zanoni-第56部分

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and　the　hand　of　the　dial　would　be　put　back？〃



〃Judge　of　me　as　thou　wilt；　Prince　di　。　　I　confess　my　knowledge

of　Zanoni。　　Thou；　too；　wilt　know　his　power；　but　not　till　it

consume　thee。　　I　would　save；　therefore　I　warn　thee。　　Dost　thou

ask　me　why？　　I　will　tell　thee。　　Canst　thou　remember　to　have　heard

wild　tales　of　thy　grandsire；　of　his　desire　for　a　knowledge　that

passes　that　of　the　schools　and　cloisters；　of　a　strange　man　from

the　East　who　was　his　familiar　and　master　in　lore　against　which

the　Vatican　has；　from　age　to　age；　launched　its　mimic　thunder？

Dost　thou　call　to　mind　the　fortunes　of　thy　ancestor？how　he

succeeded　in　youth　to　little　but　a　name；　how；　after　a　career　wild

and　dissolute　as　thine；　he　disappeared　from　Milan；　a　pauper；　and

a　self…exile；　how；　after　years　spent；　none　knew　in　what　climes　or

in　what　pursuits；　he　again　revisited　the　city　where　his

progenitors　had　reigned；　how　with　him　came　the　wise　man　of　the

East；　the　mystic　Mejnour；　how　they　who　beheld　him；　beheld　with

amaze　and　fear　that　time　had　ploughed　no　furrow　on　his　brow；　that

youth　seemed　fixed；　as　by　a　spell；　upon　his　face　and　form？　　Dost

thou　not　know　that　from　that　hour　his　fortunes　rose？　　Kinsmen　the

most　remote　died；　estate　upon　estate　fell　into　the　hands　of　the

ruined　noble。　　He　became　the　guide　of　princes；　the　first　magnate

of　Italy。　　He　founded　anew　the　house　of　which　thou　art　the　last

lineal　upholder；　and　transferred　his　splendour　from　Milan　to　the

Sicilian　realms。　　Visions　of　high　ambition　were　then　present　with

him　nightly　and　daily。　　Had　he　lived；　Italy　would　have　known　a

new　dynasty；　and　the　Visconti　would　have　reigned　over　Magna…

Graecia。　　He　was　a　man　such　as　the　world　rarely　sees；　but　his

ends；　too　earthly；　were　at　war　with　the　means　he　sought。　　Had　his

ambition　been　more　or　less；　he　had　been　worthy　of　a　realm

mightier　than　the　Caesars　swayed；　worthy　of　our　solemn　order；

worthy　of　the　fellowship　of　Mejnour；　whom　you　now　behold　before

you。〃



The　prince；　who　had　listened　with　deep　and　breathless　attention

to　the　words　of　his　singular　guest；　started　from　his　seat　at　his

last　words。　　〃Imposter！〃　he　cried；　〃can　you　dare　thus　to　play

with　my　credulity？　　Sixty　years　have　flown　since　my　grandsire

died；　were　he　living；　he　had　passed　his　hundred　and　twentieth

year；　and　you；　whose　old　age　is　erect　and　vigorous；　have　the

assurance　to　pretend　to　have　been　his　contemporary！　　But　you　have

imperfectly　learned　your　tale。　　You　know　not；　it　seems；　that　my

grandsire；　wise　and　illustrious　indeed；　in　all　save　his　faith　in

a　charlatan；　was　found　dead　in　his　bed；　in　the　very　hour　when　his

colossal　plans　were　ripe　for　execution；　and　that　Mejnour　was

guilty　of　his　murder。〃



〃Alas！〃　answered　the　stranger；　in　a　voice　of　great　sadness；　〃had

he　but　listened　to　Mejnour；had　he　but　delayed　the　last　and　most

perilous　ordeal　of　daring　wisdom　until　the　requisite　training　and

initiation　had　been　completed；your　ancestor　would　have　stood

with　me　upon　an　eminence　which　the　waters　of　Death　itself　wash

everlastingly；　but　cannot　overflow。　　Your　grandsire　resisted　my

fervent　prayers；　disobeyed　my　most　absolute　commands；　and　in　the

sublime　rashness　of　a　soul　that　panted　for　secrets；　which　he　who

desires　orbs　and　sceptres　never　can　obtain；　perished；　the　victim

of　his　own　frenzy。〃



〃He　was　poisoned；　and　Mejnour　fled。〃



〃Mejnour　fled　not；〃　answered　the　stranger；　proudly〃Mejnour

could　not　fly　from　danger；　for　to　him　danger　is　a　thing　long　left

behind。　　It　was　the　day　before　the　duke　took　the　fatal　draft

which　he　believed　was　to　confer　on　the　mortal　the　immortal　boon；

that；　finding　my　power　over　him　was　gone；　I　abandoned　him　to　his

doom。　　But　a　truce　with　this：　　I　loved　your　grandsire！　　I　would

save　the　last　of　his　race。　　Oppose　not　thyself　to　Zanoni。　　Yield

not　thy　soul　to　thine　evil　passions。　　Draw　back　from　the

precipice　while　there　is　yet　time。　　In　thy　front；　and　in　thine

eyes；　I　detect　some　of　that　diviner　glory　which　belonged　to　thy

race。　　Thou　hast　in　thee　some　germs　of　their　hereditary　genius；

but　they　are　choked　up　by　worse　than　thy　hereditary　vices。

Recollect　that　by　genius　thy　house　rose；　by　vice　it　ever　failed

to　perpetuate　its　power。　　In　the　laws　which　regulate　the

universe；　it　is　decreed　that　nothing　wicked　can　long　endure。　　Be

wise；　and　let　history　warn　thee。　　Thou　standest　on　the　verge　of

two　worlds；　the　past　and　the　future；　and　voices　from　either

shriek　omen　in　thy　ear。　　I　have　done。　　I　bid　thee　farewell！〃



〃Not　so；　thou　shalt　not　quit　these　walls。　　I　will　make　experiment

of　thy　boasted　power。　　What；　ho　there！ho！〃



The　prince　shouted；　the　room　was　filled　with　his　minions。



〃Seize　that　man！〃　he　cried；　pointing　to　the　spot　which　had　been

filled　by　the　form　of　Mejnour。　　To　his　inconceivable　amaze　and

horror；　the　spot　was　vacant。　　The　mysterious　stranger　had

vanished　like　a　dream；　but　a　thin　and　fragrant　mist　undulated；　in

pale　volumes；　round　the　walls　of　the　chamber。　　〃Look　to　my　lord；〃

cried　Mascari。　　The　prince　had　fallen　to　the　floor　insensible。

For　many　hours　he　seemed　in　a　kind　of　trance。　　When　he　recovered；

he　dismissed　his　attendants；　and　his　step　was　heard　in　his

chamber；　pacing　to　and　fro；　with　heavy　and　disordered　strides。

Not　till　an　hour　before　his　banquet　the　next　day　did　he　seem

restored　to　his　wonted　self。





CHAPTER　3。XV。



Oime！　come　poss'　io

Altri　trovar；　se　me　trovar　non　posso。

〃Amint。；〃　At。　i。　Sc。　ii。



（Alas！　how　can　I　find　another　when　I　cannot　find　myself？）



The　sleep　of　Glyndon；　the　night　after　his　last　interview　with

Zanoni；　was　unusually　profound；　and　the　sun　streamed　full　upon

his　eyes　as　he　opened　them　to　the　day。　　He　rose　refreshed；　and

with　a　strange　sentiment　of　calmness　that　seemed　more　the　result

of　resolution　than　exhaustion。　　The　incidents　and　emotions　of　the

past　night　had　settled　into　distinct　and　clear　impressions。　　He

thought　of　them　but　slightly；he　thought　rather　of　the　future。

He　was　as　one　of　the　initiated　in　the　old　Egyptian　mysteries　who

have　crossed　the　gate　only　to　long　more　ardently　for　the

penetralia。



He　dressed　himself；　and　was　relieved　to　find　that　Mervale　had

joined　a　party　of　his　countrymen　on　an　excursion　to　Ischia。　　He

spent　the　heat　of　noon　in　thoughtful　solitude；　and　gradually　the

image　of　Viola　returned　to　his　heart。　　It　was　a　holyfor　it　was

a　HUMANimage。　　He　had　resigned　her；　and　though　he　repented　not；

he　was　troubled　at　the　thought　that　repentance　would　have　come

too　late。



He　started　impatiently　from　his　seat；　and　strode　with　rapid　steps

to　the　humble　abode　of　the　actress。



The　distance　was　considerable；　and　the　air　oppressive。　　Glyndon

arrived　at　the　door　breathless　and　heated。　　He　knocked；　no　answer

came。　　He　lifted　the　latch　and　entered。　　He　ascended　the　stairs；

no　sound；　no　sight　of　life　met　his　ear　and　eye。　　In　the　front

chamber；　on　a　table；　lay　the　guitar　of　the　actress；　and　some

manuscript　parts　in　the　favourite　operas。　　He　paused；