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第23章

the purcell papers-2-第23章

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Nine o'clock at length came; and with it

a summons at the street…door; which; being

speedily answered; was followed by a slow

and emphatic tread upon the staircase; the

steps moved heavily across the lobby; the

door of the room in which the party which

we have described were assembled slowly

opened; and there entered a figure which

startled; almost appalled; the phlegmatic

Dutchmen; and nearly made Rose scream

with affright; it was the form; and arrayed

in the garb; of Mynher Vanderhausen;

the air; the gait; the height was the same;

but the features had never been seen by

any of the party before。



The stranger stopped at the door of the

room; and displayed his form and face

completely。 He wore a dark…coloured

cloth cloak; which was short and full; not

falling quite to the knees; his legs were

cased in dark purple silk stockings; and his

shoes were adorned with roses of the same

colour。 The opening of the cloak in front

showed the under…suit to consist of some

very dark; perhaps sable material; and his

hands were enclosed in a pair of heavy

leather gloves which ran up considerably

above the wrist; in the manner of a gauntlet。

In one hand he carried his walking…

stick and his hat; which he had removed;

and the other hung heavily by his side。

A quantity of grizzled hair descended in

long tresses from his head; and its folds

rested upon the plaits of a stiff ruff; which

effectually concealed his neck。



So far all was well; but the face!all

the flesh of the face was coloured with the

bluish leaden hue which is sometimes pro…

duced by the operation of metallic

medicines administered in excessive quantities;

the eyes were enormous; and the white

appeared both above and below the iris;

which gave to them an expression of

insanity; which was heightened by their

glassy fixedness; the nose was well enough;

but the mouth was writhed considerably to

one side; where it opened in order to give

egress to two long; discoloured fangs; which

projected from the upper jaw; far below the

lower lip; the hue of the lips themselves

bore the usual relation to that of the face;

and was consequently nearly black。 The

character of the face was malignant; even

satanic; to the last degree; and; indeed;

such a combination of horror could hardly

be accounted for; except by supposing the

corpse of some atrocious malefactor; which

had long hung blackening upon the gibbet;

to have at length become the habitation of

a demonthe frightful sport of Satanic

possession。



It was remarkable that the worshipful

stranger suffered as little as possible of his

flesh to appear; and that during his visit he

did not once remove his gloves。



Having stood for some moments at the

door; Gerard Douw at length found breath

and collectedness to bid him welcome; and;

with a mute inclination of the head; the

stranger stepped forward into the room。



There was something indescribably odd;

even horrible; about all his motions;

something undefinable; that was unnatural; un…

humanit was as if the limbs were guided

and directed by a spirit unused to the

management of bodily machinery。



The stranger said hardly anything during

his visit; which did not exceed half an

hour; and the host himself could scarcely

muster courage enough to utter the few

necessary salutations and courtesies: and;

indeed; such was the nervous terror which

the presence of Vanderhausen inspired;

that very little would have made all his

entertainers fly bellowing from the room。



They had not so far lost all self…

possession; however; as to fail to observe two

strange peculiarities of their visitor。



During his stay he did not once suffer

his eyelids to close; nor even to move in

the slightest degree; and further; there

was a death…like stillness in his whole

person; owing to the total absence of the

heaving motion of the chest; caused by the

process of respiration。



These two peculiarities; though when

told they may appear trifling; produced a

very striking and unpleasant effect when

seen and observed。 Vanderhausen at

length relieved the painter of Leyden of

his inauspicious presence; and with no

small gratification the little party heard the

street…door close after him。



'Dear uncle;' said Rose; 'what a frightful

man! I would not see him again for

the wealth of the States!'



'Tush; foolish girl!' said Douw; whose

sensations were anything but comfortable。

'A man may be as ugly as the devil; and

yet if his heart and actions are good; he

is worth all the pretty…faced; perfumed

puppies that walk the Mall。 Rose; my

girl; it is very true he has not thy pretty

face; but I know him to be wealthy and

liberal; and were he ten times more

ugly'



'Which is inconceivable;' observed Rose。



'These two virtues would be sufficient;'

continued her uncle; 'to counterbalance all

his deformity; and if not of power sufficient

actually to alter the shape of the features;

at least of efficacy enough to prevent one

thinking them amiss。'



'Do you know; uncle;' said Rose; 'when

I saw him standing at the door; I could

not get it out of my head that I saw the

old; painted; wooden figure that used to

frighten me so much in the church of St。

Laurence of Rotterdam。'



Gerard laughed; though he could not

help inwardly acknowledging the justness

of the comparison。 He was resolved;

however; as far as he could; to check his

niece's inclination to ridicule the ugliness

of her intended bridegroom; although he

was not a little pleased to observe that she

appeared totally exempt from that mysterious

dread of the stranger which; he could

not disguise it from himself; considerably

affected him; as also his pupil Godfrey

Schalken。



Early on the next day there arrived;

from various quarters of the town; rich

presents of silks; velvets; jewellery; and so

forth; for Rose; and also a packet directed

to Gerard Douw; which; on being opened;

was found to contain a contract of marriage;

formally drawn up; between Wilken

Vanderhausen of the Boom…quay; in Rotterdam;

and Rose Velderkaust of Leyden; niece to

Gerard Douw; master in the art of painting;

also of the same city; and containing

engagements on the part of Vanderhausen to

make settlements upon his bride; far more

splendid than he had before led her guardian

to believe likely; and which were to

be secured to her use in the most unexceptionable

manner possiblethe money being

placed in the hands of Gerard Douw himself。



I have no sentimental scenes to describe;

no cruelty of guardians; or magnanimity of

wards; or agonies of lovers。 The record I

have to make is one of sordidness; levity;

and interest。 In less than a week after

the first interview which we have just

described; the contract of marriage was

fulfilled; and Schalken saw the prize which

he would have risked anything to secure;

carried off triumphantly by his formidable

rival。



For two or three days he absented

himself from the school; he then returned

and worked; if with less cheerfulness; with

far more dogged resolution than before;

the dream of love had given place to that

of ambition。



Months passed away; and; contrary to

his expectation; and; indeed; to the direct

promise of the parties; Gerard Douw heard

nothing of his niece; or her worshipful

spouse。 The interest of the money; which

was to have been demanded in quarterly

sums; lay unclaimed in his hands。 He

began to grow extremely uneasy。



Mynher Vanderhausen's direction in

Rotterdam he was fully possessed of。 After

some irresolution he finally determined to

journey thithera trifling undertaking; and

easily accomplishedand thus to satisfy

himself of the safety and comfort of his

ward; for whom he entertained an honest

and strong affection。



His search was in vain; however。 No

o

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