penguin island-第39节

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illusions；　now　that　you　know　how　hard　it　is　to　redress　wrongs；　and　that　the　task　must　ever　be　begun　afresh；　you　are　going　back　to　your　asteroids。　You　are　right；　but　go　back　to　them　with　modesty；　Bidault…Coquille！〃



BOOK　VII。　MODERN　TIMES

MADAME　CERES

〃Only　extreme　things　are　tolerable。〃　　Count　Robert　de　Montesquiou。

I。　MADAME　CLARENCE'S　DRAWING…ROOM

Madame　Clarence；　the　widow　of　an　exalted　functionary　of　the　Republic；　loved　to　entertain。　Every　Thursday　she　collected　together　some　friends　of　modest　condition　who　took　pleasure　in　conversation。　The　ladies　who　went　to　see　her；　very　different　in　age　and　rank；　were　all　without　money；　and　had　all　suffered　much。　There　was　a　duchess　who　looked　like　a　fortune…teller　and　a　fortune…teller　who　looked　like　a　duchess。　Madame　Clarence　was　pretty　enough　to　maintain　some　old　liaisons；　but　not　to　form　new　ones；　and　she　generally　inspired　a　quiet　esteem。　She　had　a　very　pretty　daughter；　who；　since　she　had　no　dower；　caused　some　alarm　among　the　male　guests；　for　the　Penguins　were　as　much　afraid　of　portionless　girls　as　they　were　of　the　devil　himself。　Eveline　Clarence；　noticing　their　reserve　and　perceiving　its　cause；　used　to　hand　them　their　tea　with　an　air　of　disdain。　Moreover；　she　seldom　appeared　at　the　parties　and　talked　only　to　the　ladies　or　the　very　young　people。　Her　discreet　and　retiring　presence　put　no　restraint　upon　the　conversation；　since　those　who　took　part　in　it　thought　either　that　as　she　was　a　young　girl　she　would　not　understand　it；　or　that；　being　twenty…five　years　old；　she　might　listen　to　everything。

One　Thursday　therefore；　in　Madame　Clarence's　drawing…room；　the　conversation　turned　upon　love。　The　ladies　spoke　of　it　with　pride；　delicacy；　and　mystery；　the　men　with　discretion　and　fatuity；　everyone　took　an　interest　in　the　conversation；　for　each　one　was　interested　in　what　he　or　she　said。　A　great　deal　of　wit　flowed；　brilliant　apostrophes　were　launched　forth　and　keen　repartees　were　returned。　But　when　Professor　Haddi　began　to　speak　he　overwhelmed　everybody。

〃It　is　the　same　with　our　ideas　on　love　as　with　our　ideas　on　everything　else；〃　said　he；　〃they　rest　upon　anterior　habits　whose　very　memory　has　been　effaced。　In　morals；　the　limitations　that　have　lost　their　grounds　for　existing；　the　most　useless　obligations；　the　cruelest　and　most　injurious　restraints；　are　because　of　their　profound　antiquity　and　the　mystery　of　their　origin；　the　least　disputed　and　the　least　disputable　as　well　as　the　most　respected；　and　they　are　those　that　cannot　be　violated　without　incurring　the　most　severe　blame。　All　morality　relative　to　the　relations　of　the　sexes　is　founded　on　this　principle：　that　a　woman　once　obtained　belongs　to　the　man；　that　she　is　his　property　like　his　horse　or　his　weapons。　And　this　having　ceased　to　be　true；　absurdities　result　from　it；　such　as　the　marriage　or　contract　of　sale　of　a　woman　to　a　man；　with　clauses　restricting　the　right　of　ownership　introduced　as　a　consequence　of　the　gradual　diminution　of　the　claims　of　the　possessor。

〃The　obligation　imposed　on　a　girl　that　she　should　bring　her　virginity　to　her　husband　comes　from　the　times　when　girls　were　married　immediately　they　were　of　a　marriageable　age。　It　is　ridiculous　that　a　girl　who　marries　at　twenty…five　or　thirty　should　be　subject　to　that　obligation。　You　will；　perhaps；　say　that　it　is　a　present　with　which　her　husband；　if　she　gets　one　at　last；　will　be　gratified；　but　every　moment　we　see　men　wooing　married　women　and　showing　themselves　perfectly　satisfied　to　take　them　as　they　find　them。

〃Still；　even　in　our　own　day；　the　duty　of　girls　is　determined　in　religious　morality　by　the　old　belief　that　God；　the　most　powerful　of　warriors；　is　polygamous；　that　he　has　reserved　all　maidens　for　himself；　and　that　men　can　only　take　those　whom　he　has　left。　This　belief；　although　traces　of　it　exist　in　several　metaphors　of　mysticism；　is　abandoned　to…day；　by　most　civilised　peoples。　However；　it　still　dominates　the　education　of　girls　not　only　among　our　believers；　but　even　among　our　free…thinkers；　who；　as　a　rule；　think　freely　for　the　reason　that　they　do　not　think　at　all。

〃Discretion　means　ability　to　separate　and　discern。　We　say　that　a　girl　is　discreet　when　she　knows　nothing　at　all。　We　cultivate　her　ignorance。　In　spite　of　all　our　care　the　most　discreet　know　something；　for　we　cannot　conceal　from　them　their　own　nature　and　their　own　sensations。　But　they　know　badly；　they　know　in　a　wrong　way。　That　is　all　we　obtain　by　our　careful　education。　。　。　。〃

〃Sir；〃　suddenly　said　Joseph　Boutourle；　the　High　Treasurer　of　Alca；　〃believe　me；　there　are　innocent　girls；　perfectly　innocent　girls；　and　it　is　a　great　pity。　I　have　known　three。　They　married；　and　the　result　was　tragical。〃

〃I　have　noticed；〃　Professor　Haddock　went　on；　〃that　Europeans　in　general　and　Penguins　in　particular　occupy　themselves；　after　sport　and　motoring；　with　nothing　so　much　as　with　love。　It　is　giving　a　great　deal　of　importance　to　a　matter　that　has　very　little　weight。〃

〃Then；　Professor；〃　exclaimed　Madame　Cremeur　in　a　choking　voice；　〃when　a　woman　has　completely　surrendered　herself　to　you；　you　think　it　is　a　matter　of　no　importance？〃

〃No；　Madame；　it　can　have　its　importance；〃　answered　Professor　Haddock；　〃but　it　is　necessary　to　examine　if　when　she　surrenders　herself　to　us　she　offers　us　a　delicious　fruit…garden　or　a　plot　of　thistles　and　dandelions。　And　then；　do　we　not　misuse　words？　In　love；　a　woman　lends　herself　rather　than　gives　herself。　Look　at　the　pretty　Madame　Pensee。　。　。　。〃

〃She　is　my　mother；〃　said　a　tall；　fair　young　man。

〃Sir；　I　have　the　greatest　respect　for　her；〃　replied　Professor　Haddock；　〃do　not　be　afraid　that　I　intend　to　say　anything　in　the　least　offensive　about　her。　But　allow　me　to　tell　you　that；　as　a　rule；　the　opinions　of　sons　about　their　mothers　are　not　to　be　relied　on。　They　do　not　bear　enough　in　mind　that　a　mother　is　a　mother　only　because　she　loved；　and　that　she　can　still　love。　That；　however；　is　the　case；　and　it　would　be　deplorable　were　it　otherwise。　I　have　noticed；　on　the　contrary；　that　daughters　do　not　deceive　themselves　about　their　mothers'　faculty　for　loving　or　about　the　use　they　make　of　it；　they　are　rivals；　they　have　their　eyes　upon　them。〃

The　insupportable　Professor　spoke　a　great　deal　longer；　adding　indecorum　to　awkwardness；　and　impertinence　to　incivility；　accumulating　incongruities；　despising　what　is　respectable；　respecting　what　is　despicable；　but　no　one　listened　to　him　further。

During　this　time　in　a　room　that　was　simple　without　grace；　a　room　sad　for　the　want　of　love；　a　room　which；　like　all　young　girls'　rooms；　had　something　of　the　cold　atmosphere　of　a　place　of　waiting　about　it；　Eveline　Clarence　turned　over　the　pages　of　club　annuals　and　prospectuses　of　charities　in　order　to　obtain　from　them　some　acquaintance　with　society。　Being　convinced　that　her　mother；　shut　up　in　her　own　intellectual　but　poor　world；　could　neither　bring　her　out　or　push　her　into　prominence；　she　decided　that　she　herself　would　seek　the　best　means　of　winning　a　husband。　At　once　calm　and　obstinate；　without　dreams　or　illusions；　and　regarding　marriage　as　but　a　ticket　of　admission　or　a　passport；　she　kept　before　her　mind　a　clear　notion　of　the　hazards；　difficulties；　and　chances　of　her　enterprise。　She　had　the　art　of　pleasing　and　a　coldness　of　temperament　that　enabled　her　to　turn　it　to　its　fullest　advantage。　Her　weakness　lay　in　the　fact　that　she　was　dazzled　by　anything　that　had　an　aristocratic　air。

When　she　was　alone　with　her　mother　she　said：

〃Mamma；　we　will　go　to…morrow　to　Father　Douillard's　retreat。〃



II。　THE　CHARITY　OF　ST。　ORBEROSIA

Every　Friday　evening　at　nine　o'clock　the　choicest　of　Alcan　society　assembled　in　the　aristocratic　church　of　St。　Mael　for　the　Reverend　Father　Douillard's　retreat。　Prince　and　Princess　des　Boscenos；　Viscount　and　Viscountess　Olive；　M。　and　Madame　Bigourd；　Monsieur　and　Madame　de　La　Trumelle　were　never　absent。　The　flower　of　the　aristocracy　might　be　seen　there；　and　fair　Jewish　baronesses　also　adorned　it　by　their　presence；　for　the　Jewish　baronesses　of　Alca　were　Christians。

This　retreat；　like　all　religious　retreats；　had　for　its　object　to　procure　for　those　living　in　the　world　opportunities　for　recollection　so　that　they　might　think　of　their　eternal　salvation。　It　was　also　intended　to　draw　down　upon　so　man　noble　and　illustrious　families　the　benediction　of　L。　Orberosia；　who　loves　the　Penguins。　The　Reverend　Father　Douillard　strove　for　the　completion　of　his　task　with　a　truly　apostolical　zeal。　He　hoped　to　restore　the　prerogatives　of　St。　Orberosia　as　the　patron　saint　of　Penguinia　and　to　dedicate　to　her　a　monumental　church　on　one　of　the　hills　that　dominate　the　city。　His　efforts　had　been　crowned　with　great　success；　and　for　the　accomplishing　of　this　national　enterprise　he　had　already　united　more　than　a　hundred　thousand　adherents　and　collected　more　than　twenty　millions　of　francs。

It　was　in　the　choir　of　St。　Mael's　that　St。　Orberosia's　new　shrine；　shining　with　gold；　sparkling　with　precious　stones；　and　surrounded　by　tapers　and　flowers；　had　been　erected。

The　following　account　may　be　read　in　the　〃History　of　the　Miracles　of　the　Patron　Saint　of　Alca〃　by　the　Abbe　Plantain：

〃The　ancient　shrine　had　been　melted　down　during　the　Terror　and　the　precious　relics　of　the　saint　thrown　into　a　fire　that　had　been　lit　on　the　P