zanoni-第15章

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stranger　silently　seated　himself　on　the　farther　side　of　the　bed；

and　its　drapery　screened　him；　as　he　sat；　from　the　eyes　of　a　man

who　now　entered　on　tiptoe；　it　was　the　same　person　who　had　passed

him　on　the　stairs。　　The　new…comer　took　up　the　candle　and

approached　the　bed。　　The　old　man's　face　was　turned　to　the　pillow；

but　he　lay　so　still；　and　his　breathing　was　so　inaudible；　that　his

sleep　might　well；　by　that　hasty；　shrinking；　guilty　glance；　be

mistaken　for　the　repose　of　death。　　The　new…comer　drew　back；　and　a

grim　smile　passed　over　his　face：　　he　replaced　the　candle　on　the

table；　opened　the　bureau　with　a　key　which　he　took　from　his

pocket；　and　loaded　himself　with　several　rouleaus　of　gold　that　he

found　in　the　drawers。　　At　this　time　the　old　man　began　to　wake。

He　stirred；　he　looked　up；　he　turned　his　eyes　towards　the　light

now　waning　in　its　socket；　he　saw　the　robber　at　his　work；　he　sat

erect　for　an　instant；　as　if　transfixed；　more　even　by　astonishment

than　terror。　　At　last　he　sprang　from　his　bed。



〃Just　Heaven！　do　I　dream！　　Thouthouthou；　for　whom　I　toiled

and　starved！THOU！〃



The　robber　started；　the　gold　fell　from　his　hand；　and　rolled　on

the　floor。



〃What！〃　he　said；　〃art　thou　not　dead　yet？　　Has　the　poison　failed？〃



〃Poison；　boy！　　Ah！〃　shrieked　the　old　man；　and　covered　his　face

with　his　hands；　then；　with　sudden　energy；　he　exclaimed；　〃Jean！

Jean！　recall　that　word。　　Rob；　plunder　me　if　thou　wilt；　but　do　not

say　thou　couldst　murder　one　who　only　lived　for　thee！　　There；

there；　take　the　gold；　I　hoarded　it　but　for　thee。　　Go！　go！〃　and

the　old　man；　who　in　his　passion　had　quitted　his　bed；　fell　at　the

feet　of　the　foiled　assassin；　and　writhed　on　the　ground；the

mental　agony　more　intolerable　than　that　of　the　body；　which　he　had

so　lately　undergone。　　The　robber　looked　at　him　with　a　hard

disdain。

〃What　have　I　ever　done　to　thee；　wretch？〃　cried　the　old　man；

〃what　but　loved　and　cherished　thee？　　Thou　wert　an　orphan；an

outcast。　　I　nurtured；　nursed；　adopted　thee　as　my　son。　　If　men

call　me　a　miser；　it　was　but　that　none　might　despise　thee；　my

heir；　because　Nature　has　stunted　and　deformed　thee；　when　I　was　no

more。　　Thou　wouldst　have　had　all　when　I　was　dead。　　Couldst　thou

not　spare　me　a　few　months　or　days；nothing　to　thy　youth；　all

that　is　left　to　my　age？　　What　have　I　done　to　thee？〃



〃Thou　hast　continued　to　live；　and　thou　wouldst　make　no　will。〃



〃Mon　Dieu！　　Mon　Dieu！〃



〃TON　DIEU！　　Thy　God！　　Fool！　　Hast　thou　not　told　me；　from　my

childhood；　that　there　is　NO　God？　　Hast　thou　not　fed　me　on

philosophy？　　Hast　thou　not　said；　'Be　virtuous；　be　good；　be　just；

for　the　sake　of　mankind：　　but　there　is　no　life　after　this　life'？

　Mankind！　why　should　I　love　mankind？　　Hideous　and　misshapen；

mankind　jeer　at　me　as　I　pass　the　streets。　　What　hast　thou　done　to

me？　　Thou　hast　taken　away　from　me；　who　am　the　scoff　of　this

world；　the　hopes　of　another！　　Is　there　no　other　life？　　Well；

then；　I　want　thy　gold；　that　at　least　I　may　hasten　to　make　the

best　of　this！〃



〃Monster！　　Curses　light　on　thy　ingratitude；　thy〃



〃And　who　hears　thy　curses？　　Thou　knowest　there　is　no　God！　　Mark

me；　I　have　prepared　all　to　fly。　　See；I　have　my　passport；　my

horses　wait　without；　relays　are　ordered。　　I　have　thy　gold。〃　　（And

the　wretch；　as　he　spoke；　continued　coldly　to　load　his　person　with

the　rouleaus）。　　〃And　now；　if　I　spare　thy　life；　how　shall　I　be

sure　that　thou　wilt　not　inform　against　mine？〃　　He　advanced　with　a

gloomy　scowl　and　a　menacing　gesture　as　he　spoke。



The　old　man's　anger　changed　to　fear。　　He　cowered　before　the

savage。　　〃Let　me　live！　let　me　live！thatthat〃



〃Thatwhat？〃



〃I　may　pardon　thee！　　Yes；　thou　hast　nothing　to　fear　from　me。　　I

swear　it！〃



〃Swear！　　But　by　whom　and　what；　old　man？　　I　cannot　believe　thee；

if　thou　believest　not　in　any　God！　　Ha；　ha！　behold　the　result　of

thy　lessons。〃



Another　moment　and　those　murderous　fingers　would　have　strangled

their　prey。　　But　between　the　assassin　and　his　victim　rose　a　form

that　seemed　almost　to　both　a　visitor　from　the　world　that　both

denied；stately　with　majestic　strength；　glorious　with　awful

beauty。



The　ruffian　recoiled；　looked；　trembled；　and　then　turned　and　fled

from　the　chamber。　　The　old　man　fell　again　to　the　ground

insensible。





CHAPTER　1。VIII。



To　know　how　a　bad　man　will　act　when　in　power；　reverse　all　the

doctrines　he　preaches　when　obscure。S。　Montague。



Antipathies　also　form　a　part　of　magic　（falsely）　so…called。　　Man

naturally　has　the　same　instinct　as　the　animals；　which　warns　them

involuntarily　against　the　creatures　that　are　hostile　or　fatal　to

their　existence。　　But　HE　so　often　neglects　it；　that　it　becomes

dormant。　　Not　so　the　true　cultivator　of　the　Great　Science；　etc。

Trismegistus　the　Fourth　（a　Rosicrucian）。



When　he　again　saw　the　old　man　the　next　day；　the　stranger　found

him　calm；　and　surprisingly　recovered　from　the　scene　and

sufferings　of　the　night。　　He　expressed　his　gratitude　to　his

preserver　with　tearful　fervour；　and　stated　that　he　had　already

sent　for　a　relation　who　would　make　arrangements　for　his　future

safety　and　mode　of　life。　　〃For　I　have　money　yet　left；〃　said　the

old　man；　〃and　henceforth　have　no　motive　to　be　a　miser。〃　　He

proceeded　then　briefly　to　relate　the　origin　and　circumstances　of

his　connection　with　his　intended　murderer。



It　seems　that　in　earlier　life　he　had　quarrelled　with　his

relations；from　a　difference　in　opinions　of　belief。　　Rejecting

all　religion　as　a　fable；　he　yet　cultivated　feelings　that　inclined

himfor　though　his　intellect　was　weak；　his　dispositions　were

goodto　that　false　and　exaggerated　sensibility　which　its　dupes

so　often　mistake　for　benevolence。　　He　had　no　children；　he

resolved　to　adopt　an　enfant　du　peuple。　　He　resolved　to　educate

this　boy　according　to　〃reason。〃　　He　selected　an　orphan　of　the

lowest　extraction；　whose　defects　of　person　and　constitution　only

yet　the　more　moved　his　pity；　and　finally　engrossed　his　affection。

In　this　outcast　he　not　only　loved　a　son；　he　loved　a　theory！　　He

brought　him　up　most　philosophically。　　Helvetius　had　proved　to　him

that　education　can　do　all；　and　before　he　was　eight　years　old；　the

little　Jean's　favourite　expressions　were；　〃La　lumiere　et　la

vertu。〃　　（Light　and　virtue。）　　The　boy　showed　talents；　especially

in　art。



The　protector　sought　for　a　master　who　was　as　free　from

〃superstition〃　as　himself；　and　selected　the　painter　David。　　That

person；　as　hideous　as　his　pupil；　and　whose　dispositions　were　as

vicious　as　his　professional　abilities　were　undeniable；　was

certainly　as　free　from　〃superstition〃　as　the　protector　could

desire。　　It　was　reserved　for　Robespierre　hereafter　to　make　the

sanguinary　painter　believe　in　the　Etre　Supreme。　　The　boy　was

early　sensible　of　his　ugliness；　which　was　almost　preternatural。

His　benefactor　found　it　in　vain　to　reconcile　him　to　the　malice　of

Nature　by　his　philosophical　aphorisms；　but　when　he　pointed　out　to

him　that　in　this　world　money；　like　charity；　covers　a　multitude　of

defects；　the　boy　listened　eagerly　and　was　consoled。　　To　save

money　for　his　protege；for　the　only　thing　in　the　world　he

loved；this　became　the　patron's　passion。　　Verily；　he　had　met

with　his　reward。



〃But　I　am　thankful　he　has　escaped；〃　said　the　old　man；　wiping　his

eyes。　　〃Had　he　left　me　a　beggar；　I　could　never　have　accused　him。〃



〃No；　for　you　are　the　author　of　his　crimes。〃



〃How！　　I；　who　never　ceased　to　inculcate　the　beauty　of　virtue？

Explain　yourself。〃



〃Alas！　if　thy　pupil　did　not　make　this　clear　to　thee　last　night

from　his　own　lips；　an　angel　might　come　from　heaven　to　preach　to

thee　in　vain。〃



The　old　man　moved　uneasily；　and　was　about　to　reply；　when　the

relative　he　had　sent　forand　who；　a　native　of　Nancy；　happened　to

be　at　Paris　at　the　timeentered　the　room。　　He　was　a　man　somewhat

past　thirty；　and　of　a　dry；　saturnine；　meagre　countenance；

restless　eyes；　and　compressed　lips。　　He　listened；　with　many

ejaculations　of　horror；　to　his　relation's　recital；　and　sought