salammbo-第47章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



auguries　were　drawn　from　the　attitudes　of　serpents。　But　the　basket　was

empty；　Salammbo　was　disturbed。



She　found　him　with　his　tail　rolled　round　one　of　the　silver　balustrades

beside　the　hanging　bed；　which　he　was　rubbing　in　order　to　free　himself

from　his　old　yellowish　skin；　while　his　body　stretched　forth　gleaming

and　clear　like　a　sword　half　out　of　the　sheath。



Then　on　the　days　following；　in　proportion　as　she　allowed　herself　to　be

convinced；　and　was　more　disposed　to　succour　Tanith；　the　python

recovered　and　grew；　he　seemed　to　be　reviving。



The　certainty　that　Salammbo　was　giving　expression　to　the　will　of　the

gods　then　became　established　in　her　conscience。　One　morning　she　awoke

resolved；　and　she　asked　what　was　necessary　to　make　Matho　restore　the

veil。



〃To　claim　it；〃　said　Schahabarim。



〃But　if　he　refuses？〃　she　rejoined。



The　priest　scanned　her　fixedly　with　a　smile　such　as　she　had　never

seen。



〃Yes；　what　is　to　be　done？〃　repeated　Salammbo。



He　rolled　between　his　fingers　the　extremities　of　the　bands　which　fell

from　his　tiara　upon　his　shoulders；　standing　motionless　with　eyes　cast

down。　At　last　seeing　that　she　did　not　understand：



〃You　will　be　alone　with　him。〃



〃Well？〃　she　said。



〃Alone　in　his　tent。〃



〃What　then？〃



Schahabarim　bit　his　lips。　He　sought　for　some　phrase；　some

circumlocution。



〃If　you　are　to　die；　that　will　be　later；〃　he　said；　〃later！　fear

nothing！　and　whatever　he　may　undertake　to　do；　do　not　call　out！　do　not

be　frightened！　You　will　be　humble；　you　understand；　and　submissive　to

his　desire；　which　is　ordained　of　heaven！〃



〃But　the　veil？〃



〃The　gods　will　take　thought　for　it；〃　replied　Schahabarim。



〃Suppose　you　were　to　accompany　me；　O　father？〃　she　added。



〃No！〃



He　made　her　kneel　down；　and　keeping　his　left　hand　raised　and　his　right

extended；　he　swore　in　her　behalf　to　bring　back　the　mantle　of　Tanith

into　Carthage。　With　terrible　imprecations　she　devoted　herself　to　the

gods；　and　each　time　that　Schahabarim　pronounced　a　word　she　falteringly

repeated　it。



He　indicated　to　her　all　the　purifications　and　fastings　that　she　was　to

observe；　and　how　she　was　to　reach　Matho。　Moreover；　a　man　acquainted

with　the　routes　would　accompany　her。



She　felt　as　if　she　had　been　set　free。　She　thought　only　of　the

happiness　of　seeing　the　zaimph　again；　and　she　now　blessed　Schahabarim

for　his　exhortations。



It　was　the　period　at　which　the　doves　of　Carthage　migrated　to　Sicily　to

the　mountain　of　Eryx　and　the　temple　of　Venus。　For　several　days　before

their　departure　they　sought　out　and　called　to　one　another　so　as　to

collect　together；　at　last　one　evening　they　flew　away；　the　wind　blew

them　along；　and　the　big　white　cloud　glided　across　the　sky　high　above

the　sea。



The　horizon　was　filled　with　the　colour　of　blood。　They　seemed　to

descend　gradually　to　the　waves；　then　they　disappeared　as　though

swallowed　up；　and　falling　of　themselves　into　the　jaws　of　the　sun。

Salammbo；　who　watched　them　retiring；　bent　her　head；　and　then　Taanach；

believing　that　she　guessed　her　sorrow；　said　gently　to　her：



〃But　they　will　come　back；　Mistress。〃



〃Yes！　I　know。〃



〃And　you　will　see　them　again。〃



〃Perhaps！〃　she　said；　sighing。



She　had　not　confided　her　resolve　to　any　one；　in　order　to　carry　it　out

with　the　greater　discretion　she　sent　Taanach　to　the　suburb　of　Kinisdo

to　buy　all　the　things　that　she　required　instead　of　requesting　them

from　the　stewards：　vermilion；　aromatics；　a　linen　girdle；　and　new

garments。　The　old　slave　was　amazed　at　these　preparations；　without

daring；　however；　to　ask　any　questions；　and　the　day；　which　had　been

fixed　by　Schahabarim；　arrived　when　Salammbo　was　to　set　out。



About　the　twelfth　hour　she　perceived；　in　the　depths　of　the　sycamore

trees；　a　blind　old　man　with　one　hand　resting　on　the　shoulder　of　a

child　who　walked　before　him；　while　with　the　other　he　carried　a　kind　of

cithara　of　black　wood　against　his　hip。　The　eunuchs；　slaves；　and　women

had　been　scrupulously　sent　away；　no　one　might　know　the　mystery　that

was　preparing。



Taanach　kindled　four　tripods　filled　with　strobus　and　cadamomum　in　the

corners　of　the　apartment；　then　she　unfolded　large　Babylonian　hangings；

and　stretched　them　on　cords　all　around　the　room；　for　Salammbo　did　not

wish　to　be　seen　even　by　the　walls。　The　kinnor…player　squatted　behind

the　door　and　the　young　boy　standing　upright　applied　a　reed　flute　to

his　lips。　In　the　distance　the　roar　of　the　streets　was　growing　feebler；

violet　shadows　were　lengthening　before　the　peristyles　of　the　temples；

and　on　the　other　side　of　the　gulf　the　mountain　bases；　the　fields　of

olive…trees；　and　the　vague　yellow　lands　undulated　indefinitely；　and

were　blended　together　in　a　bluish　haze；　not　a　sound　was　to　be　heard；

and　an　unspeakable　depression　weighed　in　the　air。



Salammbo　crouched　down　upon　the　onyx　step　on　the　edge　of　the　basin；

she　raised　her　ample　sleeves；　fastening　them　behind　her　shoulders；　and

began　her　ablutions　in　methodical　fashion；　according　to　the　sacred

rites。



Next　Taanach　brought　her　something　liquid　and　coagulated　in　an

alabaster　phial；　it　was　the　blood　of　a　black　dog　slaughtered　by　barren

women　on　a　winter's　night　amid　the　rubbish　of　a　sepulchre。　She　rubbed

it　upon　her　ears；　her　heels；　and　the　thumb　of　her　right　hand；　and　even

her　nail　remained　somewhat　red；　as　if　she　had　crushed　a　fruit。



The　moon　rose；　then　the　cithara　and　the　flute　began　to　play　together。



Salammbo　unfastened　her　earrings；　her　necklace；　her　bracelets；　and　her

long　white　simar；　she　unknotted　the　band　in　her　hair；　shaking　the

latter　for　a　few　minutes　softly　over　her　shoulders　to　cool　herself　by

thus　scattering　it。　The　music　went　on　outside；　it　consisted　of　three

notes　ever　the　same；　hurried　and　frenzied；　the　strings　grated；　the

flute　blew；　Taanach　kept　time　by　striking　her　hands；　Salammbo；　with　a

swaying　of　her　whole　body；　chanted　prayers；　and　her　garments　fell　one

after　another　around　her。



The　heavy　tapestry　trembled；　and　the　python's　head　appeared　above　the

cord　that　supported　it。　The　serpent　descended　slowly　like　a　drop　of

water　flowing　along　a　wall；　crawled　among　the　scattered　stuffs；　and

then；　gluing　its　tail　to　the　ground；　rose　perfectly　erect；　and　his

eyes；　more　brilliant　than　carbuncles；　darted　upon　Salammbo。



A　horror　of　cold；　or　perhaps　a　feeling　of　shame；　at　first　made　her

hesitate。　But　she　recalled　Schahabarim's　orders　and　advanced；　the

python　turned　downwards；　and　resting　the　centre　of　its　body　upon　the

nape　of　her　neck；　allowed　its　head　and　tail　to　hang　like　a　broken

necklace　with　both　ends　trailing　to　the　ground。　Salammbo　rolled　it

around　her　sides；　under　her　arms　and　between　her　knees；　then　taking　it

by　the　jaw　she　brought　the　little　triangular　mouth　to　the　edge　of　her

teeth；　and　half　shutting　her　eyes；　threw　herself　back　beneath　the　rays

of　the　moon。　The　white　light　seemed　to　envelop　her　in　a　silver　mist；

the　prints　of　her　humid　steps　shone　upon　the　flag…stones；　stars

quivered　in　the　depth　of　the　water；　it　tightened　upon　her　its　black

rings　that　were　spotted　with　scales　of　gold。　Salammbo　panted　beneath

the　excessive　weight；　her　loins　yielded；　she　felt　herself　dying；　and

with　the　tip　of　its　tail　the　serpent　gently　beat　her　thigh；　then　the

music　becoming　still　it　fell　off　again。



Taanach　came　back　to　her；　and　after　arranging　two　candelabra；　the

lights　of　which　burned　in　crystal　balls　filled　with　water；　she　tinged

the　inside　of　her　hands　with　Lawsonia；　spread　vermilion　upon　her

cheeks；　and　antimony　along　the　edge　of　her　eyelids；　and　lengthened　her

eyebrows　with　a　mixture　of　gum；　musk；　ebony；　and　crushed　legs　of

flies。



Salammbo　seated　on　a　chair　with　ivory　uprights；　gave　herself　up　to　the

attentions　of　the　slave。　But　the　touchings；　the　odour　of　the

aromatics；　and　the　fasts　that　she　had　undergone；　were　enervating　her。

She　became　so　pale　that　Taanach　stopped。



〃Go　on！〃　said　Salammbo；　and　bearing　up　agains