the purcell papers-2-第20节

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reading　this　covenant；　Schalken；　as　we　have

stated；　entered　the　studio；　and　having

delivered　the　box　and　the　valuation　of　the

Jew　into　the　hands　of　the　stranger；　he

was　about　to　retire；　when　Vanderhausen

called　to　him　to　wait；　and；　presenting　the

case　and　the　certificate　to　Gerard　Douw；

he　waited　in　silence　until　he　had　satisfied

himself　by　an　inspection　of　both　as　to　the

value　of　the　pledge　left　in　his　hands。　At

length　he　said：



'Are　you　content？'



The　painter　said　he　would　fain　have　an

other　day　to　consider。



'Not　an　hour；'　said　the　suitor；　coolly。



'Well；　then；'　said　Douw；　'I　am　content；

it　is　a　bargain。'



'Then　sign　at　once；'　said　Vanderhausen；

'I　am　weary。'



At　the　same　time　he　produced　a　small

case　of　writing　materials；　and　Gerard　signed

the　important　document。



'Let　this　youth　witness　the　covenant；'

said　the　old　man；　and　Godfrey　Schalken

unconsciously　signed　the　instrument　which

bestowed　upon　another　that　hand　which

he　had　so　long　regarded　as　the　object　and

reward　of　all　his　labours。



The　compact　being　thus　completed；　the

strange　visitor　folded　up　the　paper；　and

stowed　it　safely　in　an　inner　pocket。



'I　will　visit　you　to…morrow　night；　at

nine　of　the　clock；　at　your　house；　Gerard

Douw；　and　will　see　the　subject　of　our

contract。　Farewell。'　And　so　saying；　Wilken

Vanderhausen　moved　stiffly；　but　rapidly

out　of　the　room。



Schalken；　eager　to　resolve　his　doubts；

had　placed　himself　by　the　window　in　order

to　watch　the　street　entrance；　but　the

experiment　served　only　to　support　his

suspicions；　for　the　old　man　did　not　issue　from

the　door。　This　was　very　strange；　very

odd；　very　fearful。　He　and　his　master

returned　together；　and　talked　but　little　on

the　way；　for　each　had　his　own　sub…

jects　of　reflection；　of　anxiety；　and　of

hope。



Schalken；　however；　did　not　know　the

ruin　which　threatened　his　cherished

schemes。



Gerard　Douw　knew　nothing　of　the

attachment　which　had　sprung　up　between

his　pupil　and　his　niece；　and　even　if　he

had；　it　is　doubtful　whether　he　would　have

regarded　its　existence　as　any　serious

obstruction　to　the　wishes　of　Mynher　Vanderhausen。



Marriages　were　then　and　there　matters

of　traffic　and　calculation；　and　it　would　have

appeared　as　absurd　in　the　eyes　of　the　guardian

to　make　a　mutual　attachment　an

essential　element　in　a　contract　of　marriage；

as　it　would　have　been　to　draw　up　his　bonds

and　receipts　in　the　language　of　chivalrous

romance。



The　painter；　however；　did　not　communicate

to　his　niece　the　important　step　which

he　had　taken　in　her　behalf；　and　his　resolution

arose　not　from　any　anticipation　of

opposition　on　her　part；　but　solely　from　a

ludicrous　consciousness　that　if　his　ward

were；　as　she　very　naturally　might　do；　to

ask　him　to　describe　the　appearance　of　the

bridegroom　whom　he　destined　for　her；　he

would　be　forced　to　confess　that　he　had　not

seen　his　face；　and；　if　called　upon；　would　find

it　impossible　to　identify　him。



Upon　the　next　day；　Gerard　Douw　having

dined；　called　his　niece　to　him；　and　having

scanned　her　person　with　an　air　of　satisfaction；

he　took　her　hand；　and　looking　upon

her　pretty；　innocent　face　with　a　smile　of

kindness；　he　said：



'Rose；　my　girl；　that　face　of　yours　will

make　your　fortune。'　Rose　blushed　and

smiled。　'Such　faces　and　such　tempers

seldom　go　together；　and；　when　they　do；

the　compound　is　a　love…potion　which　few

heads　or　hearts　can　resist。　Trust　me；　thou

wilt　soon　be　a　bride；　girl。　But　this　is

trifling；　and　I　am　pressed　for　time；　so

make　ready　the　large　room　by　eight　o'clock

to…night；　and　give　directions　for　supper　at

nine。　I　expect　a　friend　to…night；　and

observe　me；　child；　do　thou　trick　thyself　out

handsomely。　I　would　not　have　him　think

us　poor　or　sluttish。'



With　these　words　he　left　the　chamber；

and　took　his　way　to　the　room　to　which　we

have　already　had　occasion　to　introduce

our　readersthat　in　which　his　pupils

worked。



When　the　evening　closed　in；　Gerard

called　Schalken；　who　was　about　to　take　his

departure　to　his　obscure　and　comfortless

lodgings；　and　asked　him　to　come

home　and　sup　with　Rose　and　Vanderhausen。



The　invitation　was　of　course　accepted；

and　Gerard　Douw　and　his　pupil　soon

found　themselves　in　the　handsome　and

somewhat　antique…looking　room　which

had　been　prepared　for　the　reception　of　the

stranger。



A　cheerful　wood…fire　blazed　in　the　capacious

hearth；　a　little　at　one　side　an　old…

fashioned　table；　with　richly…carved　legs；

was　placeddestined；　no　doubt；　to　receive

the　supper；　for　which　preparations　were

going　forward；　and　ranged　with　exact

regularity；　stood　the　tall…backed　chairs；

whose　ungracefulness　was　more　than

counterbalanced　by　their　comfort。



The　little　party；　consisting　of　Rose；　her

uncle；　and　the　artist；　awaited　the　arrival　of

the　expected　visitor　with　considerable　impatience。



Nine　o'clock　at　length　came；　and　with　it

a　summons　at　the　street…door；　which；　being

speedily　answered；　was　followed　by　a　slow

and　emphatic　tread　upon　the　staircase；　the

steps　moved　heavily　across　the　lobby；　the

door　of　the　room　in　which　the　party　which

we　have　described　were　assembled　slowly

opened；　and　there　entered　a　figure　which

startled；　almost　appalled；　the　phlegmatic

Dutchmen；　and　nearly　made　Rose　scream

with　affright；　it　was　the　form；　and　arrayed

in　the　garb；　of　Mynher　Vanderhausen；

the　air；　the　gait；　the　height　was　the　same；

but　the　features　had　never　been　seen　by

any　of　the　party　before。



The　stranger　stopped　at　the　door　of　the

room；　and　displayed　his　form　and　face

completely。　He　wore　a　dark…coloured

cloth　cloak；　which　was　short　and　full；　not

falling　quite　to　the　knees；　his　legs　were

cased　in　dark　purple　silk　stockings；　and　his

shoes　were　adorned　with　roses　of　the　same

colour。　The　opening　of　the　cloak　in　front

showed　the　under…suit　to　consist　of　some

very　dark；　perhaps　sable　material；　and　his

hands　were　enclosed　in　a　pair　of　heavy

leather　gloves　which　ran　up　considerably

above　the　wrist；　in　the　manner　of　a　gauntlet。

In　one　hand　he　carried　his　walking…

stick　and　his　hat；　which　he　had　removed；

and　the　other　hung　heavily　by　his　side。

A　quantity　of　grizzled　hair　descended　in

long　tresses　from　his　head；　and　its　folds

rested　upon　the　plaits　of　a　stiff　ruff；　which

effectually　concealed　his　neck。



So　far　all　was　well；　but　the　face！all

the　flesh　of　the　face　was　coloured　with　the

bluish　leaden　hue　which　is　sometimes　pro…

duced　by　the　operation　of　metallic

medicines　administered　in　excessive　quantities；

the　eyes　were　enormous；　and　the　white

appeared　both　above　and　below　the　iris；

which　gave　to　them　an　expression　of

insanity；　which　was　heightened　by　their

glassy　fixedness；　the　nose　was　well　enough；

but　the　mouth　was　writhed　considerably　to

one　side；　where　it　opened　in　order　to　give

egress　to　two　long；　discoloured　fangs；　which

projected　from　the　upper　jaw；　far　below　the

lower　lip；　the　hue　of　the　lips　themselves

bore　the　usual　relation　to　that　of　the　face；

and　was　consequently　nearly　black。　The

character　of　the　face　was　malignant；　even

satanic；　to　the　last　degree；　and；　indeed；

such　a　combination　of　horror　could　hardly

be　accounted　for；　except　by　supposing　the

corpse　of　some　atrocious　malefactor；　which

had　long　hung　blackening　upon　the　gibbet；

to　have　at　length　become　the　habitation　of

a　demonthe　frightful　sport　of　Satanic

possession。



It　was　remarkable　that　the　worshipful

stranger　suffered　as　little　as　possible　of　his

flesh　to　appear；　and　that　during　his　visit　he

did　not　once　remove　his　gloves。



Having　stood　for　some　moments　at　the

door；　Gerard　Douw　at　length　found　breath

and　collectedness　to　bid　him　welcome；　and；

with　a　mute　inclination　of　the　head；　the

stranger　stepped　forward　into　the　room。



There　was　something　indescribably　odd；

even　horrible；　about　all　his　motions；

something　undefinable；　that　was　unnatural；　un…

humanit　was　as　if　the　limbs　were　guided

and　directed　by　a　spirit　unused　to　the

management　of　bodily　machinery。



The　stranger　said　hardly　anything　during

his　visit；　which　did　not　exceed　half　an

hour；　and　the　host　himself　could　scarcely

muster　courage　enough　to　utter　the　few

necessary　salutations　and　courtesies：　and；

indeed；　such　was　the　nervous　terror　which

the　presence　of　Vanderhausen　inspired；

that　very　little　would　have　made　all　his

entertainers　fly　bellowing　from　the　room。



They　had　not　so　far　lost　all　self…

possession；　however；　as　to　fail　to　observe　two

strange　peculiarities　of　their　visitor。



During　his　stay　he　did　not　once　suffer

his　eyelids　to　close；　nor　even　to　move　in

the　slightest　degree；　and　further；　there

was　a　death…like　stillness　in　his　whole

person；　owing　to　the　total　absence　of　the

heaving　motion　of　the　chest；　caused　by　the

process　of　respiration。



These　two　peculiarities；　thoug