the complete writings-2-第49节

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uns　back　to　bark　at　me。　　Is　this　the　brigand　of　whom　I　have　read；　and　is　he　luring　me　to　his　haunt？　　Probably。　　I　follow。　　He　throws　his　cloak　about　his　shoulders；　exactly　as　brigands　do　in　the　opera；　and　loiters　on。　　At　last　there　is　the　point　in　sight；　a　gray　wall　with　blind　arches。　　The　man　disappears　through　a　narrow　archway；　and　I　follow。　Within　is　an　enormous　square　tower。　　I　think　it　was　built　in　Spanish　days；　as　an　outlook　for　Barbary　pirates。　　A　bell　hung　in　it；　which　was　set　clanging　when　the　white　sails　of　the　robbers　appeared　to　the　southward；　and　the　alarm　was　repeated　up　the　coast；　the　towers　were　manned；　and　the　brown…cheeked　girls　flew　away　to　the　hills；　I　doubt　not；　for　the　touch　of　the　sirocco　was　not　half　so　much　to　be　dreaded　as　the　rough　importunity　of　a　Saracen　lover。　　The　bell　is　gone　now；　and　no　Moslem　rovers　are　in　sight。　　The　maidens　we　had　just　passed　would　be　safe　if　there　were。　　My　brigand　disappears　round　the　tower；　and　I　follow　down　steps；　by　a　white　wall；　and　lo！　　a　house；a　red　stucco；　Egyptian…looking　building；on　the　very　edge　of　the　rocks。　The　man　unlocks　a　door　and　goes　in。　　I　consider　this　an　invitation；　and　enter。　　On　one　side　of　the　passage　a　sleeping…room；　on　the　other　a　kitchen；not　sumptuous　quarters；　and　we　come　then　upon　a　pretty　circular　terrace；　and　there；　in　its　glass　case；　is　the　lantern　of　the　point。　　My　brigand　is　a　lighthouse…keeper；　and　welcomes　me　in　a　quiet　way；　glad；　evidently；　to　see　the　face　of　a　civilized　being。　　It　is　very　solitary；　he　says。　　I　should　think　so。　　It　is　the　end　of　everything。　　The　Mediterranean　waves　beat　with　a　dull　thud　on　the　worn　crags　below。　　The　rocks　rise　up　to　the　sky　behind。　　There　is　nothing　there　but　the　sun；　an　occasional　sail；　and　quiet；　petrified　Capri；　three　miles　distant　across　the　strait。　　It　is　an　excellent　place　for　a　misanthrope　to　spend　a　week；　and　get　cured。　　There　must　be　a　very　dispiriting　influence　prevailing　here；　the　keeper　refused　to　take　any　money；　the　solitary　Italian　we　have　seen　so　affected。

We　returned　late。　　The　young　moon；　lying　in　the　lap　of　the　old　one；　was　superintending　the　brilliant　sunset　over　Capri；　as　we　passed　the　last　point　commanding　it；　and　the　light；　fading　away；　left　us　stumbling　over　the　rough　path　among　the　hills；　darkened　by　the　high　walls。　　We　were　not　sorry　to　emerge　upon　the　crest　above　the　Massa　road。　　For　there　lay　the　sea；　and　the　plain　of　Sorrento；　with　its　darkening　groves　and　hundreds　of　twinkling　lights。　　As　we　went　down　the　last　descent；　the　bells　of　the　town　were　all　ringing；　for　it　was　the　eve　of　the　fete　of　St。　Antonino。




CAPRI

〃CAP；　signor？　　Good　day　for　Grott。〃　　Thus　spoke　a　mariner；　touching　his　Phrygian　cap。　　The　people　here　abbreviate　all　names。　　With　them　Massa　is　Mas；　Meta　is　Met；　Capri　becomes　Cap；　the　Grotta　Azzurra　is　reduced　familiarly　to　Grott；　and　they　even　curtail　musical　Sorrento　into　Serent。

Shall　we　go　to　Capri？　　Should　we　dare　return　to　the　great　Republic；　and　own　that　we　had　not　been　into　the　Blue　Grotto？　　We　like　to　climb　the　steeps　here；　especially　towards　Massa；　and　look　at　Capri。　　I　have　read　in　some　book　that　it　used　to　be　always　visible　from　Sorrento。　But　now　the　promontory　has　risen；　the　Capo　di　Sorrento　has　thrust　out　its　rocky　spur　with　its　ancient　Roman　masonry；　and　the　island　itself　has　moved　so　far　round　to　the　south　that　Sorrento；　which　fronts　north；　has　lost　sight　of　it。

We　never　tire　of　watching　it；　thinking　that　it　could　not　be　spared　from　the　landscape。　　It　lies　only　three　miles　from　the　curving　end　of　the　promontory；　and　is　about　twenty　miles　due　south　of　Naples。　　In　this　atmosphere　distances　dwindle。　　The　nearest　land；　to　the　northwest；　is　the　larger　island　of　Ischia；　distant　nearly　as　far　as　Naples；　yet　Capri　has　the　effect　of　being　anchored　off　the　bay　to　guard　the　entrance。　　It　is　really　a　rock；　three　miles　and　a　half　long；　rising　straight　out　of　the　water；　eight　hundred　feet　high　at　one　end；　and　eighteen　hundred　feet　at　the　other；　with　a　depression　between。　　If　it　had　been　chiseled　by　hand　and　set　there；　it　could　not　be　more　sharply　defined。　　So　precipitous　are　its　sides　of　rock；　that　there　are　only　two　fit　boat…landings；　the　marina　on　the　north　side；　and　a　smaller　place　opposite。　　One　of　those　light…haired　and　freckled　Englishmen；　whose　pluck　exceeds　their　discretion；　rowed　round　the　island　alone　in　rough　water；　last　summer；　against　the　advice　of　the　boatman；　and　unable　to　make　a　landing；　and　weary　with　the　strife　of　the　waves；　was　in　considerable　peril。

Sharp　and　clear　as　Capri　is　in　outline；　its　contour　is　still　most　graceful　and　poetic。　　This　wonderful　atmosphere　softens　even　its　ruggedness；　and　drapes　it　with　hues　of　enchanting　beauty。　　Sometimes　the　haze　plays　fantastic　tricks　with　it；a　cloud…cap　hangs　on　Monte　Solaro；　or　a　mist　obscures　the　base；　and　the　massive　summits　of　rock　seem　to　float　in　the　air；　baseless　fabrics　of　a　vision　that　the　rising　wind　will　carry　away　perhaps。　　I　know　now　what　Homer　means　by　〃wandering　islands。〃　Shall　we　take　a　boat　and　sail　over　there；　and　so　destroy　forever　another　island　of　the　imagination？　　The　bane　of　travel　is　the　destruction　of　illusions。

We　like　to　talk　about　Capri；　and　to　talk　of　going　there。　　The　Sorrento　people　have　no　end　of　gossip　about　the　wild　island；　and；　simple　and　primitive　as　they　are；　Capri　is　still　more　out　of　the　world。　　I　do　not　know　what　enchantment　there　is　on　the　island；　but　whoever　sets　foot　there；　they　say；　goes　insane　or　dies　a　drunkard。　　I　fancy　the　reason　of　this　is　found　in　the　fact　that　the　Capri　girls　are　raving　beauties。　　I　am　not　sure　but　the　monotony　of　being　anchored　off　there　in　the　bay；　the　monotony　of　rocks　and　precipices　that　goats　alone　can　climb；　the　monotony　of　a　temperature　that　scarcely　ever；　winter　and　summer；　is　below　55　or　above　75　Fahrenheit　indoors；　might　drive　one　into　lunacy。　　But　I　incline　to　think　it　is　due　to　the　handsome　Capri　girls。

There　are　beautiful　girls　in　Sorrento；　with　a　beauty　more　than　skin　deep；　a　glowing；　hidden　fire；　a　ripeness　like　that　of　the　grape　and　the　peach　which　grows　in　the　soft　air　and　the　sun。　　And　they　wither；　like　grapes　that　hang　upon　the　stem。　　I　have　never　seen　a　handsome；　scarcely　a　decent…looking；　old　woman　here。　　They　are　lank　and　dry；　and　their　bones　are　covered　with　parchment。　　One　of　these　brown…　cheeked　girls；　with　large；　longing　eyes；　gives　the　stranger　a　start；　now　and　then；　when　he　meets　her　in　a　narrow　way　with　a　basket　of　oranges　on　her　head。　　I　hope　he　has　the　grace　to　go　right　by。　　Let　him　meditate　what　this　vision　of　beauty　will　be　like　in　twenty　ears。

The　Capri　girls　are　famed　as　magnificent　beauties；　but　they　fade　like　their　mainland　sisters。　　The　Saracens　used　to　descend　on　their　island；　and　carry　them　off　to　their　harems。　　The　English；　a　very　adventurous　people；　who　have　no　harems；　have　followed　the　Saracens。　The　young　lords　and　gentlemen　have　a　great　fondness　for　Capri。　　I　hear　gossip　enough　about　elopements；　and　not　seldom　marriages；　with　the　island　girls；bright　girls；　with　the　Greek　mother…wit；　and　surpassingly　handsome；　but　they　do　not　bear　transportation　to　civilized　life　（any　more　than　some　of　the　native　wines　do）：　they　accept　no　intellectual　culture；　and　they　lose　their　beauty　as　they　grow　old。　　What　then？　　The　young　English　blade；　who　was　intoxicated　by　beauty　into　an　injudicious　match　and　might；　as　the　proverb　says；　have　gone　insane　if　he　could　not　have　made　it；　takes　to　drink　now；　and　so　fulfills　the　other　alternative。　　Alas！　　the　fatal　gift　of　beauty。

But　I　do　not　think　Capri　is　so　dangerous　as　it　is　represented。　　For　（of　course　we　went　to　Capri）　neither　at　the　marina；　where　a　crowd　of　bare…legged；　vociferous　maidens　with　donkeys　assailed　us；　nor　in　the　village　above；　did　I　see　many　girls　for　whom　and　one　little　isle　a　person　would　forswear　the　world。　　But　I　can　believe　that　they　grow　here。　　One　of　our　donkey　girls　was　a　handsome；　dark…skinned；　black…　eyed　girl；　but　her　little　sister；　a　mite　of　a　being　of　six　years；　who　could　scarcely　step　over　the　small　stones　in　the　road；　and　was　forced　to　lead　the　donkey　by　her　sister　in　order　to　establish　another　lien　on　us　for　buona　mano；　was　a　dirty　little　angel　in　rags；　and　her　great　soft　black　eyes　will　look　somebody　into　the　asylum　or　the　drunkard's　grave　in　time；　I　have　no　doubt。　　There　was　a　stout；　manly；　handsome　little　fellow　of　five　years；　who　established　himself　as　the　guide　and　friend　of　the　tallest　of　our　party。　　His　hat　was　nearly　gone；　he　was　sadly　out　of　repair　in　the　rear；　his　short　legs　made　the　act　of　walking　absurd；　but　he　trudged　up　the　hill　with　a　certain　dignity。　And　there　was　nothing　mercenary　about　his　attachment：　he　and　his　friend　got　upon　very　cordial　terms：　they　exchanged　gifts　of　shells　and　copper　coin；　but　nothing　was　said　about　pay。

Nearly　all　the　inhabitants；　young　and　old；　joined　us　in　lively　procession；　up　the　winding　road　of　three　quarters　of　a　mile；　to　the　town。　　At　the　deep　gate；　entering　between　thick　walls；　we　stopped　to　look　at　the　sea。　　The　crowd　and　clamor　at　our　landing　had　been　so　great　that　we　enjoyed　the　sight　of　the　quiet　old　woman　sitting　here　in　the　sun；　and　the　few　beggars　almost　too　lazy　to　stretch　out　their　hands。　　Within　the　gate　is　a　large　paved　square；　with　the　government　office