第 12 节
作者:浮游云中      更新:2021-02-20 16:27      字数:9322
  coming      snow…storm。       There     it  lay  so   huge    and   fantastically    human;
  ruffling    itself  up;  as   fowls   do;   in  defense    against   the   cold。   Halfdan
  walked on at a brisk ratestrange to say; all the street… cars he met went
  the   wrong   waystartling   every   now   and   then   some   precious          memory;
  some   word   or   look   or   gesture   of   Edith's   which   had   hovered   long   over
  those scenes; waiting for his recognition。            There was the great jewel…store
  where Edith had taken him so often to consult his taste whenever a friend
  of   hers   was   to   be   married。  It   was   there   that   they  had   had   an   amicable
  quarrel   over   that   bronze   statue   of   Faust   which   she   had   found   beautiful;
  while he; with a rudeness which seemed now quite incomprehensible; had
  insisted that it was not。 And when he had failed to convince her; she had
  given him her hand in token of reconciliation and Edith had a wonderful
  way of giving her hand; which made any one feel that it was a peculiar
  privilege to press itand they had walked out arm in arm into the animated;
  gas… lighted streets; with a delicious sense of snugness and security; being
  all the more closely united for their quarrel。            Here; farther up the avenue;
  they had once been to a party; and he had danced for the first time in his
  life   with    Edith。    Here     was    Delmonico's;      where     they   had   had    such
  fascinating luncheons together; where she had got a stain on her dress; and
  he had been forced to observe that her dress was then not really a part of
  herself;   since   it   was   a   thing   that   could   not   be   stained。 Her   dress   had
  always   seemed   to   him   as   something   absolute   and   final;   exalted   above
  criticism; incapable of improvement。
  As   I   have   said;   Halfdan   walked   briskly   up   the   avenue;   and   it   was
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  TALES FROM TWO HEMISPHERES。
  something after eleven when he reached the house which he sought。                       The
  great cloud…bank in the north had then begun to expand and stretched its
  long misty arms eastward and westward over the heavens。                     The windows
  on the  ground…floor   were  dark;  but the  sleeping   apartments in   the   upper
  stories were lighted。        In Edith's room the inside shutters were closed; but
  one of the windows was a little down at the top。                And as he stood gazing
  with tremulous happiness up to that window; a stanza from Heine which
  he and Edith had often read together; came into his head。                 It was the story
  of the youth who goes to the Madonna at Kevlar and brings her as a votive
  offering a heart of wax; that she may heal him of his love and his sorrow。
  〃I   bring   this   waxen   image;               The   image   of   my     heart;
  Heal thou my bitter sorrow;                   And cure my deadly smart!〃'4'
  '4' Translation; from 〃Exotics。         By J。 F。 C。 & C。 L。〃
  Then   came   the   thought   that   for   him;   too;   as   for   the   poor   youth   of
  Cologne; there  was healing   only in death。             And   still in   this   moment   he
  was so near Edith; should see her perhaps; and the joy at this was stronger
  than all else; stronger even than death。            So he sat down beside the steps
  of the mansion opposite; where there was some shelter from the wind; and
  waited     patiently   till  Edith   should   close   her   win…   dow。    He    was    cold;
  perhaps;   but;   if   so;   he   hardly   knew   it;   for   the   near   joy   of   seeing   her
  throbbed warmly in his veins。             Ah; therethe blinds were thrown open;
  Edith; in all the lithe magnificence of her wonderful form; stood out clear
  and beautiful against the light within; she pushed up the lower window in
  order to reach the upper one; and for a moment leaned out over the sill。
  Once more her wondrous profile traced itself in strong relief against the
  outer     gloom。     There      came    a   cry   from    the   street   below;    a  feeble
  involuntary one; but   still distinctly audible。          Edith   peered anxiously  out
  into the   darkness;  but   the darkness   had grown   denser   and she   could   see
  nothing。      The   window   was   fastened;   the   shutters   closed;   and   the   broad
  pathway of light which she had flung out upon the night had vanished。
  Halfdan closed his eyes trying to retain the happy vision。                 Yes; there
  she   stood   still;   and   there   was   a   heavenly   smile   upon   her   lipsugh;   he
  shiveredthe snow swept in a wild whirl up the street。                  He wrapped his
  plaid   more   closely   about   him;   and   strained   his   eyes   to   catch   one   more
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  TALES FROM TWO HEMISPHERES。
  glimpse   of   the   beloved   Edith。    Ah;   yes;   there   she   was   again;   she   came
  nearer and nearer; and she touched his cheek; gently; warily smiling all the
  while with a strange wistful smile which was surely not Edith's。                    There;
  she   bent   over   him;touched   him   again;how   cold   her   hands   were;   the
  touch chilled him to the heart。          The snow had now begun to fall in large
  scattered flakes; whirling fitfully through the air; following every chance
  gust of wind; but still falling; falling; and covering the earth with its white;
  death…like shroud。
  But surelythere was Edith again;how wonderful!in a long snow…
  white   robe;   grave   and   gracious;   still   with   the   wistful   smile   on   her   lips。
  See;    she   beckons    to   him   with   her   hand;   and   he  rises   to  follow;   but
  something heavy clings to his feet and he cannot stir from the spot。                    He
  tries to cry for help; but he cannot; can only stretch out his hands to her;
  and feel very unhappy that he cannot follow her。                But now she pauses in
  her flight; turns about; and he sees that she wears a myrtle garland in her
  hair   like   a   bride。 She   comes   toward   him;   her   countenance   all   radiant
  with love and happiness; and she stoops down over him and speaks:
  〃Come; they are waiting for us。          I will follow thee in life and in death;
  wherever      thou    goest。    Come;〃      repeats   Edith;    〃they   have    long   been
  waiting。     They are all here。〃
  And   he   imagines   he   knows   who   they  all   are;   although   he   has   never
  heard of them; nor can he recall their names。
  〃Butbut;〃 he stammers; 〃IIam a foreigner 〃
  It   appeared   then   that   for   some   reason   this   was   an   insurmountable
  objection。     And Edith's happiness dies out of her beautiful face; and she
  turns away weeping。
  〃Edith; beloved!〃
  Then she is once more at his side。
  〃Thou art no more a foreigner to me; beloved。                Whatever thou art; I
  am。〃
  And she presses her lips to hisit was the sweetest kiss of his lifethe
  kiss of death。
  The next morning; as Edith; after having put the last touch to her toilet;
  threw the shutters open; a great glare of sun…smitten snow burst upon her
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  TALES FROM TWO HEMISPHERES。
  and   for   a   moment   blinded   her   eyes。   On   the   sidewalk   opposite;   half   a
  dozen   men   with   snow…shovels in their hands  and   a   couple of   policeman
  had   congregated;   and;   judging   by   their   manner;   were   discussing   some
  object of interest。      Presently they were joined by her father; who had just
  finished his breakfast and was on his way to the office。               Now he stooped
  down and gazed at something half concealed in the snow; then suddenly
  started back; and as she caught a glimpse of his face; she saw that it was
  ghastly   white。     A   terrible   foreboding     seized   her。  She    threw    a  shawl
  about her shoulders and rushed down…stairs。               In the hall she was met by
  her    father;  who     was   just   entering;   followed     by   four   men;    carrying
  something between them。            She well knew what it was。           She would fain
  have    turned    away;    but  she   could   not:   grasping    her   father's  arm   and
  pressing it hard; she gazed with blank; frightened eyes at the white face;
  the lines of which Death had so strangely emphasized。                  The snow…flakes
  which   hung   in   his   hair   had   touched   him   with   their   sudden   age;   as   if   to
  bridge the gulf between youth and death。             And still he was b