twice-told tales- ethan brand-第4节

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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