zanoni-第30部分

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phrases　and　these　mystical　assumptions。　　You　may　have　powers

which　I　cannot　comprehend　or　emulate；　or　you　may　be　but　a　keen

imposter。〃



〃Well；　proceed！〃



〃I　mean；　then；〃　continued　Glyndon；　resolutely；　though　somewhat

disconcerted；〃I　mean　you　to　understand；　that；　though　I　am　not

to　be　persuaded　or　compelled　by　a　stranger　to　marry　Viola　Pisani；

I　am　not　the　less　determined　never　tamely　to　yield　her　to

another。〃



Zanoni　looked　gravely　at　the　young　man；　whose　sparkling　eyes　and

heightened　colour　testified　the　spirit　to　support　his　words；　and

replied；　〃So　bold！　well；　it　becomes　you。　　But　take　my　advice；

wait　yet　nine　days；　and　tell　me　then　if　you　will　marry　the

fairest　and　the　purest　creature　that　ever　crossed　your　path。〃



〃But　if　you　love　her；　whywhy〃



〃Why　am　I　anxious　that　she　should　wed　another？to　save　her　from

myself！　　Listen　to　me。　　That　girl；　humble　and　uneducated　though

she　be；　has　in　her　the　seeds　of　the　most　lofty　qualities　and

virtues。　　She　can　be　all　to　the　man　she　loves；all　that　man　can

desire　in　wife。　　Her　soul；　developed　by　affection；　will　elevate

your　own；　it　will　influence　your　fortunes；　exalt　your　destiny；

you　will　become　a　great　and　a　prosperous　man。　　If；　on　the

contrary；　she　fall　to　me；　I　know　not　what　may　be　her　lot；　but　I

know　that　there　is　an　ordeal　which　few　can　pass；　and　which

hitherto　no　woman　has　survived。〃



As　Zanoni　spoke；　his　face　became　colourless；　and　there　was

something　in　his　voice　that　froze　the　warm　blood　of　the　listener。



〃What　is　this　mystery　which　surrounds　you？〃　exclaimed　Glyndon；

unable　to　repress　his　emotion。　　〃Are　you；　in　truth；　different

from　other　men？　　Have　you　passed　the　boundary　of　lawful

knowledge？　　Are　you；　as　some　declare；　a　sorcerer；　or　only　a〃



〃Hush！〃　interrupted　Zanoni；　gently；　and　with　a　smile　of　singular

but　melancholy　sweetness；　〃have　you　earned　the　right　to　ask　me

these　questions？　　Though　Italy　still　boast　an　Inquisition；　its

power　is　rivelled　as　a　leaf　which　the　first　wind　shall　scatter。

The　days　of　torture　and　persecution　are　over；　and　a　man　may　live

as　he　pleases；　and　talk　as　it　suits　him；　without　fear　of　the

stake　and　the　rack。　　Since　I　can　defy　persecution；　pardon　me　if　I

do　not　yield　to　curiosity。〃



Glyndon　blushed；　and　rose。　　In　spite　of　his　love　for　Viola；　and

his　natural　terror　of　such　a　rival；　he　felt　himself　irresistibly

drawn　towards　the　very　man　he　had　most　cause　to　suspect　and

dread。　　He　held　out　his　hand　to　Zanoni；　saying；　〃Well；　then；　if

we　are　to　be　rivals；　our　swords　must　settle　our　rights；　till　then

I　would　fain　be　friends。〃



〃Friends！　　You　know　not　what　you　ask。〃



〃Enigmas　again！〃



〃Enigmas！〃　cried　Zanoni；　passionately；　〃ay！　can　you　dare　to　solve

them？　　Not　till　then　could　I　give　you　my　right　hand；　and　call　you

friend。〃



〃I　could　dare　everything　and　all　things　for　the　attainment　of

superhuman　wisdom；〃　said　Glyndon；　and　his　countenance　was　lighted

up　with　wild　and　intense　enthusiasm。



Zanoni　observed　him　in　thoughtful　silence。



〃The　seeds　of　the　ancestor　live　in　the　son；〃　he　muttered；　〃he

mayyet〃　　He　broke　off　abruptly；　then；　speaking　aloud；　〃Go；

Glyndon；〃　said　he；　〃we　shall　meet　again；　but　I　will　not　ask　your

answer　till　the　hour　presses　for　decision。〃





CHAPTER　2。VI。



'Tis　certain　that　this　man　has　an　estate　of　fifty　thousand

livres；　and　seems　to　be　a　person　of　very　great　accomplishments。

But；　then；　if　he's　a　wizard；　are　wizards　so　devoutly　given　as

this　man　seems　to　be？　　In　short；　I　could　make　neither　head　nor

tail　on'tThe　Count　de　Gabalis；　Translation　affixed　to　the

second　edition　of　the　〃Rape　of　the　Lock。〃



Of　all　the　weaknesses　which　little　men　rail　against；　there　is

none　that　they　are　more　apt　to　ridicule　than　the　tendency　to

believe。　　And　of　all　the　signs　of　a　corrupt　heart　and　a　feeble

head；　the　tendency　of　incredulity　is　the　surest。



Real　philosophy　seeks　rather　to　solve　than　to　deny。　　While　we

hear；　every　day；　the　small　pretenders　to　science　talk　of　the

absurdities　of　alchemy　and　the　dream　of　the　Philosopher's　Stone；

a　more　erudite　knowledge　is　aware　that　by　alchemists　the　greatest

discoveries　in　science　have　been　made；　and　much　which　still　seems

abstruse；　had　we　the　key　to　the　mystic　phraseology　they　were

compelled　to　adopt；　might　open　the　way　to　yet　more　noble

acquisitions。　　The　Philosopher's　Stone　itself　has　seemed　no

visionary　chimera　to　some　of　the　soundest　chemists　that　even　the

present　century　has　produced。　　（Mr。　Disraeli；　in　his　〃Curiosities

of　Literature〃　（article　〃Alchem〃）；　after　quoting　the　sanguine

judgments　of　modern　chemists　as　to　the　transmutation　of　metals；

observes　of　one　yet　greater　and　more　recent　than　those　to　which

Glyndon's　thoughts　could　have　referred；　〃Sir　Humphry　Davy　told　me

that　he　did　not　consider　this　undiscovered　art　as　impossible；　but

should　it　ever　be　discovered；　it　would　certainly　be　useless。〃）

Man　cannot　contradict　the　Laws　of　Nature。　　But　are　all　the　laws

of　Nature　yet　discovered？



〃Give　me　a　proof　of　your　art；〃　says　the　rational　inquirer。　　〃When

I　have　seen　the　effect；　I　will　endeavour；　with　you；　to　ascertain

the　causes。〃



Somewhat　to　the　above　effect　were　the　first　thoughts　of　Clarence

Glyndon　on　quitting　Zanoni。　　But　Clarence　Glyndon　was　no

〃rational　inquirer。〃　　The　more　vague　and　mysterious　the　language

of　Zanoni；　the　more　it　imposed　upon　him。　　A　proof　would　have　been

something　tangible；　with　which　he　would　have　sought　to　grapple。

And　it　would　have　only　disappointed　his　curiosity　to　find　the

supernatural　reduced　to　Nature。　　He　endeavoured　in　vain；　at　some

moments　rousing　himself　from　credulity　to　the　scepticism　he

deprecated；　to　reconcile　what　he　had　heard　with　the　probable

motives　and　designs　of　an　imposter。　　Unlike　Mesmer　and

Cagliostro；　Zanoni；　whatever　his　pretensions；　did　not　make　them　a

source　of　profit；　nor　was　Glyndon's　position　or　rank　in　life

sufficient　to　render　any　influence　obtained　over　his　mind；

subservient　to　schemes；　whether　of　avarice　or　ambition。　　Yet；

ever　and　anon；　with　the　suspicion　of　worldly　knowledge；　he　strove

to　persuade　himself　that　Zanoni　had　at　least　some　sinister　object

in　inducing　him　to　what　his　English　pride　and　manner　of　thought

considered　a　derogatory　marriage　with　the　poor　actress。　　Might

not　Viola　and　the　Mystic　be　in　league　with　each　other？　　Might　not

all　this　jargon　of　prophecy　and　menace　be　but　artifices　to　dupe

him？



He　felt　an　unjust　resentment　towards　Viola　at　having　secured　such

an　ally。　　But　with　that　resentment　was　mingled　a　natural

jealousy。　　Zanoni　threatened　him　with　rivalry。　　Zanoni；　who；

whatever　his　character　or　his　arts；　possessed　at　least　all　the

external　attributes　that　dazzle　and　command。　　Impatient　of　his

own　doubts；　he　plunged　into　the　society　of　such　acquaintances　as

he　had　made　at　Napleschiefly　artists；　like　himself；　men　of

letters；　and　the　rich　commercialists；　who　were　already　vying　with

the　splendour；　though　debarred　from　the　pr