the notch on the ax and on being found out-第39章

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my　beagles；　I　hunted　for　some　time　in　your　forest　before　opening　my
regular　campaign；　and　I　am　surprised　that　you　did　not　hear　of　the
death　which　met　the　executionerhim　I　mean　who　dared　to　lift　his
hand　against　my　mother。　　This　man　I　met　by　accident　in　the　forest；
and　I　slew　him。　　I　talked　with　the　wretch；　as　a　stranger　at　first；
upon　the　memorable　case　of　the　Jewish　lady。　　Had　he　relented；　had
he　expressed　compunction；　I　might　have　relented。　　But　far
otherwise：　the　dog；　not　dreaming　to　whom　he　spoke；　exulted；　he
But　why　repeat　the　villain's　words？　　I　cut　him　to　pieces。　　Next　I
did　this：　My　agents　I　caused　to　matriculate　separately　at　the
college。　　They　assumed　the　college　dress。　　And　now　mark　the
solution　of　that　mystery　which　caused　such　perplexity。　　Simply　as
students　we　all　had　an　unsuspected　admission　at　any　house。　　Just
then　there　was　a　common　practice；　as　you　will　remember；　among　the
younger　students；　of　going　out　a　maskingthat　is；　of　entering
houses　in　the　academic　dress；　and　with　the　face　masked。　　This
practice　subsisted　even　during　the　most　intense　alarm　from　the
murderers；　for　the　dress　of　the　students　was　supposed　to　bring
protection　along　with　it。　　But；　even　after　suspicion　had　connected
itself　with　this　dress；　it　was　sufficient　that　I　should　appear
unmasked　at　the　head　of　the　maskers；　to　insure　them　a　friendly
reception。　　Hence　the　facility　with　which　death　was　inflicted；　and
that　unaccountable　absence　of　any　motion　toward　an　alarm。　　I　took
hold　of　my　victim；　and　he　looked　at　me　with　smiling　security。　　Our
weapons　were　hid　under　our　academic　robes；　and　even　when　we　drew
them　out；　and　at　the　moment　of　applying　them　to　the　threat；　they
still　supposed　our　gestures　to　be　part　of　the　pantomime　we　were
performing。　　Did　I　relish　this　abuse　of　personal　confidence　in
myself？　　NoI　loathed　it；　and　I　grieved　for　its　necessity；　but　my
mother；　a　phantom　not　seen　with　bodily　eyes；　but　ever　present　to　my
mind；　continually　ascended　before　me；　and　still　I　shouted　aloud　to
my　astounded　victim；　'This　comes　from　the　Jewess！　　Hound　of　hounds！
Do　you　remember　the　Jewess　whom　you　dishonored；　and　the　oaths　which
you　broke　in　order　that　you　might　dishonor　her；　and　the　righteous
law　which　you　violated；　and　the　cry　of　anguish　from　her　son　which
you　scoffed　at？'　　Who　I　was；　what　I　avenged；　and　whom；　I　made　every
man　aware；　and　every　woman；　before　I　punished　them。　　The　details　of
the　cases　I　need　not　repeat。　　One　or　two　I　was　obliged；　at　the
beginning；　to　commit　to　my　Jews。　　The　suspicion　was　thus；　from　the
first；　turned　aside　by　the　notoriety　of　my　presence　elsewhere；　but
I　took　care　that　none　suffered　who　had　not　either　been　upon　the
guilty　list　of　magistrates　who　condemned　the　mother；　or　of　those
who　turned　away　with　mockery　from　the　supplication　of　the　son。

〃It　pleased　God；　however；　to　place　a　mighty　temptation　in　my　path；
which　might　have　persuaded　me　to　forego　all　thoughts　of　vengeance；
to　forget　my　vow；　to　forget　the　voices　which　invoked　me　from　the
grave。　　This　was　Margaret　Liebenheim。　　Ah！　how　terrific　appeared　my
duty　of　bloody　retribution；　after　her　angel's　face　and　angel's
voice　had　calmed　me。　　With　respect　to　her　grandfather；　strange　it
is　to　mention；　that　never　did　my　innocent　wife　appear　so　lovely　as
precisely　in　the　relation　of　granddaughter。　　So　beautiful　was　her
goodness　to　the　old　man；　and　so　divine　was　the　childlike　innocence
on　her　part；　contrasted　with　the　guilty　recollections　associated
with　himfor　he　was　among　the　guiltiest　toward　my　motherstill　I
delayed　HIS　punishment　to　the　last；　and；　for　his　child's　sake；　I
would　have　pardoned　himnay；　I　had　resolved　to　do　so；　when　a
fierce　Jew；　who　had　a　deep　malignity　toward　this　man；　swore　that　he
would　accomplish　HIS　vengeance　at　all　events；　and　perhaps　might　be
obliged　to　include　Margaret　in　the　ruin；　unless　I　adhered　to　the
original　scheme。　　Then　I　yielded；　for　circumstances　armed　this　man
with　momentary　power。　　But　the　night　fixed　on　was　one　in　which　I
had　reason　to　know　that　my　wife　would　be　absent；　for　so　I　had
myself　arranged　with　her；　and　the　unhappy　counter…arrangement　I　do
not　yet　understand。　　Let　me　add；　that　the　sole　purpose　of　my
clandestine　marriage　was　to　sting　her　grandfather's　mind　with　the
belief　that　HIS　family　had　been　dishonored；　even　as　he　had
dishonored　mine。　　He　learned；　as　I　took　care　that　he　should；　that
his　granddaughter　carried　about　with　her　the　promises　of　a　mother；
and　did　not　know　that　she　had　the　sanction　of　a　wife。　　This
discovery　made　him；　in　one　day；　become　eager　for　the　marriage　he
had　previously　opposed；　and　this　discovery　also　embittered　the
misery　of　his　death。　　At　that　moment　I　attempted　to　think　only　of
my　mother's　wrongs；　but；　in　spite　of　all　I　could　do；　this　old　man
appeared　to　me　in　the　light　of　Margaret's　grandfatherand；　had　I
been　left　to　myself；　he　would　have　been　saved。　　As　it　was；　never
was　horror　equal　to　mine　when　I　met　her　flying　to　his　succor。　　I
had　relied　upon　her　absence；　and　the　misery　of　that　moment；　when
her　eye　fell　upon　me　in　the　very　act　of　seizing　her　grandfather；
far　transcended　all　else　that　I　have　suffered　in　these　terrific
scenes。　　She　fainted　in　my　arms；　and　I　and　another　carried　her
upstairs　and　procured　water。　　Meantime　her　grandfather　had　been
murdered；　even　while　Margaret　fainted。　　I　had；　however；　under　the
fear　of　discovery；　though　never　anticipating　a　reencounter　with
herself；　forestalled　the　explanation　requisite　in　such　a　case　to
make　my　conduct　intelligible。　　I　had　told　her；　under　feigned　names；
the　story　of　my　mother　and　my　sisters。　　She　knew　their　wrongs：　she
had　heard　me　contend　for　the　right　of　vengeance。　　Consequently；　in
our　parting　interview；　one　word　only　was　required　to　place　myself
in　a　new　position　to　her　thoughts。　　I　needed　only　to　say　I　was　that
son；　that　unhappy　mother；　so　miserably　degraded　and　outraged；　was
mine。

〃As　to　the　jailer；　he　was　met　by　a　party　of　us。　　Not　suspecting
that　any　of　us　could　be　connected　with　the　family；　he　was　led　to
talk　of　the　most　hideous　details　with　regard　to　my　poor　Berenice。
The　child　had　not；　as　had　been　insinuated；　aided　her　own
degradation；　but　had　nobly　sustained　the　dignity　of　her　sex　and　her
family。　　Such　advantages　as　the　monster　pretended　to　have　gained
over　hersick；　desolate；　and　latterly　deliriouswere；　by　his　own
confession；　not　obtained　without　violence。　　This　was　too　much。
Forty　thousand　lives；　had　he　possessed　them；　could　not　have
gratified　my　thirst　for　revenge。　　Yet；　had　he　but　showed　courage；
he　should　have　died　the　death　of　a　soldier。　　But　the　wretch　showed
cowardice　the　most　abject；　and；but　you　know　his　fate。

〃Now；　then；　all　is　finished；　and　human　nature　is　avenged。　　Yet；　if
you　complain　of　the　bloodshed　and　the　terror；　think　of　the　wrongs
which　created　my　rights；　think　of　the　sacrifice　by　which　I　gave　a
tenfold　strength　to　those　rights；　think　of　the　necessity　for　a
dreadful　concussion　and　shock　to　society；　in　order　to　carry　my
lesson　into　the　councils　of　princes。

〃This　will　now　have　been　effected。　　And　ye；　victims　of　dishonor；
will　be　glorified　in　your　deaths；　ye　will　not　have　suffered　in
vain；　nor　died　without　a　monument。　　Sleep；　therefore；　sister
Berenicesleep；　gentle　Mariamne；　in　peace。　　And　thou；　noble
mother；　let　the　outrages　sown　in　thy　dishonor；　rise　again　and
blossom　in　wide　harvests　of　honor　for　the　women　of　thy　afflicted
race。　　Sleep；　daughters　of　Jerusalem；　in　the　sanctity　of　your
sufferings。　　And　thou；　if　it　be　possible；　even　more　beloved
daughter　of　a　Christian　fold；　whose　company　was　too　soon　denied　to
him　in　life；　open　thy　grave　to　receive　HIM；　who；　in　the　hour　of
death；　wishes　to　remember　no　title　which　he　wore　on　earth　but　that
of　thy　chosen　and　adoring　lover；

〃MAXIMILIAN。〃



Introduction　to　Melmoth　the　Wanderer


Balzac　likens　the　hero　of　one　of　his　short　stories　to　〃Moliere's
Don　Juan；　Goethe's　Faust；　Byron's　Manfred；　Maturin's　Melmothgreat
allegorical　figures　drawn　by　the　greatest　men　of　genius　in　Europe。〃

〃But　what　is　'Melmoth'？　　Why　is　HE　classed　as　'a　great　allegorical
figure'？〃　exclaimed　many　a　surprised　reader。　　Few　had　perusedfew
know　at　this　daythe　terrible　story　of　Melmoth　the