stories by modern american authors-第69节

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knees　beside　his　pallet。



〃Ah；　brigand！　　You　are　there；　are　you？　　Sir；〃　said　he；　turning　to

me；　〃I　am　the　most　unhappy　man　in　the　world。　　Talk　of　Sisyphus

rolling　the　ever…recoiling　stoneof　Prometheus　gnawed　by　the

vulture　since　the　birth　of　time。　　The　fables　yet　live。　　There　is　my

rock；　forever　crushing　me　back！　there　is　my　eternal　vulture；

feeding　upon　my　heart！　　There！　there！　there！〃　　And；　with　an　awful

gesture　of　malediction　and　hatred；　he　pointed　with　his　wounded

hand；　swathed　and　shapeless　with　bandages；　at　the　cowering；

sobbing；　wordless　woman　by　his　side。



I　was　too　much　horror…stricken　to　attempt　even　to　soothe　him。　　The

anger　of　blood　against　blood　has　an　electric　power　which　paralyzes

bystanders。



〃Listen　to　me；　sir；〃　he　continued；　〃while　I　skin　this　painted

viper。　　I　have　your　oath；　you　will　not　reveal。　　I　am　an　alchemist；

sir。　　Since　I　was　twenty…two　years　old；　I　have　pursued　the

wonderful　and　subtle　secret。　　Yes；　to　unfold　the　mysterious　Rose

guarded　with　such　terrible　thorns；　to　decipher　the　wondrous　Table

of　Emerald；　to　accomplish　the　mystic　nuptials　of　the　Red　King　and

the　White　Queen；　to　marry　them　soul　to　soul　and　body　to　body；

forever　and　ever；　in　the　exact　proportions　of　land　and　watersuch

has　been　my　sublime　aim；　such　has　been　the　splendid　feat　that　I

have　accomplished。〃



I　recognized　at　a　glance；　in　this　incomprehensible　farrago；　the

argot　of　the　true　alchemist。　　Ripley；　Flamel；　and　others　have

supplied　the　world；　in　their　works；　with　the　melancholy　spectacle

of　a　scientific　bedlam。



〃Two　years　since；〃　continued　the　poor　man；　growing　more　and　more

excited　with　every　word　that　he　uttered〃two　years　since；　I

succeeded　in　solving　the　great　problemin　transmuting　the　baser

metals　into　gold。　　None　but　myself；　that　girl；　and　God　knows　the

privations　I　had　suffered　up　to　that　time。　　Food；　clothing；　air；

exercise；　everything　but　shelter；　was　sacrificed　toward　the　one

great　end。　　Success　at　last　crowned　my　labors。　　That　which　Nicholas

Flamel　did　in　1382；　that　which　George　Ripley　did　at　Rhodes　in　1460；

that　which　Alexander　Sethon　and　Michael　Scudivogius　did　in　the

seventeenth　century；　I　did　in　1856。　　I　made　gold！　　I　said　to

myself；　'I　will　astonish　New　York　more　than　Flamel　did　Paris。'　　He

was　a　poor　copyist；　and　suddenly　launched　into　magnificence。　　I　had

scarce　a　rag　to　my　back：　I　would　rival　the　Medicis。　　I　made　gold

every　day。　　I　toiled　night　and　morning；　for　I　must　tell　you　that　I

never　was　able　to　make　more　than　a　certain　quantity　at　a　time；　and

that　by　a　process　almost　entirely　dissimilar　to　those　hinted　at　in

those　books　of　alchemy　I　had　hitherto　consulted。　　But　I　had　no

doubt　that　facility　would　come　with　experience；　and　that　ere　long　I

should　be　able　to　eclipse　in　wealth　the　richest　sovereigns　of　the

earth。



〃So　I　toiled　on。　　Day　after　day　I　gave　to　this　girl　here　what　gold

I　succeeded　in　fabricating；　telling　her　to　store　it　away　after

supplying　our　necessities。　　I　was　astonished　to　perceive　that　we

lived　as　poorly　as　ever。　　I　reflected；　however；　that　it　was　perhaps

a　commendable　piece　of　prudence　on　the　part　of　my　daughter。

Doubtless；　I　said；　she　argues　that　the　less　we　spend　the　sooner　we

shall　accumulate　a　capital　wherewith　to　live　at　ease；　so；　thinking

her　course　a　wise　one；　I　did　not　reproach　her　with　her

niggardliness；　but　toiled　on；　amid　want；　with　closed　lips。



〃The　gold　which　I　fabricated　was；　as　I　said　before；　of　an

invariable　size；　namely；　a　little　ingot　worth　perhaps　thirty　or

forty…five　dollars。　　In　two　years　I　calculated　that　I　had　made　five

hundred　of　these　ingots；　which；　rated　at　an　average　of　thirty

dollars　apiece；　would　amount　to　the　gross　sum　of　fifteen　thousand

dollars。　　After　deducting　our　slight　expenses　for　two　years；　we

ought　to　have　had　nearly　fourteen　thousand　dollars　left。　　It　was

time；　I　thought；　to　indemnify　myself　for　my　years　of　suffering；　and

surround　my　child　and　myself　with　such　moderate　comforts　as　our

means　allowed。　　I　went　to　my　daughter　and　explained　to　her　that　I

desired　to　make　an　encroachment　upon　our　little　hoard。　　To　my　utter

amazement；　she　burst　into　tears；　and　told　me　that　she　had　not　got　a

dollarthat　all　of　our　wealth　had　been　stolen　from　her。　　Almost

overwhelmed　by　this　new　misfortune；　I　in　vain　endeavored　to

discover　from　her　in　what　manner　our　savings　had　been　plundered。

She　could　afford　me　no　explanation　beyond　what　I　might　gather　from

an　abundance　of　sobs　and　a　copious　flow　of　tears。



〃It　was　a　bitter　blow；　doctor；　but　nil　desperandum　was　my　motto；　so

I　went　to　work　at　my　crucible　again；　with　redoubled　energy；　and

made　an　ingot　nearly　every　second　day。　　I　determined　this　time　to

put　them　in　some　secure　place　myself；　but　the　very　first　day　I　set

my　apparatus　in　order　for　the　projection；　the　girl　Marionthat　is

my　daughter's　namecame　weeping　to　me　and　implored　me　to　allow　her

to　take　care　of　our　treasure。　　I　refused　decisively；　saying　that；

having　found　her　already　incapable　of　filling　the　trust；　I　could

place　no　faith　in　her　again。　　But　she　persisted；　clung　to　my　neck；

threatened　to　abandon　me；　in　short；　used　so　many　of　the　bad　but

irresistible　arguments　known　to　women　that　I　had　not　the　heart　to

refuse　her。　　She　has　since　that　time　continued　to　take　the　ingots。



〃Yet　you　behold；〃　continued　the　old　alchemist；　casting　an

inexpressibly　mournful　glance　around　the　wretched　apartment；　〃the

way　we　live。　　Our　food　is　insufficient　and　of　bad　quality；　we　never

buy　clothes；　the　rent　of　this　hole　is　a　mere　nothing。　　What　am　I　to

think　of　the　wretched　girl　who　plunges　me　into　this　misery？　　Is　she

a　miser；　think　you？or　a　female　gamester？orordoes　she

squander　it　riotously　in　places　I　know　not　of？　　O　Doctor；　Doctor！

do　not　blame　me　if　I　heap　imprecations　on　her　head；　for　I　have

suffered　bitterly！〃　　The　poor　man　here　closed　his　eyes　and　sank

back　groaning　on　his　bed。



This　singular　narrative　excited　in　me　the　strangest　emotions。　　I

glanced　at　the　girl　Marion；　who　had　been　a　patient　listener　to

these　horrible　accusations　of　cupidity；　and　never　did　I　behold　a

more　angelic　air　of　resignation　than　beamed　over　her　countenance。

It　was　impossible　that　anyone　with　those　pure；　limpid　eyes；　that

calm；　broad　forehead；　that　childlike　mouth；　could　be　such　a　monster

of　avarice　or　deceit　as　the　old　man　represented。　　The　truth　was

plain　enough：　the　alchemist　was　madwhat　alchemist　was　there　ever

who　was　not？and　his　insanity　had　taken　this　terrible　shape。　　I

felt　an　inexpressible　pity　move　my　heart　for　this　poor　girl；　whose

youth　was　burdened　with　such　an　awful　sorrow。



〃What　is　your　name？〃　I　asked　the　old　man；　taking　his　tremulous；

fevered　hand　in　mine。



〃William　Blakelock；〃　he　answered。　　〃I　come　of　an　old　Saxon　stock；

sir；　that　bred　true　men　and　women　in　former　days。　　God！　how　did　it

ever　come　to　pass　that　such　a　one　as　that　girl　ever　sprung　from　our

line？〃　　The　glance　of　loathing　and　contempt　that　he　cast　at　her

made　me　shudder。



〃May　you　not　be　mistaken　in　your　daughter？〃　I　said；　very　mildly。

〃Delusions　with　regard　to　alchemy　are；　or　have　been；　very　common〃



〃What；　sir？〃　cried　the　old　man；　bounding　in　his　bed。　　〃What？　　Do

you　doubt　that　gold　can　be　made？　　Do　you　know；　sir；　that　M。　C。

Theodore　Tiffereau　made　gold　at　Paris　in　the　year　1854　in　the

presence　of　M。　Levol；　the　assayer　of　the　Imperial　Mint；　and　the

result　of　the　experiments　was　read　before　the　Academy　of　Sciences

on　the　sixteenth　of　October　of　the　same　year？　　But　stay；　you　shall

have　better　proof　yet。　　I　will　pay　you　with　one　of　my　ingots；　and

you　shall　attend　me　until　I　am　well。　　Get　me　an　ingot！〃



This　last　command　was　addressed　to　Marion；　who　was　still　kneeling

close　to　her　father's　bedside。　　I　observed　her　with　some　curiosity

as　this　mandate　was　issued。　　She　became　very　pale；　clasped　her

hands　convulsively；　but　neither　moved　nor　made　any　reply。



〃Get　me　an　ingot；　I　say！〃　reiterated　the　alchemist　passionately。



She　fixed　her　large　eyes　imploringly　upon　him。　　Her　lips　quivered；

and　two　huge　tears　rolled　slowly　down　her　white　cheeks。



〃Obey　me；　wretched　girl；〃　cried　the　old　man　in　an　agitated　voice；

〃or　I　swear；　by　all　that　I　reverence　in　heaven　and　earth；　that　I

will　lay　my　curse　upon　you　forever！〃



I　felt　for　an　instant　that　I　ought　perhaps　to　interfere；　and　spare

the　girl　the　anguish　that　she　was　so　evidently　suffering；　but　a

powerful　curiosity　to　see　how　this　strange　scene　would　terminate

withheld　me。



The　last　threat　of　her　father；　uttered　as　it　was　with　a　terrible

vehemence；　seemed　to　appall　Marion。　　She　rose　with　a　sudden　leap；

as　if　a　serpent　had　stung　her；　and；　rushing　into　an　inner

apartment；　returned　with　a　small　object　which　she　placed　in　my

hand；　and　then　flung　herself　in　a　chair　in　a　distant　corner　of　the

room；　weeping　bitterly。



〃You　seeyou　see；〃　said　the　old　man　sarcastically；　〃how

reluctantly　she　parts　with　it。　　Take　it；　sir；　it　is　you