Part 40 (2/2)
”Why are kings hated?” he repeated; ”Because today they are the effete representatives of an effete system. I can quite imagine that if, as in olden times, kings had maintained a position of personal bravery, and personal influence on their subjects, they would have been as much beloved as they are now despised. But what we have to see and to recognise is this: in one land we hear of a sovereign who speculates hand-and-glove with low-born Jew contractors and tradesmen,--another monarch makes no secret of his desire to profit financially out of a gambling h.e.l.l started in his dominions,--another makes his domestic affairs the subject of newspaper comment,--another is always apostrophising the Almighty in public;--another is insane or stupid,--and so on through the whole gamut. Is it not natural that an intelligent People should resent the fact that their visibly governing head is a gambler, or a voluptuary? Myself, I think the growing unpopularity of kings is the result of their incapability for kings.h.i.+p.”
”Now let me speak!” cried Paul Zouche excitedly; ”There is another root to the matter,--a root like that of a certain tropical orchid, which according to superst.i.tion, is shaped like a man, and utters a shriek when it is pulled out of the earth! Pull out this screaming mystery,--hatred of kings! In the first place it is because they are hateful in themselves,--because they have been brought up and educated to take an immeasurable and all-absorbing interest in their own ident.i.ty, rather than in the lives, hopes and aims of their subjects. In the second--as soon as they occupy thrones, they become overbearing to their best friends. It is a well-known fact that the more loyal and faithful you are to a king, the more completely is he neglectful of you! 'Put not your trust in princes,' sang old David. He knew how untrustworthy they were, being a king himself, and a pious one to boot!
Thirdly and lastly,--they only give their own personal attention to their concubines, and leave all their honest and respectable subjects to be dealt with by servants and secretaries. Our King, for example, never smiles so graciously as on Madame Vantine, the wife of Vantine the wine-grower;--and he buys Vantine's wines as well as his wife, which brings in a double profit to the firm!”
Leroy looked up.
”Are you sure of that?”
Zouche met his eyes with a stare and a laugh.
”Sure? Of course I am sure! By my faith, your resemblance to his Majesty is somewhat striking to-night, my bold Leroy! The same straight brows--the same inscrutable, woman-conquering smile! I studied his portrait after the offer of the hundred golden pieces--and I swear you might be his twin brother!”
”I told you so!” replied Leroy imperturbably;--”It is a hateful resemblance! I wish I could rid myself of it. Still after all, there is something unique in being countenanced like a King, and minded as a Socialist!”
”True!” put in Thord gently;--”I am satisfied, Pasquin Leroy, that you are an honest comrade!”
Leroy met his eyes with a grave smile, and touched his gla.s.s by way of acknowledgement.
”You do not ask me,” he said then, ”whether I have been able to serve your Cause in any way since last we met?”
”This is not our regular meeting,” said Johan Zegota; ”We ask no questions till the general monthly a.s.sembly.”
”I see!” And Leroy looked whimsically meditative--”Still, as we are all friends and brothers here, there is no harm in conveying to you the fact that I have so far moved, in the appointed way, that Carl Perousse has ordered the discovery and arrest of one Pasquin Leroy, supposed to be a spy on the military defences of the city!”
Lotys gave a little cry.
”Not possible! So soon!”
”Quite possible, Madame,” said Leroy inclining his head towards her deferentially. ”I have lost no time in doing my duty!” And his eyes flashed upon her with a pa.s.sionate, half-eager questioning. ”I must carry out my Chief's commands!”
”But you are in danger, then?” said Sergius Thord, bending an anxious look of enquiry upon him.
”Not more so than you, or any of my comrades are,” replied Leroy; ”I have commenced my campaign--and I have no doubt you will hear some results of it ere long!”
He spoke so quietly and firmly, yet with such an air of a.s.surance and authority, that something of an electric thrill pa.s.sed through the entire company, and all eyes were fixed on him in mingled admiration and wonderment.
”Of the 'Corruption of the State,' concerning which our fair teacher has spoken to-night,” he continued, with another quick glance at Lotys--”there can be no manner of doubt. But we should, I think, say the 'Corruption of the Ministry' rather than of the State. It is not because a few stock-jobbers rule the Press and the Cabinet, that the State is necessarily corrupt. Remove the corruptors,--sweep the dirt from the house--and the State will be clean.”
”It will require a very long broom!” said Paul Zouche. ”Take David Jost, for example,--he is the fat Jew-spider of several newspaper webs,--and to sweep him out is not so easy. His printed sheets are read by the million; and the million are deluded into believing him a reliable authority!”
”Nothing so easy as to prove him unreliable,” said Leroy composedly; ”And then----”
”Then the million will continue to read his journals out of sheer curiosity, to see how long a liar can go on lying!” said Zouche;--”Besides a Jew can turn his coat a dozen times a day; he has inherited Joseph's 'coat of many colours' to suit many opinions. At present Jost supports Perousse, and calls him the greatest statesman living; but if Perousse were once proved a fraud, Jost would pen a sublimely-conscientious leading article, beginning in this strain;--'
We are now at liberty to confess that we always had our doubts of M.
Perousse!'”
A murmur of angry laughter went round the board.
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