zanoni-第85章

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mitigated；　had　perhaps　only　served　to　rivet　the　fascinated　chains

in　which　he　bound　her　heart　and　senses；　but　which　now；　as

Glyndon's　awful　narrative　filled　her　with　contagious　dread；　half

unbound　the　very　spells　they　had　woven　before；Viola　started　up

in　fear；　not　for　HERSELF；　and　clasped　her　child　in　her　arms！



〃Unhappiest　one！〃　cried　Glyndon；　shuddering；　〃hast　thou　indeed

given　birth　to　a　victim　thou　canst　not　save？　　Refuse　it

sustenance；let　it　look　to　thee　in　vain　for　food！　　In　the　grave；

at　least；　there　are　repose　and　peace！〃



Then　there　came　back　to　Viola's　mind　the　remembrance　of　Zanoni's

night…long　watches　by　that　cradle；　and　the　fear　which　even　then

had　crept　over　her　as　she　heard　his　murmured　half…chanted　words。

And　as　the　child　looked　at　her　with　its　clear；　steadfast　eye；　in

the　strange　intelligence　of　that　look　there　was　something　that

only　confirmed　her　awe。　　So　there　both　Mother　and　Forewarner

stood　in　silence；the　sun　smiling　upon　them　through　the

casement；　and　dark　by　the　cradle；　though　they　saw　it　not；　sat　the

motionless；　veiled　Thing！



But　by　degrees　better　and　juster　and　more　grateful　memories　of

the　past　returned　to　the　young　mother。　　The　features　of　the

infant；　as　she　gazed；　took　the　aspect　of　the　absent　father。　　A

voice　seemed　to　break　from　those　rosy　lips；　and　say；　mournfully；

〃I　speak　to　thee　in　thy　child。　　In　return　for　all　my　love　for

thee　and　thine；　dost　thou　distrust　me；　at　the　first　sentence　of　a

maniac　who　accuses？〃



Her　breast　heaved；　her　stature　rose；　her　eyes　shone　with　a　serene

and　holy　light。



〃Go；　poor　victim　of　thine　own　delusions；〃　she　said　to　Glyndon；　〃I

would　not　believe　mine　own　senses；　if　they　accused　ITS　father！

And　what　knowest　thou　of　Zanoni？　　What　relation　have　Mejnour　and

the　grisly　spectres　he　invoked；　with　the　radiant　image　with　which

thou　wouldst　connect　them？〃



〃Thou　wilt　learn　too　soon；〃　replied　Glyndon；　gloomily。　　〃And　the

very　phantom　that　haunts　me；　whispers；　with　its　bloodless　lips；

that　its　horrors　await　both　thine　and　thee！　　I　take　not　thy

decision　yet；　before　I　leave　Venice　we　shall　meet　again。〃



He　said；　and　departed。





CHAPTER　6。VI。



Quel　est　l'egarement　ou　ton　ame　se　livre？

La　Harpe；　〃Le　Comte　de　Warwick；〃　Act　4；　sc。　4。



（To　what　delusion　does　thy　soul　abandon　itself？）



Alas；　Zanoni！　the　aspirer；　the　dark；　bright　one！didst　thou

think　that　the　bond　between　the　survivor　of　ages　and　the　daughter

of　a　day　could　endure？　　Didst　thou　not　foresee　that；　until　the

ordeal　was　past；　there　could　be　no　equality　between　thy　wisdom

and　her　love？　　Art　thou　absent　now　seeking　amidst　thy　solemn

secrets　the　solemn　safeguards　for　child　and　mother；　and

forgettest　thou　that　the　phantom　that　served　thee　hath　power　over

its　own　gifts；over　the　lives　it　taught　thee　to　rescue　from　the

grave？　　Dost　thou　not　know　that　Fear　and　Distrust；　once　sown　in

the　heart　of　Love；　spring　up　from　the　seed　into　a　forest　that

excludes　the　stars？　　Dark；　bright　one！　the　hateful　eyes　glare

beside　the　mother　and　the　child！



All　that　day　Viola　was　distracted　by　a　thousand　thoughts　and

terrors；　which　fled　as　she　examined　them　to　settle　back　the

darklier。　　She　remembered　that；　as　she　had　once　said　to　Glyndon；

her　very　childhood　had　been　haunted　with　strange　forebodings；

that　she　was　ordained　for　some　preternatural　doom。　　She

remembered　that；　as　she　had　told　him　this；　sitting　by　the　seas

that　slumbered　in　the　arms　of　the　Bay　of　Naples；　he；　too；　had

acknowledged　the　same　forebodings；　and　a　mysterious　sympathy　had

appeared　to　unite　their　fates。　　She　remembered；　above　all；　that；

comparing　their　entangled　thoughts；　both　had　then　said；　that　with

the　first　sight　of　Zanoni　the　foreboding；　the　instinct；　had

spoken　to　their　hearts　more　audibly　than　before；　whispering　that

〃with　HIM　was　connected　the　secret　of　the　unconjectured　life。〃



And　now；　when　Glyndon　and　Viola　met　again；　the　haunting　fears　of

childhood；　thus　referred　to；　woke　from　their　enchanted　sleep。

With　Glyndon's　terror　she　felt　a　sympathy；　against　which　her

reason　and　her　love　struggled　in　vain。　　And　still；　when　she

turned　her　looks　upon　her　child；　it　watched　her　with　that　steady；

earnest　eye；　and　its　lips　moved　as　if　it　sought　to　speak　to　her；

but　no　sound　came。　　The　infant　refused　to　sleep。　　Whenever　she

gazed　upon　its　face；　still　those　wakeful；　watchful　eyes！and　in

their　earnestness；　there　spoke　something　of　pain；　of　upbraiding；

of　accusation。　　They　chilled　her　as　she　looked。　　Unable　to

endure；　of　herself；　this　sudden　and　complete　revulsion　of　all　the

feelings　which　had　hitherto　made　up　her　life；　she　formed　the

resolution　natural　to　her　land　and　creed；　she　sent　for　the　priest

who　had　habitually　attended　her　at　Venice；　and　to　him　she

confessed；　with　passionate　sobs　and　intense　terror；　the　doubts

that　had　broken　upon　her。　　The　good　father；　a　worthy　and　pious

man；　but　with　little　education　and　less　sense；　one　who　held　（as

many　of　the　lower　Italians　do　to　this　day）　even　a　poet　to　be　a

sort　of　sorcerer；　seemed　to　shut　the　gates　of　hope　upon　her

heart。　　His　remonstrances　were　urgent；　for　his　horror　was

unfeigned。　　He　joined　with　Glyndon　in　imploring　her　to　fly；　if

she　felt　the　smallest　doubt　that　her　husband's　pursuits　were　of

the　nature　which　the　Roman　Church　had　benevolently　burned　so　many

scholars　for　adopting。　　And　even　the　little　that　Viola　could

communicate　seemed；　to　the　ignorant　ascetic；　irrefragable　proof

of　sorcery　and　witchcraft；　he　had；　indeed；　previously　heard　some

of　the　strange　rumours　which　followed　the　path　of　Zanoni；　and　was

therefore　prepared　to　believe　the　worst；　the　worthy　Bartolomeo

would　have　made　no　bones　of　sending　Watt　to　the　stake；　had　he

heard　him　speak　of　the　steam…engine。　　But　Viola；　as　untutored　as

himself；　was　terrified　by　his　rough　and　vehement　eloquence；

terrified；　for　by　that　penetration　which　Catholic　priests；

however　dull；　generally　acquire；　in　their　vast　experience　of　the

human　heart　hourly　exposed　to　their　probe；　Bartolomeo　spoke　less

of　danger　to　herself　than　to　her　child。　　〃Sorcerers；〃　said　he；

〃have　ever　sought　the　most　to　decoy　and　seduce　the　souls　of　the

young；nay；　the　infant；〃　and　therewith　he　entered　into　a　long

catalogue　of　legendary　fables；　which　he　quoted　as　historical

facts。　　All　at　which　an　English　woman　would　have　smiled；　appalled

the　tender　but　superstitious　Neapolitan；　and　when　the　priest　left

her；　with　solemn　rebukes　and　grave　accusations　of　a　dereliction

of　her　duties　to　her　child；　if　she　hesitated　to　fly　with　it　from

an　abode　polluted　by　the　darker　powers　and　unhallowed　arts；

Viola；　still　clinging　to　the　image　of　Zanoni；　sank　into　a　passive

lethargy　which　held　her　very　reason　in　suspense。



The　hours　passed：　　night　came　on；　the　house　was　hushed；　and

Viola；　slowly　awakened　from　the　numbness　and　torpor　which　had

usurped　her　faculties；　tossed　to　and　fro　on　her　couch；　restless

and　perturbed。　　The　stillness　became　intolerable；　yet　more

intolerable　the　sound　that　alone　broke　it；　the　voice　of　the

clock；　knelling　moment　after　moment　to　its　grave。　　The　moments；

at　last；　seemed　themselves　to　find　voice；to　gain　shape。　　She

thought　she　beheld　them　springing；　wan　and　fairy…like；　from　the

womb　of　darkness；　and　ere　they　fell　again；　extinguished；　into

that　womb；　their　grave；　their　low　small　voices　murmured；　〃Woman；

we　report　to　eternity　all　that　is　done　in　time！　　What　shall　we

report　of　thee；　O　guardian　of　a　new…born　soul？〃　　She　became

sensible　that　her　fancies　had　brought　a　sort　of　partial　delirium；

that　she　was　in　a　state　between　sleep　and　waking；　when　suddenly

one　thought　became　more　predominant　than　the　rest。　　The　chamber

which；　in　that　and　every　house　they　had　inhabited；　even　that　in

the　Greek　isles；　Zanoni　had　set　apart　to　a　solitude　on　which　none

might　intrude；　the　threshold　of　which　even　Viola's　step　was

forbid　to　cross；　and　never；　hitherto；　in　that　sweet　repose　of

confidence　which　belongs　to　contented