zanoni-第68章

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Seize　the　night！　　Beware　of　fear！　　Never；　or　this　hour！　　So；

brave　youth；brave　despite　all　thy　errors；so；　with　a　steady

pulse；　thy　hand　unlocks　once　more　the　forbidden　door。



He　placed　his　lamp　on　the　table　beside　the　book；　which　still　lay

there　opened；　he　turned　over　the　leaves；　but　could　not　decipher

their　meaning　till　he　came　to　the　following　passage：



〃When；　then；　the　pupil　is　thus　initiated　and　prepared；　let　him

open　the　casement；　light　the　lamps；　and　bathe　his　temples　with

the　elixir。　　He　must　beware　how　he　presume　yet　to　quaff　the

volatile　and　fiery　spirit。　　To　taste　till　repeated　inhalations

have　accustomed　the　frame　gradually　to　the　ecstatic　liquid；　is　to

know　not　life；　but　death。〃



He　could　penetrate　no　farther　into　the　instructions；　the　cipher

again　changed。　　He　now　looked　steadily　and　earnestly　round　the

chamber。　　The　moonlight　came　quietly　through　the　lattice　as　his

hand　opened　it；　and　seemed；　as　it　rested　on　the　floor；　and　filled

the　walls；　like　the　presence　of　some　ghostly　and　mournful　Power。

He　ranged　the　mystic　lamps　（nine　in　number）　round　the　centre　of

the　room；　and　lighted　them　one　by　one。　　A　flame　of　silvery　and

azure　tints　sprung　up　from　each；　and　lighted　the　apartment　with　a

calm　and　yet　most　dazzling　splendour；　but　presently　this　light

grew　more　soft　and　dim；　as　a　thin；　grey　cloud；　like　a　mist；

gradually　spread　over　the　room；　and　an　icy　thrill　shot　through

the　heart　of　the　Englishman；　and　quickly　gathered　over　him　like

the　coldness　of　death。　　Instinctively　aware　of　his　danger；　he

tottered；　though　with　difficulty；　for　his　limbs　seemed　rigid　and

stone…like；　to　the　shelf　that　contained　the　crystal　vials；

hastily　he　inhaled　the　spirit；　and　laved　his　temples　with　the

sparkling　liquid。　　The　same　sensation　of　vigour　and　youth；　and

joy　and　airy　lightness；　that　he　had　felt　in　the　morning；

instantaneously　replaced　the　deadly　numbness　that　just　before　had

invaded　the　citadel　of　life。　　He　stood；　with　his　arms　folded　on

his　bosom　erect　and　dauntless；　to　watch　what　should　ensue。



The　vapour　had　now　assumed　almost　the　thickness　and　seeming

consistency　of　a　snow…cloud；　the　lamps　piercing　it　like　stars。

And　now　he　distinctly　saw　shapes；　somewhat　resembling　in　outline

those　of　the　human　form；　gliding　slowly　and　with　regular

evolutions　through　the　cloud。　　They　appeared　bloodless；　their

bodies　were　transparent；　and　contracted　or　expanded　like　the

folds　of　a　serpent。　　As　they　moved　in　majestic　order；　he　heard　a

low　soundthe　ghost；　as　it　were；　of　voicewhich　each　caught　and

echoed　from　the　other；　a　low　sound；　but　musical；　which　seemed　the

chant　of　some　unspeakably　tranquil　joy。　　None　of　these

apparitions　heeded　him。　　His　intense　longing　to　accost　them；　to

be　of　them；　to　make　one　of　this　movement　of　aerial　happiness；

for　such　it　seemed　to　him；made　him　stretch　forth　his　arms　and

seek　to　cry　aloud；　but　only　an　inarticulate　whisper　passed　his

lips；　and　the　movement　and　the　music　went　on　the　same　as　if　the

mortal　were　not　there。　　Slowly　they　glided　round　and　aloft；　till；

in　the　same　majestic　order；　one　after　one；　they　floated　through

the　casement　and　were　lost　in　the　moonlight；　then；　as　his　eyes

followed　them；　the　casement　became　darkened　with　some　object

undistinguishable　at　the　first　gaze；　but　which　sufficed

mysteriously　to　change　into　ineffable　horror　the　delight　he　had

before　experienced。　　By　degrees　this　object　shaped　itself　to　his

sight。　　It　was　as　that　of　a　human　head　covered　with　a　dark　veil

through　which　glared；　with　livid　and　demoniac　fire；　eyes　that

froze　the　marrow　of　his　bones。　　Nothing　else　of　the　face　was

distinguishable；nothing　but　those　intolerable　eyes；　but　his

terror；　that　even　at　the　first　seemed　beyond　nature　to　endure；

was　increased　a　thousand…fold；　when；　after　a　pause；　the　phantom

glided　slowly　into　the　chamber。



The　cloud　retreated　from　it　as　it　advanced；　the　bright　lamps　grew

wan；　and　flickered　restlessly　as　at　the　breath　of　its　presence。

Its　form　was　veiled　as　the　face；　but　the　outline　was　that　of　a

female；　yet　it　moved　not　as　move　even　the　ghosts　that　simulate

the　living。　　It　seemed　rather　to　crawl　as　some　vast　misshapen

reptile；　and　pausing；　at　length　it　cowered　beside　the　table　which

held　the　mystic　volume；　and　again　fixed　its　eyes　through　the

filmy　veil　on　the　rash　invoker。　All　fancies；　the　most　grotesque；

of　monk　or　painter　in　the　early　North；　would　have　failed　to　give

to　the　visage　of　imp　or　fiend　that　aspect　of　deadly　malignity

which　spoke　to　the　shuddering　nature　in　those　eyes　alone。　　All

else　so　dark；shrouded；　veiled　and　larva…like。　　But　that　burning

glare　so　intense；　so　livid；　yet　so　living；　had　in　it　something

that　was　almost　HUMAN　in　its　passion　of　hate　and　mockery；

something　that　served　to　show　that　the　shadowy　Horror　was　not　all

a　spirit；　but　partook　of　matter　enough；　at　least；　to　make　it　more

deadly　and　fearful　an　enemy　to　material　forms。　　As；　clinging　with

the　grasp　of　agony　to　the　wall；his　hair　erect；　his　eyeballs

starting；　he　still　gazed　back　upon　that　appalling　gaze；the

Image　spoke　to　him：　　his　soul　rather　than　his　ear　comprehended

the　words　it　said。



〃Thou　hast　entered　the　immeasurable　region。　　I　am　the　Dweller　of

the　Threshold。　　What　wouldst　thou　with　me？　　Silent？　　Dost　thou

fear　me？　　Am　I　not　thy　beloved？　　Is　it　not　for　me　that　thou　hast

rendered　up　the　delights　of　thy　race？　　Wouldst　thou　be　wise？

Mine　is　the　wisdom　of　the　countless　ages。　　Kiss　me；　my　mortal

lover。〃　　And　the　Horror　crawled　near　and　nearer　to　him；　it　crept

to　his　side；　its　breath　breathed　upon　his　cheek！　　With　a　sharp

cry　he　fell　to　the　earth　insensible；　and　knew　no　more　till；　far

in　the　noon　of　the　next　day；　he　opened　his　eyes　and　found　himself

in　his　bed；the　glorious　sun　streaming　through　his　lattice；　and

the　bandit　Paolo　by　his　side；　engaged　in　polishing　his　carbine；

and　whistling　a　Calabrian　love…air。





CHAPTER　4。VIII。



Thus　man　pursues　his　weary　calling；

And　wrings　the　hard　life　from　the　sky；

While　happiness　unseen　is　falling

Down　from　God's　bosom　silently。

Schiller。



In　one　of　those　islands　whose　history　the　imperishable　literature

and　renown　of　Athens　yet　invest　with　melancholy　interest；　and　on

which　Nature；　in　whom　〃there　is　nothing　melancholy；〃　still

bestows　a　glory　of　scenery　and　climate　equally　radiant　for　the

freeman　or　the　slave；the　Ionian；　the　Venetian；　the　Gaul；　the

Turk；　or　the　restless　Briton；Zanoni　had　fixed　his　bridal　home。

There　the　air　carries　with　it　the　perfumes　of　the　plains　for

miles　along　the　blue；　translucent　deep。　　（See　Dr。　Holland's

〃Travels　to　the　Ionian　Isles；〃　etc。；　page　18。）　　Seen　from　one　of

its　green　sloping　heights；　the　island　he　had　selected　seemed　one

delicious　garden。　　The　towers　and　turrets　of　its　capital　gleaming

amidst　groves　of　oranges　and　lemons；　vineyards　and　olive…woods

filling　up　the　valleys；　and　clambering　along　the　hill…sides；　and

villa；　farm；　and　cottage　covered　with　luxuriant　trellises　of

dark…green　leaves　and　purple　fruit。　　For　there　the　prodigal

beauty　yet　seems　half　to　justify　those　graceful　superstitions　of

a　creed　that；　too　enamoured　of　earth；　rather　brought　the　deities

to　man；　than　raised　the　man　to　their　less　alluring　and　less

voluptuous　Olympus。



And　still　to　the　fishermen；　weaving　yet　their　antique　dances　on

the　sand；　to　the　maiden；　adorning　yet；　with　many　a　silver　fibula；

her　glossy　tresses　under　the　tree　that　overshadows　her　tranquil

cot；the　same　Great　Mother　that　watched　over　the　wise　of　Samos；

the　democracy　of　Corcyra；　the　graceful　and　deep…taught　loveliness

of　Miletus；　smiles　as　graciously　as　of　yore。　　For　the　North；

philosophy　and　freedom　are　essentials　to　human　happiness；　in　the

lands　which　Aphrodite　rose　from　the　waves　to　govern；　as　the

Seasons；　hand　in　hand；　stood　to　welcome　her　on　the　shores；　Nature

is　all　sufficient。　　（Homeric　Hymn。）



The　isle　which　Zanoni　had　selected　was　one　of　the　loveliest　in

that　divine　sea。　　His　abode；　at　some　dis