Page:Georges Eekhoud - Escal Vigor, a novel.djvu/287

Rh Others still, summoned their friends like hyenas to the quarry, and, while the instruments continued their hoarse music, the laughing of this crowd mingled therewith like the outcries of unclean animals. The young males, who had been languishing for Claudie, seized now the chance to flatter her with their gross and lascivious motions, she mean while,with gesture and word, continuing to excite the maddened Corybantes. Were they going to tear him to pieces alive? Was he about to perish dissected under their nails?

Past ages had probably seen the distant ancestresses of these immolators rage thus against shipwrecked men and dance around a flaming pile of wreckage; and, in fabulous times, Saint Olfgar must have seen similar cannibal throats and eyes gloat over and mock at his agony.

Landrillon, now irrecoverably compromised, no longer observed any measure, but flying from one to another, related in his fashion the mysteries of Escal-Vigor, revealing to any who would listen to him the foul deeds of Guidon and his protector, thus thinking to enlist religion and good morals on his side; the obscene rascal became a