第 100 节
作者:
这就是结局 更新:2021-02-20 15:59 字数:9322
passions; reeled the destinies of men and nations; and hard at
hand that day…star; waning into space; looked with impartial eye
on the church tower and the guillotine。 Up springs the
blithesome morn。 In yon gardens the birds renew their familiar
song。 The fishes are sporting through the freshening waters of
the Seine。 The gladness of divine nature; the roar and
dissonance of mortal life; awake again: the trader unbars his
windows; the flower…girls troop gayly to their haunts; busy feet
are tramping to the daily drudgeries that revolutions which
strike down kings and kaisars; leave the same Cain's heritage to
the boor; the wagons groan and reel to the mart; Tyranny; up
betimes; holds its pallid levee; Conspiracy; that hath not slept;
hears the clock; and whispers to its own heart; 〃The hour draws
near。〃 A group gather; eager…eyed; round the purlieus of the
Convention Hall; to…day decides the sovereignty of France;about
the courts of the Tribunal their customary hum and stir。 No
matter what the hazard of the die; or who the ruler; this day
eighty heads shall fall!
。。。
And she slept so sweetly。 Wearied out with joy; secure in the
presence of the eyes regained; she had laughed and wept herself
to sleep; and still in that slumber there seemed a happy
consciousness that the loved was by;the lost was found。 For
she smiled and murmured to herself; and breathed his name often;
and stretched out her arms; and sighed if they touched him not。
He gazed upon her as he stood apart;with what emotions it were
vain to say。 She would wake no more to him; she could not know
how dearly the safety of that sleep was purchased。 That morrow
she had so yearned for;it had come at last。 HOW WOULD SHE
GREET THE EVE? Amidst all the exquisite hopes with which love
and youth contemplate the future; her eyes had closed。 Those
hopes still lent their iris…colours to her dreams。 She would
wake to live! To…morrow; and the Reign of Terror was no more;
the prison gates would be opened;she would go forth; with their
child; into that summer…world of light。 And HE?he turned; and
his eye fell upon the child; it was broad awake; and that clear;
serious; thoughtful look which it mostly wore; watched him with a
solemn steadiness。 He bent over and kissed its lips。
〃Never more;〃 he murmured; 〃O heritor of love and grief;never
more wilt thou see me in thy visions; never more will the light
of those eyes be fed by celestial commune; never more can my soul
guard from thy pillow the trouble and the disease。 Not such as I
would have vainly shaped it; must be thy lot。 In common with thy
race; it must be thine to suffer; to struggle; and to err。 But
mild be thy human trials; and strong be thy spirit to love and to
believe! And thus; as I gaze upon thee;thus may my nature
breathe into thine its last and most intense desire; may my love
for thy mother pass to thee; and in thy looks may she hear my
spirit comfort and console her。 Hark! they come! Yes! I await
ye both beyond the grave!〃
The door slowly opened; the jailer appeared; and through the
aperture rushed; at the same instant; a ray of sunlight: it
streamed over the fair; hushed face of the happy sleeper;it
played like a smile upon the lips of the child that; still; mute;
and steadfast; watched the movements of its father。 At that
moment Viola muttered in her sleep; 〃The day is come;the gates
are open! Give me thy hand; we will go forth! To sea; to sea!
How the sunshine plays upon the waters!to home; beloved one; to
home again!〃
〃Citizen; thine hour is come!〃
〃Hist! she sleeps! A moment! There; it is done! thank Heaven!
and STILL she sleeps!〃 He would not kiss; lest he should awaken
her; but gently placed round her neck the amulet that would speak
to her; hereafter; the farewell;and promise; in that farewell;
reunion! He is at the threshold;he turns again; and again。
The door closes! He is gone forever!
She woke at last;she gazed round。 〃Zanoni; it is day!〃 No
answer but the low wail of her child。 Merciful Heaven! was it
then all a dream? She tossed back the long tresses that must
veil her sight; she felt the amulet on her bosom;it was NO
dream! 〃O God! and he is gone!〃 She sprang to the door; she
shrieked aloud。 The jailer comes。 〃My husband; my child's
father?〃
〃He is gone before thee; woman!〃
〃Whither? Speakspeak!〃
〃To the guillotine!〃and the black door closed again。
It closed upon the senseless! As a lightning…flash; Zanoni's
words; his sadness; the true meaning of his mystic gift; the very
sacrifice he made for her; all became distinct for a moment to
her mind;and then darkness swept on it like a storm; yet
darkness which had its light。 And while she sat there; mute;
rigid; voiceless; as congealed to stone; A VISION; like a wind;
glided over the deeps within;the grim court; the judge; the
jury; the accuser; and amidst the victims the one dauntless and
radiant form。
〃Thou knowest the danger to the State;confess!〃
〃I know; and I keep my promise。 Judge; I reveal thy doom! I
know that the Anarchy thou callest a State expires with the
setting of this sun。 Hark; to the tramp without; hark to the
roar of voices! Room there; ye dead!room in hell for
Robespierre and his crew!〃
They hurry into the court;the hasty and pale messengers; there
is confusion and fear and dismay! 〃Off with the conspirator; and
to…morrow the woman thou wouldst have saved shall die!〃
〃To…morrow; president; the steel falls on THEE!〃
On; through the crowded and roaring streets; on moves the
Procession of Death。 Ha; brave people! thou art aroused at last。
They shall not die! Death is dethroned!Robespierre has
fallen!they rush to the rescue! Hideous in the tumbril; by the
side of Zanoni; raved and gesticulated that form which; in his
prophetic dreams; he had seen his companion at the place of
death。 〃Save us!save us!〃 howled the atheist Nicot。 〃On;
brave populace! we SHALL be saved!〃 And through the crowd; her
dark hair streaming wild; her eyes flashing fire; pressed a
female form; 〃My Clarence!〃 she shrieked; in the soft Southern
language native to the ears of Viola; 〃butcher! what hast thou
done with Clarence?〃 Her eyes roved over the eager faces of the
prisoners; she saw not the one she sought。 〃Thank Heaven!thank
Heaven! I am not thy murderess!〃
Nearer and nearer press the populace;another moment; and the
deathsman is defrauded。 O Zanoni! why still upon THY brow the
resignation that speaks no hope? Tramp! tramp! through the
streets dash the armed troop; faithful to his orders; Black
Henriot leads them on。 Tramp! tramp! over the craven and
scattered crowd! Here; flying in disorder;there; trampled in
the mire; the shrieking rescuers! And amidst them; stricken by
the sabres of the guard; her long hair blood…bedabbled; lies the
Italian woman; and still upon her writhing lips sits joy; as they
murmur; 〃Clarence! I have not destroyed thee!〃
On to the Barriere du Trone。 It frowns dark in the air;the
giant instrument of murder! One after one to the glaive;
another and another and another! Mercy! O mercy! Is the bridge
between the sun and the shades so brief;brief as a sigh?
There; there;HIS turn has come。 〃Die not yet; leave me not
behind; hear mehear me!〃 shrieked the inspired sleeper。 〃What!
and thou smilest still!〃 They smiled;those pale lips;and
WITH the smile; the place of doom; the headsman; the horror
vanished。 With that smile; all space seemed suffused in eternal
sunshine。 Up from the earth he rose; he hovered over her;a
thing not of matter; an IDEA of joy and light! Behind; Heaven
opened; deep after deep; and the Hosts of Beauty were seen; rank
upon rank; afar; and 〃Welcome!〃 in a myriad melodies; broke from
your choral multitude; ye People of the Skies;〃welcome! O
purified by sacrifice; and immortal only through the grave;this
it is to die。〃 And radiant amidst the radiant; the IMAGE
stretched forth its arms; and murmured to the sleeper:
〃Companion of Eternity!THIS it is to die!〃
。。。
〃Ho! wherefore do they make us signs from the house…tops?
Wherefore gather the crowds through the street? Why sounds the
bell? Why shrieks the tocsin? Hark to the guns!the armed
clash! Fellow…captives; is there hope for us at last?〃
So gasp out the prisoners; each to each。 Day wanesevening
closes; still they press their white faces to the bars; and still
from window and from house…top they see the smiles of friends;
the waving signals! 〃Hurrah!〃 at last;〃Hurrah! Robespierre is
fallen! The Reign of Terror is no more! God hath permitted us
to live!〃
Yes; cast thine eyes into the hall where the tyrant and his
conclave hearkened to the roar without! Fulfilling the prophecy
of Dumas; Henriot; drunk with blood and alcohol; reels within;
and chucks his gory sabre on the floor。 〃