zanoni-第50节

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！









BOOK　IV。



THE　DWELLER　OF　THE　THRESHOLD。



Bey　hinter　ihm　was　will！　Ich　heb　ihn　auf。

〃Das　Verschleierte　Bildzu　Sais〃



（Be　behind　what　there　may；　…　I　raise　the　veil。）





CHAPTER　4。I。



Come　vittima　io　vengo　all'　ara。

〃Metast。；〃　At。　ii。　Sc。　7。



（As　a　victim　I　go　to　the　altar。）



It　was　about　a　month　after　the　date　of　Zanoni's　departure　and

Glyndon's　introduction　to　Mejnour；　when　two　Englishmen　were

walking；　arm…in…arm；　through　the　Toledo。



〃I　tell　you；〃　said　one　（who　spoke　warmly）；　〃that　if　you　have　a

particle　of　common…sense　left　in　you；　you　will　accompany　me　to

England。　　This　Mejnour　is　an　imposter　more　dangerous；　because

more　in　earnest；　than　Zanoni。　　After　all；　what　do　his　promises

amount　to？　　You　allow　that　nothing　can　be　more　equivocal。　　You

say　that　he　has　left　Naples；that　he　has　selected　a　retreat　more

congenial　than　the　crowded　thoroughfares　of　men　to　the　studies　in

which　he　is　to　initiate　you；　and　this　retreat　is　among　the　haunts

of　the　fiercest　bandits　of　Italy；haunts　which　justice　itself

dares　not　penetrate。　　Fitting　hermitage　for　a　sage！　　I　tremble

for　you。　　What　if　this　strangerof　whom　nothing　is　knownbe

leagued　with　the　robbers；　and　these　lures　for　your　credulity　bait

but　the　traps　for　your　property；perhaps　your　life？　　You　might

come　off　cheaply　by　a　ransom　of　half　your　fortune。　　You　smile

indignantly！　　Well；　put　common…sense　out　of　the　question；　take

your　own　view　of　the　matter。　　You　are　to　undergo　an　ordeal　which

Mejnour　himself　does　not　profess　to　describe　as　a　very　tempting

one。　　It　may；　or　it　may　not；　succeed：　　if　it　does　not；　you　are

menaced　with　the　darkest　evils；　and　if　it　does；　you　cannot　be

better　off　than　the　dull　and　joyless　mystic　whom　you　have　taken

for　a　master。　　Away　with　this　folly；　enjoy　youth　while　it　is　left

to　you；　return　with　me　to　England；　forget　these　dreams；　enter

your　proper　career；　form　affections　more　respectable　than　those

which　lured　you　awhile　to　an　Italian　adventuress。　　Attend　to　your

fortune；　make　money；　and　become　a　happy　and　distinguished　man。

This　is　the　advice　of　sober　friendship；　yet　the　promises　I　hold

out　to　you　are　fairer　than　those　of　Mejnour。〃



〃Mervale；〃　said　Glyndon；　doggedly；　〃I　cannot；　if　I　would；　yield

to　your　wishes。　　A　power　that　is　above　me　urges　me　on；　I　cannot

resist　its　influence。　　I　will　proceed　to　the　last　in　the　strange

career　I　have　commenced。　　Think　of　me　no　more。　　Follow　yourself

the　advice　you　give　to　me；　and　be　happy。〃



〃This　is　madness；〃　said　Mervale；　〃your　health　is　already　failing；

you　are　so　changed　I　should　scarcely　know　you。　　Come；　I　have

already　had　your　name　entered　in　my　passport；　in　another　hour　I

shall　be　gone；　and　you；　boy　that　you　are；　will　be　left；　without　a

friend；　to　the　deceits　of　your　own　fancy　and　the　machinations　of

this　relentless　mountebank。〃



〃Enough；〃　said　Glyndon；　coldly；　〃you　cease　to　be　an　effective

counsellor　when　you　suffer　your　prejudices　to　be　thus　evident。　　I

have　already　had　ample　proof；〃　added　the　Englishman；　and　his　pale

cheek　grew　more　pale；　〃of　the　power　of　this　man；if　man　he　be；

which　I　sometimes　doubt；and；　come　life；　come　death；　I　will　not

shrink　from　the　paths　that　allure　me。　　Farewell；　Mervale；　if　we

never　meet　again；if　you　hear；　amidst　our　old　and　cheerful

haunts；　that　Clarence　Glyndon　sleeps　the　last　sleep　by　the　shores

of　Naples；　or　amidst　yon　distant　hills；　say　to　the　friends　of　our

youth；　'He　died　worthily；　as　thousands　of　martyr…students　have

died　before　him；　in　the　pursuit　of　knowledge。'〃



He　wrung　Mervale's　hand　as　he　spoke；　darted　from　his　side；　and

disappeared　amidst　the　crowd。



By　the　corner　of　the　Toledo　he　was　arrested　by　Nicot。



〃Ah；　Glyndon！　　I　have　not　seen　you　this　month。　　Where　have　you

hid　yourself？　　Have　you　been　absorbed　in　your　studies？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃I　am　about　to　leave　Naples　for　Paris。　　Will　you　accompany　me？

Talent　of　all　order　is　eagerly　sought　for　there；　and　will　be　sure

to　rise。〃



〃I　thank　you；　I　have　other　schemes　for　the　present。〃



〃So　laconic！what　ails　you？　　Do　you　grieve　for　the　loss　of　the

Pisani？　　Take　example　by　me。　　I　have　already　consoled　myself　with

Bianca　Sacchini；a　handsome　woman；　enlightened；　no　prejudices。

A　valuable　creature　I　shall　find　her；　no　doubt。　　But　as　for　this

Zanoni！〃



〃What　of　him？〃



〃If　ever　I　paint　an　allegorical　subject；　I　will　take　his　likeness

as　Satan。　　Ha；　ha！　a　true　painter's　revenge；eh？　　And　the　way　of

the　world；　too！　　When　we　can　do　nothing　else　against　a　man　whom

we　hate；　we　can　at　least　paint　his　effigies　as　the　Devil's。

Seriously；　though：　　I　abhor　that　man。〃



〃Wherefore？'



〃Wherefore！　　Has　he　not　carried　off　the　wife　and　the　dowry　I　had

marked　for　myself！　　Yet；　after　all；〃　added　Nicot；　musingly；　〃had

he　served　instead　of　injured　me；　I　should　have　hated　him　all　the

same。　　His　very　form；　and　his　very　face；　made　me　at　once　envy　and

detest　him。　　I　felt　that　there　is　something　antipathetic　in　our

natures。　　I　feel；　too；　that　we　shall　meet　again；　when　Jean

Nicot's　hate　may　be　less　impotent。　　We；　too；　cher　confrere；we；

too；　may　meet　again！　　Vive　la　Republique！　　I　to　my　new　world！〃



〃And　I　to　mine。　　Farewell！〃



That　day　Mervale　left　Naples；　the　next　morning　Glyndon　also

quitted　the　City　of　Delight　alone；　and　on　horseback。　　He　bent　his

way　into　those　picturesque　but　dangerous　parts　of　the　country

which　at　that　time　were　infested　by　banditti；　and　which　few

travellers　dared　to　pass；　even　in　broad　daylight；　without　a

strong　escort。　　A　road　more　lonely　cannot　well　be　conceived　than

that　on　which　the　hoofs　of　his　steed；　striking　upon　the　fragments

of　rock　that　encumbered　the　neglected　way；　woke　a　dull　and

melancholy　echo。　　Large　tracts　of　waste　land；　varied　by　the　rank

and　profuse　foliage　of　the　South；　lay　before　him；　occasionally　a

wild　goat　peeped　down　from　some　rocky　crag；　or　the　discordant　cry

of　a　bird　of　prey；　startled　in　its　sombre　haunt；　was　heard　above

the　hills。　　These　were　the　only　signs　of　life；　not　a　human　being

was　met；not　a　hut　was　visible。　　Wrapped　in　his　own　ardent　and

solemn　thoughts；　the　young　man　continued　his　way；　till　the　sun

had　spent　its　noonday　heat；　and　a　breeze　that　announced　the

approach　of　eve　sprung　up　from　the　unseen　ocean　which　lay　far

distant　to　his　right。　　It　was　then　that　a　turn　in　the　road

brought　before　him　one　of　those　long；　desolate；　gloomy　villages

which　are　found　in　the　interior　of　the　Neapolitan　dominions：　　and

now　he　came　upon　a　small　chapel　on　one　side　the　road；　with　a

gaudily　painted　image　of　the　Virgin　in　the　open　shrine。　　Around

this　spot；　which；　in　the　heart　of　a　Christian　land；　retained　the

vestige　of　the　old　idolatry　（for　just　such　were　the　chapels　that

in　the　pagan　age　were　dedicated　to　the　demon…saints　of

mythology）；　gathered　six　or　seven　miserable　and　squalid　wretches；

whom　the　curse　of　the　leper　had　cut　off　from　mankind。　　They　set

up　a　shrill　cry　as　they　turned　their　ghastly　visages　towards　the

horseman；　and；　without　stirring　from　the　spot；　stretched　out

their　gaunt　arms；　and　implored　charity　in　the　name　of　the

Merciful　Mother！　　Glyndon　hastily　threw　them　some　small　coins；

and；　turning　away　his　face；　clapped　spurs　to　his　horse；　and

relaxed　not　his　speed　till　he　entered　the　village。　　On　either

side　the　narrow　and　miry　street；　fierce　and　haggard　formssome

leaning　against　the　ruined　walls　of　blackened　huts；　some　seated

at　the　threshold；　some　lying　at　full　length　in　the　mudpresented

groups　that　at　once　invoked　pity　and　aroused　alarm：　　pity　for

their　squalor；　alarm　for　the　ferocity　imprinted　on　their　savage

aspects。　　They　gazed　at　him；　grim　and　sullen；　as　he　rode　slowly

up　the　rugged　street；　sometimes　whispering　significantly　to　each

other；　but　without　attempting　to　stop　his　way。　　Even　the　children

hushed　their　babble；　and　ragged　urchins；　devouring　him　with

sparkling　eyes；　muttered　to　their　mothers；　〃We　shall　feast　well

to…morrow！〃　　It　was；　indeed；　one　of　those　hamlets　in　which　Law

sets　not　its　sober　step；　in　which　Violence　and　Murder　house

secure；hamlets　common　then　in　the　wilder　parts　of　Italy；　in

which　the　peasant　was　but　the　gentler　name　for　the　robber。



Glyndon's　heart　somewhat　failed　him　as　he　looked　around；　and　the

question　he　desired　to　ask　died　upon　his　lips。　　At　length　from

one　of　the　dismal　cabins　emerged　a　form　superior　to　the　rest。

Instead　of　the　patched　and　ragged　over…all；　which　made　the　only

garment　of　the　men　he　had　hitherto　seen；　the　dress　of　this　person

was　characterised　by　all　the　trappings　of　the　national　bravery。

Upon　his　raven　hair；　the　glossy　curls　of　which　made　a　notable

contrast　to　the　matted　and　elfin　locks　of　the　savages　around；　was

placed　a　cloth　cap；　with　a　gold　tassel　that　hung　down　to　his

shoulder；　his　mustaches　were　trimmed　with　care；　and　a　silk

kerchief　of　gay　hues　was　twisted　round　a　well…shaped　but　sinewy

throat；　a　short　jacket　of　rough　cloth　was　decorated　with　sever