the notch on the ax and on being found out-第44章
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habit as he attempted to lift the cup to his lips once morein
vain。 The guests sat in astonished silence。 Father Olavida alone
remained standing; but at that moment the Englishman rose; and
appeared determined to fix Olavida's regards by a gaze like that of
fascination。 Olavida rocked; reeled; grasped the arm of a page;
and at last; closing his eyes for a moment; as if to escape the
horrible fascination of that unearthly glare (the Englishman's eyes
were observed by all the guests; from the moment of his entrance;
to effuse a most fearful and preternatural luster); exclaimed; 〃Who
is among us?Who?I cannot utter a blessing while he is here。 I
cannot feel one。 Where he treads; the earth is parched!Where he
breathes; the air is fire!Where he feeds; the food is poison!
Where he turns his glance is lightning!WHO IS AMONG US?WHO?〃
repeated the priest in the agony of adjuration; while his cowl
fallen back; his few thin hairs around the scalp instinct and alive
with terrible emotion; his outspread arms protruded from the
sleeves of his habit; and extended toward the awful stranger;
suggested the idea of an inspired being in the dreadful rapture of
prophetic denunciation。 He stoodstill stood; and the Englishman
stood calmly opposite to him。 There was an agitated irregularity
in the attitudes of those around them; which contrasted strongly
the fixed and stern postures of those two; who remained gazing
silently at each other。 〃Who knows him?〃 exclaimed Olavida;
starting apparently from a trance; 〃who knows him? who brought him
here?〃
The guests severally disclaimed all knowledge of the Englishman;
and each asked the other in whispers; 〃who HAD brought him there?〃
Father Olavida then pointed his arm to each of the company; and
asked each individually; 〃Do you know him?〃 No! no! no!〃 was
uttered with vehement emphasis by every individual。 〃But I know
him;〃 said Olavida; 〃by these cold drops!〃 and he wiped them off;
〃by these convulsed joints!〃 and he attempted to sign the cross;
but could not。 He raised his voice; and evidently speaking with
increased difficulty;〃By this bread and wine; which the faithful
receive as the body and blood of Christ; but which HIS presence
converts into matter as viperous as the suicide foam of the dying
Judas;by all theseI know him; and command him to be gone!He
ishe is〃 and he bent forward as he spoke; and gazed on the
Englishman with an expression which the mixture of rage; hatred;
and fear rendered terrible。 All the guests rose at these words;
the whole company now presented two singular groups; that of the
amazed guests all collected together; and repeating; 〃Who; what is
he?〃 and that of the Englishman; who stood unmoved; and Olavida;
who dropped dead in the attitude of pointing to him。
。 。 。 。 。
The body was removed into another room; and the departure of the
Englishman was not noticed till the company returned to the hall。
They sat late together; conversing on this extraordinary
circumstance; and finally agreed to remain in the house; lest the
evil spirit (for they believed the Englishman no better) should
take certain liberties with the corse by no means agreeable to a
Catholic; particularly as he had manifestly died without the
benefit of the last sacraments。 Just as this laudable resolution
was formed; they were roused by cries of horror and agony from the
bridal chamber; where the young pair had retired。
They hurried to the door; but the father was first。 They burst it
open; and found the bride a corse in the arms of her husband。
。 。 。 。 。
He never recovered his reason; the family deserted the mansion
rendered terrible by so many misfortunes。 One apartment is still
tenanted by the unhappy maniac; his were the cries you heard as you
traversed the deserted rooms。 He is for the most part silent
during the day; but at midnight he always exclaims; in a voice
frightfully piercing; and hardly human; 〃They are coming! they are
coming!〃 and relapses into profound silence。
The funeral of Father Olavida was attended by an extraordinary
circumstance。 He was interred in a neighboring convent; and the
reputation of his sanctity; joined to the interest caused by his
extraordinary death; collected vast numbers at the ceremony。 His
funeral sermon was preached by a monk of distinguished eloquence;
appointed for the purpose。 To render the effect of his discourse
more powerful; the corse; extended on a bier; with its face
uncovered; was placed in the aisle。 The monk took his text from
one of the prophets;〃Death is gone up into our palaces。〃 He
expatiated on mortality; whose approach; whether abrupt or
lingering; is alike awful to man。He spoke of the vicisstudes of
empires with much eloquence and learning; but his audience were not
observed to be much affected。He cited various passages from the
lives of the saints; descriptive of the glories of martyrdom; and
the heroism of those who had bled and blazed for Christ and his
blessed mother; but they appeared still waiting for something to
touch them more deeply。 When he inveighed against the tyrants
under whose bloody persecution those holy men suffered; his hearers
were roused for a moment; for it is always easier to excite a
passion than a moral feeling。 But when he spoke of the dead; and
pointed with emphatic gesture to the corse; as it lay before them
cold and motionless; every eye was fixed; and every ear became
attentive。 Even the lovers; who; under pretense of dipping their
fingers into the holy water; were contriving to exchange amorous
billets; forbore for one moment this interesting intercourse; to
listen to the preacher。 He dwelt with much energy on the virtues
of the deceased; whom he declared to be a particular favorite of
the Virgin; and enumerating the various losses that would be caused
by his departure to the community to which he belonged; to society;
and to religion at large; he at last worked up himself to a
vehement expostulation with the Deity on the occasion。 〃Why hast
thou;〃 he exclaimed; 〃why hast thou; Oh God! thus dealt with us?
Why hast thou snatched from our sight this glorious saint; whose
merits; if properly applied; doubtless would have been sufficient
to atone for the apostasy of St。 Peter; the opposition of St。 Paul
(previous to his conversion); and even the treachery of Judas
himself? Why hast thou; Oh God! snatched him from us?〃and a deep
and hollow voice from among the congregation answered;〃Because he
deserved his fate。〃 The murmurs of approbation with which the
congregation honored this apostrophe half drowned this
extraordinary interruption; and though there was some little
commotion in the immediate vicinity of the speaker; the rest of the
audience continued to listen intently。 〃What;〃 proceeded the
preacher; pointing to the corse; 〃what hath laid thee there;
servant of God?〃〃Pride; ignorance; and fear;〃 answered the same
voice; in accents still more thrilling。 The disturbance now became
universal。 The preacher paused; and a circle opening; disclosed
the figure of a monk belonging to the convent; who stood among
them。
。 。 。 。 。
After all the usual modes of admonition; exhortation; and
discipline had been employed; and the bishop of the diocese; who;
under the report of these extraordinary circumstances; had visited
the convent in person to obtain some explanation from the
contumacious monk in vain; it was agreed; in a chapter
extraordinary; to surrender him to the power of the Inquisition。
He testified great horror when this determination was made known to
him;and offered to tell over and over again all that he COULD
relate of the cause of Father Olavida's death。 His humiliation;
and repeated offers of confession; came too late。 He was conveyed
to the Inquisition。 The proceedings of that tribunal are rarely
disclosed; but there is a secret report (I cannot answer for its
truth) of what he said and suffered there。 On his first
examination; he said he would relate all he COULD。 He was told
that was not enough; he must relate all he knew。
。