zanoni-第30节

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We　are　at　the　close　of　life；　but　we　lived　in　our　grandchild's

childhood。　　Give　us　back　our　wealth；give　us　back　our　youth。

Let　us　die　blessing　God　that　the　thing　we　love　survives　us。'〃



She　was　gone。　　Why　did　thy　heart　beat；　Viola？　　The　infant's　sharp

cry　of　pain　called　her　back　to　the　couch；　and　there　still　sat　the

old　man；　unconscious　of　his　wife's　movements；　not　stirring；　his

eyes　glazing　fast　as　they　watched　the　agonies　of　that　slight

frame。　　By　degrees　the　wail　of　pain　died　into　a　low　moan；the

convulsions　grew　feebler；　but　more　frequent；　the　glow　of　fever

faded　into　the　blue；　pale　tinge　that　settles　into　the　last

bloodless　marble。



The　daylight　came　broader　and　clearer　through　the　casement；　steps

were　heard　on　the　stairs；the　old　woman　entered　hastily；　she

rushed　to　the　bed；　cast　a　glance　on　the　patient；　〃She　lives　yet；

signor；　she　lives！〃



Viola　raised　her　eyes；the　child's　head　was　pillowed　on　her

bosom；and　she　beheld　Zanoni。　　He　smiled　on　her　with　a　tender

and　soft　approval；　and　took　the　infant　from　her　arms。　　Yet　even

then；　as　she　saw　him　bending　silently　over　that　pale　face；　a

superstitious　fear　mingled　with　her　hopes。　　〃Was　it　by　lawfulby

holy　art　that〃　her　self…questioning　ceased　abruptly；　for　his

dark　eye　turned　to　her　as　if　he　read　her　soul；　and　his　aspect

accused　her　conscience　for　its　suspicion；　for　it　spoke　reproach

not　unmingled　with　disdain。



〃Be　comforted；〃　he　said；　gently　turning　to　the　old　man；　〃the

danger　is　not　beyond　the　reach　of　human　skill；〃　and；　taking　from

his　bosom　a　small　crystal　vase；　he　mingled　a　few　drops　with

water。　　No　sooner　did　this　medicine　moisten　the　infant's　lips；

than　it　seemed　to　produce　an　astonishing　effect。　　The　colour

revived　rapidly　on　the　lips　and　cheeks；　in　a　few　moments　the

sufferer　slept　calmly；　and　with　the　regular　breathing　of　painless

sleep。　　And　then　the　old　man　rose；　rigidly；　as　a　corpse　might

rise；looked　down；　listened；　and　creeping　gently　away；　stole　to

the　corner　of　the　room；　and　wept；　and　thanked　Heaven！



Now；　old　Bernardi　had　been；　hitherto；　but　a　cold　believer；　sorrow

had　never　before　led　him　aloft　from　earth。　　Old　as　he　was；　he　had

never　before　thought　as　the　old　should　think　of　death；that

endangered　life　of　the　young　had　wakened　up　the　careless　soul　of

age。　　Zanoni　whispered　to　the　wife；　and　she　drew　the　old　man

quietly　from　the　room。



〃Dost　thou　fear　to　leave　me　an　hour　with　thy　charge；　Viola？

Thinkest　thou　still　that　this　knowledge　is　of　the　Fiend？〃



〃Ah；〃　said　Viola；　humbled　and　yet　rejoiced；　〃forgive　me；　forgive

me；　signor。　　Thou　biddest　the　young　live　and　the　old　pray。　　My

thoughts　never　shall　wrong　thee　more！〃



Before　the　sun　rose；　Beatrice　was　out　of　danger；　at　noon　Zanoni

escaped　from　the　blessings　of　the　aged　pair；　and　as　he　closed　the

door　of　the　house；　he　found　Viola　awaiting　him　without。



She　stood　before　him　timidly；　her　hands　crossed　meekly　on　her

bosom；　her　downcast　eyes　swimming　with　tears。



〃Do　not　let　me　be　the　only　one　you　leave　unhappy！〃



〃And　what　cure　can　the　herbs　and　anodynes　effect　for　thee？　　If

thou　canst　so　readily　believe　ill　of　those　who　have　aided　and　yet

would　serve　thee；　thy　disease　is　of　the　heart；　andnay；　weep

not！　nurse　of　the　sick；　and　comforter　of　the　sad；　I　should　rather

approve　than　chide　thee。　　Forgive　thee！　　Life；　that　ever　needs

forgiveness；　has；　for　its　first　duty；　to　forgive。〃



〃No；　do　not　forgive　me　yet。　　I　do　not　deserve　a　pardon；　for　even

now；　while　I　feel　how　ungrateful　I　was　to　believe；　suspect；　aught

injurious　and　false　to　my　preserver；　my　tears　flow　from

happiness；　not　remorse。　　Oh！〃　she　continued；　with　a　simple

fervour；　unconscious；　in　her　innocence　and　her　generous　emotions；

of　all　the　secrets　she　betrayed；〃thou　knowest　not　how　bitter　it

was　to　believe　thee　not　more　good；　more　pure；　more　sacred　than

all　the　world。　　And　when　I　saw　thee；the　wealthy；　the　noble；

coming　from　thy　palace　to　minister　to　the　sufferings　of　the

hovel；when　I　heard　those　blessings　of　the　poor　breathed　upon

thy　parting　footsteps；　I　felt　my　very　self　exalted；good　in　thy

goodness；　noble　at　least　in　those　thoughts　that　did　NOT　wrong

thee。〃



〃And　thinkest　thou；　Viola；　that　in　a　mere　act　of　science　there　is

so　much　virtue？　　The　commonest　leech　will　tend　the　sick　for　his

fee。　　Are　prayers　and　blessings　a　less　reward　than　gold？〃



〃And　mine；　then；　are　not　worthless？　　Thou　wilt　accept　of　mine？〃



〃Ah；　Viola！〃　exclaimed　Zanoni；　with　a　sudden　passion；　that

covered　her　face　with　blushes；　〃thou　only；　methinks；　on　all　the

earth；　hast　the　power　to　wound　or　delight　me！〃　　He　checked

himself；　and　his　face　became　grave　and　sad。　　〃And　this；〃　he

added；　in　an　altered　tone；　〃because；　if　thou　wouldst　heed　my

counsels；　methinks　I　could　guide　a　guileless　heart　to　a　happy

fate。〃



〃Thy　counsels！　　I　will　obey　them　all。　　Mould　me　to　what　thou

wilt。　　In　thine　absence；　I　am　as　a　child　that　fears　every　shadow

in　the　dark；　in　thy　presence；　my　soul　expands；　and　the　whole

world　seems　calm　with　a　celestial　noonday。　　Do　not　deny　to　me

that　presence。　　I　am　fatherless　and　ignorant　and　alone！〃



Zanoni　averted　his　face；　and；　after　a　moment's　silence；　replied

calmly；



〃Be　it　so。　　Sister；　I　will　visit　thee　again！〃





CHAPTER　3。II。



Gilding　pale　streams　with　heavenly　alchemy。

Shakespeare。



Who　so　happy　as　Viola　now！　　A　dark　load　was　lifted　from　her

heart：　　her　step　seemed　to　tread　on　air；　she　would　have　sung　for

very　delight　as　she　went　gayly　home。　　It　is　such　happiness　to　the

pure　to　love；but　oh；　such　more　than　happiness　to　believe　in　the

worth　of　the　one　beloved。　　Between　them　there　might　be　human

obstacles；wealth；　rank；　man's　little　world。　　But　there　was　no

longer　that　dark　gulf　which　the　imagination　recoils　to　dwell　on；

and　which　separates　forever　soul　from　soul。　　He　did　not　love　her

in　return。　　Love　her！　　But　did　she　ask　for　love？　　Did　she　herself

love？　　No；　or　she　would　never　have　been　at　once　so　humble　and　so

bold。　　How　merrily　the　ocean　murmured　in　her　ear；　how　radiant　an

aspect　the　commonest　passer…by　seemed　to　wear！　　She　gained　her

home；she　looked　upon　the　tree；　glancing；　with　fantastic

branches；　in　the　sun。　　〃Yes；　brother　mine！〃　she　said；　laughing　in

her　joy；　〃like　thee；　I　HAVE　struggled　to　the　light！〃



She　had　never　hitherto；　like　the　more　instructed　Daughters　of　the

North；　accustomed　herself　to　that　delicious　Confessional；　the

transfusion　of　thought　to　writing。　　Now；　suddenly；　her　heart　felt

an　impulse；　a　new…born　instinct；　that　bade　it　commune　with

itself；　bade　it　disentangle　its　web　of　golden　fancies；made　her

wish　to　look　upon　her　inmost　self　as　in　a　glass。　　Upsprung　from

the　embrace　of　Love　and　Soulthe　Eros　and　the　Psychetheir

beautiful　offspring；　Genius！　　She　blushed；　she　sighed；　she

trembled　as　she　wrote。　　And　from　the　fresh　world　that　she　had

built　for　herself；　she　was　awakened　to　prepare　for　the　glittering

stage。　　How　dull　became　the　music；　how　dim　the　scene；　so

exquisite　and　so　bright　of　old。　　Stage；　thou　art　the　Fairy　Land

to　the　vision　of　the　worldly。　　Fancy；　whose　music　is　not　heard　by

men；　whose　scenes　shift　not　by　mortal　hand；　as　the　stage　to　the

present　world；　art　thou　to　the　future　and　the　past！





CHAPTER　3。III。



In　faith；　I　do　not　love　thee　with　mine　eyes。

Shakespeare。



The　next　day；　at　noon；　Zanoni　visited　Viola；　and　the　next　day　and

the　next　and　again　the　next；days　that　to　her　seemed　like　a

special　time　set　apart　from　the　rest　of　life。　　And　yet　he　never

spoke　to　her　in　the　language　of　flattery；　and　almost　of

adoration；　to　which　she　had　been　accustomed。　　Perhaps　his　very

coldness；　so　gentle　as　it　was；　assisted　to　this　mysterious　charm。

He　talked　to　her　much　of　her　past　life；　and　she　was　scarcely

surprised　（she　now　never　thought　of　TERROR）　to　perceive　how　much

of　that　past　seemed　known　to　him。



He　made　her　speak　to　him　of　her　father；　he　made　her　recall　some

of　the　airs　of　Pisani's　wild　music。　　And　those　airs　seemed　to

charm　and　lull　him　into　reverie。



〃As　music　was　to　the　musician；〃　said　he；　〃may　science　be　to　the

wise。　　Your　father　looked　abroad　in　the　world；　all　was　discord　to

the　fine　sympathies　that　he　felt　with　the　harmonies　that　daily

and　nightly　float　to　the　throne　of　Heaven。　　Life；　with　its　noisy

ambition　and　its　mean　passions；　is　so　poor　and　base！　　Out　of　his

soul　he　created　the　life　and　the　world　for　which　his　soul　was

fitted。　　Viola；　thou　art　the　daughter　of　that　life；　and　wilt　be

the　denizen　of　that　world。〃



In　his　earlier　visits　he　did　not　speak　of　Glyndon。　　The　day　soon

came　on　which　he　renewed　the　subject。　　And　so　trustful；　obedient；

and　entire　was　the　allegiance　that　Viola　now　owned　to　his

dominion；　that；　unwelcome　as　that　subject　was；　she　restrained　her

heart；　and　listened　to　him　in　silence。



At　last　he　said；　〃Thou　hast　promised　thou　wilt　obey　my　counsels；

and　if；　Viola；　I　should　ask　thee；　nay　adjure；　to　accept　this