seraphita-第9节

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day　I　have　longed　to　ask　you　the　history　of　this　mysterious　being。　On

that　day　began；　for　me；　a　series　of　enchantments。〃



〃Enchantments！〃　cried　the　pastor　shaking　the　ashes　of　his　pipe　into　an

earthen…ware　dish　full　of　sand；　〃are　there　enchantments　in　these

days？〃



〃You；　who　are　carefully　studying　at　this　moment　that　volume　of　the

'Incantations'　of　Jean　Wier；　will　surely　understand　the　explanation　of

my　sensations　if　I　try　to　give　it　to　you；〃　replied　Wilfrid。　〃If　we

study　Nature　attentively　in　its　great　evolutions　as　in　its　minutest

works；　we　cannot　fail　to　recognize　the　possibility　of　enchantment

giving　to　that　word　its　exact　significance。　Man　does　not　create

forces；　he　employs　the　only　force　that　exists　and　which　includes　all

others　namely　Motion；　the　breath　incomprehensible　of　the　sovereign

Maker　of　the　universe。　Species　are　too　distinctly　separated　for　the

human　hand　to　mingle　them。　The　only　miracle　of　which　man　is　capable　is

done　through　the　conjunction　of　two　antagonistic　substances。　Gunpowder

for　instance　is　germane　to　a　thunderbolt。　As　to　calling　forth　a

creation；　and　a　sudden　one；　all　creation　demands　time；　and　time

neither　recedes　nor　advances　at　the　word　of　command。　So；　in　the　world

without　us；　plastic　nature　obeys　laws　the　order　and　exercise　of　which

cannot　be　interfered　with　by　the　hand　of　man。　But　after　fulfilling；　as

it　were；　the　function　of　Matter；　it　would　be　unreasonable　not　to

recognize　within　us　the　existence　of　a　gigantic　power；　the　effects　of

which　are　so　incommensurable　that　the　known　generations　of　men　have

never　yet　been　able　to　classify　them。　I　do　not　speak　of　man's　faculty

of　abstraction；　of　constraining　Nature　to　confine　itself　within　the

Word；a　gigantic　act　on　which　the　common　mind　reflects　as　little　as

it　does　on　the　nature　of　Motion；　but　which；　nevertheless；　has　led　the

Indian　theosophists　to　explain　creation　by　a　word　to　which　they　give

an　inverse　power。　The　smallest　atom　of　their　subsistence；　namely；　the

grain　of　rice；　from　which　a　creation　issues　and　in　which　alternately

creation　again　is　held；　presented　to　their　minds　so　perfect　an　image

of　the　creative　word；　and　of　the　abstractive　word；　that　to　them　it　was

easy　to　apply　the　same　system　to　the　creation　of　worlds。　The　majority

of　men　content　themselves　with　the　grain　of　rice　sown　in　the　first

chapter　of　all　the　Geneses。　Saint　John；　when　he　said　the　Word　was　God

only　complicated　the　difficulty。　But　the　fructification；　germination；

and　efflorescence　of　our　ideas　is　of　little　consequence　if　we　compare

that　property；　shared　by　many　men；　with　the　wholly　individual　faculty

of　communicating　to　that　property；　by　some　mysterious　concentration；

forces　that　are　more　or　less　active；　of　carrying　it　up　to　a　third；　a

ninth；　or　a　twenty…seventh　power；　of　making　it　thus　fasten　upon　the

masses　and　obtain　magical　results　by　condensing　the　processes　of

nature。



〃What　I　mean　by　enchantments；〃　continued　Wilfrid　after　a　moment's

pause；　〃are　those　stupendous　actions　taking　place　between　two

membranes　in　the　tissue　of　the　brain。　We　find　in　the　unexplorable

nature　of　the　Spiritual　World　certain　beings　armed　with　these　wondrous

faculties；　comparable　only　to　the　terrible　power　of　certain　gases　in

the　physical　world；　beings　who　combine　with　other　beings；　penetrate

them　as　active　agents；　and　produce　upon　them　witchcrafts；　charms；

against　which　these　helpless　slaves　are　wholly　defenceless；　they　are；

in　fact；　enchanted；　brought　under　subjection；　reduced　to　a　condition

of　dreadful　vassalage。　Such　mysterious　beings　overpower　others　with

the　sceptre　and　the　glory　of　a　superior　nature；acting　upon　them　at

times　like　the　torpedo　which　electrifies　or　paralyzes　the　fisherman；

at　other　times　like　a　dose　of　phosphorous　which　stimulates　life　and

accelerates　its　propulsion；　or　again；　like　opium；　which　puts　to　sleep

corporeal　nature；　disengages　the　spirit　from　every　bond；　enables　it　to

float　above　the　world　and　shows　this　earth　to　the　spiritual　eye　as

through　a　prism；　extracting　from　it　the　food　most　needed；　or；　yet

again；　like　catalepsy；　which　deadens　all　faculties　for　the　sake　of　one

only　vision。　Miracles；　enchantments；　incantations；　witchcrafts；

spells；　and　charms；　in　short；　all　those　acts　improperly　termed

supernatural；　are　only　possible　and　can　only　be　explained　by　the

despotism　with　which　some　spirit　compels　us　to　feel　the　effects　of　a

mysterious　optic　which　increases；　or　diminishes；　or　exalts　creation；

moves　within　us　as　it　pleases；　deforms　or　embellishes　all　things　to

our　eyes；　tears　us　from　heaven；　or　drags　us　to　hell；two　terms　by

which　men　agree　to　express　the　two　extremes　of　joy　and　misery。



〃These　phenomena　are　within　us；　not　without　us；〃　Wilfrid　went　on。　〃The

being　whom　we　call　Seraphita　seems　to　me　one　of　those　rare　and

terrible　spirits　to　whom　power　is　given　to　bind　men；　to　crush　nature；

to　enter　into　participation　of　the　occult　power　of　God。　The　course　of

her　enchantments　over　me　began　on　that　first　day；　when　silence　as　to

her　was　imposed　upon　me　against　my　will。　Each　time　that　I　have　wished

to　question　you　it　seemed　as　though　I　were　about　to　reveal　a　secret　of

which　I　ought　to　be　the　incorruptible　guardian。　Whenever　I　have　tried

to　speak；　a　burning　seal　has　been　laid　upon　my　lips；　and　I　myself　have

become　the　involuntary　minister　of　these　mysteries。　You　see　me　here

to…night；　for　the　hundredth　time；　bruised；　defeated；　broken；　after

leaving　the　hallucinating　sphere　which　surrounds　that　young　girl；　so

gentle；　so　fragile　to　both　of　you；　but　to　me　the　cruellest　of

magicians！　Yes；　to　me　she　is　like　a　sorcerer　holding　in　her　right　hand

the　invisible　wand　that　moves　the　globe；　and　in　her　left　the

thunderbolt　that　rends　asunder　all　things　at　her　will。　No　longer　can　I

look　upon　her　brow；　the　light　of　it　is　insupportable。　I　skirt　the

borders　of　the　abyss　of　madness　too　closely　to　be　longer　silent。　I

must　speak。　I　seize　this　moment；　when　courage　comes　to　me；　to　resist

the　power　which　drags　me　onward　without　inquiring　whether　or　not　I

have　the　force　to　follow。　Who　is　she？　Did　you　know　her　young？　What　of

her　birth？　Had　she　father　and　mother；　or　was　she　born　of　the

conjunction　of　ice　and　sun？　She　burns　and　yet　she　freeze；　she　shows

herself　and　then　withdraws；　she　attracts　me　and　repulses　me；　she

brings　me　life；　she　gives　me　death；　I　love　her　and　yet　I　hate　her！　I

cannot　live　thus；　let　me　be　wholly　in　heaven　or　in　hell！〃



Holding　his　refilled　pipe　in　one　hand；　and　in　the　other　the　cover

which　he　forgot　to　replace；　Monsieur　Becker　listened　to　Wilfrid　with　a

mysterious　expression　on　his　face；　looking　occasionally　at　his

daughter；　who　seemed　to　understand　the　man's　language　as　in　harmony

with　the　strange　being　who　inspired　it。　Wilfrid　was　splendid　to　behold

at　this　moment；like　Hamlet　listening　to　the　ghost　of　his　father　as

it　rises　for　him　alone　in　the　midst　of　the　living。



〃This　is　certainly　the　language　of　a　man　in　love；〃　said　the　good

pastor；　innocently。



〃In　love！〃　cried　Wilfrid；　〃yes；　to　common　minds。　But；　dear　Monsieur

Becker；　no　words　can　express　the　frenzy　which　draws　me　to　the　feet　of

that　unearthly　being。〃



〃Then　you　do　love　her？〃　said　Minna；　in　a　tone　of　reproach。



〃Mademoiselle；　I　feel　such　extraordinary　agitation　when　I　see　her；　and

such　deep　sadness　when　I　see　her　no　more；　that　in　any　other　man　what　I

feel　would　be　called　love。　But　that　sentiment　draws　those　who　feel　it

ardently　together；　whereas　between　her　and　me　a　great　gulf　lies；　whose

icy　coldness　penetrates　my　very　being　in　her　presence；　though　the

feeling　dies　away　when　I　see　her　no　longer。　I　leave　her　in　despair；　I

return　to　her　with　ardor；like　men　of　science　who　seek　a　secret　from

Nature　only　to　be　baffled；　or　like　the　painter　who　would　fain　put　life

upon　his　canvas　and　strives　with　all　the　resources　of　his　art　in　the

vain　attempt。〃



〃Monsieur；　all　that　you　say　is　true；〃　replied　the　young　girl；

artlessly。



〃How　can　you　know；　Minna？〃　asked　the　old　pastor。



〃Ah！　my　father；　had　you　been　with　us　this　morning　on　the　summit　of　the

Falberg；　had　you　seen　him　praying；　you　would　not　ask　me　that　question。

You　would　say；　like　Monsieur　Wilfrid；　that　he　saw　his　Seraphita　for

the　first　time　in　our　temple；　'It　is　the　Spirit　of　Prayer。'〃



These　words　were　followed　by　a　moment's　silence。



〃Ah；　truly！〃　said　Wilfrid；　〃she　has　nothing　in　common　with　the

creatures　who　grovel　upon　this　earth。〃



〃On　the　Falberg！〃　said　the　old　pastor；　〃how　could　you　get　there？〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　replied　Minna；　〃the　way　is　like　a　dream　to　me；　of

which　no　more　than　a　memory　remains。　Perhaps　I　should　hardly　believe

that　I　had　been　there　were　it　not　for　this　tangible　proof。〃



She　drew　the　flower　from　her　bosom　and　showed　it　to　them。　All　three

gazed　at　the　pretty　saxifrage；　which　was　still　fresh；　and　now　shone　in

the　light　of　the　two　lamps　like　a　third　luminary。



〃This　is　indeed　supernatural；〃　said　the　old　man；　astounde