salammbo-第38部分

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goddess。　〃Each　time　I　declared　a　quarter　less；　Master！〃　Hamilcar　was

reckoning　with　the　balls；　they　rang　beneath　his　fingers。



〃Enough！　What　have　you　paid？〃



〃To　Stratonicles　of　Corinth；　and　to　three　Alexandrian　merchants；　on

these　letters　here　（they　have　been　realised）；　ten　thousand　Athenian

drachmas；　and　twelve　Syrian　talents　of　gold。　The　food　for　the　crews；

amounting　to　twenty　minae　a　month　for　each　trireme〃



〃I　know！　How　many　lost？〃



〃Here　is　the　account　on　these　sheets　of　lead；〃　said　the　Steward。　〃As

to　the　ships　chartered　in　common；　it　has　often　been　necessary　to　throw

the　cargo　into　the　seas；　and　so　the　unequal　losses　have　been　divided

among　the　partners。　For　the　ropes　which　were　borrowed　from　the

arsenals；　and　which　it　was　impossible　to　restore；　the　Syssitia　exacted

eight　hundred　kesitahs　before　the　expedition　to　Utica。〃



〃They　again！〃　said　Hamilcar；　hanging　his　head；　and　he　remained　for　a

time　as　if　quite　crushed　by　the　weight　of　all　the　hatreds　that　he

could　feel　upon　him。　〃But　I　do　not　see　the　Megara　expenses？〃



Abdalonim；　turning　pale；　went　to　another　set　of　pigeon…holes；　and　took

from　them　some　planchettes　of　sycamore　wood　strung　in　packets　on

leathern　strings。



Hamilcar；　curious　about　these　domestic　details；　listened　to　him　and

grew　calm　with　the　monotony　of　the　tones　in　which　the　figures　were

enumerated。　Abdalonim　became　slower。　Suddenly　he　let　the　wooden　sheets

fall　to　the　ground　and　threw　himself　flat　on　his　face　with　his　arms

stretched　out　in　the　position　of　a　condemned　criminal。　Hamilcar　picked

up　the　tablets　without　any　emotion；　and　his　lips　parted　and　his　eyes

grew　larger　when　he　perceived　an　exorbitant　consumption　of　meat；　fish；

birds；　wines；　and　aromatics；　with　broken　vases；　dead　slaves；　and

spoiled　carpets　set　down　as　the　expense　of　a　single　day。



Abdalonim；　still　prostrate；　told　him　of　the　feast　of　the　Barbarians。

He　had　not　been　able　to　avoid　the　command　of　the　Ancients。　Moreover；

Salammbo　desired　money　to　be　lavished　for　the　better　reception　of　the

soldiers。



At　his　daughter's　name　Hamilcar　leaped　to　his　feet。　Then　with

compressed　lips　he　crouched　down　upon　the　cushions；　tearing　the

fringes　with　his　nails；　and　panting　with　staring　eyes。



〃Rise！〃　said　he；　and　he　descended。



Abdalonim　followed　him；　his　knees　trembled。　But　seizing　an　iron　bar　he

began　like　one　distraught　to　loosen　the　paving　stones。　A　wooden　disc

sprang　up　and　soon　there　appeared　throughout　the　length　of　the　passage

several　of　the　large　covers　employed　for　stopping　up　the　trenches　in

which　grain　was　kept。



〃You　see；　Eye　of　Baal；〃　said　the　servant；　trembling；　〃they　have　not

taken　everything　yet！　and　these　are　each　fifty　cubits　deep　and　filled

up　to　the　brim！　During　your　voyage　I　had　them　dug　out　in　the　arsenals；

in　the　gardens；　everywhere！　your　house　is　full　of　corn　as　your　heart

is　full　of　wisdom。〃



A　smile　passed　over　Hamilcar's　face。　〃It　is　well；　Abdalonim！〃　Then

bending　over　to　his　ear：　〃You　will　have　it　brought　from　Etruria；

Brutium；　whence　you　will；　and　no　matter　at　what　price！　Heap　it　and

keep　it！　I　alone　must　possess　all　the　corn　in　Carthage。〃



Then　when　they　were　alone　at　the　extremity　of　the　passage；　Abdalonim；

with　one　of　the　keys　hanging　at　his　girdle；　opened　a　large

quadrangular　chamber　divided　in　the　centre　by　pillars　of　cedar。　Gold；

silver；　and　brass　coins　were　arranged　on　tables　or　packed　into　niches；

and　rose　as　high　as　the　joists　of　the　roof　along　the　four　walls。　In

the　corners　there　were　huge　baskets　of　hippopotamus　skin　supporting

whole　rows　of　smaller　bags；　there　were　hillocks　formed　of　heaps　of

bullion　on　the　pavement；　and　here　and　there　a　pile　that　was　too　high

had　given　way　and　looked　like　a　ruined　column。　The　large　Carthaginian

pieces；　representing　Tanith　with　a　horse　beneath　a　palm…tree；　mingled

with　those　from　the　colonies；　which　were　marked　with　a　bull；　star；

globe；　or　crescent。　Then　there　might　be　seen　pieces　of　all　values；

dimensions；　and　ages　arrayed　in　unequal　amountsfrom　the　ancient

coins　of　Assyria；　slender　as　the　nail；　to　the　ancient　ones　of　Latium；

thicker　than　the　hand；　with　the　buttons　of　Egina；　the　tablets　of

Bactriana；　and　the　short　bars　of　Lacedaemon；　many　were　covered　with

rust；　or　had　grown　greasy；　or；　having　been　taken　in　nets　or　from　among

the　ruins　of　captured　cities；　were　green　with　the　water　or　blackened

by　fire。　The　Suffet　had　speedily　calculated　whether　the　sums　present

corresponded　with　the　gains　and　losses　which　had　just　been　read　to

him；　and　he　was　going　away　when　he　perceived　three　brass　jars

completely　empty。　Abdalonim　turned　away　his　head　to　mark　his　horror；

and　Hamilcar；　resigning　himself　to　it；　said　nothing。



They　crossed　other　passages　and　other　halls；　and　at　last　reached　a

door　where；　to　ensure　its　better　protection　and　in　accordance　with　a

Roman　custom　lately　introduced　into　Carthage；　a　man　was　fastened　by

the　waist　to　a　long　chain　let　into　the　wall。　His　beard　and　nails　had

grown　to　an　immoderate　length；　and　he　swayed　himself　from　right　to

left　with　that　continual　oscillation　which　is　characteristic　of

captive　animals。　As　soon　as　he　recognised　Hamilcar　he　darted　towards

him；　crying：



〃Pardon；　Eye　of　Baal！　pity！　kill　me！　For　ten　years　I　have　not　seen　the

sun！　In　your　father's　name；　pardon！〃



Hamilcar；　without　answering　him；　clapped　his　hands　and　three　men

appeared；　and　all　four　simultaneously　stiffening　their　arms；　drew　back

from　its　rings　the　enormous　bar　which　closed　the　door。　Hamilcar　took　a

torch　and　disappeared　into　the　darkness。



This　was　believed　to　be　the　family　burying…place；　but　nothing　would

have　been　found　in　it　except　a　broad　well。　It　was　dug　out　merely　to

baffle　robbers；　and　it　concealed　nothing。　Hamilcar　passed　along　beside

it；　then　stooping　down　he　made　a　very　heavy　millstone　turn　upon　its

rollers；　and　through　this　aperture　entered　an　apartment　which　was

built　in　the　shape　of　a　cone。



The　walls　were　covered　with　scales　of　brass；　and　in　the　centre；　on　a

granite　pedestal；　stood　the　statue　of　one　of　the　Kabiri　called　Aletes；

the　discoverer　of　the　mines　in　Celtiberia。　On　the　ground；　at　its　base；

and　arranged　in　the　form　of　a　cross；　were　large　gold　shields　and

monster　close…necked　silver　vases；　of　extravagant　shape　and　unfitted

for　use；　it　was　customary　to　cast　quantities　of　metal　in　this　way；　so

that　dilapidation　and　even　removal　should　be　almost　impossible。



With　his　torch　he　lit　a　miner's　lamp　which　was　fastened　to　the　idol's

cap；　and　green；　yellow；　blue；　violet；　wine…coloured；　and　blood…

coloured　fires　suddenly　illuminated　the　hall。　It　was　filled　with　gems

which　were　either　in　gold　calabashes　fastened　like　sconces　upon　sheets

of　brass；　or　were　ranged　in　native　masses　at　the　foot　of　the　wall。

There　were　callaides　shot　away　from　the　mountains　with　slings；

carbuncles　formed　by　the　urine　of　the　lynx；　glossopetrae　which　had

fallen　from　the　moon；　tyanos；　diamonds；　sandastra；　beryls；　with　the