seraphita-第17节

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the　absorption　of　their　guest　with　an　air　that　was　half…serious；　half…

jesting。　To　Minna's　thoughts　the　face　of　Seraphitus　smiled　upon　her　as

it　hovered　above　the　clouds　of　smoke　which　enveloped　them。　The　clock

struck　twelve。　Suddenly　the　outer　door　was　opened　violently。　Heavy　but

hurried　steps；　the　steps　of　a　terrified　old　man；　were　heard　in　the

narrow　vestibule　between　the　two　doors；　then　David　burst　into　the

parlor。



〃Danger；　danger！〃　he　cried。　〃Come！　come；　all！　The　evil　spirits　are

unchained！　Fiery　mitres　are　on　their　heads！　Demons；　Vertumni；　Sirens！

they　tempt　her　as　Jesus　was　tempted　on　the　mountain！　Come；　come！　and

drive　them　away。〃



〃Do　you　not　recognize　the　language　of　Swedenborg？〃　said　the　pastor；

laughing；　to　Wilfrid。　〃Here　it　is；　pure　from　the　source。〃



But　Wilfrid　and　Minna　were　gazing　in　terror　at　old　David；　who；　with

hair　erect；　and　eyes　distraught；　his　legs　trembling　and　covered　with

snow；　for　he　had　come　without　snow…shoes；　stood　swaying　from　side　to

side；　as　if　some　boisterous　wind　were　shaking　him。



〃Is　he　harmed？〃　cried　Minna。



〃The　devils　hope　and　try　to　conquer　her；〃　replied　the　old　man。



The　words　made　Wilfrid's　pulses　throb。



〃For　the　last　five　hours　she　has　stood　erect；　her　eyes　raised　to

heaven　and　her　arms　extended；　she　suffers；　she　cries　to　God。　I　cannot

cross　the　barrier；　Hell　has　posted　the　Vertumni　as　sentinels。　They

have　set　up　an　iron　wall　between　her　and　her　old　David。　She　wants　me；

but　what　can　I　do？　Oh；　help　me！　help　me！　Come　and　pray！〃



The　old　man's　despair　was　terrible　to　see。



〃The　Light　of　God　is　defending　her；〃　he　went　on；　with　infectious

faith；　〃but　oh！　she　might　yield　to　violence。〃



〃Silence；　David！　you　are　raving。　This　is　a　matter　to　be　verified。　We

will　go　with　you；〃　said　the　pastor；　〃and　you　shall　see　that　there　are

no　Vertumni；　nor　Satans；　nor　Sirens；　in　that　house。〃



〃Your　father　is　blind；〃　whispered　David　to　Minna。



Wilfrid；　on　whom　the　reading　of　Swedenborg's　first　treatise；　which　he

had　rapidly　gone　through；　had　produced　a　powerful　effect；　was　already

in　the　corridor　putting　on　his　skees；　Minna　was　ready　in　a　few

moments；　and　both　left　the　old　men　far　behind　as　they　darted　forward

to　the　Swedish　castle。



〃Do　you　hear　that　cracking　sound？〃　said　Wilfrid。



〃The　ice　of　the　fiord　stirs；〃　answered　Minna；　〃the　spring　is　coming。〃



Wilfrid　was　silent。　When　the　two　reached　the　courtyard　they　were

conscious　that　they　had　neither　the　faculty　nor　the　strength　to　enter

the　house。



〃What　think　you　of　her？〃　asked　Wilfrid。



〃See　that　radiance！〃　cried　Minna；　going　towards　the　window　of　the

salon。　〃He　is　there！　How　beautiful！　O　my　Seraphitus；　take　me！〃



The　exclamation　was　uttered　inwardly。　She　saw　Seraphitus　standing

erect；　lightly　swathed　in　an　opal…tinted　mist　that　disappeared　at　a

little　distance　from　the　body；　which　seemed　almost　phosphorescent。



〃How　beautiful　she　is！〃　cried　Wilfrid；　mentally。



Just　then　Monsieur　Becker　arrived；　followed　by　David；　he　saw　his

daughter　and　guest　standing　before　the　window；　going　up　to　them；　he

looked　into　the　salon　and　said　quietly；　〃Well；　my　good　David；　she　is

only　saying　her　prayers。〃



〃Ah；　but　try　to　enter；　Monsieur。〃



〃Why　disturb　those　who　pray？〃　answered　the　pastor。



At　this　instant　the　moon；　rising　above　the　Falberg；　cast　its　rays　upon

the　window。　All　three　turned　round；　attracted　by　this　natural　effect

which　made　them　quiver；　when　they　turned　back　to　again　look　at

Seraphita　she　had　disappeared。



〃How　strange！〃　exclaimed　Wilfrid。



〃I　hear　delightful　sounds；〃　said　Minna。



〃Well；〃　said　the　pastor；　〃it　is　all　plain　enough；　she　is　going　to

bed。〃



David　had　entered　the　house。　The　others　took　their　way　back　in

silence；　none　of　them　interpreted　the　vision　in　the　same　manner；

Monsieur　Becker　doubted；　Minna　adored；　Wilfrid　longed。



Wilfrid　was　a　man　about　thirty…six　years　of　age。　His　figure；　though

broadly　developed；　was　not　wanting　in　symmetry。　Like　most　men　who

distinguish　themselves　above　their　fellows；　he　was　of　medium　height；

his　chest　and　shoulders　were　broad；　and　his　neck　short；a

characteristic　of　those　whose　hearts　are　near　their　heads；　his　hair

was　black；　thick；　and　fine；　his　eyes；　of　a　yellow　brown；　had；　as　it

were；　a　solar　brilliancy；　which　proclaimed　with　what　avidity　his

nature　aspired　to　Light。　Though　these　strong　and　virile　features　were

defective　through　the　absence　of　an　inward　peace；granted　only　to　a

life　without　storms　or　conflicts；they　plainly　showed　the

inexhaustible　resources　of　impetuous　senses　and　the　appetites　of

instinct；　just　as　every　motion　revealed　the　perfection　of　the　man's

physical　apparatus；　the　flexibility　of　his　senses；　and　their　fidelity

when　brought　into　play。　This　man　might　contend　with　savages；　and　hear；

as　they　do；　the　tread　of　enemies　in　distant　forests；　he　could　follow　a

scent　in　the　air；　a　trail　on　the　ground；　or　see　on　the　horizon　the

signal　of　a　friend。　His　sleep　was　light；　like　that　of　all　creatures

who　will　not　allow　themselves　to　be　surprised。　His　body　came　quickly

into　harmony　with　the　climate　of　any　country　where　his　tempestuous

life　conducted　him。　Art　and　science　would　have　admired　his

organization　in　the　light　of　a　human　model。　Everything　about　him　was

symmetrical　and　well…balanced；action　and　heart；　intelligence　and

will。　At　first　sight　he　might　be　classed　among　purely　instinctive

beings；　who　give　themselves　blindly　up　to　the　material　wants　of　life；

but　in　the　very　morning　of　his　days　he　had　flung　himself　into　a　higher

social　world；　with　which　his　feelings　harmonized；　study　had　widened

his　mind；　reflection　had　sharpened　his　power　of　thought；　and　the

sciences　had　enlarged　his　understanding。　He　had　studied　human　laws；

the　working　of　self…interests　brought　into　conflict　by　the　passions；

and　he　seemed　to　have　early　familiarized　himself　with　the　abstractions

on　which　societies　rest。　He　had　pored　over　books；those　deeds　of　dead

humanity；　he　had　spent　whole　nights　of　pleasure　in　every　European

capital；　he　had　slept　on　fields　of　battle　the　night　before　the　combat

and　the　night　that　followed　victory。　His　stormy　youth　may　have　flung

him　on　the　deck　of　some　corsair　and　sent　him　among　the　contrasting

regions　of　the　globe；　thus　it　was　that　he　knew　the　actions　of　a　living

humanity。　He　knew　the　present　and　the　past；a　double　history；　that　of

to…day；　that　of　other　days。　Many　men　have　been；　like　Wilfrid；　equally

powerful　by　the　Hand；　by　the　Heart；　by　the　Head；　like　him；　the

majority　have　abused　their　triple　power。　But　though　this　man　still

held　by　certain　outward　liens　to　the　slimy　side　of　humanity；　he

belonged　also　and　positively　to　the　sphere　where　force　is　intelligent。

In　spite　of　the　many　veils　which　enveloped　his　soul；　there　were

certain　ineffable　symptoms　of　this　fact　which　were　visible　to　pure

spirits；　to　the　eyes　of　the　child　whose　innocence　has　known　no　breath

of　evil　passions；　to　the　eyes　of　the　old　man　who　has　lived　to　regain

his　purity。



These　signs　revealed　a　Cain　for　whom　there　was　still　hope；one　who

seemed　as　though　he　were　seeking　absolution　from　the　ends　of　the

earth。　Minna　suspected　the　galley…slave　of　glory　in　the　man；　Seraphita

recognized　him。　Both　admired　and　both　pitied　him。　Whence　came　their

prescience？　Nothing　could　be　more　simple　nor　yet　more　extraordinary。

As　soon　as　we　seek　to　penetrate　the　secrets　of　Nature；　where　nothing

is　secret；　and　where　it　is　only　necessary　to　have　the　eyes　to　see；　we

perceive　that　the　simple　produces　the　marvellous。



〃Seraphitus；〃　said　Minna　one　evening　a　few　days　after　Wilfrid's

arrival　in　Jarvis；　〃you　read　the　soul　of　this　stranger　while　I　have

only　vague　impressions　of　it。　He　chills　me　or　else　he　excites　me；　but

you　seem　to　know　the　cause　of　this　cold　and　of　this　heat；　tell　me　what

it　means；　for　you　know　all　about　him。〃



〃Yes；　I　have　seen　the　causes；〃　said　Seraphitus；　lowing　his　large

eyelids。



〃By　what　power？〃　asked　the　curious　Minna。



〃I　have　the　gift　of　Specialism；〃　he　answered。　〃Specialism　is　an　inward

sight　which　can　penetrate　all　things；　you　will　only　understand　its

full　meaning　through　a　comparison。　In　the　great　cities　of　Europe　where

works　are　produced　by　which　the　human　Hand　seeks　to　represent　the

effects　of　the　moral　nature　was　well　as　those　of　the　physical　nature；

there　are　glorious　men　who　express　ideas　in　marble。　The　sculptor　acts

on　the　stone；　he　fashions　it；　he　puts　a　realm　of　ideas　into　it。　There

are　statues　which　the　hand　of　man　has　endowed　with　the　faculty　of

representing　the　noble　side　of　humanity；　or　the　whole　evil　side；　most

men　see　in　such　marbles　a　human　figure　and　nothing　more；　a　few　other

men；　a　little　higher　in　the　scale　of　being；　perceive　a　fraction　of　the

thoughts　expressed　in　the　statue；　but　the　Initiates　in　the　secrets　of

art　are　of　the　same　intellect　as　the　sculptor；　they　see　in　his　work

the　whole　universe　of　his　thought。　Such　persons　ar