messer marco polo-第11节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


shipwrecked；　who　was　bitten　by　a　viper；　and　who　survived　everything　that　he　might　preach　the　Lord　Jesus。　　He　was　a　fierce；　ragged　man　with　burning　eyes。　。　。　And　he　told　her　of　Paul's　instructions　to　women。　。　。

〃You　do　not　look　at　me　when　you　speak；　Marco　Polo。　　Only　your　voice　comes　to　me；　not　your　eyes。　　Is　it　because　of　Paul？〃

And　Marco　Polo　felt　great　trouble　on　him；　because　he　could　not　explain。　　But　Golden　Bells　went　on：

〃There　is　little　in　your　faith　about　women；　Marco　Polo。　　Is　it　a　faith　only　for　men；　then？　　Is　it　against　women？　　Must　the　young　men　not　look　at　the　young　women？〃

〃No；　Golden　Bells；　the　young　men　must　not　look　too　much　on　the　young　women。〃

〃But　that　is　very　foolish；　Marco　Polo。　　Is　it　wrong　to　see　the　beauty　of　the　almond　blossoms；　wrong　to　taste　the　scented　wind？　Is　it　wrong　to　watch　the　kingfisher　seeking　his　nest？　　Is　it　wrong　to　watch　the　moon；　the　stars？　　All　these　are　very　beautiful；　Marco　Polo；　so　beautiful　as　to　make　me　cry。　　Is　it　wrong　to　watch　them？〃

〃It　is　not　wrong；　Golden　Bells。　　The　glory　of　God　is　in　the　beauty　of　his　handicraft。〃

〃Li　Po　is　old　and　wise　and　a　great　poet；　Marco　Polo；　and　Li　Po　says　there　is　beauty　in　a　running　horse　and　beauty　in　a　running　stream；　but　there　is　no　beauty　like　the　beauty　of　a　young　woman；　and　she　letting　down　her　hair。　　God　made　the　beauty　of　women；　too；　Marco　Polo；　as　well　as　the　beauty　of　the　stars。　　Won't　you　please　explain　to　me；　Marco　Polo？　　Why　should　Li　Po　say　one　thing　and　Saint　Paul　another？〃

〃But　Golden　Bells；　Saint　Paul　is　inspired　of　God。〃

〃But　Li　Po　is　inspired　of　God；　too；　Marco　Polo。　　You　mustn't　be　thinking　1ittle　of　Li　Po。　　He　is　fat　and　old　and　drunken；　but　when　he　sings；　Marco　Polo；　it　is　the　song　of　the　wandering　stars。　　But　why　must　not　the　young　men　look　at　the　young　women；　Marco　Polo？　Why　must　they　not　look　with　their　eyes？〃

〃It　will　be　hard　for　me　to　tell　you；　Golden　Bells　　〃

〃Look　at　me　now；　Marco　Polo。　　Lift　up　your　eyes　and　look　into　my　eyes。　Is　there　evil　in　me；　Marco　Polo；　that　your　eyes　should　avoid　me　as　the　fox　avoids　the　dog？　　Or　maybe　I　am　not　beautiful。　　Maybe　they　told　me　wrong　because　I　was　a　king's　daughter；　and　they　would　not　have　me　think　little　of　myself。　　Maybe　I　am　not　beautiful；　Marco　Polo；　maybe　I　hurt　your　eyes　　〃

〃Ah；　Golden　Bells；　the　little　horned　moon　is　not　more　beautiful。〃

〃Then　why　must　not　the　young　men　look　at　the　young　women；　Marco　Polo？　You　are　here　to　instruct　me。　　Won't　you　tell　me　why？〃

〃Maybe　　maybe　　maybe　it　is　for　fear　of　sin；　Golden　Bells。〃

〃Sin？　　Sin！　　Why　should　there　be　sin？　　I　know　sin；　Marco　Polo。　They　have　warned　me　against　it　since　I　crept　upon　the　floor。　There　are　two　sins。　　There　is　meanness；　Marco　Polo；　and　there　is　cruelty；　and　those　are　the　only　sins。　　I　know　your　heart；　Marco　Polo；　there　is　no　meanness　there。　　You　would　not　have　come　here　were　you　mean。　　The　mean　do　not　travel　afar　for　other　people。　　And　cruelty！　Surely　you　would　not　be　cruel　to　me；　Marco　Polo。　　You　would　not　be　cruel　to　anybody；　dear　Marco　Polo。　　You　would　not　be　cruel　to　me？〃

〃Cruel　to　you；　little　Golden　Bells！　　How　could　I　be　cruel　to　you？〃

〃But　the　sin；　Marco　Polo？〃

〃I　don't　know；　Golden　Bells。　　I　don't　know。〃



CHAPTER　XIX

And　one　dusk　the　moon　rose　over　the　Chinese　garden；　and　Marco　Polo　finished　telling　her　of　what　John　saw　on　Patmos　and　he　an　old　man。　。　。

〃'Veni；　Domine　Jesu。

〃'Gratia　Domini　nostri　Jesu　Christi　cum　omnibus　vobis。　　Amen！'〃

〃It　is　very　difficult；　Marco　Polo。　　I　don't　quite　understand。〃

〃I　don't　quite　understand　myself；　Golden　Bells。　　But　that　is　all　I　can　tell　you。　　But　you　will　understand　more；〃　he　said。　　〃My　mission　is　finished　now；　and　I　will　go　back。　　I　will　stop　at　the　court　of　Prester　John；　and　he　will　send　a　bishop　surely　or　some　great　cardinal　to　baptize　you　and　to　teach　you　the　rest。〃

〃You　will　go　back？〃　　A　great　pain　stabbed　her。　　〃I　never　thought；　some　how；　of　you　as　going　back。〃

〃I　have　come　on　a　mission；　Golden　Bells；　and　I　must　go　back。〃

〃There　is　a　woman；　maybe；　in　Venice　　〃　　And　she　turned　her　head　away　from　him　and　from　the　moon。

〃I　would　not　have　you　thinking　that；　Golden　Bells。　　There　is　none　in　Venice　has　duty　from　me。　　And　if　the　queen　of　the　world　were　there；　and　she　pledged　me；　I　could　never　look　at　her；　and　I　after　knowing　you；　Golden　Bells！〃

〃Is　it　money；　Marco　Polo？〃　she　whispered　in　the　dusk。　　〃It　is　maybe　your　uncle　and　your　father　are　pressing　you　to　return。　　Let　you　not　worry　then；　for　my　father　the　great　Khan　will　settle　with　them；　too。　There　is　not　a　horse　in　all　Tartary　that　your　uncle　cannot　have；　nor　a　woman；　either。　　And　your　father　can　have　all　the　jewels　of　the　treasury；　and　all　the　swords；　too；　even　the　sword　with　which　my　father　conquered　China。　　My　father　will　give　him　that　if　I　ask。　Only　let　you　not　be　leaving　this　moonlit　garden。〃

〃Dear　Golden　Bells；　it　isn't　that；　but　I　came　here　for　converts　　〃

〃Oh；　Marco　Polo；　listen！　　There　is　a　folk　at　Kai…fung…fu；　and　they　are　an　evil　folk　and　a　cowardly　folk；　and　my　father　abhors　them。　I　shall　ask　my　father　to　send　captains　of　war　and　fighting　men　to　convert　them　to　your　faith；　Marco　Polo；　or　lop　off　their　heads。　And　we　can　send　a　few　hundreds　to　the　Pope　at　Rome；　and　he　will　never　know　how　they　were　converted；　and　he　will　be　satisfied。　Only　let　you　not　be　going　away　from　me　in　my　moonlit　garden。　You　will　only　be　turning　to　trade；　Marco　Polo；　and　marrying　a　woman。　　Let　you　stay　here　in　the　moonlit　garden！〃

〃Ah；　little　Golden　Bells；　there　is　no　place　in　the　world　like　your　moonlit　garden。　　There　is　no　place　I'd　be　liefer　than　in　the　moonlit　garden。　　But　little　Golden　Bells；　I　set　out　in　life　to　preach　the　Lord　Jesus　crucified。　　It　was　for　that　I　came　China。〃

〃Let　you　not　be　fooling　yourself；　young　Marco　Polo。　　Let　you　not　always　be　ascribing　to　God　the　things　that　are　mine。　　You　did　not　come　to　preach　to　China；　you　came　to　see　me；　and　your　mind　stirred　up　with　the　story　the　sea…captain　told；　of　me　playing　'Willow　Branches'　at　the　Lake　of　Cranes。　　O　Marco　Polo；　before　you　came　there　were　the　moon　and　the　sun　and　the　stars；　and　I　was　lonely。　　O　Marco　Polo；〃　she　cried；　〃you　wouldn't　go；　you　couldn't　go！　　What　would　you　be　doing　in　cold　Venice；　far　from　the　warm　moonlit　garden。〃

〃Sure；　I'll　be　lonely；　too；　little　Golden　Bells；　a　white　monk　in　a　monastery；　praying　for　you。〃

〃But　I　don't　want　to　be　prayed　for；　Marco　Polo。〃　　She　stamped　her　foot。　〃I　want　to　be　loved。　　And　there　you　have　it　out　of　me；　and　a　great　shame　to　you　that　you　made　me　say　it；　me　that　was　desired　of　many；　and　would　have　no　man　until　you　came。　　And　surely　it　is　the　harsh　God　you　have　made　out　of　The　Kindly　Person　you　spoke　of。　　And　'tis　not　He　would　have　my　heart　broken；　and　you　turning　yourself　into　a　crabbed　monk。　　And　how　do　you　know　your　preaching　will　convert　any？　'Tis　few　you　converted　here。　　Ah；　I'm　sorry；　dear　Marco　Polo；　I　shouldn't　have　said　it；　but　there　is　despair　on　me；　and　I　afraid　of　losing　you。〃

〃'Tis　true；　though。　　I　have　nothing；　nobody　to　show。〃

〃You　have　me。　　Am　n't　I　converted？　　Am　n't　I　a　Christian？　　Marco　Polo；　let　me　tell　you　something。　　I　said　to　my　father　I　wanted　to　marry　you；　and　I　asked　him　if　he　would　give　you　a　province　to　govern；　and　he　said；　'Sure　and　welcome。'　　And　I　asked　him　for　Yangchan；　the　pleasantest　city　in　all　China。　　And　he　said；　'Sure　and　welcome；　Golden　Bells。'　　And　I　told　him　we　would　be　married；　and　go　there　and　govern　his　people　kindly。　And　you　wouldn't　shame　me　before　my　own　father；　and　all　the　people　of　China。　　You　couldn't　do　that；　Marco　Polo。　　Marco　Polo；〃　　she　came　toward　him；　her　eye　shining；　　〃let　you　stay！〃

〃Christ　protect　me！　　Christ　guide　me！　　Christ　before　me！〃

〃Marco　Polo！〃

〃Christ　behind　me！〃

〃The　moon；　Marco　Polo；　and　me；　Golden　Bells；　and　the　nightingale　in　the　apple…tree！〃

〃Christ　on　my　right　hand！　　Christ　my　left！　　Christ　below　me！〃

Her　arms　were　around　his　neck；　cheek　came　close　to　his。

〃Marco　Polo！　　Marco　Polo！〃

〃Christ　above　me！〃

〃My　Marco　Polo！〃

〃O；　God！　　Golden　Bells！〃

And　he　put　his　arms　around　her；　and　his　cheek　to　hers；　and　all　the　battle　and　the　disappointment　and　the　fear　and　the　strangeness　went　out　of　him。　　And　down　by　the　lake　the　wee　frogs　chirruped；　and　in　the　apple…tree　the　nightingale　never　ceased　from　singing。　　And　they　stayed　there　shoulder　to　shoulder　and　cheek　to　cheek。　　And　the　moon　rose　higher。　　And　it　seemed　only　a　moment　they　were　there；　until　they　heard　the　voice　of　Li　Po　in　the　garden。

〃Are　you　there；　Golden　Bells？　　Are　you　there　at　all；　at　all？　For　two　hours　I've　been　hunting　and　couldn't　get　sight　or　sign　of　you。　I　have　the　new　song；　Golden　Bells。　　For　a　long　time　I　was　dumb；　but　a　little　while　ago　the　power　came　to　me；　and　I　have　the　new　song；　Golden　Bells；　the　marrying　song。　。　。〃



CHAPTER　XX

〃Thus　far；〃　said　Malachi　of　the　Long　Glen；　〃the　story　of　Marco　Polo。〃

〃That　is　a　warm　story；　Malachi　of　the　Glen；　a　warm　and　colored　story；　and　great　life　to　it；　and　Golden　Bells　is　as　alive　to　me　as　herself　there　by　the　fire；　and　I　can　see　Marco　Polo　as　plain　as　I　can　see　my　cousin　Randall；　and　he　playing　with　dogs。　。　。〃

〃If　they　weren't　real　and　live　and　warm；　what　would　a　story　be；　Brian　Oge；　but　a　jumble　of　dead　w