zanoni-第72节

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

struck；　fell　with　a　shriek　to　the　ground；　cold　and　lifeless。

With　difficulty；　and　not　until　after　the　most　earnest　prayers；

did　she　answer　the　agonised　questions　of　Glyndon；　at　last　she

owned　that　at　that　hour；　and　that　hour　alone；　wherever　she　was

placed；　however　occupied；　she　distinctly　beheld　the　apparition　of

an　old　hag；　who；　after　thrice　knocking　at　the　door；　entered　the

room；　and　hobbling　up　to　her　with　a　countenance　distorted　by

hideous　rage　and　menace；　laid　its　icy　fingers　on　her　forehead：

from　that　moment　she　declared　that　sense　forsook　her；　and　when

she　woke　again；　it　was　only　to　wait；　in　suspense　that　froze　up

her　blood；　the　repetition　of　the　ghastly　visitation。



The　physician　who　had　been　summoned　before　Glyndon's　return；　and

whose　letter　had　recalled　him　to　London；　was　a　commonplace

practitioner；　ignorant　of　the　case；　and　honestly　anxious　that　one

more　experienced　should　be　employed。　　Clarence　called　in　one　of

the　most　eminent　of　the　faculty；　and　to　him　he　recited　the

optical　delusion　of　his　sister。　　The　physician　listened

attentively；　and　seemed　sanguine　in　his　hopes　of　cure。　　He　came

to　the　house　two　hours　before　the　one　so　dreaded　by　the　patient。

He　had　quietly　arranged　that　the　clocks　should　be　put　forward

half　an　hour；　unknown　to　Adela；　and　even　to　her　brother。　　He　was

a　man　of　the　most　extraordinary　powers　of　conversation；　of

surpassing　wit；　of　all　the　faculties　that　interest　and　amuse。　　He

first　administered　to　the　patient　a　harmless　potion；　which　he

pledged　himself　would　dispel　the　delusion。　　His　confident　tone

woke　her　own　hopes；　he　continued　to　excite　her　attention；　to

rouse　her　lethargy；　he　jested；　he　laughed　away　the　time。　　The

hour　struck。　　〃Joy；　my　brother！〃　she　exclaimed；　throwing　herself

in　his　arms；　〃the　time　is　past！〃　　And　then；　like　one　released

from　a　spell；　she　suddenly　assumed　more　than　her　ancient

cheerfulness。　　〃Ah；　Clarence！〃　she　whispered；　〃forgive　me　for　my

former　desertion；forgive　me　that　I　feared　YOU。　　I　shall　live！

I　shall　live！　in　my　turn　to　banish　the　spectre　that　haunts　my

brother！〃　　And　Clarence　smiled　and　wiped　the　tears　from　his

burning　eyes。　　The　physician　renewed　his　stories；　his　jests。　　In

the　midst　of　a　stream　of　rich　humour　that　seemed　to　carry　away

both　brother　and　sister；　Glyndon　suddenly　saw　over　Adela's　face

the　same　fearful　change；　the　same　anxious　look；　the　same

restless；　straining　eye；　he　had　beheld　the　night　before。　　He

rose；he　approached　her。　　Adela　started　up。　　〃looklooklook！〃

she　exclaimed。　　〃She　comes！　　Save　me；save　me！〃　and　she　fell　at

his　feet　in　strong　convulsions　as　the　clock；　falsely　and　in　vain

put　forward；　struck　the　half…hour。



The　physician　lifted　her　in　his　arms。　　〃My　worst　fears　are

confirmed；〃　he　said　gravely；　〃the　disease　is　epilepsy。〃　　（The

most　celebrated　practitioner　in　Dublin　related　to　the　editor　a

story　of　optical　delusion　precisely　similar　in　its　circumstances

and　its　physical　cause　to　the　one　here　narrated。）



The　next　night；　at　the　same　hour；　Adela　Glyndon　died。





CHAPTER　5。VI。



La　loi；　dont　le　regne　vous　epouvante；　a　son　glaive　leve　sur　vous：

elle　vous　frappera　tous：　　le　genre　humain　a　besoin　de　cet

exemple。Couthon。



（The　law；　whose　reign　terrifies　you；　has　its　sword　raised　against

you；　it　will　strike　you　all：　　humanity　has　need　of　this　example。）



〃Oh；　joy；　joy！thou　art　come　again！　　This　is　thy　handthese　thy

lips。　　Say　that　thou　didst　not　desert　me　from　the　love　of

another；　say　it　again；say　it　ever！and　I　will　pardon　thee　all

the　rest！〃



〃So　thou　hast　mourned　for　me？〃



〃Mourned！and　thou　wert　cruel　enough　to　leave　me　gold；　there　it

is；there；　untouched！〃



〃Poor　child　of　Nature！　how；　then；　in　this　strange　town　of

Marseilles；　hast　thou　found　bread　and　shelter？〃



〃Honestly；　soul　of　my　soul！　honestly；　but　yet　by　the　face　thou

didst　once　think　so　fair；　thinkest　thou　THAT　now？〃



〃Yes；　Fillide；　more　fair　than　ever。　　But　what　meanest　thou？〃



〃There　is　a　painter　herea　great　man；　one　of　their　great　men　at

Paris；　I　know　not　what　they　call　them；　but　he　rules　over　all

here；life　and　death；　and　he　has　paid　me　largely　but　to　sit　for

my　portrait。　　It　is　for　a　picture　to　be　given　to　the　Nation；　for

he　paints　only　for　glory。　　Think　of　thy　Fillide's　renown！〃　　And

the　girl's　wild　eyes　sparkled；　her　vanity　was　roused。　　〃And　he

would　have　married　me　if　I　would！divorced　his　wife　to　marry　me！

But　I　waited　for　thee；　ungrateful！〃



A　knock　at　the　door　was　heard；a　man　entered。



〃Nicot！〃



〃Ah；　Glyndon！hum！welcome！　　What！　thou　art　twice　my　rival！

But　Jean　Nicot　bears　no　malice。　　Virtue　is　my　dream；my　country；

my　mistress。　　Serve　my　country；　citizen；　and　I　forgive　thee　the

preference　of　beauty。　　Ca　ira！　ca　ira！〃



But　as　the　painter　spoke；　it　hymned；　it　rolled　through　the

streets；the　fiery　song　of　the　Marseillaise！　　There　was　a　crowd；

a　multitude；　a　people　up；　abroad；　with　colours　and　arms；

enthusiasm　and　song；with　song；　with　enthusiasm；　with　colours

and　arms！　　And　who　could　guess　that　that　martial　movement　was

one；　not　of　war；　but　massacre；Frenchmen　against　Frenchmen？　　For

there　are　two　parties　in　Marseilles；and　ample　work　for　Jourdan

Coupe…tete！　　But　this；　the　Englishman；　just　arrived；　a　stranger

to　all　factions；　did　not　as　yet　comprehend。　　He　comprehended

nothing　but　the　song；　the　enthusiasm；　the　arms；　and　the　colours

that　lifted　to　the　sun　the　glorious　lie；　〃Le　peuple　Francais；

debout　contre　les　tyrans！〃　　（Up；　Frenchmen；　against　tyrants！）



The　dark　brow　of　the　wretched　wanderer　grew　animated；　he　gazed

from　the　window　on　the　throng　that　marched　below；　beneath　their

waving　Oriflamme。　　They　shouted　as　they　beheld　the　patriot　Nicot；

the　friend　of　Liberty　and　relentless　Hebert；　by　the　stranger's

side；　at　the　casement。



〃Ay；　shout　again！〃　cried　the　painter；〃shout　for　the　brave

Englishman　who　abjures　his　Pitts　and　his　Coburgs　to　be　a　citizen

of　Liberty　and　France！〃



A　thousand　voices　rent　the　air；　and　the　hymn　of　the　Marseillaise

rose　in　majesty　again。



〃Well；　and　if　it　be　among　these　high　hopes　and　this　brave　people

that　the　phantom　is　to　vanish；　and　the　cure　to　come！〃　muttered

Glyndon；　and　he　thought　he　felt　again　the　elixir　sparkling

through　his　veins。



〃Thou　shalt　be　one　of　the　Convention　with　Paine　and　Clootz；I

will　manage　it　all　for　thee！〃　cried　Nicot；　slapping　him　on　the

shoulder：　〃and　Paris〃



〃Ah；　if　I　could　but　see　Paris！〃　cried　Fillide；　in　her　joyous

voice。　　Joyous！　the　whole　time；　the　town；　the　airsave　where；

unheard；　rose　the　cry　of　agony　and　the　yell　of　murderwere　joy！

Sleep　unhaunting　in　thy　grave；　cold　Adela。　　Joy；　joy！　　In　the

Jubilee　of　Humanity　all　private　griefs　should　cease！　　Behold；

wild　mariner；　the　vast　whirlpool　draws　thee　to　its　stormy　bosom！

There　the　individual　is　not。　　All　things　are　of　the　whole！　　Open

thy　gates；　fair　Paris；　for　the　stranger…citizen！　　Receive　in　your

ranks；　O　meek　Republicans；　the　new　champion　of　liberty；　of

reason；　of　mankind！　　〃Mejnour　is　right；　it　was　in　virtue；　in

valour；　in　glorious　struggle　for　the　human　race；　that　the　spectre

was　to　shrink　to　her　kindred　darkness。〃



And　Nicot's　shrill　voice　praised　him；　and　lean　Robespierre

〃Flambeau；　colonne；　pierre　angulaire　de　l'edifice　de　la

Republique！〃　　（〃The　light；　column；　and　keystone　of　the

Republic。〃〃Lettre　du　Citoyen　P；　Papiers　inedits　trouves　chez

Robespierre；〃　tom　11；　page　127。）smiled　ominously　on　him　from

his　bloodshot　eyes；　and　Fillide　clasped　him　with　passionate　arms

to　her　tender　breast。　　And　at　his　up…rising　and　down…sitting；　at

board　and　in　bed；　though　he　saw　it　not；　the　Nameless　One　guided

him　with　the　demon　eyes　to　the　sea　whose　waves　were　gore。





BOOK　VI。



SUPERSTITION　DESERTING　FAITH。



Why　do　I　yield　to　that　suggestion；　Whose　horrid　image　doth　unfix

my　hair。Shakespeare



CHAPTER　6。I。



Therefore　the　Genii　were　painted　with　a　platter　full　of　garlands

and　flowers　in　one　hand；　and　a　whip　in　the　other。Alexander

Ross；　〃Mystag。　Poet。〃



According　to　the　order　of　the　events　related　in　this　narrative；

the　departure　of　Zanoni　and　Viola　from　the　Greek　isle；　in　which

two　happy　years　appear　to　have　been　passed；　must　have　been

somewhat　later　in　date　than　the　arrival　of　Glyndon　at　Marseilles。

It　must　have　been　in　the　course　of　the　year　1791　when　Viola　fled

from　Naples　with　her　mysterious　lover；　and　when　Glyndon　sought

Mejnour　in　the　fatal　castle。　　It　is　now　towards　the　close　of

1793；　when　our　story　again　returns　to　Zanoni。　　The　stars　of

winter　shone　down　on　the　lagunes　of　Venice。　　The　hum　of　the

Rialto　was　hushed；the　last　loiterers　had　deserted　the　Place　of

St。　Mark's；　and　only　at　distant　intervals　might　be　heard　the　oars

of　the　rapid　gondolas；　bearing　reveller　or　lover　to　his　home。

But　lights　still　flitted　to　and　fro　across　the　windows　of　one　of

the　Palladian　palaces；　whose　shadow　slept　in