salammbo-第25节

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rubbed　her　face　with　her　sleeve；　the　black　colour；　the　senile

trembling；　the　bent　figure　disappeared；　and　there　remained　a　strong

old　man　whose　skin　seemed　tanned　by　sand；　wind；　and　sea。　A　tuft　of

white　hair　rose　on　his　skull　like　the　crest　of　a　bird；　and　he

indicated　his　disguise；　as　it　lay　on　the　ground；　with　an　ironic

glance。



〃You　have　done　well；　Iddibal！　'Tis　well！〃　Then　piercing　him；　as　it

were；　with　his　keen　gaze：　〃No　one　yet　suspects？〃



The　old　man　swore　to　him　by　the　Kabiri　that　the　mystery　had　been　kept。

They　never　left　their　cottage；　which　was　three　days'　journey　from

Hadrumetum；　on　a　shore　peopled　with　turtles；　and　with　palms　on　the

dune。　〃And　in　accordance　with　your　command；　O　Master！　I　teach　him　to

hurl　the　javelin　and　to　drive　a　team。〃



〃He　is　strong；　is　he　not？〃



〃Yes；　Master；　and　intrepid　as　well！　He　has　no　fear　of　serpents；　or

thunder；　or　phantoms。　He　runs　bare…footed　like　a　herdsman　along　the

brinks　of　precipices。〃



〃Speak！　speak！〃



〃He　invents　snares　for　wild　beasts。　Would　you　believe　it；　that　last

moon　he　surprised　an　eagle；　he　dragged　it　away；　and　the　bird's　blood

and　the　child's　were　scattered　in　the　air　in　large　drops　like　driven

roses。　The　animal　in　its　fury　enwrapped　him　in　the　beating　of　its

wings；　he　strained　it　against　his　breast；　and　as　it　died　his　laughter

increased；　piercing　and　proud　like　the　clashing　of　swords。〃



Hamilcar　bent　his　head；　dazzled　by　such　presages　of　greatness。



〃But　he　has　been　for　some　time　restless　and　disturbed。　He　gazes　at　the

sails　passing　far　out　at　sea；　he　is　melancholy；　he　rejects　bread；　he

inquires　about　the　gods；　and　he　wishes　to　become　acquainted　with

Carthage。〃



〃No；　no！　not　yet！〃　exclaimed　the　Suffet。



The　old　slave　seemed　to　understand　the　peril　which　alarmed　Hamilcar；

and　he　resumed：



〃How　is　he　to　be　restrained？　Already　I　am　obliged　to　make　him

promises；　and　I　have　come　to　Carthage　only　to　buy　him　a　dagger　with　a

silver　handle　and　pearls　all　around　it。〃　Then　he　told　how；　having

perceived　the　Suffet　on　the　terrace；　he　had　passed　himself　off　on　the

warders　of　the　harbour　as　one　of　Salammbo's　women；　so　as　to　make　his

way　in　to　him。



Hamilcar　remained　for　a　long　time　apparently　lost　in　deliberation；　at

last　he　said：



〃To…morrow　you　will　present　yourself　at　sunset　behind　the　purple

factories　in　Megara；　and　imitate　a　jackal's　cry　three　times。　If　you　do

not　see　me；　you　will　return　to　Carthage　on　the　first　day　of　every

moon。　Forget　nothing！　Love　him！　You　may　speak　to　him　now　about

Hamilcar。〃



The　slave　resumed　his　costume；　and　they　left　the　house　and　the　harbour

together。



Hamilcar　went　on　his　way　alone　on　foot　and　without　an　escort；　for　the

meetings　of　the　Ancients　were；　under　extraordinary　circumstances；

always　secret；　and　were　resorted　to　mysteriously。



At　first　he　went　along　the　western　front　of　the　Acropolis；　and　then

passed　through　the　Green　Market；　the　galleries　of　Kinisdo；　and　the

Perfumers'　suburb。　The　scattered　lights　were　being　extinguished；　the

broader　streets　grew　still；　then　shadows　glided　through　the　darkness。

They　followed　him；　others　appeared；　and　like　him　they　all　directed

their　course　towards　the　Mappalian　district。



The　temple　of　Moloch　was　built　at　the　foot　of　a　steep　defile　in　a

sinister　spot。　From　below　nothing　could　be　seen　but　lofty　walls　rising

indefinitely　like　those　of　a　monstrous　tomb。　The　night　was　gloomy；　a

greyish　fog　seemed　to　weigh　upon　the　sea；　which　beat　against　the　cliff

with　a　noise　as　of　death…rattles　and　sobs；　and　the　shadows　gradually

vanished　as　if　they　had　passed　through　the　walls。



But　as　soon　as　the　doorway　was　crossed　one　found　oneself　in　a　vast

quadrangular　court　bordered　by　arcades。　In　the　centre　rose　a　mass　of

architecture　with　eight　equal　faces。　It　was　surmounted　by　cupolas

which　thronged　around　a　second　story　supporting　a　kind　of　rotunda；

from　which　sprang　a　cone　with　a　re…entrant　curve　and　terminating　in　a

ball　on　the　summit。



Fires　were　burning　in　cylinders　of　filigree…work　fitted　upon　poles；

which　men　were　carrying　to　and　fro。　These　lights　flickered　in　the

gusts　of　wind　and　reddened　the　golden　combs　which　fastened　their

plaited　hair　on　the　nape　of　the　neck。　They　ran　about　calling　to　one

another　to　receive　the　Ancients。



Here　and　there　on　the　flag…stones　huge　lions　were　couched　like

sphinxes；　living　symbols　of　the　devouring　sun。　They　were　slumbering

with　half…closed　eyelids。　But　roused　by　the　footsteps　and　voices　they

rose　slowly；　came　towards　the　Ancients；　whom　they　recognised　by　their

dress；　and　rubbed　themselves　against　their　thighs；　arching　their　backs

with　sonorous　yawns；　the　vapour　of　their　breath　passed　across　the

light　of　the　torches。　The　stir　increased；　doors　closed；　all　the

priests　fled；　and　the　Ancients　disappeared　beneath　the　columns　which

formed　a　deep　vestibule　round　the　temple。



These　columns　were　arranged　in　such　a　way　that　their　circular　ranks；

which　were　contained　one　within　another；　showed　the　Saturnian　period

with　its　years；　the　years　with　their　months；　and　the　months　with　their

days；　and　finally　reached　to　the　walls　of　the　sanctuary。



Here　it　was　that　the　Ancients　laid　aside　their　sticks　of　narwhal's…

horn；for　a　law　which　was　always　observed　inflicted　the　punishment　of

death　upon　any　one　entering　the　meeting　with　any　kind　of　weapon。

Several　wore　a　rent　repaired　with　a　strip　of　purple　at　the　bottom　of

their　garment；　to　show　that　they　had　not　been　economical　in　their

dress　when　mourning　for　their　relatives；　and　this　testimony　to　their

affliction　prevented　the　slit　from　growing　larger。　Others　had　their

beards　inclosed　in　little　bags　of　violet　skin；　and　fastened　to　their

ears　by　two　cords。　They　all　accosted　one　another　by　embracing　breast

to　breast。　They　surrounded　Hamilcar　with　congratulations；　they　might

have　been　taken　for　brothers　meeting　their　brother　again。



These　men　were　generally　thick…set；　with　curved　noses　like　those　of

the　Assyrian　colossi。　In　a　few；　however；　the　more　prominent　cheek…

bone；　the　taller　figure；　and　the　narrower　foot；　betrayed　an　African

origin　and　nomad　ancestors。　Those　who　lived　continually　shut　up　in

their　counting…houses　had　pale　faces；　others　showed　in　theirs　the

severity　of　the　desert；　and　strange　jewels　sparkled　on　all　the　fingers

of　their　hands；　which　were　burnt　by　unknown　suns。　The　navigators　might

be　distinguished　by　their　rolling　gait；　while　the　men　of　agriculture

smelt　of　the　wine…press；　dried　herbs；　and　the　sweat　of　mules。　These

old　pirates　had　lands　under　tillage；　these　money…grubbers　would　fit

out　ships；　these　proprietors　of　cultivated　lands　supported　slaves　who

followed　trades。　All　were　skilled　in　religious　discipline；　expert　in

strategy；　pitiless　and　rich。　They　looked　wearied　of　prolonged　cares。

Their　flaming　eyes　expressed　distrust；　and　their　habits　of　travelling

and　lying；　trafficking　and　commanding；　gave　an　appearance　of　cunning

and　violence；　a　sort　of　discreet　and　convulsive　brutality　to　their

whole　demeanour。　Further；　the　influence　of　the　god　cast　a　gloom　upon

them。



They　first　passed　through　a　vaulted　hall　which　was　shaped　like　an　egg。

Seven　doors；　corresponding　to　the　seven　planets；　displayed　seven

squares　of　different　colours　against　the　wall。　After　traversing　a　long

room　they　entered　another　similar　hall。



A　candelabrum　completely　covered　with　chiselled　flowers　was　burning　at

the　far　end；　and　each　of　its　eight　golden　branches　bore　a　wick　of

byssus　in　a　diamond　chalice。　It　was　placed　upon　the　last　of　the　long

steps　leading　to　a　great　altar；　the　corners　of　which　terminated　in

horns　of　brass。　Two　lateral　staircases　led　to　its　flattened　summit；

the　stones　of　it　could　not　be　seen；　it　was　like　a　mountain　of　heaped

cinders；　and　something　indistinct　was　slowly　smoking　at　the　top　of　it。

Then　further　back；　higher　than　the　candelabrum；　and　much　higher　than

the　altar；　rose　the　Moloch；　all　of　iron；　and　with　gaping　apertures　in

his　human　breast。　His　outspread　wings　were　stretched　upon　the　wall；

his　tapering　hands　reached　down　to　the　ground；　three　black　stones

bordered　by　yellow　circles　represented　three　eyeballs　on　his　brow；　and

his　bull's　head　was　raised　with　a　terrible　effort　as　if　in　order　to

bellow。



Ebony　stools　were　ranged　round　the　apartment。　Behind　each　of　them　was

a　bronze　shaft　resting　on　three　claws　and　supporting　a　torch。　All

these　lights　were　reflected　in　the　mother…of…pearl　lozenges　which

formed　the　pavement　of　the　hall。　So　lofty　was　the　latter　that　the　red

colour　of　the　walls　grew　black　as　it　rose　towards　the　vaulted　roof；

and　the　three　eyes　of　the　idol　appeared　far　above　like　stars　half　lost

in　the　night。



The　Ancients　sat　down　on　the　ebony　stools　after　putting　the　trains　of

their　robes　over　their　heads。　They　remained　motionless　with　their

hands　crossed　inside　their　broad　sleeves；　and　the　mother…of…pearl

pavement　seemed　like　a　luminous　river　streaming　from　th