penguin island- 第38部分

One　of　these　superior　red　Judges　of　the　Supreme　Court；　called　Chaussepied；　led　a　modest　and　tranquil　life　in　a　suburb　of　Alca。　His　soul　was　pure；　his　heart　honest；　his　spirit　just。　When　he　had　finished　studying　his　documents　he　used　to　play　the　violin　and　cultivate　hyacinths。　Every　Sunday　he　dined　with　his　neighbours　the　Mesdemoiselles　Helbivore。　His　old　age　was　cheerful　and　robust　and　his　friends　often　praised　the　amenity　of　his　character。

For　some　months；　however；　he　had　been　irritable　and　touchy；　and　when　he　opened　a　newspaper　his　broad　and　ruddy　face　would　become　covered　with　dolorous　wrinkles　and　darkened　with　an　angry　purple。　Pyrot　was　the　cause　of　it。　Justice　Chaussepied　could　not　understand　how　an　officer　could　have　committed　so　black　a　crime　as　to　hand　over　eighty　thousand　trusses　of　military　hay　to　a　neighbouring　and　hostile　Power。　And　he　could　still　less　conceive　how　a　scoundrel　should　have　found　official　defenders　in　Penguinia。　The　thought　that　there　existed　in　his　country　a　Pyrot；　a　Colonel　Hastaing；　a　Colomban；　a　Kerdanic；　a　Phoenix；　spoilt　his　hyacinths；his　violin；　his　heaven；　and　his　earth；　all　nature；　and　even　his　dinner　with　the　Mesdemoiselles　Helbivore！

In　the　mean　time　the　Pyrot　case；　having　been　presented　to　the　Supreme　Court　by　the　Keeper　of　Seals；　it　fell　to　Chaussepied　to　examine　it　and　cover　its　defects；　in　case　any　existed。　Although　as　upright　and　honest　as　a　man　can　be；　and　trained　by　long　habit　to　exercise　his　magistracy　without　fear　or　favour；　he　expected　to　find　in　the　documents　he　submitted　to　him　proofs　of　certain　guilt　and　obvious　criminality。　After　lengthened　difficulties　and　repeated　refusals　on　the　part　of　General　Julep；　Justice　Chaussepied　was　allowed　to　examine　the　documents。　Numbered　and　initialed　they　ran　to　the　number　of　fourteen　millions　six　hundred　and　twenty…six　thousand　three　hundred　and　twelve。　As　he　studied　them　the　judge　was　at　first　surprised；　then　astonished；　then　stupefied；　amazed；　and；　if　I　dare　say　so；　flabbergasted。　He　found　among　the　documents　prospectuses　of　new　fancy　shops；　newspapers；　fashion…plates；　paper　bags；　old　business　letters；　exercise　books；　brown　paper；　green　paper　for　rubbing　parquet　floors；　playing　cards；　diagrams；　six　thousand　copies　of　the　〃Key　to　Dreams；〃　but　not　a　single　document　in　which　any　mention　was　made　of　Pyrot。



XI。　CONCLUSION

The　appeal　was　allowed；　and　Pyrot　was　brought　down　from　his　cage。　But　the　Anti…Pyrotists　did　not　regard　themselves　as　beaten。　The　military　judges　re…tried　Pyrot。　Greatauk；　in　this　second　affair；　surpassed　himself。　He　obtained　a　second　conviction；　he　obtained　it　by　declaring　that　the　proofs　communicated　to　the　Supreme　Court　were　worth　nothing；　and　that　great　care　had　been　taken　to　keep　back　the　good　ones；　since　they　ought　to　remain　secret。　In　the　opinion　of　connoisseurs　he　had　never　shown　so　much　address。　On　leaving　the　court；　as　he　passed　through　the　vestibule　with　a　tranquil　step；　and　his　hands　behind　his　back；　amidst　a　crowd　of　sight…seers；　a　woman　dressed　in　red　and　with　her　face　covered　by　a　black　veil　rushed　at　him；　brandishing　a　kitchen　knife。

〃Die；　scoundrel！〃　she　cried。　It　was　Maniflore。　Before　those　present　could　understand　what　was　happening；　the　general　seized　her　by　the　wrist；　and　with　apparent　gentleness；　squeezed　it　so　forcibly　that　the　knife　fell　from　her　aching　hand。

Then　he　picked　it　up　and　handed　it　to　Maniflore。

〃Madam；〃　said　he　with　a　bow；　〃you　have　dropped　a　household　utensil。〃

He　could　not　prevent　the　heroine　from　being　taken　to　the　police…station；　but　he　had　her　immediately　released　and　afterwards　he　employed　all　his　influence　to　stop　the　prosecution。

The　second　conviction　of　Pyrot　was　Greatauk's　last　victory。

Justice　Chaussepied；　who　had　formerly　liked　soldiers　so　much；　and　esteemed　their　justice　so　highly；；　being　now　enraged　with　the　military　judges；　quashed　their　judgments　as　a　monkey　cracks　nuts。　He　rehabilitated　Pyrot　a　second　time；　he　would；　if　necessary；　have　rehabilitated　him　five　hundred　times。

Furious　at　having　been　cowards　and　at　having　allowed　themselves　to　be　deceived　and　made　game　of；　the　Republicans　turned　against　the　monks　and　clergy。　The　deputies　passed　laws　of　expulsion；　separation；　and　spoliation　against　them。　What　Father　Cornemuse　had　foreseen　took　place。　That　good　monk　was　driven　from　the　Wood　of　Conils。　Treasury　officers　confiscated　his　retorts　and　his　stills；　and　the　liquidators　divided　amongst　them　his　bottles　of　St。　Oberosian　liqueur。　The　pious　distiller　lost　the　annual　income　of　three　million　five　hundred　thousand　francs　that　his　products　procured　for　him。　Father　Agaric　went　into　exile；　abandoning　his　school　into　the　hands　of　laymen；　who　soon　allowed　it　to　fall　into　decay。　Separated　from　its　foster…mother；　the　State；　the　Church　of　Penguinia　withered　like　a　plucked　flower。

The　victorious　defenders　of　the　innocent　man　now　abused　each　other　and　overwhelmed　each　other　reciprocally　with　insults　and　calumnies。　The　vehement　Kerdanic　hurled　himself　upon　Phoenix　as　if　ready　to　devour　him。　The　wealthy　Jews　and　the　seven　hundred　Pyrotists　turned　away　with　disdain　from　the　socialist　comrades　whose　aid　they　had　humbly　implored　in　the　past。

〃We　know　you　no　longer；〃　said　they。　〃To　the　devil　with　you　and　your　social　justice。　Social　justice　is　the　defence　of　property。〃

Having　been　elected　a　Deputy　and　chosen　to　be　the　leader　of　the　new　majority；　comrade　Larrivee　was　appointed　by　the　Chamber　and　public　opinion　to　the　Premiership。　He　showed　himself　an　energetic　defender　of　the　military　tribunals　that　had　condemned　Pyrot。　When　his　former　socialist　comrades　claimed　a　little　more　justice　and　liberty　for　the　employes　of　the　State　as　well　as　for　manual　workers；　he　opposed　their　proposals　in　an　eloquent　speech。

〃Liberty；〃　said　he；　〃is　not　licence。　Between　order　and　disorder　my　choice　is　made：　revolution　is　impotence。　Progress　has　no　more　formidable　enemy　than　violence。　Gentlemen；　those　who；　as　I　am；　are　anxious　for　reform；　ought　to　apply　themselves　before　everything　else　to　cure　this　agitation　which　enfeebles　government　just　as　fever　exhausts　those　who　are　ill。　It　is　time　to　reassure　honest　people。〃

This　speech　was　received　with　applause。　The　government　of　the　Republic　remained　in　subjection　to　the　great　financial　companies；　the　army　was　exclusively　devoted　to　the　defence　of　capital；　while　the　fleet　was　designed　solely　to　procure　fresh　orders　for　the　mine…owners。　Since　the　rich　refused　to　pay　their　just　share　of　the　taxes；　the　poor；　as　in　the　past；　paid　for　them。

In　the　mean　time　from　the　height　of　his　old　steamline；　beneath　the　crowded　stars　of　night；　Bidault…Coquille　gazed　sadly　at　the　sleeping　city。　Maniflore　had　left　him。　Consumed　with　a　desire　for　fresh　devotions　and　fresh　sacrifices；　she　had　gone　in　company　with　a　young　Bulgarian　to　bear　justice　and　vengeance　to　Sofia。　He　did　not　regret　her；　having　perceived　after　the　Affair；　that　she　was　less　beautiful　in　form　and　in　thought　than　he　had　at　first　imagined。　His　impressions　had　been　modified　in　the　same　direction　concerning　many　other　forms　and　many　other　thoughts。　And　what　was　cruelest　of　all　to　him；　he　regarded　himself　as　not　so　great；　not　so　splendid；　as　he　had　believed。

And　he　reflected：

〃You　considered　yourself　sublime　when　you　had　but　candour　and　good…will。　Of　what　were　you　proud；　Bidault…Coquille？　Of　having　been　one　of　the　first　to　know　that　Pyrot　was　innocent　and　Greatauk　a　scoundrel。　But　three…fourths　of　those　who　defended　Greatauk　against　the　attacks　of　the　seven　hundred　Pyrotists　knew　that　better　than　you。　Of　what　then　did　you　show　yourself　so　proud？　Of　having　dared　to　say　what　you　thought？　That　is　civic　courage；　and；　like　military　courage；　it　is　a　mere　result　of　imprudence。　You　have　been　imprudent。　So　far　so　good；　but　that　is　no　reason　for　praising　yourself　beyond　measure。　Your　imprudence　was　trifling；　it　exposed　you　to　trifling　perils；　you　did　not　risk　your　head　by　it。　The　Penguins　have　lost　that　cruel　and　sanguinary　pride　which　formerly　gave　a　tragic　grandeur　to　their　revolutions；　it　is　the　fatal　result　of　the　weakening　of　beliefs　and　character。　Ought　one　to　look　upon　oneself　as　a　superior　spirit　for　having　shown　a　little　more　clear…sightedness　than　the　vulgar？　I　am　very　much　afraid；　on　the　contrary；　Bidault…Coquille；　that　you　have　given　proof　of　a　gross　misunderstanding　of　the　conditions　of　the　moral　and　intellectual　development　of　a　people。　You　imagined　that　social　injustices　were　threaded　together　like　pearls　and　that　it　would　be　enough　to　pull　off　one　in　order　to　unfasten　the　whole　necklace。　That　is　a　very　ingenuous　conception。　You　flattered　yourself　that　at　one　stroke　you　were　establishing　justice　in　your　own　country　and　in　the　universe。　You　were　a　brave　man；　an　honest　idealist；　though　without　much　experimental　philosophy。　But　go　home　to　your　own　heart　and　you　will　recognise　that　you　had　in　you　a　spice　of　malice　and　that　our　ingenuousness　was　not　without　cunning。　You　believed　you　were　performing　a　fine　moral　action。　You　said　to　yourself：　'Here　am　I；　just　and　courageous　once　for　all。　I　can　henceforth　repose　in　the　public　esteem　and　the　praise　of　historians。'　And　now　that　you　have　lost　your　illusions；　now　that　you　know　how　hard　it　is　to　redress　wrongs；　and　that　the　task　must　ever　b