lucile-第22节

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e　vague　disquietude　stray　I　had　seen　on　the　face　of　my　friend　at　the　play；　And　I　thought　that　he　too；　very　probably；　spent　His　evenings　not　wholly　as　first　he　had　meant。


XI。


O　source　of　the　holiest　joys　we　inherit；　O　Sorrow；　thou　solemn；　invisible　spirit！　Ill　fares　it　with　man　when；　through　life's　desert　sand；　Grown　impatient　too　soon　for　the　long…promised　land；　He　turns　from　the　worship　of　thee；　as　thou　art；　An　expressless　and　imageless　truth　in　the　heart；　And　takes　of　the　jewels　of　Egypt；　the　pelf　And　the　gold　of　the　Godless；　to　make　to　himself　A　gaudy；　idolatrous　image　of　thee；　And　then　bows　to　the　sound　of　the　cymbal　the　knee。　The　sorrows　we　make　to　ourselves　are　false　gods：　Like　the　prophets　of　Baal；　our　bosoms　with　rods　We　may　smite；　we　may　gash　at　our　hearts　till　they　bleed；　But　these　idols　are　blind；　deaf；　and　dumb　to　our　need。　The　land　is　athirst；　and　cries　out！　。　。　。　'tis　in　vain；　The　great　blessing　of　Heaven　descends　not　in　rain。


XII。


It　was　night；　and　the　lamps　were　beginning　to　gleam　Through　the　long　linden…trees；　folded　each　in　his　dream；　From　that　building　which　looks　like　a　temple　。　。　。　and　is　The　Temple　ofHealth？　　Nay；　but　enter！　I　wis　That　never　the　rosy…hued　deity　knew　One　votary　out　of　that　sallow…cheek'd　crew　Of　Courlanders；　Wallacs；　Greeks；　affable　Russians；　Explosive　Parisians；　potato…faced　Prussians；　JewsHamburghers　chiefly；pure　patriots；Suabians；　〃Cappadocians　and　Elamites；　Cretes　and　Arabians；　And　the　dwellers　in　Pontus〃　。　。　。　My　muse　will　not　weary　More　lines　with　the　list　of　them　。　。　。　cur　fremuere？　What　is　it　they　murmur；　and　mutter；　and　hum？　Into　what　Pandemonium　is　Pentecost　come？　Oh；　what　is　the　name　of　the　god　at　whose　fane　Every　nation　is　mix'd　in　so　motley　a　train？　What　weird　Kabala　lies　on　those　tables　outspread？　To　what　oracle　turns　with　attention　each　head？　What　holds　these　pale　worshippers　each　so　devout；　And　what　are　those　hierophants　busied　about？


XIII。


Here　passes；　repasses；　and　flits　to　and　fro；　And　rolls　without　ceasing　the　great　Yes　and　No：　Round　this　altar　alternate　the　weird　Passions　dance；　And　the　God　worshipp'd　here　is　the　old　God　of　Chance。　Through　the　wide…open　doors　of　the　distant　saloon　Flute；　hautboy；　and　fiddle　are　squeaking　in　tune；　And　an　indistinct　music　forever　is　roll'd；　That　mixes　and　chimes　with　the　chink　of　the　gold；　From　a　vision；　that　flits　in　a　luminous　haze；　Of　figures　forever　eluding　the　gaze；　It　fleets　through　the　doorway；　it　gleams　on　the　glass；　And　the　weird　words　pursue　itRouge；　Impair；　et　Passe！　Like　a　sound　borne　in　sleep　through　such　dreams　as　encumber　With　haggard　emotions　the　wild　wicked　slumber　Of　some　witch　when　she　seeks；　through　a　nightmare；　to　grab　at　The　hot　hoof　of　the　fiend；　on　her　way　to　the　Sabbat。


XIV。


The　Duc　de　Luvois　and　Lord　Alfred　had　met　Some　few　evenings　ago　（for　the　season　as　yet　Was　but　young）　in　this　selfsame　Pavilion　of　Chance。　The　idler　from　England；　the　idler　from　France；　Shook　hands；　each；　of　course；　with　much　cordial　pleasure：　An　acquaintance　at　Ems　is　to　most　men　a　treasure；　And　they　both　were　too　well…bred　in　aught　to　betray　One　discourteous　remembrance　of　things　pass'd　away。　'Twas　a　sight　that　was　pleasant；　indeed；　to　be　seen；　These　friends　exchange　greetings；the　men　who　had　been　Foes　so　nearly　in　days　that　were　past。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　This；　no　doubt；　Is　why；　on　the　night　I　am　speaking　about；　My　Lord　Alfred　sat　down　by　himself　at　roulette；　Without　one　suspicion　his　bosom　to　fret；　Although　he　had　left；　with　his　pleasant　French　friend；　Matilda；　half　vex'd；　at　the　room's　farthest　end。


XV。


Lord　Alfred　his　combat　with　Fortune　began　With　a　few　modest　thalersaway　they　all　ran　The　reserve　follow'd　fast　in　the　rear。　　As　his　purse　Grew　lighter　his　spirits　grew　sensibly　worse。　One　needs　not　a　Bacon　to　find　a　cause　for　it：　'Tis　an　old　law　in　physicsNatura　abhorret　Vacuumand　my　lord；　as　he　watch'd　his　last　crown　Tumble　into　the　bank；　turn'd　away　with　a　frown　Which　the　brows　of　Napoleon　himself　might　have　deck'd　On　that　day　of　all　days　when　an　empire　was　wreck'd　On　thy　plain；　Waterloo；　and　he　witness'd　the　last　Of　his　favorite　Guard　cut　to　pieces；　aghast！　Just　then　Alfred　felt；　he　could　scarcely　tell　why；　Within　him　the　sudden　strange　sense　that　some　eye　Had　long　been　intently　regarding　him　there；　That　some　gaze　was　upon　him　too　searching　to　bear。　He　rose　and　look'd　up。　　Was　it　fact？　　Was　it　fable？　Was　it　dream？　　Was　it　waking？　　Across　the　green　table；　That　face；　with　its　features　so　fatally　known　Those　eyes；　whose　deep　gaze　answer'd　strangely　his　own　What　was　it？　　Some　ghost　from　its　grave　come　again？　Some　cheat　of　a　feverish；　fanciful　brain？　Or　was　it　herself　with　those　deep　eyes　of　hers；　And　that　face　unforgotten？Lucile　de　Nevers！


XVI。


Ah；　well　that　pale　woman　a　phantom　might　seem；　Who　appear'd　to　herself　but　the　dream　of　a　dream！　'Neath　those　features　so　calm；　that　fair　forehead　so　hush'd；　That　pale　cheek　forever　by　passion　unflush'd；　There　yawn'd　an　insatiate　void；　and　there　heaved　A　tumult　of　restless　regrets　unrelieved。　The　brief　noon　of　beauty　was　passing　away；　And　the　chill　of　the　twilight　fell；　silent　and　gray；　O'er　that　deep；　self…perceived　isolation　of　soul。　And　now；　as　all　around　her　the　dim　evening　stole；　With　its　weird　desolations；　she　inwardly　grieved　For　the　want　of　that　tender　assurance　received　From　the　warmth　of　a　whisper；　the　glance　of　an　eye；　Which　should　say；　or　should　look；　〃Fear　thou　naught；I　am　by！〃　And　thus；　through　that　lonely　and　self…fix'd　existence；　Crept　a　vague　sense　of　silence；　and　horror；　and　distance：　A　strange　sort　of　faint…footed　fear；like　a　mouse　That　comes　out；　when　'tis　dark；　in　some　old　ducal　house　Long　deserted；　where　no　one　the　creature　can　scare；　And　the　forms　on　the　arras　are　all　that　move　there。

In　Rome；in　the　Forum；there　open'd　one　night　A　gulf。　　All　the　augurs　turn'd　pale　at　the　sight。　In　this　omen　the　anger　of　Heaven　they　read。　Men　consulted　the　gods：　then　the　oracle　said：　〃Ever　open　this　gulf　shall　endure；　till　at　last　That　which　Rome　hath　most　precious　within　it　be　cast。〃　The　Romans　threw　in　it　their　corn　and　their　stuff；　But　the　gulf　yawn'd　as　wide。　　Rome　seem'd　likely　enough　To　be　ruin'd　ere　this　rent　in　her　heart　she　could　choke。　Then　Curtius；　revering　the　oracle；　spoke：　〃O　Quirites！　to　this　Heaven's　question　is　come：　What　to　Rome　is　most　precious？　　The　manhood　of　Rome。〃　He　plunged；　and　the　gulf　closed。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　tale　is　not　new；　But　the　moral　applies　many　ways；　and　is　true。　How；　for　hearts　rent　in　twain；　shall　the　curse　be　destroy'd？　'Tis　a　warm　human　one　that　must　fill　up　the　void。　Through　many　a　heart　runs　the　rent　in　the　fable；　But　who　to　discover　a　Curtius　is　able？


XVII。


Back　she　came　from　her　long　hiding…place；　at　the　source　Of　the　sunrise；　where；　fair　in　their　fabulous　course；　Run　the　rivers　of　Eden：　an　exile　again；　To　the　cities　of　Europethe　scenes；　and　the　men；　And　the　life；　and　the　ways；　she　had　left：　still　oppress'd　With　the　same　hungry　heart；　and　unpeaceable　breast。　The　same；　to　the　same　things！　　The　world　she　had　quitted　With　a　sigh；　with　a　sigh　she　re…enter'd。　　Soon　flitted　Through　the　salons　and　clubs；　to　the　great　satisfaction　Of　Paris；　the　news　of　a　novel　attraction。　The　enchanting　Lucile；　the　gay　Countess；　once　more；　To　her　old　friend；　the　World；　had　reopen'd　her　door；　The　World　came；　and　shook　hands；　and　was　pleased　and　amused　With　what　the　World　then　went　away　and　abused。　From　the　woman's　fair　fame　it　in　naught　could　detract：　'Twas　the　woman's　free　genius　it　vex'd　and　attack'd　With　a　sneer　at　her　freedom　of　action　and　speech。　But　its　light　careless　cavils；　in　truth；　could　not　reach　The　lone　heart　they　aim'd　at。　　Her　tears　fell　beyond　The　world's　limit；　to　feel　that　the　world　could　respond　To　that　heart's　deepest；　innermost　yearning；　in　naught；　'Twas　no　longer　this　earth's　idle　inmates　she　sought：　The　wit　of　the　woman　sufficed　to　engage　In　the　woman's　gay　court　the　first　men　of　the　age。　Some　had　genius；　and　all；　wealth　of　mind　to　confer　On　the　world：　but　that　wealth　was　not　lavish'd　for　her。　For　the　genius　of　man；　though　so　human　indeed；　When　call'd　out　to　man's　help　by　some　great　human　need；　The　right　to　a　man's　chance　acquaintance　refuses　To　use　what　it　hoards　for　mankind's　nobler　uses。　Genius　touches　the　world　at　but　one　point　alone　Of　that　spacious　circumference；　never　quite　known　To　the　world；　all　the　infinite　number　of　lines　That　radiate　thither　a　mere　point　combines；　But　one　only；some　central　affection　apart　From　the　reach　of　the　world；　in　which　Genius　is　Heart；　And　love；　life's　fine　centre；　includes　heart　and　mind；　And　therefore　it　was　that　Lucile　sigh'd　to　find　Men　of　genius　appear；　one　and　all　in　her　ken；　When　they　stoop'd　themselves　to　it；　as　mere　clever　men；　Artists；　statesmen；　and　they　in　whose　works　are　unfurl'd　Worlds　new…fashioned　for　man；　as　mere　men　of　the　world。　And　so；　as　alone　now　she　stood；　in　the　sight　Of　the　sunset　of　youth；　with　her　face　from　the　light；　And　watch'd　her　own　shadow　grow　long　at　her　feet；　As　though　stretch'd　out；　the　shade　of　some　OTHER　to　meet；　The　woman　felt　homeless　and　childless：　in　scorn　She　seem'd　mock'd　by　the　voices　of　children　unborn；　And　when　from　these　sombre　reflections　away　She　turn'd；　with　a　sigh；　to　th