penguin island-第35节

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　we　will　adopt　violent　action。　。　。　。　Perhaps　you　think　that　violence　is　old…fashioned　and　superannuated；　to　be　scrapped　along　with　diligences；　hand…presses　and　aerial　telegraphy。　You　are　mistaken。　To…day　as　yesterday　nothing　is　obtained　except　by　violence；　it　is　the　one　efficient　instrument。　The　only　thing　necessary　is　to　know　how　to　use　it。　You　ask　what　will　our　action　be？　I　will　tell　you：　it　will　be　to　stir　up　the　governing　classes　against　one　another；　to　put　the　army　in　conflict　with　the　capitalists；　the　government　with　the　magistracy；　the　nobility　and　clergy　with　the　Jews；　and　if　possible　to　drive　them　all　to　destroy　one　another。　To　do　this　would　be　to　carry　on　an　agitation　which　would　weaken　government　in　the　same　way　that　fever　wears　out　the　sick。

〃The　Pyrot　affair；　little　as　we　know　how　to　turn　it　to　advantage；　will　put　forward　by　ten　years　the　growth　of　the　Social　party　and　the　emancipation　of　the　proletariat；　by　disarmament；　the　general　strike；　and　revolution。〃

The　leaders　of　the　party　having　each　expressed　a　different　opinion；　the　discussion　was　continued；　not　without　vivacity。　The　orators；　as　always　happens　in　such　a　case；　reproduced　the　arguments　they　had　already　brought　forward；　though　with　less　order　and　moderation　than　before。　The　dispute　was　prolonged　and　none　changed　his　opinion。　These　opinions；　in　the　final　analysis；　were　reduced　to　two：　that　of　Sapor　and　Lapersonne　who　advised　abstention；　and　that　of　Phoenix　and　Larrivee；　who　wanted　intervention。　Even　these　two　contrary　opinions　were　united　in　a　common　hatred　of　the　heads　of　the　army　and　of　their　justice；　and　in　a　common　belief　in　Pyrot's　innocence。　So　that　public　opinion　was　hardly　mistaken　in　regarding　all　the　Socialist　leaders　as　pernicious　Anti…Pyrotists。

As　for　the　vast　masses　in　whose　name　they　spoke　and　whom　they　represented　as　far　as　speech　can　express　the　impossibleas　for　the　proletarians　whose　thought　is　difficult　to　know　and　who　do　not　know　it　themselves；　it　seemed　that　the　Pyrot　affair　did　not　interest　them。　It　was　too　literary　for　them；　it　was　in　too　classical　a　style；　and　had　an　upper…middle…class　and　high…finance　tone　about　it　that　did　not　please　them　much。



VIII。　THE　COLOMBAN　TRIAL

When　the　Colomban　trial　began；　the　Pyrotists　were　not　many　more　than　thirty　thousand；　but　they　were　every　where　and　might　be　found　even　among　the　priests　and　millionaires。　What　injured　them　most　was　the　sympathy　of　the　rich　Jews。　On　the　other　hand　they　derived　valuable　advantages　from　their　feeble　number。　In　the　first　place　there　were　among　them　fewer　fools　than　among　their　opponents；　who　were　over…burdened　with　them。　Comprising　but　a　feeble　minority；　they　co…operated　easily；　acted　with　harmony；　and　had　no　temptation　to　divide　and　thus　counteract　one　another's　efforts。　Each　of　them　felt　the　necessity　of　doing　the　best　possible　and　was　the　more　careful　of　his　conduct　as　he　found　himself　more　in　the　public　eye。　Finally；　they　had　every　reason　to　hope　that　they　would　gain　fresh　adherents；　while　their　opponents；　having　had　everybody　with　them　at　the　beginning；　could　only　decrease。

Summoned　before　the　judges　at　a　public　sitting；　Colomban　immediately　perceived　that　his　judges　were　not　anxious　to　discover　the　truth。　As　soon　as　he　opened　his　mouth　the　President　ordered　him　to　be　silent　in　the　superior　interests　of　the　State。　For　the　same　reason；　which　is　the　supreme　reason；　the　witnesses　for　the　defence　were　not　heard。　General　Panther；　the　Chief　of　the　Staff；　appeared　in　the　witness…box；　in　full　uniform　and　decorated　with　all　his　orders。　He　deposed　as　follows：

〃The　infamous　Colomban　states　that　we　have　no　proofs　against　Pyrot。　He　lies；　we　have　them。　I　have　in　my　archives　seven　hundred　and　thirty…two　square　yards　of　them　which　at　five　hundred　pounds　each　make　three　hundred　and　sixty…six　thousand　pounds。〃

That　superior　officer　afterwards　gave；　with　elegance　and　ease；　a　summary　of　those　proofs。

〃They　are　of　all　colours　and　all　shades；〃　said　he　in　substance；　〃they　are　of　every　formpot；　crown；　sovereign；　grape；　dove…cot；　grand　eagle；　etc。　The　smallest　is　less　than　the　hundredth　part　of　a　square　inch；　the　largest　measures　seventy　yards　long　by　ninety　yards　broad。〃

At　this　revelation　the　audience　shuddered　with　horror。

Greatauk　came　to　give　evidence　in　his　turn。　Simpler；　and　perhaps　greater；　he　wore　a　grey　tunic　and　held　his　hands　joined　behind　his　back。

〃I　leave；〃　said　he　calmly　and　in　a　slightly　raised　voice；　〃I　leave　to　M。　Colomban　the　responsibility　for　an　act　that　has　brought　our　country　to　the　brink　of　ruin。　The　Pyrot　affair　is　secret；　it　ought　to　remain　secret。　If　it　were　divulged　the　cruelest　ills；　wars；　pillages；　depredations；　fires；　massacres；　and　epidemics　would　immediately　burst　upon　Penguinia。　I　should　consider　myself　guilty　of　high　treason　if　I　uttered　another　word。〃

Some　persons　known　for　their　political　experience；　among　others　M。　Bigourd；　considered　the　evidence　of　the　Minister　of　War　as　abler　and　of　greater　weight　than　that　of　his　Chief　of　Staff。

The　evidence　of　Colonel　de　Boisjoli　made　a　great　impression。

〃One　evening　at　the　Ministry　of　War；〃　said　that　officer；　〃the　attache　of　a　neighbouring　Power　told　me　that　while　visiting　his　sovereign's　stables　he　had　once　admired　some　soft　and　fragrant　hay；　of　a　pretty　green　colour；　the　finest　hay　he　had　ever　seen！　'Where　did　it　come　from？'　I　asked　him。　He　did　not　answer；　but　there　seemed　to　me　no　doubt　about　its　origin。　It　was　the　hay　Pyrot　had　stolen。　Those　qualities　of　verdure；　softness；　and　aroma；　are　those　of　our　national　hay。　The　forage　of　the　neighbouring　Power　is　grey　and　brittle；　it　sounds　under　the　fork　and　smells　of　dust。　One　can　draw　one　own　conclusions。〃

Lieutenant…Colonel　Hastaing　said　in　the　witness…box；　amid　hisses；　that　he　did　not　believe　Pyrot　guilty。　He　was　immediately　seized　by　the　police　and　thrown　into　the　bottom　of　a　dungeon　where；　amid　vipers；　toads；　and　broken　glass；　he　remained　insensible　both　to　promises　and　threats。

The　usher　called：

〃Count　Pierre　Maubec　de　la　Dentdulynx。〃

There　was　deep　silence；　and　a　stately　but　ill…dressed　nobleman；　whose　moustaches　pointed　to　the　skies　and　whose　dark　eyes　shot　forth　flashing　glances；　was　seen　advancing　toward　the　witness…box。

He　approached　Colomban　and　casting　upon　him　a　look　of　ineffable　disdain：

〃My　evidence；〃　said　he；　〃here　it　is：　you　excrement！〃

At　these　words　the　entire　hall　burst　into　enthusiastic　applause　and　jumped　up；　moved　by　one　of　those　transports　that　stir　men's　hearts　and　rouse　them　to　extraordinary　actions。　Without　another　word　Count　Maubec　de　la　Dentdulynx　withdrew。

All　those　present　left　the　Court　and　formed　a　procession　behind　him。　Prostrate　at　his　feet；　Princess　des　Boscenos　held　his　legs　in　a　close　embrace；　but　he　went　on；　stern　and　impassive；　beneath　a　shower　of　handkerchiefs　and　flowers。　Viscountess　Olive；　clinging　to　his　neck；　could　not　be　removed；　and　the　calm　hero　bore　her　along　with　him；　floating　on　his　breast　like　a　light　scarf。

When　the　court　resumed　its　sitting；　which　it　had　been　compelled　to　suspend；　the　President　called　the　experts。

Vermillard；　the　famous　expert　in　handwriting；　gave　the　results　of　his　researches。

〃Having　carefully　studied；〃　said　he；　〃the　papers　found　in　Pyrot's　house；　in　particular　his　account　book　and　his　laundry　books；　I　noticed　that；　though　apparently　not　out　of　the　common；　they　formed　an　impenetrable　cryptogram；　the　key　to　which；　however；　I　discovered。　The　traitor's　infamy　is　to　be　seen　in　every　line。　In　this　system　of　writing　the　words　'Three　glasses　of　beer　and　twenty　francs　for　Adele'　mean　'I　have　delivered　thirty　thousand　trusses　of　hay　to　a　neighbouring　Power！　From　these　documents　I　have　even　been　able　to　establish　the　composition　of　the　hay　delivered　by　this　officer。　The　words　waistcoat；　drawers；　pocket　handkerchief；　collars；　drink；　tobacco；　cigars；　mean　clover；　meadowgrass；　lucern；　burnet；　oats；　rye…grass；　vernal…grass；　and　common　cat's　tail　grass。　And　these　are　precisely　the　constituents　of　the　hay　furnished　by　Count　Maubec　to　the　Penguin　cavalry。　In　this　way　Pyrot　mentioned　his　crimes　in　a　language　that　he　believed　would　always　remain　indecipherable。　One　is　confounded　by　so　much　astuteness　and　so　great　a　want　of　conscience。〃

Colomban；　pronounced　guilty　without　any　extenuating　circumstances；　was　condemned　to　the　severest　penalty。　The　judges　immediately　signed　a　warrant　consuming　him　to　solitary　confinement。

In　the　Place　du　Palais　on　the　sides　of　a　river　whose　banks　had　during　the　course　of　twelve　centuries　seen　so　great　a　history；　fifty　thousand　persons　were　tumultuously　awaiting　the　result　of　the　trial。　Here　were　the　heads　of　the　Anti…Pyrotist　Association；　among　whom　might　be　seen　Prince　des　Boscenos；　Count　Clena；　Viscount　Olive；　and　M。　de　La　Trumelle；　here　crowded　the　Reverend　Father　Agaric　and　the　teachers　of　St。　Mael　College　with　their　pupils；　here　the　monk　Douillard　and　General　Caraguel；　embracing　each　other；　formed　a　sublime　group。　The　market　women　and　laundry　women　with　spits；　shovels；　tongs；　beetles；　and　kettles　full　of　water　might　be　seen　running　across　the　Pont…Vieux。　On　the　steps　in　front　of　the　bronze　gates　were　assembled　all　the　defenders　of　Pyrot　in　Alca；　professors；　publicists；　workmen；　some　conservatives；　other