zanoni-第71节

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dresses　and　hideous　masks；　their　orgy　seemed　scarcely　human。　　I

placed　myself　amongst　them；　and　in　that　fearful　excitement　of　the

spirits　which　the　happy　never　know；　I　was　soon　the　most　riotous

of　all。　　The　conversation　fell　on　the　Revolution　of　France；　which

had　always　possessed　for　me　an　absorbing　fascination。　　The　masks

spoke　of　the　millennium　it　was　to　bring　on　earth；　not　as

philosophers　rejoicing　in　the　advent　of　light；　but　as　ruffians

exulting　in　the　annihilation　of　law。　　I　know　not　why　it　was；　but

their　licentious　language　infected　myself；　and；　always　desirous

to　be　foremost　in　every　circle；　I　soon　exceeded　even　these

rioters　in　declamations　on　the　nature　of　the　liberty　which　was

about　to　embrace　all　the　families　of　the　globe；a　liberty　that

should　pervade　not　only　public　legislation；　but　domestic　life；　an

emancipation　from　every　fetter　that　men　had　forged　for

themselves。　　In　the　midst　of　this　tirade　one　of　the　masks

whispered　me；



〃'Take　care。　　One　listens　to　you　who　seems　to　be　a　spy！'



〃My　eyes　followed　those　of　the　mask；　and　I　observed　a　man　who

took　no　part　in　the　conversation；　but　whose　gaze　was　bent　upon

me。　　He　was　disguised　like　the　rest；　yet　I　found　by　a　general

whisper　that　none　had　observed　him　enter。　　His　silence；　his

attention；　had　alarmed　the　fears　of　the　other　revellers；they

only　excited　me　the　more。　　Rapt　in　my　subject；　I　pursued　it；

insensible　to　the　signs　of　those　about　me；　and；　addressing　myself

only　to　the　silent　mask　who　sat　alone；　apart　from　the　group；　I

did　not　even　observe　that；　one　by　one；　the　revellers　slunk　off；

and　that　I　and　the　silent　listener　were　left　alone；　until；

pausing　from　my　heated　and　impetuous　declamations；　I　said；



〃'And　you；　signor；what　is　your　view　of　this　mighty　era？

Opinion　without　persecution；　brotherhood　without　jealousy；　love

without　bondage'



〃'And　life　without　God；'　added　the　mask　as　I　hesitated　for　new

images。



〃The　sound　of　that　well…known　voice　changed　the　current　of　my

thought。　　I　sprang　forward；　and　cried；



〃'Imposter　or　Fiend；　we　meet　at　last！'



〃The　figure　rose　as　I　advanced；　and；　unmasking；　showed　the

features　of　Mejnour。　　His　fixed　eye；　his　majestic　aspect；　awed

and　repelled　me。　　I　stood　rooted　to　the　ground。



〃'Yes；'　he　said　solemnly；　'we　meet；　and　it　is　this　meeting　that　I

have　sought。　　How　hast　thou　followed　my　admonitions！　　Are　these

the　scenes　in　which　the　Aspirant　for　the　Serene　Science　thinks　to

escape　the　Ghastly　Enemy？　　Do　the　thoughts　thou　hast　uttered

thoughts　that　would　strike　all　order　from　the　universeexpress

the　hopes　of　the　sage　who　would　rise　to　the　Harmony　of　the

Eternal　Spheres？'



〃'It　is　thy　fault；it　is　thine！'　I　exclaimed。　　'Exorcise　the

phantom！　　Take　the　haunting　terror　from　my　soul！'



Mejnour　looked　at　me　a　moment　with　a　cold　and　cynical　disdain

which　provoked　at　once　my　fear　and　rage；　and　replied；



〃'No；　fool　of　thine　own　senses！　　No；　thou　must　have　full　and

entire　experience　of　the　illusions　to　which　the　Knowledge　that　is

without　Faith　climbs　its　Titan　way。　　Thou　pantest　for　this

Millennium；thou　shalt　behold　it！　　Thou　shalt　be　one　of　the

agents　of　the　era　of　Light　and　Reason。　　I　see；　while　I　speak；　the

Phantom　thou　fliest；　by　thy　side；　it　marshals　thy　path；　it　has

power　over　thee　as　yet；a　power　that　defies　my　own。　　In　the　last

days　of　that　Revolution　which　thou　hailest；　amidst　the　wrecks　of

the　Order　thou　cursest　as　Oppression；　seek　the　fulfilment　of　thy

destiny；　and　await　thy　cure。'



〃At　that　instant　a　troop　of　masks；　clamorous；　intoxicated；

reeling；　and　rushing；　as　they　reeled；　poured　into　the　room；　and

separated　me　from　the　mystic。　　I　broke　through　them；　and　sought

him　everywhere；　but　in　vain。　　All　my　researches　the　next　day　were

equally　fruitless。　　Weeks　were　consumed　in　the　same　pursuit；not

a　trace　of　Mejnour　could　be　discovered。　　Wearied　with　false

pleasures；　roused　by　reproaches　I　had　deserved；　recoiling　from

Mejnour's　prophecy　of　the　scene　in　which　I　was　to　seek

deliverance；　it　occurred　to　me；　at　last；　that　in　the　sober　air　of

my　native　country；　and　amidst　its　orderly　and　vigorous　pursuits；

I　might　work　out　my　own　emancipation　from　the　spectre。　　I　left

all　whom　I　had　before　courted　and　clung　to；I　came　hither。

Amidst　mercenary　schemes　and　selfish　speculations；　I　found　the

same　relief　as　in　debauch　and　excess。　　The　Phantom　was　invisible；

but　these　pursuits　soon　became　to　me　distasteful　as　the　rest。

Ever　and　ever　I　felt　that　I　was　born　for　something　nobler　than

the　greed　of　gain；that　life　may　be　made　equally　worthless；　and

the　soul　equally　degraded　by　the　icy　lust　of　avarice；　as　by　the

noisier　passions。　　A　higher　ambition　never　ceased　to　torment　me。

But；　but；〃　continued　Glyndon；　with　a　whitening　lip　and　a　visible

shudder；　〃at　every　attempt　to　rise　into　loftier　existence；　came

that　hideous　form。　　It　gloomed　beside　me　at　the　easel。　　Before

the　volumes　of　poet　and　sage　it　stood　with　its　burning　eyes　in

the　stillness　of　night；　and　I　thought　I　heard　its　horrible

whispers　uttering　temptations　never　to　be　divulged。〃　　He　paused；

and　the　drops　stood　upon　his　brow。



〃But　I；〃　said　Adela；　mastering　her　fears　and　throwing　her　arms

around　him；〃but　I　henceforth　will　have　no　life　but　in　thine。

And　in　this　love　so　pure；　so　holy；　thy　terror　shall　fade　away。〃



〃No；　no！〃　exclaimed　Glyndon；　starting　from　her。　　〃The　worst

revelation　is　to　come。　　Since　thou　hast　been　here；　since　I　have

sternly　and　resolutely　refrained　from　every　haunt；　every　scene　in

which　this　preternatural　enemy　troubled　me　not；　IIhave　　Oh；

Heaven！　　Mercymercy！　　There　it　stands；there；　by　thy　side；

there；　there！〃　　And　he　fell　to　the　ground　insensible。





CHAPTER　5。V。



Doch　wunderbar　ergriff　mich's　diese　Nacht；

Die　Glieder　schienen　schon　in　Todes　Macht。

Uhland。



（This　night　it　fearfully　seized　on　me；　my　limbs　appeared　already

in　the　power　of　death。）



A　fever；　attended　with　delirium；　for　several　days　deprived

Glyndon　of　consciousness；　and　when；　by　Adela's　care　more　than　the

skill　of　the　physicians；　he　was　restored　to　life　and　reason；　he

was　unutterably　shocked　by　the　change　in　his　sister's　appearance；

at　first；　he　fondly　imagined　that　her　health；　affected　by　her

vigils；　would　recover　with　his　own。　　But　he　soon　saw；　with　an

anguish　which　partook　of　remorse；　that　the　malady　was　deep…

seated；deep；　deep；　beyond　the　reach　of　Aesculapius　and　his

drugs。　　Her　imagination；　little　less　lively　than　his　own；　was

awfully　impressed　by　the　strange　confessions　she　had　heard；by

the　ravings　of　his　delirium。　　Again　and　again　had　he　shrieked

forth；　〃It　is　there；there；　by　thy　side；　my　sister！〃　　He　had

transferred　to　her　fancy　the　spectre；　and　the　horror　that　cursed

himself。　　He　perceived　this；　not　by　her　words；　but　her　silence；

by　the　eyes　that　strained　into　space；　by　the　shiver　that　came

over　her　frame；　by　the　start　of　terror；　by　the　look　that　did　not

dare　to　turn　behind。　　Bitterly　he　repented　his　confession；

bitterly　he　felt　that　between　his　sufferings　and　human　sympathy

there　could　be　no　gentle　and　holy　commune；　vainly　he　sought　to

retract；to　undo　what　he　had　done；　to　declare　all　was　but　the

chimera　of　an　overheated　brain！



And　brave　and　generous　was　this　denial　of　himself；　for；　often　and

often；　as　he　thus　spoke；　he　saw　the　Thing　of　Dread　gliding　to　her

side；　and　glaring　at　him　as　he　disowned　its　being。　　But　what

chilled　him；　if　possible；　yet　more　than　her　wasting　form　and

trembling　nerves；　was　the　change　in　her　love　for　him；　a　natural

terror　had　replaced　it。　　She　turned　paler　if　he　approached；she

shuddered　if　he　took　her　hand。　　Divided　from　the　rest　of　earth；

the　gulf　of　the　foul　remembrance　yawned　now　between　his　sister

and　himself。　　He　could　endure　no　more　the　presence　of　the　one

whose　life　HIS　life　had　embittered。　　He　made　some　excuses　for

departure；　and　writhed　to　see　that　they　were　greeted　eagerly。

The　first　gleam　of　joy　he　had　detected　since　that　fatal　night；　on

Adela's　face；　he　beheld　when　he　murmured　〃Farewell。〃　　He

travelled　for　some　weeks　through　the　wildest　parts　of　Scotland；

scenery　which　MAKES　the　artist；　was　loveless　to　his　haggard　eyes。

A　letter　recalled　him　to　London　on　the　wings　of　new　agony　and

fear；　he　arrived　to　find　his　sister　in　a　condition　both　of　mind

and　health　which　exceeded　his　worst　apprehensions。



Her　vacant　look；　her　lifeless　posture；　appalled　him；　it　was　as

one　who　gazed　on　the　Medusa's　head；　and　felt；　without　a　struggle；

the　human　being　gradually　harden　to　the　statue。　　It　was　not

frenzy；　it　was　not　idiocy；it　was　an　abstraction；　an　apathy；　a

sleep　in　waking。　　Only　as　the　night　advanced　towards　the　eleventh

hourthe　hour　in　which　Glyndon　had　concluded　his　taleshe　grew

visibly　uneasy；　anxious；　and　perturbed。　　Then　her　lips　muttered；

her　hands　writhed；　she　looked　round　with　a　look　of　unspeakable

appeal　for　succour；　for　protection；　and　suddenly；　as　the　clock

struck；　fell　with　a　shriek　to　th