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第25节

classic mystery and detective stories-第25节

小说: classic mystery and detective stories 字数: 每页4000字

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it certainly did no harm to the subject of expectation that I had

been warned to look for so much。  The warning; at any rate; put me

on the lookout for whatever eminence there might be of grandeur in

his personal appearance; while; on the other hand; this existed in

such excess; so far transcending anything I had ever met with in my

experience; that no expectation which it is in words to raise could

have been disappointed。



These thoughts traveled with the rapidity of light through my

brain; as at one glance my eye took in the supremacy of beauty and

power which seemed to have alighted from the clouds before me。

Power; and the contemplation of power; in any absolute incarnation

of grandeur or excess; necessarily have the instantaneous effect of

quelling all perturbation。  My composure was restored in a moment。

I looked steadily at him。  We both bowed。  And; at the moment when

he raised his head from that inclination; I caught the glance of

his eye; an eye such as might have been looked for in a face of

such noble lineaments





     〃Blending the nature of the star

      With that of summer skies;〃





and; therefore; meant by nature for the residence and organ of

serene and gentle emotions; but it surprised; and at the same time

filled me more almost with consternation than with pity; to observe

that in those eyes a light of sadness had settled more profound

than seemed possible for youth; or almost commensurate to a human

sorrow; a sadness that might have become a Jewish prophet; when

laden with inspirations of woe。



Two months had now passed away since the arrival of Mr。 Wyndham。

He had been universally introduced to the superior society of the

place; and; as I need hardly say; universally received with favor

and distinction。  In reality; his wealth and importance; his

military honors; and the dignity of his character; as expressed in

his manners and deportment; were too eminent to allow of his being

treated with less than the highest attention in any society

whatever。  But the effect of these various advantages; enforced and

recommended as they were by a personal beauty so rare; was somewhat

too potent for the comfort and self…possession of ordinary people;

and really exceeded in a painful degree the standard of pretensions

under which such people could feel themselves at their ease。  He

was not naturally of a reserved turn; far from it。  His disposition

had been open; frank; and confiding; originally; and his roving;

adventurous life; of which considerably more than one half had been

passed in camps; had communicated to his manners a more than

military frankness。  But the profound melancholy which possessed

him; from whatever cause it arose; necessarily chilled the native

freedom of his demeanor; unless when it was revived by strength of

friendship or of love。  The effect was awkward and embarrassing to

all parties。  Every voice paused or faltered when he entered a

roomdead silence ensuednot an eye but was directed upon him; or

else; sunk in timidity; settled upon the floor; and young ladies

seriously lost the power; for a time; of doing more than murmuring

a few confused; half…inarticulate syllables; or half…inarticulate

sounds。  The solemnity; in fact; of a first presentation; and the

utter impossibility of soon recovering a free; unembarrassed

movement of conversation; made such scenes really distressing to

all who participated in them; either as actors or spectators。

Certainly this result was not a pure effect of manly beauty;

however heroic; and in whatever excess; it arose in part from the

many and extraordinary endowments which had centered in his person;

not less from fortune than from nature; in part also; as I have

said; from the profound sadness and freezing gravity of Mr。

Wyndham's manner; but still more from the perplexing mystery which

surrounded that sadness。



Were there; then; no exceptions to this condition of awestruck

admiration?  Yes; one at least there was in whose bosom the spell

of all…conquering passion soon thawed every trace of icy reserve。

While the rest of the world retained a dim sentiment of awe toward

Mr。 Wyndham; Margaret Liebenheim only heard of such a feeling to

wonder that it could exist toward HIM。  Never was there so

victorious a conquest interchanged between two youthful hearts

never before such a rapture of instantaneous sympathy。  I did not

witness the first meeting of this mysterious Maximilian and this

magnificent Margaret; and do not know whether Margaret manifested

that trepidation and embarrassment which distressed so many of her

youthful co…rivals; but; if she did; it must have fled before the

first glance of the young man's eye; which would interpret; past

all misunderstanding; the homage of his soul and the surrender of

his heart。  Their third meeting I DID see; and there all shadow of

embarrassment had vanished; except; indeed; of that delicate

embarrassment which clings to impassioned admiration。  On the part

of Margaret; it seemed as if a new world had dawned upon her that

she had not so much as suspected among the capacities of human

experience。  Like some bird she seemed; with powers unexercised for

soaring and flying; not understood even as yet; and that never

until now had found an element of air capable of sustaining her

wings; or tempting her to put forth her buoyant instincts。  He; on

the other hand; now first found the realization of his dreams; and

for a mere possibility which he had long too deeply contemplated;

fearing; however; that in his own case it might prove a chimera; or

that he might never meet a woman answering the demands of his

heart; he now found a corresponding reality that left nothing to

seek。



Here; then; and thus far; nothing but happiness had resulted from

the new arrangement。  But; if this had been little anticipated by

many; far less had I; for my part; anticipated the unhappy

revolution which was wrought in the whole nature of Ferdinand von

Harrelstein。  He was the son of a German baron; a man of good

family; but of small estate who had been pretty nearly a soldier of

fortune in the Prussian service; and had; late in life; won

sufficient favor with the king and other military superiors; to

have an early prospect of obtaining a commission; under flattering

auspices; for this only sona son endeared to him as the companion

of unprosperous years; and as a dutifully affectionate child。

Ferdinand had yet another hold upon his father's affections: his

features preserved to the baron's unclouded remembrance a most

faithful and living memorial of that angelic wife who had died in

giving birth to this third childthe only one who had long

survived her。  Anxious that his son should go through a regular

course of mathematical instruction; now becoming annually more

important in all the artillery services throughout Europe; and that

he should receive a tincture of other liberal studies which he had

painfully missed in his own military career; the baron chose to

keep his son for the last seven years at our college; until he was

now entering upon his twenty…third year。  For the four last he had

lived with me as the sole pupil whom I had; or meant to have; had

not the brilliant proposals of the young Russian guardsman

persuaded me to break my resolution。  Ferdinand von Harrelstein had

good talents; not dazzling but respectable; and so amiable were his

temper and manners that I had introduced him everywhere; and

everywhere he was a favorite; and everywhere; indeed; except

exactly there where only in this world he cared for favor。

Margaret Liebenheim; she it was whom he loved; and had loved for

years; with the whole ardor of his ardent soul; she it was for

whom; or at whose command; he would willingly have died。  Early he

had felt that in her hands lay his destiny; that she it was who

must be his good or his evil genius。



At first; and perhaps to the last; I pitied him exceedingly。  But

my pity soon ceased to be mingled with respect。  Before the arrival

of Mr。 Wyndham he had shown himself generous; indeed magnanimous。

But never was there so painful an overthrow of a noble nature as

manifested itself in him。  I believe that he had not himself

suspected the strength of his passion; and the sole resource for

him; as I said often; was to quit the cityto engage in active

pursuits of enterprise; of ambition; or of science。  But he heard

me as a somnambulist might have heard medreaming with his eyes

open。  Sometimes he had fits of reverie; starting; fearful;

agitated; sometimes he broke out into maniacal movements of wrath;

invoking some absent person; praying; beseeching; menacing some

air…wove phantom; sometimes he slunk into solitary corners;

muttering to himself; and with gestures sorrowfully significant; or

with tones and fragments of expostulation that moved the most

callous to compassion。  Still he turned a deaf ear to the only

pra

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