zanoni-第41章

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a　toy；their　ambition　and　their　spirit　are　undecayed！　　My　honour

is　now　enlisted　in　this　pursuit；Viola　must　be　mine！〃



〃Another　ambuscade？〃　said　Mascari；　inquiringly。



〃Nay；　why　not　enter　the　house　itself？the　situation　is　lonely；

and　the　door　is　not　made　of　iron。〃



〃But　what　if；　on　her　return　home；　she　tell　the　tale　of　our

violence？　　A　house　forced；a　virgin　stolen！　　Reflect；　though　the

feudal　privileges　are　not　destroyed；　even　a　Visconti　is　not　now

above　the　law。〃



〃Is　he　not；　Mascari？　　Fool！　in　what　age　of　the　world；　even　if　the

Madmen　of　France　succeed　in　their　chimeras；　will　the　iron　of　law

not　bend　itself；　like　an　osier　twig；　to　the　strong　hand　of　power

and　gold？　　But　look　not　so　pale；　Mascari；　I　have　foreplanned　all

things。　　The　day　that　she　leaves　this　palace；　she　will　leave　it

for　France；　with　Monsieur　Jean　Nicot。〃



Before　Mascari　could　reply；　the　gentleman　of　the　chamber

announced　the　Signor　Zanoni。



The　prince　involuntarily　laid　his　hand　upon　the　sword　placed　on

the　table；　then　with　a　smile　at　his　own　impulse；　rose；　and　met

his　visitor　at　the　threshold；　with　all　the　profuse　and　respectful

courtesy　of　Italian　simulation。



〃This　is　an　honour　highly　prized；〃　said　the　prince。　　〃I　have　long

desired　to　clasp　the　hand　of　one　so　distinguished。〃



〃And　I　give　it　in　the　spirit　with　which　you　seek　it；〃　replied

Zanoni。



The　Neapolitan　bowed　over　the　hand　he　pressed；　but　as　he　touched

it　a　shiver　came　over　him；　and　his　heart　stood　still。　　Zanoni

bent　on　him　his　dark；　smiling　eyes；　and　then　seated　himself　with

a　familiar　air。



〃Thus　it　is　signed　and　sealed；　I　mean　our　friendship；　noble

prince。　　And　now　I　will　tell　you　the　object　of　my　visit。　　I　find；

Excellency；　that；　unconsciously　perhaps；　we　are　rivals。　　Can　we

not　accommodate　out　pretensions！〃



〃Ah！〃　said　the　prince；　carelessly；　〃you；　then；　were　the　cavalier

who　robbed　me　of　the　reward　of　my　chase。　　All　stratagems　fair　in

love；　as　in　war。　　Reconcile　our　pretensions！　　Well；　here　is　the

dice…box；　let　us　throw　for　her。　　He　who　casts　the　lowest　shall

resign　his　claim。〃



〃Is　this　a　decision　by　which　you　will　promise　to　be　bound？〃



〃Yes；　on　my　faith。〃



〃And　for　him　who　breaks　his　word　so　plighted；　what　shall　be　the

forfeit？〃



〃The　sword　lies　next　to　the　dice…box；　Signor　Zanoni。　　Let　him　who

stands　not　by　his　honour　fall　by　the　sword。〃



〃And　you　invoke　that　sentence　if　either　of　us　fail　his　word？　　Be

it　so；　let　Signor　Mascari　cast　for　us。〃



〃Well　said！Mascari；　the　dice！〃



The　prince　threw　himself　back　in　his　chair；　and；　world…hardened

as　he　was；　could　not　suppress　the　glow　of　triumph　and

satisfaction　that　spread　itself　over　his　features。　　Mascari　took

up　the　three　dice；　and　rattled　them　noisily　in　the　box。　　Zanoni；

leaning　his　cheek　on　his　hand；　and　bending　over　the　table；　fixed

his　eyes　steadfastly　on　the　parasite；　Mascari　in　vain　struggled

to　extricate　from　that　searching　gaze；　he　grew　pale；　and

trembled；　he　put　down　the　box。



〃I　give　the　first　throw　to　your　Excellency。　　Signor　Mascari；　be

pleased　to　terminate　our　suspense。〃



Again　Mascari　took　up　the　box；　again　his　hand　shook　so　that　the

dice　rattled　within。　　He　threw；　the　numbers　were　sixteen。



〃It　is　a　high　throw；〃　said　Zanoni；　calmly；　〃nevertheless；　Signor

Mascari；　I　do　not　despond。〃



Mascari　gathered　up　the　dice；　shook　the　box；　and　rolled　the

contents　once　more　on　the　table：　　the　number　was　the　highest　that

can　be　thrown；eighteen。



The　prince　darted　a　glance　of　fire　at　his　minion；　who　stood　with

gaping　mouth；　staring　at　the　dice；　and　trembling　from　head　to

foot。



〃I　have　won；　you　see；〃　said　Zanoni；　〃may　we　be　friends　still？〃



〃Signor；〃　said　the　prince；　obviously　struggling　with　anger　and

confusion；　〃the　victory　is　yours。　　But　pardon　me；　you　have　spoken

lightly　of　this　young　girl；will　anything　tempt　you　to　yield

your　claim？〃



〃Ah；　do　not　think　so　ill　of　my　gallantry；　and；〃　resumed　Zanoni；

with　a　stern　meaning　in　his　voice；　〃forget　not　the　forfeit　your

own　lips　have　named。〃



The　prince　knit　his　brow；　but　constrained　the　haughty　answer　that

was　his　first　impulse。



〃Enough！〃　he　said；　forcing　a　smile；　〃I　yield。　　Let　me　prove　that

I　do　not　yield　ungraciously；　will　you　favour　me　with　your

presence　at　a　little　feast　I　propose　to　give　in　honour；〃　he

added；　with　a　sardonic　mockery；　〃of　the　elevation　of　my　kinsman；

the　late　Cardinal；　of　pious　memory；　to　the　true　seat　of　St。

Peter？〃



〃It　is；　indeed；　a　happiness　to　hear　one　command　of　yours　I　can

obey。〃



Zanoni　then　turned　the　conversation；　talked　lightly　and　gayly；

and　soon　afterwards　departed。



〃Villain！〃　then　exclaimed　the　prince；　grasping　Mascari　by　the

collar；　〃you　betrayed　me！〃



〃I　assure　your　Excellency　that　the　dice　were　properly　arranged；

he　should　have　thrown　twelve；　but　he　is　the　Devil；　and　that's　the

end　of　it。〃



〃There　is　no　time　to　be　lost；〃　said　the　prince；　quitting　his　hold

of　his　parasite；　who　quietly　resettled　his　cravat。



〃My　blood　is　up；I　will　win　this　girl；　if　I　die　for　it！　　What

noise　is　that？〃



〃It　is　but　the　sword　of　your　illustrious　ancestor　that　has　fallen

from　the　table。〃





CHAPTER　3。VII。



Il　ne　faut　appeler　aucun　ordre　si　ce　n'est　en　tems　clair　et

serein。

〃Les　Clavicules　du　Rabbi　Salomon。〃



（No　order　of　spirits　must　be　invoked　unless　the　weather　be　clear

and　serene。）



Letter　from　Zanoni　to　Mejnour。



My　art　is　already　dim　and　troubled。　　I　have　lost　the　tranquillity

which　is　power。　　I　cannot　influence　the　decisions　of　those　whom　I

would　most　guide　to　the　shore；　I　see　them　wander　farther　and

deeper　into　the　infinite　ocean　where　our　barks　sail　evermore　to

the　horizon　that　flies　before　us！　　Amazed　and　awed　to　find　that　I

can　only　warn　where　I　would　control；　I　have　looked　into　my　own

soul。　　It　is　true　that　the　desires　of　earth　chain　me　to　the

present；　and　shut　me　from　the　solemn　secrets　which　Intellect；

purified　from　all　the　dross　of　the　clay；　alone　can　examine　and

survey。　　The　stern　condition　on　which　we　hold　our　nobler　and

diviner　gifts　darkens　our　vision　towards　the　future　of　those　for

whom　we　know　the　human　infirmities　of　jealousy　or　hate　or　love。

Mejnour；　all　around　me　is　mist　and　haze；　I　have　gone　back　in　our

sublime　existence；　and　from　the　bosom　of　the　imperishable　youth

that　blooms　only　in　the　spirit；　springs　up　the　dark　poison…flower

of　human　love。



This　man　is　not　worthy　of　her；I　know　that　truth；　yet　in　his

nature　are　the　seeds　of　good　and　greatness；　if　the　tares　and

weeds　of　worldly　vanities　and　fears　would　suffer　them　to　grow。

If　she　were　his；　and　I　had　thus　transplanted　to　another　soil　the

passion　that　obscures　my　gaze　and　disarms　my　power；　unseen；

unheard；　unrecognised；　I　could　watch　over　his　fate；　and　secretly

prompt　his　deeds；　and　minister　to　her　welfare　through　his　own。

But　time　rushes　on！　　Through　the　shadows　that　encircle　me；　I　see；

gathering　round　her；　the　darkest　dangers。　　No　choice　but　flight；

no　escape　save　with　him　or　me。　　With　me！the　rapturous

thought；the　terrible　conviction！　　With　me！　　Mejnour；　canst　thou

wonder　that　I　would　save　her　from　myself？　　A　moment　in　the　life

of　ages；a　bubble　on　the　shoreless　sea。　　What　else　to　me　can　be

human　love？　　And　in　this　exquisite　nature　of　hers；more　pure；

more　spiritual；　even　in　its　young　affections　than　ever　heretofore

the　countless　volumes　of　the　heart；　race　after　race；　have　given

to　my　gaze：　　there　is　yet　a　deep…buried　feeling　that　warns　me　of

inevitable　woe。　　Thou　austere　and　remorseless　Hierophant；thou

who　hast　sought　to　convert　to　our　brotherhood　every　spirit　that

seemed　to　thee　most　high　and　bold；even　thou　knowest；　by

horrible　experience；　how　vain　the　hope　to　banish　FEAR　from　the

heart　of　woman。



My　life　would　be　to　her　one　marvel。　　Even　if；　on　the　other　hand；

I　sought　to　guide　her　path　through　the　realms　of　terror　to　the

light；　think　of　the　Haunter　of　the　T