第 29 节
作者:这就是结局      更新:2021-02-20 15:58      字数:9321
  own。  Share my fate now and forever;my pride; my delight; my
  ideal!  Thou shalt inspire my canvas and my song; thy beauty
  shall be made at once holy and renowned。  In the galleries of
  princes; crowds shall gather round the effigy of a Venus or a
  Saint; and a whisper shall break forth; 'It is Viola Pisani!'
  Ah! Viola; I adore thee; tell me that I do not worship in vain。〃
  〃Thou art good and fair;〃 said Viola; gazing on her lover; as he
  pressed nearer to her; and clasped her hand in his; 〃but what
  should I give thee in return?〃
  〃Love; love;only love!〃
  〃A sister's love?〃
  〃Ah; speak not with such cruel coldness!〃
  〃It is all I have for thee。  Listen to me; signor:  when I look
  on your face; when I hear your voice; a certain serene and
  tranquil calm creeps over and lulls thoughts;oh; how feverish;
  how wild!  When thou art gone; the day seems a shade more dark;
  but the shadow soon flies。  I miss thee not; I think not of thee:
  no; I love thee not; and I will give myself only where I love。〃
  〃But I would teach thee to love me; fear it not。  Nay; such love
  as thou describest; in our tranquil climates; is the love of
  innocence and youth。〃
  〃Of innocence!〃 said Viola。  〃Is it so?  Perhaps〃  She paused;
  and added; with an effort; 〃Foreigner! and wouldst thou wed the
  orphan?  Ah; THOU at least art generous!  It is not the innocence
  thou wouldst destroy!〃
  Glyndon drew back; conscience…stricken。
  〃No; it may not be!〃 she said; rising; but not conscious of the
  thoughts; half of shame; half suspicion; that passed through the
  mind of her lover。  〃Leave me; and forget me。  You do not
  understand; you could not comprehend; the nature of her whom you
  think to love。  From my childhood upward; I have felt as if I
  were marked out for some strange and preternatural doom; as if I
  were singled from my kind。  This feeling (and; oh! at times it is
  one of delirious and vague delight; at others of the darkest
  gloom) deepens within me day by day。  It is like the shadow of
  twilight; spreading slowly and solemnly around。  My hour
  approaches:  a little while; and it will be night!〃
  As she spoke; Glyndon listened with visible emotion and
  perturbation。  〃Viola!〃 he exclaimed; as she ceased; 〃your words
  more than ever enchain me to you。  As you feel; I feel。  I; too;
  have been ever haunted with a chill and unearthly foreboding。
  Amidst the crowds of men I have felt alone。  In all my pleasures;
  my toils; my pursuits; a warning voice has murmured in my ear;
  'Time has a dark mystery in store for thy manhood。'  When you
  spoke; it was as the voice of my own soul。〃
  Viola gazed upon him in wonder and fear。  Her countenance was as
  white as marble; and those features; so divine in their rare
  symmetry; might have served the Greek with a study for the
  Pythoness; when; from the mystic cavern and the bubbling spring;
  she first hears the voice of the inspiring god。  Gradually the
  rigour and tension of that wonderful face relaxed; the colour
  returned; the pulse beat:  the heart animated the frame。
  〃Tell me;〃 she said; turning partially aside;〃tell me; have you
  seendo you knowa stranger in this city;one of whom wild
  stories are afloat?〃
  〃You speak of Zanoni?  I have seen him:  I know him;and you?
  Ah; he; too; would be my rival!he; too; would bear thee from
  me!〃
  〃You err;〃 said Viola; hastily; and with a deep sigh; 〃he pleads
  for you:  he informed me of your love; he besought me notnot to
  reject it。〃
  〃Strange being! incomprehensible enigma!  Why did you name him?〃
  〃Why! ah; I would have asked whether; when you first saw him; the
  foreboding; the instinct; of which you spoke; came on you more
  fearfully; more intelligibly than before; whether you felt at
  once repelled from him; yet attracted towards him; whether you
  felt;〃 and the actress spoke with hurried animation; 〃that with
  HIM was connected the secret of your life?〃
  〃All this I felt;〃 answered Glyndon; in a trembling voice; 〃the
  first time I was in his presence。  Though all around me was gay;
  music; amidst lamp…lit trees; light converse near; and heaven
  without a cloud above;my knees knocked together; my hair
  bristled; and my blood curdled like ice。  Since then he has
  divided my thoughts with thee。〃
  〃No more; no more!〃 said Viola; in a stifled tone; 〃there must be
  the hand of fate in this。  I can speak to you no more now。
  Farewell!〃  She sprung past him into the house; and closed the
  door。  Glyndon did not follow her; nor; strange as it may seem;
  was he so inclined。  The thought and recollection of that moonlit
  hour in the gardens; of the strange address of Zanoni; froze up
  all human passion。  Viola herself; if not forgotten; shrunk back
  like a shadow into the recesses of his breast。  He shivered as he
  stepped into the sunlight; and musingly retraced his steps into
  the more populous parts of that liveliest of Italian cities。
  BOOK III。
  THEURGIA。
  i cavalier sen vanno
  dove il pino fatal gli attende in porto。
  Gerus。 Lib。; cant。 xv (Argomento。)
  The knights came where the fatal bark
  Awaited them in the port。
  CHAPTER 3。I。
  But that which especially distinguishes the brotherhood is their
  marvellous knowledge of all the resources of medical art。  They
  work not by charms; but simples。〃MS。  Account of the Origin and
  Attributes of the true Rosicrucians;〃 by J。 Von D。
  At this time it chanced that Viola had the opportunity to return
  the kindness shown to her by the friendly musician whose house
  had received and sheltered her when first left an orphan on the
  world。  Old Bernardi had brought up three sons to the same
  profession as himself; and they had lately left Naples to seek
  their fortunes in the wealthier cities of Northern Europe; where
  the musical market was less overstocked。  There was only left to
  glad the household of his aged wife and himself; a lively;
  prattling; dark…eyed girl of some eight years old; the child of
  his second son; whose mother had died in giving her birth。  It so
  happened that; about a month previous to the date on which our
  story has now entered; a paralytic affection had disabled
  Bernardi from the duties of his calling。  He had been always a
  social; harmless; improvident; generous fellowliving on his
  gains from day to day; as if the day of sickness and old age
  never was to arrive。  Though he received a small allowance for
  his past services; it ill sufficed for his wants;; neither was he
  free from debt。  Poverty stood at his hearth;when Viola's
  grateful smile and liberal hand came to chase the grim fiend
  away。  But it is not enough to a heart truly kind to send and
  give; more charitable is it to visit and console。  〃Forget not
  thy father's friend。〃  So almost daily went the bright idol of
  Naples to the house of Bernardi。  Suddenly a heavier affliction
  than either poverty or the palsy befell the old musician。  His
  grandchild; his little Beatrice; fell ill; suddenly and
  dangerously ill; of one of those rapid fevers common to the
  South; and Viola was summoned from her strange and fearful
  reveries of love or fancy; to the sick…bed of the young sufferer。
  The child was exceedingly fond of Viola; and the old people
  thought that her mere presence would bring healing; but when
  Viola arrived; Beatrice was insensible。  Fortunately there was no
  performance that evening at San Carlo; and she resolved to stay
  the night and partake its fearful cares and dangerous vigil。
  But during the night the child grew worse; the physician (the
  leechcraft has never been very skilful at Naples) shook his
  powdered head; kept his aromatics at his nostrils; administered
  his palliatives; and departed。  Old Bernardi seated himself by
  the bedside in stern silence; here was the last tie that bound
  him to life。  Well; let the anchor break and the battered ship go
  down!  It was an iron resolve; more fearful than sorrow。  An old
  man; with one foot in the grave; watching by the couch of a dying
  child; is one of the most awful spectacles in human calamities。
  The wife was more active; more bustling; more hopeful; and more
  tearful。  Viola took heed of all three。  But towards dawn;
  Beatrice's state became so obviously alarming; that Viola herself
  began to despair。  At this time she saw the old woman suddenly
  rise from before the image of the saint at which she had been
  kneeling; wrap herself in her cloak and hood; and quietly quit
  the chamber。  Viola stole after her。
  〃It is cold for thee; good mother; to brave the air; let me go
  for the physician?〃
  〃Child; I am not going to him。  I have heard of one in the city
  who has been tender to the poor; and who; they say; has cured the
  sick when physicians failed。  I will go and say to him; 'Signor;
  we are beggars in all else; but yesterday we were rich in love。
  We are at the close of life; but we lived in our grandchild's
  childhood。  Give us back our wealth;give us