zanoni-第82章

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But　lights　still　flitted　to　and　fro　across　the　windows　of　one　of

the　Palladian　palaces；　whose　shadow　slept　in　the　great　canal；　and

within　the　palace　watched　the　twin　Eumenides　that　never　sleep　for

Man；Fear　and　Pain。



〃I　will　make　thee　the　richest　man　in　all　Venice；　if　thou　savest

her。〃



〃Signor；〃　said　the　leech；　〃your　gold　cannot　control　death；　and

the　will　of　Heaven；　signor；　unless　within　the　next　hour　there　is

some　blessed　change；　prepare　your　courage。〃



Hoho；　Zanoni！　man　of　mystery　and　might；　who　hast　walked　amidst

the　passions　of　the　world；　with　no　changes　on　thy　brow；　art　thou

tossed　at　last　upon　the　billows　of　tempestuous　fear？　　Does　thy

spirit　reel　to　and　fro？knowest　thou　at　last　the　strength　and

the　majesty　of　Death？



He　fled；　trembling；　from　the　pale…faced　man　of　art；fled　through

stately　hall　and　long…drawn　corridor；　and　gained　a　remote　chamber

in　the　palace；　which　other　step　than　his　was　not　permitted　to

profane。　　Out　with　thy　herbs　and　vessels。　　Break　from　the

enchanted　elements；　O　silvery…azure　flame！　　Why　comes　he　not；

the　Son　of　the　Starbeam！　　Why　is　Adon…Ai　deaf　to　thy　solemn　call？

It　comes　not；the　luminous　and　delightsome　Presence！　　Cabalist！

are　thy　charms　in　vain？　　Has　thy　throne　vanished　from　the　realms

of　space？　　Thou　standest　pale　and　trembling。　　Pale　trembler！　not

thus　didst　thou　look　when　the　things　of　glory　gathered　at　thy

spell。　　Never　to　the　pale　trembler　bow　the　things　of　glory：　　the

soul；　and　not　the　herbs；　nor　the　silvery…azure　flame；　nor　the

spells　of　the　Cabala；　commands　the　children　of　the　air；　and　THY

soul；　by　Love　and　Death；　is　made　sceptreless　and　discrowned！



At　length　the　flame　quivers；the　air　grows　cold　as　the　wind　in

charnels。　　A　thing　not　of　earth　is　present；a　mistlike；　formless

thing。　　It　cowers　in　the　distance；a　silent　Horror！　it　rises；　it

creeps；　it　nears　theedark　in　its　mantle　of　dusky　haze；　and

under　its　veil　it　looks　on　thee　with　its　livid；　malignant　eyes；

the　thing　of　malignant　eyes！



〃Ha；　young　Chaldean！　young　in　thy　countless　ages；young　as　when；

cold　to　pleasure　and　to　beauty；　thou　stoodest　on　the　old　Fire…

tower；　and　heardest　the　starry　silence　whisper　to　thee　the　last

mystery　that　baffles　Death；fearest　thou　Death　at　length？　　Is

thy　knowledge　but　a　circle　that　brings　thee　back　whence　thy

wanderings　began！　　Generations　on　generations　have　withered　since

we　two　met！　　Lo！　thou　beholdest　me　now！〃



〃But　I　behold　thee　without　fear！　　Though　beneath　thine　eyes

thousands　have　perished；　though；　where　they　burn；　spring　up　the

foul　poisons　of　the　human　heart；　and　to　those　whom　thou　canst

subject　to　thy　will；　thy　presence　glares　in　the　dreams　of　the

raving　maniac；　or　blackens　the　dungeon　of　despairing　crime；　thou

art　not　my　vanquisher；　but　my　slave！〃



〃And　as　a　slave　will　I　serve　thee！　　Command　thy　slave；　O

beautiful　Chaldean！　　Hark；　the　wail　of　women！hark；　the　sharp

shriek　of　thy　beloved　one！　　Death　is　in　thy　palace！　　Adon…Ai

comes　not　to　thy　call。　　Only　where　no　cloud　of　the　passion　and

the　flesh　veils　the　eye　of　the　Serene　Intelligence　can　the　Sons

of　the　Starbeam　glide　to　man。　　But　_I_　can　aid　thee！hark！〃　　And

Zanoni　heard　distinctly　in　his　heart；　even　at　that　distance　from

the　chamber；　the　voice　of　Viola　calling　in　delirium　on　her

beloved　one。



〃Oh；　Viola；　I　can　save　thee　not！〃　exclaimed　the　seer；

passionately；　〃my　love　for　thee　has　made　me　powerless！〃



〃Not　powerless；　I　can　gift　thee　with　the　art　to　save　her；I　can

place　healing　in　thy　hand！〃



〃For　both？child　and　mother；for　both？〃



〃Both！〃



A　convulsion　shook　the　limbs　of　the　seer；a　mighty　struggle

shook　him　as　a　child：　　the　Humanity　and　the　Hour　conquered　the

repugnant　spirit。



〃I　yield！　　Mother　and　childsave　both！〃



。。。



In　the　dark　chamber　lay　Viola；　in　the　sharpest　agonies　of

travail；　life　seemed　rending　itself　away　in　the　groans　and　cries

that　spoke　of　pain　in　the　midst　of　frenzy；　and　still；　in　groan

and　cry；　she　called　on　Zanoni；　her　beloved。　　The　physician　looked

to　the　clock；　on　it　beat：　　the　Heart　of　Time；regularly　and

slowly；Heart　that　never　sympathised　with　Life；　and　never

flagged　for　Death！　　〃The　cries　are　fainter；〃　said　the　leech；　〃in

ten　minutes　more　all　will　be　past。〃



Fool！　the　minutes　laugh　at　thee；　Nature；　even　now；　like　a　blue

sky　through　a　shattered　temple；　is　smiling　through　the　tortured

frame。　　The　breathing　grows　more　calm　and　hushed；　the　voice　of

delirium　is　dumb；a　sweet　dream　has　come　to　Viola。　　Is　it　a

dream；　or　is　it　the　soul　that　sees？　　She　thinks　suddenly　that　she

is　with　Zanoni；　that　her　burning　head　is　pillowed　on　his　bosom；

she　thinks；　as　he　gazes　on　her；　that　his　eyes　dispel　the　tortures

that　prey　upon　her；the　touch　of　his　hand　cools　the　fever　on　her

brow；　she　hears　his　voice　in　murmurs；it　is　a　music　from　which

the　fiends　fly。　　Where　is　the　mountain　that　seemed　to　press　upon

her　temples？　　Like　a　vapour；　it　rolls　away。　　In　the　frosts　of　the

winter　night；　she　sees　the　sun　laughing　in　luxurious　heaven；she

hears　the　whisper　of　green　leaves；　the　beautiful　world；　valley

and　stream　and　woodland；　lie　before；　and　with　a　common　voice

speak　to　her；　〃We　are　not　yet　past　for　thee！〃　Fool　of　drugs　and

formula；　look　to　thy　dial…plate！the　hand　has　moved　on；　the

minutes　are　with　Eternity；　the　soul　thy　sentence　would　have

dismissed；　still　dwells　on　the　shores　of　Time。　　She　sleeps：　the

fever　abates；　the　convulsions　are　gone；　the　living　rose　blooms

upon　her　cheek；　the　crisis　is　past！　　Husband；　thy　wife　lives；

lover；　thy　universe　is　no　solitude！　　Heart　of　Time；　beat　on！　　A

while；　a　little　while；joy！　joy！　joy！father；　embrace　thy

child！





CHAPTER　6。II。



Tristis　Erinnys

Praetulit　infaustas　sanguinolenta　faces。

Ovid。



（Erinnys；　doleful　and　bloody；　extends　the　unblessed　torches。）



And　they　placed　the　child　in　the　father's　arms！　　As　silently　he

bent　over　it；　tearstears；　how　human！fell　from　his　eyes　like

rain！　　And　the　little　one　smiled　through　the　tears　that　bathed

its　cheeks！　　Ah；　with　what　happy　tears　we　welcome　the　stranger

into　our　sorrowing　world！　　With　what　agonising　tears　we　dismiss

the　stranger　back　to　the　angels！　　Unselfish　joy；　but　how　selfish

is　the　sorrow！



And　now　through　the　silent　chamber　a　faint　sweet　voice　is　heard；

the　young　mother's　voice。



〃I　am　here：　　I　am　by　thy　side！〃　murmured　Zanoni。



The　mother　smiled；　and　clasped　his　hand；　and　asked　no　more；　she

was　contented。



。。。



Viola　recovered　with　a　rapidity　that　startled　the　physician；　and

the　young　stranger　thrived　as　if　it　already　loved　the　world　to

which　it　had　descended。　　From　that　hour　Zanoni　seemed　to　live　in

the　infant's　life；　and　in　that　life　the　souls　of　mother　and

father　met　as　in　a　new　bond。　　Nothing　more　beautiful　than　this

infant　had　eye　ever　dwelt　upon。　　It　was　strange　to　the　nurses

that　it　came　not　wailing　to　the　light；　but　smiled　to　the　light　as

a　thing　familiar　to　it　before。　　It　never　uttered　one　cry　of

childish　pain。　　In　its　very　repose　it　seemed　to　be　listening　to

some　happy　voice　within　its　heart：　it　seemed　itself　so　happy。　　In

its　eyes　you　would　have　thought　intellect　already　kindled；　though

it　had　not　yet　found　a　language。　　Already　it　seemed　to　recognise

its　parents；　already　it　stretched　forth　its　arms　when　Zanoni　bent

over　the　bed；　in　which　it　breathed　and　bloomed；the　budding

flower！　　And　from　that　bed　he　was　rarely　absent：　　gazing　upon　it

with　his　serene；　delighted　eyes；　his　soul　seemed　to　feed　its　own。

At　night　and　in　utter　darkness　he　was　still　there；　and　Viola

often　heard　him　murmuring　over　it　as　she　lay　in　a　half…sleep。

But　the　murmur　was　in　a　language　strange　to　her；　and　sometimes

when　she　heard　she　feared；　and　vague；　undefined　superstitions

came　back　to　her；the　superstitions　of　earlier　youth。　　A　mother

fears　everything；　even　the　gods；　for　her　new…born。　　The　mortals

shrieked　aloud　when　of　old　they　saw　the　great　Demeter　seeking　to

make　their　child　immorta