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Penguin Island-Part16_Anatole France_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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antiquities and famous deeds of his family; and, indeed, he gave a notable



proof of his knowledge in this respect. As they were speaking of the various

remarkable peculiarities that had been noticed in famous women,



"It is perfectly true," said he, "that Queen Crucha, whose name I bear, had

the mark of a little monkey's head upon her body."



During the evening Agaric had a decisiveinterview with three of the prince's

oldest councillors. It was decided to ask for funds from Crucho's



father-in-law, as he was anxious to have a king for son-in-law, from several

Jewish ladies, who were impatient to become ennobled, and, finally, from the



Prince Regent of the Porpoises, who had promised his aid to the Draconides,

thinking that by Crucho's restoration he would weaken the Penguins, the



hereditary enemies of his people. The three old councillors divided among

themselves the three chief offices of the Court, those of Chamberlain,



Seneschal, and High Steward, and authorised the monk to distribute the other

places to the prince's best advantage.



"Devotion has to be rewarded," said the three old councillors.

"And treachery also," said Agaric.



"It is but too true," replied one of them, the Marquis of Sevenwounds, who had

experience of revolutions.



There was dancing, and after the ball Princess Gudrune tore up her green robe

to make cockades. With her own hands she sewed a piece of it on the monk's



breast, upon which he shed tears of sensibility and gratitude.

M. de Plume, the prince's equerry, set out the same evening to look for a



green horse.

III. THE CABAL



After his return to the capital of Penguinia, the Reverend Father Agaric

disclosed his projects to Prince Adelestan des Boscenos, of whose Draconian



sentiments he was well aware.

The prince belonged to the highest nobility. The Torticol des Boscenos went



back to Brian the Good, and under the Draconides had held the highest offices

in the kingdom. In 1179, Philip Torticol, High Admiral of Penguinia, a brave,



faithful, and generous, but vindictive man, delivered over the port of La

Crique and the Penguin fleet to the enemies of the kingdom, because he



suspected that Queen Crucha, whose lover he was, had been unfaithful to him

and loved a stable-boy. It was that great queen who gave to the Boscenos the



silver warming-pan which they bear in their arms. As for their motto, it only

goes back to the sixteenth century. The story of its origin is as follows: One



gala night, as he mingled with the crowd of courtiers who were watching the

fire-works in the king's garden, Duke John des Boscenos approached the Duchess



of Skull and put his hand under the petticoat of that lady, who made no

complaint at the gesture. The king, happening to pass, surprised them and



contented himself with saying, "And thus I find you." These four words became

the motto of the Boscenos.



Prince Adelestan had not degenerated from his ancestors. He preserved an

unalterable fidelity for the race of the Draconides and desired nothing so



much as the restoration of Prince Crucho, an event which was in his eyes to be

the fore-runner of the restoration of his own fortune. He therefore readily



entered into the Reverend Father Agaric's plans. He joined himself at once to

the monk's projects, and hastened to put him into communication with the most



loyal Royalists of his acquaintance, Count Clena, M. de La Trumelle, Viscount

Olive, and M. Bigourd. They met together one night in the Duke of Ampoule's



country house, six miles eastward of Alca, to consider ways and means.

M. de La Trumelle was in favour of legal action.



"We ought to keep within the law," said he in substance. "We are for order. It

is by an untiring propaganda that we shall best pursue the realisation of our



hopes. We must change the feeling of the country. Our cause will conquer

because it is just."



The Prince des Boscenos expressed a contrary opinion. He thought that, in

order to triumph, just causes need force quite as much and even more than



unjust causes require it.

"In the present situation," said he tranquilly, "three methods of action



present themselves: to hire the butcher boys, to corrupt the ministers, and to

kidnap President Formose."



"It would be a mistake to kidnap Formose," objected M. de La Trumelle. "The




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