the soul of nicholas snyders-第4节

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〃And　if　he　would；　you　would　marry　him；　let　his　soul　be　what　it　may？〃

〃I　love　him；〃　answered　Christina。　　〃I　cannot　help　it。〃

Old　Nicholas　sat　alone　before　the　dying　fire。　　Is　it　the　soul　or　the
body　that　is　the　real　man？　　The　answer　was　not　so　simple　as　he　had
thought　it。

〃Christina　loved　Jan〃so　Nicholas　mumbled　to　the　dying　fire〃when　he
had　the　soul　of　Jan。　　She　loves　him　still；　though　he　has　the　soul　of
Nicholas　Snyders。　　When　I　asked　her　if　she　could　love　me；　it　was
terror　I　read　in　her　eyes；　though　Jan's　soul　is　now　in　me；　she　divined
it。　　It　must　be　the　body　that　is　the　real　Jan；　the　real　Nicholas。　　If
the　soul　of　Christina　entered　into　the　body　of　Dame　Toelast；　should　I
turn　from　Christina；　from　her　golden　hair；　her　fathomless　eyes；　her
asking　lips；　to　desire　the　shrivelled　carcass　of　Dame　Toelast？　　No；　I
should　still　shudder　at　the　thought　of　her。　　Yet　when　I　had　the　soul
of　Nicholas　Snyders；　I　did　not　loathe　her；　while　Christina　was　naught
to　me。　　It　must　be　with　the　soul　that　we　love；　else　Jan　would　still
love　Christina　and　I　should　be　Miser　Nick。　　Yet　here　am　I　loving
Christina；　using　Nicholas　Snyders'　brain　and　gold　to　thwart　Nicholas
Snyders'　every　scheme；　doing　everything　that　I　know　will　make　him　mad
when　he　comes　back　into　his　own　body；　while　Jan　cares　no　longer　for
Christina；　would　marry　Dame　Toelast　for　her　broad　lands；　her　many
mills。　　Clearly　it　is　the　soul　that　is　the　real　man。　　Then　ought　I　not
to　be　glad；　thinking　I　am　going　back　into　my　own　body；　knowing　that　I
shall　wed　Christina？　　But　I　am　not　glad；　I　am　very　miserable。　　I　shall
not　go　with　Jan's　soul；　I　feel　it；　my　own　soul　will　come　back　to　me。
I　shall　be　again　the　hard；　cruel；　mean　old　man　I　was　before；　only　now
I　shall　be　poor　and　helpless。　　The　folks　will　laugh　at　me；　and　I　shall
curse　them；　powerless　to　do　them　evil。　　Even　Dame　Toelast　will　not
want　me　when　she　learns　all。　　And　yet　I　must　do　this　thing。　　So　long
as　Jan's　soul　is　in　me；　I　love　Christina　better　than　myself。　　I　must
do　this　for　her　sake。　　I　love　herI　cannot　help　it。〃

Old　Nicholas　rose；　took　from　the　place；　where　a　month　before　he　had
hidden　it；　the　silver　flask　of　cunning　workmanship。

〃Just　two　more　glassfuls　left；〃　mused　Nicholas；　as　he　gently　shook　the
flask　against　his　ear。　　He　laid　it　on　the　desk　before　him；　then　opened
once　again　the　old　green　ledger；　for　there　still　remained　work　to　be
done。

He　woke　Christina　early。　　〃Take　these　letters；　Christina；〃　he
commanded。　　〃When　you　have　delivered　them　all；　but　not　before；　go　to
Jan；　tell　him　I　am　waiting　here　to　see　him　on　a　matter　of　business。〃
He　kissed　her　and　seemed　loth　to　let　her　go。

〃I　shall　only　be　a　little　while；〃　smiled　Christina。

〃All　partings　take　but　a　little　while；〃　he　answered。

Old　Nicholas　had　foreseen　the　trouble　he　would　have。　　Jan　was　content；
had　no　desire　to　be　again　a　sentimental　young　fool；　eager　to　saddle
himself　with　a　penniless　wife。　　Jan　had　other　dreams。

〃Drink；　man；　drink！〃　cried　Nicholas　impatiently；　〃before　I　am　tempted
to　change　my　mind。　　Christina；　provided　you　marry　her；　is　the　richest
bride　in　Zandam。　　There　is　the　deed；　read　it；　and　read　quickly。〃

Then　Jan　consented；　and　the　two　men　drank。　　And　there　passed　a　breath
between　them　as　before；　and　Jan　with　his　hands　covered　his　eyes　a
moment。

It　was　a　pity；　perhaps；　that　he　did　so；　for　in　that　moment　Nicholas
snatched　at　the　deed　that　lay　beside　Jan　on　the　desk。　　The　next
instant　it　was　blazing　in　the　fire。

〃Not　so　poor　as　you　thought！〃　came　the　croaking　voice　of　Nicholas。
〃Not　so　poor　as　you　thought！　　I　can　build　again；　I　can　build　again！〃
And　the　creature；　laughing　hideously；　danced　with　its　withered　arms
spread　out　before　the　blaze；　lest　Jan　should　seek　to　rescue
Christina's　burning　dowry　before　it　was　destroyed。

Jan　did　not　tell　Christina。　　In　spite　of　all　Jan　could　say；　she　would
go　back。　　Nicholas　Snyders　drove　her　from　the　door　with　curses。　　She
could　not　understand。　　The　only　thing　clear　was　that　Jan　had　come　back
to　her。

〃'Twas　a　strange　madness　that　seized　upon　me；〃　Jan　explained。　　〃Let
the　good　sea　breezes　bring　us　health。〃

So　from　the　deck　of　Jan's　ship　they　watched　old　Zandam　till　it
vanished　into　air。

Christina　cried　a　little　at　the　thought　of　never　seeing　it　again；　but
Jan　comforted　her　and　later　new　faces　hid　the　old。

And　old　Nicholas　married　Dame　Toelast；　but；　happily；　lived　to　do　evil
only　for　a　few　years　longer。

Long　after；　Jan　told　Christina　the　whole　story；　but　it　sounded　very
improbable；　and　Christinathough；　of　course；　she　did　not　say　sodid
not　quite　believe　it；　but　thought　Jan　was　trying　to　explain　away　that
strange　month　of　his　life　during　which　he　had　wooed　Dame　Toelast。　　Yet
it　certainly　was　strange　that　Nicholas；　for　the　same　short　month；　had
been　so　different　from　his　usual　self。

〃Perhaps；〃　thought　Christina；　〃if　I　had　not　told　him　I　loved　Jan；　he
would　not　have　gone　back　to　his　old　ways。　　Poor　old　gentleman！　　No
doubt　it　was　despair。〃






End