zanoni-第69节

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on　the　fire；　with　his　feet　at　ease　upon　the　fender；　seemed　to

have　forgotten　his　question。



Mrs。　Mervale　bit　her　lips；　looked　thoughtful；　and　at　last　coldly

replied；　〃Certainly；　Mr。　Mervale；　your　friends　do　right　to　make

themselves　at　home。〃



With　that　she　lighted　a　candle；　and　moved　majestically　from　the

room。　　When　she　returned；　the　two　friends　had　vanished　into　Mr。

Mervale's　study。



Twelve　o'clock　struck；one　o'clock；　two！　　Thrice　had　Mrs。

Mervale　sent　into　the　room　to　know；first；　if　they　wanted

anything；　secondly；　if　Mr。　Glyndon　slept　on　a　mattress　or

feather…bed；　thirdly；　to　inquire　if　Mr。　Glyndon's　trunk；　which　he

had　brought　with　him；　should　be　unpacked。　　And　to　the　answer　to

all　these　questions　was　added；　in　a　loud　voice　from　the　visitor；

a　voice　that　pierced　from　the　kitchen　to　the　attic；〃Another

bowl！　stronger；　if　you　please；　and　be　quick　with　it！〃



At　last　Mr。　Mervale　appeared　in　the　conjugal　chamber；　not

penitent；　nor　apologetic；no；　not　a　bit　of　it。　　His　eyes

twinkled；　his　cheek　flushed；　his　feet　reeled；　he　sang；Mr。

Thomas　Mervale　positively　sang！



〃Mr。　Mervale！　is　it　possible；　sir〃



〃'Old　King　Cole　was　a　merry　old　soul'〃



〃Mr。　Mervale！　sir！leave　me　alone；　sir！〃



〃'And　a　merry　old　soul　was　he'〃



〃What　an　example　to　the　servants！〃



〃'And　he　called　for　his　pipe；　and　he　called　for　his　bowl'〃



〃If　you　don't　behave　yourself；　sir；　I　shall　call〃



〃'Call　for　his　fiddlers　three！'〃





CHAPTER　5。III。



In　der　Welt　weit

Aus　der　Einsamkeit

Wollen　sie　Dich　locken。

〃Faust。〃



（In　the　wide　world；　out　of　the　solitude；　will　these　allure　thee。）



The　next　morning；　at　breakfast；　Mrs。　Mervale　looked　as　if　all　the

wrongs　of　injured　woman　sat　upon　her　brow。　　Mr。　Mervale　seemed

the　picture　of　remorseful　guilt　and　avenging　bile。　　He　said

little；　except　to　complain　of　headache；　and　to　request　the　eggs

to　be　removed　from　the　table。　　Clarence　Glyndonimpervious；

unconscious；　unailing；　impenitentwas　in　noisy　spirits；　and

talked　for　three。



〃Poor　Mervale！　he　has　lost　the　habit　of　good…fellowship；　madam。

Another　night　or　two；　and　he　will　be　himself　again！〃



〃Sir；〃　said　Mrs。　Mervale；　launching　a　premeditated　sentence　with

more　than　Johnsonian　dignity；　〃permit　me　to　remind　you　that　Mr。

Mervale　is　now　a　married　man；　the　destined　father　of　a　family；

and　the　present　master　of　a　household。〃



〃Precisely　the　reasons　why　I　envy　him　so　much。　　I　myself　have　a

great　mind　to　marry。　　Happiness　is　contagious。〃



〃Do　you　still　take　to　painting？〃　asked　Mervale；　languidly；

endeavouring　to　turn　the　tables　on　his　guest。



〃Oh；　no；　I　have　adopted　your　advice。　　No　art；　no　ideal；　nothing

loftier　than　Commonplace　for　me　now。　　If　I　were　to　paint　again；　I

positively　think　YOU　would　purchase　my　pictures。　　Make　haste　and

finish　your　breakfast；　man；　I　wish　to　consult　you。　　I　have　come

to　England　to　see　after　my　affairs。　　My　ambition　is　to　make

money；　your　counsels　and　experience　cannot　fail　to　assist　me

here。〃



〃Ah；　you　were　soon　disenchanted　of　your　Philosopher's　Stone！　　You

must　know；　Sarah；　that　when　I　last　left　Glyndon；　he　was　bent　upon

turning　alchemist　and　magician。〃



〃You　are　witty　to…day；　Mr。　Mervale。〃



〃Upon　my　honour　it　is　true；　I　told　you　so　before。〃



Glyndon　rose　abruptly。



〃Why　revive　those　recollections　of　folly　and　presumption？　　Have　I

not　said　that　I　have　returned　to　my　native　land　to　pursue　the

healthful　avocations　of　my　kind！　　Oh；　yes！　what　so　healthful；　so

noble；　so　fitted　to　our　nature；　as　what　you　call　the　Practical

Life？　　If　we　have　faculties；　what　is　their　use；　but　to　sell　them

to　advantage！　　Buy　knowledge　as　we　do　our　goods；　buy　it　at　the

cheapest　market；　sell　it　at　the　dearest。　　Have　you　not

breakfasted　yet？〃



The　friends　walked　into　the　streets；　and　Mervale　shrank　from　the

irony　with　which　Glyndon　complimented　him　on　his　respectability；

his　station；　his　pursuits；　his　happy　marriage；　and　his　eight

pictures　in　their　handsome　frames。　　Formerly　the　sober　Mervale

had　commanded　an　influence　over　his　friend：　　HIS　had　been　the

sarcasm；　Glyndon's　the　irresolute　shame　at　his　own　peculiarities。

Now　this　position　was　reversed。　　There　was　a　fierce　earnestness

in　Glyndon's　altered　temper　which　awed　and　silenced　the　quiet

commonplace　of　his　friend's　character。　　He　seemed　to　take　a

malignant　delight　in　persuading　himself　that　the　sober　life　of

the　world　was　contemptible　and　base。



〃Ah！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃how　right　you　were　to　tell　me　to　marry

respectably；　to　have　a　solid　position；　to　live　in　decorous　fear

of　the　world　and　one's　wife；　and　to　command　the　envy　of　the　poor；

the　good　opinion　of　the　rich。　　You　have　practised　what　you

preach。　　Delicious　existence！　　The　merchant's　desk　and　the

curtain　lecture！　　Ha！　ha！　　Shall　we　have　another　night　of　it？〃



Mervale；　embarrassed　and　irritated；　turned　the　conversation　upon

Glyndon's　affairs。　　He　was　surprised　at　the　knowledge　of　the

world　which　the　artist　seemed　to　have　suddenly　acquired；

surprised　still　more　at　the　acuteness　and　energy　with　which　he

spoke　of　the　speculations　most　in　vogue　at　the　market。　　Yes；

Glyndon　was　certainly　in　earnest：　　he　desired　to　be　rich　and

respectable；and　to　make　at　least　ten　per　cent　for　his　money！



After　spending　some　days　with　the　merchant；　during　which　time　he

contrived　to　disorganise　all　the　mechanism　of　the　house；　to　turn

night　into　day；　harmony　into　discord；　to　drive　poor　Mrs。　Mervale

half…distracted；　and　to　convince　her　husband　that　he　was　horribly

hen…pecked；　the　ill…omened　visitor　left　them　as　suddenly　as　he

had　arrived。　　He　took　a　house　of　his　own；　he　sought　the　society

of　persons　of　substance；　he　devoted　himself　to　the　money…market；

he　seemed　to　have　become　a　man　of　business；　his　schemes　were　bold

and　colossal；　his　calculations　rapid　and　profound。　　He　startled

Mervale　by　his　energy；　and　dazzled　him　by　his　success。　　Mervale

began　to　envy　him；to　be　discontented　with　his　own　regular　and

slow　gains。　　When　Glyndon　bought　or　sold　in　the　funds；　wealth

rolled　upon　him　like　the　tide　of　a　sea；　what　years　of　toil　could

not　have　done　for　him　in　art；　a　few　months；　by　a　succession　of

lucky　chances；　did　for　him　in　speculation。　　Suddenly；　however；　he

relaxed　his　exertions；　new　objects　of　ambition　seemed　to　attract

him。　　If　he　heard　a　drum　in　the　streets；　what　glory　like　the

soldier's？　　If　a　new　poem　were　published；　what　renown　like　the

poet's？　　He　began　works　in　literature；　which　promised　great

excellence；　to　throw　them　aside　in　disgust。　　All　at　once　he

abandoned　the　decorous　and　formal　society　he　had　courted；　he

joined　himself；　with　young　and　riotous　associates；　he　plunged

into　the　wildest　excesses　of　the　great　city；　where　Gold　reigns

alike　over　Toil　and　Pleasure。　　Through　all　he　carried　with　him　a

certain　power　and　heat　of　soul。　　In　all　society　he　aspired　to

command；in　all　pursuits　to　excel。　　Yet　whatever　the　passion　of

the　moment；　the　reaction　was　terrible　in　its　gloom。　　He　sank；　at

times；　into　the　most　profound　and　the　darkest　reveries。　　His

fever　was　that　of　a　mind　that　would　escape　memory；his　repose；

that　of　a　mind　which　the　memory　seizes　again；　and　devours　as　a

prey。　　Mervale　now　saw　little　of　him；　they　shunned　each　other。

Glyndon　had　no　confidant；　and　no　friend。





CHAPTER　5。IV。



Ich　fuhle　Dich　mir　nahe；

Die　Einsamkeit　belebt；

Wie　uber　seinen　Welten

Der　Unsichtbare　schwebt。

Uhland。



（I　feel　thee　near　to　me；

The　loneliness　takes　life；

As　over　its　world

The　Invisible　hovers。）



From　this　state　of　restlessness　and　agitation　rather　than

continuous　action；　Glyndon　was　aroused　by　a　visitor　who　seemed　to

exercise　the　most　salutary　influence　over　him。　　His　sister；　an

orphan　with　himself；　had　resided　in　the　country　with　her　aunt。

In　the　early　years　of　hope　and　home　he　had　loved　this　girl；　much

younger　than　himself；　with　all　a　brother's　tenderness。　　On　his

return　to　England；　he　had　seemed　to　forget　her　existence。　　She

recalled　herself　to　him　on　her　aunt's　death　by　a　touching　and

melancholy　letter：　　she　had　now　no　home　but　his；no　dependence

save　on　his　affection；　he　wept　when　he　read　it；　and　was　impatient

till　Adela　arrived。



This　girl；　then　about　eighteen；　concerned　beneath　a　gentle　and

calm　exterior　much　of　the　romance　or　enthusiasm　that　had；　at　her

own　age；　characterised　her　brother。　　But　her　enthusiasm　was　of　a

far　purer　order；　and　was　restrained　within　proper　bounds；　partly

by　the　sweetness　of　a　very　feminine　nature；　and　partly　by　a

strict　and　methodical　education。　　She　differed　from　him

especially　in　a　timidity　of　character　which　exceeded　that　usual

at　her　age；　but　which　the　habit　of　self…command　concealed　no　less

carefully　than　that　timidity　itself　concealed　the　romance　I　have

ascribed　to　her。



Adela　was　not　handsome：　　she　had　the　complexion　and　the　form　of

delicate　health；　and　too　fine　an　organisation　of　the　nerves

rendered　her　su