Hereupon the burgomaster himself came forward, and in a sublime harangue made short work of those pusillanimous people who disguise their fear under a veil of prudence, which veil he tore off with a patriotic hand.
At this sally it seemed as if the hall would fall in under the applause.
The vote was eagerly demanded, and was taken amid acclamations.
The cries of "To Virgamen! to Virgamen!" redoubled.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "To Virgamen! to Virgamen!"]
The burgomaster then took it upon himself to put the armies in motion, and in the name of the town he promised the honours of a triumph, such as was given in the times of the Romans to that one of its generals who should return victorious.
Meanwhile, Josse Liefrinck, who was an obstinate fellow, and did not regard himself as beaten, though he really had been, insisted on making another observation. He wished to remark that the triumph was only accorded at Rome to those victorious generals who had killed five thousand of the enemy.
"Well, well!" cried the meeting deliriously.
"And as the population of the town of Virgamen consists of but three thousand five hundred and seventy-five inhabitants, it would be difficult, unless the same person was killed several times--"
But they did not let the luckless logician finish, and he was turned out, hustled and bruised.
"Citizens," said Pulmacher the grocer, who usually sold groceries by retail, "whatever this cowardly apothecary may have said, I engage by myself to kill five thousand Virgamenians, if you will accept my services!"
"Five thousand five hundred!" cried a yet more resolute patriot.
"Six thousand six hundred!" retorted the grocer.
"Seven thousand!" cried Jean Orbideck, the confectioner of the Rue Hemling, who was on the road to a fortune by making whipped creams.
"Adjudged!" exclaimed the burgomaster Van Trica.s.se, on finding that no one else rose on the bid.
And this was how Jean Orbideck the confectioner became general-in-chief of the forces of Quiquendone.
CHAPTER XII.
IN WHICH YGeNE, THE a.s.sISTANT, GIVES A REASONABLE PIECE OF ADVICE, WHICH IS EAGERLY REJECTED BY DOCTOR OX.
"Well, master," said Ygene next day, as he poured the pails of sulphuric acid into the troughs of the great battery.
"Well," resumed Doctor Ox, "was I not right? See to what not only the physical developments of a whole nation, but its morality, its dignity, its talents, its political sense, have come! It is only a question of molecules."
"No doubt; but--"
"But--"
"Do you not think that matters have gone far enough, and that these poor devils should not be excited beyond measure?"
"No, no!" cried the doctor; "no! I will go on to the end!"
"As you will, master; the experiment, however, seems to me conclusive, and I think it time to--"
"To--"
"To close the valve."
"You"d better!" cried Doctor Ox. "If you attempt it, I"ll throttle you!"
CHAPTER XIII.
IN WHICH IT IS ONCE MORE PROVED THAT BY TAKING HIGH GROUND ALL HUMAN LITTLENESSES MAY BE OVERLOOKED.
"You say?" asked the Burgomaster Van Trica.s.se of the Counsellor Niklausse.
"I say that this war is necessary," replied Niklausse, firmly, "and that the time has come to avenge this insult."
"Well, I repeat to you," replied the burgomaster, tartly, "that if the people of Quiquendone do not profit by this occasion to vindicate their rights, they will be unworthy of their name."
"And as for me, I maintain that we ought, without delay, to collect our forces and lead them to the front."
"Really, monsieur, really!" replied Van Trica.s.se. "And do you speak thus to _me_?"
"To yourself, monsieur the burgomaster; and you shall hear the truth, unwelcome as it may be."
"And you shall hear it yourself, counsellor," returned Van Trica.s.se in a pa.s.sion, "for it will come better from my mouth than from yours! Yes, monsieur, yes, any delay would be dishonourable. The town of Quiquendone has waited nine hundred years for the moment to take its revenge, and whatever you may say, whether it pleases you or not, we shall march upon the enemy."
"Ah, you take it thus!" replied Niklausse harshly. "Very well, monsieur, we will march without you, if it does not please you to go."
"A burgomaster"s place is in the front rank, monsieur!"
[Ill.u.s.tration: "A burgomaster"s place is in the front rank, monsieur!"]
"And that of a counsellor also, monsieur."
"You insult me by thwarting all my wishes," cried the burgomaster, whose fists seemed likely to hit out before long.
"And you insult me equally by doubting my patriotism," cried Niklausse, who was equally ready for a tussle.
"I tell you, monsieur, that the army of Quiquendone shall be put in motion within two days!"
"And I repeat to you, monsieur, that forty-eight hours shall not pa.s.s before we shall have marched upon the enemy!"
It is easy to see, from this fragment of conversation, that the two speakers supported exactly the same idea. Both wished for hostilities; but as their excitement disposed them to altercation, Niklausse would not listen to Van Trica.s.se, nor Van Trica.s.se to Niklausse. Had they been of contrary opinions on this grave question, had the burgomaster favoured war and the counsellor insisted on peace, the quarrel would not have been more violent.
These two old friends gazed fiercely at each other. By the quickened beating of their hearts, their red faces, their contracted pupils, the trembling of their muscles, their harsh voices, it might be conjectured that they were ready to come to blows.