seraphita-第16部分

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mouth　that　ever　smiled；angelic　mouth　from　which　these　words；　the

pledge　of　my　happiness；　have　just　issued；　〃We　shall　meet　soon。〃'



〃The　conviction　that　shone　on　the　baron's　face　forbade　all　discussion；

I　listened　in　silence。　His　voice　had　a　contagious　heat　which　made　my

bosom　burn　within　me；　his　fanaticism　stirred　my　heart　as　the　anger　of

another　makes　our　nerves　vibrate。　I　followed　him　in　silence　to　his

house；　where　I　saw　the　nameless　child　lying　mysteriously　folded　to　its

mother's　breast。　The　babe　heard　my　step　and　turned　its　head　toward　me；

its　eyes　were　not　those　of　an　ordinary　child。　To　give　you　an　idea　of

the　impression　I　received；　I　must　say　that　already　they　saw　and

thought。　The　childhood　of　this　predestined　being　was　attended　by

circumstances　quite　extraordinary　in　our　climate。　For　nine　years　our

winters　were　milder　and　our　summers　longer　than　usual。　This　phenomenon

gave　rise　to　several　discussions　among　scientific　men；　but　none　of

their　explanations　seemed　sufficient　to　academicians；　and　the　baron

smiled　when　I　told　him　of　them。　The　child　was　never　seen　in　its　nudity

as　other　children　are；　it　was　never　touched　by　man　or　woman；　but　lived

a　sacred　thing　upon　the　mother's　breast；　and　it　never　cried。　If　you

question　old　David　he　will　confirm　these　facts　about　his　mistress；　for

whom　he　feels　an　adoration　like　that　of　Louis　IX。　for　the　saint　whose

name　he　bore。



〃At　nine　years　of　age　the　child　began　to　pray；　prayer　is　her　life。　You

saw　her　in　the　church　at　Christmas；　the　only　day　on　which　she　comes

there；　she　is　separated　from　the　other　worshippers　by　a　visible　space。

If　that　space　does　not　exist　between　herself　and　men　she　suffers。　That

is　why　she　passes　nearly　all　her　time　alone　in　the　chateau。　The　events

of　her　life　are　unknown；　she　is　seldom　seen；　her　days　are　spent　in　the

state　of　mystical　contemplation　which　was；　so　Catholic　writers　tell

us；　habitual　with　the　early　Christian　solitaries；　in　whom　the　oral

tradition　of　Christ's　own　words　still　remained。　Her　mind；　her　soul；

her　body；　all　within　her　is　virgin　as　the　snow　on　those　mountains。　At

ten　years　of　age　she　was　just　what　you　see　her　now。　When　she　was　nine

her　father　and　mother　expired　together；　without　pain　or　visible

malady；　after　naming　the　day　and　hour　at　which　they　would　cease　to　be。

Standing　at　their　feet　she　looked　at　them　with　a　calm　eye；　not　showing

either　sadness；　or　grief；　or　joy；　or　curiosity。　When　we　approached　to

remove　the　two　bodies　she　said；　'Carry　them　away！'　'Seraphita；'　I

said；　for　so　we　called　her；　'are　you　not　affected　by　the　death　of　your

father　and　your　mother　who　loved　you　so　much？'　'Dead？'　she　answered；

'no；　they　live　in　me　forever　That　is　nothing；'　she　pointed　without

emotion　to　the　bodies　they　were　bearing　away。　I　then　saw　her　for　the

third　time　only　since　her　birth。　In　church　it　is　difficult　to

distinguish　her；　she　stands　near　a　column　which；　seen　from　the　pulpit；

is　in　shadow；　so　that　I　cannot　observe　her　features。



〃Of　all　the　servants　of　the　household　there　remained　after　the　death

of　the　master　and　mistress　only　old　David；　who；　in　spite　of　his

eighty…two　years；　suffices　to　wait　on　his　mistress。　Some　of　our　Jarvis

people　tell　wonderful　tales　about　her。　These　have　a　certain　weight　in

a　land　so　essentially　conducive　to　mystery　as　ours；　and　I　am　now

studying　the　treatise　on　Incantations　by　Jean　Wier　and　other　works

relating　to　demonology；　where　pretended　supernatural　events　are

recorded；　hoping　to　find　facts　analogous　to　those　which　are　attributed

to　her。〃



〃Then　you　do　not　believe　in　her？〃　said　Wilfrid。



〃Oh　yes；　I　do；〃　said　the　pastor；　genially；　〃I　think　her　a　very

capricious　girl；　a　little　spoilt　by　her　parents；　who　turned　her　head

with　the　religious　ideas　I　have　just　revealed　to　you。〃



Minna　shook　her　head　in　a　way　that　gently　expressed　contradiction。



〃Poor　girl！〃　continued　the　old　man；　〃her　parents　bequeathed　to　her

that　fatal　exaltation　of　soul　which　misleads　mystics　and　renders　them

all　more　or　less　mad。　She　subjects　herself　to　fasts　which　horrify　poor

David。　The　good　old　man　is　like　a　sensitive　plant　which　quivers　at　the

slightest　breeze；　and　glows　under　the　first　sun…ray。　His　mistress；

whose　incomprehensible　language　has　become　his；　is　the　breeze　and　the

sun…ray　to　him；　in　his　eyes　her　feet　are　diamonds　and　her　brow　is

strewn　with　stars；　she　walks　environed　with　a　white　and　luminous

atmosphere；　her　voice　is　accompanied　by　music；　she　has　the　gift　of

rendering　herself　invisible。　If　you　ask　to　see　her；　he　will　tell　you

she　has　gone　to　the　ASTRAL　REGIONS。　It　is　difficult　to　believe　such　a

story；　is　it　not？　You　know　all　miracles　bear　more　or　less　resemblance

to　the　story　of　the　Golden　Tooth。　We　have　our　golden　tooth　in　Jarvis；

that　is　all。　Duncker　the　fisherman　asserts　that　he　has　seen　her　plunge

into　the　fiord　and　come　up　in　the　shape　of　an　eider…duck；　at　other

times　walking　on　the　billows　of　a　storm。　Fergus；　who　leads　the　flocks

to　the　saeters；　says　that　in　rainy　weather　a　circle　of　clear　sky　can

be　seen　over　the　Swedish　castle；　and　that　the　heavens　are　always　blue

above　Seraphita's　head　when　she　is　on　the　mountain。　Many　women　hear

the　tones　of　a　mighty　organ　when　Seraphita　enters　the　church；　and　ask

their　neighbors　earnestly　if　they　too　do　not　hear　them。　But　my

daughter；　for　whom　during　the　last　two　years　Seraphita　has　shown　much

affection；　has　never　heard　this　music；　and　has　never　perceived　the

heavenly　perfumes　which；　they　say；　make　the　air　fragrant　about　her

when　she　moves。　Minna；　to　be　sure；　has　often　on　returning　from　their

walks　together　expressed　to　me　the　delight　of　a　young　girl　in　the

beauties　of　our　spring…time；　in　the　spicy　odors　of　budding　larches　and

pines　and　the　earliest　flowers；　but　after　our　long　winters　what　can　be

more　natural　than　such　pleasure？　The　companionship　of　this　so…called

spirit　has　nothing　so　very　extraordinary　in　it；　has　it；　my　child？〃



〃The　secrets　of　that　spirit　are　not　mine；〃　said　Minna。　〃Near　it　I　know

all；　away　from　it　I　know　nothing；　near　that　exquisite　life　I　am　no

longer　myself；　far　from　it　I　forget　all。　The　time　we　pass　together　is

a　dream　which　my　memory　scarcely　retains。　I　may　have　heard　yet　not

remember　the　music　which　the　women　tell　of；　in　that　presence；　I　may

have　breathed　celestial　perfumes；　seen　the　glory　of　the　heavens；　and

yet　be　unable　to　recollect　them　here。〃



〃What　astonishes　me　most；〃　resumed　the　pastor；　addressing　Wilfrid；　〃is

to　notice　that　you　suffer　from　being　near　her。〃



〃Near　her！〃　exclaimed　the　stranger；　〃she　has　never　so　much　as　let　me

touch　her　hand。　When　she　saw　me　for　the　first　time　her　glance

intimidated　me；　she　said：　'You　are　welcome　here；　for　you　were　to

come。'　I　fancied　that　she　knew　me。　I　trembled。　It　is　fear　that　forces

me　to　believe　in　her。〃



〃With　me　it　is　love；〃　said　Minna；　without　a　blush。



〃Are　you　making　fun　of　me？〃　said　Monsieur　Becker；　laughing　good…

humoredly；　〃you　my　daughter；　in　calling　yourself　a　Spirit　of　Love；　and

you；　Monsieur　Wilfrid；　in　pretending　to　be　a　Spirit　of　Wisdom？〃



He　drank　a　glass　of　beer　and　so　did　not　see　the　singular　look　which

Wilfrid　cast　upon　Minna。



〃Jesting　apart；〃　resumed　the　old　gentleman；　〃I　have　been　much

astonished　to　hear　that　these　two　mad…caps　ascended　to　the　summit　of

the　Falberg；　it　must　be　a　girlish　exaggeration；　they　probably　went　to

the　crest　of　a　ledge。　It　is　impossible　to　reach　the　peaks　of　the

Falberg。〃



〃If　so；　father；〃　said　Minna；　in　an　agitated　voice；　〃I　must　have　been

under　the　power　of　a　spirit；　for　indeed　we　reached　the　summit　of　the

Ice…Cap。〃



〃This　is　really　serious；〃　said　Monsieur　Becker。　〃Minna　is　always

truthful。〃



〃Monsieur　Becker；〃　said　Wilfrid；　〃I　swear　to　you　that　Seraphita

exercises　such　extraordinary　power　over　me　that　I　know　no　language　in

which　I　can　give　you　the　least　idea　of　it。　She　has　revealed　to　me

things　known　to　myself　alone。〃



〃Somnambulism！〃　said　the　old　man。　〃A　great　many　such　effects　are

related　by　Jean　Wier　as　phenomena　easily　explained　and　formerly

observed　in　Egypt。〃



〃Lend　me　Swedenborg's　theosophical　works；〃　said　Wilfrid；　〃and　let　me

plunge　into　those　gulfs　of　light；you　have　given　me　a　thirst　for

them。〃



Monsieur　Becker　took　down　a　volume　and　gave　it　to　his　guest；　who

instantly　began　to　read　it。　It　was　about　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening。

The　serving…woman　brought　in　the　supper。　Minna　made　tea。　The　repast

over；　each　turned　silently　to　his　or　her　occupation；　the　pastor　read

the　Incantations；　Wilfrid　pursued　the　spirit　of　Swedenborg；　and　the

young　girl　continued　to　sew；　her　mind　absorbed　in　recollections。　It

was　a　true　Norwegian　eveningpeaceful；　studious；　and　domestic；　full

of　thoughts；　flowers　blooming　beneath　the　snow。　Wilfrid；　as　he

devoured　the　pages　of　the　prophet；　lived　by　his　inner　senses　only；　the

pastor；　looking　up　at　times　from　his　book；　called　Minna's　attention　to

the　absorption　of　their　guest　with　an　air　that　was