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小说: twice-told tales- ethan brand 字数: 每页4000字

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his inward being。 From that moment; the merriment of the party was

at an end; they stood aghast; dreading lest the inauspicious sound

should be reverberated around the horizon; and that mountain would

thunder it to mountain; and so the horror be prolonged upon their

ears。 Then; whispering one to another that it was late… that the

moon was almost down… that the August night was growing chill… they

hurried homewards leaving the lime…burner and little Joe to deal as

they might with their unwelcome guest。 Save for these three human

beings; the open space on the hill…side was a solitude; set in a

vast gloom of forest。 Beyond that darksome verge; the fire…light

glimmered on the stately trunks and almost black foliage of pines;

intermixed with the lighter verdure of sapling oaks; maples; and

poplars; while here and there lay the gigantic corpses of dead

trees; decaying on the leaf…strewn soil。 And it seemed to little

Joe… a timorous and imaginative child… that the silent forest was

holding its breath; until some fearful thing should happen。

   Ethan Brand thrust more wood into the fire; and closed the door

of the kiln; then looking over his shoulder at the lime…burner and his

son; he bade; rather than advised; them to retire to rest。

   〃For myself; I cannot sleep;〃 said he。 〃I have matters that it

concerns me to meditate upon。 I will watch the fire; as I used to do

in the old time。〃

   〃And call the devil out of the furnace to keep you company; I

suppose;〃 muttered Bartram; who had been making intimate

acquaintance with the black bottle above…mentioned。 〃But watch; if you

like; and call as many devils as you like! For my part; I shall be all

the better for a snooze。 Come; Joe!〃

   As the boy followed his father into the hut; he looked back at

the wayfarer; and the tears came into his eyes; for his tender

spirit had an intuition of the bleak and terrible loneliness in

which this man had enveloped himself。

   When they had gone; Ethan Brand sat listening to the crackling of

the kindled wood; and looking at the little spirts of fire that issued

through the chinks of the door。 These trifles; however; once so

familiar; had but the slightest hold of his attention; while deep

within his mind he was reviewing the gradual but marvellous change

that had been wrought upon him by the search to which he had devoted

himself。 He remembered how the night dew had fallen upon him… how

the dark forest had whispered to him… how the stars had gleamed upon

him… a simple and loving man; watching his fire in the years gone

by; and ever musing as it burned。 He remembered with what

tenderness; with what love and sympathy for mankind; and what pity for

human guilt and woe; he had first begun to contemplate those ideas

which afterwards became the inspiration of his life; with what

reverence he had then looked into the heart of man; viewing it as a

temple originally divine; and; however desecrated; still to be held

sacred by a brother; with what awful fear he had deprecated the

success of his pursuit; and prayed that the Unpardonable Sin might

never be revealed to him。 Then ensued that vast intellectual

development; which; in its progress; disturbed the counterpoise

between his mind and heart。 The Idea that possessed his life had

operated as a means of education; it had gone on cultivating his

powers to the highest point of which they were susceptible; it had

raised him from the level of an unlettered laborer to stand on a

star…lit eminence; whither the philosophers of the earth; laden with

the lore of universities; might vainly strive to clamber after him。 So

much for the intellect! But where was the heart? That; indeed; had

withered… had contracted… had hardened… had perished! It had ceased to

partake of the universal throb。 He had lost his hold of the magnetic

chain of humanity。 He was no longer a brother…man; opening the

chambers or the dungeons of our common nature by the key of holy

sympathy; which gave him a right to share in all its secrets; he was

now a cold observer; looking on mankind as the subject of his

experiment; and; at length; converting man and woman to be his

puppets; and pulling the wires that moved them to such degrees of

crime as were demanded for his study。

   Thus Ethan Brand became a fiend。 He began to be so from the

moment that his moral nature had ceased to keep the pace of

improvement with his intellect。 And now; as his highest effort and

inevitable development… as the bright and gorgeous flower; and rich;

delicious fruit of his life's labor… he had produced the

Unpardonable Sin!

   What more have I to seek? What more to achieve?〃 said Ethan Brand

to himself。 〃My task is done; and well done!〃

   Starting from the log with a certain alacrity in his gait; and

ascending the hillock of earth that was raised against the stone

circumference of the lime…kiln; he thus reached the top of the

structure。 It was a space of perhaps ten feet across; from edge to

edge; presenting a view of the upper surface of the immense mass of

broken marble with which the kiln was heaped。 All these innumerable

blocks and fragments of marble were red…hot and vividly on fire;

sending up great spouts of blue flame; which quivered aloft and danced

madly; as within a magic circle; and sank and rose again; with

continual and multitudinous activity。 As the lonely man bent forward

over this terrible body of fire; the blasting heat smote up against

his person with a breath that; it might be scorched and shrivelled him

up in a moment。

   Ethan Brand stood erect; and raised his arms on high。 The blue

flames played upon his face; and imparted the wild and ghastly light

which alone could have suited its expression; it was that of a fiend

on the verge of plunging into his gulf of intensest torment。

   〃O Mother Earth;〃 cried he; 〃who art no more my Mother; and into

whose bosom this frame shall never be resolved! O mankind; whose

brotherhood I have cast off; and trampled thy great heart beneath my

feet! O stars of heaven; that shone on me of old; as if to light me

onward and upward!… farewell all; and forever。 Come; deadly element of

Fire… henceforth my familiar friend! Embrace me; as I do thee!〃

   That night the sound of a fearful peal of laughter rolled heavily

through the sleep of the lime…burner and his little son; dim shapes of

horror and anguish haunted their dreams; and seemed still present in

the rude hovel; when they opened their eyes to the daylight。

   〃Up; boy; up!〃 cried the lime…burner; staring about him。 〃Thank

Heaven; the night is gone; at last; and rather than pass such another;

I would watch my lime…kiln; wide awake; for a twelvemonth。 This

Ethan Brand; with his humbug of an Unpardonable Sin; has done me no

such mighty favor; in taking my place!〃

   He issued from the hut; followed by little Joe; who kept fast

hold of his father's hand。 The early sunshine was already pouring

its gold upon the mountain…tops; and though the valleys were still

in shadow; they smiled cheerfully in the promise of the bright day

that was hastening onward。 The village; completely shut in by hills;

which swelled away gently about it; looked as if it had rested

peacefully in the hollow of the great hand of Providence。 Every

dwelling was distinctly visible; the little spires of the two churches

pointed upwards; and caught a fore…glimmering of brightness from the

sun…gilt skies upon their gilded weather…cocks。 The tavern was

astir; and the figure of the old; smoke…dried stage…agent; cigar in

mouth; was seen beneath the stoop。 Old Graylock was glorified with a

golden cloud upon his head。 Scattered likewise over the breasts of the

surrounding mountains; there were heaps of hoary mist; in fantastic

shapes; some of them far down into the valley; others high up

towards the summits and still others; of the same family of mist or

cloud; hovering in the gold radiance of the upper atmosphere。 Stepping

from one to another of the clouds that rested on the hills; and thence

to the loftier brotherhood that sailed in air; it seemed almost as

if a mortal man might thus ascend into the heavenly regions。 Earth was

so mingled with sky that it was a day…dream to look at it。

   To supply that charm of the familiar and homely; which Nature so

readily adopts into a scene like this; the stage…coach was rattling

down the mountain…road; and the driver sounded his horn; while echo

caught up the notes; and intertwined them into a rich and varied and

elaborate harmony; of which the original performer could lay claim

to little share。 The great hills played a concert among themselves;

each contributing a strain of airy sweetness。

   Little Joe's face brightened at once。

   〃Dear father;〃 cried he; skipping cheerily to and fro; 〃that

strange man is gone; and the sky and the mountains all seem glad of

it!〃

   〃Yes;〃 growled the lime…burner; with an oath; 〃but he has let the

fire go down; and no thanks to him if five hundred bushels of lime are

not spoiled。 If I catch the fellow hereabouts again; I shall feel like

tossing him into the furnace!〃

   Wi

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