zanoni-第38节

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the　place；　that　the　colour　left　her　cheek；　and　a　faint　cry　broke

from　her　lips。



〃Tush；　pretty　trembler！do　not　be　frightened　at　my　face；〃　said

the　man；　with　a　bitter　smile。　　〃After　three　months'　marriage；

there　is　no　different　between　ugliness　and　beauty。　　Custom　is　a

great　leveller。　　I　was　coming　to　your　house　when　I　saw　you　leave

it；　so；　as　I　have　matters　of　importance　to　communicate；　I

ventured　to　follow　your　footsteps。　　My　name　is　Jean　Nicot；　a　name

already　favourably　known　as　a　French　artist。　　The　art　of　painting

and　the　art　of　music　are　nearly　connected；　and　the　stage　is　an

altar　that　unites　the　two。〃



There　was　something　frank　and　unembarrassed　in　the　man's　address

that　served　to　dispel　the　fear　his　appearance　had　occasioned。　　He

seated　himself；　as　he　spoke；　on　a　crag　beside　her；　and；　looking

up　steadily　into　her　face；　continued：



〃You　are　very　beautiful；　Viola　Pisani；　and　I　am　not　surprised　at

the　number　of　your　admirers。　　If　I　presume　to　place　myself　in　the

list；　it　is　because　I　am　the　only　one　who　loves　thee　honestly；

and　woos　thee　fairly。　　Nay；　look　not　so　indignant！　　Listen　to　me。

Has　the　Prince　di　　ever　spoken　to　thee　of　marriage；　or　the

beautiful　imposter　Zanoni；　or　the　young　blue…eyed　Englishman；

Clarence　Glyndon？　　It　is　marriage；it　is　a　home；　it　is　safety；

it　is　reputation；　that　I　offer　to　thee；　and　these　last　when　the

straight　form　grows　crooked；　and　the　bright　eyes　dim。　　What　say

you？〃　and　he　attempted　to　seize　her　hand。



Viola　shrunk　from　him；　and　silently　turned　to　depart。　　He　rose

abruptly　and　placed　himself　on　her　path。



〃Actress；　you　must　hear　me！　　Do　you　know　what　this　calling　of　the

stage　is　in　the　eyes　of　prejudice；that　is；　of　the　common

opinion　of　mankind？　　It　is　to　be　a　princess　before　the　lamps；　and

a　Pariah　before　the　day。　　No　man　believes　in　your　virtue；　no　man

credits　your　vows；　you　are　the　puppet　that　they　consent　to　trick

out　with　tinsel　for　their　amusement；　not　an　idol　for　their

worship。　　Are　you　so　enamoured　of　this　career　that　you　scorn　even

to　think　of　security　and　honour？　　Perhaps　you　are　different　from

what　you　seem。　　Perhaps　you　laugh　at　the　prejudice　that　would

degrade　you；　and　would　wisely　turn　it　to　advantage。　　Speak

frankly　to　me；　I　have　no　prejudice　either。　　Sweet　one；　I　am　sure

we　should　agree。　　Now；　this　Prince　di　；　I　have　a　message　from

him。　　Shall　I　deliver　it？〃



Never　had　Viola　felt　as　she　felt　then；　never　had　she　so

thoroughly　seen　all　the　perils　of　her　forelorn　condition　and　her

fearful　renown。　　Nicot　continued：



〃Zanoni　would　but　amuse　himself　with　thy　vanity；　Glyndon　would

despise　himself；　if　he　offered　thee　his　name；　and　thee；　if　thou

wouldst　accept　it；　but　the　Prince　di　　is　in　earnest；　and　he　is

wealthy。　　Listen！〃



And　Nicot　approached　his　lips　to　her；　and　hissed　a　sentence　which

she　did　not　suffer　him　to　complete。　　She　darted　from　him　with　one

glance　of　unutterable　disdain。　　As　he　strove　to　regain　his　hold

of　her　arm；　he　lost　his　footing；　and　fell　down　the　sides　of　the

rock　till；　bruised　and　lacerated；　a　pine…branch　saved　him　from

the　yawning　abyss　below。　　She　heard　his　exclamation　of　rage　and

pain　as　she　bounded　down　the　path；　and；　without　once　turning　to

look　behind；　regained　her　home。　　By　the　porch　stood　Glyndon；

conversing　with　Gionetta。　　She　passed　him　abruptly；　entered　the

house；　and；　sinking　on　the　floor；　wept　loud　and　passionately。



Glyndon；　who　had　followed　her　in　surprise；　vainly　sought　to

soothe　and　calm　her。　　She　would　not　reply　to　his　questions；　she

did　not　seem　to　listen　to　his　protestations　of　love；　till

suddenly；　as　Nicot's　terrible　picture　of　the　world's　judgment　of

that　profession　which　to　her　younger　thoughts　had　seemed　the

service　of　Song　and　the　Beautiful；　forced　itself　upon　her；　she

raised　her　face　from　her　hands；　and；　looking　steadily　upon　the

Englishman；　said；　〃False　one；　dost　thou　talk　of　me　of　love？〃



〃By　my　honour；　words　fail　to　tell　thee　how　I　love！〃



〃Wilt　thou　give　me　thy　home；　thy　name？　　Dost　thou　woo　me　as　thy

wife？〃　　And　at　that　moment；　had　Glyndon　answered　as　his　better

angel　would　have　counselled；　perhaps；　in　that　revolution　of　her

whole　mind　which　the　words　of　Nicot　had　effected；　which　made　her

despise　her　very　self；　sicken　of　her　lofty　dreams；　despair　of　the

future；　and　distrust　her　whole　ideal；perhaps；　I　say；　in

restoring　her　self…esteem；he　would　have　won　her　confidence；　and

ultimately　secured　her　love。　　But　against　the　prompting　of　his

nobler　nature　rose　up　at　that　sudden　question　all　those　doubts

which；　as　Zanoni　had　so　well　implied；　made　the　true　enemies　of

his　soul。　　Was　he　thus　suddenly　to　be　entangled　into　a　snare　laid

for　his　credulity　by　deceivers？　　Was　she　not　instructed　to　seize

the　moment　to　force　him　into　an　avowal　which　prudence　must

repent？　　Was　not　the　great　actress　rehearsing　a　premeditated

part？　　He　turned　round；　as　these　thoughts；　the　children　of　the

world；　passed　across　him；　for　he　literally　fancied　that　he　heard

the　sarcastic　laugh　of　Mervale　without。　　Nor　was　he　deceived。

Mervale　was　passing　by　the　threshold；　and　Gionetta　had　told　him

his　friend　was　within。　　Who　does　not　know　the　effect　of　the

world's　laugh？　　Mervale　was　the　personation　of　the　world。　　The

whole　world　seemed　to　shout　derision　in　those　ringing　tones。　　He

drew　back；he　recoiled。　　Viola　followed　him　with　her　earnest；

impatient　eyes。　　At　last；　he　faltered　forth；　〃Do　all　of　thy

profession；　beautiful　Viola；　exact　marriage　as　the　sole　condition

of　love？〃　　Oh；　bitter　question！　　Oh；　poisoned　taunt！　　He　repented

it　the　moment　after。　　He　was　seized　with　remorse　of　reason；　of

feeling；　and　of　conscience。　　He　saw　her　form　shrink；　as　it　were；

at　his　cruel　words。　　He　saw　the　colour　come　and　go；　to　leave　the

writhing　lips　like　marble；　and　then；　with　a　sad；　gentle　look　of

self…pity；　rather　than　reproach；　she　pressed　her　hands　tightly　to

her　bosom；　and　said；



〃He　was　right！　　Pardon　me；　Englishman；　I　see　now；　indeed；　that　I

am　the　Pariah　and　the　outcast。〃



〃Hear　me。　　I　retract。　　Viola；　Viola！　it　is　for　you　to　forgive！〃



But　Viola　waved　him　from　her；　and；　smiling　mournfully　as　she

passed　him　by；　glided　from　the　chamber；　and　he　did　not　dare　to

detain　her。





CHAPTER　3。IX。



Dafne：　　Ma；　chi　lung'　e　d'Amor？

Tirsi：　　Chi　teme　e　fugge。

Dafne：　　E　che　giova　fuggir　da　lui　ch'　ha　l'　ali？

Tirsi：　　AMOR　NASCENTE　HA　CORTE　L'　ALI！

〃Aminta；〃　At。　ii。　Sc。　ii。



（Dafne：　　But；　who　is　far　from　Love？

Tirsi：　　He　who　fears　and　flies。

Dafne：　　What　use　to　flee　from　one　who　has　wings？

Tirsi：　　The　wings　of　Love；　while　he　yet　grows；　are　short。）



When　Glyndon　found　himself　without　Viola's　house；　Mervale；　still

loitering　at　the　door；　seized　his　arm。　　Glyndon　shook　him　off

abruptly。



〃Thou　and　thy　counsels；〃　said　he；　bitterly；　〃have　made　me　a

coward　and　a　wretch。　　But　I　will　go　home；I　will　write　to　her。

I　will　pour　out　my　whole　soul；　she　will　forgive　me　yet。〃



Mervale；　who　was　a　man　of　imperturbable　temper；　arranged　his

ruffles；　which　his　friend's　angry　gesture　had　a　little

discomposed；　and　not　till　Glyndon　had　exhausted　himself　awhile　by

passionate　exclamations　and　reproaches；　did　the　experienced

angler　begin　to　tighten　the　line。　　He　then　drew　from　Glyndon　the

explanation　of　what　had　passed；　and　artfully　sought　not　to

irritate；　but　soothe　him。　　Mervale；　indeed；　was　by　no　means　a　bad

man；　he　had　stronger　moral　notions　than　are　common　amongst　the

young。　　He　sincerely　reproved　his　friend　for　harbouring

dishonourable　intentions　with　regard　to　the　actress。　　〃Because　I

would　not　have　her　thy　wife；　I　never　dreamed　that　thou　shouldst

degrade　her　to　thy　mistress。　　Better　of　the　two　an　imprudent

match　than　an　illicit　connection。　　But　pause　yet；　do　not　act　on

the　impulse　of　the　moment。〃



〃But　there　is　no　time　to　lose。　　I　have　promised　to　Zanoni　to　give

him　my　answer　by　to…morrow　night。　　Later　than　that　time；　all

option　ceases。〃



〃Ah！〃　said　Mervale；　〃this　seems　suspicious。　　Explain　yourself。〃



And　Glyndon；　in　the　earnestness　of　his　passion；　told　his　friend

what　had　passed　between　himself　and　Zanoni；suppressing　only；　he

scarce　knew　why；　the　reference　to　his　ancestor　and　the　mysterious

brotherhood。



This　recital　gave　to　Mervale　all　the　advantage　he　could　desire。

Heavens！　with　what　sound；　shrewd　common…sense　he　talked。　　How

evidently　some　charlatanic　coalition　between　the　actress；　and

perhaps；who　knows？her　clandestine　protector；　sated　with

possession！　　How　equivocal　the　character　of　one；the　position　of

the　other！　　What　cunning　in　the　question　of　the　actress！　　How

profoundly　had　Glyndon；　at　the　first　suggestion　of　his　sober

reason；　seen　through　the　snare。　　What！　was　he　to　be　thus

mystically　cajoled　and　hurried　into　a　rash　marriage；　because

Zanoni；　a　mere　stranger；　told　him　with　a　grave　face　that　he　must

decide　before　the　clock　struck　a　certain　hour？



〃Do　this　at　least；〃　said　Mervale；　reasonably　enough；〃