the devil in manuscript-第1章

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THE　DEVIL　IN　MANUSCRIPT



On　a　bitter　evening　of　December；　I　arrived　by　mail　in　a　large

town；　which　was　then　the　residence　of　an　intimate　friend；　one　of

those　gifted　youths　who　cultivate　poetry　and　the　belles…lettres；

and　call　themselves　students　at　law。　My　first　business；　after

supper；　was　to　visit　him　at　the　office　of　his　distinguished

instructor。　As　I　have　said；　it　was　a　bitter　night；　clear

starlight；　but　cold　as　Nova　Zembla；the　shop…windows　along　the

street　being　frosted；　so　as　almost　to　hide　the　lights；　while　the

wheels　of　coaches　thundered　equally　loud　over　frozen　earth　and

pavements　of　stone。　There　was　no　snow；　either　on　the　ground　or

the　roofs　of　the　houses。　The　wind　blew　so　violently；　that　I　had

but　to　spread　my　cloak　like　a　main…sail；　and　scud　along　the

street　at　the　rate　of　ten　knots；　greatly　envied　by　other

navigators；　who　were　beating　slowly　up；　with　the　gale　right　in

their　teeth。　One　of　these　I　capsized；　but　was　gone　on　the　wings

of　the　wind　before　he　could　even　vociferate　an　oath。



After　this　picture　of　an　inclement　night；　behold　us　seated　by　a

great　blazing　fire；　which　looked　so　comfortable　and　delicious

that　I　felt　inclined　to　lie　down　and　roll　among　the　hot　coals。

The　usual　furniture　of　a　lawyer's　office　was　around　us；rows　of

volumes　in　sheepskin；　and　a　multitude　of　writs；　summonses；　and

other　legal　papers；　scattered　over　the　desks　and　tables。　But

there　were　certain　objects　which　seemed　to　intimate　that　we　had

little　dread　of　the　intrusion　of　clients；　or　of　the　learned

counsellor　himself；　who；　indeed；　was　attending　court　in　a　distant

town。　A　tall；　decanter…shaped　bottle　stood　on　the　table；　between

two　tumblers；　and　beside　a　pile　of　blotted　manuscripts；

altogether　dissimilar　to　any　law　documents　recognized　in　our

courts。　My　friend；　whom　I　shall　call　Oberon；it　was　a　name　of

fancy　and　friendship　between　him　and　me；my　friend　Oberon　looked

at　these　papers　with　a　peculiar　expression　of　disquietude。



〃I　do　believe；〃　said　he；　soberly；　〃or；　at　least；　I　could　believe；

if　I　chose；　that　there　is　a　devil　in　this　pile　of　blotted　papers。

You　have　read　them；　and　know　what　I　mean；that　conception　in

which　I　endeavored　to　embody　the　character　of　a　fiend；　as

represented　in　our　traditions　and　the　written　records　of

witchcraft。　Oh；　I　have　a　horror　of　what　was　created　in　my　own

brain；　and　shudder　at　the　manuscripts　in　which　I　gave　that　dark

idea　a　sort　of　material　existence！　Would　they　were　out　of　my

sight！〃



〃And　of　mine；　too；〃　thought　I。



〃You　remember；〃　continued　Oberon；　〃how　the　hellish　thing　used　to

suck　away　the　happiness　of　those　who；　by　a　simple　concession　that

seemed　almost　innocent；　subjected　themselves　to　his　power。　Just

so　my　peace　is　gone；　and　all　by　these　accursed　manuscripts。　Have

you　felt　nothing　of　the　same　influence？〃



〃Nothing；〃　replied　I；　〃unless　the　spell　be　hid　in　a　desire　to

turn　novelist；　after　reading　your　delightful　tales。〃



〃Novelist！〃　exclaimed　Oberon；　half　seriously。　〃Then；　indeed；　my

devil　has　his　claw　on　you！　You　are　gone！　You　cannot　even　pray　for

deliverance！　But　we　will　be　the　last　and　only　victims；　for　this

night　I　mean　to　burn　the　manuscripts；　and　commit　the　fiend　to　his

retribution　in　the　flames。〃



〃Burn　your　tales！〃　repeated　I；　startled　at　the　desperation　of　the

idea。



〃Even　so；〃　said　the　author；　despondingly。　〃You　cannot　conceive

what　an　effect　the　composition　of　these　tales　has　had　on　me。　I

have　become　ambitious　of　a　bubble；　and　careless　of　solid

reputation。　I　am　surrounding　myself　with　shadows；　which　bewilder

me；　by　aping　the　realities　of　life。　They　have　drawn　me　aside　from

the　beaten　path　of　the　world；　and　led　me　into　a　strange　sort　of

solitude；a　solitude　in　the　midst　of　men；…where　nobody　wishes

for　what　I　do；　nor　thinks　nor　feels　as　I　do。　The　tales　have　done

all　this。　When　they　are　ashes；　perhaps　I　shall　be　as　I　was　before

they　had　existence。　Moreover；　the　sacrifice　is　less　than　you　may

suppose；　since　nobody　will　publish　them。〃



〃That　does　make　a　difference；　indeed；〃　said　I。



〃They　have　been　offered；　by　letter；〃　continued　Oberon；　reddening

with　vexation；　〃to　some　seventeen　booksellers。　It　would　make　you

stare　to　read　their　answers；　and　read　them　you　should；　only　that

I　burnt　them　as　fast　as　they　arrived。　One　man　publishes　nothing

but　school…books；　another　has　five　novels　already　under

examination。〃



〃What　a　voluminous　mass　the　unpublished　literature　of　America

must　be！〃　cried　I。



〃Oh；　the　Alexandrian　manuscripts　were　nothing　to　it！〃　said　my

friend。　〃Well；　another　gentleman　is　just　giving　up　business；　on

purpose；　I　verily　believe；　to　escape　publishing　my　book。　Several；

however；　would　not　absolutely　decline　the　agency；　on　my　advancing

half　the　cost　of　an　edition；　and　giving　bonds　for　the　remainder；

besides　a　high　percentage　to　themselves；　whether　the　book　sells

or　not。　Another　advises　a　subscription。〃



〃The　villain！〃　exclaimed　I。



〃A　fact！〃　said　Oberon。　〃In　short；　of　all　the　seventeen

booksellers；　only　one　has　vouchsafed　even　to　read　my　tales；　and

hea　literary　dabbler　himself；　I　should　judgehas　the

impertinence　to　criticise　them；　proposing　what　he　calls　vast

improvements；　and　concluding；　after　a　general　sentence　of

condemnation；　with　the　definitive　assurance　that　he　will　not　be

concerned　on　any　terms。〃



〃It　might　not　be　amiss　to　pull　that　fellow's　nose；〃　remarked　I。



〃If　the　whole　'trade'　had　one　common　nose；　there　would　be　some

satisfaction　in　pulling　it；〃　answered　the　author。　〃But；　there

does　seem　to　be　one　honest　man　among　these　seventeen　unrighteous

ones；　and　he　tells　me　fairly；　that　no　American　publisher　will

meddle　with　an　American　work；seldom　if　by　a　known　writer；　and

never　if　by　a　new　one；unless　at　the　writer's　risk。〃



〃The　paltry　rogues！〃　cried　I。　〃Will　they　live　by　literature；　and

yet　risk　nothing　for　its　sake？　But；　after　all；　you　might　publish

on　your　own　account。〃



〃And　so　I　might；〃　replied　Oberon。　〃But　the　devil　of　the　business

is　this。　These　people　have　put　me　so　out　of　conceit　with　the

tales；　that　I　loathe　the　very　thought　of　them；　and　actually

experience　a　physical　sickness　of　the　stomach；　whenever　I　glance

at　them　on　the　table。　I　tell　you　there　is　a　demon　in　them！　I

anticipate　a　wild　enjoyment　in　seeing　them　in　the　blaze；　such　as

I　should　feel　in　taking　vengeance　on　an　enemy；　or　destroying

something　noxious。〃



I　did　not　very　strenuously　oppose　this　determination；　being

privately　of　opinion；　in　spite　of　my　partiality　for　the　author；

that　his　tales　would　make　a　more　brilliant　appearance　in　the　fire

than　anywhere　else。　Before　proceeding　to　execution；　we　broached

the　bottle　of　champagne；　which　Oberon　had　provided　for　keeping　up

his　spirits　in　this　doleful　business。　We　swallowed　each　a

tumblerful；　in　sparkling　commotion；　it　went　bubbling　down　our

throats；　and　brightened　my　eyes　at　once；　but　left　my　friend　sad

and　heavy　as　before。　He　drew　the　tales　towards　him；　with　a

mixture　of　natural　affection　and　natural　disgust；　like　a　father

taking　a　deformed　infant　into　his　arms。



〃Pooh！　Pish！　Pshaw！〃　exclaimed　he；　holding　them　at　arm's…length。

〃It　was　Gray's　idea　of　heaven；　to　lounge　on　a　sofa　and　read　new

novels。　Now；　what　more　appropriate　torture　would　Dante　himself

have　contrived；　for　the　sinner　who　perpetrates　a　bad　book；　than

to　be　continually　turning　over　the　manuscript？〃



〃It　would　fail　of　effect；〃　said　I；　〃because　a　bad　author　is

always　his　own　great　admirer。〃



〃I　lack　that　one　characteristic　of　my　tribe；the　only　desirable

one；〃　observed　Oberon。　〃But　how　many　recollections　throng　upon

me；　as　I　turn　over　these　leaves！　This　scene　came　into　my　fancy　as

I　walked　along　a　hilly　road；　on　a　starlight　October　evening；　in

the　pure　and　bracing　air；　I　became　all　soul；　and　felt　as　if　I

could　climb　the　sky；　and　run　a　race　along　the　Milky　Way。　Here　is

another　tale；　in　which　I　wrapt　myself　during　a　dark　and　dreary

night…ride　in　the　month