第 67 节
作者:
这就是结局 更新:2021-02-20 15:58 字数:9322
Paolo?〃
〃Why;〃 answered the bandit; a little confused; 〃a gentleman with
plenty of pistoles in his purse need not; of necessity; make it
his profession to take away the pistoles of other people! It is
a different thing for us poor rogues。 After all; too; I always
devote a tithe of my gains to the Virgin; and I share the rest
charitably with the poor。 But eat; drink; enjoy yourself; be
absolved by your confessor for any little peccadilloes and don't
run too long scores at a time;that's my advice。 Your health;
Excellency! Pshaw; signor; fasting; except on the days
prescribed to a good Catholic; only engenders phantoms。〃
〃Phantoms!〃
〃Yes; the devil always tempts the empty stomach。 To covet; to
hate; to thieve; to rob; and to murder;these are the natural
desires of a man who is famishing。 With a full belly; signor; we
are at peace with all the world。 That's right; you like the
partridge! Cospetto! when I myself have passed two or three days
in the mountains; with nothing from sunset to sunrise but a black
crust and an onion; I grow as fierce as a wolf。 That's not the
worst; too。 In these times I see little imps dancing before me。
Oh; yes; fasting is as full of spectres as a field of battle。〃
Glyndon thought there was some sound philosophy in the reasoning
of his companion; and certainly the more he ate and drank; the
more the recollection of the past night and of Mejnour's
desertion faded from his mind。 The casement was open; the breeze
blew; the sun shone;all Nature was merry; and merry as Nature
herself grew Maestro Paolo。 He talked of adventures; of travel;
of women; with a hearty gusto that had its infection。 But
Glyndon listened yet more complacently when Paolo turned with an
arch smile to praises of the eye; the teeth; the ankles; and the
shape of the handsome Fillide。
This man; indeed; seemed the very personation of animal sensual
life。 He would have been to Faust a more dangerous tempter than
Mephistopheles。 There was no sneer on HIS lip at the pleasures
which animated his voice。 To one awaking to a sense of the
vanities in knowledge; this reckless ignorant joyousness of
temper was a worse corrupter than all the icy mockeries of a
learned Fiend。 But when Paolo took his leave; with a promise to
return the next day; the mind of the Englishman again settled
back to a graver and more thoughtful mood。 The elixir seemed; in
truth; to have left the refining effects Mejnour had ascribed to
it。 As Glyndon paced to and fro the solitary corridor; or;
pausing; gazed upon the extended and glorious scenery that
stretched below; high thoughts of enterprise and ambitionbright
visions of glorypassed in rapid succession through his soul。
〃Mejnour denies me his science。 Well;〃 said the painter;
proudly; 〃he has not robbed me of my art。〃
What! Clarence Glyndon; dost thou return to that from which thy
career commenced? Was Zanoni right after all?
He found himself in the chamber of the mystic; not a vessel;not
an herb! the solemn volume is vanished;the elixir shall sparkle
for him no more! But still in the room itself seems to linger
the atmosphere of a charm。 Faster and fiercer it burns within
thee; the desire to achieve; to create! Thou longest for a life
beyond the sensual!but the life that is permitted to all
genius;that which breathes through the immortal work; and
endures in the imperishable name。
Where are the implements for thine art? Tush!when did the true
workman ever fail to find his tools? Thou art again in thine own
chamber;the white wall thy canvas; a fragment of charcoal for
thy pencil。 They suffice; at least; to give outline to the
conception that may otherwise vanish with the morrow。
The idea that thus excited the imagination of the artist was
unquestionably noble and august。 It was derived from that
Egyptian ceremonial which Diodorus has recorded;the Judgment of
the Dead by the Living (Diod。; lib。 i。): when the corpse; duly
embalmed; is placed by the margin of the Acherusian Lake; and
before it may be consigned to the bark which is to bear it across
the waters to its final resting…place; it is permitted to the
appointed judges to hear all accusations of the past life of the
deceased; and; if proved; to deprive the corpse of the rites of
sepulture。
Unconsciously to himself; it was Mejnour's description of this
custom; which he had illustrated by several anecdotes not to be
found in books; that now suggested the design to the artist; and
gave it reality and force。 He supposed a powerful and guilty
king whom in life scarce a whisper had dared to arraign; but
against whom; now the breath was gone; came the slave from his
fetters; the mutilated victim from his dungeon; livid and squalid
as if dead themselves; invoking with parched lips the justice
that outlives the grave。
Strange fervour this; O artist! breaking suddenly forth from the
mists and darkness which the occult science had spread so long
over thy fancies;strange that the reaction of the night's
terror and the day's disappointment should be back to thine holy
art! Oh; how freely goes the bold hand over the large outline!
How; despite those rude materials; speaks forth no more the
pupil; but the master! Fresh yet from the glorious elixir; how
thou givest to thy creatures the finer life denied to thyself!
some power not thine own writes the grand symbols on the wall。
Behind rises the mighty sepulchre; on the building of which
repose to the dead the lives of thousands had been consumed。
There sit in a semicircle the solemn judges。 Black and sluggish
flows the lake。 There lies the mummied and royal dead。 Dost
thou quail at the frown on his lifelike brow? Ha!bravely done;
O artist!up rise the haggard forms!pale speak the ghastly
faces! Shall not Humanity after death avenge itself on Power?
Thy conception; Clarence Glyndon; is a sublime truth; thy design
promises renown to genius。 Better this magic than the charms of
the volume and the vessel。 Hour after hour has gone; thou hast
lighted the lamp; night sees thee yet at thy labour。 Merciful
Heaven! what chills the atmosphere; why does the lamp grow wan;
why does thy hair bristle? There!there!there! at the
casement! It gazes on thee; the dark; mantled; loathsome thing!
There; with their devilish mockery and hateful craft; glare on
thee those horrid eyes!
He stood and gazed;it was no delusion。 It spoke not; moved
not; till; unable to bear longer that steady and burning look; he
covered his face with his hands。 With a start; with a thrill; he
removed them; he felt the nearer presence of the nameless。 There
it cowered on the floor beside his design; and lo! the figures
seemed to start from the wall! Those pale accusing figures; the
shapes he himself had raised; frowned at him; and gibbered。 With
a violent effort that convulsed his whole being; and bathed his
body in the sweat of agony; the young man mastered his horror。
He strode towards the phantom; he endured its eyes; he accosted
it with a steady voice; he demanded its purpose and defied its
power。
And then; as a wind from a charnel; was heard its voice。 What it
said; what revealed; it is forbidden the lips to repeat; the hand
to record。 Nothing save the subtle life that yet animated the
frame to which the inhalations of the elixir had given vigour and
energy beyond the strength of the strongest; could have survived
that awful hour。 Better to wake in the catacombs and see the
buried rise from their cerements; and hear the ghouls; in their
horrid orgies; amongst the festering ghastliness of corruption;
than to front those features when the veil was lifted; and listen
to that whispered voice!
。。。
The next day Glyndon fled from the ruined castle。 With what
hopes of starry light had he crossed the threshold; with what
memories to shudder evermore at the darkness did he look back at
the frown of its time…worn towers!
CHAPTER 5。II。
Faust: Wohin soll es nun gehm?
Mephist: Wohin es Dir gefallt。
Wir sehn die kleine; dann die grosse Welt。
〃Faust。〃
(Faust: Whither go now!
Mephist: Whither it pleases thee。
We see the small world; then the great。)
Draw your chair to the fireside; brush clean the hearth; and trim
the lights。 Oh; home of sleekness; order; substance; comfort!
Oh; excellent thing art thou; Matter of Fact!
It is some time after the date of the last chapter。 Here we are;
not in moonlit islands or mouldering castles; but in a room
twenty…six feet by twenty…two;well carpeted; well cushioned;
solid arm…chairs and eight such bad pictures; in such fine
frames; upon the walls! Thomas Mervale; Esq。; merchant; of
London; you are an enviable dog!
It was the easiest thing in the world for Mervale; on returning
from his Continental episode of life; to settle down to his
desk;his heart had been always there。