zanoni-第94部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


hastily。　　〃This　to　Citizen　President　Dumas。　　Go　with　it　quick；

Simon。　　These　eighty　heads　must　fall　TO…MORROW；TO…MORROW；

Simon。　　Dumas　will　advance　their　trial　a　day。　　I　will　write　to

Fouquier…Tinville；　the　public　accuser。　　We　meet　at　the　Jacobins

to…night；　Simon；　there　we　will　denounce　the　Convention　itself；

there　we　will　rally　round　us　the　last　friends　of　liberty　and

France。〃



A　shout　was　heard　in　the　distance　behind；　〃Vive　la　republique！〃



The　tyrant's　eye　shot　a　vindictive　gleam。　　〃The　republic！faugh！

We　did　not　destroy　the　throne　of　a　thousand　years　for　that

canaille！〃



THE　TRIAL；　THE　EXECUTION；　OF　THE　VICTIMS　IS　ADVANCED　A　DAY！　　By

the　aid　of　the　mysterious　intelligence　that　had　guided　and

animated　him　hitherto；　Zanoni　learned　that　his　arts　had　been　in

vain。　　He　knew　that　Viola　was　safe；　if　she　could　but　survive　an

hour　the　life　of　the　tyrant。　　He　knew　that　Robespierre's　hours

were　numbered；　that　the　10th　of　Thermidor；　on　which　he　had

originally　designed　the　execution　of　his　last　victims；　would　see

himself　at　the　scaffold。　Zanoni　had　toiled；　had　schemed　for　the

fall　of　the　Butcher　and　his　reign。　　To　what　end？　　A　single　word

from　the　tyrant　had　baffled　the　result　of　all。　　The　execution　of

Viola　is　advanced　a　day。　　Vain　seer；　who　wouldst　make　thyself　the

instrument　of　the　Eternal；　the　very　dangers　that　now　beset　the

tyrant　but　expedite　the　doom　of　his　victims！　　To…morrow；　eighty

heads；　and　hers　whose　pillow　has　been　thy　heart！　　To…morrow！　and

Maximilien　is　safe　to…night！





CHAPTER　7。XIII。



Erde　mag　zuruck　in　Erde　stauben；

Fliegt　der　Geist　doch　aus　dem　morschen　Haus。

Seine　Asche　mag　der　Sturmwind　treiben；

Sein　Leben　dauert　ewig　aus！

Elegie。



（Earth　may　crumble　back　into　earth；　the　Spirit　will　still　escape

from　its　frail　tenement。　　The　wind　of　the　storm　may　scatter　his

ashes；　his　being　endures　forever。）



To…morrow！and　it　is　already　twilight。　　One　after　one；　the

gentle　stars　come　smiling　through　the　heaven。　　The　Seine；　in　its

slow　waters；　yet　trembles　with　the　last　kiss　of　the　rosy　day；　and

still　in　the　blue　sky　gleams　the　spire　of　Notre　Dame；　and　still

in　the　blue　sky　looms　the　guillotine　by　the　Barriere　du　Trone。

Turn　to　that　time…worn　building；　once　the　church　and　the　convent

of　the　Freres…Precheurs；　known　by　the　then　holy　name　of　Jacobins；

there　the　new　Jacobins　hold　their　club。　　There；　in　that　oblong

hall；　once　the　library　of　the　peaceful　monks；　assemble　the

idolaters　of　St。　Robespierre。　　Two　immense　tribunes；　raised　at

either　end；　contain　the　lees　and　dregs　of　the　atrocious

populace；the　majority　of　that　audience　consisting　of　the　furies

of　the　guillotine　（furies　de　guillotine）。　　In　the　midst　of　the

hall　are　the　bureau　and　chair　of　the　president；the　chair　long

preserved　by　the　piety　of　the　monks　as　the　relic　of　St。　Thomas

Aquinas！　　Above　this　seat　scowls　the　harsh　bust　of　Brutus。　　An

iron　lamp　and　two　branches　scatter　over　the　vast　room　a　murky；

fuliginous　ray；　beneath　the　light　of　which　the　fierce　faces　of

that　Pandemonium　seem　more　grim　and　haggard。　　There；　from　the

orator's　tribune；　shrieks　the　shrill　wrath　of　Robespierre！



Meanwhile　all　is　chaos；　disorder；　half　daring　and　half　cowardice；

in　the　Committee　of　his　foes。　　Rumours　fly　from　street　to　street；

from　haunt　to　haunt；　from　house　to　house。　　The　swallows　flit　low；

and　the　cattle　group　together　before　the　storm。　　And　above　this

roar　of　the　lives　and　things　of　the　little　hour；　alone　in　his

chamber　stood　he　on　whose　starry　youthsymbol　of　the

imperishable　bloom　of　the　calm　Ideal　amidst　the　mouldering

Actualthe　clouds　of　ages　had　rolled　in　vain。



All　those　exertions　which　ordinary　wit　and　courage　could　suggest

had　been　tried　in　vain。　　All　such　exertions　WERE　in　vain；　where；

in　that　Saturnalia　of　death；　a　life　was　the　object。　　Nothing　but

the　fall　of　Robespierre　could　have　saved　his　victims；　now；　too

late；　that　fall　would　only　serve　to　avenge。



Once　more；　in　that　last　agony　of　excitement　and　despair；　the　seer

had　plunged　into　solitude；　to　invoke　again　the　aid　or　counsel　of

those　mysterious　intermediates　between　earth　and　heaven　who　had

renounced　the　intercourse　of　the　spirit　when　subjected　to　the

common　bondage　of　the　mortal。　　In　the　intense　desire　and　anguish

of　his　heart；　perhaps；　lay　a　power　not　yet　called　forth；　for　who

has　not　felt　that　the　sharpness　of　extreme　grief　cuts　and　grinds

away　many　of　those　strongest　bonds　of　infirmity　and　doubt　which

bind　down　the　souls　of　men　to　the　cabined　darkness　of　the　hour；

and　that　from　the　cloud　and　thunderstorm　often　swoops　the

Olympian　eagle　that　can　ravish　us　aloft！



And　the　invocation　was　heard；the　bondage　of　sense　was　rent　away

from　the　visual　mind。　　He　looked；　and　saw；no；　not　the　being　he

had　called；　with　its　limbs　of　light　and　unutterably　tranquil

smilenot　his　familiar；　Adon…Ai；　the　Son　of　Glory　and　the　Star；

but　the　Evil　Omen；　the　dark　Chimera；　the　implacable　Foe；　with

exultation　and　malice　burning　in　its　hell…lit　eyes。　　The　Spectre；

no　longer　cowering　and　retreating　into　shadow；　rose　before　him；

gigantic　and　erect；　the　face；　whose　veil　no　mortal　hand　had　ever

raised；　was　still　concealed；　but　the　form　was　more　distinct；

corporeal；　and　cast　from　it；　as　an　atmosphere；　horror　and　rage

and　awe。　　As　an　iceberg；　the　breath　of　that　presence　froze　the

air；　as　a　cloud；　it　filled　the　chamber　and　blackened　the　stars

from　heaven。



〃Lo！〃　said　its　voice；　〃I　am　here　once　more。　　Thou　hast　robbed　me

of　a　meaner　prey。　　Now　exorcise　THYSELF　from　my　power！　　Thy　life

has　left　thee；　to　live　in　the　heart　of　a　daughter　of　the　charnel

and　the　worm。　　In　that　life　I　come　to　thee　with　my　inexorable

tread。　　Thou　art　returned　to　the　Threshold；thou；　whose　steps

have　trodden　the　verges　of　the　Infinite！　　And　as　the　goblin　of

its　fantasy　seizes　on　a　child　in　the　dark；mighty　one；　who

wouldst　conquer　Death；I　seize　on　thee！〃



〃Back　to　thy　thraldom；　slave！　　If　thou　art　come　to　the　voice　that

called　thee　not；　it　is　again　not　to　command；　but　to　obey！　　Thou；

from　whose　whisper　I　gained　the　boons　of　the　lives　lovelier　and

dearer　than　my　own；　thouI　command　thee；　not　by　spell　and　charm；

but　by　the　force　of　a　soul　mightier　than　the　malice　of　thy

being；thou　serve　me　yet；　and　speak　again　the　secret　that　can

rescue　the　lives　thou　hast；　by　permission　of　the　Universal

Master；　permitted　me　to　retain　awhile　in　the　temple　of　the　clay！〃



Brighter　and　more　devouringly　burned　the　glare　from　those　lurid

eyes；　more　visible　and　colossal　yet　rose　the　dilating　shape；　a

yet　fiercer　and　more　disdainful　hate　spoke　in　the　voice　that

answered；　〃Didst　thou　think　that　my　boon　would　be　other　than　thy

curse？　　Happy　for　thee　hadst　thou　mourned　over　the　deaths　which

come　by　the　gentle　hand　of　Nature；hadst　thou　never　known　how

the　name　of　mother　consecrates　the　face　of　Beauty；　and　never；

bending　over　thy　first…born；　felt　the　imperishable　sweetness　of　a

father's　love！　　They　are　saved；　for　what？the　mother；　for　the

death　of　violence　and　shame　and　blood；　for　the　doomsman's　hand　to

put　aside　that　shining　hair　which　has　entangled　thy　bridegroom

kisses；　the　child；　first　and　last　of　thine　offspring；　in　whom

thou　didst　hope　to　found　a　race　that　should　hear　with　thee　the

music　of　celestial　harps；　and　float；　by　the　side　of　thy　familiar；

Adon…Ai；　through　the　azure　rivers　of　joy；the　child；　to　live　on

a　few　days　as　a　fungus　in　a　burial…vault；　a　thing　of　the

loathsome　dungeon；　dying　of　cruelty　and　neglect　and　famine。　　Ha！

ha！　thou　who　wouldst　baffle　Death；　learn　how　the　deathless　die　if

they　dare　to　love　the　mortal。　　Now；　Chaldean；　behold　my　boons！

Now　I　seize　and　wrap　thee　with　the　pestilence　of　my　presence；

now；　evermore；　till　thy　long　race　is　run；　mine　eyes　shall　glow

into　thy　brain；　and　mine　arms　shall　clasp　thee；　when　thou　wouldst

take　the　wings　of　the　Morning　and　flee　from　the　embrace　of

Night！〃



〃I　tell　thee；　no！　　And　again　I　compel　thee；　speak　and　answer　to

the　lord　who　can　command　his　slave。　　I　know；　though　my　lore　fails

me；　and　the　reeds　on　which　I　leaned　pierce　my　side；I　know　yet

that　it　is　written　that　the　life　of　which　I　question　can　be　saved

from　the　headsman。　　Thou　wrappest　her　future　in　the　darkness　of

thy　shadow；　but　thou　canst　not　shape　it。　　Thou　mayest　foreshow

the　antidote；　thou　canst　not　effect　the　bane。　　From　thee　I　wring

the　secret；　though　it　torture　thee　to　name　it。　　I　approach　thee；

I　look　dauntless　into　thine　eyes。　　The　soul　that　loves　can　dare

all　things。　　Shadow；　I　defy　thee；　and　compel！〃



The　spectre　waned　and　recoiled。　　Like　a　vapour　that　lessens　as

the　sun　pierces　and　pervades　it；　the　form　shrank　cowering　and

dwarfed　in　the　dimmer　distance；　and　through　the　casement　again

rushed　the　stars。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　Voice；　with　a　faint　and　hollow　accent；　〃thou

CANST　save　her　from　the　headsman；　for　it　is　written；　that

sacrifice　can　save。　　Ha！　ha！〃　　And　the　shape　again　suddenly

dilated　into　the　gloom　of　its