zanoni-第113章

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

radiant　form。



〃Thou　knowest　the　danger　to　the　State；confess！〃



〃I　know；　and　I　keep　my　promise。　　Judge；　I　reveal　thy　doom！　　I

know　that　the　Anarchy　thou　callest　a　State　expires　with　the

setting　of　this　sun。　　Hark；　to　the　tramp　without；　hark　to　the

roar　of　voices！　　Room　there；　ye　dead！room　in　hell　for

Robespierre　and　his　crew！〃



They　hurry　into　the　court；the　hasty　and　pale　messengers；　there

is　confusion　and　fear　and　dismay！　　〃Off　with　the　conspirator；　and

to…morrow　the　woman　thou　wouldst　have　saved　shall　die！〃



〃To…morrow；　president；　the　steel　falls　on　THEE！〃



On；　through　the　crowded　and　roaring　streets；　on　moves　the

Procession　of　Death。　　Ha；　brave　people！　thou　art　aroused　at　last。

They　shall　not　die！　　Death　is　dethroned！Robespierre　has

fallen！they　rush　to　the　rescue！　　Hideous　in　the　tumbril；　by　the

side　of　Zanoni；　raved　and　gesticulated　that　form　which；　in　his

prophetic　dreams；　he　had　seen　his　companion　at　the　place　of

death。　　〃Save　us！save　us！〃　howled　the　atheist　Nicot。　　〃On；

brave　populace！　we　SHALL　be　saved！〃　　And　through　the　crowd；　her

dark　hair　streaming　wild；　her　eyes　flashing　fire；　pressed　a

female　form；　〃My　Clarence！〃　she　shrieked；　in　the　soft　Southern

language　native　to　the　ears　of　Viola；　〃butcher！　what　hast　thou

done　with　Clarence？〃　　Her　eyes　roved　over　the　eager　faces　of　the

prisoners；　she　saw　not　the　one　she　sought。　　〃Thank　Heaven！thank

Heaven！　　I　am　not　thy　murderess！〃



Nearer　and　nearer　press　the　populace；another　moment；　and　the

deathsman　is　defrauded。　　O　Zanoni！　why　still　upon　THY　brow　the

resignation　that　speaks　no　hope？　　Tramp！　tramp！　through　the

streets　dash　the　armed　troop；　faithful　to　his　orders；　Black

Henriot　leads　them　on。　　Tramp！　tramp！　over　the　craven　and

scattered　crowd！　　Here；　flying　in　disorder；there；　trampled　in

the　mire；　the　shrieking　rescuers！　　And　amidst　them；　stricken　by

the　sabres　of　the　guard；　her　long　hair　blood…bedabbled；　lies　the

Italian　woman；　and　still　upon　her　writhing　lips　sits　joy；　as　they

murmur；　〃Clarence！　I　have　not　destroyed　thee！〃



On　to　the　Barriere　du　Trone。　　It　frowns　dark　in　the　air；the

giant　instrument　of　murder！　　One　after　one　to　the　glaive；

another　and　another　and　another！　　Mercy！　　O　mercy！　　Is　the　bridge

between　the　sun　and　the　shades　so　brief；brief　as　a　sigh？

There；　there；HIS　turn　has　come。　　〃Die　not　yet；　leave　me　not

behind；　hear　mehear　me！〃　shrieked　the　inspired　sleeper。　　〃What！

and　thou　smilest　still！〃　　They　smiled；those　pale　lips；and

WITH　the　smile；　the　place　of　doom；　the　headsman；　the　horror

vanished。　　With　that　smile；　all　space　seemed　suffused　in　eternal

sunshine。　　Up　from　the　earth　he　rose；　he　hovered　over　her；a

thing　not　of　matter；　an　IDEA　of　joy　and　light！　　Behind；　Heaven

opened；　deep　after　deep；　and　the　Hosts　of　Beauty　were　seen；　rank

upon　rank；　afar；　and　〃Welcome！〃　in　a　myriad　melodies；　broke　from

your　choral　multitude；　ye　People　of　the　Skies；〃welcome！　　O

purified　by　sacrifice；　and　immortal　only　through　the　grave；this

it　is　to　die。〃　　And　radiant　amidst　the　radiant；　the　IMAGE

stretched　forth　its　arms；　and　murmured　to　the　sleeper：

〃Companion　of　Eternity！THIS　it　is　to　die！〃



。。。



〃Ho！　wherefore　do　they　make　us　signs　from　the　house…tops？

Wherefore　gather　the　crowds　through　the　street？　　Why　sounds　the

bell？　　Why　shrieks　the　tocsin？　　Hark　to　the　guns！the　armed

clash！　　Fellow…captives；　is　there　hope　for　us　at　last？〃



So　gasp　out　the　prisoners；　each　to　each。　　Day　wanesevening

closes；　still　they　press　their　white　faces　to　the　bars；　and　still

from　window　and　from　house…top　they　see　the　smiles　of　friends；

the　waving　signals！　　〃Hurrah！〃　at　last；〃Hurrah！　　Robespierre　is

fallen！　　The　Reign　of　Terror　is　no　more！　　God　hath　permitted　us

to　live！〃



Yes；　cast　thine　eyes　into　the　hall　where　the　tyrant　and　his

conclave　hearkened　to　the　roar　without！　　Fulfilling　the　prophecy

of　Dumas；　Henriot；　drunk　with　blood　and　alcohol；　reels　within；

and　chucks　his　gory　sabre　on　the　floor。　　〃All　is　lost！〃



〃Wretch！　thy　cowardice　hath　destroyed　us！〃　yelled　the　fierce

Coffinhal；　as　he　hurled　the　coward　from　the　window。



Calm　as　despair　stands　the　stern　St。　Just；　the　palsied　Couthon

crawls；　grovelling；　beneath　table；　a　shot；an　explosion！

Robespierre　would　destroy　himself！　　The　trembling　hand　has

mangled；　and　failed　to　kill！　　The　clock　of　the　Hotel　de　Ville

strikes　the　third　hour。　　Through　the　battered　door；　along　the

gloomy　passages；　into　the　Death…hall；　burst　the　crowd。　　Mangled；

livid；　blood…stained；　speechless　but　not　unconscious；　sits

haughty　yet；　in　his　seat　erect；　the　Master…Murderer！　　Around　him

they　throng；　they　hoot；they　execrate；　their　faces　gleaming　in

the　tossing　torches！　　HE；　and　not　the　starry　Magian；　the　REAL

Sorcerer！　　And　round　HIS　last　hours　gather　the　Fiends　he　raised！



They　drag　him　forth！　　Open　thy　gates；　inexorable　prison！　　The

Conciergerie　receives　its　prey！　　Never　a　word　again　on　earth

spoke　Maximilien　Robespierre！　　Pour　forth　thy　thousands；　and　tens

of　thousands；　emancipated　Paris！　　To　the　Place　de　la　Revolution

rolls　the　tumbril　of　the　King　of　Terror；St。　Just；　Dumas；

Couthon；　his　companions　to　the　grave！　　A　womana　childless

woman；　with　hoary　hairsprings　to　his　side；　〃Thy　death　makes　me

drunk　with　joy！〃　　He　opened　his　bloodshot　eyes；〃Descend　to　hell

with　the　curses　of　wives　and　mothers！〃



The　headsmen　wrench　the　rag　from　the　shattered　jaw；　a　shriek；　and

the　crowd　laugh；　and　the　axe　descends　amidst　the　shout　of　the

countless　thousands；　and　blackness　rushes　on　thy　soul；　Maximilien

Robespierre！　　So　ended　the　Reign　of　Terror。



。。。



Daylight　in　the　prison。　　From　cell　to　cell　they　hurry　with　the

news；crowd　upon　crowd；　the　joyous　captives　mingled　with　the

very　jailers；　who；　for　fear；　would　fain　seem　joyous　too；　they

stream　through　the　dens　and　alleys　of　the　grim　house　they　will

shortly　leave。　　They　burst　into　a　cell；　forgotten　since　the

previous　morning。　　They　found　there　a　young　female；　sitting　upon

her　wretched　bed；　her　arms　crossed　upon　her　bosom；　her　face

raised　upward；　the　eyes　unclosed；　and　a　smile　of　more　than

serenityof　blissupon　her　lips。　　Even　in　the　riot　of　their

joy；　they　drew　back　in　astonishment　and　awe。　　Never　had　they　seen

life　so　beautiful；　and　as　they　crept　nearer；　and　with　noiseless

feet；　they　saw　that　the　lips　breathed　not；　that　the　repose　was　of

marble；　that　the　beauty　and　the　ecstasy　were　of　death。　　They

gathered　round　in　silence；　and　lo！　at　her　feet　there　was　a　young

infant；　who；　wakened　by　their　tread；　looked　at　them　steadfastly；

and　with　its　rosy　fingers　played　with　its　dead　mother's　robe。　　An

orphan　there　in　a　dungeon　vault！



〃Poor　one！〃　said　a　female　（herself　a　parent）；　〃and　they　say　the

father　fell　yesterday；　and　now　the　mother！　　Alone　in　the　world；

what　can　be　its　fate？〃



The　infant　smiled　fearlessly　on　the　crowd；　as　the　woman　spoke

thus。　　And　the　old　priest；　who　stood　amongst　them；　said　gently；

〃Woman；　see！　the　orphan　smiles！　　THE　FATHERLESS　ARE　THE　CARE　OF

GOD！〃



…





NOTE。



The　curiosity　which　Zanoni　has　excited　among　those　who　think　it

worth　while　to　dive　into　the　subtler　meanings　they　believe　it

intended　to　convey；　may　excuse　me　in　adding　a　few　words；　not　in

explanation　of　its　mysteries；　but　upon　the　principles　which

permit　them。　　Zanoni　is　not；　as　some　have　supposed；　an　allegory；

but　beneath　the　narrative　it　relates；　TYPICAL　meanings　are

concealed。　　It　is　to　be　regarded　in　two　characters；　distinct　yet

harmonious；1st；　that　of　the　simple　and　objective　fiction；　in

which　（once　granting　the　license　of　the　author　to　select　a

subject　which　is；　or　appears　to　be；　preternatural）　the　reader

judges　the　writer　by　the　usual　canons；namely；　by　the

consistency　of　his　characters　under　such　admitted　circumstances；

the　interest　of　his　story；　and　the　coherence　of　his　plot；　of　the

work　regarded　in　this　view；　it　is　not　my　intention　to　say

anythin