zanoni-第37节

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your　claim？〃



〃Ah；　do　not　think　so　ill　of　my　gallantry；　and；〃　resumed　Zanoni；

with　a　stern　meaning　in　his　voice；　〃forget　not　the　forfeit　your

own　lips　have　named。〃



The　prince　knit　his　brow；　but　constrained　the　haughty　answer　that

was　his　first　impulse。



〃Enough！〃　he　said；　forcing　a　smile；　〃I　yield。　　Let　me　prove　that

I　do　not　yield　ungraciously；　will　you　favour　me　with　your

presence　at　a　little　feast　I　propose　to　give　in　honour；〃　he

added；　with　a　sardonic　mockery；　〃of　the　elevation　of　my　kinsman；

the　late　Cardinal；　of　pious　memory；　to　the　true　seat　of　St。

Peter？〃



〃It　is；　indeed；　a　happiness　to　hear　one　command　of　yours　I　can

obey。〃



Zanoni　then　turned　the　conversation；　talked　lightly　and　gayly；

and　soon　afterwards　departed。



〃Villain！〃　then　exclaimed　the　prince；　grasping　Mascari　by　the

collar；　〃you　betrayed　me！〃



〃I　assure　your　Excellency　that　the　dice　were　properly　arranged；

he　should　have　thrown　twelve；　but　he　is　the　Devil；　and　that's　the

end　of　it。〃



〃There　is　no　time　to　be　lost；〃　said　the　prince；　quitting　his　hold

of　his　parasite；　who　quietly　resettled　his　cravat。



〃My　blood　is　up；I　will　win　this　girl；　if　I　die　for　it！　　What

noise　is　that？〃



〃It　is　but　the　sword　of　your　illustrious　ancestor　that　has　fallen

from　the　table。〃





CHAPTER　3。VII。



Il　ne　faut　appeler　aucun　ordre　si　ce　n'est　en　tems　clair　et

serein。

〃Les　Clavicules　du　Rabbi　Salomon。〃



（No　order　of　spirits　must　be　invoked　unless　the　weather　be　clear

and　serene。）



Letter　from　Zanoni　to　Mejnour。



My　art　is　already　dim　and　troubled。　　I　have　lost　the　tranquillity

which　is　power。　　I　cannot　influence　the　decisions　of　those　whom　I

would　most　guide　to　the　shore；　I　see　them　wander　farther　and

deeper　into　the　infinite　ocean　where　our　barks　sail　evermore　to

the　horizon　that　flies　before　us！　　Amazed　and　awed　to　find　that　I

can　only　warn　where　I　would　control；　I　have　looked　into　my　own

soul。　　It　is　true　that　the　desires　of　earth　chain　me　to　the

present；　and　shut　me　from　the　solemn　secrets　which　Intellect；

purified　from　all　the　dross　of　the　clay；　alone　can　examine　and

survey。　　The　stern　condition　on　which　we　hold　our　nobler　and

diviner　gifts　darkens　our　vision　towards　the　future　of　those　for

whom　we　know　the　human　infirmities　of　jealousy　or　hate　or　love。

Mejnour；　all　around　me　is　mist　and　haze；　I　have　gone　back　in　our

sublime　existence；　and　from　the　bosom　of　the　imperishable　youth

that　blooms　only　in　the　spirit；　springs　up　the　dark　poison…flower

of　human　love。



This　man　is　not　worthy　of　her；I　know　that　truth；　yet　in　his

nature　are　the　seeds　of　good　and　greatness；　if　the　tares　and

weeds　of　worldly　vanities　and　fears　would　suffer　them　to　grow。

If　she　were　his；　and　I　had　thus　transplanted　to　another　soil　the

passion　that　obscures　my　gaze　and　disarms　my　power；　unseen；

unheard；　unrecognised；　I　could　watch　over　his　fate；　and　secretly

prompt　his　deeds；　and　minister　to　her　welfare　through　his　own。

But　time　rushes　on！　　Through　the　shadows　that　encircle　me；　I　see；

gathering　round　her；　the　darkest　dangers。　　No　choice　but　flight；

no　escape　save　with　him　or　me。　　With　me！the　rapturous

thought；the　terrible　conviction！　　With　me！　　Mejnour；　canst　thou

wonder　that　I　would　save　her　from　myself？　　A　moment　in　the　life

of　ages；a　bubble　on　the　shoreless　sea。　　What　else　to　me　can　be

human　love？　　And　in　this　exquisite　nature　of　hers；more　pure；

more　spiritual；　even　in　its　young　affections　than　ever　heretofore

the　countless　volumes　of　the　heart；　race　after　race；　have　given

to　my　gaze：　　there　is　yet　a　deep…buried　feeling　that　warns　me　of

inevitable　woe。　　Thou　austere　and　remorseless　Hierophant；thou

who　hast　sought　to　convert　to　our　brotherhood　every　spirit　that

seemed　to　thee　most　high　and　bold；even　thou　knowest；　by

horrible　experience；　how　vain　the　hope　to　banish　FEAR　from　the

heart　of　woman。



My　life　would　be　to　her　one　marvel。　　Even　if；　on　the　other　hand；

I　sought　to　guide　her　path　through　the　realms　of　terror　to　the

light；　think　of　the　Haunter　of　the　Threshold；　and　shudder　with　me

at　the　awful　hazard！　　I　have　endeavoured　to　fill　the　Englishman's

ambition　with　the　true　glory　of　his　art；　but　the　restless　spirit

of　his　ancestor　still　seems　to　whisper　in　him；　and　to　attract　to

the　spheres　in　which　it　lost　its　own　wandering　way。　　There　is　a

mystery　in　man's　inheritance　from　his　fathers。　　Peculiarities　of

the　mind；　as　diseases　of　the　body；　rest　dormant　for　generations；

to　revive　in　some　distant　descendant；　baffle　all　treatment　and

elude　all　skill。　　Come　to　me　from　thy　solitude　amidst　the　wrecks

of　Rome！　　I　pant　for　a　living　confidant；for　one　who　in　the　old

time　has　himself　known　jealousy　and　love。　　I　have　sought　commune

with　Adon…Ai；　but　his　presence；　that　once　inspired　such　heavenly

content　with　knowledge；　and　so　serene　a　confidence　in　destiny；

now　only　troubles　and　perplexes　me。　　From　the　height　from　which　I

strive　to　search　into　the　shadows　of　things　to　come；　I　see

confused　spectres　of　menace　and　wrath。　　Methinks　I　behold　a

ghastly　limit　to　the　wondrous　existence　I　have　held；methinks

that；　after　ages　of　the　Ideal　Life；　I　see　my　course　merge　into

the　most　stormy　whirlpool　of　the　Real。　　Where　the　stars　opened　to

me　their　gates；　there　looms　a　scaffold；thick　steams　of　blood

rise　as　from　a　shambles。　　What　is　more　strange　to　me；　a　creature

here；　a　very　type　of　the　false　ideal　of　common　men；body　and

mind；　a　hideous　mockery　of　the　art　that　shapes　the　Beautiful；　and

the　desires　that　seek　the　Perfect；　ever　haunts　my　vision　amidst

these　perturbed　and　broken　clouds　of　the　fate　to　be。　　By　that

shadowy　scaffold　it　stands　and　gibbers　at　me；　with　lips　dropping

slime　and　gore。　　Come；　O　friend　of　the　far…time；　for　me；　at

least；　thy　wisdom　has　not　purged　away　thy　human　affections。

According　to　the　bonds　of　our　solemn　order；　reduced　now　to　thee

and　myself；　lone　survivors　of　so　many　haughty　and　glorious

aspirants；　thou　art　pledged；　too；　to　warn　the　descendant　of　those

whom　thy　counsels　sought　to　initiate　into　the　great　secret　in　a

former　age。　　The　last　of　that　bold　Visconti　who　was　once　thy

pupil　is　the　relentless　persecutor　of　this　fair　child。　　With

thoughts　of　lust　and　murder；　he　is　digging　his　own　grave；　thou

mayest　yet　daunt　him　from　his　doom。　　And　I　also　mysteriously；　by

the　same　bond；　am　pledged　to　obey；　if　he　so　command；　a　less

guilty　descendant　of　a　baffled　but　nobler　student。　　If　he　reject

my　counsel；　and　insist　upon　the　pledge；　Mejnour；　thou　wilt　have

another　neophyte。　　Beware　of　another　victim！　　Come　to　me！　　This

will　reach　thee　with　all　speed。　　Answer　it　by　the　pressure　of　one

hand　that　I　can　dare　to　clasp！





CHAPTER　3。VIII。



Il　lupo

Ferito；　credo；　mi　conobbe　e　'ncontro

Mi　venne　con　la　bocca　sanguinosa。

〃Aminta；〃　At。　iv。　Sc。　i。



（The　wounded　wolf；　I　think；　knew　me；　and　came　to　meet　me　with　its

bloody　mouth。）



At　Naples；　the　tomb　of　Virgil；　beetling　over　the　cave　of

Posilipo；　is　reverenced；　not　with　the　feelings　that　should　hallow

the　memory　of　the　poet；　but　the　awe　that　wraps　the　memory　of　the

magician。　　To　his　charms　they　ascribe　the　hollowing　of　that

mountain　passage；　and　tradition　yet　guards　his　tomb　by　the

spirits　he　had　raised　to　construct　the　cavern。　　This　spot；　in　the

immediate　vicinity　of　Viola's　home；　had　often　attracted　her

solitary　footsteps。　　She　had　loved　the　dim　and　solemn　fancies

that　beset　her　as　she　looked　into　the　lengthened　gloom　of　the

grotto；　or；　ascending　to　the　tomb；　gazed　from　the　rock　on　the

dwarfed　figures　of　the　busy　crowd　that　seemed　to　creep　like

insects　along　the　windings　of　the　soil　below；　and　now；　at　noon；

she　bent　thither　her　thoughtful　way。　　She　threaded　the　narrow

path；　she　passed　the　gloomy　vineyard　that　clambers　up　the　rock；

and　gained　the　lofty　spot；　green　with　moss　and　luxuriant　foliage；

where　the　dust　of　him　who　yet　soothes　and　elevates　the　minds　of

men　is　believed　to　rest。　　From　afar　rose　the　huge　fortress　of　St。

Elmo；　frowning　darkly　amidst　spires　and　domes　that　glittered　in

the　sun。　　Lulled　in　its　azure　splendour　lay　the　Siren's　sea；　and

the　grey　smoke　of　Vesuvius；　in　the　clear　distance；　soared　like　a

moving　pillar　into　the　lucid　sky。　　Motionless　on　the　brink　of　the

precipice；　Viola　looked　upon　the　lovely　and　living　world　that

stretched　below；　and　the　sullen　vapour　of　Vesuvius　fascinated　her

eye　yet　more　than　the　scattered　gardens；　or　the　gleaming　Caprea；

smiling　amidst　the　smiles　of　the　sea。　　She　heard　not　a　step　that

had　followed　her　on　her　path　and　started　to　hear　a　voice　at　hand。

So　sudden　was　the　apparition　of　the　form　that　stood　by　her　side；

emerging　from　the　bushes　that　clad　the　crags；　and　so　singularly

did　it　harmonise　in　its　uncouth　ugliness　with　the　wild　nature　of

the　scene　immediately　around　her；　and　the　wizard　traditions　of

the　place；　that　the　colour　left　her　cheek；　and　a　faint　cry　broke

from　her　lips。



〃Tush；　pretty　trembler！do　not　be　frighte