salammbo-第30节

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Salammbo　desired　money　to　be　lavished　for　the　better　reception　of　the

soldiers。



At　his　daughter's　name　Hamilcar　leaped　to　his　feet。　Then　with

compressed　lips　he　crouched　down　upon　the　cushions；　tearing　the

fringes　with　his　nails；　and　panting　with　staring　eyes。



〃Rise！〃　said　he；　and　he　descended。



Abdalonim　followed　him；　his　knees　trembled。　But　seizing　an　iron　bar　he

began　like　one　distraught　to　loosen　the　paving　stones。　A　wooden　disc

sprang　up　and　soon　there　appeared　throughout　the　length　of　the　passage

several　of　the　large　covers　employed　for　stopping　up　the　trenches　in

which　grain　was　kept。



〃You　see；　Eye　of　Baal；〃　said　the　servant；　trembling；　〃they　have　not

taken　everything　yet！　and　these　are　each　fifty　cubits　deep　and　filled

up　to　the　brim！　During　your　voyage　I　had　them　dug　out　in　the　arsenals；

in　the　gardens；　everywhere！　your　house　is　full　of　corn　as　your　heart

is　full　of　wisdom。〃



A　smile　passed　over　Hamilcar's　face。　〃It　is　well；　Abdalonim！〃　Then

bending　over　to　his　ear：　〃You　will　have　it　brought　from　Etruria；

Brutium；　whence　you　will；　and　no　matter　at　what　price！　Heap　it　and

keep　it！　I　alone　must　possess　all　the　corn　in　Carthage。〃



Then　when　they　were　alone　at　the　extremity　of　the　passage；　Abdalonim；

with　one　of　the　keys　hanging　at　his　girdle；　opened　a　large

quadrangular　chamber　divided　in　the　centre　by　pillars　of　cedar。　Gold；

silver；　and　brass　coins　were　arranged　on　tables　or　packed　into　niches；

and　rose　as　high　as　the　joists　of　the　roof　along　the　four　walls。　In

the　corners　there　were　huge　baskets　of　hippopotamus　skin　supporting

whole　rows　of　smaller　bags；　there　were　hillocks　formed　of　heaps　of

bullion　on　the　pavement；　and　here　and　there　a　pile　that　was　too　high

had　given　way　and　looked　like　a　ruined　column。　The　large　Carthaginian

pieces；　representing　Tanith　with　a　horse　beneath　a　palm…tree；　mingled

with　those　from　the　colonies；　which　were　marked　with　a　bull；　star；

globe；　or　crescent。　Then　there　might　be　seen　pieces　of　all　values；

dimensions；　and　ages　arrayed　in　unequal　amountsfrom　the　ancient

coins　of　Assyria；　slender　as　the　nail；　to　the　ancient　ones　of　Latium；

thicker　than　the　hand；　with　the　buttons　of　Egina；　the　tablets　of

Bactriana；　and　the　short　bars　of　Lacedaemon；　many　were　covered　with

rust；　or　had　grown　greasy；　or；　having　been　taken　in　nets　or　from　among

the　ruins　of　captured　cities；　were　green　with　the　water　or　blackened

by　fire。　The　Suffet　had　speedily　calculated　whether　the　sums　present

corresponded　with　the　gains　and　losses　which　had　just　been　read　to

him；　and　he　was　going　away　when　he　perceived　three　brass　jars

completely　empty。　Abdalonim　turned　away　his　head　to　mark　his　horror；

and　Hamilcar；　resigning　himself　to　it；　said　nothing。



They　crossed　other　passages　and　other　halls；　and　at　last　reached　a

door　where；　to　ensure　its　better　protection　and　in　accordance　with　a

Roman　custom　lately　introduced　into　Carthage；　a　man　was　fastened　by

the　waist　to　a　long　chain　let　into　the　wall。　His　beard　and　nails　had

grown　to　an　immoderate　length；　and　he　swayed　himself　from　right　to

left　with　that　continual　oscillation　which　is　characteristic　of

captive　animals。　As　soon　as　he　recognised　Hamilcar　he　darted　towards

him；　crying：



〃Pardon；　Eye　of　Baal！　pity！　kill　me！　For　ten　years　I　have　not　seen　the

sun！　In　your　father's　name；　pardon！〃



Hamilcar；　without　answering　him；　clapped　his　hands　and　three　men

appeared；　and　all　four　simultaneously　stiffening　their　arms；　drew　back

from　its　rings　the　enormous　bar　which　closed　the　door。　Hamilcar　took　a

torch　and　disappeared　into　the　darkness。



This　was　believed　to　be　the　family　burying…place；　but　nothing　would

have　been　found　in　it　except　a　broad　well。　It　was　dug　out　merely　to

baffle　robbers；　and　it　concealed　nothing。　Hamilcar　passed　along　beside

it；　then　stooping　down　he　made　a　very　heavy　millstone　turn　upon　its

rollers；　and　through　this　aperture　entered　an　apartment　which　was

built　in　the　shape　of　a　cone。



The　walls　were　covered　with　scales　of　brass；　and　in　the　centre；　on　a

granite　pedestal；　stood　the　statue　of　one　of　the　Kabiri　called　Aletes；

the　discoverer　of　the　mines　in　Celtiberia。　On　the　ground；　at　its　base；

and　arranged　in　the　form　of　a　cross；　were　large　gold　shields　and

monster　close…necked　silver　vases；　of　extravagant　shape　and　unfitted

for　use；　it　was　customary　to　cast　quantities　of　metal　in　this　way；　so

that　dilapidation　and　even　removal　should　be　almost　impossible。



With　his　torch　he　lit　a　miner's　lamp　which　was　fastened　to　the　idol's

cap；　and　green；　yellow；　blue；　violet；　wine…coloured；　and　blood…

coloured　fires　suddenly　illuminated　the　hall。　It　was　filled　with　gems

which　were　either　in　gold　calabashes　fastened　like　sconces　upon　sheets

of　brass；　or　were　ranged　in　native　masses　at　the　foot　of　the　wall。

There　were　callaides　shot　away　from　the　mountains　with　slings；

carbuncles　formed　by　the　urine　of　the　lynx；　glossopetrae　which　had

fallen　from　the　moon；　tyanos；　diamonds；　sandastra；　beryls；　with　the

three　kinds　of　rubies；　the　four　kinds　of　sapphires；　and　the　twelve

kinds　of　emeralds。　They　gleamed　like　splashes　of　milk；　blue　icicles；

and　silver　dust；　and　shed　their　light　in　sheets；　rays；　and　stars。

Ceraunia；　engendered　by　the　thunder；　sparkled　by　the　side　of

chalcedonies；　which　are　a　cure　for　poison。　There　were　topazes　from

Mount　Zabarca　to　avert　terrors；　opals　from　Bactriana　to　prevent

abortions；　and　horns　of　Ammon；　which　are　placed　under　the　bed　to

induce　dreams。



The　fires　from　the　stones　and　the　flames　from　the　lamp　were　mirrored

in　the　great　golden　shields。　Hamilcar　stood　smiling　with　folded　arms；

and　was　less　delighted　by　the　sight　of　his　riches　than　by　the

consciousness　of　their　possession。　They　were　inaccessible；

exhaustless；　infinite。　His　ancestors　sleeping　beneath　his　feet

transmitted　something　of　their　eternity　to　his　heart。　He　felt　very

near　to　the　subterranean　deities。　It　was　as　the　joy　of　one　of　the

Kabiri；　and　the　great　luminous　rays　striking　upon　his　face　looked　like

the　extremity　of　an　invisible　net　linking　him　across　the　abysses　with

the　centre　of　the　world。



A　thought　came　which　made　him　shudder；　and　placing　himself　behind　the

idol　he　walked　straight　up　to　the　wall。　Then　among　the　tattooings　on

his　arm　he　scrutinised　a　horizontal　line　with　two　other　perpendicular

ones　which　in　Chanaanitish　figures　expressed　the　number　thirteen。　Then

he　counted　as　far　as　the　thirteenth　of　the　brass　plates　and　again

raised　his　ample　sleeve；　and　with　his　right　hand　stretched　out　he　read

other　more　complicated　lines　on　his　arm；　at　the　same　time　moving　his

fingers　daintily　about　like　one　playing　on　a　lyre。　At　last　he　struck

seven　blows　with　his　thumb；　and　an　entire　section　of　the　wall　turned

about　in　a　single　block。



It　served　to　conceal　a　sort　of　cellar　containing　mysterious　things

which　had　no　name　and　were　of　incalculable　value。　Hamilcar　went　down

the　three　steps；　took　up　a　llama's　skin　which　was　floating　on　a　black

liquid　in　a　silver　vat；　and　then　re…ascended。



Abdalonim　again　began　to　walk　before　him。　He　struck　the　pavement　with

his　tall　cane；　the　pommel　of　which　was　adorned　with　bells；　and　before

every　apartment　cried　aloud　the　name　of　Hamilcar　amid　eulogies　and

benedictions。



Along　the　walls　of　the　circular　gallery；　from　which　the　passages

branched　off；　were　piled　little　beams　of　algummim；　bags　of　Lawsonia；

cakes　of　Lemnos…earth；　and　tortoise　carapaces　filled　with　pearls。　The

Suffet　brushed　them　with　his　robe　as　he　passed　without　even　looking　at

some　gigantic　pieces　of　amber；　an　almost　divine　material　formed　by　the

rays　of　the　sun。



A　cloud　of　odorous　vapour　burst　forth。



〃Push　open　the　door！〃



They　went　in。



Naked　men　were　kneading　pastes；　crushing　herbs；　stirring　coals；

pouring　oil　into　jars；　and　opening　and　shutting　the　little　ovoid　cells

which　were　hollowed　out　all　round　in　the　wall；　and　were　so　numerous

that　the　apartment　was　like　the　interior　of　a　hive。　They　were　brimful

of　myrobalan；　bdellium；　saffron；　and　violets。　Gums；　powders；　roots；

glass　phials；　branches　of　filipendula；　and　rose…petals　were　scattered

about　everywhere；　and　the　scents　were　stifling　in　spite　of　the　cloud…

wreaths　from　the　styrax　shrivelling　on　a　brazen　tripod　in　the　centre。



The　Chief　of　the　Sweet　Odours；　pale　and　long　as　a　waxen　torch；　came　up

to　Hamilcar　to　crush　a　roll　of　metopion　in　his　hands；　while　two　others

rubbed　his　heels　with　leaves　of　baccharis。　He　repelled　them；　they　were

Cyreneans　of　infamous　morals；　but　valued　on　account　of　the　secrets

which　they　possessed。



To　show　his　vigilance　the　Chief　of　the　Odours　offered　the　Suffet　a

little　malobathrum　to　taste　in　an　electrum　spoon；　then　he　pierced

three　Indian　bezoars　with　an　awl。　The　master；　who　knew　the　artifices

employed；　took　a　horn　full　of　balm；　and　after　holding　it　near　the

coals　inclined　it　over　his　robe。　A　brown　spot　appeared；　it　was　a

fraud。　Then　he　gazed　fixedly　a