penguin island-第40部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



The　Reverend　Father　Douillard；　an　excellent　moral　theologian；　and　a　man　who　in　the　decadence　of　the　Church　has　preserved　his　principles；　was　very　right　to　teach；　in　conformity　with　the　doctrine　of　the　Fathers；　that　while　a　woman　commits　a　great　sin　by　giving　herself　for　money；　she　commits　a　much　greater　one　by　giving　herself　for　nothing。　For；　in　the　first　case　she　acts　to　support　her　life；　and　that　is　sometimes　not　merely　excusable　but　pardonable；　and　even　worthy　of　the　Divine　Grace；　for　God　forbids　suicide；　and　is　unwilling　that　his　creatures　should　destroy　themselves。　Besides；　in　giving　herself　in　order　to　live；　she　remains　humble；　and　derives　no　pleasure　from　it　a　thing　which　diminishes　the　sin。　But　a　woman　who　gives　herself　for　nothing　sins　with　pleasure　and　exults　in　her　fault。　The　pride　and　delight　with　which　she　burdens　her　crime　increase　its　load　of　moral　guilt。

Madame　Hippolyte　Ceres'　example　shows　the　profundity　of　these　moral　truths。　She　perceived　that　she　had　senses。　A　second　was　enough　to　bring　about　this　discovery；　to　change　her　soul；　to　alter　her　whole　life。　To　have　learned　to　know　herself　was　at　first　a　delight。　The　｛greek　here｝　of　the　ancient　philosophy　is　not　a　precept　the　moral　fulfilment　of　which　procures　any　pleasure；　since　one　enjoys　little　satisfaction　from　knowing　one's　soul。　It　is　not　the　same　with　the　flesh；　for　in　it　sources　of　pleasure　may　be　revealed　to　us。　Eveline　immediately　felt　an　obligation　to　her　revealer　equal　to　the　benefit　she　had　received；　and　she　imagined　that　he　who　had　discovered　these　heavenly　depths　was　the　sole　possessor　of　the　key　to　them。　Was　this　an　error；　and　might　she　not　be　able　to　find　others　who　also　had　the　golden　key？　It　is　difficult　to　decide；　and　Professor　Haddock；　when　the　facts　were　divulged　（which　happened　without　much　delay　as　we　shall　see）；　treated　the　matter　from　an　experimental　point　of　view；　in　a　scientific　review；　and　concluded　that　the　chances　Madame　C　would　have　of　finding　the　exact　equivalent　of　M。　V　were　in　the　proportion　of　305　to　975008。　This　is　as　much　as　to　say　that　she　would　never　find　it。　Doubtless　her　instinct　told　her　the　same；　for　she　attached　herself　distractedly　to　him。

I　have　related　these　facts　with　all　the　circumstances　which　seemed　to　me　worthy　of　attracting　the　attention　of　meditative　and　philosophic　minds。　The　Sofa　of　the　Favourite　is　worthy　of　the　majesty　of　history；　on　it　were　decided　the　destinies　of　a　great　people；　nay；　on　it　was　accomplished　an　act　whose　renown　was　to　extend　over　the　neighbouring　nations　both　friendly　and　hostile；　and　even　over　all　humanity。　Too　often　events　of　this　nature　escape　the　superficial　minds　and　shallow　spirits　who　inconsiderately　assume　the　task　of　writing　history。　Thus　the　secret　springs　of　events　remain　hidden　from　us。　The　fall　of　Empires　and　the　transmission　of　dominions　astonish　us　and　remain　incomprehensible　to　us；　because　we　have　not　discovered　the　imperceptible　point；　or　touched　the　secret　spring　which　when　put　in　movement　has　destroyed　and　overthrown　everything。　The　author　of　this　great　history　knows　better　than　anyone　else　his　faults　and　his　weaknesses；　but　he　can　do　himself　this　justicethat　he　has　always　kept　the　moderation；　the　seriousness；　the　austerity；　which　an　account　of　affairs　of　State　demands；　and　that　he　has　never　departed　from　the　gravity　which　is　suitable　to　a　recital　of　human　actions。



VII。　THE　FIRST　CONSEQUENCES

When　Eveline　confided　to　Paul　Visire　that　she　had　never　experienced　anything　similar；　he　did　not　believe　her。　He　had　had　a　good　deal　to　do　with　women　and　knew　that　they　readily　say　these　things　to　men　in　order　to　make　them　more　in　love　with　them。　Thus　his　experience；　as　sometimes　happens；　made　him　disregard　the　truth。　Incredulous；　but　gratified　all　the　same；　he　soon　felt　love　and　something　more　for　her。　This　state　at　first　seemed　favourable　to　his　intellectual　faculties。　Visire　delivered　in　the　chief　town　of　his　constituency　a　speech　full　of　grace；　brilliant　and　happy；　which　was　considered　to　be　a　masterpiece。

The　re…opening　of　Parliament　was　serene。　A　few　isolated　jealousies；　a　few　timid　ambitions　raised　their　heads　in　the　House；　and　that　was　all。　A　smile　from　the　Prime　Minister　was　enough　to　dissipate　these　shadows。　She　and　he　saw　each　other　twice　a　day；　and　wrote　to　each　other　in　the　interval。　He　was　accustomed　to　intimate　relationships；　was　adroit；　and　knew　how　to　dissimulate；　but　Eveline　displayed　a　foolish　imprudence：　she　made　herself　conspicuous　with　him　in　drawing…rooms；　at　the　theatre；　in　the　House；　and　at　the　Embassies；　she　wore　her　love　upon　her　face；　upon　her　whole　person；　in　her　moist　glances；　in　the　languishing　smile　of　her　lips；　in　the　heaving　of　her　breast；　in　all　her　heightened；　agitated；　and　distracted　beauty。　Soon　the　entire　country　knew　of　their　intimacy。　Foreign　Courts　were　informed　of　it。　The　President　of　the　Republic　and　Eveline's　husband　alone　remained　in　ignorance。　The　President　became　acquainted　with　it　in　the　country；　through　a　misplaced　police　report　which　found　its　way；　it　is　not　known　how；　into　his　portmanteau。

Hippolyte　Ceres；　without　being　either　very　subtle；　or　very　perspicacious；　noticed　that　there　was　something　different　in　his　home。　Eveline；　who　quite　lately　had　interested　herself　in　his　affairs；　and　shown；　if　not　tenderness；　at　least　affection；　towards　him；　displayed　henceforth　nothing　but　indifference　and　repulsion。　She　had　always　had　periods　of　absence；　and　made　prolonged　visits　to　the　Charity　of　St。　Orberosia；　now；　she　went　out　in　the　morning；　remained　out　all　day；　and　sat　down　to　dinner　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening　with　the　face　of　a　somnambulist。　Her　husband　thought　it　absurd；　however；　he　might　perhaps　have　never　known　the　reason　for　this；　a　profound　ignorance　of　women；　a　crass　confidence　in　his　own　merit；　and　in　his　own　fortune；　might　perhaps　have　always　hidden　the　truth　from　him；　if　the　two　lovers　had　not；　so　to　speak；　compelled　him　to　discover　it。

When　Paul　Visire　went　to　Eveline's　house　and　found　her　alone；　they　used　to　say；　as　they　embraced　each　other；　〃Not　here！　not　here！〃　and　immediately　they　affected　an　extreme　reserve。　That　was　their　invariable　rule。　Now；　one　day；　Paul　Visire　went　to　the　house　of　his　colleague　Ceres；　with　whom　he　had　an　engagement。　It　was　Eveline　who　received　him；　the　Minister　of　Commerce　being　delayed　by　a　commission。

〃Not　here！〃　said　the　lovers；　smiling。

They　said　it；　mouth　to　mouth；　embracing；　and　clasping　each　other。　They　were　still　saying　it；　when　Hippolyte　Ceres　entered　the　drawing…room。

Paul　Visire　did　not　lose　his　presence　of　mind。　He　declared　to　Madame　Ceres　that　he　would　give　up　his　attempt　to　take　the　dust　out　of　her　eye。　By　this　attitude　he　did　not　deceive　the　husband；　but　he　was　able　to　leave　the　room　with　some　dignity。

Hippolyte　Ceres　was　thunderstruck。　Eveline's　conduct　appeared　incomprehensible　to　him；　he　asked　her　what　reasons　she　had　for　it。

〃Why？　why？〃　he　kept　repeating　continually；　〃why？〃

She　denied　everything；　not　to　convince　him；　for　he　had　seen　them；　but　from　expediency　and　good　taste；　and　to　avoid　painful　explanations。　Hippolyte　Ceres　suffered　all　the　tortures　of　jealousy。　He　admitted　it　to　himself；　he　kept　saying　inwardly；　〃I　am　a　strong　man；　I　am　clad　in　armour；　but　the　wound　is　underneath；　it　is　in　my　heart；〃　and　turning　towards　his　wife；　who　looked　beautiful　in　her　guilt；　he　would　say：

〃It　ought　not　to　have　been　with　him。〃

He　was　rightEveline　ought　not　to　have　loved　in　government　circles。

He　suffered　so　much　that　he　took　up　his　revolver；　exclaiming：　〃I　will　go　and　kill　him！〃　But　he　remembered　that　a　Minister　of　Commerce　cannot　kill　his　own　Prime　Minister；　and　he　put　his　revolver　back　into　his　drawer。

The　weeks　passed　without　calming　his　sufferings。　Each　morning　he　buckled　his　strong　man's　armour　over　his　wound　and　sought　in　work　and　fame　the　peace　that　fled　from　him。　Every　Sunday　he　inaugurated　busts；　statues；　fountains；　artesian　wells；　hospitals；　dispensaries；　railways；　canals；　public　markets；　drainage　systems；　triumphal　arches；　and　slaughter　houses；　and　delivered　moving　speeches　on　each　of　these　occasions。　His　fervid　activity　devoured　whole　piles　of　documents；　he　changed　the　colours　of　the　postage　stamps　fourteen　times　in　one　week。　Nevertheless；　he　gave　vent　to　outbursts　of　grief　and　rage　that　drove　him　insane；　for　whole　days　his　reason　abandoned　him。　If　he　had　been　in　the　employment　of　a　private　administration　this　would　have　been　noticed　immediately；　but　it　is　much　more　difficult　to　discover　insanity　or　frenzy　in　the　conduct　of　affairs　of　State。　At　that　moment　the　government　employees　were　forming　themselves　into　associations　and　federations　amid　a　ferment　that　was　giving　alarm　both　to　the　Parliament　and　to　public　feeling。　The　postmen　were　especially　prominent　in　their　enthusiasm　for　trade　unions。

Hippolyte　Ceres　informed　them　in　a　circular　that　their　action　was　strictly　legal。　The　following　day　he　sent　out　a　second　circular　forbidding　all　associations　of　government　employees　as　illegal。　He　dismissed　one　hundred　and　eighty　postmen；　reinstated　them；　reprimanded　themand　awarded　them　gratuities。　At　Cabinet　councils　he　was　always　on　the　point　of　bursting　forth。　The　presence　of　the　Head　of　the　State　scarcely　restrained　him　within　the　limits　of　the　decencies；　and　as　he　did　not　dare　to　attack　his　rival　he　consoled　himself　by　heaping　invectives　upon　General　Debonnaire；　the　respected　Minister　of　War。　The　General　did　not　hear　them。　for　he　was　deaf　and　occupied　himself　in　composing　verses　for　the　Baroness　Bildermann。　Hippolyte　Ceres　offered　an　indistinct　opposition　to　everything　the　Prime　Minister　proposed。　In　a　word；　he　was　a　madman。　One　faculty　alone　escaped　the　ruin　of　his　intellect：　he　retained　his　Parliamentary　sense；　his　consciousness　of　the　temper　of　majorities；　his　thorough　knowledge　of　groups；　and　his　certainty　of　the　direction　in　which　affairs　were　moving。



VIII。　FURTHER　CONSEQUENCES

The　session　ended　calmly；　and　the　Ministry　saw　no　dangerous　signs　upon　the　benches　where　the　majority　sat。　It　was　visible；　however；　from　certain　articles　in　the　Moderate　journals；　that　the　demands　of　the　Jewish　and　Christian　financiers　were　increasing　daily；　that　the　patriotism　of　the　banks　required　a　civilizing　expedition　to　Nigritia；　and　that　the