首页 >出版文学> The Works of Edgar Allan Poe>第157章
  OnsomegrandstateoccasionIforgotwhatthekingdeterminedtohaveamasquerade,andwheneveramasqueradeoranythingofthatkind,occurredatourcourt,thenthetalents,bothofHop-FrogandTrippettaweresuretobecalledintoplay。Hop-Frog,inespecial,wassoinventiveinthewayofgettinguppageants,suggestingnovelcharacters,andarrangingcostumes,formaskedballs,thatnothingcouldbedone,itseems,withouthisassistance。
  Thenightappointedforthefetehadarrived。Agorgeoushallhadbeenfittedup,underTrippetta’seye,witheverykindofdevicewhichcouldpossiblygiveeclattoamasquerade。Thewholecourtwasinafeverofexpectation。Asforcostumesandcharacters,itmightwellbesupposedthateverybodyhadcometoadecisiononsuchpoints。Manyhadmadeuptheirmindsastowhatrolestheyshouldassumeaweek,orevenamonth,inadvance;and,infact,therewasnotaparticleofindecisionanywhereexceptinthecaseofthekingandhissevenminsters。WhytheyhesitatedInevercouldtell,unlesstheydiditbywayofajoke。Moreprobably,theyfounditdifficult,onaccountofbeingsofat,tomakeuptheirminds。Atallevents,timeflew;and,asalastresorttheysentforTrippettaandHop-Frog。
  Whenthetwolittlefriendsobeyedthesummonsofthekingtheyfoundhimsittingathiswinewiththesevenmembersofhiscabinetcouncil;butthemonarchappearedtobeinaveryillhumor。HeknewthatHop-Frogwasnotfondofwine,foritexcitedthepoorcripplealmosttomadness;andmadnessisnocomfortablefeeling。Butthekinglovedhispracticaljokes,andtookpleasureinforcingHop-Frogtodrinkandasthekingcalledit
  ’tobemerry。’
  “Comehere,Hop-Frog。”saidhe,asthejesterandhisfriendenteredtheroom;“swallowthisbumpertothehealthofyourabsentfriends,[hereHop-Frogsighed,]andthenletushavethebenefitofyourinvention。Wewantcharacterscharacters,mansomethingnoveloutoftheway。
  Weareweariedwiththiseverlastingsameness。Come,drink!thewinewillbrightenyourwits。”
  Hop-Frogendeavored,asusual,togetupajestinreplytotheseadvancesfromtheking;buttheeffortwastoomuch。Ithappenedtobethepoordwarf’sbirthday,andthecommandtodrinktohis’absentfriends’forcedthetearstohiseyes。Manylarge,bitterdropsfellintothegobletashetookit,humbly,fromthehandofthetyrant。
  “Ah!ha!ha!”roaredthelatter,asthedwarfreluctantlydrainedthebeaker。“Seewhataglassofgoodwinecando!Why,youreyesareshiningalready!”
  Poorfellow!hislargeeyesgleamed,ratherthanshone;fortheeffectofwineonhisexcitablebrainwasnotmorepowerfulthaninstantaneous。Heplacedthegobletnervouslyonthetable,andlookedrounduponthecompanywithahalfinsanestare。Theyallseemedhighlyamusedatthesuccessoftheking’s’joke。’
  “Andnowtobusiness。”saidtheprimeminister,averyfatman。
  “Yes。”saidtheKing;“Comelendusyourassistance。Characters,myfinefellow;westandinneedofcharactersallofusha!ha!ha!”andasthiswasseriouslymeantforajoke,hislaughwaschorusedbytheseven。
  Hop-Frogalsolaughedalthoughfeeblyandsomewhatvacantly。
  “Come,come。”saidtheking,impatiently,“haveyounothingtosuggest?”
  “Iamendeavoringtothinkofsomethingnovel。”repliedthedwarf,abstractedly,forhewasquitebewilderedbythewine。
  “Endeavoring!”criedthetyrant,fiercely;“whatdoyoumeanbythat?Ah,Iperceive。YouareSulky,andwantmorewine。Here,drinkthis!”andhepouredoutanothergobletfullandofferedittothecripple,whomerelygazedatit,gaspingforbreath。
  “Drink,Isay!”shoutedthemonster,“orbythefiends-“
  Thedwarfhesitated。Thekinggrewpurplewithrage。Thecourtierssmirked。Trippetta,paleasacorpse,advancedtothemonarch’sseat,and,fallingonherkneesbeforehim,imploredhimtospareherfriend。
  Thetyrantregardedher,forsomemoments,inevidentwonderatheraudacity。Heseemedquiteatalosswhattodoorsayhowmostbecominglytoexpresshisindignation。Atlast,withoututteringasyllable,hepushedherviolentlyfromhim,andthrewthecontentsofthebrimminggobletinherface。
  Thepoorgirlgotupthebestshecould,and,notdaringeventosigh,resumedherpositionatthefootofthetable。
  Therewasadeadsilenceforabouthalfaminute,duringwhichthefallingofaleaf,orofafeather,mighthavebeenheard。Itwasinterruptedbyalow,butharshandprotractedgratingsoundwhichseemedtocomeatoncefromeverycorneroftheroom。
  “Whatwhatwhatareyoumakingthatnoisefor?”demandedtheking,turningfuriouslytothedwarf。
  Thelatterseemedtohaverecovered,ingreatmeasure,fromhisintoxication,andlookingfixedlybutquietlyintothetyrant’sface,merelyejaculated:
  “II?Howcouldithavebeenme?”
  “Thesoundappearedtocomefromwithout。”observedoneofthecourtiers。
  “Ifancyitwastheparrotatthewindow,whettinghisbilluponhiscage-wires。”
  “True。”repliedthemonarch,asifmuchrelievedbythesuggestion;“but,onthehonorofaknight,Icouldhaveswornthatitwasthegrittingofthisvagabond’steeth。”
  Hereuponthedwarflaughedthekingwastooconfirmedajokertoobjecttoanyone’slaughing,anddisplayedasetoflarge,powerful,andveryrepulsiveteeth。Moreover,heavowedhisperfectwillingnesstoswallowasmuchwineasdesired。Themonarchwaspacified;andhavingdrainedanotherbumperwithnoveryperceptibleilleffect,Hop-Frogenteredatonce,andwithspirit,intotheplansforthemasquerade。
  “Icannottellwhatwastheassociationofidea。”observedhe,verytranquilly,andasifhehadnevertastedwineinhislife,“butjustafteryourmajesty,hadstruckthegirlandthrownthewineinherface
  justafteryourmajestyhaddonethis,andwhiletheparrotwasmakingthatoddnoiseoutsidethewindow,therecameintomymindacapitaldiversiononeofmyowncountryfrolicsoftenenactedamongus,atourmasquerades:buthereitwillbenewaltogether。Unfortunately,however,itrequiresacompanyofeightpersonsand-“
  “Hereweare!”criedtheking,laughingathisacutediscoveryofthecoincidence;“eighttoafractionIandmysevenministers。Come!whatisthediversion?”
  “Wecallit。”repliedthecripple,“theEightChainedOurang-Outangs,anditreallyisexcellentsportifwellenacted。”
  “Wewillenactit。”remarkedtheking,drawinghimselfup,andloweringhiseyelids。
  “Thebeautyofthegame。”continuedHop-Frog,“liesinthefrightitoccasionsamongthewomen。”
  “Capital!”roaredinchorusthemonarchandhisministry。
  “Iwillequipyouasourang-outangs。”proceededthedwarf;“leaveallthattome。Theresemblanceshallbesostriking,thatthecompanyofmasqueraderswilltakeyouforrealbeastsandofcourse,theywillbeasmuchterrifiedasastonished。”
  “Oh,thisisexquisite!”exclaimedtheking。“Hop-Frog!Iwillmakeamanofyou。”
  “Thechainsareforthepurposeofincreasingtheconfusionbytheirjangling。Youaresupposedtohaveescaped,enmasse,fromyourkeepers。
  Yourmajestycannotconceivetheeffectproduced,atamasquerade,byeightchainedourang-outangs,imaginedtoberealonesbymostofthecompany;andrushinginwithsavagecries,amongthecrowdofdelicatelyandgorgeouslyhabitedmenandwomen。Thecontrastisinimitable!”
  “Itmustbe。”saidtheking:andthecouncilarosehurriedlyasitwasgrowinglate,toputinexecutiontheschemeofHop-Frog。
  Hismodeofequippingthepartyasourang-outangswasverysimple,buteffectiveenoughforhispurposes。Theanimalsinquestionhad,attheepochofmystory,veryrarelybeenseeninanypartofthecivilizedworld;andastheimitationsmadebythedwarfweresufficientlybeast-likeandmorethansufficientlyhideous,theirtruthfulnesstonaturewasthusthoughttobesecured。
  Thekingandhisministerswerefirstencasedintight-fittingstockinetshirtsanddrawers。Theywerethensaturatedwithtar。Atthisstageoftheprocess,someoneofthepartysuggestedfeathers;butthesuggestionwasatonceoverruledbythedwarf,whosoonconvincedtheeight,byoculardemonstration,thatthehairofsuchabruteastheourang-outangwasmuchmoreefficientlyrepresentedbyflu。Athickcoatingofthelatterwasaccordinglyplastereduponthecoatingoftar。Alongchainwasnowprocured。First,itwaspassedaboutthewaistoftheking,andtied,thenaboutanotheroftheparty,andalsotied;thenaboutallsuccessively,inthesamemanner。Whenthischainingarrangementwascomplete,andthepartystoodasfarapartfromeachotheraspossible,theyformedacircle;andtomakeallthingsappearnatural,Hop-Frogpassedtheresidueofthechainintwodiameters,atrightangles,acrossthecircle,afterthefashionadopted,atthepresentday,bythosewhocaptureChimpanzees,orotherlargeapes,inBorneo。
  Thegrandsalooninwhichthemasqueradewastotakeplace,wasacircularroom,verylofty,andreceivingthelightofthesunonlythroughasinglewindowattop。Atnighttheseasonforwhichtheapartmentwasespeciallydesigneditwasilluminatedprincipallybyalargechandelier,dependingbyachainfromthecentreofthesky-light,andlowered,orelevated,bymeansofacounter-balanceasusual;butinordernottolookunsightly
  thislatterpassedoutsidethecupolaandovertheroof。
  ThearrangementsoftheroomhadbeenlefttoTrippetta’ssuperintendence;
  but,insomeparticulars,itseems,shehadbeenguidedbythecalmerjudgmentofherfriendthedwarf。Athissuggestionitwasthat,onthisoccasion,thechandelierwasremoved。Itswaxendrippingswhich,inweathersowarm,itwasquiteimpossibletopreventwouldhavebeenseriouslydetrimentaltotherichdressesoftheguests,who,onaccountofthecrowdedstateofthesaloon,couldnotallbeexpectedtokeepfromoutitscentre;thatistosay,fromunderthechandelier。Additionalsconcesweresetinvariouspartsofthehall,outofthewar,andaflambeau,emittingsweetodor,wasplacedintherighthandofeachoftheCaryaides[Caryatides]thatstoodagainstthewallsomefiftyorsixtyaltogether。
  Theeightourang-outangs,takingHop-Frog’sadvice,waitedpatientlyuntilmidnightwhentheroomwasthoroughlyfilledwithmasqueradersbeforemakingtheirappearance。Nosoonerhadtheclockceasedstriking,however,thantheyrushed,orratherrolledin,alltogetherfortheimpedimentsoftheirchainscausedmostofthepartytofall,andalltostumbleastheyentered。
  Theexcitementamongthemasqueraderswasprodigious,andfilledtheheartofthekingwithglee。Ashadbeenanticipated,therewerenotafewoftheguestswhosupposedtheferocious-lookingcreaturestobebeastsofsomekindinreality,ifnotpreciselyourang-outangs。Manyofthewomenswoonedwithaffright;andhadnotthekingtakentheprecautiontoexcludeallweaponsfromthesaloon,hispartymightsoonhaveexpiatedtheirfrolicintheirblood。Asitwas,ageneralrushwasmadeforthedoors;butthekinghadorderedthemtobelockedimmediatelyuponhisentrance;and,atthedwarf’ssuggestion,thekeyshadbeendepositedwithhim。
  Whilethetumultwasatitsheight,andeachmasqueraderattentiveonlytohisownsafetyfor,infact,therewasmuchrealdangerfromthepressureoftheexcitedcrowd,thechainbywhichthechandelierordinarilyhung,andwhichhadbeendrawnuponitsremoval,mighthavebeenseenverygraduallytodescend,untilitshookedextremitycamewithinthreefeetofthefloor。
  Soonafterthis,thekingandhissevenfriendshavingreeledaboutthehallinalldirections,foundthemselves,atlength,initscentre,and,ofcourse,inimmediatecontactwiththechain。Whiletheywerethussituated,thedwarf,whohadfollowednoiselesslyattheirheels,incitingthemtokeepupthecommotion,tookholdoftheirownchainattheintersectionofthetwoportionswhichcrossedthecirclediametricallyandatrightangles。Here,withtherapidityofthought,heinsertedthehookfromwhichthechandelierhadbeenwonttodepend;and,inaninstant,bysomeunseenagency,thechandelier-chainwasdrawnsofarupwardastotakethehookoutofreach,and,asaninevitableconsequence,todragtheourang-outangstogetherincloseconnection,andfacetoface。