penguin island-第39部分

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*　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。　Orberosia　from　the　ill…will　of　the　people；　and　she　aroused　in　aristocratic　hearts　the　hope　of　a　fresh　Concordat。

With　her　golden　hair；　grey　eyes；　and　supple　and　slight　though　rounded　figure；　she　was　indeed　pretty。　She　enjoyed　an　excellent　reputation　and　she　was　so　adroit；　and　calm；　so　much　mistress　of　herself；　that　she　would　have　preserved　it　intact　even　if　she　had　been　discovered　in　the　very　act　of　ruining　it。

The　session　ended　with　a　victory　for　the　cabinet　which；　amid　the　almost　unanimous　applause　of　the　House；　defeated　a　proposal　for　an　inquisitorial　tax；　and　with　a　triumph　for　Madame　Ceres　who　gave　parties　in　honour　of　three　kings　who　were　at　the　moment　passing　through　Alca。



VI。　THE　SOFA　OF　THE　FAVOURITE

The　Prime　Minister　invited　Monsieur　and　Madame　Ceres　to　spend　a　couple　of　weeks　of　the　holidays　in　a　little　villa　that　he　had　taken　in　the　mountains；　and　in　which　he　lived　alone。　The　deplorable　health　of　Madame　Paul　Visire　did　not　allow　her　to　accompany　her　husband；　and　she　remained　with　her　relatives　in　one　of　the　southern　provinces。

The　villa　had　belonged　to　the　mistress　of　one　of　the　last　Kings　of　Alca：　the　drawing…room　retained　its　old　furniture；　and　in　it　was　still　to　be　found　the　Sofa　of　the　Favourite。　The　country　was　charming；　a　pretty　blue　stream；　the　Aiselle；　flowed　at　the　foot　of　the　hill　that　dominated　the　villa。　Hippolyte　Ceres　loved　fishing；　when　engaged　at　this　monotonous　occupation　he　often　formed　his　best　Parliamentary　combinations；　and　his　happiest　oratorical　inspirations。　Trout　swarmed　in　the　Aiselle；　he　fished　it　from　morning　till　evening　in　a　boat　that　the　Prime　Minister　readily　placed　at　is　disposal。

In　the　mean　time；　Eveline　and　Paul　Visire　sometimes　took　a　turn　together　in　the　garden；　or　had　a　little　chat　in　the　drawing…room。　Eveline；　although　she　recognised　the　attraction　that　Visire　had　for　women；　had　hitherto　displayed　towards　him　only　an　intermittent　and　superficial　coquetry；　without　any　deep　intentions　or　settled　design。　He　was　a　connoisseur　and　saw　that　she　was　pretty。　The　House　and　the　Opera　had　deprived　him　of　all　leisure；　but；　in　a　little　villa；　the　grey　eyes　and　rounded　figure　of　Eveline　took　on　a　value　in　his　eyes。　One　day　as　Hippolyte　Ceres　was　fishing　in　the　Aiselle；　he　made　her　sit　beside　him　on　the　Sofa　of　the　Favourite。　Long　rays　of　gold　struck　Eveline　like　arrows　from　a　hidden　Cupid　through　the　chinks　of　the　curtains　which　protected　her　from　the　heat　and　glare　of　a　brilliant　day。　Beneath　her　white　muslin　dress　her　rounded　yet　slender　form　was　outlined　in　its　grace　and　youth。　Her　skin　was　cool　and　fresh；　and　had　the　fragrance　of　freshly　mown　hay。　Paul　Visire　behaved　as　the　occasion　warranted；　and　for　her　part；　she　was　opposed　neither　to　the　games　of　chance　or　of　society。　She　believed　it　would　be　nothing　or　a　trifle；　she　was　mistaken。

〃There　was；〃　says　the　famous　German　ballad；　〃on　the　sunny　side　of　the　town　square；　beside　a　wall　whereon　the　creeper　grew；　a　pretty　little　letter…box；　as　blue　as　the　corn…flowers；　smiling　and　tranquil。

〃All　day　long　there　came　to　it；　in　their　heavy　shoes；　small　shop…keepers；　rich　farmers；　citizens；　the　tax…collector　and　the　policeman；　and　they　put　into　it　their　business　letters；　their　invoices；　their　summonses　their　notices　to　pay　taxes；　the　judges'　returns；　and　orders　for　the　recruits　to　assemble。　It　remained　smiling　and　tranquil。

〃With　joy；　or　in　anxiety；　there　advanced　towards　it　workmen　and　farm　servants；　maids　and　nursemaids；　accountants；　clerks；　and　women　carrying　their　little　children　in　their　arms；　they　put　into　it　notifications　of　births。　marriages；　and　deaths；　letters　between　engaged　couples；　between　husbands　and　wives；　from　mothers　to　their　sons；　and　from　sons　to　their　mothers。　It　remained　smiling　and　tranquil。

〃At　twilight；　young　lads　and　young　girls　slipped　furtively　to　it；　and　put　in　love…letters；　some　moistened　with　tears　that　blotted　the　ink；　others　with　a　little　circle　to　show　the　place　to　kiss；　all　of　them　very　long。　It　remained　smiling　and　tranquil。

〃Rich　merchants　came　themselves　through　excess　of　carefulness　at　the　hour　of　daybreak；　and　put　into　it　registered　letters；　and　letters　with　five　red　seals；　full　of　bank　notes　or　cheques　on　the　great　financial　establishments　of　the　Empire。　It　remained　smiling　and　tranquil。

〃But　one　day；　Gaspar；　whom　it　had　never　seen；　and　whom　it　did　not　know　from　Adam；　came　to　put　in　a　letter；　of　which　nothing　is　known　but　that　it　was　folded　like　a　little　hat。　Immediately　the　pretty　letter…box　fell　into　a　swoon。　Henceforth　it　remains　no　longer　in　its　place；　it　runs　through　streets；　fields；　and　woods；　girdled　with　ivy；　and　crowned　with　roses。　It　keeps　running　up　hill　and　down　dale；　the　country　policeman　surprises　it　sometimes；　amidst　the　corn；　in　Gaspar's　arms　kissing　him　upon　the　mouth。〃

Paul　Visire　had　recovered　all　his　customary　nonchalance。　Eveline　remained　stretched　on　the　Divan　of　the　Favourite　in　an　attitude　of　delicious　astonishment。

The　Reverend　Father　Douillard；　an　excellent　moral　theologian；　and　a　man　who　in　the　decadence　of　the　Church　ha