salammbo-第32章

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and　she　was　extraordinarily　pale；　doubtless　on　account　of　the　cold。



At　last　she　came　close　to　Hamilcar；　and　without　looking　at　him；

without　raising　her　head　to　him：



〃Greeting；　eye　of　Baalim；　eternal　glory！　triumph！　leisure！

satisfaction！　riches！　Long　has　my　heart　been　sad　and　the　house

drooping。　But　the　returning　master　is　like　reviving　Tammouz；　and

beneath　your　gaze；　O　father；　joyfulness　and　a　new　existence　will

everywhere　prevail！〃



And　taking　from　Taanach's　hands　a　little　oblong　vase　wherein　smoked　a

mixture　of　meal；　butter；　cardamom；　and　wine：　〃Drink　freely；〃　said　she；

〃of　the　returning　cup；　which　your　servant　has　prepared！〃



He　replied：　〃A　blessing　upon　you！〃　and　he　mechanically　grasped　the

golden　vase　which　she　held　out　to　him。



He　scanned　her；　however；　with　such　harsh　attention；　that　Salammbo　was

troubled　and　stammered　out：



〃They　have　told　you；　O　Master！〃



〃Yes！　I　know！〃　said　Hamilcar　in　a　low　voice。



Was　this　a　confession；　or　was　she　speaking　of　the　Barbarians？　And　he

added　a　few　vague　words　upon　the　public　embarrassments　which　he　hoped

by　his　sole　efforts　to　clear　away。



〃O　father！〃　exclaimed　Salammbo；　〃you　will　not　obliterate　what　is

irreparable！〃



Then　he　drew　back　and　Salammbo　was　astonished　at　his　amazement；　for

she　was　not　thinking　of　Carthage　but　of　the　sacrilege　in　which　she

found　herself　implicated。　This　man；　who　made　legions　tremble　and　whom

she　hardly　knew；　terrified　her　like　a　god；　he　had　guessed；　he　knew

all；　something　awful　was　about　to　happen。　〃Pardon！〃　she　cried。



Hamilcar　slowly　bowed　his　head。



Although　she　wished　to　accuse　herself　she　dared　not　open　her　lips；　and

yet　she　felt　stifled　with　the　need　of　complaining　and　being　comforted。

Hamilcar　was　struggling　against　a　longing　to　break　his　oath。　He　kept

it　out　of　pride　or　from　the　dread　of　putting　an　end　to　his

uncertainty；　and　he　looked　into　her　face　with　all　his　might　so　as　to

lay　hold　on　what　she　kept　concealed　at　the　bottom　of　her　heart。



By　degrees　the　panting　Salammbo；　crushed　by　such　heavy　looks；　let　her

head　sink　below　her　shoulders。　He　was　now　sure　that　she　had　erred　in

the　embrace　of　a　Barbarian；　he　shuddered　and　raised　both　his　fists。

She　uttered　a　shriek　and　fell　down　among　her　women；　who　crowded　around

her。



Hamilcar　turned　on　his　heel。　All　the　stewards　followed　him。



The　door　of　the　emporiums　was　opened；　and　he　entered　a　vast　round　hall

form　which　long　passages　leading　to　other　halls　branched　off　like　the

spokes　from　the　nave　of　a　wheel。　A　stone　disc　stood　in　the　centre　with

balustrades　to　support　the　cushions　that　were　heaped　up　upon　carpets。



The　Suffet　walked　at　first　with　rapid　strides；　he　breathed　noisily；　he

struck　the　ground　with　his　heel；　and　drew　his　hand　across　his　forehead

like　a　man　annoyed　by　flies。　But　he　shook　his　head；　and　as　he

perceived　the　accumulation　of　his　riches　he　became　calm；　his　thoughts；

which　were　attracted　by　the　vistas　in　the　passages；　wandered　to　the

other　halls　that　were　full　of　still　rarer　treasures。　Bronze　plates；

silver　ingots；　and　iron　bars　alternated　with　pigs　of　tin　brought　from

the　Cassiterides　over　the　Dark　Sea；　gums　from　the　country　of　the

Blacks　were　running　over　their　bags　of　palm　bark；　and　gold　dust　heaped

up　in　leathern　bottles　was　insensibly　creeping　out　through　the　worn…

out　seams。　Delicate　filaments　drawn　from　marine　plants　hung　amid　flax

from　Egypt；　Greece；　Taprobane　and　Judaea；　mandrepores　bristled　like

large　bushes　at　the　foot　of　the　walls；　and　an　indefinable　odourthe

exhalation　from　perfumes；　leather；　spices；　and　ostrich　feathers；　the

latter　tied　in　great　bunches　at　the　very　top　of　the　vaultfloated

through　the　air。　An　arch　was　formed　above　the　door　before　each　passage

with　elephants'　teeth　placed　upright　and　meeting　together　at　the

points。



At　last　he　ascended　the　stone　disc。　All　the　stewards　stood　with　arms

folded　and　heads　bent　while　Abdalonim　reared　his　pointed　mitre　with　a

haughty　air。



Hamilcar　questioned　the　Chief　of　the　Ships。　He　was　an　old　pilot　with

eyelids　chafed　by　the　wind；　and　white　locks　fell　to　his　hips　as　if

dashing　foam　of　the　tempests　had　remained　on　his　beard。



He　replied　that　he　had　sent　a　fleet　by　Gades　and　Thymiamata　to　try　to

reach　Eziongaber　by　doubling　the　Southern　Horn　and　the　promontory　of

Aromata。



Others　had　advanced　continuously　towards　the　west　for　four　moons

without　meeting　with　any　shore；　but　the　ships　prows　became　entangled

in　weeds；　the　horizon　echoed　continually　with　the　noise　of　cataracts；

blood…coloured　mists　darkened　the　sun；　a　perfume…laden　breeze　lulled

the　crews　to　sleep；　and　their　memories　were　so　disturbed　that　they

were　now　unable　to　tell　anything。　However；　expeditions　had　ascended

the　rivers　of　the　Scythians；　had　made　their　way　into　Colchis；　and　into

the　countries　of　the　Jugrians　and　of　the　Estians；　had　carried　off

fifteen　hundred　maidens　in　the　Archipelago；　and　sunk　all　the　strange

vessels　sailing　beyond　Cape　Oestrymon；　so　that　the　secret　of　the

routes　should　not　be　known。　King　Ptolemaeus　was　detaining　the　incense

from　Schesbar；　Syracuse；　Elathia；　Corsica；　and　the　islands　had

furnished　nothing；　and　the　old　pilot　lowered　his　voice　to　announce

that　a　trireme　was　taken　at　Rusicada　by　the　Numidians；〃for　they　are

with　them；　Master。〃



Hamilcar　knit　his　brows；　then　he　signed　to　the　Chief　of　the　Journeys

to　speak。　This　functionary　was　enveloped　in　a　brown；　ungirdled　robe；

and　had　his　head　covered　with　a　long　scarf　of　white　stuff　which　passed

along　the　edge　of　his　lips　and　fell　upon　his　shoulder　behind。



The　caravans　had　set　out　regularly　at　the　winter　equinox。　But　of

fifteen　hundred　men　directing　their　course　towards　the　extreme

boundaries　of　Ethiopia　with　excellent　camels；　new　leathern　bottles；

and　supplies　of　painted　cloth；　but　one　had　reappeared　at　Carthagethe

rest　having　died　of　fatigue　or　become　mad　through　the　terror　of　the

desert；and　he　said　that　far　beyond　the　Black　Harousch；　after　passing

the　Atarantes　and　the　country　of　the　great　apes；　he　had　seen　immense

kingdoms；　wherein　the　pettiest　utensils　were　all　of　gold；　a　river　of

the　colour　of　milk　and　as　broad　as　the　sea；　forests　of　blue　trees；

hills　of　aromatics；　monsters　with　human　faces　vegetating　on　the　rocks

with　eyeballs　which　expanded　like　flowers　to　look　at　you；　and　then

crystal　mountains　supporting　the　sun　behind　lakes　all　covered　with

dragons。　Others　had　returned　from　India　with　peacocks；　pepper；　and　new

textures。　As　to　those　who　go　by　way　of　the　Syrtes　and　the　temple　of

Ammon　to　purchase　chalcedony；　they　had　no　doubt　perished　in　the　sands。

The　caravans　from　Gaetulia　and　Phazzana　had　furnished　their　usual

supplies；　but　he；　the　Chief　of　the　Journeys；　did　not　venture　to　fit

one　out　just　now。



Hamilcar　understood；　the　Mercenaries　were　in　occupation　of　the

country。　He　leaned　upon　his　other　elbow　with　a　hollow　groan；　and　the

Chief　of　Farms　was　so　afraid　to　speak　that　he　trembled　horribly　in

spite　of　his　thick　shoulders　and　his　big　red　eyeballs。　His　face；　which

was　as　snub…nosed　as　a　mastiff's；　was　surmounted　by　a　net　woven　of

threads　of　bark。　He　wore　a　waist…belt　of　hairy　leopard's　skin；　wherein

gleamed　two　formidable　cutlasses。



As　soon　as　Hamilcar　turned　away　he　began　to　cry　aloud　and　invoke　all

the　Baals。　It　was　not　his　fault！　he　could　not　help　it！　He　had　watched

the　temperature；　the　soil；　the　stars；　had　planted　at　the　winter

solstice　and　pruned　at　the　waning　of　the　moon；　had　inspected　the

slaves　and　had　been　careful　of　their　clothes。



But　Hamilcar　grew　angry　at　this　loquacity。　He　clacked　his　tongue；　and

the　man　with　the　cutlasses　went　on　in　rapid　tones：



〃Ah；　Master！　they　have　pillaged　everything！　sacked　everything！

destroyed　everything！　Three　thousand　trees　have　been　cut　down　at

Maschala；　and　at　Ubada　the　granaries　have　been　looted　and　the　cisterns

filled　up！　At　Tedes　they　have　carried　off　fifteen　hundred　gomors　of

meal；　at　Marrazana　they　hav