the notch on the ax and on being found out-第34节

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settled　upon　her。　　Then　it　was　that　I　told　her　of　my　vow。　　Her　eyes
were　lambent　with　fierce　light　for　a　moment；　but；　when　I　went　on
more　eagerly　to　speak　of　my　hopes　and　projects；　she　called　me　to
herkissed　me；　and　whispered：　'Oh；　not　so；　my　son！　think　not　of
methink　not　of　vengeancethink　only　of　poor　Berenice　and
Mariamne。'　　Aye；　that　thought　WAS　startling。　　Yet　this　magnanimous
and　forbearing　mother；　as　I　knew　by　the　report　of　our　one　faithful
female　servant；　had；　in　the　morning；　during　her　bitter　trial；
behaved　as　might　have　become　a　daughter　of　Judas　Maccabaeus：　she
had　looked　serenely　upon　the　vile　mob；　and　awed　even　them　by　her
serenity；　she　had　disdained　to　utter　a　shriek　when　the　cruel　lash
fell　upon　her　fair　skin。　　There　is　a　point　that　makes　the　triumph
over　natural　feelings　of　pain　easy　or　not　easythe　degree　in　which
we　count　upon　the　sympathy　of　the　bystanders。　　My　mother　had　it　not
in　the　beginning；　but；　long　before　the　end；　her　celestial　beauty；
the　divinity　of　injured　innocence；　the　pleading　of　common　womanhood
in　the　minds　of　the　lowest　class；　and　the　reaction　of　manly　feeling
in　the　men；　had　worked　a　great　change　in　the　mob。　　Some　began　now
to　threaten　those　who　had　been　active　in　insulting　her。　　The
silence　of　awe　and　respect　succeeded　to　noise　and　uproar；　and
feelings　which　they　scarcely　understood；　mastered　the　rude　rabble
as　they　witnessed　more　and　more　the　patient　fortitude　of　the
sufferer。　　Menaces　began　to　rise　toward　the　executioner。　　Things
wore　such　an　aspect　that　the　magistrates　put　a　sudden　end　to　the
scene。

〃That　day　we　received　permission　to　go　home　to　our　poor　house　in
the　Jewish　quarter。　　I　know　not　whether　you　are　learned　enough　in
Jewish　usages　to　be　aware　that　in　every　Jewish　house；　where　old
traditions　are　kept　up；　there　is　one　room　consecrated　to　confusion；
a　room　always　locked　up　and　sequestered　from　vulgar　use；　except　on
occasions　of　memorable　affliction；　where　everything　is　purposely　in
disorderbrokenshatteredmutilated：　to　typify；　by　symbols
appalling　to　the　eye；　that　desolation　which　has　so　long　trampled　on
Jerusalem；　and　the　ravages　of　the　boar　within　the　vineyards　of
Judea。　　My　mother；　as　a　Hebrew　princess；　maintained　all　traditional
customs。　　Even　in　this　wretched　suburb　she　had　her　'chamber　of
desolation。'　　There　it　was　that　I　and　my　sisters　heard　her　last
words。　　The　rest　of　her　sentence　was　to　be　carried　into　effect
within　a　week。　　She；　meantime；　had　disdained　to　utter　any　word　of
fear；　but　that　energy　of　self…control　had　made　the　suffering　but
the　more　bitter。　　Fever　and　dreadful　agitation　had　succeeded。　　Her
dreams　showed　sufficiently　to　us；　who　watched　her　couch；　that
terror　for　the　future　mingled　with　the　sense　of　degradation　for　the
past。　　Nature　asserted　her　rights。　　But　the　more　she　shrank　from
the　suffering；　the　more　did　she　proclaim　how　severe　it　had　been；
and　consequently　how　noble　the　self…conquest。　　Yet；　as　her　weakness
increased；　so　did　her　terror；　until　I　besought　her　to　take　comfort；
assuring　her　that；　in　case　any　attempt　should　be　made　to　force　her
out　again　to　public　exposure；　I　would　kill　the　man　who　came　to
execute　the　orderthat　we　would　all　die　togetherand　there　would
be　a　common　end　to　her　injuries　and　her　fears。　　She　was　reassured
by　what　I　told　her　of　my　belief　that　no　future　attempt　would　be
made　upon　her。　　She　slept　more　tranquillybut　her　fever　increased；
and　slowly　she　slept　away　into　the　everlasting　sleep　which　knows　of
no　to…morrow。

〃Here　came　a　crisis　in　my　fate。　　Should　I　stay　and　attempt　to
protect　my　sisters？　　But；　alas！　what　power　had　I　to　do　so　among　our
enemies？　　Rachael　and　I　consulted；　and　many　a　scheme　we　planned。
Even　while　we　consulted；　and　the　very　night　after　my　mother　had
been　committed　to　the　Jewish　burying　ground；　came　an　officer；
bearing　an　order　for　me　to　repair　to　Vienna。　　Some　officer　in　the
French　army；　having　watched　the　transaction　respecting　my　parents；
was　filled　with　shame　and　grief。　　He　wrote　a　statement　of　the　whole
to　an　Austrian　officer　of　rank；　my　father's　friend；　who　obtained
from　the　emperor　an　order；　claiming　me　as　a　page　of　his　own；　and　an
officer　in　the　household　service。　　O　heavens！　what　a　neglect　that
it　did　not　include　my　sisters！　　However；　the　next　best　thing　was
that　I　should　use　my　influence　at　the　imperial　court　to　get　them
passed　to　Vienna。　　This　I　did；　to　the　utmost　of　my　power。　　But
seven　months　elapsed　before　I　saw　the　emperor。　　If　my　applications
ever　met　his　eye　he　might　readily　suppose　that　your　city；　my
friend；　was　as　safe　a　place　as　another　for　my　sisters。　　Nor　did　I
myself　know　all　its　dangers。　　At　length；　with　the　emperor's　leave
of　absence；　I　returned。　　And　what　did　I　find？　　Eight　months　had
passed；　and　the　faithful　Rachael　had　died。　　The　poor　sisters；
clinging　together；　but　now　utterly　bereft　of　friends；　knew　not
which　way　to　turn。　　In　this　abandonment　they　fell　into　the
insidious　hands　of　the　ruffian　jailer。　　My　eldest　sister；　Berenice；
the　stateliest　and　noblest　of　beauties；　had　attracted　this
ruffian's　admiration　while　she　was　in　the　prison　with　her　mother。
And　when　I　returned　to　your　city；　armed　with　the　imperial　passports
for　all；　I　found　that　Berenice　had　died　in　the　villain's　custody；
nor　could　I　obtain　anything　beyond　a　legal　certificate　of　her
death。　　And；　finally；　the　blooming；　laughing　Mariamne；　she　also　had
diedand　of　affliction　for　the　loss　of　her　sister。　　You；　my
friend；　had　been　absent　upon　your　travels　during　the　calamitous
history　I　have　recited。　　You　had　seen　neither　my　father　nor　my
mother。　　But　you　came　in　time　to　take　under　your　protection；　from
the　abhorred　wretch　the　jailer；　my　little　broken…hearted　Mariamne。
And　when　sometimes　you　fancied　that　you　had　seen　me　under　other
circumstances；　in　her　it　was；　my　dear　friend；　and　in　her　features
that　you　saw　mine。

〃Now　was　the　world　a　desert　to　me。　　I　cared　little；　in　the　way　of
love；　which　way　I　turned。　　But　in　the　way　of　hatred　I　cared
everything。　　I　transferred　myself　to　the　Russian　service；　with　the
view　of　gaining　some　appointment　on　the　Polish　frontier；　which
might　put　it　in　my　power　to　execute　my　vow　of　destroying　all　the
magistrates　of　your　city。　　War；　however；　raged；　and　carried　me　into
far　other　regions。　　It　ceased；　and　there　was　little　prospect　that
another　generation　would　see　it　relighted；　for　the　disturber　of
peace　was　a　prisoner　forever；　and　all　nations　were　exhausted。　　Now；
then；　it　became　necessary　that　I　should　adopt　some　new　mode　for
executing　my　vengeance；　and　the　more　so；　because　annually　some　were
dying　of　those　whom　it　was　my　mission　to　punish。　　A　voice　ascended
to　me；　day　and　night；　from　the　graves　of　my　father　and　mother；
calling　for　vengeance　before　it　should　be　too　late。

I　took　my　measures　thus：　Many　Jews　were　present　at　Waterloo。　　From
among　these；　all　irritated　against　Napoleon　for　the　expectations　he
had　raised；　only　to　disappoint；　by　his　great　assembly　of　Jews　at
Paris；　I　selected　eight；　whom　I　knew　familiarly　as　men　hardened　by
military　experience　against　the　movements　of　pity。　　With　these　as
my　beagles；　I　hunted　for　some　time　in　your　forest　before　opening　my
regular　campaign；　and　I　am　surprised　that　you　did　not　hear　of　the
death　which　met　the　executionerhim　I　mean　who　dared　to　lift　his
hand　against　my　mother。　　This　man　I　met　by　accident　in　the　forest；
and　I　slew　him。　　I　talked　with　the　wretch；　as　a　stranger　at　first；
upon　the　memorable　case　of　the　Jewish　lady。　　Had　he　relented；　had
he　expressed　compunction；　I　might　have　relented。　　But　far
otherwise：　the　dog；　not　dreaming　to　whom　he　spoke；　exulted；　he
But　why　repeat　the　villain's　words？　　I　cut　him　to　pieces。　　Next　I
did　this：　My　agents　I　caused　to　matriculate　separately　at　the
college。　　They　assumed　the　college　dress。　　And　now　mark　the
solution　of　that　mystery　which　caused　such　perplexity。　　Simply　as
students　we　all　had　an　unsuspected　admission　at　any　house。　　Just
then　there　was　a　common　practice；　as　you　will　remember；　among　the
younger　students；　of　going　out　a　maskingthat　is；　of　entering
houses　in　the　academic　dress；　and　with　the　face　masked。　　This
practice　subsisted　even　during　the　most　intense　alarm　from　the
murderers；　for　the　dress　of　the　students　was　supposed　to　bring
protection　along　with　it。　　But；　even　after　suspicion　had　connected
itself　with　this　dress；　it　was　sufficient　that　I　should　appear
unmasked　at　the　head　of　the　maskers；　to　insure　them　a　friendly
reception。　　Hence　the　facility　with　which　death　was　inflicted；　and
that　unaccountable　absence　of　any　motion　toward　an　alarm。　　I　took
hold　of　my　victim；　and　he　looked　at　me　with　smiling　security。　　Our
weapons　were　hid　under　our　academic　robes；　and　even　when　we　drew
them　out；　and　at　the　moment　of　applying　them　to　the　threat；　they
still　supposed　our　gestures　to　be　part　of　the　pantomime　we　were
performing。　　Did　I　relish　this　abuse　of　personal　confidence　in
myself？　　NoI　loathed　it；　and　I　grieved　for　its　necessity；　but　my
mother；　a　phantom　not　seen　with　bodily　eyes；　but　ever　present　to　my
mind；　continually　ascended　before　me；　and　still　I　shouted　aloud　to
my　astounded　victim；　'This　comes　from　the　Jewess！　　Hound　of　hounds！
Do　you　remember　the　Jewess　whom　you　disho