zanoni-第13节

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feebly；〃water：I　parch；I　burn！〃　　The　intruder　approached　the

bed；　bent　over　him；　and　took　his　hand。　　〃Oh；　bless　thee；　Jean；

bless　thee！〃　said　the　sufferer；　〃hast　thou　brought　back　the

physician　already？　　Sir；　I　am　poor；　but　I　can　pay　you　well。　　I

would　not　die　yet；　for　that　young　man's　sake。〃　　And　he　sat

upright　in　his　bed；　and　fixed　his　dim　eyes　anxiously　on　his

visitor。



〃What　are　your　symptoms；　your　disease？〃



〃Fire；　fire；　fire　in　the　heart；　the　entrails：　　I　burn！〃



〃How　long　is　it　since　you　have　taken　food？〃



〃Food！　only　this　broth。　　There　is　the　basin；　all　I　have　taken

these　six　hours。　　I　had　scarce　drunk　it　ere　these　pains　began。〃



The　stranger　looked　at　the　basin；　some　portion　of　the　contents

was　yet　left　there。



〃Who　administered　this　to　you？〃



〃Who？　　Jean！　　Who　else　should？　　I　have　no　servant；none！　　I　am

poor；　very　poor；　sir。　　But　no！　you　physicians　do　not　care　for　the

poor。　　I　AM　RICH！　can　you　cure　me？〃



〃Yes；　if　Heaven　permit。　　Wait　but　a　few　moments。〃



The　old　man　was　fast　sinking　under　the　rapid　effects　of　poison。

The　stranger　repaired　to　his　own　apartments；　and　returned　in　a

few　moments　with　some　preparation　that　had　the　instant　result　of

an　antidote。　　The　pain　ceased；　the　blue　and　livid　colour　receded

from　the　lips；　the　old　man　fell　into　a　profound　sleep。　　The

stranger　drew　the　curtains　round　the　bed；　took　up　the　light；　and

inspected　the　apartment。　　The　walls　of　both　rooms　were　hung　with

drawings　of　masterly　excellence。　　A　portfolio　was　filled　with

sketches　of　equal　skill；but　these　last　were　mostly　subjects

that　appalled　the　eye　and　revolted　the　taste：　　they　displayed　the

human　figure　in　every　variety　of　suffering；the　rack；　the　wheel；

the　gibbet；　all　that　cruelty　has　invented　to　sharpen　the　pangs　of

death　seemed　yet　more　dreadful　from　the　passionate　gusto　and

earnest　force　of　the　designer。　　And　some　of　the　countenances　of

those　thus　delineated　were　sufficiently　removed　from　the　ideal　to

show　that　they　were　portraits；　in　a　large；　bold；　irregular　hand

was　written　beneath　these　drawings；　〃The　Future　of　the

Aristocrats。〃　　In　a　corner　of　the　room；　and　close　by　an　old

bureau；　was　a　small　bundle；　over　which；　as　if　to　hide　it；　a　cloak

was　thrown　carelessly。　　Several　shelves　were　filled　with　books；

these　were　almost　entirely　the　works　of　the　philosophers　of　the

time；the　philosophers　of　the　material　school；　especially　the

Encyclopedistes；　whom　Robespierre　afterwards　so　singularly

attacked　when　the　coward　deemed　it　unsafe　to　leave　his　reign

without　a　God。



（〃Cette　secte　（les　Encyclopedistes）　propagea　avec　beaucoup　de

zele　l'opinion　du　materialisme；　qui　prevalut　parmi　les　grands　et

parmi　les　beaux　esprits；　on　lui　doit　en　partie　cette　espece　de

philosophie　pratique　qui；　reduisant　l'Egoisme　en　systeme　regarde

la　societe　humaine　comme　une　guerre　de　ruse；　le　succes　comme　la

regle　du　juste　et　de　l'injuste；　la　probite　comme　une　affaire　de

gout；　ou　de　bienseance；　le　monde　comme　le　patrimoine　des　fripons

adroits。〃〃Discours　de　Robespierre；〃　Mai　7；　1794。　　（This　sect

（the　Encyclopaedists）　propagate　with　much　zeal　the　doctrine　of

materialism；　which　prevails　among　the　great　and　the　wits；　we　owe

to　it　partly　that　kind　of　practical　philosophy　which；　reducing

Egotism　to　a　system；　looks　upon　society　as　a　war　of　cunning；

success　the　rule　of　right　and　wrong；　honesty　as　an　affair　of

taste　or　decency：　　and　the　world　as　the　patrimony　of　clever

scoundrels。））



A　volume　lay　on　a　table；it　was　one　of　Voltaire；　and　the　page

was　opened　at　his　argumentative　assertion　of　the　existence　of　the

Supreme　Being。　　（〃Histoire　de　Jenni。〃）　　The　margin　was　covered

with　pencilled　notes；　in　the　stiff　but　tremulous　hand　of　old　age；

all　in　attempt　to　refute　or　to　ridicule　the　logic　of　the　sage　of

Ferney：　　Voltaire　did　not　go　far　enough　for　the　annotator！　　The

clock　struck　two；　when　the　sound　of　steps　was　heard　without。　　The

stranger　silently　seated　himself　on　the　farther　side　of　the　bed；

and　its　drapery　screened　him；　as　he　sat；　from　the　eyes　of　a　man

who　now　entered　on　tiptoe；　it　was　the　same　person　who　had　passed

him　on　the　stairs。　　The　new…comer　took　up　the　candle　and

approached　the　bed。　　The　old　man's　face　was　turned　to　the　pillow；

but　he　lay　so　still；　and　his　breathing　was　so　inaudible；　that　his

sleep　might　well；　by　that　hasty；　shrinking；　guilty　glance；　be

mistaken　for　the　repose　of　death。　　The　new…comer　drew　back；　and　a

grim　smile　passed　over　his　face：　　he　replaced　the　candle　on　the

table；　opened　the　bureau　with　a　key　which　he　took　from　his

pocket；　and　loaded　himself　with　several　rouleaus　of　gold　that　he

found　in　the　drawers。　　At　this　time　the　old　man　began　to　wake。

He　stirred；　he　looked　up；　he　turned　his　eyes　towards　the　light

now　waning　in　its　socket；　he　saw　the　robber　at　his　work；　he　sat

erect　for　an　instant；　as　if　transfixed；　more　even　by　astonishment

than　terror。　　At　last　he　sprang　from　his　bed。



〃Just　Heaven！　do　I　dream！　　Thouthouthou；　for　whom　I　toiled

and　starved！THOU！〃



The　robber　started；　the　gold　fell　from　his　hand；　and　rolled　on

the　floor。



〃What！〃　he　said；　〃art　thou　not　dead　yet？　　Has　the　poison　failed？〃



〃Poison；　boy！　　Ah！〃　shrieked　the　old　man；　and　covered　his　face

with　his　hands；　then；　with　sudden　energy；　he　exclaimed；　〃Jean！

Jean！　recall　that　word。　　Rob；　plunder　me　if　thou　wilt；　but　do　not

say　thou　couldst　murder　one　who　only　lived　for　thee！　　There；

there；　take　the　gold；　I　hoarded　it　but　for　thee。　　Go！　go！〃　and

the　old　man；　who　in　his　passion　had　quitted　his　bed；　fell　at　the

feet　of　the　foiled　assassin；　and　writhed　on　the　ground；the

mental　agony　more　intolerable　than　that　of　the　body；　which　he　had

so　lately　undergone。　　The　robber　looked　at　him　with　a　hard

disdain。

〃What　have　I　ever　done　to　thee；　wretch？〃　cried　the　old　man；

〃what　but　loved　and　cherished　thee？　　Thou　wert　an　orphan；an

outcast。　　I　nurtured；　nursed；　adopted　thee　as　my　son。　　If　men

call　me　a　miser；　it　was　but　that　none　might　despise　thee；　my

heir；　because　Nature　has　stunted　and　deformed　thee；　when　I　was　no

more。　　Thou　wouldst　have　had　all　when　I　was　dead。　　Couldst　thou

not　spare　me　a　few　months　or　days；nothing　to　thy　youth；　all

that　is　left　to　my　age？　　What　have　I　done　to　thee？〃



〃Thou　hast　continued　to　live；　and　thou　wouldst　make　no　will。〃



〃Mon　Dieu！　　Mon　Dieu！〃



〃TON　DIEU！　　Thy　God！　　Fool！　　Hast　thou　not　told　me；　from　my

childhood；　that　there　is　NO　God？　　Hast　thou　not　fed　me　on

philosophy？　　Hast　thou　not　said；　'Be　virtuous；　be　good；　be　just；

for　the　sake　of　mankind：　　but　there　is　no　life　after　this　life'？

　Mankind！　why　should　I　love　mankind？　　Hideous　and　misshapen；

mankind　jeer　at　me　as　I　pass　the　streets。　　What　hast　thou　done　to

me？　　Thou　hast　taken　away　from　me；　who　am　the　scoff　of　this

world；　the　hopes　of　another！　　Is　there　no　other　life？　　Well；

then；　I　want　thy　gold；　that　at　least　I　may　hasten　to　make　the

best　of　this！〃



〃Monster！　　Curses　light　on　thy　ingratitude；　thy〃



〃And　who　hears　thy　curses？　　Thou　knowest　there　is　no　God！　　Mark

me；　I　have　prepared　all　to　fly。　　See；I　have　my　passport；　my

horses　wait　without；　relays　are　ordered。　　I　have　thy　gold。〃　　（And

the　wretch；　as　he　spoke；　continued　coldly　to　load　his　person　with

the　rouleaus）。　　〃And　now；　if　I　spare　thy　life；　how　shall　I　be

sure　that　thou　wilt　not　inform　against　mine？〃　　He　advanced　with　a

gloomy　scowl　and　a　menacing　gesture　as　he　spoke。



The　old　man's　anger　changed　to　fear。　　He　cowered　before　the

savage。　　〃Let　me　live！　let　me　live！thatthat〃



〃Thatwhat？〃



〃I　may　pardon　thee！　　Yes；　thou　hast　nothing　to　fear　from　me。　　I

swear　it！〃



〃Swear！　　But　by　whom　and　what；　old　man？　　I　cannot　believe　thee；

if　thou　believest　not　in　any　God！　　Ha；　ha！　behold　the　result　of

thy　lessons。〃



Another　moment　and　those　murderous　fingers　would　have　strangled

their　prey。　　But　between　the　assassin　and　his　victim　rose　a　form

that　seemed　almost　to　both　a　visitor　from　the　world　that　both

denied；stately　with　majestic　strength；　glorious　with　awful

beauty。



The　ruffian　recoiled；　looked；　trembled；　and　then　turned　and　fled

from　the　chamber。　　The　old　man　fell　again　to　the　ground

insensible。





CHAPTER　1。VIII。



To　know　how　a　bad　man　will　act　when　in　power；　reverse　all　the

doctrines　he　preaches　when　obscure。S。　Montague。



Antipathies　also　form　a　part　of　magic　（falsely）　so…called。　　Man

naturally　has　the　same　instinct　as　the　animals；　which　warns　them

involuntarily　against　the　creatures　that　are　hostile　or　fatal　to

their　existence。　　But　HE　so　often　neglects　it；　that　it　becomes

dormant。　　Not　so　the　true　cultivator　of　the　Great　Science；　etc。

Trismegistus　the　Fourth　（a　Rosicrucian）。



When　he　again　saw　the　old　man　the　next　day；　the　stranger　found

him　calm；　and　surprisingly　recovered　from　the　scene　and

sufferings　of　the　night。　　He　expressed　his　gratitude　to　his

preserver　with　tearful　fervour；　and　stated　that　he　had　already

sent　for　a　rel