zanoni-第85部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



reach。　　But　deem　not　that　this　of　itself　will　suffice　for　glory。

Equally　may　the　craving　lead　thee　to　shame　and　guilt。　　It　is　but

an　imperfect　and　new…born　energy　which　will　not　suffer　thee　to

repose。　　As　thou　directest　it；　must　thou　believe　it　to　be　the

emanation　of　thine　evil　genius　or　thy　good。



〃But　woe　to　thee！　insect　meshed　in　the　web　in　which　thou　hast

entangled　limbs　and　wings！　　Thou　hast　not　only　inhaled　the

elixir；　thou　hast　conjured　the　spectre；　of　all　the　tribes　of　the

space；　no　foe　is　so　malignant　to　man；and　thou　hast　lifted　the

veil　from　thy　gaze。　　I　cannot　restore　to　thee　the　happy　dimness

of　thy　vision。　　Know；　at　least；　that　all　of　usthe　highest　and

the　wisestwho　have；　in　sober　truth；　passed　beyond　the

threshold；　have　had；　as　our　first　fearful　task；　to　master　and

subdue　its　grisly　and　appalling　guardian。　　Know　that　thou　CANST

deliver　thyself　from　those　livid　eyes；know　that；　while　they

haunt；　they　cannot　harm；　if　thou　resistest　the　thoughts　to　which

they　tempt；　and　the　horror　they　engender。　　DREAD　THEM　MOST　WHEN

THOU　BEHOLDEST　THEM　NOT。　　And　thus；　son　of　the　worm；　we　part！

All　that　I　can　tell　thee　to　encourage；　yet　to　warn　and　to　guide；

I　have　told　thee　in　these　lines。　　Not　from　me；　from　thyself　has

come　the　gloomy　trial　from　which　I　yet　trust　thou　wilt　emerge

into　peace。　　Type　of　the　knowledge　that　I　serve；　I　withhold　no

lesson　from　the　pure　aspirant；　I　am　a　dark　enigma　to　the　general

seeker。　　As　man's　only　indestructible　possession　is　his　memory；

so　it　is　not　in　mine　art　to　crumble　into　matter　the　immaterial

thoughts　that　have　sprung　up　within　thy　breast。　　The　tyro　might

shatter　this　castle　to　the　dust；　and　topple　down　the　mountain　to

the　plain。　　The　master　has　no　power　to　say；　'Exist　no　more；'　to

one　THOUGHT　that　his　knowledge　has　inspired。　　Thou　mayst　change

the　thoughts　into　new　forms；　thou　mayst　rarefy　and　sublimate　it

into　a　finer　spirit；but　thou　canst　not　annihilate　that　which

has　no　home　but　in　the　memory；　no　substance　but　the　idea。　　EVERY

THOUGHT　IS　A　SOUL！　　Vainly；　therefore；　would　I　or　thou　undo　the

past；　or　restore　to　thee　the　gay　blindness　of　thy　youth。　　Thou

must　endure　the　influence　of　the　elixir　thou　hast　inhaled；　thou

must　wrestle　with　the　spectre　thou　hast　invoked！〃



The　letter　fell　from　Glyndon's　hand。　　A　sort　of　stupor　succeeded

to　the　various　emotions　which　had　chased　each　other　in　the

perusal；a　stupor　resembling　that　which　follows　the　sudden

destruction　of　any　ardent　and　long…nursed　hope　in　the　human

heart；　whether　it　be　of　love；　of　avarice；　of　ambition。　　The

loftier　world　for　which　he　had　so　thirsted；　sacrificed；　and

toiled；　was　closed　upon　him　〃forever；〃　and　by　his　own　faults　of

rashness　and　presumption。　　But　Glyndon's　was　not　of　that　nature

which　submits　long　to　condemn　itself。　　His　indignation　began　to

kindle　against　Mejnour；　who　owned　he　had　tempted；　and　who　now

abandoned　him；abandoned　him　to　the　presence　of　a　spectre。　　The

mystic's　reproaches　stung　rather　than　humbled　him。　　What　crime

had　he　committed　to　deserve　language　so　harsh　and　disdainful？

Was　it　so　deep　a　debasement　to　feel　pleasure　in　the　smile　and　the

eyes　of　Fillide？　　Had　not　Zanoni　himself　confessed　love　for

Viola；　had　he　not　fled　with　her　as　his　companion？　　Glyndon　never

paused　to　consider　if　there　are　no　distinctions　between　one　kind

of　love　and　another。　　Where；　too；　was　the　great　offence　of

yielding　to　a　temptation　which　only　existed　for　the　brave？　　Had

not　the　mystic　volume　which　Mejnour　had　purposely　left　open；　bid

him　but　〃Beware　of　fear〃？　　Was　not；　then；　every　wilful

provocative　held　out　to　the　strongest　influences　of　the　human

mind；　in　the　prohibition　to　enter　the　chamber；　in　the　possession

of　the　key　which　excited　his　curiosity；　in　the　volume　which

seemed　to　dictate　the　mode　by　which　the　curiosity　was　to　be

gratified？　　As　rapidly　these　thoughts　passed　over　him；　he　began

to　consider　the　whole　conduct　of　Mejnour　either　as　a　perfidious

design　to　entrap　him　to　his　own　misery；　or　as　the　trick　of　an

imposter；　who　knew　that　he　could　not　realise　the　great

professions　he　had　made。　　On　glancing　again　over　the　more

mysterious　threats　and　warnings　in　Mejnour's　letter；　they　seemed

to　assume　the　language　of　mere　parable　and　allegory；the　jargon

of　the　Platonists　and　Pythagoreans。　　By　little　and　little；　he

began　to　consider　that　the　very　spectra　he　had　seeneven　that

one　phantom　so　horrid　in　its　aspectwere　but　the　delusions　which

Mejnour's　science　had　enable　him　to　raise。　　The　healthful

sunlight；　filling　up　every　cranny　in　his　chamber；　seemed　to　laugh

away　the　terrors　of　the　past　night。　　His　pride　and　his　resentment

nerved　his　habitual　courage；　and　when；　having　hastily　dressed

himself；　he　rejoined　Paolo；　it　was　with　a　flushed　cheek　and　a

haughty　step。



〃So；　Paolo；〃　said　he；　〃the　Padrone；　as　you　call　him；　told　you　to

expect　and　welcome　me　at　your　village　feast？〃



〃He　did　so　by　a　message　from　a　wretched　old　cripple。　　This

surprised　me　at　the　time；　for　I　thought　he　was　far　distant；　but

these　great　philosophers　make　a　joke　of　two　or　three　hundred

leagues。〃



〃Why　did　you　not　tell　me　you　had　heard　from　Mejnour？〃



〃Because　the　old　cripple　forbade　me。〃



〃Did　you　not　see　the　man　afterwards　during　the　dance？〃



〃No；　Excellency。〃



〃Humph！〃



〃Allow　me　to　serve　you；〃　said　Paolo；　piling　Glyndon's　plate；　and

then　filling　his　glass。　　〃I　wish；　signor；　now　the　Padrone　is

gone；not；〃　added　Paolo；　as　he　cast　rather　a　frightened　and

suspicious　glance　round　the　room；　〃that　I　mean　to　say　anything

disrespectful　of　him；I　wish；　I　say；　now　that　he　is　gone；　that

you　would　take　pity　on　yourself；　and　ask　your　own　heart　what　your

youth　was　meant　for？　　Not　to　bury　yourself　alive　in　these　old

ruins；　and　endanger　body　and　soul　by　studies　which　I　am　sure　no

saint　could　approve　of。〃



〃Are　the　saints　so　partial；　then；　to　your　own　occupations；　Master

Paolo？〃



〃Why；〃　answered　the　bandit；　a　little　confused；　〃a　gentleman　with

plenty　of　pistoles　in　his　purse　need　not；　of　necessity；　make　it

his　profession　to　take　away　the　pistoles　of　other　people！　　It　is

a　different　thing　for　us　poor　rogues。　　After　all；　too；　I　always

devote　a　tithe　of　my　gains　to　the　Virgin；　and　I　share　the　rest

charitably　with　the　poor。　　But　eat；　drink；　enjoy　yourself；　be

absolved　by　your　confessor　for　any　little　peccadilloes　and　don't

run　too　long　scores　at　a　time；that's　my　advice。　　Your　health；

Excellency！　　Pshaw；　signor；　fasting；　except　on　the　days

prescribed　to　a　good　Catholic；　only　engenders　phantoms。〃



〃Phantoms！〃



〃Yes；　the　devil　always　tempts　the　empty　stomach。　　To　covet；　to

hate；　to　thieve；　to　rob；　and　to　murder；these　are　the　natural

desires　of　a　man　who　is　famishing。　　With　a　full　belly；　signor；　we

are　at　peace　with　all　the　world。　　That's　right；　you　like　the

partridge！　　Cospetto！　when　I　myself　have　passed　two　or　three　days

in　the　mountains；　with　nothing　from　sunset　to　sunrise　but　a　black

crust　and　an　onion；　I　grow　as