GERMINAL
a rut of famishing men, women and children, let loose on the just pillage of the ancient wealth they had been deprived of. They no longer felt the cold, these burning words had warmed them to the bone. Religious exaltation raised them from the earth, a fever of hope like that of the Christians of the early Church awaiting the near coming of justice. Many obscure phrases had escaped them, they could not at all understand this technical and abstract reasoning; but the very obscurity and abstraction still further enlarged the field of promises and lifted them into a dazzling region. What a dream! to be masters, to suffer no more, to enjoy at last!
"That's it, by God! it's our turn now! Down with the exploiters."
The women were delirious; Maheude, losing her calmness, was seized with the vertigo of hunger, the Levaque woman shouted, old Brûlé, carried out of herself, was brandishing her witch-like arms, Philomène was shaken by a spasm of coughing, and Mouquette was so excited that she cried out words of tenderness to the orator. Among the men, Maheu was won over and shouted with anger, between Pierron who was trembling and Levaque who was talking too much; while the chaffers, Zacharie and Mouquet, though trying to make fun of things, were feeling uncomfortable and were surprised that their mate could talk on so long without having a drink. But on top of the pile of wood, Jeanlin was making more noise than anyone, egging on Bébert and Lydie and shaking the basket in which Poland lay.
The clamour began again. Étienne was enjoying the intoxication of his popularity. He held his power, as it were, materialised in these three thousand chests, whose hearts he could move with a word. Souvarine, if he had cared to come, would have applauded his ideas so far as he recognised them, pleased with his pupil's progress in anarchy and satisfied with the programme, except the article on education, a relic of silly sentimentality, for men needed to be dipped in a bath of holy and salutary ignorance. As to Rasseneur, he shrugged his shoulders with contempt and anger.
"You shall let me speak," he shouted to Étienne.
The latter jumped from the tree-trunk.
"Speak, we shall see if they'll hear you."
[256]
