penguin island- 第24部分

〃You　can。　I　have　nothing　secret　from　these　two　ladies。〃

〃Sire；　Penguinia　claims　you。　You　will　not　be　deaf　to　her　call。〃

Agaric　described　the　state　of　feeling　and　outlined　a　vast　plot。

〃On　my　first　signal；〃　said　he；　〃all　your　partisans　will　rise　at　once。　With　cross　in　hand　and　habits　girded　up；　your　venerable　clergy　will　lead　the　armed　crowd　into　Formose's　palace。　We　shall　carry　terror　and　death　among　your　enemies。　For　a　reward　of　our　efforts　we　only　ask　of　you；　Sire；　that　you　will　not　render　them　useless。　We　entreat　you　to　come　and　seat　yourself　on　the　throne　that　we　shall　prepare。〃

The　prince　returned　a　simple　answer：

〃I　shall　enter　Alca　on　a　green　horse。〃

Agaric　declared　that　he　accepted　this　manly　response。　Although；　contrary　to　his　custom；　he　had　a　lady　on　his　knee；　he　adjured　the　young　prince；　with　a　sublime　loftiness　of　soul；　to　be　faithful　to　his　royal　duties。

〃Sire；〃　he　cried；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　〃you　will　live　to　remember　the　day　on　which　you　have　been　restored　from　exile；　given　back　to　your　people；　reestablished　on　the　throne　of　your　ancestors　by　the　hands　of　your　monks；　and　crowned　by　them　with　the　august　crest　of　the　Dragon。　King　Crucho；　may　you　equal　the　glory　of　your　ancestor　Draco　the　Great！〃

The　young　prince　threw　himself　with　emotion　on　his　restorer　and　attempted　to　embrace　him；　but　he　was　prevented　from　reaching　him　by　the　girth　of　the　two　ladies；　so　tightly　packed　were　they　all　in　that　historic　carriage。

〃Worthy　father；〃　said　he；　〃I　would　like　all　Penguinia　to　witness　this　embrace。〃

〃It　would　be　a　cheering　spectacle；〃　said　Agaric。

In　the　mean　time　the　motor…car　rushed　like　a　tornado　through　hamlets　and　villages；　crushing　hens；　geese；　turkeys；　ducks；　guinea…fowls；　cats；　dogs；　pigs；　children；　labourers；　and　women　beneath　its　insatiable　tyres。　And　the　pious　Agaric　turned　over　his　great　designs　in　his　mind。　His　voice；　coming　from　behind　one　of　the　ladies；　expressed　this　thought：

〃We　must　have　money；　a　great　deal　of　money。〃

〃That　is　your　business；〃　answered　the　prince。

But　already　the　park　gates　were　opening　to　the　formidable　motor…car。

The　dinner　was　sumptuous。　They　toasted　the　Dragon's　crest。　Everybody　knows　that　a　closed　goblet　is　a　sign　of　sovereignty；　so　Prince　Crucho　and　Princess　Gudrune；　his　wife；　drank　out　of　goblets　that　were　covered…over　like　ciboriums。　The　prince　had　his　filled　several　times　with　the　wines　of　Penguinia；　both　white　and　red。

Crucho　had　received　a　truly　princely　education；　and　he　excelled　in　motoring；　but　was　not　ignorant　of　history　either。　He　was　said　to　be　well　versed　in　the　antiquities　and　famous　deeds　of　his　family；　and；　indeed；　he　gave　a　notable　proof　of　his　knowledge　in　this　respect。　As　they　were　speaking　of　the　various　remarkable　peculiarities　that　had　been　noticed　in　famous　women；

〃It　is　perfectly　true；〃　said　he；　〃that　Queen　Crucha；　whose　name　I　bear；　had　the　mark　of　a　little　monkey's　head　upon　her　body。〃

During　the　evening　Agaric　had　a　decisive　interview　with　three　of　the　prince's　oldest　councillors。　It　was　decided　to　ask　for　funds　from　Crucho's　father…in…law；　as　he　was　anxious　to　have　a　king　for　son…in…law；　from　several　Jewish　ladies；　who　were　impatient　to　become　ennobled；　and；　finally；　from　the　Prince　Regent　of　the　Porpoises；　who　had　promised　his　aid　to　the　Draconides；　thinking　that　by　Crucho's　restoration　he　would　weaken　the　Penguins；　the　hereditary　enemies　of　his　people。　The　three　old　councillors　divided　among　themselves　the　three　chief　offices　of　the　Court；　those　of　Chamberlain；　Seneschal；　and　High　Steward；　and　authorised　the　monk　to　distribute　the　other　places　to　the　prince's　best　advantage。

〃Devotion　has　to　be　rewarded；〃　said　the　three　old　councillors。

〃And　treachery　also；〃　said　Agaric。

〃It　is　but　too　true；〃　replied　one　of　them；　the　Marquis　of　Sevenwounds；　who　had　experience　of　revolutions。

There　was　dancing；　and　after　the　ball　Princess　Gudrune　tore　up　her　green　robe　to　make　cockades。　With　her　own　hands　she　sewed　a　piece　of　it　on　the　monk's　breast；　upon　which　he　shed　tears　of　sensibility　and　gratitude。

M。　de　Plume；　the　prince's　equerry；　set　out　the　same　evening　to　look　for　a　green　horse。



III。　THE　CABAL

After　his　return　to　the　capital　of　Penguinia；　the　Reverend　Father　Agaric　disclosed　his　projects　to　Prince　Adelestan　des　Boscenos；　of　whose　Draconian　sentiments　he　was　well　aware。

The　prince　belonged　to　the　highest　nobility。　The　Torticol　des　Boscenos　went　back　to　Brian　the　Good；　and　under　the　Draconides　had　held　the　highest　offices　in　the　kingdom。　In　1179；　Philip　Torticol；　High　Admiral　of　Penguinia；　a　brave；　faithful；　and　generous；　but　vindictive　man；　delivered　over　the　port　of　La　Crique　and　the　Penguin　fleet　to　the　enemies　of　the　kingdom；　because　he　suspected　that　Queen　Crucha；　whose　lover　he　was；　had　been　unfaithful　to　him　and　loved　a　stable…boy。　It　was　that　great　queen　who　gave　to　the　Boscenos　the　silver　warming…pan　which　they　bear　in　their　arms。　As　for　their　motto；　it　only　goes　back　to　the　sixteenth　century。　The　story　of　its　origin　is　as　follows：　One　gala　night；　as　he　mingled　with　the　crowd　of　courtiers　who　were　watching　the　fire…works　in　the　king's　garden；　Duke　John　des　Boscenos　approached　the　Duchess　of　Skull　and　put　his　hand　under　the　petticoat　of　that　lady；　who　made　no　complaint　at　the　gesture。　The　king；　happening　to　pass；　surprised　them　and　contented　himself　with　saying；　〃And　thus　I　find　you。〃　These　four　words　became　the　motto　of　the　Boscenos。

Prince　Adelestan　had　not　degenerated　from　his　ancestors。　He　preserved　an　unalterable　fidelity　for　the　race　of　the　Draconides　and　desired　nothing　so　much　as　the　restoration　of　Prince　Crucho；　an　event　which　was　in　his　eyes　to　be　the　fore…runner　of　the　restoration　of　his　own　fortune。　He　therefore　readily　entered　into　the　Reverend　Father　Agaric's　plans。　He　joined　himself　at　once　to　the　monk's　projects；　and　hastened　to　put　him　into　communication　with　the　most　loyal　Royalists　of　his　acquaintance；　Count　Clena；　M。　de　La　Trumelle；　Viscount　Olive；　and　M。　Bigourd。　They　met　together　one　night　in　the　Duke　of　Ampoule's　country　house；　six　miles　eastward　of　Alca；　to　consider　ways　and　means。

M。　de　La　Trumelle　was　in　favour　of　legal　action。

〃We　ought　to　keep　within　the　law；〃　said　he　in　substance。　〃We　are　for　order。　It　is　by　an　untiring　propaganda　that　we　shall　best　pursue　the　realisation　of　our　hopes。　We　must　change　the　feeling　of　the　country。　Our　cause　will　conquer　because　it　is　just。〃

The　Prince　des　Boscenos　expressed　a　contrary　opinion。　He　thought　that；　in　order　to　triumph；　just　causes　need　force　quite　as　much　and　even　more　than　unjust　causes　require　it。

〃In　the　present　situation；〃　said　he　tranquilly；　〃three　methods　of　action　present　themselves：　to　hire　the　butcher　boys；　to　corrupt　the　ministers；　and　to　kidnap　President　Formose。〃

〃It　would　be　a　mistake　to　kidnap　Formose；〃　objected　M。　de　La　Trumelle。　〃The　President　is　on　our　side。〃

The　attitude　and　sentiments　of　the　President　of　the　Republic　are　explained　by　the　fact　that　one　Dracophil　proposed　to　seize　Formose　while　another　Dracophil　regarded　him　as　a　friend。　Formose　showed　himself　favourable　to　the　Royalists；　whose　habits　he　admired　and　imitated。　If　he　smiled　at　the　mention　of　the　Dragon's　crest　it　was　at　the　thought　of　putting　it　on　his　own　head。　He　was　envious　of　sovereign　power；　not　because　he　felt　himself　capable　of　exercising　it；　but　because　he　loved　to　appear　so。　According　to　the　expression　of　a　Penguin　chronicler；　〃he　was　a　goose。〃

Prince　des　Boscenos　maintained　his　proposal　to　march　against　Formose's　palace　and　the　House　of　Parliament。

Count　Clena　was　even　still　more　energetic。

〃Let　us　begin；〃　said　he；　〃by　slaughtering；　disembowelling；　and　braining　the　Republicans　and　all　partisans　of　the　government。　Afterwards　we　shall　see　what　more　need　be　done。〃

M。　de　La　Trumelle　was　a　moderate；　and　moderates　are　always　moderately　opposed　to　violence。　He　recognised　that　Count　Clena's　policy　was　inspired　by　a　noble　feeling　and　that　it　was　high…minded；　but　he　timidly　objected　that　perhaps　it　was　not　conformable　to　principle；　and　that　it　presented　certain　dangers。　At　last　he　consented　to　discuss　it。

〃I　propose；〃　added　he；　〃to　draw　up　an　appeal　to　the　people。　Let　us　show　who　we　are。　For　my　own　part　I　can　assure　you　that　I　shall　not　hide　my　flag　in　my　pocket。〃

M。　Bigourd　began　to　speak。

〃Gentlemen；　the　Penguins　are　dissatisfied　with　the　new　order　because　it　exists；　and　it　is　natural　for　men　to　complain　of　their　condition。　But　at　the　same　time　the　Penguins　are　afraid　to　change　their　government　because　new　things　alarm　them。　They　have　not　known　the　Dragon's　crest　and；　although　they　sometimes　say　that　they　regret　it；　we　must　not　believe　them。　It　is　easy　to　see　that　they　speak　in　this　way　either　without　thought　or　because　they　are　in　an　ill…temper。　Let　us　not　have　any　illusions　about　their　feelings　towards　ourselves。　They　do　not　like　us。　They　hate　the　aristocracy　both　from　a　base　envy　and　from　a　generous　love　of　equality。　And　these　two　united　feelings　are　very　strong　in　a　people。　Public　opinion　is　not　against　us；　because　it　knows　nothing　about　us。　But　when　it　knows　what　we　want　it　will　not　follow　us。　If　we　let　it　be　seen　that　we　wish　to　destroy　democratic　government　and　restore　the　Dragon's