penguin island-第35章

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stood　upon　the　marble　mantelpiece。　Hippolyte　Ceres　was　moved；　softened；　melted。

Beautiful　in　her　grief；　her　eyes　shining　with　tears；　her　wrists　girt　by　a　rosary　of　lapis　lazuli　and；　so　to　speak；　chained　by　her　faith；　she　suddenly　flung　herself　at　Hippolyte's　feet；　and　dishevelled；　almost　dying；　she　embraced　his　knees。

He　nearly　yielded。

〃A　religious　marriage；〃　he　muttered；　〃a　marriage　in　church；　I　could　make　my　constituents　stand　that；　but　my　committee　would　not　swallow　the　matter　so　easily。　。　。　。　Still　I'll　explain　it　to　them　。　。　。　toleration；　social　necessities　。　。　。　。　They　all　send　their　daughters　to　Sunday　school　。　。　。　。　But　as　for　office；　my　dear　I　am　afraid　we　are　going　to　drown　all　hope　of　that　in　your　holy　water。〃

At　these　words　she　stood　up　grave；　generous；　resigned；　conquered　also　in　her　turn。

〃My　dear；　I　insist　no　longer。〃

〃Then　we　won't　have　a　religious　marriage。　It　will　be　better；　much　better　not。〃

〃Very　well；　but　be　guided　by　me。　I　am　going　to　try　and　arrange　everything　both　to　your　satisfaction　and　mine。〃

She　sought　the　Reverend　Father　Douillard　and　explained　the　situation。　He　showed　himself　even　more　accommodating　and　yielding　than　she　had　hoped。

〃Your　husband　is　an　intelligent　man；　a　man　of　order　and　reason；　he　will　come　over　to　us。　You　will　sanctify　him。　It　is　not　in　vain　that　God　has　granted　him　the　blessing　of　a　Christian　wife。　The　Church　needs　no　pomp　and　ceremonial　display　for　her　benedictions。　Now　that　she　is　persecuted；　the　shadow　of　the　crypts　and　the　recesses　of　the　catacombs　are　in　better　accord　with　her　festivals。　Mademoiselle；　when　you　have　performed　the　civil　formalities　come　here　to　my　private　chapel　in　costume　with　M。　Ceres。　I　will　marry　you；　a　observe　the　most　absolute　discretion。　I　will　obtain　the　necessary　dispensations　from　the　Archbishop　as　well　as　all　facilities　regarding　the　banns；　confession…tickets；　etc。〃

Hippolyte；　although　he　thought　the　combination　a　little　dangerous；　agreed　to　it；　a　good　deal　flattered；　at　bottom。

〃I　will　go　in　a　short　coat；〃　he　said。

He　went　in　a　frock　coat　with　white　gloves　and　varnished　shoes；　and　he　genuflected。

〃Politeness　demands。　。　。　。〃



V。　THE　VISIRE　CABINET

The　Ceres　household　was　established　with　modest　decency　in　a　pretty　flat　situated　in　a　new　building。　Ceres　loved　his　wife　in　a　calm　and　tranquil　fashion。　He　was　often　kept　late　from　home　by　the　Commission　on　the　Budget　and　he　worked　more　than　three　nights　a　week　at　a　report　on　the　postal　finances　of　which　he　hoped　to　make　a　masterpiece。　Eveline　thought　she　could　twist　him　round　her　finger；　and　this　did　not　displease　him。　The　bad　side　of　their　situation　was　that　they　had　not　much　money；　in　truth　they　had　very　little。　The　servants　of　the　Republic　do　not　grow　rich　in　her　service　as　easily　as　people　think。　Since　the　sovereign　is　no　longer　there　to　distribute　favours；　each　of　them　takes　what　he　can；　and　his　depredations；　limited　by　the　depredations　of　all　the　others；　are　reduced　to　modest　proportions。　Hence　that　austerity　of　morals　that　is　noticed　in　democratic　leaders。　They　can　only　grow　rich　during　periods　of　great　business　activity　and　then　they　find　themselves　exposed　to　the　envy　of　their　less　favoured　colleagues。　Hippolyte　Ceres　had　for　a　long　time　foreseen　such　a　period。　He　was　one　of　those　who　had　made　preparations　for　its　arrival。　Whilst　waiting　for　it　he　endured　his　poverty　with　dignity；　and　Eveline　shared　that　poverty　without　suffering　as　much　as　one　might　have　thought。　She　was　in　close　intimacy　with　the　Reverend　Father　Douillard　and　frequented　the　chapel　of　St。　Orberosia；　where　she　met　with　serious　society　and　people　in　a　position　to　render　her　useful　services。　She　knew　how　to　choose　among　them　and　gave　her　confidence　to　none　but　those　who　deserved　it。　She　had　gained　experience　since　her　motor　excursions　with　Viscount　Clena；　and　above　all　she　had　now　acquired　the　value　of　a　married　woman。

The　deputy　was　at　first　uneasy　about　these　pious　practices；　which　were　ridiculed　by　the　demagogic　newspapers；　but　he　was　soon　reassured；　for　he　saw　all　around　him　democratic　leaders　joyfully　becoming　reconciled　to　the　aristocracy　and　the　Church。

They　found　that　they　had　reached　one　of　those　periods　（which　often　recur）　when　advance　had　been　carried　a　little　too　far。　Hippolyte　Ceres　gave　a　moderate　support　to　this　view。　His　policy　was　not　a　policy　of　persecution　but　a　policy　of　tolerance。　He　had　laid　its　foundations　in　his　splendid　speech　on　the　preparations　for　reform。　The　Prime　Minister　was　looked　upon　as　too　advanced。　He　proposed　schemes　which　were　admitted　to　be　dangerous　to　capital；　and　the　great　financial　companies　were　opposed　to　him。　Of　course　it　followed　that　the　papers　of　all　views　supported　the　companies。　Seeing　the　danger　increasing；　the　Cabinet　abandoned　its　schemes；　its　programme；　and　its　opinions；　but　it　was　too　late。　A　new　administration　was　already　ready。　An　insidious　question　by　Paul　Visire　which　was　immediately　made　the　subject　of　a　resolution；　and　a　fine　speech　by　Hippolyte　Ceres；　overthrew　the　Cabinet。

The　President　of　the　Republic　entrusted　the　formation　of　a　new　Cabinet　to　this　same　Paul　Visire；　who；　though　still　very　young；　had　been　a　Minister　twice。　He　was　a　charming　man；　spending　much　of　his　time　in　the　green…rooms　of　theatres；　very　artistic；　a　great　society　man；　of　amazing　ability　and　industry。　Paul　Visire　formed　a　temporary　ministry　intended　to　reassure　public　feeling　which　had　taken　alarm；　and　Hippolyte　Ceres　was　invited　to　hold　office　in　it。

The　new　ministry；　belonging　to　all　the　groups　in　the　majority；　represented　the　most　diverse　and　contrary　opinions；　but　they　were　all　moderate　and　convinced　conservatives。*　The　Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs　was　retained　from　the　former　cabinet。　He　was　a　little　dark　man　called　Crombile；　who　worked　fourteen　hours　a　day　with　the　conviction　that　he　dealt　with　tremendous　questions。　He　refused　to　see　even　his　own　diplomatic　agents；　and　was　terribly　uneasy；　though　he　did　not　disturb　anybody　else；　for　the　want　of　foresight　of　peoples　is　infinite　and　that　of　governments　is　just　as　great。

*　As　this　ministry　exercised　considerable　influence　upon　the　destinies　of　the　country　and　of　the　world；　we　think　it　well　to　give　its　composition：　Minister　of　the　Interior　and　Prime　Minister；　Paul　Visire；　Minister　of　Justice；　Pierre　Bouc；　Foreign　Affairs；　Victor　Crombile；　Finance；　Terrasson；　Education；　Labillette；　Commerce；　Posts　and　Telegraphs；　Hippolyte　Ceres；　Agriculture；　Aulac；　Public　Works；　Lapersonne；　War；　General　Debonnaire；　Admiralty；　Admiral　Vivier　des　Murenes。

The　office　of　Public　Works　was　given　to　a　Socialist；　Fortune　Lapersonne。　It　was　then　a　political　custom　and　one　of　the　most　solemn；　most　severe；　most　rigorous；　and　if　I　may　dare　say　so；　the　most　terrible　and　cruel　of　all　political　customs；　to　include　a　member　of　the　Socialist　party　in　each　ministry　intended　to　oppose　Socialism；　so　that　the　enemies　of　wealth　and　property　should　suffer　the　shame　of　being　attacked　by　one　of　their　own　party；　and　so　that　they　could　not　unite　against　these　forces　without　turning　to　some　one　who　might　possibly　attack　themselves　in　the　future。　Nothing　but　a　profound　ignorance　of　the　human　heart　would　permit　the　belief　that　it　was　difficult　to　find　a　Socialist　to　occupy　these　functions。　Citizen　Fortune　Lapersonne　entered　the　Visire　cabinet　of　his　own　free　will　and　without　any　constraint；　and　he　found　those　who　approved　of　his　action　even　among　his　former　friends；　so　great　was　the　fascination　that　power　exercised　over　the　Penguins！

General　Debonnaire　went　to　the　War　Office。　He　was　looked　upon　as　one　of　the　ablest　generals　in　the　army；　but　he　was　ruled　by　a　woman；　the　Baroness　Bildermann；　who；　though　she　had　reached　the　age　of　intrigue；　was　still　beautiful。　She　was　in　the　pay　of　a　neighbouring　and　hostile　Power。

The　new　Minister　of　Marine；　the　worthy　Admiral　Vivier　des　Murenes；　was　generally　regarded　as　an　excellent　seaman。　He　displayed　a　piety　that　would　have　seemed　excessive　in　an　anti…clerical　minister；　if　the　Republic　had　not　recognised　that　religion　was　of　great　maritime　utility。　Acting　on　the　instruction　of　his　spiritual　director；　the　Reverend　Father　Douillard；　the　worthy　Admiral　had　dedicated　his　fleet　to　St。　Orberosia　and　directed　canticles　in　honour　of　the　Alcan　Virgin　to　be　composed　by　Christian　bards。　These　replaced　the　national　hymn　in　the　music　played　by　the　navy。

Prime　Minister　Visire　declared　himself　to　be　distinctly　anticlerical　but　ready　to　respect　all　creeds；　he　asserted　that　he　was　a　sober…minded　reformer。　Paul　Visire　and　his　colleagues　desired　reforms；　and　it　was　in　order　not　to　compromise　reform　that　they　proposed　none；　for　they　were　true　politicians　and　knew　that　reforms　are　compromised　the　moment　they　are　proposed。　The　government　was　well　received；　respectable　people　were　reassured；　and　the　funds　rose。

The　administration　announced　that　four　new　ironclads　would　be　put　into　commission；　that　prosecutions　would　be　undertaken　against　the　Socialists；　and　it　formally　declared　its　intention　to　have　nothing　to　do　with　any　inquisitorial　income…tax。　The　choice　of　Terrasson　as　Minister　of　Finance　was　warmly　approved　by　the　press。　Terrasson；　an　old　minister　famous　for　his　financial　operations；　gave　warrant　to　all　the　hopes　of　the　financiers　and　shadowed　forth　a　period　of　great　business　activity。　Soon　those　three　udders　of　modern　nations；　monopolies；　bill　discounting；　and　fraudulent　speculation；　were　swollen　with　the　milk　of　wealth。　Already　whispers　were　heard　of　distant　enterprises；　and　of　planting　colonies；　and　the　boldest　put　forward　in　the　newspapers　the　project　of　a　military　and　financial　protectorate　over　Nigritia。

Without　having　yet　shown　what　he　was　capable　of；　Hippolyte　Ceres　was　considered　a　man　of　weight。　Business　people　thought　highly　of　him。　He　was　congratulated　on　all　sides　for　having　broken　with　the　extreme　sections；　the　dangerous　men；　and　for　having　realised　the　responsibilities　of　government。

Madame　Ceres　shone　alone　amid　the　Ministers'　wives。　Crombile　withered　away　in　bachelordom。　Paul　Visire　had　married　money　in　the　person　of　Mademoiselle　Blampignon；　an　accomplished；　estimable；　and　simple　lady　who　was　always　ill；　and　whose　feeble　health　compelled　her　to　stay　with　her　mother　in　the　depths　of　a　remote　province。　The　other　Ministers'　wives　were　not　born　to　charm　the　sight；　and　people　smiled　when　they　read　that　Madame　Labillette　had　appeared　at　the　Presidency　Ball　wearing　a　headdress　of　birds　of　paradise。　Madame　Vivier　des　Murenes；　a　woman　of　good　family；　was　stout　rather　than　tall；　had　a　face　like　a　beef…steak　and　the　voice　of　a　newspaper…seller。　Madame　Debonnaire；　tall；　dry；　and　florid；　was　devoted　to　young　officers。　She　ruined　herself　by　her　escapades　and　crimes　and　only　regained　consideration　by　dint　of　ugliness　and　insolence。

Madame　Ceres　was　the　charm　of　the　Ministry　and　its　tide　to　consideration。　Young；　beautiful；　and　irreproachable；　she　charmed　alike　society　and　the　masses　by　her　combination　of　elegant　costumes　and　pleasant　smiles。

Her　receptions　were　thronged　by　the　great　Jewish　financiers。　She　gave　the　most　fashionable　garden　parties　in　the　Republic。　The　newspapers　described　her　dresses　and　the　milliners　did　not　ask　her　to　pay　for　them。　She　went　to　Mass；　she　protected　the　chapel　of　St。　Orb