zanoni-第19章

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Different　appearances；　confused　and　mixt　in　one。





CHAPTER　2。I。



Centauri；　e　Sfingi；　e　pallide　Gorgoni。

〃Ger。　Lib。；〃　c。　iv。　v。



（Centaurs　and　Sphinxes　and　pallid　Gorgons。）



One　moonlit　night；　in　the　Gardens　at　Naples；　some　four　or　five

gentleman　were　seated　under　a　tree；　drinking　their　sherbet；　and

listening；　in　the　intervals　of　conversation；　to　the　music　which

enlivened　that　gay　and　favourite　resort　of　an　indolent

population。　　One　of　this　little　party　was　a　young　Englishman；　who

had　been　the　life　of　the　whole　group；　but　who；　for　the　last　few

moments；　had　sunk　into　a　gloomy　and　abstracted　reverie。　　One　of

his　countrymen　observed　this　sudden　gloom；　and；　tapping　him　on

the　back；　said；　〃What　ails　you；　Glyndon？　　Are　you　ill？　　You　have

grown　quite　pale；you　tremble。　　Is　it　a　sudden　chill？　　You　had

better　go　home：　　these　Italian　nights　are　often　dangerous　to　our

English　constitutions。〃



〃No；　I　am　well　now；　it　was　a　passing　shudder。　　I　cannot　account

for　it　myself。〃



A　man；　apparently　of　about　thirty　years　of　age；　and　of　a　mien　and

countenance　strikingly　superior　to　those　around　him；　turned

abruptly；　and　looked　steadfastly　at　Glyndon。



〃I　think　I　understand　what　you　mean；〃　said　he；　〃and　perhaps；〃　he

added；　with　a　grave　smile；　〃I　could　explain　it　better　than

yourself。〃　　Here；　turning　to　the　others；　he　added；　〃You　must

often　have　felt；　gentlemen；　each　and　all　of　you；　especially　when

sitting　alone　at　night；　a　strange　and　unaccountable　sensation　of

coldness　and　awe　creep　over　you；　your　blood　curdles；　and　the

heart　stands　still；　the　limbs　shiver；　the　hair　bristles；　you　are

afraid　to　look　up；　to　turn　your　eyes　to　the　darker　corners　of　the

room；　you　have　a　horrible　fancy　that　something　unearthly　is　at

hand；　presently　the　whole　spell；　if　I　may　so　call　it；　passes

away；　and　you　are　ready　to　laugh　at　your　own　weakness。　　Have　you

not　often　felt　what　I　have　thus　imperfectly　described？if　so；

you　can　understand　what　our　young　friend　has　just　experienced；

even　amidst　the　delights　of　this　magical　scene；　and　amidst　the

balmy　whispers　of　a　July　night。〃



〃Sir；〃　replied　Glyndon；　evidently　much　surprised；　〃you　have

defined　exactly　the　nature　of　that　shudder　which　came　over　me。

But　how　could　my　manner　be　so　faithful　an　index　to　my

impressions？〃



〃I　know　the　signs　of　the　visitation；〃　returned　the　stranger；

gravely；　〃they　are　not　to　be　mistaken　by　one　of　my　experience。〃



All　the　gentleman　present　then　declared　that　they　could

comprehend；　and　had　felt；　what　the　stranger　had　described。



〃According　to　one　of　our　national　superstitions；〃　said　Mervale；

the　Englishman　who　had　first　addressed　Glyndon；　〃the　moment　you

so　feel　your　blood　creep；　and　your　hair　stand　on　end；　some　one　is

walking　over　the　spot　which　shall　be　your　grave。〃



〃There　are　in　all　lands　different　superstitions　to　account　for　so

common　an　occurrence；〃　replied　the　stranger：　　〃one　sect　among　the

Arabians　holds　that　at　that　instant　God　is　deciding　the　hour

either　of　your　death；　or　of　some　one　dear　to　you。　　The　African

savage；　whose　imagination　is　darkened　by　the　hideous　rites　of　his

gloomy　idolatry；　believes　that　the　Evil　Spirit　is　pulling　you

towards　him　by　the　hair：　　so　do　the　Grotesque　and　the　Terrible

mingle　with　each　other。〃



〃It　is　evidently　a　mere　physical　accident；a　derangement　of　the

stomach；　a　chill　of　the　blood；〃　said　a　young　Neapolitan；　with

whom　Glyndon　had　formed　a　slight　acquaintance。



〃Then　why　is　it　always　coupled　in　all　nations　with　some

superstitious　presentiment　or　terror；some　connection　between

the　material　frame　and　the　supposed　world　without　us？　　For　my

part；　I　think〃



〃Ay；　what　do　you　think；　sir？〃　asked　Glyndon；　curiously。



〃I　think；〃　continued　the　stranger；　〃that　it　is　the　repugnance　and

horror　with　which　our　more　human　elements　recoil　from　something；

indeed；　invisible；　but　antipathetic　to　our　own　nature；　and　from　a

knowledge　of　which　we　are　happily　secured　by　the　imperfection　of

our　senses。〃



〃You　are　a　believer　in　spirits；　then？〃　said　Mervale；　with　an

incredulous　smile。



〃Nay；　it　was　not　precisely　of　spirits　that　I　spoke；　but　there　may

be　forms　of　matter　as　invisible　and　impalpable　to　us　as　the

animalculae　in　the　air　we　breathe；in　the　water　that　plays　in

yonder　basin。　　Such　beings　may　have　passions　and　powers　like　our

ownas　the　animalculae　to　which　I　have　compared　them。　　The

monster　that　lives　and　dies　in　a　drop　of　watercarnivorous；

insatiable；　subsisting　on　the　creatures　minuter　than　himselfis

not　less　deadly　in　his　wrath；　less　ferocious　in　his　nature；　than

the　tiger　of　the　desert。　There　may　be　things　around　us　that　would

be　dangerous　and　hostile　to　men；　if　Providence　had　not　placed　a

wall　between　them　and　us；　merely　by　different　modifications　of

matter。〃



〃And　think　you　that　wall　never　can　be　removed？〃　asked　young

Glyndon；　abruptly。　　〃Are　the　traditions　of　sorcerer　and　wizard；

universal　and　immemorial　as　they　are；　merely　fables？〃



〃Perhaps　yes；perhaps　no；〃　answered　the　stranger；　indifferently。

〃But　who；　in　an　age　in　which　the　reason　has　chosen　its　proper

bounds；　would　be　mad　enough　to　break　the　partition　that　divides

him　from　the　boa　and　the　lion；to　repine　at　and　rebel　against

the　law　which　confines　the　shark　to　the　great　deep？　　Enough　of

these　idle　speculations。〃



Here　the　stranger　rose；　summoned　the　attendant；　paid　for　his

sherbet；　and；　bowing　slightly　to　the　company；　soon　disappeared

among　the　trees。



〃Who　is　that　gentleman？〃　asked　Glyndon；　eagerly。



The　rest　looked　at　each　other；　without　replying；　for　some

moments。



〃I　never　saw　him　before；〃　said　Mervale；　at　last。



〃Nor　I。〃



〃Nor　I。〃



〃I　know　him　well；〃　said　the　Neapolitan；　who　was；　indeed；　the

Count　Cetoxa。　　〃If　you　remember；　it　was　as　my　companion　that　he

joined　you。　　He　visited　Naples　about　two　years　ago；　and　has

recently　returned；　he　is　very　rich；indeed；　enormously　so。　　A

most　agreeable　person。　　I　am　sorry　to　hear　him　talk　so　strangely

to…night；　it　serves　to　encourage　the　various　foolish　reports　that

are　circulated　concerning　him。〃



〃And　surely；〃　said　another　Neapolitan；　〃the　circumstance　that

occurred　but　the　other　day；　so　well　known　to　yourself；　Cetoxa；

justifies　the　reports　you　pretend　to　deprecate。〃



〃Myself　and　my　countryman；〃　said　Glyndon；　〃mix　so　little　in

Neapolitan　society；　that　we　lose　much　that　appears　well　worthy　of

lively　interest。　　May　I　enquire　what　are　the　reports；　and　what　is

the　circumstance　you　refer　to？〃



〃As　to　the　reports；　gentlemen；〃　said　Cetoxa；　courteously；

addressing　himself　to　the　two　Englishmen；　〃it　may　suffice　to

observe；　that　they　attribute　to　the　Signor　Zanoni　certain

qualities　which　everybody　desires　for　himself；　but　damns　any　one

else　for　possessing。　　The　incident　Signor　Belgioso　alludes　to；

illustrates　these　qualities；　and　is；　I　must　own；　somewhat

startling。　　You　probably　play；　gentlemen？〃　　（Here　Cetoxa　paused；

and　as　both　Englishmen　had　occasionally　staked　a　few　scudi　at

the　public　gaming…tables；　they　bowed　assent　to　the　conjecture。）

Cetoxa　continued。　　〃Well；　then；　not　many　days　since；　and　on　the

very　day　that　Zanoni　returned　to　Naples；　it　so　happened　that　I

had　been　playing　pretty　high；　and　had　lost　considerably。　　I　rose

from　the　table；　resolved　no　longer　to　tempt　fortune；　when　I

suddenly　perceived　Zanoni；　whose　acquaintance　I　had　before　made

（and　who；　I　may　say；　was　under　some　slight　obligation　to　me）；

standing　by；　a　spectator。　　Ere　I　could　express　my　gratification

at　this　unexpected　recognition；　he　laid　his　hand　on　my　arm。　　'You

have　lost　much；'　said　he；　'more　than　you　can　afford。　　For　my

part；　I　dislike　play；　yet　I　wish　to　have　some　interest　in　what　is

going　on。　　Will　you　play　this　sum　for　me？　the　risk　is　mine；the

half　profits　yours。'　　I　was　startled；　as　you　may　suppose；　at　such

an　address；　but　Zanoni　had　an　air　and　tone　with　him　it　was

impossible　to　resist；　besides；　I　was　burning