zanoni-第66部分

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the　thing　of　malignant　eyes！



〃Ha；　young　Chaldean！　young　in　thy　countless　ages；young　as　when；

cold　to　pleasure　and　to　beauty；　thou　stoodest　on　the　old　Fire…

tower；　and　heardest　the　starry　silence　whisper　to　thee　the　last

mystery　that　baffles　Death；fearest　thou　Death　at　length？　　Is

thy　knowledge　but　a　circle　that　brings　thee　back　whence　thy

wanderings　began！　　Generations　on　generations　have　withered　since

we　two　met！　　Lo！　thou　beholdest　me　now！〃



〃But　I　behold　thee　without　fear！　　Though　beneath　thine　eyes

thousands　have　perished；　though；　where　they　burn；　spring　up　the

foul　poisons　of　the　human　heart；　and　to　those　whom　thou　canst

subject　to　thy　will；　thy　presence　glares　in　the　dreams　of　the

raving　maniac；　or　blackens　the　dungeon　of　despairing　crime；　thou

art　not　my　vanquisher；　but　my　slave！〃



〃And　as　a　slave　will　I　serve　thee！　　Command　thy　slave；　O

beautiful　Chaldean！　　Hark；　the　wail　of　women！hark；　the　sharp

shriek　of　thy　beloved　one！　　Death　is　in　thy　palace！　　Adon…Ai

comes　not　to　thy　call。　　Only　where　no　cloud　of　the　passion　and

the　flesh　veils　the　eye　of　the　Serene　Intelligence　can　the　Sons

of　the　Starbeam　glide　to　man。　　But　_I_　can　aid　thee！hark！〃　　And

Zanoni　heard　distinctly　in　his　heart；　even　at　that　distance　from

the　chamber；　the　voice　of　Viola　calling　in　delirium　on　her

beloved　one。



〃Oh；　Viola；　I　can　save　thee　not！〃　exclaimed　the　seer；

passionately；　〃my　love　for　thee　has　made　me　powerless！〃



〃Not　powerless；　I　can　gift　thee　with　the　art　to　save　her；I　can

place　healing　in　thy　hand！〃



〃For　both？child　and　mother；for　both？〃



〃Both！〃



A　convulsion　shook　the　limbs　of　the　seer；a　mighty　struggle

shook　him　as　a　child：　　the　Humanity　and　the　Hour　conquered　the

repugnant　spirit。



〃I　yield！　　Mother　and　childsave　both！〃



。。。



In　the　dark　chamber　lay　Viola；　in　the　sharpest　agonies　of

travail；　life　seemed　rending　itself　away　in　the　groans　and　cries

that　spoke　of　pain　in　the　midst　of　frenzy；　and　still；　in　groan

and　cry；　she　called　on　Zanoni；　her　beloved。　　The　physician　looked

to　the　clock；　on　it　beat：　　the　Heart　of　Time；regularly　and

slowly；Heart　that　never　sympathised　with　Life；　and　never

flagged　for　Death！　　〃The　cries　are　fainter；〃　said　the　leech；　〃in

ten　minutes　more　all　will　be　past。〃



Fool！　the　minutes　laugh　at　thee；　Nature；　even　now；　like　a　blue

sky　through　a　shattered　temple；　is　smiling　through　the　tortured

frame。　　The　breathing　grows　more　calm　and　hushed；　the　voice　of

delirium　is　dumb；a　sweet　dream　has　come　to　Viola。　　Is　it　a

dream；　or　is　it　the　soul　that　sees？　　She　thinks　suddenly　that　she

is　with　Zanoni；　that　her　burning　head　is　pillowed　on　his　bosom；

she　thinks；　as　he　gazes　on　her；　that　his　eyes　dispel　the　tortures

that　prey　upon　her；the　touch　of　his　hand　cools　the　fever　on　her

brow；　she　hears　his　voice　in　murmurs；it　is　a　music　from　which

the　fiends　fly。　　Where　is　the　mountain　that　seemed　to　press　upon

her　temples？　　Like　a　vapour；　it　rolls　away。　　In　the　frosts　of　the

winter　night；　she　sees　the　sun　laughing　in　luxurious　heaven；she

hears　the　whisper　of　green　leaves；　the　beautiful　world；　valley

and　stream　and　woodland；　lie　before；　and　with　a　common　voice

speak　to　her；　〃We　are　not　yet　past　for　thee！〃　Fool　of　drugs　and

formula；　look　to　thy　dial…plate！the　hand　has　moved　on；　the

minutes　are　with　Eternity；　the　soul　thy　sentence　would　have

dismissed；　still　dwells　on　the　shores　of　Time。　　She　sleeps：　the

fever　abates；　the　convulsions　are　gone；　the　living　rose　blooms

upon　her　cheek；　the　crisis　is　past！　　Husband；　thy　wife　lives；

lover；　thy　universe　is　no　solitude！　　Heart　of　Time；　beat　on！　　A

while；　a　little　while；joy！　joy！　joy！father；　embrace　thy

child！





CHAPTER　6。II。



Tristis　Erinnys

Praetulit　infaustas　sanguinolenta　faces。

Ovid。



（Erinnys；　doleful　and　bloody；　extends　the　unblessed　torches。）



And　they　placed　the　child　in　the　father's　arms！　　As　silently　he

bent　over　it；　tearstears；　how　human！fell　from　his　eyes　like

rain！　　And　the　little　one　smiled　through　the　tears　that　bathed

its　cheeks！　　Ah；　with　what　happy　tears　we　welcome　the　stranger

into　our　sorrowing　world！　　With　what　agonising　tears　we　dismiss

the　stranger　back　to　the　angels！　　Unselfish　joy；　but　how　selfish

is　the　sorrow！



And　now　through　the　silent　chamber　a　faint　sweet　voice　is　heard；

the　young　mother's　voice。



〃I　am　here：　　I　am　by　thy　side！〃　murmured　Zanoni。



The　mother　smiled；　and　clasped　his　hand；　and　asked　no　more；　she

was　contented。



。。。



Viola　recovered　with　a　rapidity　that　startled　the　physician；　and

the　young　stranger　thrived　as　if　it　already　loved　the　world　to

which　it　had　descended。　　From　that　hour　Zanoni　seemed　to　live　in

the　infant's　life；　and　in　that　life　the　souls　of　mother　and

father　met　as　in　a　new　bond。　　Nothing　more　beautiful　than　this

infant　had　eye　ever　dwelt　upon。　　It　was　strange　to　the　nurses

that　it　came　not　wailing　to　the　light；　but　smiled　to　the　light　as

a　thing　familiar　to　it　before。　　It　never　uttered　one　cry　of

childish　pain。　　In　its　very　repose　it　seemed　to　be　listening　to

some　happy　voice　within　its　heart：　it　seemed　itself　so　happy。　　In

its　eyes　you　would　have　thought　intellect　already　kindled；　though

it　had　not　yet　found　a　language。　　Already　it　seemed　to　recognise

its　parents；　already　it　stretched　forth　its　arms　when　Zanoni　bent

over　the　bed；　in　which　it　breathed　and　bloomed；the　budding

flower！　　And　from　that　bed　he　was　rarely　absent：　　gazing　upon　it

with　his　serene；　delighted　eyes；　his　soul　seemed　to　feed　its　own。

At　night　and　in　utter　darkness　he　was　still　there；　and　Viola

often　heard　him　murmuring　over　it　as　she　lay　in　a　half…sleep。

But　the　murmur　was　in　a　language　strange　to　her；　and　sometimes

when　she　heard　she　feared；　and　vague；　undefined　superstitions

came　back　to　her；the　superstitions　of　earlier　youth。　　A　mother

fears　everything；　even　the　gods；　for　her　new…born。　　The　mortals

shrieked　aloud　when　of　old　they　saw　the　great　Demeter　seeking　to

make　their　child　immortal。



But　Zanoni；　wrapped　in　the　sublime　designs　that　animated　the

human　love　to　which　he　was　now　awakened；　forgot　all；　even　all　he

had　forfeited　or　incurred；　in　the　love　that　blinded　him。



But　the　dark；　formless　thing；　though　he　nor　invoked　nor　saw　it；

crept；　often；　round　and　round　him；　and　often　sat　by　the　infant's

couch；　with　its　hateful　eyes。





CHAPTER　6。III。



Fuscis　tellurem　amplectitur　alis。

Virgil。



（Embraces　the　Earth　with　gloomy　wings。）



Letter　from　Zanoni　to　Mejnour。



Mejnour；　Humanity；　with　all　its　sorrows　and　its　joys；　is　mine

once　more。　　Day　by　day；　I　am　forging　my　own　fetters。　　I　live　in

other　lives　than　my　own；　and　in　them　I　have　lost　more　than　half

my　empire。　　Not　lifting　them　aloft；　they　drag　me　by　the　strong

bands　of　the　affections　to　their　own　earth。　　Exiled　from　the

beings　only　visible　to　the　most　abstract　sense；　the　grim　Enemy

that　guards　the　Threshold　has　entangled　me　in　its　web。　　Canst

thou　credit　me；　when　I　tell　thee　that　I　have　accepted　its　gifts；

and　endure　the　forfeit？　　Ages　must　pass　ere　the　brighter　beings

can　again　obey　the　spirit　that　has　bowed　to　the　ghastly　one！

And



。。。



In　this　hope；　then；　Mejnour；　I　triumph　still；　I　yet　have　supreme

power　over　this　young　life。　　Insensibly　and　inaudibly　my　soul

speaks　to　its　own；　and　prepares　it　even　now。　　Thou　knowest　that

for　the　pure　and　unsullied　infant　spirit；　the　ordeal　has　no

terror　and　no　peril。　　Thus　unceasingly　I　nourish　it　with　no

unholy　light；　and　ere　it　yet　be　conscious　of　the　gift；　it　will

gain　the　privileges　it　has　been　mine　to　attain：　　the　child；　by

slow　and　scarce…seen　degrees；　will　communicate　its　own　attributes

to　the　mother；　and　content　to　see　Youth　forever　radiant　on　the

brows　of　the　two　that　now　suffice　to　fill　up　my　whole　infinity　of

thought；　shall　I　regret　the　airier　kingdom　that　vanishes　hourly

from　my　grasp？　　But　thou；　whose　vision　is　still　clear　and　serene；

look　into　the　far　deeps　shut　from　my　gaze；　and　counsel　me；　or

forewarn！　　I　know　that　the　gifts　of　the　Being　whose　race　is　so

hostile　to　our　own　are；　to　the　ccommon　seeker；　fatal　and

perfidious　as　itself。　　And　hence；　when；　at　the　outskirts　of

knowledge；　which　in　earlier　ages　men　called　Magic；　they

encountered　the　things　of　the　hostile　tribes；　they　believed　the

apparitions　to　be　fiends；　and；　by　fancied　compacts；　imagined　they

had　signed　away　their　souls；　as　if　man　could　give　for　an　eternity

that　over　which　he　has　control　but　while　he　lives！　　Dark；　and

shrouded　forever　from　human　sight；　dwell　the　demon　rebels；　in

their　impenetrable　realm；　in　them　is　no　breath　of　the　Divine　One。

In　every　human　creature　the　Divine　One　breathes；　and　He　alone　can

judge　His　own　hereafter；　and　allot　its　new　career　and　home。

Could　man　sell　himself　to　the　fiend；　man　could　prejudge　himself；

and　arrogate　the　disposal　of　eternity！　　But　these　creatures；

modifications　as　they　are　of　matter；　and　some　with　more　than　the

malignanty　of　man；　may　well　seem；　to　fear　and　unreasoning

superstition；　the　representatives　of　fiends。　　And　from　the

darkest　and　mightiest　of　them　I　have　accepted　a　boon；the　secret

that　startled　Death　from　those　so　dear　to　me。　　Can　I　not　trust

that　enough　of　power　yet　remains　to　me　to　baffle　or　to　daunt　the

Phantom；　if　it　seek　to　pervert　the　gift？　　Answer　me；　Mejnour；　for

in　the　darkness　that　veils　me；　I　see　only　the　pure　eyes　of　the

new…born；　I　hear　only　the　low　beating　of　my　heart。　　Answer　me；

thou　whose　wisdom　is　without　love！



Mejnour　to　Zanoni。



Rome。



Fallen　One！I　see　before　thee　Evil　and　Death　and　Woe！　　Thou　to

have　relinquished　Adon…Ai　for　the　nameless　Terror；the　heavenly

stars　for　those　fearful　eyes！　　Thou；　at　the　last　to　be　the　victim

of　the　Larva　of　the　dreary　Threshold；　that；　in　thy　first

novitiate；　fled；　withered　and　shrivelled；　from　thy　kingly　brow！

When；　at　the　primary　grades　of　initiation；　the　pupil　I　took　from

thee　on　the　shores　of　the　c