seraphita-第19节

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by　the　sight；　the　hearing；　or　the　recollection　of　his　mistress。　She

was　the　soul　of　this　wholly　material　fragment　of　an　existence。　Any　one

seeing　David　alone　by　himself　would　have　thought　him　a　corpse；　let

Seraphita　enter；　let　her　voice　be　heard；　or　a　mention　of　her　be　made；

and　the　dead　came　forth　from　his　grave　and　recovered　speech　and

motion。　The　dry　bones　were　not　more　truly　awakened　by　the　divine

breath　in　the　valley　of　Jehoshaphat；　and　never　was　that　apocalyptic

vision　better　realized　than　in　this　Lazarus　issuing　from　the　sepulchre

into　life　at　the　voice　of　a　young　girl。　His　language；　which　was　always

figurative　and　often　incomprehensible；　prevented　the　inhabitants　of

the　village　from　talking　with　him；　but　they　respected　a　mind　that

deviated　so　utterly　from　common　ways；a　thing　which　the　masses

instinctively　admire。



Wilfrid　found　him　in　the　antechamber；　apparently　asleep　beside　the

stove。　Like　a　dog　who　recognizes　a　friend　of　the　family；　the　old　man

raised　his　eyes；　saw　the　foreigner；　and　did　not　stir。



〃Where　is　she？〃　inquired　Wilfrid；　sitting　down　beside　him。



David　fluttered　his　fingers　in　the　air　as　if　to　express　the　flight　of

a　bird。



〃Does　she　still　suffer？〃　asked　Wilfrid。



〃Beings　vowed　to　Heaven　are　able　so　to　suffer　that　suffering　does　not

lessen　their　love；　this　is　the　mark　of　the　true　faith；〃　answered　the

old　man；　solemnly；　like　an　instrument　which；　on　being　touched；　gives

forth　an　accidental　note。



〃Who　taught　you　those　words？〃



〃The　Spirit。〃



〃What　happened　to　her　last　night？　Did　you　force　your　way　past　the

Vertumni　standing　sentinel？　did　you　evade　the　Mammons？〃



〃Yes〃；　answered　David；　as　though　awaking　from　a　dream。



The　misty　gleam　of　his　eyes　melted　into　a　ray　that　came　direct　from

the　soul　and　made　it　by　degrees　brilliant　as　that　of　an　eagle；　as

intelligent　as　that　of　a　poet。



〃What　did　you　see？〃　asked　Wilfrid；　astonished　at　this　sudden　change。



〃I　saw　Species　and　Shapes；　I　heard　the　Spirit　of　all　things；　I　beheld

the　revolt　of　the　Evil　Ones；　I　listened　to　the　words　of　the　Good。

Seven　devils　came；　and　seven　archangels　descended　from　on　high。　The

archangels　stood　apart　and　looked　on　through　veils。　The　devils　were

close　by；　they　shone；　they　acted。　Mammon　came　on　his　pearly　shell　in

the　shape　of　a　beautiful　naked　woman；　her　snowy　body　dazzled　the　eye；

no　human　form　ever　equalled　it；　and　he　said；　'I　am　Pleasure；　thou

shalt　possess　me！'　Lucifer；　prince　of　serpents；　was　there　in　sovereign

robes；　his　Manhood　was　glorious　as　the　beauty　of　an　angel；　and　he

said；　'Humanity　shall　be　at　thy　feet！'　The　Queen　of　misers；she　who

gives　back　naught　that　she　has　ever　received；the　Sea；　came　wrapped

in　her　virent　mantle；　she　opened　her　bosom；　she　showed　her　gems；　she

brought　forth　her　treasures　and　offered　them；　waves　of　sapphire　and　of

emerald　came　at　her　bidding；　her　hidden　wonders　stirred；　they　rose　to

the　surface　of　her　breast；　they　spoke；　the　rarest　pearl　of　Ocean

spread　its　iridescent　wings　and　gave　voice　to　its　marine　melodies；

saying；　'Twin　daughter　of　suffering；　we　are　sisters！　await　me；　let　us

go　together；　all　I　need　is　to　become　a　Woman。'　The　Bird　with　the　wings

of　an　eagle　and　the　paws　of　a　lion；　the　head　of　a　woman　and　the　body

of　a　horse；　the　Animal；　fell　down　before　her　and　licked　her　feet；　and

promised　seven　hundred　years　of　plenty　to　her　best…beloved　daughter。

Then　came　the　most　formidable　of　all；　the　Child；　weeping　at　her　knees；

and　saying；　'Wilt　thou　leave　me；　feeble　and　suffering　as　I　am？　oh；　my

mother；　stay！'　and　he　played　with　her；　and　shed　languor　on　the　air；

and　the　Heavens　themselves　had　pity　for　his　wail。　The　Virgin　of　pure

song　brought　forth　her　choirs　to　relax　the　soul。　The　Kings　of　the　East

came　with　their　slaves；　their　armies；　and　their　women；　the　Wounded

asked　her　for　succor；　the　Sorrowful　stretched　forth　their　hands：　'Do

not　leave　us！　do　not　leave　us！'　they　cried。　I；　too；　I　cried；　'Do　not

leave　us！　we　adore　thee！　stay！'　Flowers；　bursting　from　the　seed；

bathed　her　in　their　fragrance　which　uttered；　'Stay！'　The　giant　Enakim

came　forth　from　Jupiter；　leading　Gold　and　its　friends　and　all　the

Spirits　of　the　Astral　Regions　which　are　joined　with　him；　and　they

said；　'We　are　thine　for　seven　hundred　years。'　At　last　came　Death　on

his　pale　horse；　crying；　'I　will　obey　thee！'　One　and　all　fell　prostrate

before　her。　Could　you　but　have　seen　them！　They　covered　as　it　were　a

vast　plain；　and　they　cried　aloud　to　her；　'We　have　nurtured　thee；　thou

art　our　child；　do　not　abandon　us！'　At　length　Life　issued　from　her　Ruby

Waters；　and　said；　'I　will　not　leave　thee！'　then；　finding　Seraphita

silent；　she　flamed　upon　her　as　the　sun；　crying　out；　'I　am　light！'　'THE

LIGHT　is　there！'　cried　Seraphita；　pointing　to　the　clouds　where　stood

the　archangels；　but　she　was　wearied　out；　Desire　had　wrung　her　nerves；

she　could　only　cry；　'My　God！　my　God！'　Ah！　many　an　Angelic　Spirit；

scaling　the　mountain　and　nigh　to　the　summit；　has　set　his　foot　upon　a

rolling　stone　which　plunged　him　back　into　the　abyss！　All　these　lost

Spirits　adored　her　constancy；　they　stood　around　her；a　choir　without

a　song；weeping　and　whispering；　'Courage！'　At　last　she　conquered；

Desirelet　loose　upon　her　in　every　Shape　and　every　Specieswas

vanquished。　She　stood　in　prayer；　and　when　at　last　her　eyes　were　lifted

she　saw　the　feet　of　Angels　circling　in　the　Heavens。〃



〃She　saw　the　feet　of　Angels？〃　repeated　Wilfrid。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　old　man。



〃Was　it　a　dream　that　she　told　you？〃　asked　Wilfrid。



〃A　dream　as　real　as　your　life；〃　answered　David；　〃I　was　there。〃



The　calm　assurance　of　the　old　servant　affected　Wilfrid　powerfully。　He

went　away　asking　himself　whether　these　visions　were　any　less

extraordinary　than　those　he　had　read　of　in　Swedenborg　the　night

before。



〃If　Spirits　exist；　they　must　act；〃　he　was　saying　to　himself　as　he

entered　the　parsonage；　where　he　found　Monsieur　Becker　alone。



〃Dear　pastor；〃　he　said；　〃Seraphita　is　connected　with　us　in　form　only；

and　even　that　form　is　inexplicable。　Do　not　think　me　a　madman　or　a

lover；　a　profound　conviction　cannot　be　argued　with。　Convert　my　belief

into　scientific　theories；　and　let　us　try　to　enlighten　each　other。　To…

morrow　evening　we　shall　both　be　with　her。〃



〃What　then？〃　said　Monsieur　Becker。



〃If　her　eye　ignores　space；〃　replied　Wilfrid；　〃if　her　thought　is　an

intelligent　sight　which　enables　her　to　perceive　all　things　in　their

essence；　and　to　connect　them　with　the　general　evolution　of　the

universe；　if；　in　a　word；　she　sees　and　knows　all；　let　us　seat　the

Pythoness　on　her　tripod；　let　us　force　this　pitiless　eagle　by　threats

to　spread　its　wings！　Help　me！　I　breathe　a　fire　which　burns　my　vitals；

I　must　quench　it　or　it　will　consume　me。　I　have　found　a　prey　at　last；

and　it　shall　be　mine！〃



〃The　conquest　will　be　difficult；〃　said　the　pastor；　〃because　this　girl

is〃



〃Is　what？〃　cried　Wilfrid。



〃Mad；〃　said　the　old　man。



〃I　will　not　dispute　her　madness；　but　neither　must　you　dispute　her

wonderful　powers。　Dear　Monsieur　Becker；　she　has　often　confounded　me

with　her　learning。　Has　she　travelled？〃



〃From　her　house　to　the　fiord；　no　further。〃



〃Never　left　this　place！〃　exclaimed　Wilfrid。　〃Then　she　must　have　read

immensely。〃



〃Not　a　page；　not　one　iota！　I　am　the　only　person　who　possesses　any

books　in　Jarvis。　The　works　of　Swedenborgthe　only　books　that　were　in

the　chateauyou　see　before　you。　She　has　never　looked　into　a　single

one　of　them。〃



〃Have　you　tried　to　talk　with　her？〃



〃What　good　would　that　do？〃



〃Does　no　one　live　with　her　in　that　house？〃



〃She　has　no　friends　but　you　and　Minna；　nor　any　servant　except　old

David。〃



〃It　cannot　be　that　she　knows　nothing　of　science　nor　of　art。〃



〃Who　should　teach　her？〃　said　the　pastor。



〃But　if　she　can　discuss　such　matters　pertinently；　as　she　has　often

done　with　me；　what　do　you　make　of　it？〃



〃The　girl　may　have　acquired　through　years　of　silence　the　faculties

enjoyed　by　Apollonius　of　Tyana　and　other　pretended　sorcerers　burned　by

the　Inquisition；　which　did　not　choose　to　admit　the　fact　of　second…

sight。〃



〃If　she　can　speak　Arabic；　what　would　you　say　to　that？〃



〃The　history　of　medical　science　gives　many　authentic　instances　of

girls　who　have　spoken　languages　entirely　unknown　to　them。〃



〃What　can　I　do？〃　exclaimed　Wilfrid。　〃She　knows　of　secrets　in　my　past

life　known　only　to　me。〃



〃I　shall　be　curious　if　she　can　tell　me　thoughts　that　I　have　confided

to　no　living　person；〃　said　Monsieur　Becker。



Minna　entered　the　room。



〃Well；　my　daughter；　and　how　is　your　familiar　spirit？〃



〃He　suffers；　father；〃　she　answered；　bowing　to　Wilfrid。　〃Human

passions；　clothed　in　their　false　riches；　surrounded　him　all　night；　and

showed　him　all　the　glories　of　the　world。　But　you　think　these　things

mere　tales。〃



〃Tales　as　beautiful　to　those　who　read　them　in　their　brains　as　the

'Arabian　Nights'　to　common　minds；〃　said　the　pastor；　sm