seraphita-第20部分

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'Arabian　Nights'　to　common　minds；〃　said　the　pastor；　smiling。



〃Did　not　Satan　carry　our　Savior　to　the　pinnacle　of　the　Temple；　and

show　him　all　the　kingdoms　of　the　world？〃　she　said。



〃The　Evangelists；〃　replied　her　father；　〃did　not　correct　their　copies

very　carefully；　and　several　versions　are　in　existence。〃



〃You　believe　in　the　reality　of　these　visions？〃　said　Wilfrid　to　Minna。



〃Who　can　doubt　when　he　relates　them。〃



〃He？〃　demanded　Wilfrid。　〃Who？〃



〃He　who　is　there；〃　replied　Minna；　motioning　towards　the　chateau。



〃Are　you　speaking　of　Seraphita？〃　he　said。



The　young　girl　bent　her　head；　and　looked　at　him　with　an　expression　of

gentle　mischief。



〃You　too！〃　exclaimed　Wilfrid；　〃you　take　pleasure　in　confounding　me。

Who　and　what　is　she？　What　do　you　think　of　her？〃



〃What　I　feel　is　inexplicable；〃　said　Minna；　blushing。



〃You　are　all　crazy！〃　cried　the　pastor。



〃Farewell；　until　to…morrow　evening；〃　said　Wilfrid。







CHAPTER　IV



THE　CLOUDS　OF　THE　SANCTUARY



There　are　pageants　in　which　all　the　material　splendors　that　man　arrays

co…operate。　Nations　of　slaves　and　divers　have　searched　the　sands　of

ocean　and　the　bowels　of　earth　for　the　pearls　and　diamonds　which　adorn

the　spectators。　Transmitted　as　heirlooms　from　generation　to

generation；　these　treasures　have　shone　on　consecrated　brows　and　could

be　the　most　faithful　of　historians　had　they　speech。　They　know　the　joys

and　sorrows　of　the　great　and　those　of　the　small。　Everywhere　do　they

go；　they　are　worn　with　pride　at　festivals；　carried　in　despair　to

usurers；　borne　off　in　triumph　amid　blood　and　pillage；　enshrined　in

masterpieces　conceived　by　art　for　their　protection。　None；　except　the

pearl　of　Cleopatra；　has　been　lost。　The　Great　and　the　Fortunate

assemble　to　witness　the　coronation　of　some　king；　whose　trappings　are

the　work　of　men's　hands；　but　the　purple　of　whose　raiment　is　less

glorious　than　that　of　the　flowers　of　the　field。　These　festivals；

splendid　in　light；　bathed　in　music　which　the　hand　of　man　creates；　aye；

all　the　triumphs　of　that　hand　are　subdued　by　a　thought；　crushed　by　a

sentiment。　The　Mind　can　illumine　in　a　man　and　round　a　man　a　light　more

vivid；　can　open　his　ear　to　more　melodious　harmonies；　can　seat　him　on

clouds　of　shining　constellations　and　teach　him　to　question　them。　The

Heart　can　do　still　greater　things。　Man　may　come　into　the　presence　of

one　sole　being　and　find　in　a　single　word；　a　single　look；　an　influence

so　weighty　to　bear；　of　so　luminous　a　light；　so　penetrating　a　sound；

that　he　succumbs　and　kneels　before　it。　The　most　real　of　all　splendors

are　not　in　outward　things；　they　are　within　us。　A　single　secret　of

science　is　a　realm　of　wonders　to　the　man　of　learning。　Do　the　trumpets

of　Power；　the　jewels　of　Wealth；　the　music　of　Joy；　or　a　vast　concourse

of　people　attend　his　mental　festival？　No；　he　finds　his　glory　in　some

dim　retreat　where；　perchance；　a　pallid　suffering　man　whispers　a　single

word　into　his　ear；　that　word；　like　a　torch　lighted　in　a　mine；　reveals

to　him　a　Science。　All　human　ideas；　arrayed　in　every　attractive　form

which　Mystery　can　invent　surrounded　a　blind　man　seated　in　a　wayside

ditch。　Three　worlds；　the　Natural；　the　Spiritual；　the　Divine；　with　all

their　spheres；　opened　their　portals　to　a　Florentine　exile；　he　walked

attended　by　the　Happy　and　the　Unhappy；　by　those　who　prayed　and　those

who　moaned；　by　angels　and　by　souls　in　hell。　When　the　Sent　of　God；　who

knew　and　could　accomplish　all　things；　appeared　to　three　of　his

disciples　it　was　at　eventide；　at　the　common　table　of　the　humblest　of

inns；　and　then　and　there　the　Light　broke　forth；　shattering　Material

Forms；　illuminating　the　Spiritual　Faculties；　so　that　they　saw　him　in

his　glory；　and　the　earth　lay　at　their　feet　like　a　cast…off　sandal。



Monsieur　Becker；　Wilfrid；　and　Minna　were　all　under　the　influence　of

fear　as　they　took　their　way　to　meet　the　extraordinary　being　whom　each

desired　to　question。　To　them；　in　their　several　ways；　the　Swedish

castle　had　grown　to　mean　some　gigantic　representation；　some　spectacle

like　those　whose　colors　and　masses　are　skilfully　and　harmoniously

marshalled　by　the　poets；　and　whose　personages；　imaginary　actors　to

men；　are　real　to　those　who　begin　to　penetrate　the　Spiritual　World。　On

the　tiers　of　this　Coliseum　Monsieur　Becker　seated　the　gray　legions　of

Doubt；　the　stern　ideas；　the　specious　formulas　of　Dispute。　He　convoked

the　various　antagonistic　worlds　of　philosophy　and　religion；　and　they

all　appeared；　in　the　guise　of　a　fleshless　shape；　like　that　in　which

art　embodies　Time；an　old　man　bearing　in　one　hand　a　scythe；　in　the

other　a　broken　globe；　the　human　universe。



Wilfrid　had　bidden　to　the　scene　his　earliest　illusions　and　his　latest

hopes；　human　destiny　and　its　conflicts；　religion　and　its　conquering

powers。



Minna　saw　heaven　confusedly　by　glimpses；　love　raised　a　curtain　wrought

with　mysterious　images；　and　the　melodious　sounds　which　met　her　ear

redoubled　her　curiosity。



To　all　three；　therefore；　this　evening　was　to　be　what　that　other

evening　had　been　for　the　pilgrims　to　Emmaus；　what　a　vision　was　to

Dante；　an　inspiration　to　Homer；to　them；　three　aspects　of　the　world

revealed；　veils　rent　away；　doubts　dissipated；　darkness　illumined。

Humanity　in　all　its　moods　expecting　light　could　not　be　better

represented　than　here　by　this　young　girl；　this　man　in　the　vigor　of　his

age；　and　these　old　men；　of　whom　one　was　learned　enough　to　doubt；　the

other　ignorant　enough　to　believe。　Never　was　any　scene　more　simple　in

appearance；　nor　more　portentous　in　reality。



When　they　entered　the　room；　ushered　in　by　old　David；　they　found

Seraphita　standing　by　a　table　on　which　were　served　the　various　dishes

which　compose　a　〃tea〃；　a　form　of　collation　which　in　the　North　takes

the　place　of　wine　and　its　pleasures；reserved　more　exclusively　for

Southern　climes。　Certainly　nothing　proclaimed　in　her；　or　in　him；　a

being　with　the　strange　power　of　appearing　under　two　distinct　forms；

nothing　about　her　betrayed　the　manifold　powers　which　she　wielded。　Like

a　careful　housewife　attending　to　the　comfort　of　her　guests；　she

ordered　David　to　put　more　wood　into　the　stove。



〃Good　evening；　my　neighbors；〃　she　said。　〃Dear　Monsieur　Becker；　you　do

right　to　come；　you　see　me　living　for　the　last　time；　perhaps。　This

winter　has　killed　me。　Will　you　sit　there？〃　she　said　to　Wilfrid。　〃And

you；　Minna；　here？〃　pointing　to　a　chair　beside　her。　〃I　see　you　have

brought　your　embroidery。　Did　you　invent　that　stitch？　the　design　is

very　pretty。　For　whom　is　it；your　father；　or　monsieur？〃　she　added；

turning　to　Wilfrid。　〃Surely　we　ought　to　give　him；　before　we　part；　a

remembrance　of　the　daughters　of　Norway。〃



〃Did　you　suffer　much　yesterday？〃　asked　Wilfrid。



〃It　was　nothing；〃　she　answered；　〃the　suffering　gladdened　me；　it　was

necessary；　to　enable　me　to　leave　this　life。〃



〃Then　death　does　not　alarm　you？〃　said　Monsieur　Becker；　smiling；　for　he

did　not　think　her　ill。



〃No；　dear　pastor；　there　are　two　ways　of　dying：　to　some；　death　is

victory；　to　others；　defeat。〃



〃Do　you　think　that　you　have　conquered？〃　asked　Minna。



〃I　do　not　know；〃　she　said；　〃perhaps　I　have　only　taken　a　step　in　the

path。〃



The　lustrous　splendor　of　her　brow　grew　dim；　her　eyes　were　veiled

beneath　slow…dropping　lids；　a　simple　movement　which　affected　the

prying　guests　and　kept　them　silent。　Monsieur　Becker　was　the　first　to

recover　courage。



〃Dear　child；〃　he　said；　〃you　are　truth　itself；　and　you　are　ever　kind。　I

would　ask　of　you　to…night　something　other　than　the　dainties　of　your

tea…table。　If　we　may　believe　certain　persons；　you　know　amazing　things；

if　this　be　true；　would　it　not　be　charitable　in　you　to　solve　a　few　of

our　doubts？〃



〃Ah！〃　she　said　smiling；　〃I　walk　on　the　clouds。　I　visit　the　depths　of

the　fiord；　the　sea　is　my　steed　and　I　bridle　it；　I　know　where　the

singing　flower　grows；　and　the　talking　light　descends；　and　fragrant

colors　shine！　I　wear　the　seal　of　Solomon；　I　am　a　fairy；　I　cast　my

orders　to　the　wind　which；　like　an　abject　slave；　fulfils　them；　my　eyes

can　pierce　the　earth　and　behold　its　treasures；　for　lo！　am　I　not　the

virgin　to　whom　the　pearls　dart　from　their　ocean　depths　and〃



〃who　led　me　safely　to　the　summit　of　the　Falberg？〃　said　Minna；

interrupting　her。



〃Thou！　thou　too！〃　exclaimed　the　strange　being；　with　a　luminous　glance

at　the　young　girl　which　filled　her　soul　with　trouble。　〃Had　I　not　the

faculty　of　reading　through　your　foreheads　the　desires　which　have

brought　you　here；　should　I　be　what　you　think　I　am？〃　she　said；

encircling　all　three　with　her　controlling　glance；　to　David's　great

satisfaction。　The　old　man　rubbed　his　hands　with　pleasure　as　he　left

the　room。



〃Ah！〃　she　resumed　after　a　pause；　〃you　have　come；　all　of　you；　with　the

curiosity　of　children。　You；　my　poor　Monsieur　Becker；　have　asked

yourself　how　it　was　possible　that　a　girl　of　seventeen　should　know　even

a　single　one　of　those　secrets　which　men　of　science　seek　with　their

noses　to　the　eart