penguin island-第23节

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nse　wealth。

Agaric　made　a　gesture　of　refusal。　Then；　standing　on　his　long　feet　and　pressing　his　melancholy　hat　against　his　stomach；　he　remained　silent。

〃Take　a　seat；〃　said　Cornemuse　to　him。

Agaric　sat　down　on　a　rickety　stool；　but　continued　mute。

Then　the　monk　of　Conils　inquired：

〃Tell　me　some　news　of　your　young　pupils。　Have　the　dear　children　sound　views？〃

〃I　am　very　satisfied　with　them；〃　answered　the　teacher。　〃It　is　everything　to　be　nurtured　in　sound　principles。　It　is　necessary　to　have　sound　views　before　having　any　views　at　all；　for　afterwards　it　is　too　late。　。　。　。　Yes；　I　have　great　grounds　for　comfort。　But　we　live　in　a　sad　age。〃

〃Alas！〃　sighed　Cornemuse。

〃We　are　passing　through　evil　days。　。　。　。〃

〃Times　of　trial。〃

〃Yet；　Cornemuse；　the　mind　of　the　public　is　not　so　entirely　corrupted　as　it　seems。〃

〃Perhaps　you　are　right。〃

〃The　people　are　tired　of　a　government　that　ruins　them　and　does　nothing　for　them。　Every　day　fresh　scandals　spring　up。　The　Republic　is　sunk　in　shame。　It　is　ruined。〃

〃May　God　grant　it！〃

〃Cornemuse；　what　do　you　think　of　Prince　Crucho？〃

〃He　is　an　amiable　young　man　and；　I　dare　say；　a　worthy　scion　of　an　august　stock。　I　pity　him　for　having　to　endure　the　pains　of　exile　at　so　early　an　age。　Spring　has　no　flowers　for　the　exile；　and　autumn　no　fruits。　Prince　Crucho　has　sound　views；　he　respects　the　clergy；　he　practises　our　religion；　besides；　he　consumes　a　good　deal　of　my　little　products。〃

〃Cornemuse；　in　many　homes；　both　rich　and　poor；　his　return　is　hoped　for。　Believe　me；　he　will　come　back。〃

〃May　I　live　to　throw　my　mantle　beneath　his　feet！〃　sighed　Cornemuse。

Seeing　that　he　held　these　sentiments；　Agaric　depicted　to　him　the　state　of　people's　minds　such　as　he　himself　imagined　them。　He　showed　him　the　nobles　and　the　rich　exasperated　against　the　popular　government；　the　army　refusing　to　endure　fresh　insults；　the　officials　willing　to　betray　their　chiefs；　the　people　discontented；　riot　ready　to　burst　forth；　and　the　enemies　of　the　monks；　the　agents　of　the　constituted　authority；　thrown　into　the　wells　of　Alca。　He　concluded　that　it　was　the　moment　to　strike　a　great　blow。

〃We　can；〃　he　cried；　〃save　the　Penguin　people；　we　can　deliver　it　from　its　tyrants；　deliver　it　from　itself；　restore　the　Dragon's　crest；　re…establish　the　ancient　State；　the　good　State；　for　the　honour　of　the　faith　and　the　exaltation　of　the　Church。　We　can　do　this　if　we　will。　We　possess　great　wealth　and　we　exert　secret　influences；　by　our　evangelistic　and　outspoken　journals　we　communicate　with　all　the　ecclesiastics　in　towns　and　county　alike；　and　we　inspire　them　with　our　own　eager　enthusiasm　and　our　own　burning　faith。　They　will　kindle　their　penitents　and　their　congregations。　I　can　dispose　of　the　chiefs　of　the　army；　I　have　an　understanding　with　the　men　of　the　people。　Unknown　to　them　I　sway　the　minds　of　umbrella　sellers；　publicans；　shopmen；　gutter　merchants；　newspaper　boys；　women　of　the　streets；　and　police　agents。　We　have　more　people　on　our　side　than　we　need。　What　are　we　waiting　for？　Let　us　act！〃

〃What　do　you　think　of　doing？〃　asked　Cornemuse。

〃Of　forming　a　vast　conspiracy　and　overthrowing　the　Republic；　of　re…establishing　Crucho　on　the　throne　of　the　Draconides。〃

Cornemuse　moistened　his　lips　with　his　tongue　several　times。　Then　he　said　with　unction：

〃Certainly　the　restoration　of　the　Draconides　is　desirable；　it　is　eminently　desirable；　and　for　my　part；　desire　it　with　all　my　heart。　As　for　the　Republic；　you　know　what　I　think　of　it。　。　。　。　But　would　it　not　te　better　to　abandon　it　to　its　fate　and　let　it　die　of　the　vices　of　its　own　constitution？　Doubtless；　Agaric；　what　you　propose　is　noble　and　generous。　It　would　be　a　fine　thing　to　save　this　great　and　unhappy　country；　to　re…establish　it　in　its　ancient　splendour。　But　reflect　on　it；　we　are　Christians　before　we　are　Penguins。　And　we　must　take　heed　not　to　compromise　religion　in　political　enterprises。〃

Agaric　replied　eagerly：

〃Fear　nothing。　We　shall　hold　all　the　threads　of　the　plot；　but　we　ourselves　shall　remain　in　the　background。　We　shall　not　be　seen。〃

〃Like　flies　in　milk；〃　murmured　the　monk　of　Conils。

And　turning　his　keen　ruby…coloured　eyes　towards　his　brother　monk：

〃Take　care。　Perhaps　the　Republic　is　stronger　than　it　seems。　Possibly；　too；　by　dragging　it　out　of　the　nerveless　inertia　in　which　it　now　rests　we　may　only　consolidate　its　forces。　Its　malice　is　great；　if　we　attack　it；　it　will　defend　itself。　It　makes　bad　laws　which　hardly　affect　us；　if　it　is　frightened　it　will　make　terrible　ones　against　us。　Let　us　not　lightly　engage　in　an　adventure　in　which　we　may　get　fleeced。　You　think　the　opportunity　a　good　one。　I　don't；　and　I　am　going　to　tell　you　why。　The　present　government　is　not　yet　known　by　everybody；　that　is　to　say；　it　is　known　by　nobody。　It　proclaims　that　it　is　the　Public　Thing；　the　common　thing。　The　populace　believes　it　and　remains　democratic　and　Republican。　But　patience！　This　same　people　will　one　day　demand　that　the　public　thing　be　the　people's　thing。　I　need　not　tell　you　how　insolent；　unregulated；　and　contrary　to　Scriptural　polity　such　claims　seem　to　me。　But　the　people　will　make　them；　and　enforce　them；　and　then　there　will　be　an　end　of　the　present　government。　The　moment　cannot　now　be　far　distant；　and　it　is　then　that　we　ought　to　act　in　the　interests　of　our　august　body。　Let　us　wait。　What　hurries　us？　Our　existence　is　not　in　peril。　It　has　not　been　rendered　absolutely　intolerable　to　us。　The　Republic　fails　in　respect　and　submission　to　us；　it　does　not　give　the　priests　the　honours　it　owes　them。　But　it　lets　us　live。　And　such　is　the　excellence　of　our　position　that　with　us　to　live　is　to　prosper。　The　Republic　is　hostile　to　us；　but　women　revere　us。　President　Formose　does　not　assist　at　the　celebration　of　our　mysteries；　but　I　have　seen　his　wife　and　daughters　at　my　feet。　They　buy　my　phials　by　the　gross。　I　have　no　better　clients　even　among　the　aristocracy。　Let　us　say　what　there　is　to　be　said　for　it。　There　is　no　country　in　the　world　as　good　for　priests　and　monks　as　Penguinia。　In　what　other　country　would　you　find　our　virgin　wax；　our　virile　incense；　our　rosaries；　our　scapulars；　our　holy　water；　and　our　St。　Orberosian　liqueur　sold　in　such　great　quantities？　What　other　people　would；　like　the　Penguins；　give　a　hundred　golden　crowns　for　a　wave　of　our　hands；　a　sound　from　our　mouths；　a　movement　of　our　lips？　For　my　part；　I　gain　a　thousand　times　more；　in　this　pleasant；　faithful；　and　docile　Penguinia；　by　extracting　the　essence　from　a　bundle　of　thyme；　than　I　could　make　by　tiring　my　lungs　with　preaching　the　remission　of　sins　in　the　most　populous　states　of　Europe　and　America。　Honestly；　would　Penguinia　be　better　off　if　a　police　officer　came　to　take　me　away　from　here　and　put　me　on　a　steamboat　bound　for　the　Islands　of　Night？〃

Having　thus　spoken；　the　monk　of　Conils　got　up　and　led　his　guest　into　a　huge　shed　where　hundreds　of　orphans　clothed　in　blue　were　packing　bottles；　nailing　up　cases；　and　gumming　tickets。　The　ear　was　deafened　by　the　noise　of　hammers　mingled　with　the　dull　rumbling　of　bales　being　placed　upon　the　rails。

〃It　is　from　here　that　consignments　are　forwarded；〃　said　Cornemuse。　〃I　have　obtained　from　the　government　a　railway　through　the　Wood　and　a　station　at　my　door。　Every　three　days　I　fill　a　truck　with　my　own　products。　You　see　that　the　Republic　has　not　killed　all　beliefs。〃

Agaric　made　a　last　effort　to　engage　the　wise　distiller　in　his　enterprise。　He　pointed　him　to　a　prompt；　certain；　dazzling　success。

〃Don't　you　wish　to　share　in　it？〃　he　added。　〃Don't　you　wish　to　bring　back　your　king　from　exile？〃

〃Exile　is　pleasant　to　men　of　good　will；〃　answered　the　monk　of　Conils。　〃If　you　are　guided　by　me；　my　dear　Brother　Agaric；　you　will　give　up　your　project　for　the　present。　For　my　own　part　I　have　no　illusions。　Whether　or　not　I　belong　to　your　party；　if　you　lose；　I　shall　have　to　pay　like　you。〃

Father　Agaric　took　leave　of　his　friend　and　went　back　satisfied　to　his　school。　〃Cornemuse；〃　thought　he；　〃not　being　able　to　prevent　the　plot；　would　like　to　make　it　succeed　and　he　will　give　money。〃　Agaric　was　not　deceived。　Such；　indeed；　was　the　solidarity　among　priests　and　monks　that　the　acts　of　a　single　one　bound　them　all。　That　was　at　once　both　their　strength　and　their　weakness。



V。　PRINCE　CRUCHO

Agaric　resolved　to　proceed　without　delay　to　Prince　Crucho；　who　honoured　him　with　his　familiarity。　In　the　dusk　of　the　evening　he　went　out　of　his　school　by　the　side　door；　disguised　as　a　cattle　merchant　and　took　passage　on　board　the　St。　Mael。

The　next　day　he　landed　in　Porpoisea；　for　it　was　at　Chitterlings　Castle　on　this　hospitable　soil　that　Crucho　ate　the　bitter　bread　of　exile。

Agaric　met　the　Prince　on　the　road　driving　in　a　motor…car　with　two　young　ladies　at　the　rate　of　a　hundred　miles　an　hour。　When　the　monk　saw　him　he　shook　his　red　umbrella　and　the　prince　stopped　his　car。

〃Is　it　you；　Agaric？　Get　in！　There　are　already　three　of　us；　but　we　can　make　room　for　you。　You　can　take　one　of　these　young　ladies　on　your　knee。〃

The　pious　Agaric　got　in。

〃What　news；　worthy　father？〃　asked　the　young　prince。

〃Great　news；〃　answered　Agaric。　〃Can　I　speak？〃

〃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