the lily of the valley(幽谷百合)-第24章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


image　of　the　child；　an　image　of　the　martyr？　Love　has　its　blazon；　and
the　countess　discerned　it　inwardly。　She　gave　me　a　poignant　glance
which　was　like　the　cry　of　a　soldier　when　his　wound　is　touched；　she　was
humbled　but　enraptured　too。　My　reward　was　in　that　glance；　to　refresh
her　heart；　to　have　given　her　comfort；　what　encouragement　for　me！　Then
it　was　that　I　pressed　the　theories　of　Pere　Castel　into　the　service　of
love；　and　recovered　a　science　lost　to　Europe；　where　written　pages　have
supplanted　the　flowery　missives　of　the　Orient　with　their　balmy　tints。
What　charm　in　expressing　our　sensations　through　these　daughters　of　the
sun；　sisters　to　the　flowers　that　bloom　beneath　the　rays　of　love！
Before　long　I　communed　with　the　flora　of　the　fields；　as　a　man　whom　I
met　in　after　days　at　Grandlieu　communed　with　his　bees。

Twice　a　week　during　the　remainder　of　my　stay　at　Frapesle　I　continued
the　slow　labor　of　this　poetic　enterprise；　for　the　ultimate
accomplishment　of　which　I　needed　all　varieties　of　herbaceous　plants；
into　these　I　made　a　deep　research；　less　as　a　botanist　than　as　a　poet；
studying　their　spirit　rather　than　their　form。　To　find　a　flower　in　its
native　haunts　I　walked　enormous　distances；　beside　the　brooklets；
through　the　valleys；　to　the　summit　of　the　cliffs；　across　the　moorland；
garnering　thoughts　even　from　the　heather。　During　these　rambles　I
initiated　myself　into　pleasures　unthought　of　by　the　man　of　science　who
lives　in　meditation；　unknown　to　the　horticulturist　busy　with
specialities；　to　the　artisan　fettered　to　a　city；　to　the　merchant
fastened　to　his　desk；　but　known　to　a　few　foresters；　to　a　few　woodsmen；
and　to　some　dreamers。　Nature　can　show　effects　the　significations　of
which　are　limitless；　they　rise　to　the　grandeur　of　the　highest　moral
conceptionsbe　it　the　heather　in　bloom；　covered　with　the　diamonds　of
the　dew　on　which　the　sunlight　dances；　infinitude　decked　for　the　single
glance　that　may　chance　to　fall　upon　it：be　it　a　corner　of　the　forest
hemmed　in　with　time…worn　rocks　crumbling　to　gravel　and　clothed　with
mosses　overgrown　with　juniper；　which　grasps　our　minds　as　something
savage；　aggressive；　terrifying　as　the　cry　of　the　kestrel　issuing　from
it：be　it　a　hot　and　barren　moor　without　vegetation；　stony；　rigid；　its
horizon　like　those　of　the　desert；　where　once　I　gathered　a　sublime　and
solitary　flower；　the　anemone　pulsatilla；　with　its　violet　petals
opening　for　the　golden　stamens；　affecting　image　of　my　pure　idol　alone
in　her　valley：be　it　great　sheets　of　water；　where　nature　casts　those
spots　of　greenery；　a　species　of　transition　between　the　plant　and
animal；　where　life　makes　haste　to　come　in　flowers　and　insects；
floating　there　like　worlds　in　ether：be　it　a　cottage　with　its　garden
of　cabbages；　its　vineyards；　its　hedges　overhanging　a　bog；　surrounded
by　a　few　sparse　fields　of　rye；　true　image　of　many　humble　existences：
be　it　a　forest　path　like　some　cathedral　nave；　where　the　trees　are
columns　and　their　branches　arch　the　roof；　at　the　far　end　of　which　a
light　breaks　through；　mingled　with　shadows　or　tinted　with　sunset　reds
athwart　the　leaves　which　gleam　like　the　colored　windows　of　a　chancel：
then；　leaving　these　woods　so　cool　and　branchy；　behold　a　chalk…land
lying　fallow；　where　among　the　warm　and　cavernous　mosses　adders　glide
to　their　lairs；　or　lift　their　proud　slim　heads。　Cast　upon　all　these
pictures　torrents　of　sunlight　like　beneficent　waters；　or　the　shadow　of
gray　clouds　drawn　in　lines　like　the　wrinkles　of　an　old　man's　brow；　or
the　cool　tones　of　a　sky　faintly　orange　and　streaked　with　lines　of　a
paler　tint；　then　listenyou　will　hear　indefinable　harmonies　amid　a
silence　which　blends　them　all。

During　the　months　of　September　and　October　I　did　not　make　a　single
bouquet　which　cost　me　less　than　three　hours　search；　so　much　did　I
admire；　with　the　real　sympathy　of　a　poet；　these　fugitive　allegories　of
human　life；　that　vast　theatre　I　was　about　to　enter；　the　scenes　of
which　my　memory　must　presently　recall。　Often　do　I　now　compare　those
splendid　scenes　with　memories　of　my　soul　thus　expending　itself　on
nature；　again　I　walk　that　valley　with　my　sovereign；　whose　white　robe
brushed　the　coppice　and　floated　on　the　green　sward；　whose　spirit　rose；
like　a　promised　fruit；　from　each　calyx　filled　with　amorous　stamens。

No　declaration　of　love；　no　vows　of　uncontrollable　passion　ever
conveyed　more　than　these　symphonies　of　flowers；　my　baffled　desires
impelled　me　to　efforts　of　expression　through　them　like　those　of
Beethoven　through　his　notes；　to　the　same　bitter　reactions；　to　the　same
mighty　bounds　towards　heaven。　In　their　presence　Madame　de　Mortsauf　was
my　Henriette。　She　looked　at　them　constantly；　they　fed　her　spirit；　she
gathered　all　the　thoughts　I　had　given　them；　saying；　as　she　raised　her
head　from　the　embroidery　frame　to　receive　my　gift；　〃Ah；　how
beautiful！〃

Natalie；　you　will　understand　this　delightful　intercourse　through　the
details　of　a　bouquet；　just　as　you　would　comprehend　Saadi　from　a
fragment　of　his　verse。　Have　you　ever　smelt　in　the　fields　in　the　month
of　May　the　perfume　that　communicates　to　all　created　beings　the
intoxicating　sense　of　a　new　creation；　the　sense　that　makes　you　trail
your　hand　in　the　water　from　a　boat；　and　loosen　your　hair　to　the　breeze
while　your　mind　revives　with　the　springtide　greenery　of　the　trees？　A
little　plant；　a　species　of　vernal　grass；　is　a　powerful　element　in　this
veiled　harmony；　it　cannot　be　worn　with　impunity；　take　into　your　hand
its　shining　blade；　striped　green　and　white　like　a　silken　robe；　and
mysterious　emotions　will　stir　the　rosebuds　your　modesty　keeps　hidden
in　the　depths　of　your　heart。　Round　the　neck　of　a　porcelain　vase
imagine　a　broad　margin　of　the　gray…white　tufts　peculiar　to　the　sedum
of　the　vineyards　of　Touraine；　vague　image　of　submissive　forms；　from
this　foundation　come　tendrils　of　the　bind…weed　with　its　silver　bells；
sprays　of　pink　rest…barrow　mingled　with　a　few　young　shoots　of　oak…
leaves；　lustrous　and　magnificently　colored；　these　creep　forth
prostrate；　humble　as　the　weeping…willow；　timid　and　supplicating　as
prayer。　Above；　see　those　delicate　threads　of　the　purple　amoret；　with
its　flood　of　anthers　that　are　nearly　yellow；　the　snowy　pyramids　of　the
meadow…sweet；　the　green　tresses　of　the　wild　oats；　the　slender　plumes
of　the　agrostis；　which　we　call　wind…ear；　roseate　hopes；　decking　love's
earliest　dream　and　standing　forth　against　the　gray　surroundings。　But
higher　still；　remark　the　Bengal　roses；　sparsely　scattered　among　the
laces　of　the　daucus；　the　plumes　of　the　linaria；　the　marabouts　of　the
meadow…queen；　see　the　umbels　of　the　myrrh；　the　spun　glass　of　the
clematis　in　seed；　the　dainty　petals　of　the　cross…wort；　white　as　milk；
the　corymbs　of　the　yarrow；　the　spreading　stems　of　the　fumitory　with
their　black　and　rosy　blossoms；　the　tendrils　of　the　grape；　the　twisted
shoots　of　the　honeysuckle；　in　short；　all　the　innocent　creatures　have
that　is　most　tangled；　wayward；　wild；flames　and　triple　darts；　leaves
lanceolated　or　jagged；　stalks　convoluted　like　passionate　desires
writhing　in　the　soul。　From　the　bosom　of　this　torrent　of　love　rises　the
scarlet　poppy；　its　tassels　about　to　open；　spreading　its　flaming　flakes
above　the　starry　jessamine；　dominating　the　rain　of　pollenthat　soft
mist　fluttering　in　the　air　and　reflecting　the　light　in　its　myriad
particles。　What　woman　intoxicated　with　the　odor　of　the　vernal　grasses
would　fail　to　understand　this　wealth　of　offered　thoughts；　these　ardent
desires　of　a　love　demanding　the　happiness　refused　in　a　hundred
struggles　which　passion　still　renews；　continuous；　unwearying；　eternal！

Put　this　speech　of　the　flowers　in　the　light　of　a　window　to　show　its
crisp　details；　its　delicate　contrasts；　its　arabesques　of　color；　and
allow　the　sovereign　lady　to　see　a　tear　upon　some　petal　more　expanded
than　the　rest。　What　do　we　give　to　God？　perfumes；　light；　and　song；　the
purest　expression　of　our　nature。　Well；　these　offerings　to　God；　are
they　not　likewise　offered　to　love　in　this　poem　of　luminous　flowers
murmuring　their　sadness　to　the　heart；　cherishing　its　hidden
transports；　its　unuttered　hopes；　its　illusions　which　gleam　and　fall　to
fragments　like　the　gossamer　of　a　summer's　night？

Such　neutral　pleasures　help　to　soothe　a　nature　irrit