zanoni-第87章

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mantled；　shadowy　form；the　more　fearful　and　ghastly　from　its

indistinct　and　unsubstantial　gloom。　　The　walls　of　that　chamber

seem　to　open　as　the　scene　of　a　theatre。　　A　grim　dungeon；　streets

through　which　pour　shadowy　crowds；　wrath　and　hatred；　and　the

aspect　of　demons　in　their　ghastly　visages；　a　place　of　death；　a

murderous　instrument；　a　shamble…house　of　human　flesh；　herself；

her　child；all；　all；　rapid　phantasmagoria；　chased　each　other。

Suddenly　the　phantom…Zanoni　turned；　it　seemed　to　perceive

herself；her　second　self。　　It　sprang　towards　her；　her　spirit

could　bear　no　more。　　She　shrieked；　she　woke。　　She　found　that　in

truth　she　had　left　that　dismal　chamber；　the　cradle　was　before

her；　the　child！　allall　as　that　trance　had　seen　it；　and；

vanishing　into　air；　even　that　dark；　formless　Thing！



〃My　child！　my　child！　thy　mother　shall　save　thee　yet！〃





CHAPTER　6。VIII。



Qui？　　Toi　m'abandonner！　　Ou　vas…tu？　　Non！　demeure；

Demeure！

La　Harpe；　〃Le　Comte　de　Warwick；〃　Act　3；　sc。　5。



（Who？　　THOU　abandon　me！where　goest　thou？　　No！　stay；　stay！）



Letter　from　Viola　to　Zanoni。



〃It　has　come　to　this！I　am　the　first　to　part！　　I；　the　unfaithful

one；　bid　thee　farewell　forever。　　When　thine　eyes　fall　upon　this

writing　thou　wilt　know　me　as　one　of　the　dead。　　For　thou　that

wert；　and　still　art　my　life；I　am　lost　to　thee！　　O　lover！　　O

husband！　　O　still　worshipped　and　adored！　if　thou　hast　ever　loved

me；　if　thou　canst　still　pity；　seek　not　to　discover　the　steps　that

fly　thee。　　If　thy　charms　can　detect　and　tract　me；　spare　me；　spare

our　child！　　Zanoni；　I　will　rear　it　to　love　thee；　to　call　thee

father！　　Zanoni；　its　young　lips　shall　pray　for　thee！　　Ah；　spare

thy　child；　for　infants　are　the　saints　of　earth；　and　their

mediation　may　be　heard　on　high！　　Shall　I　tell　thee　why　I　part？

No；　thou；　the　wisely…terrible；　canst　divine　what　the　hand

trembles　to　record；　and　while　I　shudder　at　thy　power；while　it

is　thy　power　I　fly　（our　child　upon　my　bosom）；it　comforts　me

still　to　think　that　thy　power　can　read　the　heart！　　Thou　knowest

that　it　is　the　faithful　mother　that　writes　to　thee；　it　is　not　the

faithless　wife！　　Is　there　sin　in　thy　knowledge；　Zanoni？　　Sin　must

have　sorrow：　　and　it　were　sweetoh；　how　sweetto　be　thy

comforter。　　But　the　child；　the　infant；　the　soul　that　looks　to

mine　for　its　shield！magician；　I　wrest　from　thee　that　soul！

Pardon；　pardon；　if　my　words　wrong　thee。　　See；　I　fall　on　my　knees

to　write　the　rest！



〃Why　did　I　never　recoil　before　from　thy　mysterious　lore；　why　did

the　very　strangeness　of　thine　unearthly　life　only　fascinate　me

with　a　delightful　fear？　　Because；　if　thou　wert　sorcerer　or　angel…

demon；　there　was　no　peril　to　other　but　myself：　　and　none　to　me；

for　my　love　was　my　heavenliest　part；　and　my　ignorance　in　all

things；　except　the　art　to　love　thee；　repelled　every　thought　that

was　not　bright　and　glorious　as　thine　image　to　my　eyes。　　But　NOW

there　is　another！　　Look！　why　does　it　watch　me　thus；why　that

never…sleeping；　earnest；　rebuking　gaze？　　Have　thy　spells

encompassed　it　already？　　Hast　thou　marked　it；　cruel　one；　for　the

terrors　of　thy　unutterable　art？　　Do　not　madden　me；do　not　madden

me！unbind　the　spell！



〃Hark！　the　oars　without！　　They　come；they　come；　to　bear　me　from

thee！　　I　look　round；　and　methinks　that　I　see　thee　everywhere。

Thou　speakest　to　me　from　every　shadow；　from　every　star。　　There；

by　the　casement；　thy　lips　last　pressed　mine；　there；　there　by　that

threshold　didst　thou　turn　again；　and　thy　smile　seemed　so

trustingly　to　confide　in　me！　　Zanonihusband！I　will　stay！　　I

cannot　part　from　thee！　　No；　no！　　I　will　go　to　the　room　where　thy

dear　voice；　with　its　gentle　music；　assuaged　the　pangs　of

travail！where；　heard　through　the　thrilling　darkness；　it　first

whispered　to　my　ear；　'Viola；　thou　art　a　mother！'　　A　mother！yes；

I　rise　from　my　knees；I　AM　a　mother！　　They　come！　　I　am　firm；

farewell！〃



Yes；　thus　suddenly；　thus　cruelly；　whether　in　the　delirium　of

blind　and　unreasoning　superstition；　or　in　the　resolve　of　that

conviction　which　springs　from　duty；　the　being　for　whom　he　had

resigned　so　much　of　empire　and　of　glory　forsook　Zanoni。　　This

desertion；　never　foreseen；　never　anticipated；　was　yet　but　the

constant　fate　that　attends　those　who　would　place　Mind　BEYOND　the

earth；　and　yet　treasure　the　Heart　WITHIN　it。　　Ignorance

everlastingly　shall　recoil　from　knowledge。　　But　never　yet；　from

nobler　and　purer　motives　of　self…sacrifice；　did　human　love　link

itself　to　another；　than　did　the　forsaking　wife　now　abandon　the

absent。　　For　rightly　had　she　said　that　it　was　not　the　faithless

wife；　it　WAS　the　faithful　mother　that　fled　from　all　in　which　her

earthly　happiness　was　centred。



As　long　as　the　passion　and　fervour　that　impelled　the　act　animated

her　with　false　fever；　she　clasped　her　infant　to　her　breast；　and

was　consoled；resigned。　　But　what　bitter　doubt　of　her　own

conduct；　what　icy　pang　of　remorse　shot　through　her　heart；　when；

as　they　rested　for　a　few　hours　on　the　road　to　Leghorn；　she　heard

the　woman　who　accompanied　herself　and　Glyndon　pray　for　safety　to

reach　her　husband's　side；　and　strength　to　share　the　perils　that

would　meet　her　there！　　Terrible　contrast　to　her　own　desertion！

She　shrunk　into　the　darkness　of　her　own　heart；and　then　no　voice

from　within　consoled　her。





CHAPTER　6。IX。



Zukunft　hast　du　mir　gegeben；

Doch　du　nehmst　den　Augenblick。

〃Kassandra。〃



（Futurity　hast　thou　given　to　me；yet　takest　from　me　the　Moment。）



〃Mejnour；　behold　thy　work！　　Out；　out　upon　our　little　vanities　of

wisdom！out　upon　our　ages　of　lore　and　life！　　To　save　her　from

Peril　I　left　her　presence；　and　the　Peril　has　seized　her　in　its

grasp！〃



〃Chide　not　thy　wisdom　but　thy　passions！　　Abandon　thine　idle　hope

of　the　love　of　woman。　　See；　for　those　who　would　unite　the　lofty

with　the　lowly；　the　inevitable　curse；　thy　very　nature

uncomprehended；thy　sacrifices　unguessed。　　The　lowly　one　views

but　in　the　lofty　a　necromancer　or　a　fiend。　　Titan；　canst　thou

weep？〃



〃I　know　it　now；　I　see　it　all！　　It　WAS　her　spirit　that　stood

beside　our　own；　and　escaped　my　airy　clasp！　　O　strong　desire　of

motherhood　and　nature！　unveiling　all　our　secrets；　piercing　space

and　traversing　worlds！Mejnour；　what　awful　learning　lies　hid　in

the　ignorance　of　the　heart　that　loves！〃



〃The　heart；〃　answered　the　mystic；　coldly；　〃ay；　for　five　thousand

years　I　have　ransacked　the　mysteries　of　creation；　but　I　have　not

yet　discovered　all　the　wonders　in　the　heart　of　the　simplest

boor！〃



〃Yet　our　solemn　rites　deceived　us　not；　the　prophet…shadows；　dark

with　terror　and　red　with　blood；　still　foretold　that；　even　in　the

dungeon；　and　before　the　deathsman；　I；I　had　the　power　to　save

them　both！〃



〃But　at　some　unconjectured　and　most　fatal　sacrifice　to　thyself。〃



〃To　myself！　　Icy　sage；　there　is　no　self　in　love！　　I　go。　　Nay；

alone：　　I　want　thee　not。　　I　want　now　no　other　guide　but　the　human

instincts　of　affection。　　No　cave　so　dark；　no　solitude　so　vast；　as

to　conceal　her。　　Though　mine　art　fail　me；　though　the　stars　heed

me　not；　though　space；　with　its　shining　myriads；　is　again　to　me

but　the　azure　void；I　return　but　to　love　and　youth　and　hope！

When　have　they　ever　failed　to　triumph　and　to　save！〃







BOOK　VII。



THE　REIGN　OF　TERROR。



Orrida　maesta　nei　fero　aspetto

Terrore　accresce；　e　piu　superbo　il　rende；

Rosseggian　gli　occhi；　e　di　veneno　infetto

Come　infausta　cometa；　il　guardo　splende；

Gil　involve　il　mento；　e　sull　'irsuto　petto

Ispida　efoita　la　gran　barbe　scende；

E　IN　GUISA　DE　VORAGINE　PROFONDA

SAPRE　LA　BOCCA　A'ATRO　SANGUE　IMMONDA。

（Ger。　Lib。；　Cant。　iv。　7。）



A　horrible　majesty　in　the　fierce　aspect　increases　it　terror；　and

renders　it　more　　superb。　　Red　glow　the　eyes；　and　the　aspect

infected；　like　a　baleful　comet；　with　　envenomed　influences；

glares　around。　　A　vast　beard　covers　the　chinand；　rough　　and

thick；　descends　over　the　shaggy　breast。And　like　a　profound　gulf

expand　the　jaws；　foul　with　black　gore。







CHAPTER　7。I。