zanoni-第98节

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accustomed　to　look　on　death；　that　ye　forget　the　respect　ye　owe　to

it。　　Since　thou　offerest　me　thy　head；　I　accept　it。　　To…morrow

thou　mayst　repent；　it　will　be　too　late。〃



〃Ay；　too　late；　president！〃　echoed　the　calm　visitor。



〃But；　remember；　it　is　not　pardon；　it　is　but　a　day's　reprieve；　I

have　promised　to　this　woman。　　According　as　thou　dost　satisfy　me

to…morrow；　she　lives　or　dies。　　I　am　frank；　citizen；　thy　ghost

shall　not　haunt　me　for　want　of　faith。〃



〃It　is　but　a　day　that　I　have　asked；　the　rest　I　leave　to　justice

and　to　Heaven。　　Your　huissiers　wait　below。〃





CHAPTER　7。XVI。



Und　den　Mordstahl　seh'　ich　blinken；

Und　das　Morderauge　gluhn！

〃Kassandra。〃



（And　I　see　the　steel　of　Murder　glitter；

And　the　eye　of　Murder　glow。）



Viola　was　in　the　prison　that　opened　not　but　for　those　already

condemned　before　adjudged。　　Since　her　exile　from　Zanoni；　her　very

intellect　had　seemed　paralysed。　　All　that　beautiful　exuberance　of

fancy　which；　if　not　the　fruit　of　genius；　seemed　its　blossoms；　all

that　gush　of　exquisite　thought　which　Zanoni　had　justly　told　her

flowed　with　mysteries　and　subtleties　ever　new　to　him；　the　wise

one；all　were　gone；　annihilated；　the　blossom　withered；　the　fount

dried　up。　　From　something　almost　above　womanhood；　she　seemed

listlessly　to　sink　into　something　below　childhood。　　With　the

inspirer　the　inspirations　had　ceased；　and；　in　deserting　love；

genius　also　was　left　behind。



She　scarcely　comprehended　why　she　had　been　thus　torn　from　her

home　and　the　mechanism　of　her　dull　tasks。　　She　scarcely　knew　what

meant　those　kindly　groups；　that；　struck　with　her　exceeding

loveliness；　had　gathered　round　her　in　the　prison；　with　mournful

looks；　but　with　words　of　comfort。　　She；　who　had　hitherto　been

taught　to　abhor　those　whom　Law　condemns　for　crime；　was　amazed　to

hear　that　beings　thus　compassionate　and　tender；　with　cloudless

and　lofty　brows；　with　gallant　and　gentle　mien；　were　criminals　for

whom　Law　had　no　punishment　short　of　death。　　But　they；　the

savages；　gaunt　and　menacing；　who　had　dragged　her　from　her　home；

who　had　attempted　to　snatch　from　her　the　infant　while　she　clasped

it　in　her　arms；　and　laughed　fierce　scorn　at　her　mute；　quivering

lips；THEY　were　the　chosen　citizens；　the　men　of　virtue；　the

favourites　of　Power；　the　ministers　of　Law！　　Such　thy　black

caprices；　O　thou；　the　ever…shifting　and　calumnious；Human

Judgment！



A　squalid；　and　yet　a　gay　world；　did　the　prison…houses　of　that　day

present。　　There；　as　in　the　sepulchre　to　which　they　led；　all　ranks

were　cast　with　an　even…handed　scorn。　　And　yet　there；　the

reverence　that　comes　from　great　emotions　restored　Nature's　first

and　imperishable；　and　most　lovely；　and　most　noble　Law；THE

INEQUALITY　BETWEEN　MAN　AND　MAN！　　There；　place　was　given　by　the

prisoners；　whether　royalists　or　sans…culottes；　to　Age；　to

Learning；　to　Renown；　to　Beauty；　and　Strength；　with　its　own　inborn

chivalry；　raised　into　rank　the　helpless　and　the　weak。　　The　iron

sinews　and　the　Herculean　shoulders　made　way　for　the　woman　and　the

child；　and　the　graces　of　Humanity；　lost　elsewhere；　sought　their

refuge　in　the　abode　of　Terror。



〃And　wherefore；　my　child；　do　they　bring　thee　hither？〃　asked　an

old；　grey…haired　priest。



〃I　cannot　guess。〃



〃Ah；　if　you　know　not　your　offence；　fear　the　worst！〃



〃And　my　child？〃for　the　infant　was　still　suffered　to　rest　upon

her　bosom。



〃Alas；　young　mother；　they　will　suffer　thy　child　to　live。'



〃And　for　this；an　orphan　in　the　dungeon！〃　murmured　the　accusing

heart　of　Viola；〃have　I　reserved　his　offspring！　　Zanoni；　even　in

thought；　ask　notask　not　what　I　have　done　with　the　child　I　bore

thee！〃



Night　came；　the　crowd　rushed　to　the　grate　to　hear　the　muster…

roll。　　（Called；　in　the　mocking　jargon　of　the　day；　〃The　Evening

Gazette。〃）　　Her　name　was　with　the　doomed。　　And　the　old　priest；

better　prepared　to　die；　but　reserved　from　the　death…list；　laid

his　hands　on　her　head；　and　blessed　her　while　he　wept。　　She　heard；

and　wondered；　but　she　did　not　weep。　　With　downcast　eyes；　with

arms　folded　on　her　bosom；　she　bent　submissively　to　the　call。　　But

now　another　name　was　uttered；　and　a　man；　who　had　pushed　rudely

past　her　to　gaze　or　to　listen；　shrieked　out　a　howl　of　despair　and

rage。　　She　turned；　and　their　eyes　met。　　Through　the　distance　of

time　she　recognised　that　hideous　aspect。　　Nicot's　face　settled

back　into　its　devilish　sneer。　　〃At　least；　gentle　Neapolitan；　the

guillotine　will　unite　us。　　Oh；　we　shall　sleep　well　our　wedding…

night！〃　　And；　with　a　laugh；　he　strode　away　through　the　crowd；　and

vanished　into　his　lair。



。。。



She　was　placed　in　her　gloomy　cell；　to　await　the　morrow。　　But　the

child　was　still　spared　her；　and　she　thought　it　seemed　as　if

conscious　of　the　awful　present。　　In　their　way　to　the　prison　it

had　not　moaned　or　wept。　　It　had　looked　with　its　clear　eyes；

unshrinking；　on　the　gleaming　pikes　and　savage　brows　of　the

huissiers。　　And　now；　alone　in　the　dungeon；　it　put　its　arms　round

her　neck；　and　murmured　its　indistinct　sounds；　low　and　sweet　as

some　unknown　language　of　consolation　and　of　heaven。　　And　of

heaven　it　was！for；　at　the　murmur；　the　terror　melted　from　her

soul；　upward；　from　the　dungeon　and　the　death；upward；　where　the

happy　cherubim　chant　the　mercy　of　the　All…loving；　whispered　that

cherub's　voice。　　She　fell　upon　her　knees　and　prayed。　　The

despoilers　of　all　that　beautifies　and　hallows　life　had　desecrated

the　altar；　and　denied　the　God！they　had　removed　from　the　last

hour　of　their　victims　the　Priest；　the　Scripture；　and　the　Cross！

But　Faith　builds　in　the　dungeon　and　the　lazar…house　its　sublimest

shrines；　and　up；　through　roofs　of　stone；　that　shut　out　the　eye　of

Heaven；　ascends　the　ladder　where　the　angels　glide　to　and　fro；

PRAYER。



And　there；　in　the　very　cell　beside　her　own；　the　atheist　Nicot

sits　stolid　amidst　the　darkness；　and　hugs　the　thought　of　Danton；

that　death　is　nothingness。　　（〃Ma　demeure　sera　bientot　LE　NEANT〃

（My　abode　will　soon　be　nothingness）；　said　Danton　before　his

judges。））　　His；　no　spectacle　of　an　appalled　and　perturbed

conscience！　　Remorse　is　the　echo　of　a　lost　virtue；　and　virtue　he

never　knew。　　Had　he　to　live　again；　he　would　live　the　same。　　But

more　terrible　than　the　death…bed　of　a　believing　and　despairing

sinner　that　blank　gloom　of　apathy；that　contemplation　of　the

worm　and　the　rat　of　the　charnel…house；　that　grim　and　loathsome

NOTHINGNESS　which；　for　his　eye；　falls　like　a　pall　over　the

universe　of　life。　　Still；　staring　into　space；　gnawing　his　livid

lip；　he　looks　upon　the　darkness；　convinced　that　darkness　is

forever　and　forever！



。。。



Place；　there！　place！　　Room　yet　in　your　crowded　cells。　　Another

has　come　to　the　slaughter…house。



As　the　jailer；　lamp　in　hand；　ushered　in　the　stranger；　the　latter

touched　him　and　whispered。　　The　stranger　drew　a　jewel　from　his

finger。　　Diantre；　how　the　diamond　flashed　in　the　ray　of　the　lamp！

Value　each　head　of　your　eighty　at　a　thousand　francs；　and　the

jewel　is　more　worth　than　all！　　The　jailer　paused；　and　the　diamond

laughed　in　his　dazzled　eyes。　　O　thou　Cerberus；　thou　hast　mastered

all　else　that　seems　human　in　that　fell　employ！　　Thou　hast　no

pity；　no　love；　and　no　remorse。　　But　Avarice　survives　the　rest；

and　the　foul　heart's　master…serpent　swallows　up　the　tribe。　　Ha！

ha！　crafty　stranger；　thou　hast　conquered！　　They　tread　the　gloomy

corridor；　they　arrive　at　the　door　where　the　jailer　has　placed　the

fatal　mark；　now　to　be　erased；　for　the　prisoner　within　is　to　be

reprieved　a　day。　　The　key　grates　in　the　lock；　the　door　yawns；

the　stranger　takes　the　lamp　and　enters。





CHAPTER　7。XVII。　　The　Seventeenth　and　Last。



Cosi　vince　Goffredo！

〃Ger。　Lib。〃　cant。　xx。…xliv。



（Thus　conquered　Godfrey。）



And　Viola　was　in　prayer。　　She　heard　not　the　opening　of　the　door；

she　saw　not　the　dark　shadow　that　fell　along　the　floor。　　HIS

power；　HIS　arts　were　gone；　but　the　mystery　and　the　spell　known　to

HER　simple　heart　did　not　desert　her　in　the　hours　of　trial　and

despair。　　When　Science　falls　as　a　firework　from　the　sky　it　would

invade；　when　Genius　withers　as　a　flower　in　the　breath　of　the　icy

charnel；the　hope　of　a　child…like　soul　wraps　the　air　in　light；

and　the　innocence　of　unquestioning　Belief　covers　the　grave　with

blossoms。



In　the　farthest　corner　of　the　cell　she　knelt；　and　the　infant；　as

if　to　imitate　what　it　could　not　comprehend；　bent　its　little

limbs；　and　bowed　its　smiling　face；　and　knelt　with　her　also；　by

her　side。



He　stood　and　gazed　upon　them　as　the　light　of　the　lamp　fell　calmly

on　their　forms。　　It　fell　over　those　clouds　of　golden　hair；

dishevelled；　parted；　thrown　back　from　the　rapt；　candid　brow；　the

dark　eyes　raised　on　high；　where；　through　the　human　tears；　a　light

as　from　above　was　mirrored；　the　hands　clasped；　the　lips　apart；

the　form　all　animate　and　holy　with　the　sad　serenity　of　innocence

and　the　touching　humility　of　woman。　　And　he　heard　her　voice；

though　it　scarcely　left　her　lips：　　the　low　voice　that