rehabilitated　Pyrot　a　second　time；　he　would；　if　necessary；　have　rehabilitated　him　five　hundred　times。

Furious　at　having　been　cowards　and　at　having　allowed　themselves　to　be　deceived　and　made　game　of；　the　Republicans　turned　against　the　monks　and　clergy。　The　deputies　passed　laws　of　expulsion；　separation；　and　spoliation　against　them。　What　Father　Cornemuse　had　foreseen　took　place。　That　good　monk　was　driven　from　the　Wood　of　Conils。　Treasury　officers　confiscated　his　retorts　and　his　stills；　and　the　liquidators　divided　amongst　them　his　bottles　of　St。　Oberosian　liqueur。　The　pious　distiller　lost　the　annual　income　of　three　million　five　hundred　thousand　francs　that　his　products　procured　for　him。　Father　Agaric　went　into　exile；　abandoning　his　school　into　the　hands　of　laymen；　who　soon　allowed　it　to　fall　into　decay。　Separated　from　its　foster…mother；　the　State；　the　Church　of　Penguinia　withered　like　a　plucked　flower。

The　victorious　defenders　of　the　innocent　man　now　abused　each　other　and　overwhelmed　each　other　reciprocally　with　insults　and　calumnies。　The　vehement　Kerdanic　hurled　himself　upon　Phoenix　as　if　ready　to　devour　him。　The　wealthy　Jews　and　the　seven　hundred　Pyrotists　turned　away　with　disdain　from　the　socialist　comrades　whose　aid　they　had　humbly　implored　in　the　past。

〃We　know　you　no　longer；〃　said　they。　〃To　the　devil　with　you　and　your　social　justice。　Social　justice　is　the　defence　of　property。〃

Having　been　elected　a　Deputy　and　chosen　to　be　the　leader　of　the　new　majority；　comrade　Larrivee　was　appointed　by　the　Chamber　and　public　opinion　to　the　Premiership。　He　showed　himself　an　energetic　defender　of　the　military　tribunals　that　had　condemned　Pyrot。　When　his　former　socialist　comrades　claimed　a　little　more　justice　and　liberty　for　the　employes　of　the　State　as　well　as　for　manual　workers；　he　opposed　their　proposals　in　an　eloquent　speech。

〃Liberty；〃　said　he；　〃is　not　licence。　Between　order　and　disorder　my　choice　is　made：　revolution　is　impotence。　Progress　has　no　more　formidable　enemy　than　violence。　Gentlemen；　those　who；　as　I　am；　are　anxious　for　reform；　ought　to　apply　themselves　before　everything　else　to　cure　this　agitation　which　enfeebles　government　just　as　fever　exhausts　those　who　are　ill。　It　is　time　to　reassure　honest　people。〃

This　speech　was　received　with　applause。　The　government　of　the　Republic　remained　in　subjection　to　the　great　financial　companies；　the　army　was　exclusively　devoted　to　the　defence　of　capital；　while　the　fleet　was　designed　solely　to　procure　fresh　orders　for　the　mine…owners。　Since　the　rich　refused　to　pay　their　just　share　of　the　taxes；　the　poor；　as　in　the　past；　paid　for　them。

In　the　mean　time　from　the　height　of　his　old　steamline；　beneath　the　crowded　stars　of　night；　Bidault…Coquille　gazed　sadly　at　the　sleeping　city。　Maniflore　had　left　him。　Consumed　with　a　desire　for　fresh　devotions　and　fresh　sacrifices；　she　had　gone　in　company　with　a　young　Bulgarian　to　bear　justice　and　vengeance　to　Sofia。　He　did　not　regret　her；　having　perceived　after　the　Affair；　that　she　was　less　beautiful　in　form　and　in　thought　than　he　had　at　first　imagined。　His　impressions　had　been　modified　in　the　same　direction　concerning　many　other　forms　and　many　other　thoughts。　And　what　was　cruelest　of　all　to　him；　he　regarded　himself　as　not　so　great；　not　so　splendid；　as　he　had　believed。

And　he　reflected：

〃You　considered　yourself　sublime　when　you　had　but　candour　and　good…will。　Of　what　were　you　proud；　Bidault…Coquille？　Of　having　been　one　of　the　first　to　know　that　Pyrot　was　innocent　and　Greatauk　a　scoundrel。　But　three…fourths　of　those　who　defended　Greatauk　against　the　attacks　of　the　seven　hundred　Pyrotists　knew　that　better　than　you。　Of　what　then　did　you　show　yourself　so　proud？　Of　having　dared　to　say　what　you　thought？　That　is　civic　courage；　and；　like　military　courage；　it　is　a　mere　result　of　imprudence。　You　have　been　imprudent。　So　far　so　good；　but　that　is　no　reason　for　praising　yourself　beyond　measure。　Your　imprudence　was　trifling；　it　exposed　you　to　trifling　perils；　you　did　not　risk　your　head　by　it。　The　Penguins　have　lost　that　cruel　and　sanguinary　pride　which　formerly　gave　a　tragic　grandeur　to　their　revolutions；　it　is　the　fatal　result　of　the　weakening　of　beliefs　and　character。　Ought　one　to　look　upon　oneself　as　a　superior　spirit　for　having　shown　a　little　more　clear…sightedness　than　the　vulgar？　I　am　very　much　afraid；　on　t