zanoni-第26章

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Universe　are　not　so　scanty　and　so　stern　as　to　deny　to　men　the

divine　privilege　of　Free　Will；　all　of　us　can　carve　out　our　own

way；　and　God　can　make　our　very　contradictions　harmonise　with　His

solemn　ends。　　You　have　before　you　an　option。　　Honourable　and

generous　love　may　even　now　work　out　your　happiness；　and　effect

your　escape；　a　frantic　and　selfish　passion　will　but　lead　you　to

misery　and　doom。〃



〃Do　you　pretend；　then；　to　read　the　future？〃



〃I　have　said　all　that　it　pleases　me　to　utter。〃



〃While　you　assume　the　moralist　to　me；　Signor　Zanoni；〃　said

Glyndon；　with　a　smile；　〃are　you　yourself　so　indifferent　to　youth

and　beauty　as　to　act　the　stoic　to　its　allurements？〃



〃If　it　were　necessary　that　practice　square　with　precept；〃　said

Zanoni；　with　a　bitter　smile；　〃our　monitors　would　be　but　few。　　The

conduct　of　the　individual　can　affect　but　a　small　circle　beyond

himself；　the　permanent　good　or　evil　that　he　works　to　others　lies

rather　in　the　sentiments　he　can　diffuse。　　His　acts　are　limited

and　momentary；　his　sentiments　may　pervade　the　universe；　and

inspire　generations　till　the　day　of　doom。　　All　our　virtues；　all

our　laws；　are　drawn　from　books　and　maxims；　which　ARE　sentiments；

not　from　deeds。　　In　conduct；　Julian　had　the　virtues　of　a

Christian；　and　Constantine　the　vices　of　a　Pagan。　　The　sentiments

of　Julian　reconverted　thousands　to　Paganism；　those　of　Constantine

helped；　under　Heaven's　will；　to　bow　to　Christianity　the　nations

of　the　earth。　　In　conduct；　the　humblest　fisherman　on　yonder　sea；

who　believes　in　the　miracles　of　San　Gennaro；　may　be　a　better　man

than　Luther；　to　the　sentiments　of　Luther　the　mind　of　modern

Europe　is　indebted　for　the　noblest　revolution　it　has　known。　　Our

opinions；　young　Englishman；　are　the　angel　part　of　us；　our　acts；

the　earthly。〃



〃You　have　reflected　deeply　for　an　Italian；〃　said　Glyndon。



〃Who　told　you　that　I　was　an　Italian？〃



〃Are　you　not？　　And　yet；　when　I　hear　you　speak　my　own　language　as

a　native；　I〃



〃Tush！〃　interrupted　Zanoni；　impatiently　turning　away。　　Then；

after　a　pause；　he　resumed　in　a　mild　voice；　〃Glyndon；　do　you

renounce　Viola　Pisani？　　Will　you　take　some　days　to　consider　what

I　have　said？〃



〃Renounce　her；never！〃



〃Then　you　will　marry　her？〃



〃Impossible！〃



〃Be　it　so；　she　will　then　renounce　you。　　I　tell　you　that　you　have

rivals。〃



〃Yes；　the　Prince　di　；　but　I　do　not　fear　him。〃



〃You　have　another　whom　you　will　fear　more。〃



〃And　who　is　he？〃



〃Myself。〃



Glyndon　turned　pale；　and　started　from　his　seat。



〃You；　Signor　Zanoni！you；and　you　dare　to　tell　me　so？〃



〃Dare！　　Alas！　there　are　times　when　I　wish　that　I　could　fear。〃



These　arrogant　words　were　not　uttered　arrogantly；　but　in　a　tone

of　the　most　mournful　dejection。　　Glyndon　was　enraged；　confounded；

and　yet　awed。　　However；　he　had　a　brave　English　heart　within　his

breast；　and　he　recovered　himself　quickly。



〃Signor；〃　said　he；　calmly；　〃I　am　not　to　be　duped　by　these　solemn

phrases　and　these　mystical　assumptions。　　You　may　have　powers

which　I　cannot　comprehend　or　emulate；　or　you　may　be　but　a　keen

imposter。〃



〃Well；　proceed！〃



〃I　mean；　then；〃　continued　Glyndon；　resolutely；　though　somewhat

disconcerted；〃I　mean　you　to　understand；　that；　though　I　am　not

to　be　persuaded　or　compelled　by　a　stranger　to　marry　Viola　Pisani；

I　am　not　the　less　determined　never　tamely　to　yield　her　to

another。〃



Zanoni　looked　gravely　at　the　young　man；　whose　sparkling　eyes　and

heightened　colour　testified　the　spirit　to　support　his　words；　and

replied；　〃So　bold！　well；　it　becomes　you。　　But　take　my　advice；

wait　yet　nine　days；　and　tell　me　then　if　you　will　marry　the

fairest　and　the　purest　creature　that　ever　crossed　your　path。〃



〃But　if　you　love　her；　whywhy〃



〃Why　am　I　anxious　that　she　should　wed　another？to　save　her　from

myself！　　Listen　to　me。　　That　girl；　humble　and　uneducated　though

she　be；　has　in　her　the　seeds　of　the　most　lofty　qualities　and

virtues。　　She　can　be　all　to　the　man　she　loves；all　that　man　can

desire　in　wife。　　Her　soul；　developed　by　affection；　will　elevate

your　own；　it　will　influence　your　fortunes；　exalt　your　destiny；

you　will　become　a　great　and　a　prosperous　man。　　If；　on　the

contrary；　she　fall　to　me；　I　know　not　what　may　be　her　lot；　but　I

know　that　there　is　an　ordeal　which　few　can　pass；　and　which

hitherto　no　woman　has　survived。〃



As　Zanoni　spoke；　his　face　became　colourless；　and　there　was

something　in　his　voice　that　froze　the　warm　blood　of　the　listener。



〃What　is　this　mystery　which　surrounds　you？〃　exclaimed　Glyndon；

unable　to　repress　his　emotion。　　〃Are　you；　in　truth；　different

from　other　men？　　Have　you　passed　the　boundary　of　lawful

knowledge？　　Are　you；　as　some　declare；　a　sorcerer；　or　only　a〃



〃Hush！〃　interrupted　Zanoni；　gently；　and　with　a　smile　of　singular

but　melancholy　sweetness；　〃have　you　earned　the　right　to　ask　me

these　questions？　　Though　Italy　still　boast　an　Inquisition；　its

power　is　rivelled　as　a　leaf　which　the　first　wind　shall　scatter。

The　days　of　torture　and　persecution　are　over；　and　a　man　may　live

as　he　pleases；　and　talk　as　it　suits　him；　without　fear　of　the

stake　and　the　rack。　　Since　I　can　defy　persecution；　pardon　me　if　I

do　not　yield　to　curiosity。〃



Glyndon　blushed；　and　rose。　　In　spite　of　his　love　for　Viola；　and

his　natural　terror　of　such　a　rival；　he　felt　himself　irresistibly

drawn　towards　the　very　man　he　had　most　cause　to　suspect　and

dread。　　He　held　out　his　hand　to　Zanoni；　saying；　〃Well；　then；　if

we　are　to　be　rivals；　our　swords　must　settle　our　rights；　till　then

I　would　fain　be　friends。〃



〃Friends！　　You　know　not　what　you　ask。〃



〃Enigmas　again！〃



〃Enigmas！〃　cried　Zanoni；　passionately；　〃ay！　can　you　dare　to　solve

them？　　Not　till　then　could　I　give　you　my　right　hand；　and　call　you

friend。〃



〃I　could　dare　everything　and　all　things　for　the　attainment　of

superhuman　wisdom；〃　said　Glyndon；　and　his　countenance　was　lighted

up　with　wild　and　intense　enthusiasm。



Zanoni　observed　him　in　thoughtful　silence。



〃The　seeds　of　the　ancestor　live　in　the　son；〃　he　muttered；　〃he

mayyet〃　　He　broke　off　abruptly；　then；　speaking　aloud；　〃Go；

Glyndon；〃　said　he；　〃we　shall　meet　again；　but　I　will　not　ask　your

answer　till　the　hour　presses　for　decision。〃





CHAPTER　2。VI。



'Tis　certain　that　this　man　has　an　estate　of　fifty　thousand

livres；　and　seems　to　be　a　person　of　very　great　accomplishments。

But；　then；　if　he's　a　wizard；　are　wizards　so　devoutly　given　as

this　man　seems　to　be？　　In　short；　I　could　make　neither　head　nor

tail　on'tThe　Count　de　Gabalis；　Translation　affixed　to　the

second　edition　of　the　〃Rape　of　the　Lock。〃



Of　all　the　weaknesses　which　little　men　rail　against；　there　is

none　that　they　are　more　apt　to　ridicule　than　the　tendency　to

believe。　　And　of　all　the　signs　of　a　corrupt　heart　and　a　feeble

head；　the　tendency　of　incredulity　is　the　surest。



Real　philosophy　seeks　rather　to　solve　than　to　deny。　　While　we

hear；　every　day；　the　small　pretenders　to　science　talk　of　the

absurdities　of　alchemy　and　the　dream　of　the　Philosopher's　Stone；

a　more　erudite　knowledge　is　aware　that　by　alchemists　the　greatest

discoveries　in　science　have　been　made；　and　much　which　still　seems

abstruse；　had　we　the　key　to　the　mystic　phraseology　they　were

compelled　to　adopt；　might　open　the　way　to　yet　more　noble

acquisitions。　　The　Philosopher's　Stone　itself　has　seemed　no

visionary　chimera　to　some　of　the　soundest　chemists　that　even　the

present　century　has　produced。　　（Mr。　Disraeli；　in　his　〃Curiosities

of　Literature〃　（article　〃Alchem〃）；　after　quoting　the　sanguine

judgments　of　modern　chemists　as　to　the　transmutation　of　metals；

observes　of　one　yet　greater　and　more　recent　than　those　to　which

Glyndon's　thoughts　could　have　referred；　〃Sir　Humphry　Davy　told　me

that　he　did　not　consider　this　undiscovered　art　as　impossible；　but

should　it　ever　be　discovered；　it　would　certainly　be　useless。〃）

Man　cannot　contradict　the　Laws　of　Nature。　　But　are　all　the　laws

of　Nature　y