seraphita-第6节

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〃Nothing；　David；　I　am　too　weary。〃



Seraphitus　unfastened　his　pelisse　lined　with　sable；　threw　it　over　him；

and　fell　asleep。　The　old　servant　stood　for　several　minutes　gazing　with

loving　eyes　at　the　singular　being　before　him；　whose　sex　it　would　have

been　difficult　for　any　one　at　that　moment　to　determine。　Wrapped　as　he

was　in　a　formless　garment；　which　resembled　equally　a　woman's　robe　and

a　man's　mantle；　it　was　impossible　not　to　fancy　that　the　slender　feet

which　hung　at　the　side　of　the　couch　were　those　of　a　woman；　and　equally

impossible　not　to　note　how　the　forehead　and　the　outlines　of　the　head

gave　evidence　of　power　brought　to　its　highest　pitch。



〃She　suffers；　and　she　will　not　tell　me；〃　thought　the　old　man。　〃She　is

dying；　like　a　flower　wilted　by　the　burning　sun。〃



And　the　old　man　wept。







CHAPTER　II



SERAPHITA



Later　in　the　evening　David　re…entered　the　salon。



〃I　know　who　it　is　you　have　come　to　announce；〃　said　Seraphita　in　a

sleepy　voice。　〃Wilfrid　may　enter。〃



Hearing　these　words　a　man　suddenly　presented　himself；　crossed　the　room

and　sat　down　beside　her。



〃My　dear　Seraphita；　are　you　ill？〃　he　said。　〃You　look　paler　than

usual。〃



She　turned　slowly　towards　him；　tossing　back　her　hair　like　a　pretty

woman　whose　aching　head　leaves　her　no　strength　even　for　complaint。



〃I　was　foolish　enough　to　cross　the　fiord　with　Minna；〃　she　said。　〃We

ascended　the　Falberg。〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　kill　yourself？〃　he　said　with　a　lover's　terror。



〃No；　my　good　Wilfrid；　I　took　the　greatest　care　of　your　Minna。〃



Wilfrid　struck　his　hand　violently　on　a　table；　rose　hastily；　and　made

several　steps　towards　the　door　with　an　exclamation　full　of　pain；　then

he　returned　and　seemed　about　to　remonstrate。



〃Why　this　disturbance　if　you　think　me　ill？〃　she　said。



〃Forgive　me；　have　mercy！〃　he　cried；　kneeling　beside　her。　〃Speak　to　me

harshly　if　you　will；　exact　all　that　the　cruel　fancies　of　a　woman　lead

you　to　imagine　I　least　can　bear；　but　oh；　my　beloved；　do　not　doubt　my

love。　You　take　Minna　like　an　axe　to　hew　me　down。　Have　mercy！〃



〃Why　do　you　say　these　things；　my　friend；　when　you　know　that　they　are

useless？〃　she　replied；　with　a　look　which　grew　in　the　end　so　soft　that

Wilfrid　ceased　to　behold　her　eyes；　but　saw　in　their　place　a　fluid

light；　the　shimmer　of　which　was　like　the　last　vibrations　of　an　Italian

song。



〃Ah！　no　man　dies　of　anguish！〃　he　murmured。



〃You　are　suffering？〃　she　said　in　a　voice　whose　intonations　produced

upon　his　heart　the　same　effect　as　that　of　her　look。　〃Would　I　could

help　you！〃



〃Love　me　as　I　love　you。〃



〃Poor　Minna！〃　she　replied。



〃Why　am　I　unarmed！〃　exclaimed　Wilfrid；　violently。



〃You　are　out　of　temper；〃　said　Seraphita；　smiling。　〃Come；　have　I　not

spoken　to　you　like　those　Parisian　women　whose　loves　you　tell　of？〃



Wilfrid　sat　down；　crossed　his　arms；　and　looked　gloomily　at　Seraphita。

〃I　forgive　you；〃　he　said；　〃for　you　know　not　what　you　do。〃



〃You　mistake；〃　she　replied；　〃every　woman　from　the　days　of　Eve　does

good　and　evil　knowingly。〃



〃I　believe　it〃；　he　said。



〃I　am　sure　of　it；　Wilfrid。　Our　instinct　is　precisely　that　which　makes

us　perfect。　What　you　men　learn；　we　feel。〃



〃Why；　then；　do　you　not　feel　how　much　I　love　you？〃



〃Because　you　do　not　love　me。〃



〃Good　God！〃



〃If　you　did；　would　you　complain　of　your　own　sufferings？〃



〃You　are　terrible　to…night；　Seraphita。　You　are　a　demon。〃



〃No；　but　I　am　gifted　with　the　faculty　of　comprehending；　and　it　is

awful。　Wilfrid；　sorrow　is　a　lamp　which　illumines　life。〃



〃Why　did　you　ascend　the　Falberg？〃



〃Minna　will　tell　you。　I　am　too　weary　to　talk。　You　must　talk　to　me；

you　who　know　so　much；　who　have　learned　all　things　and　forgotten

nothing；　you　who　have　passed　through　every　social　test。　Talk　to　me；

amuse　me；　I　am　listening。〃



〃What　can　I　tell　you　that　you　do　not　know？　Besides；　the　request　is

ironical。　You　allow　yourself　no　intercourse　with　social　life；　you

trample　on　its　conventions；　its　laws；　its　customs；　sentiments；　and

sciences；　you　reduce　them　all　to　the　proportions　such　things　take　when

viewed　by　you　beyond　this　universe。〃



〃Therefore　you　see；　my　friend；　that　I　am　not　a　woman。　You　do　wrong　to

love　me。　What！　am　I　to　leave　the　ethereal　regions　of　my　pretended

strength；　make　myself　humbly　small；　cringe　like　the　hapless　female　of

all　species；　that　you　may　lift　me　up？　and　then；　when　I；　helpless　and

broken；　ask　you　for　help；　when　I　need　your　arm；　you　will　repulse　me！

No；　we　can　never　come　to　terms。〃



〃You　are　more　maliciously　unkind　to…night　than　I　have　ever　known　you。〃



〃Unkind！〃　she　said；　with　a　look　which　seemed　to　blend　all　feelings

into　one　celestial　emotion；　〃no；　I　am　ill；　I　suffer；　that　is　all。

Leave　me；　my　friend；　it　is　your　manly　right。　We　women　should　ever

please　you；　entertain　you；　be　gay　in　your　presence　and　have　no　whims

save　those　that　amuse　you。　Come；　what　shall　I　do　for　you；　friend？

Shall　I　sing；　shall　I　dance；　though　weariness　deprives　me　of　the　use

of　voice　and　limbs？Ah！　gentlemen；　be　we　on　our　deathbeds；　we　yet

must　smile　to　please　you；　you　call　that；　methinks；　your　right。　Poor

women！　I　pity　them。　Tell　me；　you　who　abandon　them　when　they　grow　old；

is　it　because　they　have　neither　hearts　nor　souls？　Wilfrid；　I　am　a

hundred　years　old；　leave　me！　leave　me！　go　to　Minna！〃



〃Oh；　my　eternal　love！〃



〃Do　you　know　the　meaning　of　eternity？　Be　silent；　Wilfrid。　You　desire

me；　but　you　do　not　love　me。　Tell　me；　do　I　not　seem　to　you　like　those

coquettish　Parisian　women？〃



〃Certainly　I　no　longer　find　you　the　pure　celestial　maiden　I　first　saw

in　the　church　of　Jarvis。〃



At　these　words　Seraphita　passed　her　hands　across　her　brow；　and　when

she　removed　them　Wilfrid　was　amazed　at　the　saintly　expression　that

overspread　her　face。



〃You　are　right；　my　friend；〃　she　said；　〃I　do　wrong　whenever　I　set　my

feet　upon　your　earth。〃



〃Oh；　Seraphita；　be　my　star！　stay　where　you　can　ever　bless　me　with　that

clear　light！〃



As　he　spoke；　he　stretched　forth　his　hand　to　take　that　of　the　young

girl；　but　she　withdrew　it；　neither　disdainfully　nor　in　anger。　Wilfrid

rose　abruptly　and　walked　to　the　window　that　she　might　not　see　the

tears　that　rose　to　his　eyes。



〃Why　do　you　weep？〃　she　said。　〃You　are　not　a　child；　Wilfrid。　Come　back

to　me。　I　wish　it。　You　are　annoyed　if　I　show　just　displeasure。　You　see

that　I　am　fatigued　and　ill；　yet　you　force　me　to　think　and　speak；　and

listen　to　persuasions　and　ideas　that　weary　me。　If　you　had　any　real

perception　of　my　nature；　you　would　have　made　some　music；　you　would

have　lulled　my　feelingsbut　no；　you　love　me　for　yourself　and　not　for

myself。〃



The　storm　which　convulsed　the　young　man's　heart　calmed　down　at　these

words。　He　slowly　approached　her；　letting　his　eyes　take　in　the

seductive　creature　who　lay　exhausted　before　him；　her　head　resting　in

her　hand　and　her　elbow　on　the　couch。



〃You　think　that　I　do　not　love　you；〃　she　resumed。　〃You　are　mistaken。

Listen　to　me；　Wilfrid。　You　are　beginning　to　know　much；　you　have

suffered　much。　Let　me　explain　your　thoughts　to　you。　You　wished　to　take

my　hand　just　now〃；　she　rose　to　a　sitting　posture；　and　her　graceful

motions　seemed　to　emit　light。　〃When　a　young　girl　allows　her　hand　to　be

taken　it　is　as　though　she　made　a　promise；　is　it　not？　and　ought　she　not

to　fulfil　it？　You　well　know　that　I　cannot　be　yours。　Two　sentiments

divide　and　inspire　the　love　of　all　the　women　of　the　earth。　Either　they

devote　themselves　to　suffering；　degraded；　and　criminal　beings　whom

they　desire　to　console；　uplift；　redeem；　or　they　give　themselves　to

superior　men；　sublime　and　strong；　whom　they　adore　and　seek　to

comprehend；　and　by　whom　they　are　often　annihilated。　You　have　been

degraded；　though　now　you　are　purified　by　the　fires　of　repentance；　and

to…day　you　are　once　more　noble；　but　I　know　myself　too　feeble　to　be

your　equal；　and　too　religious　to　bow　before　any　power　but　that　On

High。　I　may　refer　thus　to　your　life；　my　friend；　for　we　are　in　the

North；　among　the　clouds；　where　all　things　are　abstractions。〃



〃You　stab　me；　Seraphita；　when　you　speak　like　this。　It　wounds　me　to

hear　you　apply　the　dreadful　knowledge　with　which　you　strip　from　all

things　human　the　properties　that　time　and　space　and　form　have　given

them；　and　consider　them　mathematically　in　the　abstract；　as　geometry

treats　substances　from　which　it　extracts　solidity。〃



〃Well；　I　will　respect　your　wishes；　Wilfrid。　Let　the　subject　drop。　Tell

me　what　you　think　of　this　bearskin　rug　which　my　poor　David　has　spread

out。〃



〃It　is　very　handsome。〃



〃Did　you　ever　see　me　wear　this　'doucha　greka'？〃



She　pointed　to　a　pelisse　made　of　cashmere　and　lined　with　the　skin　of

the　black　fox；the　name　she　gave　it　signifying　〃warm　to　the　soul。〃



〃Do　you　believe　that　any　sovereign　has　a　fur　that　can　equal　it？〃　she

asked。



〃It　is　worthy　of　her　who　wears　it。〃



〃And　whom　you　think　beautiful？〃



〃Human　words　do　not　a