zanoni-第29节

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own。　　Share　my　fate　now　and　forever；my　pride；　my　delight；　my

ideal！　　Thou　shalt　inspire　my　canvas　and　my　song；　thy　beauty

shall　be　made　at　once　holy　and　renowned。　　In　the　galleries　of

princes；　crowds　shall　gather　round　the　effigy　of　a　Venus　or　a

Saint；　and　a　whisper　shall　break　forth；　'It　is　Viola　Pisani！'

Ah！　Viola；　I　adore　thee；　tell　me　that　I　do　not　worship　in　vain。〃



〃Thou　art　good　and　fair；〃　said　Viola；　gazing　on　her　lover；　as　he

pressed　nearer　to　her；　and　clasped　her　hand　in　his；　〃but　what

should　I　give　thee　in　return？〃



〃Love；　love；only　love！〃



〃A　sister's　love？〃



〃Ah；　speak　not　with　such　cruel　coldness！〃



〃It　is　all　I　have　for　thee。　　Listen　to　me；　signor：　　when　I　look

on　your　face；　when　I　hear　your　voice；　a　certain　serene　and

tranquil　calm　creeps　over　and　lulls　thoughts；oh；　how　feverish；

how　wild！　　When　thou　art　gone；　the　day　seems　a　shade　more　dark；

but　the　shadow　soon　flies。　　I　miss　thee　not；　I　think　not　of　thee：

no；　I　love　thee　not；　and　I　will　give　myself　only　where　I　love。〃



〃But　I　would　teach　thee　to　love　me；　fear　it　not。　　Nay；　such　love

as　thou　describest；　in　our　tranquil　climates；　is　the　love　of

innocence　and　youth。〃



〃Of　innocence！〃　said　Viola。　　〃Is　it　so？　　Perhaps〃　　She　paused；

and　added；　with　an　effort；　〃Foreigner！　and　wouldst　thou　wed　the

orphan？　　Ah；　THOU　at　least　art　generous！　　It　is　not　the　innocence

thou　wouldst　destroy！〃



Glyndon　drew　back；　conscience…stricken。



〃No；　it　may　not　be！〃　she　said；　rising；　but　not　conscious　of　the

thoughts；　half　of　shame；　half　suspicion；　that　passed　through　the

mind　of　her　lover。　　〃Leave　me；　and　forget　me。　　You　do　not

understand；　you　could　not　comprehend；　the　nature　of　her　whom　you

think　to　love。　　From　my　childhood　upward；　I　have　felt　as　if　I

were　marked　out　for　some　strange　and　preternatural　doom；　as　if　I

were　singled　from　my　kind。　　This　feeling　（and；　oh！　at　times　it　is

one　of　delirious　and　vague　delight；　at　others　of　the　darkest

gloom）　deepens　within　me　day　by　day。　　It　is　like　the　shadow　of

twilight；　spreading　slowly　and　solemnly　around。　　My　hour

approaches：　　a　little　while；　and　it　will　be　night！〃



As　she　spoke；　Glyndon　listened　with　visible　emotion　and

perturbation。　　〃Viola！〃　he　exclaimed；　as　she　ceased；　〃your　words

more　than　ever　enchain　me　to　you。　　As　you　feel；　I　feel。　　I；　too；

have　been　ever　haunted　with　a　chill　and　unearthly　foreboding。

Amidst　the　crowds　of　men　I　have　felt　alone。　　In　all　my　pleasures；

my　toils；　my　pursuits；　a　warning　voice　has　murmured　in　my　ear；

'Time　has　a　dark　mystery　in　store　for　thy　manhood。'　　When　you

spoke；　it　was　as　the　voice　of　my　own　soul。〃



Viola　gazed　upon　him　in　wonder　and　fear。　　Her　countenance　was　as

white　as　marble；　and　those　features；　so　divine　in　their　rare

symmetry；　might　have　served　the　Greek　with　a　study　for　the

Pythoness；　when；　from　the　mystic　cavern　and　the　bubbling　spring；

she　first　hears　the　voice　of　the　inspiring　god。　　Gradually　the

rigour　and　tension　of　that　wonderful　face　relaxed；　the　colour

returned；　the　pulse　beat：　　the　heart　animated　the　frame。



〃Tell　me；〃　she　said；　turning　partially　aside；〃tell　me；　have　you

seendo　you　knowa　stranger　in　this　city；one　of　whom　wild

stories　are　afloat？〃



〃You　speak　of　Zanoni？　　I　have　seen　him：　　I　know　him；and　you？

Ah；　he；　too；　would　be　my　rival！he；　too；　would　bear　thee　from

me！〃



〃You　err；〃　said　Viola；　hastily；　and　with　a　deep　sigh；　〃he　pleads

for　you：　　he　informed　me　of　your　love；　he　besought　me　notnot　to

reject　it。〃



〃Strange　being！　incomprehensible　enigma！　　Why　did　you　name　him？〃



〃Why！　ah；　I　would　have　asked　whether；　when　you　first　saw　him；　the

foreboding；　the　instinct；　of　which　you　spoke；　came　on　you　more

fearfully；　more　intelligibly　than　before；　whether　you　felt　at

once　repelled　from　him；　yet　attracted　towards　him；　whether　you

felt；〃　and　the　actress　spoke　with　hurried　animation；　〃that　with

HIM　was　connected　the　secret　of　your　life？〃



〃All　this　I　felt；〃　answered　Glyndon；　in　a　trembling　voice；　〃the

first　time　I　was　in　his　presence。　　Though　all　around　me　was　gay；

music；　amidst　lamp…lit　trees；　light　converse　near；　and　heaven

without　a　cloud　above；my　knees　knocked　together；　my　hair

bristled；　and　my　blood　curdled　like　ice。　　Since　then　he　has

divided　my　thoughts　with　thee。〃



〃No　more；　no　more！〃　said　Viola；　in　a　stifled　tone；　〃there　must　be

the　hand　of　fate　in　this。　　I　can　speak　to　you　no　more　now。

Farewell！〃　　She　sprung　past　him　into　the　house；　and　closed　the

door。　　Glyndon　did　not　follow　her；　nor；　strange　as　it　may　seem；

was　he　so　inclined。　　The　thought　and　recollection　of　that　moonlit

hour　in　the　gardens；　of　the　strange　address　of　Zanoni；　froze　up

all　human　passion。　　Viola　herself；　if　not　forgotten；　shrunk　back

like　a　shadow　into　the　recesses　of　his　breast。　　He　shivered　as　he

stepped　into　the　sunlight；　and　musingly　retraced　his　steps　into

the　more　populous　parts　of　that　liveliest　of　Italian　cities。





BOOK　III。



THEURGIA。



i　cavalier　sen　vanno

dove　il　pino　fatal　gli　attende　in　porto。

Gerus。　Lib。；　cant。　xv　（Argomento。）



The　knights　came　where　the　fatal　bark

Awaited　them　in　the　port。





CHAPTER　3。I。



But　that　which　especially　distinguishes　the　brotherhood　is　their

marvellous　knowledge　of　all　the　resources　of　medical　art。　　They

work　not　by　charms；　but　simples。〃MS。　　Account　of　the　Origin　and

Attributes　of　the　true　Rosicrucians；〃　by　J。　Von　D。



At　this　time　it　chanced　that　Viola　had　the　opportunity　to　return

the　kindness　shown　to　her　by　the　friendly　musician　whose　house

had　received　and　sheltered　her　when　first　left　an　orphan　on　the

world。　　Old　Bernardi　had　brought　up　three　sons　to　the　same

profession　as　himself；　and　they　had　lately　left　Naples　to　seek

their　fortunes　in　the　wealthier　cities　of　Northern　Europe；　where

the　musical　market　was　less　overstocked。　　There　was　only　left　to

glad　the　household　of　his　aged　wife　and　himself；　a　lively；

prattling；　dark…eyed　girl　of　some　eight　years　old；　the　child　of

his　second　son；　whose　mother　had　died　in　giving　her　birth。　　It　so

happened　that；　about　a　month　previous　to　the　date　on　which　our

story　has　now　entered；　a　paralytic　affection　had　disabled

Bernardi　from　the　duties　of　his　calling。　　He　had　been　always　a

social；　harmless；　improvident；　generous　fellowliving　on　his

gains　from　day　to　day；　as　if　the　day　of　sickness　and　old　age

never　was　to　arrive。　　Though　he　received　a　small　allowance　for

his　past　services；　it　ill　sufficed　for　his　wants；；　neither　was　he

free　from　debt。　　Poverty　stood　at　his　hearth；when　Viola's

grateful　smile　and　liberal　hand　came　to　chase　the　grim　fiend

away。　　But　it　is　not　enough　to　a　heart　truly　kind　to　send　and

give；　more　charitable　is　it　to　visit　and　console。　　〃Forget　not

thy　father's　friend。〃　　So　almost　daily　went　the　bright　idol　of

Naples　to　the　house　of　Bernardi。　　Suddenly　a　heavier　affliction

than　either　poverty　or　the　palsy　befell　the　old　musician。　　His

grandchild；　his　little　Beatrice；　fell　ill；　suddenly　and

dangerously　ill；　of　one　of　those　rapid　fevers　common　to　the

South；　and　Viola　was　summoned　from　her　strange　and　fearful

reveries　of　love　or　fancy；　to　the　sick…bed　of　the　young　sufferer。



The　child　was　exceedingly　fond　of　Viola；　and　the　old　people

thought　that　her　mere　presence　would　bring　healing；　but　when

Viola　arrived；　Beatrice　was　insensible。　　Fortunately　there　was　no

performance　that　evening　at　San　Carlo；　and　she　resolved　to　stay

the　night　and　partake　its　fearful　cares　and　dangerous　vigil。



But　during　the　night　the　child　grew　worse；　the　physician　（the

leechcraft　has　never　been　very　skilful　at　Naples）　shook　his

powdered　head；　kept　his　aromatics　at　his　nostrils；　administered

his　palliatives；　and　departed。　　Old　Bernardi　seated　himself　by

the　bedside　in　stern　silence；　here　was　the　last　tie　that　bound

him　to　life。　　Well；　let　the　anchor　break　and　the　battered　ship　go

down！　　It　was　an　iron　resolve；　more　fearful　than　sorrow。　　An　old

man；　with　one　foot　in　the　grave；　watching　by　the　couch　of　a　dying

child；　is　one　of　the　most　awful　spectacles　in　human　calamities。

The　wife　was　more　active；　more　bustling；　more　hopeful；　and　more

tearful。　　Viola　took　heed　of　all　three。　　But　towards　dawn；

Beatrice's　state　became　so　obviously　alarming；　that　Viola　herself

began　to　despair。　　At　this　time　she　saw　the　old　woman　suddenly

rise　from　before　the　image　of　the　saint　at　which　she　had　been

kneeling；　wrap　herself　in　her　cloak　and　hood；　and　quietly　quit

the　chamber。　　Viola　stole　after　her。



〃It　is　cold　for　thee；　good　mother；　to　brave　the　air；　let　me　go

for　the　physician？〃



〃Child；　I　am　not　going　to　him。　　I　have　heard　of　one　in　the　city

who　has　been　tender　to　the　poor；　and　who；　they　say；　has　cured　the

sick　when　physicians　failed。　　I　will　go　and　say　to　him；　'Signor；

we　are　beggars　in　all　else；　but　yesterday　we　were　rich　in　love。

We　are　at　the　close　of　life；　but　we　lived　in　our　grandchild's

childhood。　　Give　us　back　our　wealth；give　us