zanoni-第59章

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Clara。　　It　was　a　clear　winter's　day　when　I　approached　the

outskirts　of　the　town。　　I　had　no　fear　of　detection；　for　my　beard

and　hair　were　as　good　as　a　mask。　　Oh；　Mother　of　Mercy！　there　came

across　my　way　a　funeral　procession！　　There；　now　you　know　it；　I

can　tell　you　no　more。　　She　had　died；　perhaps　of　love；　more　likely

of　shame。　　Can　you　guess　how　I　spent　that　night？I　stole　a

pickaxe　from　a　mason's　shed；　and　all　alone　and　unseen；　under　the

frosty　heavens；　I　dug　the　fresh　mould　from　the　grave；　I　lifted

the　coffin；　I　wrenched　the　lid；　I　saw　her　againagain！　　Decay

had　not　touched　her。　　She　was　always　pale　in　life！　　I　could　have

sworn　she　lived！　　It　was　a　blessed　thing　to　see　her　once　more；

and　all　alone　too！　　But　then；　at　dawn；　to　give　her　back　to　the

earth；to　close　the　lid；　to　throw　down　the　mould；　to　hear　the

pebbles　rattle　on　the　coffin：　　that　was　dreadful！　　Signor；　I

never　knew　before；　and　I　don't　wish　to　think　now；　how　valuable　a

thing　human　life　is。　　At　sunrise　I　was　again　a　wanderer；　but　now

that　Clara　was　gone；　my　scruples　vanished；　and　again　I　was　at　war

with　my　betters。　　I　contrived　at　last；　at　O；　to　get　taken　on

board　a　vessel　bound　to　Leghorn；　working　out　my　passage。　　From

Leghorn　I　went　to　Rome；　and　stationed　myself　at　the　door　of　the

cardinal's　palace。　　Out　he　came；　his　gilded　coach　at　the　gate。



〃'Ho；　father！'　said　I；　'don't　you　know　me？'



〃'Who　are　you？'



〃'Your　son；'　said　I；　in　a　whisper。



〃The　cardinal　drew　back；　looked　at　me　earnestly；　and　mused　a

moment。　　'All　men　are　my　sons；'　quoth　he　then；　very　mildly；

'there　is　gold　for　thee！　　To　him　who　begs　once；　alms　are　due；　to

him　who　begs　twice；　jails　are　open。　　Take　the　hint　and　molest　me

no　more。　　Heaven　bless　thee！'　　With　that　he　got　into　his　coach；

and　drove　off　to　the　Vatican。　　His　purse　which　he　had　left　behind

was　well　supplied。　　I　was　grateful　and　contented；　and　took　my　way

to　Terracina。　　I　had　not　long　passed　the　marshes　when　I　saw　two

horsemen　approach　at　a　canter。



〃'You　look　poor；　friend；'　said　one　of　them；　halting；　'yet　you　are

strong。'



〃'Poor　men　and　strong　are　both　serviceable　and　dangerous；　Signor

Cavalier。'



〃'Well　said；　follow　us。'



〃I　obeyed；　and　became　a　bandit。　　I　rose　by　degrees；　and　as　I　have

always　been　mild　in　my　calling；　and　have　taken　purses　without

cutting　throats；　I　bear　an　excellent　character；　and　can　eat　my

macaroni　at　Naples　without　any　danger　to　life　and　limb。　　For　the

last　two　years　I　have　settled　in　these　parts；　where　I　hold　sway；

and　where　I　have　purchased　land。　　I　am　called　a　farmer；　signor；

and　I　myself　now　only　rob　for　amusement；　and　to　keep　my　hand　in。

I　trust　I　have　satisfied　your　curiosity。　　We　are　within　a　hundred

yards　of　the　castle。〃



〃And　how；〃　asked　the　Englishman；　whose　interest　had　been　much

excited　by　his　companion's　narrative；〃and　how　came　you

acquainted　with　my　host？and　by　what　means　has　he　so　well

conciliated　the　goodwill　of　yourself　and　friends？〃



Maestro　Paolo　turned　his　black　eyes　very　gravely　towards　his

questioner。　　〃Why；　signor；〃　said　he；　〃you　must　surely　know　more

of　the　foreign　cavalier　with　the　hard　name　than　I　do。　　All　I　can

say　is；　that　about　a　fortnight　ago　I　chanced　to　be　standing　by　a

booth　in　the　Toledo　at　Naples；　when　a　sober…looking　gentleman

touched　me　by　the　arm；　and　said；　'Maestro　Paolo；　I　want　to　make

your　acquaintance；　do　me　the　favour　to　come　into　yonder　tavern；

and　drink　a　flask　of　lacrima。'　　'Willingly；'　said　I。　　So　we

entered　the　tavern。　　When　we　were　seated；　my　new　acquaintance

thus　accosted　me：　　'The　Count　d'O　has　offered　to　let　me　hire

his　old　castle　near　B。　　You　know　the　spot？'



〃'Extremely　well；　no　one　has　inhabited　it　for　a　century　at　least；

it　is　half　in　ruins；　signor。　　A　queer　place　to　hire；　I　hope　the

rent　is　not　heavy。'



〃'Maestro　Paolo；'　said　he；　'I　am　a　philosopher；　and　don't　care

for　luxuries。　　I　want　a　quiet　retreat　for　some　scientific

experiments。　　The　castle　will　suit　me　very　well；　provided　you

will　accept　me　as　a　neighbour；　and　place　me　and　my　friends　under

your　special　protection。　　I　am　rich；　but　I　shall　take　nothing　to

the　castle　worth　robbing。　　I　will　pay　one　rent　to　the　count；　and

another　to　you。'



〃With　that　we　soon　came　to　terms；　and　as　the　strange　signor

doubled　the　sum　I　myself　proposed；　he　is　in　high　favour　with　all

his　neighbours。　　We　would　guard　the　whole　castle　against　an　army。

And　now；　signor；　that　I　have　been　thus　frank；　be　frank　with　me。

Who　is　this　singular　cavalier？〃



〃Who？he　himself　told　you；　a　philosopher。〃



〃Hem！　searching　for　the　Philosopher's　Stone；eh；　a　bit　of　a

magician；　afraid　of　the　priests？〃



〃Precisely；　you　have　hit　it。〃



〃I　thought　so；　and　you　are　his　pupil？〃



〃I　am。〃



〃I　wish　you　well　through　it；〃　said　the　robber；　seriously；　and

crossing　himself　with　much　devotion；　〃I　am　not　much　better　than

other　people；　but　one's　soul　is　one's　soul。　　I　do　not　mind　a

little　honest　robbery；　or　knocking　a　man　on　the　head　if　need　be；

but　to　make　a　bargain　with　the　devil！　　Ah；　take　care；　young

gentleman；　take　care！〃



〃You　need　not　fear；〃　said　Glyndon；　smiling；　〃my　preceptor　is　too

wise　and　too　good　for　such　a　compact。　　But　here　we　are；　I

suppose。　　A　noble　ruin；a　glorious　prospect！〃



Glyndon　paused　delightedly；　and　surveyed　the　scene　before　and

below　with　the　eye　of　a　painter。　　Insensibly；　while　listening　to

the　bandit；　he　had　wound　up　a　considerable　ascent；　and　now　he　was

upon　a　broad　ledge　of　rock　covered　with　mosses　and　dwarf　shrubs。

Between　this　eminence　and　another　of　equal　height；　upon　which　the

castle　was　built；　there　was　a　deep　but　narrow　fissure；　overgrown

with　the　most　profuse　foliage；　so　that　the　eye　could　not

penetrate　many　yards　below　the　rugged　surface　of　the　abyss；　but

the　profoundness　might　be　well　conjectured　by　the　hoarse；　low；

monotonous　roar　of　waters　unseen　that　rolled　below；　and　the

subsequent　course　of　which　was　visible　at　a　distance　in　a

perturbed　and　rapid　stream　that　intersected　the　waste　and

desolate　valleys。



To　the　left；　the　prospect　seemed　almost　boundless；the　extreme

clearness　of　the　purple　air　serving　to　render　distinct　the

features　of　a　range　of　country　that　a　conqueror　of　old　might　have

deemed　in　itself　a　kingdom。　　Lonely　and　desolate　as　the　road

which　Glyndon　had　passed　that　day　had　appeared；　the　landscape　now

seemed　studded　with　castles；　spires；　and　villages。　　Afar　off；

Naples　gleamed　whitely　in　the　last　rays　of　the　sun；　and　the

rose…tints　of　the　horizon　melted　into　the　azure　of　her　glorious

bay。　　Yet　more　remote；　and　in　another　part　of　the　prospect；　might

be　caught；　dim　and　shadowy；　and　backed　by　the　darkest　foliage；

the　ruined　pillars　of　the　ancient　Posidonia。　There；　in　the　midst

of　his　blackened　and　sterile　realms；　rose　the　dismal　Mount　of

Fire；　while　on　the　other　hand；　winding　through　variegated　plains；

to　which　distance　lent　all　its　magic；　glittered　many　and　many　a

stream　by　which　Etruscan　and　Sybarite；　Roman　and　Saracen　and

Norman　had；　at　intervals　of　ages；　pitched　the　invading　tent。　　All

the　visions　of　the　pastthe　stormy　and　dazzling　histories　of

Southern　Italyrushed　over　the　artist's　mind　as　he　gazed　below。

　And　then；　slowly　turning　to　look　behind；　he　saw　the　grey　and

mouldering　walls　of　the　castle　in　which　he　sought　the　secrets

that　were　to　give　to　hope　in　the　future　a　mightier　empire　than

memory　owns　in　the　past。　　It　was　one　of　those　baronial　fortresses

with　which　Italy　was　studded　in　the　earlier　middle　ages；　having

but　little　of　the　Gothic　grace　or　grandeur　which　belongs　to　the

ecclesiastical　architecture　of　the　same　time；　but　rude；　vast；　and

menacing；　even　in　decay。　　A　wooden　bridge　was　thrown　over　the

chasm；　wide　enough　to　admit　two　horsemen　abreast；　and　the　planks

trembled　and　gave　back　a　hollow　sound　as　Glyndon　urged　his　jaded

steed　across。



A　road　which　had　once　been　broad　and　paved　with　rough　flags；　but

which　now　was　half…obliterated　by　long　grass　and　ran