stories by modern american authors-第71节

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George　Ripley　calls　the　great　act；　in　his　book　entitled　'The　Twelve

Gates。'　　Yes；　doctor；　in　less　than　ten　minutes　you　will　see　me　make

pure；　red；　shining　gold！〃　　And　the　poor　old　man　smiled

triumphantly；　and　stirred　his　foolish　mixture　with　a　long　rod；

which　he　held　with　difficulty　in　his　bandaged　hands。　　It　was　a

grievous　sight　for　a　man　of　any　feeling　to　witness。



〃Father；〃　said　Marion；　in　a　low；　broken　voice；　advancing　a　little

toward　the　poor　old　dupe；　〃I　want　your　forgiveness。〃



〃Ah；　hypocrite！　for　what？　　Are　you　going　to　give　me　back　my　gold？〃



〃No；　father；　but　for　the　deception　that　I　have　been　practicing　on

you　for　two　years〃



〃I　knew　it！　　I　knew　it！〃　shouted　the　old　man；　with　a　radiant

countenance。　　〃She　has　concealed　my　fourteen　thousand　dollars　all

this　time；　and　now　comes　to　restore　them。　　I　will　forgive　her。

Where　are　they；　Marion？〃



〃Fatherit　must　come　out。　　You　never　made　any　gold。　　It　was　I　who

saved　up　thirty…five　dollars；　and　I　used　to　slip　them　into　your

crucible　when　your　back　was　turnedand　I　did　it　only　because　I　saw

that　you　were　dying　of　disappointment。　　It　was　wrong；　I　knowbut；

father；　I　meant　well。　　You'll　forgive　me；　won't　you？〃　　And　the　poor

girl　advanced　a　step　toward　the　alchemist。



He　grew　deathly　pale；　and　staggered　as　if　about　to　fall。　　The　next

instant；　though；　he　recovered　himself；　and　burst　into　a　horrible

sardonic　laugh。　　Then　he　said；　in　tones　full　of　the　bitterest

irony：　〃A　conspiracy；　is　it？　　Well　done；　doctor！　　You　think　to

reconcile　me　with　this　wretched　girl　by　trumping　up　this　story　that

I　have　been　for　two　years　a　dupe　of　her　filial　piety。　　It's　clumsy；

doctor；　and　is　a　total　failure。　　Try　again。〃



〃But　I　assure　you；　Mr。　Blakelock；〃　I　said　as　earnestly　as　I　could；

〃I　believe　your　daughter's　statement　to　be　perfectly　true。　　You

will　find　it　to　be　so；　as　she　has　got　the　ingot　in　her　possession

which　so　often　deceived　you　into　the　belief　that　you　made　gold；　and

you　will　certainly　find　that　no　transmutation　has　taken　place　in

your　crucible。〃



〃Doctor；〃　said　the　old　man；　in　tones　of　the　most　settled

conviction；　〃you　are　a　fool。　　The　girl　has　wheedled　you。　　In　less

than　a　minute　I　will　turn　you　out　a　piece　of　gold　purer　than　any

the　earth　produces。　　Will　that　convince　you？〃



〃That　will　convince　me；〃　I　answered。　　By　a　gesture　I　imposed

silence　on　Marion；　who　was　about　to　speak。　　I　thought　it　better　to

allow　the　old　man　to　be　his　own　undeceiverand　we　awaited　the

coming　crisis。



The　old　man；　still　smiling　with　anticipated　triumph；　kept　bending

eagerly　over　his　crucible；　stirring　the　mixture　with　his　rod；　and

muttering　to　himself　all　the　time。　　〃Now；〃　I　heard　him　say；　〃it

changes。　　Therethere's　the　scum。　　And　now　the　green　and　bronze

shades　flit　across　it。　　Oh；　the　beautiful　green！　the　precursor　of

the　golden…red　hue　that　tells　of　the　end　attained！　　Ah！　now　the

golden…red　is　comingslowlyslowly！　　It　deepens；　it　shines；　it　is

dazzling！　　Ah；　I　have　it！〃　　So　saying；　he　caught　up　his　crucible　in

a　chemist's　tongs；　and　bore　it　slowly　toward　the　table　on　which

stood　a　brass　vessel。



〃Now；　incredulous　doctor！〃　he　cried；　〃come　and　be　convinced；〃　and

immediately　began　carefully　pouring　the　contents　of　the　crucible

into　the　brass　vessel。　　When　the　crucible　was　quite　empty　he　turned

it　up　and　called　me　again。　　〃Come；　doctor；　come　and　be　convinced。

See　for　yourself。〃



〃See　first　if　there　is　any　gold　in　your　crucible；〃　I　answered；

without　moving。



He　laughed；　shook　his　head　derisively；　and　looked　into　the

crucible。　　In　a　moment　he　grew　pale　as　death。



〃Nothing！〃　he　cried。　　〃Oh；　a　jest；　a　jest！　　There　must　be　gold

somewhere。　　Marion！〃



〃The　gold　is　here；　father；〃　said　Marion；　drawing　the　ingot　from　her

pocket；　〃it　is　all　we　ever　had。〃



〃Ah！〃　shrieked　the　poor　old　man；　as　he　let　the　empty　crucible　fall；

and　staggered　toward　the　ingot　which　Marion　held　out　to　him。　　He

made　three　steps；　and　then　fell　on　his　face。　　Marion　rushed　toward

him；　and　tried　to　lift　him；　but　could　not。　　I　put　her　aside　gently；

and　placed　my　hand　on　his　heart。



〃Marion；〃　said　I；　〃it　is　perhaps　better　as　it　is。　　He　is　dead！〃







Fitzjames　O'Brien





My　Wife's　Tempter



I



A　PREDESTINED　MARRIAGE



Elsie　and　I　were　to　be　married　in　less　than　a　week。　　It　was　rather

a　strange　match；　and　I　knew　that　some　of　our　neighbors　shook　their

heads　over　it　and　said　that　no　good　would　come。　　The　way　it　came　to

pass　was　thus。



I　loved　Elsie　Burns　for　two　years；　during　which　time　she　refused　me

three　times。　　I　could　no　more　help　asking　her　to　have　me；　when　the

chance　offered；　than　I　could　help　breathing　or　living。　　To　love　her

seemed　natural　to　me　as　existence。　　I　felt　no　shame；　only　sorrow；

when　she　rejected　me；　I　felt　no　shame　either　when　I　renewed　my

suit。　　The　neighbors　called　me　mean…spirited　to　take　up　with　any

girl　that　had　refused　me　as　often　as　Elsie　Burns　had　done；　but　what

cared　I　about　the　neighbors？　　If　it　is　black　weather；　and　the　sun

is　under　a　cloud　every　day　for　a　month；　is　that　any　reason　why　the

poor　farmer　should　not　hope　for　the　blue　sky　and　the　plentiful

burst　of　warm　light　when　the　dark　month　is　over？　　I　never　entirely

lost　heart。　　Do　not；　however；　mistake　me。　　I　did　not　mope；　and

moan；　and　grow　pale；　after　the　manner　of　poetical　lovers。　　No　such

thing。　　I　went　bravely　about　my　business；　ate　and　drank　as　usual；

laughed　when　the　laugh　went　round；　and　slept　soundly；　and　woke

refreshed。　　Yet　all　this　time　I　loveddesperately　lovedElsie

Burns。　　I　went　wherever　I　hoped　to　meet　her；　but　did　not　haunt　her

with　my　attentions。　　I　behaved　to　her　as　any　friendly　young　man

would　have　behaved：　I　met　her　and　parted　from　her　cheerfully。　　She

was　a　good　girl；　too；　and　behaved　well。　　She　had　me　in　her　power

how　a　woman　in　Elsie's　situation　could　have　mortified　a　man　in

mine！but　she　never　took　the　slightest　advantage　of　it。　　She

danced　with　me　when　I　asked　her；　and　had　no　foolish　fears　of

allowing　me　to　see　her　home　of　nights；　after　a　ball　was　over；　or　of

wandering　with　me　through　the　pleasant　New　England　fields　when　the

wild　flowers　made　the　paths　like　roads　in　fairyland。



On　the　several　disastrous　occasions　when　I　presented　my　suit　I　did

it　simply　and　manfully；　telling　her　that　I　loved　her　very　much；　and

would　do　everything　to　make　her　happy　if　she　would　be　my　wife。　　I

made　no　fulsome　protestations；　and　did　not　once　allude　to　suicide。

She；　on　the　other　hand；　calmly　and　gravely　thanked　me　for　my　good

opinion；　but　with　the　same　calm　gravity　rejected　me。　　I　used　to

tell　her　that　I　was　grieved；　that　I　would　not　press　her；　that　I

would　wait　and　hope　for　some　change　in　her　feelings。　　She　had　an

esteem　for　me；　she　would　say；　but　could　not　marry　me。　　I　never

asked　her　for　any　reasons。　　I　hold　it　to　be　an　insult　to　a　woman　of

sense　to　demand　her　reasons　on　such　an　occasion。　　Enough　for　me

that　she　did　not　then　wish　to　be　my　wife；　so　that　the　old

intercourse　went　onshe　cordial　and　polite　as　ever；　I　never　for

one　moment　doubting　that　the　day　would　come　when　my　roof　tree　would

shelter　her；　and　we　should　smile　together　over　our　fireside　at　my

long　and　indefatigable　wooing。



I　will　confess　that　at　times　I　felt　a　little　jealousjealous　of　a

man　named　Hammond　Brake；　who　lived　in　our　village。　　He　was　a　weird；

saturnine　fellow；　who　made　no　friends　among　the　young　men　of　the

neighborhood；　but　who　loved　to　go　alone；　with　his　books　and　his　own

thoughts　for　company。　　He　was　a　studious　and；　I　believe；　a　learned

young　man；　and　there　was　no　avoiding　the　fact　that　he　possessed

considerable　influence　over　Elsie。　　She　liked　to　talk　with　him　in

corners；　or　in　secluded　nooks　of　the　forest；　when　we　all　went　out

blackberry　gathering　or　picnicking。　　She　read　books　that　he　gave

her；　and　whenever　a　discussion　arose　relative　to　any　topic　higher

than　those　ordinary　ones　we　usually　canvassed；　Elsie　appealed　to

Brake　for　his　opinion；　as　a　disciple　consulting　a　beloved　master。

I　confess　that　for　a　time　I　feared　this　man　as　a　rival。　　A　little

closer　observation；　however；　convinced　me　that　my　suspicions　were

unfounded。　　The　relations　between　Elsie　and　Hammond　Brake　were

purely　intellectual。　　She　reverenced　his　talents　and　acquirements；

but　she　did　not　love　him。　　His　influence　over　her；　nevertheless；

was　none　the　less　decided。



In　timeas　I　thought　all　alongElsie　yielded。　　I　was　what　was

considered　a　most　eligible　match；　being　tolerably　rich；　and　Elsie's

parents　were　most　anxious　to　have　me　for　a　son…in…law。　　I　was　good…

looking　and　well　educated　enough；　and　the　old　people；　I　believe；

pertinaciously　dinned　all　my　advantages　into　my　little　girl's　ears。

She　battled　against　the　marriage　for　a　long　time　with　a　strange

persistenceall　the　more　strange　because　she　never　alleged　the

slightest　personal　dislike　to　me；　but　after　a　vigorous　cannonading

from　her　own　garrison　（in　which；　I　am　proud　to　sa