penguin island-第39章

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f　his　sovereign；　made　a　sly　allusion　to　the　intrigues　that　inspired　the　policy　of　a　great　country。　This　reference；　which　was　receive　with　smiles　by　the　Imperial　Parliament；　was　certain　to　irritate　a　punctilious　republic。　It　aroused　the　national　susceptibility；　which　directed　its　wrath　against　its　amorous　Minister。　The　Deputies　seized　upon　a　frivolous　pretext　to　show　their　dissatisfaction。　A　ridiculous　incident；　the　fact　that　the　wife　of　a　subprefect　had　danced　at　the　Moulin　Rouge；　forced　the　minister　to　face　a　vote　of　censure；　and　he　was　within　a　few　votes　of　being　defeated。　According　to　general　opinion；　Paul　Visire　had　never　been　so　weak；　so　vacillating；　or　so　spiritless；　as　on　that　occasion。

He　understood　that　he　could　only　keep　himself　in　office　by　a　great　political　stroke；　and　he　decided　on　the　expedition　to　Nigritia。　This　measure　was　demanded　by　the　great　financial　and　industrial　corporations　and　was　one　which　would　bring　concessions　of　immense　forests　to　the　capitalists；　a　loan　of　eight　millions　to　the　banking　companies；　as　well　as　promotions　and　decorations　to　the　naval　and　military　officers。　A　pretext　presented　itself；　some　insult　needed　to　be　avenged；　or　some　debt　to　be　collected。　Six　battleships；　fourteen　cruisers；　and　eighteen　transports　sailed　up　the　mouth　of　the　river　Hippopotamus。　Six　hundred　canoes　vainly　opposed　the　landing　of　the　troops。　Admiral　Vivier　des　Murenes'　cannons　produced　an　appalling　effect　upon　the　blacks；　who　replied　to　them　with　flights　of　arrows；　but　in　spite　of　their　fanatical　courage　they　were　entirely　defeated。　Popular　enthusiasm　was　kindled　by　the　newspapers　which　the　financiers　subsidised；　and　burst　into　a　blaze。　Some　Socialists　alone　protested　against　this　barbarous；　doubtful；　and　dangerous　enterprise。　They　were　at　once　arrested。

At　that　moment　when　the　Minister；　supported　by　wealth；　and　now　beloved　by　the　poor；　seemed　unconquerable；　the　light　of　hate　showed　Hippolyte　Ceres　alone　the　danger；　and　looking　with　a　gloomy　joy　at　his　rival；　he　muttered　between　his　teeth；　〃He　is　wrecked；　the　brigand！〃

Whilst　the　country　intoxicated　itself　with　glory；　the　neighbouring　Empire　protested　against　the　occupation　of　Nigritia　by　a　European　power；　and　these　protests　following　one　another　at　shorter　and　shorter　intervals　became　more　and　more　vehement。　The　newspapers　of　the　interested　Republic　concealed　all　causes　for　uneasiness；　but　Hippolyte　Ceres　heard　the　growing　menace；　and　determined　at　last　to　risk　everything；　even　the　fate　of　the　ministry；　in　order　to　ruin　his　enemy。　He　got　men　whom　he　could　trust　to　write　and　insert　articles　in　several　of　the　official　journals；　which；　seeming　to　express　Paul　Visire's　precise　views；　attributed　warlike　intentions　to　the　Head　of　the　Government。

These　articles　roused　a　terrible　echo　abroad；　and　they　alarmed　the　public　opinion　of　a　nation　which；　while　fond　of　soldiers；　was　not　fond　of　war。　Questioned　in　the　House　on　the　foreign　policy　of　his　government；　Paul　Visire　made　a　re…assuring　statement；　and　promised　to　maintain　a　face　compatible　with　the　dignity　of　a　great　nation。　His　Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs；　Crombile；　read　a　declaration　which　was　absolutely　unintelligible；　for　the　reason　that　it　was　couched　in　diplomatic　language。　The　Minister　obtained　a　large　majority。

But　the　rumours　of　war　did　not　cease；　and　in　order　to　avoid　a　new　and　dangerous　motion；　the　Prime　Minister　distributed　eighty　thousand　acres　of　forests　in　Nigritia　among　the　Deputies；　and　had　fourteen　Socialists　arrested。　Hippolyte　Ceres　went　gloomily　about　the　lobbies；　confiding　to　the　Deputies　of　his　group　that　he　was　endeavouring　to　induce　the　Cabinet　to　adopt　a　pacific　policy；　and　that　he　still　hoped　to　succeed。　Day　by　day　the　sinister　rumours　grew　in　volume；　and　penetrating　amongst　the　public；　spread　uneasiness　and　disquiet。　Paul　Visire　himself　began　to　take　alarm。　What　disturbed　him　most　were　the　silence　and　absence　of　the　Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs。　Crombile　no　longer　came　to　the　meetings　of　the　Cabinet。　Rising　at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning；　he　worked　eighteen　hours　at　his　desk；　and　at　last　fell　exhausted　into　his　waste…paper　basket；　from　whence　the　registrars　removed　him；　together　with　the　papers　which　they　were　going　to　sell　to　the　military　attaches　of　the　neighbouring　Empire。

General　Debonnaire　believed　that　a　campaign　was　imminent；　and　prepared　for　it。　Far　from　fearing　war；　he　prayed　for　it；　and　confided　his　generous　hopes　to　Baroness　Bildermann；　who　informed　the　neighbouring　nation；　which；　acting　on　her　information；　proceeded　to　a　rapid　mobilization。

The　Minister　of　Finance　unintentionally　precipitated　events。　At　the　moment；　he　was　speculating　for　a　fall；　and　in　order　to　bring　about　a　panic　on　the　Stock　Exchange；　he　spread　the　rumour　that　war　was　now　inevitable。　The　neighbouring　Empire；　deceived　by　this　action；　and　expecting　to　see　its　territory　invaded；　mobilized　its　troops　in　all　haste。　The　terrified　Chamber　overthrew　the　Visire　ministry　by　an　enormous　majority　（814　votes　to　7；　with　28　abstentions）。　It　was　too　late。　The　very　day　of　this　fall　the　neighbouring　and　hostile　nation　recalled　its　ambassador　and　flung　eight　millions　of　men　into　Madame　Ceres'　country。　War　became　universal；　and　the　whole　world　was　drowned　in　a　torrent　of　blood。


THE　ZENITH　OF　PENGUIN　CIVILIZATION

Half　a　century　after　the　events　we　have　just　related；　Madame　Ceres　died　surrounded　with　respect　and　veneration；　in　the　eighty…ninth　year　of　her　age。　She　had　long　been　the　widow　of　a　statesman　whose　name　she　bore　with　dignity。　Her　modest　and　quiet　funeral　was　followed　by　the　orphans　of　the　parish　and　the　sisters　of　the　Sacred　Compassion。

The　deceased　left　all　her　property　to　the　Charity　of　St。　Orberosia。

〃Alas！〃　sighed　M。　Monnoyer；　a　canon　of　St。　Mael；　as　he　received　the　pious　legacy；　〃it　was　high　time　for　a　generous　benefactor　to　come　to　the　relief　of　our　necessities。　Rich　and　poor；　learned　and　ignorant　are　turning　away　from　us。　And　when　we　try　to　lead　back　these　misguided　souls；　neither　threats　nor　promises；　neither　gentleness　nor　violence；　nor　anything　else　is　now　successful。　The　Penguin　clergy　pine　in　desolation；　our　country　priests；　reduced　to　following　the　humblest　of　trades；　are　shoeless；　and　compelled　to　live　upon　such　scraps　as　they　can　pick　up。　In　our　ruined　churches　the　rain　of　heaven　falls　upon　the　faithful；　and　during　the　holy　offices　they　can　hear　the　noise　of　stones　falling　from　the　arches。　The　tower　of　the　cathedral　is　tottering　and　will　soon　fall。　St。　Orberosia　is　forgotten　by　the　Penguins；　her　devotion　abandoned；　and　her　sanctuary　deserted。　On　her　shrine；　bereft　of　its　gold　and　precious　stones；　the　spider　silently　weaves　her　web。〃

Hearing　these　lamentations；　Pierre　Mille；　who　at　the　age　of　ninety…eight　years　had　lost　nothing　of　his　intellectual　and　moral　power；　asked；　the　canon　if　he　did　not　think　that　St。　Orberosia　would　one　day　rise　out　of　this　wrongful　oblivion。

〃I　hardly　dare　to　hope　so；〃　sighed　M。　Monnoyer。

〃It　is　a　pity！〃　answered　Pierre　Mille。　〃Orberosia　is　a　charming　figure　and　her　legend　is　a　beautiful　one。　I　discovered　the　other　day　by　the　merest　chance；　one　of　her　most　delightful　miracles；　the　miracle　of　Jean　Violle。　Would　you　like　to　hear　it；　M。　Monnoyer？〃

〃I　should　be　very　pleased；　M。　Mille。〃

〃Here　it　is；　then；　just　as　I　found　it　in　a　fifteenth…century　manuscript

〃Cecile；　the　wife　of　Nicolas　Gaubert；　a　jeweller　on　the　Pont…au…Change；　after　having　led　an　honest　and　chaste　life　for　many　years；　and　being　now　past　her　prime；　became　infatuated　with　Jean　Violle；　the　Countess　de　Maubec's　page；　who　lived　at　the　Hotel　du　Paon　on　the　Place　de　Greve。　He　was　not　yet　eighteen　years　old；　and　his　face　and　figure　were　attractive。　Not　being　able　to　conquer　her　passion；　Cecile　resolved　to　satisfy　it。　She　attracted　the　page　to　her　house；　loaded　him　with　caresses；　supplied　him　with　sweetmeats　and　finally　did　as　she　wished　with　him。

〃Now　one　day；　as　they　were　together　in　the　jeweller's　bed；　Master　Nicholas　came　home　sooner　than　he　was　expected。　He　found　the　bolt　drawn；　and　heard　his　wife　on　the　other　side　of　the　door　exclaiming；　'My　heart！　my　angel！　my　love！'　Then　suspecting　that　she　was　shut　up　with　a　gallant；　he　struck　great　blows　upon　the　door　and　began　to　shout　'Slut！　hussy！　wanton！　open　so　that　I　may　cut　off　your　nose　and　ears！'　In　this　peril；　the　jeweller's　wife　besought　St。　Orberosia；　and　vowed　her　a　large　candle　if　she　helped　her　and　the　little　page；　who　was　dying　of　fear　beside　the　bed；　out　of　their　difficulty。

〃The　saint　heard　the　prayer。　She　immediately　changed　Jean　Violle　into　a　girl。　Seeing　this；　Cecile　was　completely　reassured；　and　began　to　call　out　to　her　husband：　'Oh！　you　brutal　villain；　you　jealous　wretch！　Speak　gently　if　you　want　the　door　to　be　opened。'　And　scolding　in　this　way；　she　ran　to　the　wardrobe　and　took　out　of　it　an　old　hood；　a　pair　of　stays；　and　a　long　grey　petticoat；　in　which　she　hastily　wrapped　the　transformed　page。　Then　when　this　was　done；　'Catherine；　dear　Catherine；'　said　she；　loudly；　'open　the　door　for　your　uncle；　he　is　more　fool　than　knave；　and　won't　do　you　any　harm。〃　The　boy　who　had　become　a　girl；　obeyed。　Master　Nicholas　entered　the　room　and　found　in　it　a　young　maid　whom　he　did　not　know；　and　his　wife　in　bed。　'Big　booby；'　said　the　latter　to　him；　'don't　stand　gaping　at　what　you　see。　just　as　I　had　come　to　bed　because　had　a　stomach　ache；　I　received　a　visit　from　Catherine；　the　daughter　of　my　sister　Jeanne　de　Palaiseau；　with　whom　we　quarrelled　fifteen　years　ago。　Kiss　your　niece。　She　is　well　worth　the　trouble。'　The　jeweller　gave　Violle　a　hug；　and　from　that　moment　wanted　nothing　so　much　as　to　be　alone　with　her　a　moment；　so　that　he　might　embrace　her　as　much　as　he　liked。　For　this　reason　he　led　her　without　any　delay　down　to　the　kitchen；　under　the　pretext　of　giving　her　some　walnuts　and　wine；　and　he　was　no　sooner　there　with　her　than　he　began　to　caress　her　very　affectionately。　He　would　not　have　stopped　at　that　if　St。　Orberosia　had　not　inspired　his　good　wife　with　the　idea　of　seeing　what　he　was　about。　She　found　him　with　the　pretended　niece　sitting　on　his　knee。　She　called　him　a　debauched　creature；　boxed　his　ears；　and　forced　him　to　beg　her　pardon。　The　next　day　Violle　resumed　his　previous　form。〃

Having　heard　this　story　the　venerable　Canon　Monnoyer　thanked　Pierre　Mille　for　having　told　it；　and；　taking　up　his　pen；　began　to　write　out　a　list　of　horses　that　would　win　at　the　next　race　meeting。　For　he　was　a　book…maker's　clerk。

In　the　mean　time　Penguinia　gloried　in　its　wealth。　Those　who　produced　the　things　necessary　for　life；　wanted　them；　those　who　did　not　produce　them　had　more　than　enough。　〃But　these；〃　as　a　member　of　the　Institute　said；　〃are　necessary　economic　fatalities。〃　The　great　Penguin　people　had　no　longer　either　traditions；　intellectual　culture；　or　arts。　The　progress　of　civilisation　manifested　itself　among　them　by　murderous　industry；　infamous　speculation；　and　hideous　luxury。　Its　capital　assumed；　as　did　all　the　great　cities　of　the　time；　a　cosmopolitan　and　financial　character。　An　immense　and　regular　ugliness　reigned　within　it。　The　country　enjoyed　perfect　tranquillity。　It　had　reached　its　zenith。


Book　VII。　FUTURE　TIMES

THE　ENDLESS　HISTORY

Alca　is　becoming　Americanised。M。　Daniset。

And　he　overthrew　those　cities；　and　all　the　plain；　and　all　the　inhabitants