seraphita-第27节

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thou　canst　find　no　spring　of　waters；　no　umbrageous　shade。　If　on　the

Falberg　thou　couldst　not　gaze　into　the　abyss　and　live；　keep　all　thy

strength　for　him　who　will　love　thee。　Go；　poor　girl；　thou　knowest；　I　am

betrothed。〃



Minna　rose　and　followed　Seraphita　to　the　window　where　Wilfrid　stood。

All　three　listened　to　the　Sieg　bounding　out　the　rush　of　the　upper

waters；　which　brought　down　trees　uprooted　by　the　ice；　the　fiord　had

regained　its　voice；　all　illusions　were　dispelled！　They　rejoiced　in

Nature　as　she　burst　her　bonds　and　seemed　to　answer　with　sublime　accord

to　the　Spirit　whose　breath　had　wakened　her。



When　the　three　guests　of　this　mysterious　being　left　the　house；　they

were　filled　with　the　vague　sensation　which　is　neither　sleep；　nor

torpor；　nor　astonishment；　but　partakes　of　the　nature　of　each；a　state

that　is　neither　dusk　nor　dawn；　but　which　creates　a　thirst　for　light。

All　three　were　thinking。



〃I　begin　to　believe　that　she　is　indeed　a　Spirit　hidden　in　human　form；〃

said　Monsieur　Becker。



Wilfrid；　re…entering　his　own　apartments；　calm　and　convinced；　was

unable　to　struggle　against　that　influence　so　divinely　majestic。



Minna　said　in　her　heart；　〃Why　will　he　not　let　me　love　him！〃







CHAPTER　V



FAREWELL



There　is　in　man　an　almost　hopeless　phenomenon　for　thoughtful　minds　who

seek　a　meaning　in　the　march　of　civilization；　and　who　endeavor　to　give

laws　of　progression　to　the　movement　of　intelligence。　However

portentous　a　fact　may　be；　or　even　supernatural；if　such　facts　exist；

however　solemnly　a　miracle　may　be　done　in　sight　of　all；　the

lightning　of　that　fact；　the　thunderbolt　of　that　miracle　is　quickly

swallowed　up　in　the　ocean　of　life；　whose　surface；　scarcely　stirred　by

the　brief　convulsion；　returns　to　the　level　of　its　habitual　flow。



A　Voice　is　heard　from　the　jaws　of　an　Animal；　a　Hand　writes　on　the　wall

before　a　feasting　Court；　an　Eye　gleams　in　the　slumber　of　a　king；　and　a

Prophet　explains　the　dream；　Death；　evoked；　rises　on　the　confines　of

the　luminous　sphere　were　faculties　revive；　Spirit　annihilates　Matter

at　the　foot　of　that　mystic　ladder　of　the　Seven　Spiritual　Worlds；　one

resting　upon　another　in　space　and　revealing　themselves　in　shining

waves　that　break　in　light　upon　the　steps　of　the　celestial　Tabernacle。

But　however　solemn　the　inward　Revelation；　however　clear　the　visible

outward　Sign；　be　sure　that　on　the　morrow　Balaam　doubts　both　himself

and　his　ass；　Belshazzar　and　Pharoah　call　Moses　and　Daniel　to　qualify

the　Word。　The　Spirit；　descending；　bears　man　above　this　earth；　opens

the　seas　and　lets　him　see　their　depths；　shows　him　lost　species；　wakens

dry　bones　whose　dust　is　the　soil　of　valleys；　the　Apostle　writes　the

Apocalypse；　and　twenty　centuries　later　human　science　ratifies　his

words　and　turns　his　visions　into　maxims。　And　what　comes　of　it　all？　Why

this；that　the　peoples　live　as　they　have　ever　lived；　as　they　lived　in

the　first　Olympiad；　as　they　lived　on　the　morrow　of　Creation；　and　on

the　eve　of　the　great　cataclysm。　The　waves　of　Doubt　have　covered　all

things。　The　same　floods　surge　with　the　same　measured　motion　on　the

human　granite　which　serves　as　a　boundary　to　the　ocean　of　intelligence。

When　man　has　inquired　of　himself　whether　he　has　seen　that　which　he　has

seen；　whether　he　has　heard　the　words　that　entered　his　ears；　whether

the　facts　were　facts　and　the　idea　is　indeed　an　idea；　then　he　resumes

his　wonted　bearing；　thinks　of　his　worldly　interests；　obeys　some　envoy

of　death　and　of　oblivion　whose　dusky　mantle　covers　like　a　pall　an

ancient　Humanity　of　which　the　moderns　retain　no　memory。　Man　never

pauses；　he　goes　his　round；　he　vegetates　until　the　appointed　day　when

his　Axe　falls。　If　this　wave　force；　this　pressure　of　bitter　waters

prevents　all　progress；　no　doubt　it　also　warns　of　death。　Spirits

prepared　by　faith　among　the　higher　souls　of　earth　can　alone　perceive

the　mystic　ladder　of　Jacob。



After　listening　to　Seraphita's　answer　in　which　（being　earnestly

questioned）　she　unrolled　before　their　eyes　a　Divine　Perspective；as

an　organ　fills　a　church　with　sonorous　sound　and　reveals　a　musical

universe；　its　solemn　tones　rising　to　the　loftiest　arches　and　playing；

like　light；　upon　their　foliated　capitals；Wilfrid　returned　to　his　own

room；　awed　by　the　sight　of　a　world　in　ruins；　and　on　those　ruins　the

brilliance　of　mysterious　lights　poured　forth　in　torrents　by　the　hand

of　a　young　girl。　On　the　morrow　he　still　thought　of　these　things；　but

his　awe　was　gone；　he　felt　he　was　neither　destroyed　nor　changed；　his

passions；　his　ideas　awoke　in　full　force；　fresh　and　vigorous。　He　went

to　breakfast　with　Monsieur　Becker　and　found　the　old　man　absorbed　in

the　〃Treatise　on　Incantations；〃　which　he　had　searched　since　early

morning　to　convince　his　guest　that　there　was　nothing　unprecedented　in

all　that　they　had　seen　and　heard　at　the　Swedish　castle。　With　the

childlike　trustfulness　of　a　true　scholar　he　had　folded　down　the　pages

in　which　Jean　Wier　related　authentic　facts　which　proved　the

possibility　of　the　events　that　had　happened　the　night　before；for　to

learned　men　an　idea　is　a　event；　just　as　the　greatest　events　often

present　no　idea　at　all　to　them。　By　the　time　they　had　swallowed　their

fifth　cup　of　tea；　these　philosophers　had　come　to　think　the　mysterious

scene　of　the　preceding　evening　wholly　natural。　The　celestial　truths　to

which　they　had　listened　were　arguments　susceptible　of　examination；

Seraphita　was　a　girl；　more　or　less　eloquent；　allowance　must　be　made

for　the　charms　of　her　voice；　her　seductive　beauty；　her　fascinating

motions；　in　short；　for　all　those　oratorical　arts　by　which　an　actor

puts　a　world　of　sentiment　and　thought　into　phrases　which　are　often

commonplace。



〃Bah！〃　said　the　worthy　pastor；　making　a　philosophical　grimace　as　he

spread　a　layer　of　salt　butter　on　his　slice　of　bread；　〃the　final　word

of　all　these　fine　enigmas　is　six　feet　under　ground。〃



〃But；〃　said　Wilfrid；　sugaring　his　tea；　〃I　cannot　image　how　a　young

girl　of　seventeen　can　know　so　much；　what　she　said　was　certainly　a

compact　argument。〃



〃Read　the　account　of　that　Italian　woman；〃　said　Monsieur　Becker；　〃who

at　the　age　of　twelve　spoke　forty…two　languages；　ancient　and　modern；

also　the　history　of　that　monk　who　could　guess　thought　by　smell。　I　can

give　you　a　thousand　such　cases　from　Jean　Wier　and　other　writers。〃



〃I　admit　all　that；　dear　pastor；　but　to　my　thinking；　Seraphita　would

make　a　perfect　wife。〃



〃She　is　all　mind；〃　said　Monsieur　Becker；　dubiously。



Several　days　went　by；　during　which　the　snow　in　the　valleys　melted

gradually　away；　the　green　of　the　forests　and　of　the　grass　began　to

show；　Norwegian　Nature　made　ready　her　wedding　garments　for　her　brief

bridal　of　a　day。　During　this　period；　when　the　softened　air　invited

every　one　to　leave　the　house；　Seraphita　remained　at　home　in　solitude。

When　at　last　she　admitted　Minna　the　latter　saw　at　once　the　ravages　of

inward　fever；　Seraphita's　voice　was　hollow；　her　skin　pallid；　hitherto

a　poet　might　have　compared　her　lustre　to　that　of　diamonds；now　it　was

that　of　a　topaz。



〃Have　you　seen　her？〃　asked　Wilfrid；　who　had　wandered　around　the

Swedish　dwelling　waiting　for　Minna's　return。



〃Yes；〃　answered　the　young　girl；　weeping；　〃We　must　lose　him！〃



〃Mademoiselle；〃　cried　Wilfrid；　endeavoring　to　repress　the　loud　tones

of　his　angry　voice；　〃do　not　jest　with　me。　You　can　love　Seraphita　only

as　one　young　girl　can　love　another；　and　not　with　the　love　which　she

inspires　in　me。　You　do　not　know　your　danger　if　my　jealousy　were　really

aroused。　Why　can　I　not　go　to　her？　Is　it　you　who　stand　in　my　way？〃



〃I　do　not　know　by　what　right　you　probe　my　heart；〃　said　Minna；　calm　in

appearance；　but　inwardly　terrified。　〃Yes；　I　love　him；〃　she　said；

recovering　the　courage　of　her　convictions；　that　she　might；　for　once；

confess　the　religion　of　her　heart。　〃But　my　jealousy；　natural　as　it　is

in　love；　fears　no　one　here　below。　Alas！　I　am　jealous　of　a　secret

feeling　that　absorbs　him。　Between　him　and　me　there　is　a　great　gulf

fixed　which　I　cannot　cross。　Would　that　I　knew　who　loves　him　best；　the

stars　or　I！　which　of　us　would　sacrifice　our　being　most　eagerly　for　his

happiness！　Why　should　I　not　be　free　to　avow　my　love？　In　the　presence

of　death　we　may　declare　our　feelings；and　Seraphitus　is　about　to

die。〃



〃Minna；　you　are　mistaken；　the　siren　I　so　love　and　long　for；　she；　whom

I　have　seen；　feeble　and　languid；　on　her　couch　of　furs；　is　not　a　young

man。〃



〃Monsieur；〃　answered　Minna；　distressfully；　〃the　being　whose　powerful

hand　guided　me　on　the　Falberg；　who　led　me　to　the　saeter　sheltered

beneath　the　Ice…Cap；　there〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the　peak；　〃is　not

a　feeble　girl。　Ah；　had　you　but　heard　him　prophesying！　His　poem　was　the

music　of　thought。　A　young　girl　never　uttered　those　solemn　tones　of　a

voice　which　stirred　my　soul。〃



〃What　certainty　have　you？〃　said　Wilfrid。



〃None　but　that　of　the　heart；〃　answered　Minna。



〃And　I；〃　cried　Wilfrid；　casting　on　his　companion　the　terrible　glance

of