salammbo-第70节

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flowers；　there　were　shells　filled　with　forcemeat；　the　pastry　had

symbolic　shapes；　when　the　covers　of　the　dishes　were　removed　doves　flew

out。



The　slaves；　meanwhile；　with　tunics　tucked　up；　were　going　about　on

tiptoe；　from　time　to　time　a　hymn　sounded　on　the　lyres；　or　a　choir　of

voices　rose。　The　clamour　of　the　people；　continuous　as　the　noise　of　the

sea；　floated　vaguely　around　the　feast；　and　seemed　to　lull　it　in　a

broader　harmony；　some　recalled　the　banquet　of　the　Mercenaries；　they

gave　themselves　up　to　dreams　of　happiness；　the　sun　was　beginning　to　go

down；　and　the　crescent　of　the　moon　was　already　rising　in　another　part

of　the　sky。



But　Salammbo　turned　her　head　as　though　some　one　had　called　her；　the

people；　who　were　watching　her；　followed　the　direction　of　her　eyes。



The　door　of　the　dungeon；　hewn　in　the　rock　at　the　foot　of　the　temple；

on　the　summit　of　the　Acropolis；　had　just　opened；　and　a　man　was

standing　on　the　threshold　of　this　black　hole。



He　came　forth　bent　double；　with　the　scared　look　of　fallow　deer　when

suddenly　enlarged。



The　light　dazzled　him；　he　stood　motionless　awhile。　All　had　recognised

him；　and　they　held　their　breath。



In　their　eyes　the　body　of　this　victim　was　something　peculiarly　theirs；

and　was　adorned　with　almost　religious　splendour。　They　bent　forward　to

see　him；　especially　the　women。　They　burned　to　gaze　upon　him　who　had

caused　the　deaths　of　their　children　and　husbands；　and　from　the　bottom

of　their　souls　there　sprang　up　in　spite　of　themselves　an　infamous

curiosity；　a　desire　to　know　him　completely；　a　wish　mingled　with

remorse　which　turned　to　increased　execration。



At　last　he　advanced；　then　the　stupefaction　of　surprise　disappeared。

Numbers　of　arms　were　raised；　and　he　was　lost　to　sight。



The　staircase　of　the　Acropolis　had　sixty　steps。　He　descended　them　as

though　he　were　rolled　down　in　a　torrent　from　the　top　of　a　mountain；

three　times　he　was　seen　to　leap；　and　then　he　alighted　below　on　his

feet。



His　shoulders　were　bleeding；　his　breast　was　panting　with　great　shocks；

and　he　made　such　efforts　to　burst　his　bonds　that　his　arms；　which　were

crossed　on　his　naked　loins；　swelled　like　pieces　of　a　serpent。



Several　streets　began　in　front　of　him；　leading　from　the　spot　at　which

he　found　himself。　In　each　of　them　a　triple　row　of　bronze　chains

fastened　to　the　navels　of　the　Pataec　gods　extended　in　parallel　lines

from　one　end　to　the　other；　the　crowd　was　massed　against　the　houses；

and　servants；　belonging　to　the　Ancients；　walked　in　the　middle

brandishing　thongs。



One　of　them　drove　him　forward　with　a　great　blow；　Matho　began　to　move。



They　thrust　their　arms　over　the　chains　shouting　out　that　the　road　had

been　left　too　wide　for　him；　and　he　passed　along；　felt；　pricked；　and

slashed　by　all　those　fingers；　when　he　reached　the　end　of　one　street

another　appeared；　several　times　he　flung　himself　to　one　side　to　bite

them；　they　speedily　dispersed；　the　chains　held　him　back；　and　the　crowd

burst　out　laughing。



A　child　rent　his　ear；　a　young　girl；　hiding　the　point　of　a　spindle　in


her　sleeve；　split　his　cheek；　they　tore　handfuls　of　hair　from　him　and

strips　of　flesh；　others　smeared　his　face　with　sponges　steeped　in　filth

and　fastened　upon　sticks。　A　stream　of　blood　started　from　the　right

side　of　his　neck；　frenzy　immediately　set　in。　This　last　Barbarian　was

to　them　a　representative　of　all　the　Barbarians；　and　all　the　army；　they

were　taking　vengeance　on　him　for　their　disasters；　their　terrors；　and

their　shame。　The　rage　of　the　mob　developed　with　its　gratification；　the

curving　chains　were　over…strained；　and　were　on　the　point　of　breaking；

the　people　did　not　feel　the　blows　of　the　slaves　who　struck　at　them　to

drive　them　back；　some　clung　to　the　projections　of　the　houses；　all　the

openings　in　the　walls　were　stopped　up　with　heads；　and　they　howled　at

him　the　mischief　that　they　could　not　inflict　upon　him。



It　was　atrocious；　filthy　abuse　mingled　with　ironical　encouragements

and　imprecations；　and；　his　present　tortures　not　being　enough　for　them；

they　foretold　to　him　others　that　should　be　still　more　terrible　in

eternity。



This　vast　baying　filled　Carthage　with　stupid　continuity。　Frequently　a

single　syllablea　hoarse；　deep；　and　frantic　intonationwould　be

repeated　for　several　minutes　by　the　entire　people。　The　walls　would

vibrate　with　it　from　top　to　bottom；　and　both　sides　of　the　street　would

seem　to　Matho　to　be　coming　against　him；　and　carrying　him　off　the

ground；　like　two　immense　arms　stifling　him　in　the　air。



Nevertheless　he　remembered　that　he　had　experienced　something　like　it

before。　The　same　crowd　was　on　the　terraces；　there　were　the　same　looks

and　the　same　wrath；　but　then　he　had　walked　free；　all　had　then

dispersed；　for　a　god　covered　him；and　the　recollection　of　this；

gaining　precision　by　degrees；　brought　a　crushing　sadness　upon　him。

Shadows　passed　before　his　eyes；　the　town　whirled　round　in　his　head；

his　blood　streamed　from　a　wound　in　his　hip；　he　felt　that　he　was　dying；

his　hams　bent；　and　he　sank　quite　gently　upon　the　pavement。



Some　one　went　to　the　peristyle　of　the　temple　of　Melkarth；　took　thence

the　bar　of　a　tripod；　heated　red　hot　in　the　coals；　and；　slipping　it

beneath　the　first　chain；　pressed　it　against　his　wound。　The　flesh　was

seen　to　smoke；　the　hootings　of　the　people　drowned　his　voice；　he　was

standing　again。



Six　paces　further　on；　and　he　fell　a　third　and　again　a　fourth　time；　but

some　new　torture　always　made　him　rise。　They　discharged　little　drops　of

boiling　oil　through　tubes　at　him；　they　strewed　pieces　of　broken　glass

beneath　his　feet；　still　he　walked　on。　At　the　corner　of　the　street　of

Satheb　he　leaned　his　back　against　the　wall　beneath　the　pent…house　of　a

shop；　and　advanced　no　further。



The　slaves　of　the　Council　struck　him　with　their　whips　of　hippopotamus

leather；　so　furiously　and　long　that　the　fringes　of　their　tunics　were

drenched　with　sweat。　Matho　appeared　insensible；　suddenly　he　started

off　and　began　to　run　at　random；　making　a　noise　with　his　lips　like　one

shivering　with　severe　cold。　He　threaded　the　street　of　Boudes；　and　the

street　of　Soepo；　crossed　the　Green　Market；　and　reached　the　square　of

Khamon。



He　now　belonged　to　the　priests；　the　slaves　had　just　dispersed　the

crowd；　and　there　was　more　room。　Matho　gazed　round　him　and　his　eyes

encountered　Salammbo。



At　the　first　step　that　he　had　taken　she　had　risen；　then；　as　he

approached；　she　had　involuntarily　advanced　by　degrees　to　the　edge　of

the　terrace；　and　soon　all　external　things　were　blotted　out；　and　she

saw　only　Matho。　Silence　fell　in　her　soul；one　of　those　abysses

wherein　the　whole　world　disappears　beneath　the　pressure　of　a　single

thought；　a　memory；　a　look。　This　man　who　was　walking　towards　her

attracted　her。



Excepting　his　eyes　he　had　no　appearance　of　humanity　left；　he　was　a

long；　perfectly　red　shape；　his　broken　bonds　hung　down　his　thighs；　but

they　could　not　be　distinguished　from　the　tendons　of　his　wrists；　which

were　laid　quite　bare；　his　mouth　remained　wide　open；　from　his　eye…

sockets　there　darted　flames　which　seemed　to　rise　up　to　his　hair；and

the　wretch　still　walked　on！



He　reached　the　foot　of　the　terrace。　Salammbo　was　leaning　over　the

balustrade；　those　frightful　eyeballs　were　scanning　her；　and　there　rose

within　her　a　consciousness　of　all　that　he　had　suffered　for　her。

Although　he　was　in　his　death　agony　she　could　see　him　once　more

kneeling　in　his　tent；　encircling　her　waist　with　his　arms；　and

stammering　out　gentle　words；　she　thirsted　to　feel　them　and　hear　them

again；　she　did　not　want　him　to　die！　At　this　moment　Matho　gave　a　great

start；　she　was　on　the　point　of　shrieking　aloud。　He　fell　backwards　and

did　not　stir　again。



Salammbo　was　borne　back；　nearly　swooning；　to　her　throne　by　the　priests

who　flocked　about　her。　They　congratulated　her；　it　was　her　work。　All

clapped　their　hands　and　stamped　their　feet；　howling　her　name。



A　man　darted　upon　the　corpse。　Although　he　had　no　beard　he　had　the

cloak　of　a　priest　of　Moloch　on　his　shoulder；　and　in　his　belt　that

species　of　knife　which　they　employed　for　cutting　up　the　sacred　meat；

and　which　terminated；　at　the　end　of　the　handle；　in　a　golden　spatula。

He　cleft　Matho's　breast　with　a　single　blow；　then　snatched　out　the

heart　and　laid　it　upon　the　spoon；　and　Schahabarim；　uplifting　his　arm；

offered　it　to　the　sun。



The　sun　sank　behind　the　waves；　his　rays　fell　like　long　arrows　upon　the

red　heart。　As　the　beatings　diminished　the　planet　sank　into　the　sea；

and　at　the　last　palpitation　it　disappeared。



Then　from　the　gulf　to　the　lagoon；　and　from　the　isthmus　to　the　pharos；

in　all　the　streets；　on　all　the　houses；　and　on　all　the　temples；　there

was　a　single　shout；　sometimes　it　paused；　to　be　again　renewed；　the

buildings　shook　with　it；　Carthage　was　convulsed；　as　it　were；　in　the

spasm　of　Titanic　joy　and　boundless　hope。



Narr'　Havas；　drunk　with　pride；　passed　his　left　arm　beneath　Salammbo's

waist　in　token　of　possession；　and　taking　a　gold　pat