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第112章

zanoni-第112章

小说: zanoni 字数: 每页4000字

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MORROW which will open the prison doors!  Thou sayest thou canst

save me;I will not doubt it now。  Oh; let us dwell no more in

cities!  I never doubted thee in our lovely isle; no dreams

haunted me there; except dreams of joy and beauty; and thine eyes

made yet more beautiful and joyous the world in waking。  To…

morrow!why do you not smile?  To…morrow; love! is not TO…MORROW

a blessed word!  Cruel! you would punish me still; that you will

not share my joy。  Aha! see our little one; how it laughs to my

eyes!  I will talk to THAT。  Child; thy father is come back!〃



And taking the infant in her arms; and seating herself at a

little distance; she rocked it to and fro on her bosom; and

prattled to it; and kissed it between every word; and laughed and

wept by fits; as ever and anon she cast over her shoulder her

playful; mirthful glance upon the father to whom those fading

stars smiled sadly their last farewell。  How beautiful she seemed

as she thus sat; unconscious of the future!  Still half a child

herself; her child laughing to her laughter;two soft triflers

on the brink of the grave!  Over her throat; as she bent; fell;

like a golden cloud; her redundant hair; it covered her treasure

like a veil of light; and the child's little hands put it aside

from time to time; to smile through the parted tresses; and then

to cover its face and peep and smile again。  It were cruel to

damp that joy; more cruel still to share it。



〃Viola;〃 said Zanoni; at last; 〃dost thou remember that; seated

by the cave on the moonlit beach; in our bridal isle; thou once

didst ask me for this amulet?the charm of a superstition long

vanished from the world; with the creed to which it belonged。  It

is the last relic of my native land; and my mother; on her

deathbed; placed it round my neck。  I told thee then I would give

it thee on that day WHEN THE LAWS OF OUR BEING SHOULD BECOME THE

SAME。〃



〃I remember it well。〃



〃To…morrow it shall be thine!〃



〃Ah; that dear to…morrow!〃  And; gently laying down her child;

for it slept now;she threw herself on his breast; and pointed

to the dawn that began greyly to creep along the skies。



There; in those horror…breathing walls; the day…star looked

through the dismal bars upon those three beings; in whom were

concentrated whatever is most tender in human ties; whatever is

most mysterious in the combinations of the human mind; the

sleeping Innocence; the trustful Affection; that; contented with

a touch; a breath; can foresee no sorrow; the weary Science that;

traversing all the secrets of creation; comes at last to Death

for their solution; and still clings; as it nears the threshold;

to the breast of Love。  Thus; within; THE WITHIN;a dungeon;

without; the WITHOUT;stately with marts and halls; with palaces

and temples; Revenge and Terror; at their dark schemes and

counter…schemes; to and fro; upon the tide of the shifting

passions; reeled the destinies of men and nations; and hard at

hand that day…star; waning into space; looked with impartial eye

on the church tower and the guillotine。  Up springs the

blithesome morn。  In yon gardens the birds renew their familiar

song。  The fishes are sporting through the freshening waters of

the Seine。  The gladness of divine nature; the roar and

dissonance of mortal life; awake again:  the trader unbars his

windows; the flower…girls troop gayly to their haunts; busy feet

are tramping to the daily drudgeries that revolutions which

strike down kings and kaisars; leave the same Cain's heritage to

the boor; the wagons groan and reel to the mart; Tyranny; up

betimes; holds its pallid levee; Conspiracy; that hath not slept;

hears the clock; and whispers to its own heart; 〃The hour draws

near。〃  A group gather; eager…eyed; round the purlieus of the

Convention Hall; to…day decides the sovereignty of France;about

the courts of the Tribunal their customary hum and stir。  No

matter what the hazard of the die; or who the ruler; this day

eighty heads shall fall!



。。。



And she slept so sweetly。  Wearied out with joy; secure in the

presence of the eyes regained; she had laughed and wept herself

to sleep; and still in that slumber there seemed a happy

consciousness that the loved was by;the lost was found。  For

she smiled and murmured to herself; and breathed his name often;

and stretched out her arms; and sighed if they touched him not。

He gazed upon her as he stood apart;with what emotions it were

vain to say。  She would wake no more to him; she could not know

how dearly the safety of that sleep was purchased。  That morrow

she had so yearned for;it had come at last。  HOW WOULD SHE

GREET THE EVE?  Amidst all the exquisite hopes with which love

and youth contemplate the future; her eyes had closed。  Those

hopes still lent their iris…colours to her dreams。  She would

wake to live!  To…morrow; and the Reign of Terror was no more;

the prison gates would be opened;she would go forth; with their

child; into that summer…world of light。  And HE?he turned; and

his eye fell upon the child; it was broad awake; and that clear;

serious; thoughtful look which it mostly wore; watched him with a

solemn steadiness。  He bent over and kissed its lips。



〃Never more;〃 he murmured; 〃O heritor of love and grief;never

more wilt thou see me in thy visions; never more will the light

of those eyes be fed by celestial commune; never more can my soul

guard from thy pillow the trouble and the disease。  Not such as I

would have vainly shaped it; must be thy lot。  In common with thy

race; it must be thine to suffer; to struggle; and to err。  But

mild be thy human trials; and strong be thy spirit to love and to

believe!  And thus; as I gaze upon thee;thus may my nature

breathe into thine its last and most intense desire; may my love

for thy mother pass to thee; and in thy looks may she hear my

spirit comfort and console her。  Hark! they come!  Yes! I await

ye both beyond the grave!〃



The door slowly opened; the jailer appeared; and through the

aperture rushed; at the same instant; a ray of sunlight:  it

streamed over the fair; hushed face of the happy sleeper;it

played like a smile upon the lips of the child that; still; mute;

and steadfast; watched the movements of its father。  At that

moment Viola muttered in her sleep; 〃The day is come;the gates

are open!  Give me thy hand; we will go forth!  To sea; to sea!

How the sunshine plays upon the waters!to home; beloved one; to

home again!〃



〃Citizen; thine hour is come!〃



〃Hist! she sleeps!  A moment!  There; it is done! thank Heaven!

and STILL she sleeps!〃  He would not kiss; lest he should awaken

her; but gently placed round her neck the amulet that would speak

to her; hereafter; the farewell;and promise; in that farewell;

reunion!  He is at the threshold;he turns again; and again。

The door closes!  He is gone forever!



She woke at last;she gazed round。  〃Zanoni; it is day!〃  No

answer but the low wail of her child。  Merciful Heaven! was it

then all a dream?  She tossed back the long tresses that must

veil her sight; she felt the amulet on her bosom;it was NO

dream!  〃O God! and he is gone!〃  She sprang to the door; she

shrieked aloud。  The jailer comes。  〃My husband; my child's

father?〃



〃He is gone before thee; woman!〃



〃Whither?  Speakspeak!〃



〃To the guillotine!〃and the black door closed again。



It closed upon the senseless!  As a lightning…flash; Zanoni's

words; his sadness; the true meaning of his mystic gift; the very

sacrifice he made for her; all became distinct for a moment to

her mind;and then darkness swept on it like a storm; yet

darkness which had its light。  And while she sat there; mute;

rigid; voiceless; as congealed to stone; A VISION; like a wind;

glided over the deeps within;the grim court; the judge; the

jury; the accuser; and amidst the victims the one dauntless and

radiant form。



〃Thou knowest the danger to the State;confess!

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