zanoni-第125部分

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I　remember；　also；　that　thou　didst　then　save　the　life　of　my

relation；　and　it　will　please　thee　to　learn　that　his　intended

murderer　will　be　guillotined　to…morrow。〃



〃That　concerns　yourself；your　justice　or　your　revenge。　　Permit

me　the　egotism　to　remind　you　that　you　then　promised　that　if　ever

a　day　should　come　when　you　could　serve　me；　your　lifeyes；　the

phrase　was；　'your　heart's　blood'was　at　my　bidding。　　Think　not；

austere　judge；　that　I　come　to　ask　a　boon　that　can　affect

yourself；I　come　but　to　ask　a　day's　respite　for　another！〃



〃Citizen；　it　is　impossible！　　I　have　the　order　of　Robespierre　that

not　one　less　than　the　total　on　my　list　must　undergo　their　trial

for　to…morrow。　　As　for　the　verdict；　that　rests　with　the　jury！〃



〃I　do　not　ask　you　to　diminish　the　catalogue。　　Listen　still！　　In

your　death…roll　there　is　the　name　of　an　Italian　woman　whose

youth；　whose　beauty；　and　whose　freedom　not　only　from　every　crime；

but　every　tangible　charge；　will　excite　only　compassion；　and　not

terror。　　Even　YOU　would　tremble　to　pronounce　her　sentence。　　It

will　be　dangerous　on　a　day　when　the　populace　will　be　excited；

when　your　tumbrils　may　be　arrested；　to　expose　youth　and　innocence

and　beauty　to　the　pity　and　courage　of　a　revolted　crowd。〃



Dumas　looked　up　and　shrunk　from　the　eye　of　the　stranger。



〃I　do　not　deny；　citizen；　that　there　is　reason　in　what　thou

urgest。　　But　my　orders　are　positive。〃



〃Positive　only　as　to　the　number　of　the　victims。　　I　offer　you　a

substitute　for　this　one。　　I　offer　you　the　head　of　a　man　who　knows

all　of　the　very　conspiracy　which　now　threatens　Robespierre　and

yourself；　and　compared　with　one　clew　to　which；　you　would　think

even　eighty　ordinary　lives　a　cheap　purchase。〃



〃That　alters　the　case；〃　said　Dumas；　eagerly；　〃if　thou　canst　do

this；　on　my　own　responsibility　I　will　postpone　the　trial　of　the

Italian。　　Now　name　the　proxy！〃



〃You　behold　him！〃



〃Thou！〃　exclaimed　Dumas；　while　a　fear　he　could　not　conceal

betrayed　itself　through　his　surprise。　　〃Thou！and　thou　comest　to

me　alone　at　night；　to　offer　thyself　to　justice。　　Ha！this　is　a

snare。　　Tremble；　fool！thou　art　in　my　power；　and　I　can　have

BOTH！〃



〃You　can；〃　said　the　stranger；　with　a　calm　smile　of　disdain；　〃but

my　life　is　valueless　without　my　revelations。　　Sit　still；　I

command　you；hear　me！〃　and　the　light　in　those　dauntless　eyes

spell…bound　and　awed　the　judge。　　〃You　will　remove　me　to　the

Conciergerie；you　will　fix　my　trial；　under　the　name　of　Zanoni；

amidst　your　fournee　of　to…morrow。　　If　I　do　not　satisfy　you　by　my

speech；　you　hold　the　woman　I　die　to　save　as　your　hostage。　　It　is

but　the　reprieve　for　her　of　a　single　day　that　I　demand。　　The　day

following　the　morrow　I　shall　be　dust；　and　you　may　wreak　your

vengeance　on　the　life　that　remains。　　Tush！　judge　and　condemner　of

thousands；　do　you　hesitate；do　you　imagine　that　the　man　who

voluntarily　offers　himself　to　death　will　be　daunted　into　uttering

one　syllable　at　your　Bar　against　his　will？　　Have　you　not　had

experience　enough　of　the　inflexibility　of　pride　and　courage？

President；　I　place　before　you　the　ink　and　implements！　　Write　to

the　jailer　a　reprieve　of　one　day　for　the　woman　whose　life　can

avail　you　nothing；　and　I　will　bear　the　order　to　my　own　prison：

I；　who　can　now　tell　this　much　as　an　earnest　of　what　I　can

communicate；while　I　speak；　your　own　name；　judge；　is　in　a　list

of　death。　　I　can　tell　you　by　whose　hand　it　is　written　down；　I　can

tell　you　in　what　quarter　to　look　for　danger；　I　can　tell　you　from

what　cloud；　in　this　lurid　atmosphere；　hangs　the　storm　that　shall

burst　on　Robespierre　and　his　reign！〃



Dumas　grew　pale；　and　his　eyes　vainly　sought　to　escape　the

magnetic　gaze　that　overpowered　and　mastered　him。　　Mechanically；

and　as　if　under　an　agency　not　his　own；　he　wrote　while　the

stranger　dictated。



〃Well；〃　he　said　then；　forcing　a　smile　to　his　lips；　〃I　promised　I

would　serve　you；　see；　I　am　faithful　to　my　word。　　I　suppose　that

you　are　one　of　those　fools　of　feeling；those　professors　of　anti…

revolutionary　virtue；　of　whom　I　have　seen　not　a　few　before　my

Bar。　　Faugh！　it　sickens　me　to　see　those　who　make　a　merit　of

incivism；　and　perish　to　save　some　bad　patriot；　because　it　is　a

son；　or　a　father；　or　a　wife；　or　a　daughter；　who　is　saved。〃



〃I　AM　one　of　those　fools　of　feeling；〃　said　the　stranger；　rising。

〃You　have　divined　aright。〃



〃And　wilt　thou　not；　in　return　for　my　mercy；　utter　to…night　the

revelations　thou　wouldst　proclaim　to…morrow？　　Come；　and　perhaps

thou　toonay；　the　woman　alsomay　receive；　not　reprieve；　but

pardon。〃



〃Before　your　tribunal；　and　there　alone！　　Nor　will　I　deceive　you；

president。　　My　information　may　avail　you　not；　and　even　while　I

show　the　cloud；　the　bolt　may　fall。〃



〃Tush！　prophet；　look　to　thyself！　　Go；　madman；　go。　　I　know　too

well　the　contumacious　obstinacy　of　the　class　to　which　I　suspect

thou　belongest；　to　waste　further　words。　　Diable！　but　ye　grow　so

accustomed　to　look　on　death；　that　ye　forget　the　respect　ye　owe　to

it。　　Since　thou　offerest　me　thy　head；　I　accept　it。　　To…morrow

thou　mayst　repent；　it　will　be　too　late。〃



〃Ay；　too　late；　president！〃　echoed　the　calm　visitor。



〃But；　remember；　it　is　not　pardon；　it　is　but　a　day's　reprieve；　I

have　promised　to　this　woman。　　According　as　thou　dost　satisfy　me

to…morrow；　she　lives　or　dies。　　I　am　frank；　citizen；　thy　ghost

shall　not　haunt　me　for　want　of　faith。〃



〃It　is　but　a　day　that　I　have　asked；　the　rest　I　leave　to　justice

and　to　Heaven。　　Your　huissiers　wait　below。〃





CHAPTER　7。XVI。



Und　den　Mordstahl　seh'　ich　blinken；

Und　das　Morderauge　gluhn！

〃Kassandra。〃



（And　I　see　the　steel　of　Murder　glitter；

And　the　eye　of　Murder　glow。）



Viola　was　in　the　prison　that　opened　not　but　for　those　already

condemned　before　adjudged。　　Since　her　exile　from　Zanoni；　her　very

intellect　had　seemed　paralysed。　　All　that　beautiful　exuberance　of

fancy　which；　if　not　the　fruit　of　genius；　seemed　its　blossoms；　all

that　gush　of　exquisite　thought　which　Zanoni　had　justly　told　her

flowed　with　mysteries　and　subtleties　ever　new　to　him；　the　wise

one；all　were　gone；　annihilated；　the　blossom　withered；　the　fount

dried　up。　　From　something　almost　above　womanhood；　she　seemed

listlessly　to　sink　into　something　below　childhood。　　With　the

inspirer　the　inspirations　had　ceased；　and；　in　deserting　love；

genius　also　was　left　behind。



She　scarcely　comprehended　why　she　had　been　thus　torn　from　her

home　and　the　mechanism　of　her　dull　tasks。　　She　scarcely　knew　what

meant　those　kindly　groups；　that；　struck　with　her　exceeding

loveliness；　had　gathered　round　her　in　the　prison；　with　mournful

looks；　but　with　words　of　comfort。　　She；　who　had　hitherto　been

taught　to　abhor　those　whom　Law　condemns　for　crime；　was　amazed　to

hear　that　beings　thus　compassionate　and　tender；　with　cloudless

and　lofty　brows；　with　gallant　and　gentle　mien；　were　criminals　for

whom　Law　had　no　punishment　short　of　death。　　But　they；　the

savages；　gaunt　and　menacing；　who　had　dragged　her　from　her　home；