the devil in manuscript-第2章

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

night…ride　in　the　month　of　March；　till　the　rattling　of　the　wheels

and　the　voices　of　my　companions　seemed　like　faint　sounds　of　a

dream；　and　my　visions　a　bright　reality。　That　scribbled　page

describes　shadows　which　I　summoned　to　my　bedside　at　midnight：

they　would　not　depart　when　I　bade　them；　the　gray　dawn　came；　and

found　me　wide　awake　and　feverish；　the　victim　of　my　own

enchantments！〃



〃There　must　have　been　a　sort　of　happiness　in　all　this；〃　said　I；

smitten　with　a　strange　longing　to　make　proof　of　it。



〃There　may　be　happiness　in　a　fever　fit；〃　replied　the　author。　〃And

then　the　various　moods　in　which　I　wrote！　Sometimes　my　ideas　were

like　precious　stones　under　the　earth；　requiring　toil　to　dig　them

up；　and　care　to　polish　and　brighten　them；　but　often　a　delicious

stream　of　thought　would　gush　out　upon　the　page　at　once；　like

water　sparkling　up　suddenly　in　the　desert；　and　when　it　had

passed；　I　gnawed　my　pen　hopelessly；　or　blundered　on　with　cold　and

miserable　toil；　as　if　there　were　a　wall　of　ice　between　me　and　my

subject。〃



〃Do　you　now　perceive　a　corresponding　difference；〃　inquired　I；

〃between　the　passages　which　you　wrote　so　coldly；　and　those　fervid

flashes　of　the　mind？〃



〃No；〃　said　Oberon；　tossing　the　manuscripts　on　the　table。　〃I　find

no　traces　of　the　golden　pen　with　which　I　wrote　in　characters　of

fire。　My　treasure　of　fairy　coin　is　changed　to　worthless　dross。　My

picture；　painted　in　what　seemed　the　loveliest　hues；　presents

nothing　but　a　faded　and　indistinguishable　surface。　I　have　been

eloquent　and　poetical　and　humorous　in　a　dream；and　behold！　it　is

all　nonsense；　now　that　I　am　awake。〃



My　friend　now　threw　sticks　of　wood　and　dry　chips　upon　the　fire；

and　seeing　it　blaze　like　Nebuchadnezzar's　furnace；　seized　the

champagne　bottle；　and　drank　two　or　three　brimming　bumpers；

successively。　The　heady　liquor　combined　with　his　agitation　to

throw　him　into　a　species　of　rage。　He　laid　violent　hands　on　the

tales。　In　one　instant　more；　their　faults　and　beauties　would　alike

have　vanished　in　a　glowing　purgatory。　But；　all　at　once；　I

remembered　passages　of　high　imagination；　deep　pathos；　original

thoughts；　and　points　of　such　varied　excellence；　that　the　vastness

of　the　sacrifice　struck　me　most　forcibly。　I　caught　his　arm。



〃Surely；　you　do　not　mean　to　burn　them！〃　I　exclaimed。



〃Let　me　alone！〃　cried　Oberon；　his　eyes　flashing　fire。　〃I　will

burn　them！　Not　a　scorched　syllable　shall　escape！　Would　you　have

me　a　damned　author？To　undergo　sneers；　taunts；　abuse；　and　cold

neglect；　and　faint　praise；　bestowed；　for　pity's　sake；　against　the

giver's　conscience！　A　hissing　and　a　laughing…stock　to　my　own

traitorous　thoughts！　An　outlaw　from　the　protection　of　the

grave；one　whose　ashes　every　careless　foot　might　spurn；

unhonored　in　life；　and　remembered　scornfully　in　death！　Am　I　to

bear　all　this；　when　yonder　fire　will　insure　me　from　the　whole？

No！　There　go　the　tales！　May　my　hand　wither　when　it　would　write

another！〃



The　deed　was　done。　He　had　thrown　the　manuscripts　into　the　hottest

of　the　fire；　which　at　first　seemed　to　shrink　away；　but　soon

curled　around　them；　and　made　them　a　part　of　its　own　fervent

brightness。　Oberon　stood　gazing　at　the　conflagration；　and　shortly

began　to　soliloquize；　in　the　wildest　strain；　as　if　Fancy　resisted

and　became　riotous；　at　the　moment　when　he　would　have　compelled

her　to　ascend　that　funeral　pile。　His　words　described　objects

which　he　appeared　to　discern　in　the　fire；　fed　by　his　own　precious

thoughts；　perhaps　the　thousand　visions　which　the　writer's　magic

had　incorporated　with　these　pages　became　visible　to　him　in　the

dissolving　heat；　brightening　forth　ere　they　vanished　forever；

while　the　smoke；　the　vivid　sheets　of　flame；　the　ruddy　and

whitening　coals；　caught　the　aspect　of　a　varied　scenery。



〃They　blaze；〃　said　he；　〃as　if　I　had　steeped　them　in　the　intensest

spirit　of　genius。　There　I　see　my　lovers　clasped　in　each　other's

arms。　How　pure　the　flame　that　bursts　from　their　glowing　hearts！

And　yonder　the　features　of　a　villain　writhing　in　the　fire　that

shall　torment　him　to　eternity。　My　holy　men；　my　pious　and　angelic

women；　stand　like　martyrs　amid　the　flames；　their　mild　eyes　lifted

heavenward。　Ring　out　the　bells！　A　city　is　on　fire。

See！destruction　roars　through　my　dark　forests；　while　the　lakes

boil　up　in　steaming　billows；　and　the　mountains　are　volcanoes；　and

the　sky　kindles　with　a　lurid　brightness！　All　elements　are　but　one

pervading　flame！　Ha！　The　fiend！〃



I　was　somewhat　startled　by　this　latter　exclamation。　The　tales

were　almost　consumed；　but　just　then　threw　forth　a　broad　sheet　of

fire；　which　flickered　as　with　laughter；　making　the　whole　room

dance　in　its　brightness；　and　then　roared　portentously　up　the

chimney。



〃You　saw　him？　You　must　have　seen　him！〃　cried　Oberon。　〃How　he

glared　at　me　and　laughed；　in　that　last　sheet　of　flame；　with　just

the　features　that　I　imagined　for　him！　Well！　The　tales　are　gone。〃



The　papers　were　indeed　reduced　to　a　heap　of　black　cinders；　with　a

multitude　of　sparks　hurrying　confusedly　among　them；　the　traces　of

the　pen　being　now　represented　by　white　lines；　and　the　whole　mass

fluttering　to　and　fro　in　the　draughts　of　air。　The　destroyer　knelt

down　to　look　at　them。



〃What　is　more　potent　than　fire！〃　said　he；　in　his　gloomiest　tone。

〃Even　thought；　invisible　and　incorporeal　as　it　is；　cannot　escape

it。　In　this　little　time；　it　has　annihilated　the　creations　of　long

nights　and　days；　which　I　could　no　more　reproduce；　in　their　first

glow　and　freshness；　than　cause　ashes　and　whitened　bones　to　rise

up　and　live。　There；　too；　I　sacrificed　the　unborn　children　of　my

mind。　All　that　I　had　accomplishedall　that　I　planned　for　future

yearshas　perished　by　one　common　ruin；　and　left　only　this　heap

of　embers！　The　deed　has　been　my　fate。　And　what　remains？　A　weary

and　aimless　life；a　long　repentance　of　this　hour；and　at　last

an　obscure　grave；　where　they　will　bury　and　forget　me！〃



As　the　author　concluded　his　dolorous　moan；　the　extinguished

embers　arose　and　settled　down　and　arose　again；　and　finally　flew

up　the　chimney；　like　a　demon　with　sable　wings。　Just　as　they

disappeared；　there　was　a　loud　and　solitary　cry　in　the　street

below　us。　〃Fire！〃　Fire！　Other　voices　caught　up　that　terrible

word；　and　it　speedily　became　the　shout　of　a　multitude。　Oberon

started　to　his　feet；　in　fresh　excitement。



〃A　fire　on　such　a　night！〃　cried　he。　〃The　wind　blows　a　gale；　and

wherever　it　whirls　the　flames；　the　roofs　will　flash　up　like

gunpowder。　Every　pump　is　frozen　up；　and　boiling　water　would　turn

to　ice　the　moment　it　was　flung　from　the　engine。　In　an　hour；　this

wooden　town　will　be　one　great　bonfire！　What　a　glorious　scene　for

my　nextPshaw！〃



The　street　was　now　all　alive　with　footsteps；　and　the　air　full　of

voices。　We　heard　one　engine　thundering　round　a　corner；　and

another　rattling　from　a　distance　over　the　pavements。　The　bells　of

three　steeples　clanged　out　at　once；　spreading　the　alarm　to　many　a

neighboring　town；　and　expressing　hurry；　confusion；　and　terror；　so

inimitably　that　I　could　almost　distinguish　in　their　peal　the

burden　of　the　universal　cry；〃Fire！　Fire！　Fire！〃



〃What　is　so　eloquent　as　their　iron　tongues！〃　exclaimed　Oberon。

〃My　heart　leaps　and　trembles；　but　not　with　fear。　And　that　other

sound；　too；　…deep　and　awful　as　a　mighty　organ；the　roar　and

thunder　of　the　multitude　on　the　pavement　below！　Come！　We　are

losing　time。　I　will　cry　out　in　the　loudest　of　the　uproar；　and

mingle　my　spirit　with　the　wildest　of　the　confusion；　and　be　a

bubble　on　the　top　of　the　ferment！〃



From　the　first　outcry；　my　forebodings　had　warned　me　of　the　true

object　and　centre　of　alarm。　There　was　nothing　now　but　uproar；

above；　beneath；　and　around　us；　footsteps　stumbling　pell…mell　up

the　public　staircase；　eager　shouts　and　heavy　thumps　at　the　door；

the　whiz　and　dash　of　water　from　the　engines；　and　the　crash　of

furniture　thrown　upon　the　pavement。　At　once；　the　truth　flashed