第 60 节
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这就是结局 更新:2021-02-20 15:58 字数:9321
thought; then; of me; fair Fillide?〃
〃Yes;〃 answered the girl; colouring; but with that frank; bold
ingenuousness; which characterises the females of Italy;
especially of the lower class; and in the southern provinces;
〃oh; yes! I have thought of little else。 Paolo said he knew you
would visit me。〃
〃And what relation is Paolo to you?〃
〃None; but a good friend to us all。 My brother is one of his
band。〃
〃One of his band!a robber?〃
〃We of the mountains do not call a mountaineer 'a robber;'
signor。〃
〃I ask pardon。 Do you not tremble sometimes for your brother's
life? The law〃
〃Law never ventures into these defiles。 Tremble for him! No。
My father and grandsire were of the same calling。 I often wish I
were a man!〃
〃By these lips; I am enchanted that your wish cannot be
realised。〃
〃Fie; signor! And do you really love me?〃
〃With my whole heart!〃
〃And I thee!〃 said the girl; with a candour that seemed innocent;
as she suffered him to clasp her hand。
〃But;〃 she added; 〃thou wilt soon leave us; and I〃 She stopped
short; and the tears stood in her eyes。
There was something dangerous in this; it must be confessed。
Certainly Fillide had not the seraphic loveliness of Viola; but
hers was a beauty that equally at least touched the senses。
Perhaps Glyndon had never really loved Viola; perhaps the
feelings with which she had inspired him were not of that ardent
character which deserves the name of love。 However that be; he
thought; as he gazed on those dark eyes; that he had never loved
before。
〃And couldst thou not leave thy mountains?〃 he whispered; as he
drew yet nearer to her。
〃Dost thou ask me?〃 she said; retreating; and looking him
steadfastly in the face。 〃Dost thou know what we daughters of
the mountains are? You gay; smooth cavaliers of cities seldom
mean what you speak。 With you; love is amusement; with us; it is
life。 Leave these mountains! Well! I should not leave my
nature。〃
〃Keep thy nature ever;it is a sweet one。〃
〃Yes; sweet while thou art true; stern; if thou art faithless。
Shall I tell thee what Iwhat the girls of this country are?
Daughters of men whom you call robbers; we aspire to be the
companions of our lovers or our husbands。 We love ardently; we
own it boldly。 We stand by your side in danger; we serve you as
slaves in safety: we never change; and we resent change。 You
may reproach; strike us; trample us as a dog;we bear all
without a murmur; betray us; and no tiger is more relentless。 Be
true; and our hearts reward you; be false; and our hands revenge!
Dost thou love me now?〃
During this speech the Italian's countenance had most eloquently
aided her words;by turns soft; frank; fierce;and at the last
question she inclined her head humbly; and stood; as in fear of
his reply; before him。 The stern; brave; wild spirit; in which
what seemed unfeminine was yet; if I may so say; still womanly;
did not recoil; it rather captivated Glyndon。 He answered
readily; briefly; and freely; 〃Fillide;yes!〃
Oh; 〃yes!〃 forsooth; Clarence Glyndon! Every light nature
answers 〃yes〃 lightly to such a question from lips so rosy! Have
a care;have a care! Why the deuce; Mejnour; do you leave your
pupil of four…and…twenty to the mercy of these wild cats…a…
mountain! Preach fast; and abstinence; and sublime renunciation
of the cheats of the senses! Very well in you; sir; Heaven knows
how many ages old; but at four…and…twenty; your Hierophant would
have kept you out of Fillide's way; or you would have had small
taste for the Cabala。
And so they stood; and talked; and vowed; and whispered; till the
girl's mother made some noise within the house; and Fillide
bounded back to the distaff; her finger once more on her lip。
〃There is more magic in Fillide than in Mejnour;〃 said Glyndon to
himself; walking gayly home; 〃yet on second thoughts; I know not
if I quite so well like a character so ready for revenge。 But he
who has the real secret can baffle even the vengeance of a woman;
and disarm all danger!〃
Sirrah! dost thou even already meditate the possibility of
treason? Oh; well said Zanoni; 〃to pour pure water into the
muddy well does but disturb the mud。〃
CHAPTER 4。VII。
Cernis; custodia qualis
Vestibulo sedeat? facies quae limina servet?
〃Aeneid;〃 lib。 vi。 574。
(See you what porter sits within the vestibule?what face
watches at the threshold?)
And it is profound night。 All is at rest within the old castle;
all is breathless under the melancholy stars。 Now is the time。
Mejnour with his austere wisdom;Mejnour the enemy to love;
Mejnour; whose eye will read thy heart; and refuse thee the
promised secrets because the sunny face of Fillide disturbs the
lifeless shadow that he calls repose;Mejnour comes to…morrow!
Seize the night! Beware of fear! Never; or this hour! So;
brave youth;brave despite all thy errors;so; with a steady
pulse; thy hand unlocks once more the forbidden door。
He placed his lamp on the table beside the book; which still lay
there opened; he turned over the leaves; but could not decipher
their meaning till he came to the following passage:
〃When; then; the pupil is thus initiated and prepared; let him
open the casement; light the lamps; and bathe his temples with
the elixir。 He must beware how he presume yet to quaff the
volatile and fiery spirit。 To taste till repeated inhalations
have accustomed the frame gradually to the ecstatic liquid; is to
know not life; but death。〃
He could penetrate no farther into the instructions; the cipher
again changed。 He now looked steadily and earnestly round the
chamber。 The moonlight came quietly through the lattice as his
hand opened it; and seemed; as it rested on the floor; and filled
the walls; like the presence of some ghostly and mournful Power。
He ranged the mystic lamps (nine in number) round the centre of
the room; and lighted them one by one。 A flame of silvery and
azure tints sprung up from each; and lighted the apartment with a
calm and yet most dazzling splendour; but presently this light
grew more soft and dim; as a thin; grey cloud; like a mist;
gradually spread over the room; and an icy thrill shot through
the heart of the Englishman; and quickly gathered over him like
the coldness of death。 Instinctively aware of his danger; he
tottered; though with difficulty; for his limbs seemed rigid and
stone…like; to the shelf that contained the crystal vials;
hastily he inhaled the spirit; and laved his temples with the
sparkling liquid。 The same sensation of vigour and youth; and
joy and airy lightness; that he had felt in the morning;
instantaneously replaced the deadly numbness that just before had
invaded the citadel of life。 He stood; with his arms folded on
his bosom erect and dauntless; to watch what should ensue。
The vapour had now assumed almost the thickness and seeming
consistency of a snow…cloud; the lamps piercing it like stars。
And now he distinctly saw shapes; somewhat resembling in outline
those of the human form; gliding slowly and with regular
evolutions through the cloud。 They appeared bloodless; their
bodies were transparent; and contracted or expanded like the
folds of a serpent。 As they moved in majestic order; he heard a
low soundthe ghost; as it were; of voicewhich each caught and
echoed from the other; a low sound; but musical; which seemed the
chant of some unspeakably tranquil joy。 None of these
apparitions heeded him。 His intense longing to accost them; to
be of them; to make one of this movement of aerial happiness;
for such it seemed to him;made him stretch forth his arms and
seek to cry aloud; but only an inarticulate whisper passed his
lips; and the movement and the music went on the same as if the
mortal were not there。 Slowly they glided round and aloft; till;
in the same majestic order; one after one; they floated through
the casement and were lost in the moonlight; then; as his eyes
followed them; the casement became darkened with some object
undistinguishable at the first gaze; but which sufficed
mysteriously to change into ineffable horror the delight he had
before experienced。 By degrees this object shaped itself to his
sight。 It was as that of a human head covered with a dark veil
through which glared; with livid and demoniac fire; eyes that
froze the marrow of his bones。 Nothing else of the face was
distinguishable;nothing but those intolerable eyes; but his
terror; that even at the first seemed beyond nature to endure;
was increased a thousand…fold; when; after a pause; the phantom
glided slowly into the chamber。
The cloud retreated from it as it advanced; the bright lamps grew
wan; and flickered restlessly as at the breath of its presence。
Its form was veiled as the face; but the outline was that of a
female; yet it moved not as