第 65 节
作者:这就是结局      更新:2021-02-20 15:58      字数:9321
  was more fearful since the hour when she knew that she was to be
  a mother。  Strange crisis in the life of woman; and in her love!
  Something yet unborn begins already to divide her heart with
  that which had been before its only monarch。
  〃Look on me; Zanoni;〃 she said; pressing his hand。
  He turned:  〃Thou art pale; Viola; thy hand trembles!〃
  〃It is true。  I feel as if some enemy were creeping near us。〃
  〃And the instinct deceives thee not。  An enemy is indeed at hand。
  I see it through the heavy air; I hear it through the silence:
  the Ghostly One;the Destroyer; the PESTILENCE!  Ah; seest thou
  how the leaves swarm with insects; only by an effort visible to
  the eye。  They follow the breath of the plague!〃  As he spoke; a
  bird fell from the boughs at Viola's feet; it fluttered; it
  writhed an instant; and was dead。
  〃Oh; Viola!〃 cried Zanoni; passionately; 〃that is death。  Dost
  thou not fear to die?〃
  〃To leave thee?  Ah; yes!〃
  〃And if I could teach thee how Death may be defied; if I could
  arrest for thy youth the course of time; if I could〃
  He paused abruptly; for Viola's eyes spoke only terror; her cheek
  and lips were pale。
  〃Speak not thus;look not thus;〃 she said; recoiling from him。
  〃You dismay me。  Ah; speak not thus; or I should tremble;no;
  not for myself; but for thy child。〃
  〃Thy child!  But wouldst thou reject for thy child the same
  glorious boon?〃
  〃Zanoni!〃
  〃Well!〃
  〃The sun has sunk from our eyes; but to rise on those of others。
  To disappear from this world is to live in the world afar。  Oh;
  lover;oh; husband!〃 she continued; with sudden energy; 〃tell me
  that thou didst but jest;that thou didst but trifle with my
  folly!  There is less terror in the pestilence than in thy
  words。〃
  Zanoni's brow darkened; he looked at her in silence for some
  moments; and then said; almost severely ;
  〃What hast thou known of me to distrust?〃
  〃Oh; pardon; pardon!nothing!〃 cried Viola; throwing herself on
  his breast; and bursting into tears。  〃I will not believe even
  thine own words; if they seem to wrong thee!〃  He kissed the
  tears from her eyes; but made no answer。
  〃And ah!〃 she resumed; with an enchanting and child…like smile;
  〃if thou wouldst give me a charm against the pestilence! see; I
  will take it from thee。〃  And she laid her hand on a small;
  antique amulet that he wore on his breast。
  〃Thou knowest how often this has made me jealous of the past;
  surely some love…gift; Zanoni?  But no; thou didst not love the
  giver as thou dost me。  Shall I steal thine amulet?〃
  〃Infant!〃 said Zanoni; tenderly; 〃she who placed this round my
  neck deemed it indeed a charm; for she had superstitions like
  thyself; but to me it is more than the wizard's spell;it is the
  relic of a sweet vanished time when none who loved me could
  distrust。〃
  He said these words in a tone of such melancholy reproach that it
  went to the heart of Viola; but the tone changed into a solemnity
  which chilled back the gush of her feelings as he resumed:  〃And
  this; Viola; one day; perhaps; I will transfer from my breast to
  thine; yes; whenever thou shalt comprehend me better;WHENEVER
  THE LAWS OF OUR BEING SHALL BE THE SAME!〃
  He moved on gently。  They returned slowly home; but fear still
  was in the heart of Viola; though she strove to shake it off。
  Italian and Catholic she was; with all the superstitions of land
  and sect。  She stole to her chamber and prayed before a little
  relic of San Gennaro; which the priest of her house had given to
  her in childhood; and which had accompanied her in all her
  wanderings。  She had never deemed it possible to part with it
  before。  Now; if there was a charm against the pestilence; did
  she fear the pestilence for herself?  The next morning; when he
  awoke; Zanoni found the relic of the saint suspended with his
  mystic amulet round his neck。
  〃Ah! thou wilt have nothing to fear from the pestilence now;〃
  said Viola; between tears and smiles; 〃and when thou wouldst talk
  to me again as thou didst last night; the saint shall rebuke
  thee。〃
  Well; Zanoni; can there ever indeed be commune of thought and
  spirit; except with equals?
  Yes; the plague broke out;the island home must be abandoned。
  Mighty Seer; THOU HAST NO POWER TO SAVE THOSE WHOM THOU LOVEST!
  Farewell; thou bridal roof!sweet resting…place from care;
  farewell!  Climates as soft may greet ye; O lovers;skies as
  serene; and waters as blue and calm; but THAT TIME;can it ever
  more return?  Who shall say that the heart does not change with
  the scene;the place where we first dwelt with the beloved one?
  Every spot THERE has so many memories which the place only can
  recall。  The past that haunts it seems to command such constancy
  in the future。  If a thought less kind; less trustful; enter
  within us; the sight of a tree under which a vow has been
  exchanged; a tear has been kissed away; restores us again to the
  hours of the first divine illusion。  But in a home where nothing
  speaks of the first nuptials; where there is no eloquence of
  association; no holy burial…places of emotions; whose ghosts are
  angels!yes; who that has gone through the sad history of
  affection will tell us that the heart changes not with the scene!
  Blow fair; ye favouring winds; cheerily swell; ye sails; away
  from the land where death has come to snatch the sceptre of Love!
  The shores glide by; new coasts succeed to the green hills and
  orange…groves of the Bridal Isle。  From afar now gleam in the
  moonlight the columns; yet extant; of a temple which the Athenian
  dedicated to wisdom; and; standing on the bark that bounded on in
  the freshening gale; the votary who had survived the goddess
  murmured to himself;
  〃Has the wisdom of ages brought me no happier hours than those
  common to the shepherd and the herdsman; with no world beyond
  their village; no aspiration beyond the kiss and the smile of
  home?〃
  And the moon; resting alike over the ruins of the temple of the
  departed creed; over the hut of the living peasant; over the
  immemorial mountain…top; and the perishable herbage that clothed
  its sides; seemed to smile back its answer of calm disdain to the
  being who; perchance; might have seen the temple built; and who;
  in his inscrutable existence; might behold the mountain shattered
  from its base。
  BOOK V。
  THE EFFECTS OF THE ELIXIR。
  CHAPTER 5。I。
  Frommet's den Schleier aufzuheben;
  Wo das nahe Schreckness droht?
  Nur das Irrthum ist das Leben
  Und das Wissen ist der Tod;
  Schiller; Kassandro。
  Delusion is the life we live
  And knowledge death; oh wherefore; then;
  To sight the coming evils give
  And lift the veil of Fate to Man?
  Zwei Seelen wohnen; ach! in meiner Brust。
  (Two souls dwell; alas! in my breast。)
  。。。
  Was stehst du so; und blickst erstaunt hinaus?
  (Why standest thou so; and lookest out astonished?)
  〃Faust。〃
  It will be remembered that we left Master Paolo by the bedside of
  Glyndon; and as; waking from that profound slumber; the
  recollections of the past night came horribly back to his mind;
  the Englishman uttered a cry; and covered his face with his
  hands。
  〃Good morrow; Excellency!〃 said Paolo; gayly。  〃Corpo di Bacco;
  you have slept soundly!〃
  The sound of this man's voice; so lusty; ringing; and healthful;
  served to scatter before it the phantasma that yet haunted
  Glyndon's memory。
  He rose erect in his bed。  〃And where did you find me?  Why are
  you here?〃
  〃Where did I find you!〃 repeated Paolo; in surprise;〃in your
  bed; to be sure。  Why am I here!because the Padrone bade me
  await your waking; and attend your commands。〃
  〃The Padrone; Mejnour!is he arrived?〃
  〃Arrived and departed; signor。  He has left this letter for you。〃
  〃Give it me; and wait without till I am dressed。〃
  〃At your service。  I have bespoke an excellent breakfast:  you
  must be hungry。  I am a very tolerable cook; a monk's son ought
  to be!  You will be startled at my genius in the dressing of
  fish。  My singing; I trust; will not disturb you。  I always sing
  while I prepare a salad; it harmonises the ingredients。〃  And
  slinging his carbine over his shoulder; Paolo sauntered from the
  room; and closed the door。
  Glyndon was already deep in the contents of the following
  letter:
  〃When I first received thee as my pupil; I promised Zanoni; if
  convinced by thy first trials that thou couldst but swell; not
  the number of our order; but the list of the victims who have
  aspired to it in vain; I would not rear thee to thine own
  wretchedness and doom;I would dismiss thee back to the world。
  I fulfil my promise。  Thine ordeal has been the easiest that
  neophyte ever knew。  I asked for nothing but abstinence from the
  sensual; and a brief experiment of thy patience and thy faith。
  Go back to thine own world; thou hast no nature to aspire to