zanoni-第85节

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which　almost　might　have　seemed　disdain；　and　which　Viola；　at

least；　interpreted　as　a　defence　of　the　Absent；　stronger　than　her

own　lips　could　frame。



Glyndon　broke　the　pause。



〃Thou　wouldst　stay；　for　what？　　To　betray　a　mother's　duty！　　If　any

evil　happen　to　thee　here；　what　becomes　of　thine　infant？　　Shall　it

be　brought　up　an　orphan；　in　a　country　that　has　desecrated　thy

religion；　and　where　human　charity　exists　no　more？　　Ah；　weep；　and

clasp　it　to　thy　bosom；　but　tears　do　not　protect　and　save。〃



〃Thou　hast　conquered；　my　friend；　I　will　fly　with　thee。〃



〃To…morrow　night；　then；　be　prepared。　　I　will　bring　thee　the

necessary　disguises。〃



And　Glyndon　then　proceeded　to　sketch　rapidly　the　outline　of　the

path　they　were　to　take；　and　the　story　they　were　to　tell。　　Viola

listened；　but　scarcely　comprehended；　he　pressed　her　hand　to　his

heart　and　departed。





CHAPTER　7。V。



Van　seco　pur　anco

Sdegno　ed　Amor；　quasi　due　Veltri　al　fianco。

〃Ger。　Lib。〃　cant。　xx。　cxvii。



（There　went　with　him　still　Disdain　and　Love；　like　two　greyhounds

side　by　side。）



Glyndon　did　not　perceive；　as　he　hurried　from　the　house；　two　forms

crouching　by　the　angle　of　the　wall。　　He　saw　still　the　spectre

gliding　by　his　side；　but　he　beheld　not　the　yet　more　poisonous

eyes　of　human　envy　and　woman's　jealousy　that　glared　on　his

retreating　footsteps。



Nicot　advanced　to　the　house；　Fillide　followed　him　in　silence。

The　painter；　an　old　sans…culotte；　knew　well　what　language　to

assume　to　the　porter。　　He　beckoned　the　latter　from　his　lodge；

〃How　is　this；　citizen？　　Thou　harbourest　a　'suspect。'〃



〃Citizen；　you　terrify　me！if　so；　name　him。〃



〃It　is　not　a　man；　a　refugee；　an　Italian　woman；　lodges　here。〃



〃Yes；　au　troisieme；the　door　to　the　left。　　But　what　of　her？she

cannot　be　dangerous；　poor　child！〃



〃Citizen；　beware！　　Dost　thou　dare　to　pity　her？〃



〃I？　　No；　no；　indeed。　　But〃



〃Speak　the　truth！　　Who　visits　her？〃



〃No　one　but　an　Englishman。〃



〃That　is　it；an　Englishman；　a　spy　of　Pitt　and　Coburg。〃



〃Just　Heaven！　is　it　possible？〃



〃How；　citizen！　dost　thou　speak　of　Heaven？　　Thou　must　be　an

aristocrat！〃



〃No；　indeed；　it　was　but　an　old　bad　habit；　and　escaped　me

unawares。〃



〃How　often　does　the　Englishman　visit　her？〃



〃Daily。〃



Fillide　uttered　an　exclamation。



She　never　stirs　out；〃　said　the　porter。　　〃Her　sole　occupations　are

in　work；　and　care　of　her　infant。〃



〃Her　infant！〃



Fillide　made　a　bound　forward。　　Nicot　in　vain　endeavoured　to

arrest　her。　　She　sprang　up　the　stairs；　she　paused　not　till　she

was　before　the　door　indicated　by　the　porter；　it　stood　ajar；　she

entered；　she　stood　at　the　threshold；　and　beheld　that　face；　still

so　lovely！　　The　sight　of　so　much　beauty　left　her　hopeless。　　And

the　child；　over　whom　the　mother　bent！she　who　had　never　been　a

mother！she　uttered　no　sound；　the　furies　were　at　work　within　her

breast。　　Viola　turned；　and　saw　her；　and；　terrified　by　the　strange

apparition；　with　features　that　expressed　the　deadliest　hate　and

scorn　and　vengeance；　uttered　a　cry；　and　snatched　the　child　to　her

bosom。　　The　Italian　laughed　aloud；turned；　descended；　and；

gaining　the　spot　where　Nicot　still　conversed　with　the　frightened

porter　drew　him　from　the　house。　　When　they　were　in　the　open

street；　she　halted　abruptly；　and　said；　〃Avenge　me；　and　name　thy

price！〃



〃My　price；　sweet　one！　is　but　permission　to　love　thee。　　Thou　wilt

fly　with　me　to…morrow　night；　thou　wilt　possess　thyself　of　the

passports　and　the　plan。〃



〃And　they〃



〃Shall；　before　then；　find　their　asylum　in　the　Conciergerie。　　The

guillotine　shall　requite　thy　wrongs。〃



〃Do　this；　and　I　am　satisfied；〃　said　Fillide；　firmly。



And　they　spoke　no　more　till　they　regained　the　house。　　But　when

she　there；　looking　up　to　the　dull　building；　saw　the　windows　of

the　room　which　the　belief　of　Glyndon's　love　had　once　made　a

paradise；　the　tiger　relented　at　the　heart；　something　of　the　woman

gushed　back　upon　her　nature；　dark　and　savage　as　it　was。　　She

pressed　the　arm　on　which　she　leaned　convulsively；　and　exclaimed；

〃No；　no！　not　him！　denounce　her；let　her　perish；　but　I　have　slept

on　HIS　bosom；not　HIM！〃



〃It　shall　be　as　thou　wilt；〃　said　Nicot；　with　a　devil's　sneer；

〃but　he　must　be　arrested　for　the　moment。　　No　harm　shall　happen　to

him；　for　no　accuser　shall　appear。　　But　her；thou　wilt　not　relent

for　her？〃



Fillide　turned　upon　him　her　eyes；　and　their　dark　glance　was

sufficient　answer。





CHAPTER　7。VI。



In　poppa　quella

Che　guidar　gli　dovea；　fatal　Donsella。

〃Ger。　Lib。〃　cant。　xv。　3。



（By　the　prow　was　the　fatal　lady　ordained　to　be　the　guide。）



The　Italian　did　not　overrate　that　craft　of　simulation　proverbial

with　her　country　and　her　sex。　　Not　a　word；　not　a　look；　that　day

revealed　to　Glyndon　the　deadly　change　that　had　converted　devotion

into　hate。　　He　himself；　indeed；　absorbed　in　his　own　schemes；　and

in　reflections　on　his　own　strange　destiny；　was　no　nice　observer。

But　her　manner；　milder　and　more　subdued　than　usual；　produced　a

softening　effect　upon　his　meditations　towards　the　evening；　and　he

then　began　to　converse　with　her　on　the　certain　hope　of　escape；

and　on　the　future　that　would　await　them　in　less　unhallowed　lands。



〃And　thy　fair　friend；〃　said　Fillide；　with　an　averted　eye　and　a

false　smile；　〃who　was　to　be　our　companion？thou　hast　resigned

her；　Nicot　tells　me；　in　favour　of　one　in　whom　he　is　interested。

Is　it　so？〃



〃He　told　thee　this！〃　returned　Glyndon；　evasively。　　〃Well！　does

the　change　content　thee？〃



〃Traitor！〃　muttered　Fillide；　and　she　rose　suddenly；　approached

him；　parted　the　long　hair　from　his　forehead　caressingly；　and

pressed　her　lips　convulsively　on　his　brow。



〃This　were　too　fair　a　head　for　the　doomsman；〃　said　she；　with　a

slight　laugh；　and；　turning　away；　appeared　occupied　in

preparations　for　their　departure。



The　next　morning；　when　he　rose；　Glyndon　did　not　see　the　Italian；

she　was　absent　from　the　house　when　he　left　it。　　It　was　necessary

that　he　should　once　more　visit　C　before　his　final　Departure；

not　only　to　arrange　for　Nicot's　participation　in　the　flight；　but

lest　any　suspicion　should　have　arisen　to　thwart　or　endanger　the

plan　he　had　adopted。　　C；　though　not　one　of　the　immediate

coterie　of　Robespierre；　and　indeed　secretly　hostile　to　him；　had

possessed　the　art　of　keeping　well　with　each　faction　as　it　rose　to

power。　　Sprung　from　the　dregs　of　the　populace；　he　had；

nevertheless；　the　grace　and　vivacity　so　often　found　impartially

amongst　every　class　in　France。　　He　had　contrived　to　enrich

himselfnone　knew　howin　the　course　of　his　rapid　career。　　He

became；　indeed；　ultimately　one　of　the　wealthiest　proprietors　of

Paris；　and　at　that　time　kept　a　splendid　and　hospitable　mansion。

He　was　one　of　those　whom；　from　various　reasons；　Robespierre

deigned　to　favour；　and　he　had　often　saved　the　proscribed　and

suspected；　by　procuring　them　passports　under　disguised　names；　and

advising　their　method　of　escape。　　But　C　was　a　man　who　took　this

trouble　only　for　the　rich。　　〃The　incorruptible　Maximilien；〃　who

did　not　want　the　tyrant's　faculty　of　penetration；　probably　saw

through　all　his　manoeuvres；　and　the　avarice　which　he　cloaked

beneath　his　charity。　　But　it　was　noticeable　that　Robespierre

frequently　seemed　to　wink　atnay；　partially　to　encouragesuch

vice　in　men　whom　he　meant　hereafter　to　destroy；　as　would　tend　to

lower　them　in　the　public　estimation；　and　to　contrast　with　his　own

austere　and　unassailable　integrity　and　PURISM。　　And；　doubtless；

he　often　grimly　smiled　in　his　sleeve　at　the　sumptuous　mansion　and

the　griping　covetousness　of　the　worthy　Citizen　C。



To　this　personage；　then；　Glyndon　musingly　bent　his　way。　　It　was

true；　as　he　had　darkly　said　to　Viola；　that　in　proportion　as　he

had　resisted　the　spectre；　its　terrors　had　lost　their　influence。

The　time　had　come　at　last；　when；　seeing　crime　and　vice　in　all

their　hideousness；　and　in　so　vast　a　theatre；　he　had　found　that　in

vice　and　crime　there　are　deadlier　horrors　than　in　the　eyes　of　a

phantom…fear。　　His　native　nobleness　began　to　return　to　him。　　As

he　passed　the　streets；　he　revolved　in　his　mind　projects　of　future

repentance　and　reformation。　　He　even　meditated；　as　a　just　return

for　Fillide's　devotion；　the　sacrifice　of　all　the　reasonings　of

his　birth　and　education。　　He　would　repair　whatever　errors　he　had

committed　against　her；　by　the　self…immolation　of　marriage　with

one　little　congenial　with　himself。　　He　who　had　once　revolted　from

marriage　with　the　noble　and　gentle　Viola！he　had　learned　in　that

world　of　wrong　to　know　that　right　is　right；　and　that　Heaven　did

not　make　the　one　sex　to　be　the　victim　of　the　other。　　The　young

visions　of　the　Beautiful　and　the　Good　rose　once　more　before　him；

and　along　the　dark　ocean　of　his　mind　lay　the　smile　of　reawakening

virtue；　as　a　path　of　moonlight。　　Never；　perhaps；　had　the

condition　of　his　soul　been　so　elevated　and　unselfish。



In　the　meanwhile　Jean　Nicot；　equally