MYTH AND HISTORY
33
ing sulkiness, a dangerous isolation from world society. Out of
this
ingrowing group, and as the "personification of things as they had
been
in Torre in general: queer, uncomfortable, troubling, tense,
oppressive, and yet fascinating in its diabolical and evil power," steps
the epitome of its drama, the figure itself of its power and weakness,
the Italian magician Cipolla, slave and master of the common un–
conscious, "a man of an age hard to determine, but by no means
young; with a sharp, ravaged face, piercing eyes, compressed lips,
small black waxed mustache ..."
Cipolla, like Peeperkom, is a Personality. He, too, is ar–
rogant and attractive, irresistible and incomprehensible. In the ma–
gician, however, the mystery is the opposite of that of naivete, rich
intuitions, and creativeness; it consists of a sophisticated diabolism, no
less effective. Peeperkom is incoherent; Cipolla
parla benissimo.
Pee–
perkorn is hearty, big; Cipolla is a peevish, spitefJ.l hunchback. Yet
in their influence upon the crowd they are identical. Under the sway
of Peeperkom "they utterly succumbed to feelings which for self–
abnegation and intensity far exceeded the accustomed gamut of these
people." And the magician, in his role of hypnotist, never ceasing his
onslaught on the individual will of each member of his audience,
brings
about " a drunken abdication of the critical spirit," a "blind
carrying out of a series of acts, directed by a force that proceeds from
organism to organism by unexplored paths."
The "self-abnegation" of the audience . of both Personalities is
presented in like language. In Cipolla's victim "it was consoling to
sec that he was having a better time than he had had in the hour of
his
pride"; and when a varied animation has possessed the entire as–
ac:mblage, we learn that "it looked unmistakably like enjoyment."
Just
as the subdued guests of Peeperkom's "blissful
far niente"
could
take "no offense (at their own indiscretions) all being in the same
irresponsible condition."
The leader is intoxicated and acts as an intoxicant to the group,
wh~
creative or destructive flame is uplifted by all that fuddles and
UDifies.
Peeperkom was thirsty: "Obviously the system of this kingly
man
stood
in more than common need of moistening"; and the liquor
pas
of Cipolla "was constant in all his experiments ... it was always
iavoked to add fuel to his daemonic fires."
It is with this effervescence varying to frenzy that the inspired
Lader enslaves to his own whimsical purposes each split man of the
tlanos,
each mere person. His seductiveness may result in restoring to
citizen
his
own life deepened by a new sense of its glory, or it may
.ubilate it in a blaze of vanity and vindictiveness. Peeperkom is
