the wandering jew, volume 10-第15部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


intense　pain。　　He　did　not　boldly　attack　the　criminal；　but　he　turned　away
from　him　in　pity　and　sorrow。　　And　then　his　loving　heart；　so　full　of
feminine　delicacy；　had　an　irresistible　longing　for　the　blessed　contact　of
dear　affections；　they　alone　could　keep　it　alive。　　Even　as　a　poor；　frail
bird　dies　with　the　cold；　when　it　can　no　longer　lie　close　to　its　brethren；
and　receive　and　communicate　the　sweet　warmth　of　the　maternal　nest。　　And
now　this　sensitive　organization；　this　extremely　susceptible　nature；
receives　blow　after　blow　from　sorrows　and　deceptions；　one　of　which　would
suffice　to　shake；　if　it　did　not　conquer；　the　firmest　and　most　resolute
character。　　Hardy's　best　friend　has　infamously　betrayed　him。　　His　adored
mistress　has　abandoned　him。

The　house　which　he　had　founded　for　the　benefit　of　his　workmen；　whom　he
loved　as　brethren；　is　reduced　to　a　heap　of　ashes。　　What　then　happens？
All　the　springs　of　his　soul　are　at　once　broken。　　Too　feeble　to　resist
such　frightful　attacks；　too　fatally　deceived　to　seek　refuge　in　other
affections；　too　much　discouraged　to　think　of　laying　the　first　stone　of
any　new　edificethis　poor　heart；　isolated　from　every　salutary　influence；
finds　oblivion　of　the　world　and　of　itself　in　a　kind　of　gloomy　torpor。
And　if　some　remaining　instincts　of　life　and　affection；　at　long　intervals；
endeavored　to　rouse　themselves　within　him；　and　if；　half…opening　his
mind's　eye；　which　he　had　kept　closed　against　the　present；　the　past；　and
the　future；　Hardy　looks　around　himwhat　does　he　see？　　Only　these
sentences；　so　full　of　terrible　despair：

〃Thou　art　nothing　but　dust　and　ashes。　　Grief　and　tears　art　thy　portion。
Believe　not　in　any　son　of　man。　　There　are　no　such　things　as　friendship　or
ties　of　kindred。　　All　human　affections　are　false。　　Die　in　the　morning；
and　thou　wilt　be　forgotten　before　night。　　Be　humbledespise　thyselfand
let　others　despise　thee。　　Think　not；　reason　not；　live　notbut　commit　thy
fate　to　the　hands　of　a　superior；　who　will　think　and　reason　for　thee。
Weep；　suffer；　think　upon　death。　　Yes；　death！　always　deaththat　should　be
thy　thought　when　thou　thinkestbut　it　is　better　not　to　think　at　all。
Let　a　feeling　of　ceaseless　woe　prepare　thy　way　to　heaven。　　It　is　only　by
sorrow　that　we　are　welcome　to　the　terrible　God　whom　we　adore！〃

Such　were　the　consolations　offered　to　this　unfortunate　man。　　Affrighted；
he　again　closed　his　eyes；　and　fell　back　into　his　lethargy。　　As　for
leaving　this　gloomy　retreat；　he　could　not；　or　rather　he　did　not　desire　to
do　so。　　He　had　lost　the　power　of　will；　and　then；　it　must　be　confessed；　he
had　finished　by　getting　accustomed　to　this　house；　and　liked　it　wellthey
paid　him　such　discreet　attentions；　and　yet　left　him　so　much　alone　with
his　griefthere　reigned　all　around　such　a　death…like　silence；　which
harmonized　closely　with　the　silence　of　his　heart；　and　that　was　now　the
tomb　of　his　last　love；　last　friendship；　last　hope。　　All　energy　was　dead
within　him！　　Then　began　that　slow；　but　inevitable　transformation；　so
judiciously　foreseen　by　Rodin；　who　directed　the　whole　of　this
machination；　even　in　its　smallest　details。　　At　first　alarmed　by　the
dreadful　maxims　which　surrounded　him；　M。　Hardy　had　at　length　accustomed
himself　to　read　them　over　almost　mechanically；　just　as　the　captive；　in
his　mournful　hours　of　leisure；　counts　the　nails　in　the　door　of　his
prison；　or　the　bars　of　the　grated　window。　　This　was　already　a　great　point
gained　by　the　reverend　fathers。

And　soon　his　weakened　mind　was　struck　with　the　apparent　correctness　of
these　false　and　melancholy　aphorisms。

Thus　he　read：　〃Do　not　count　upon　the　affection　of　any　human　creature〃
and　he　had　himself　been　shamefully　betrayed。

〃Man　is　born　to　sorrow　and　despair〃and　he　was　himself　despairing。

〃There　is　no　rest　save　in　the　cessation　of　thought〃and　the　slumber　of
his　mind　had　brought　some　relief　to　his　pain。

Peepholes；　skillfully　concealed　by　the　hangings　and　in　the　wainscoting　of
these　apartments；　enabled　the　reverend　fathers　at　all　times　to　see　and
hear　the　boarders；　and　above　all　to　observe　their　countenance　and　manner；
when　they　believed　themselves　to　be　alone。　　Every　exclamation　of　grief
which　escaped　Hardy　in　his　gloomy　solitude；　was　repeated　to　Father
d'Aigrigny　by　a　mysterious　listener。　　The　reverend　father；　following
scrupulously　Rodin's　instructions；　had　at　first　visited　his　boarder　very
rarely。　　We　have　said；　that　when　Father　d'Aigrigny　wished　it；　he　could
display　an　almost　irresistible　power　of　charming；　and　accordingly　he
threw　all　his　tact　and　skill　into　the　interviews　he　had　with　Hardy；　when
he　came　from　time　to　time　to　inquire　after　his　health。　　Informed　of
everything　by　his　spies；　and　aided　by　his　natural　sagacity；　he　soon　saw
all　the　use　that　might　be　made　of　the　physical　and　moral　prostration　of
the　boarder。　　Certain　beforehand　that　Hardy　would　not　take　the　hint；　he
spoke　to　him　frequently　of　the　gloom　of　the　house；　advising　him
affectionately　to　leave　it；　if　he　felt　oppressed　by　its　monotony；　or　at
all　events　to　seek　beyond　its　walls　for　some　pleasure　and　amusement。　　To
speak　of　pleasure　and　amusement　to　this　unfortunate　man；　was　in　his
present　state　to　insure　a　refusal；　and　so　it　of　course　happened。　　Father
d'Aigrigny　did　not　at　first　try　to　gain　the　recluse's　confidence；　nor　did
he　speak　to　him　of　sorrow；　but　every　time　he　came；　he　appeared　to　take
such　a　tender　interest　in　him；　and　showed　it　by　a　few　simple　and　well…
timed　words。　　By　degrees；　these　interviews；　at　first　so　rare；　became　more
frequent　and　longer。　　Endowed　with　a　flow　of　honeyed；　insinuating；　and
persuasive　eloquence；　Father　d'Aigrigny　naturally　took　for　his　theme
those　gloomy　maxims；　to　which　Hardy's　attention　was　now　so　often
directed。

Supple；　prudent；　skillful；　knowing　that　the　hermit　had　hitherto　professed
that　generous　natural　religion　which　teaches　the　grateful　adoration　of
God；　the　love　of　humanity；　the　worship　of　what　is　just　and　good；　and
which；　disdaining　dogmas；　professes　the　same　veneration　for　Marcus
Aurelius　as　for　Confucius；　for　Plato　as　for　Christ；　for　Moses　as　for
LycurgusFather　d'Aigrigny　did　not　at　first　attempt　to　convert　him；　but
began　by　incessantly　reminding　him　of　the　abominable　deceptions　practised
upon　him；　and；　instead　of　describing　such　treachery　as　an　exception　in
lifeinstead　of　trying　to　calm；　encourage；　and　revive　his　drooping　soul…
…instead　of　exhorting　Hardy　to　seek　oblivion　and　consolation　in　the
discharge　of　his　duties　toward　humanity；　towards　his　brethren；　whom　he
had　previously　loved　and　succored　Father　d'Aigrigny　strove　to　inflame
the　bleeding　wounds　of　the　unfortunate　man；　painted　the　human　race　in　the
most　atrocious　blackness；　and；　by　declaring　all　men　treacherous；
ungrateful；　wicked；　succeeded　in　rendering　his　despair　incurable。　　Having
attained　this　object；　the　Jesuit　took　another　step。　　Knowing　Hardy's
admirable　goodness　of　heart；　and　profiting　by　the　weakened　state　of　his
mind；　he　spoke　to　him　of　the　consolation　to　be　derived　by　a　man
overwhelmed　with　sorrow；　from　the　belief　that　every　one　of　his　tears；
instead　of　being　unfruitful；　was　in　fact　agreeable　to　God；　and　might　aid
in　the　salvation　of　soulsthe　belief；　as　the　reverend　father　adroitly
added；　that　by　faith　alone　can　sorrow　be　made　useful　to　humanity；　and
acceptable　to　Divinity。

Whatever　impiety；　whatever　atrocious　Machiavelism　there　was　in　these
detestable　maxims；　which　make　of　a　loving…kind　Deity　a　being　delighted
with　the　tears　of　his　creatures；　was　thus　skillfully　concealed　from
Hardy's　eyes；　whose　generous　instincts　were　still　alive。　　Soon　did　this
loving　and　tender　soul；　whom　unworthy　priests　were　driving　to　a　sort　of
moral　suicide；　find　a　mournful　charm　in　the　fiction；　that　his　sorrows
would　at　least　be　profitable　to　other　men。　　It　was　at　first　only　a
fiction；　but　the　enfeebled　mind　which　takes　pleasure　in　such　a　fable；
finishes　by　receiving　it　as　a　reality；　and　by　degrees　will　submit　to　the
consequences。　　Such　was　Hardy's　moral　and　physical　state；　when；　by　means
of　a　servant　who　had　been　bought　over；　he　received　from　Agricola　Baudoin
a　letter　requesting　an　interview。　　Alone；　the　workman　could　not　have
broken　the　band　of　the　Jesuit's　pleadings；　but　he　was　accompanied　by
Gabriel；　whose　eloquence　and　reasonings　were　of　a　most　convincing　nature
to　a　spirit　like　Hardy's。

It　is　unnecessary　to　point　out　to　the　reader；　with　what　dignified　reserve
Gabriel　had　confined　himself　to　the　most　generous　means　of　rescuing　Hardy
from　the　deadly　influence　of　the　reverend　fathers。　　It　was　repugnant　to
the　great　soul　of　the　young　missionary；　to　stoop　to　a　revelation　of　the
odious　plots　of　these　priests。　　He　would　only　have　taken　this　extreme
course；　had　his　powerful　and　sympathetic　words　have　failed　to　have　any
effect　on　Hardy's　blindness。　　About　a　quarter　of　an　hour　had　elapsed
since　Gabriel's　departure；　when　the　servant　appointed　to　wait　on　this
boarder　of　the　reverend　fathers　entered　and　delivered　to　him　a　letter。

〃From　whom　is　this？〃　asked　Hardy。

〃From　a　boarder　in　the　house；　sir；〃　answered　the　servant　bowing。

This　man　had　a　crafty　hypocritical　face；　he　wore　his　hair　combed　over　his
forehead；　spoke　in　a　low　voice；　and　always　cast　clown　his　eyes。　　Waiting
the　answer；　he　joined　his　hands；　and　began　to　twiddle　his　thumbs。　　Hardy
opened　the　letter；　and　read　as　follows：

〃SIR；I　have　only　just　heard；　by　mere　chance；　that　you　also　inhabit　this
respectable　house：　a　long　illness；　and　the　retirement　in　which　I　live；
will　explain　my　ignorance　of　your　being　so　near。　　Though　we　have　only　met
once；　sir；　the　circumstance　which　led　to　that　meeting　was　of　so　serious　a
nature；　that　I　cannot　think　you　have　forgotten　it。

Hardy　stopped；　and　tasked　his　memory　for　an　explanation；　and　not　finding
anything　to　put　him　on　the　right　track；　he　continued　to　read：

〃This　circumstance　excited　in　me　a　feeling　of　such　deep　and　respectful
sympathy　for　you；　sir；　that　I　cannot　resist　my　anxious　desire　to　wait
upon　you；　particularly　as　I　learn；　that　you　intend　leaving　this　house　to…
daya　piece　of　information　I　have　just　derived　from　the　excellent　and
worthy　Abbe　Gabriel；　one　of　the　men　I　most　love；　esteem；　and　reverence。
May　I　venture　to　hope；　sir；　that　just　at　the　moment　of　quittin