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第23章

the zincali-第23章

小说: the zincali 字数: 每页4000字

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the portal of a large house in one of the narrow Moorish streets of 



the capital of Andalusia; through the grated iron door; she looks 



in upon the court; it is paved with small marble slabs of almost 



snowy whiteness; in the middle is a fountain distilling limpid 



water; and all around there is a profusion of macetas; in which 



flowering plants and aromatic shrubs are growing; and at each 



corner there is an orange tree; and the perfume of the azahar may 



be distinguished; you hear the melody of birds from a small aviary 



beneath the piazza which surrounds the court; which is surmounted 



by a toldo or linen awning; for it is the commencement of May; and 



the glorious sun of Andalusia is burning with a splendour too 



intense for his rays to be borne with impunity。  It is a fairy 



scene such as nowhere meets the eye but at Seville; or perhaps at 



Fez and Shiraz; in the palaces of the Sultan and the Shah。  The 



Gypsy looks through the iron…grated door; and beholds; seated near 



the fountain; a richly dressed dame and two lovely delicate 



maidens; they are busied at their morning's occupation; 



intertwining with their sharp needles the gold and silk on the 



tambour; several female attendants are seated behind。  The Gypsy 



pulls the bell; when is heard the soft cry of 'Quien es'; the door; 



unlocked by means of a string; recedes upon its hinges; when in 



walks the Gitana; the witch…wife of Multan; with a look such as the 



tiger…cat casts when she stealeth from her jungle into the plain。







Yes; well may you exclaim 'Ave Maria purissima;' ye dames and 



maidens of Seville; as she advances towards you; she is not of 



yourselves; she is not of your blood; she or her fathers have 



walked to your climate from a distance of three thousand leagues。  



She has come from the far East; like the three enchanted kings; to 



Cologne; but; unlike them; she and her race have come with hate and 



not with love。  She comes to flatter; and to deceive; and to rob; 



for she is a lying prophetess; and a she…Thug; she will greet you 



with blessings which will make your hearts rejoice; but your 



hearts' blood would freeze; could you hear the curses which to 



herself she murmurs against you; for she says; that in her 



children's veins flows the dark blood of the 'husbands;' whilst in 



those of yours flows the pale tide of the 'savages;' and therefore 



she would gladly set her foot on all your corses first poisoned by 



her hands。  For all her love … and she can love … is for the Romas; 



and all her hate … and who can hate like her? … is for the Busnees; 



for she says that the world would be a fair world if there were no 



Busnees; and if the Romamiks could heat their kettles undisturbed 



at the foot of the olive…trees; and therefore she would kill them 



all if she could and if she dared。  She never seeks the houses of 



the Busnees but for the purpose of prey; for the wild animals of 



the sierra do not more abhor the sight of man than she abhors the 



countenances of the Busnees。  She now comes to prey upon you and to 



scoff at you。  Will you believe her words?  Fools! do you think 



that the being before ye has any sympathy for the like of you?







She is of the middle stature; neither strongly nor slightly built; 



and yet her every movement denotes agility and vigour。  As she 



stands erect before you; she appears like a falcon about to soar; 



and you are almost tempted to believe that the power of volition is 



hers; and were you to stretch forth your hand to seize her; she 



would spring above the house…tops like a bird。  Her face is oval; 



and her features are regular but somewhat hard and coarse; for she 



was born amongst rocks in a thicket; and she has been wind…beaten 



and sun…scorched for many a year; even like her parents before her; 



there is many a speck upon her cheek; and perhaps a scar; but no 



dimples of love; and her brow is wrinkled over; though she is yet 



young。  Her complexion is more than dark; for it is almost that of 



a mulatto; and her hair; which hangs in long locks on either side 



of her face; is black as coal; and coarse as the tail of a horse; 



from which it seems to have been gathered。







There is no female eye in Seville can support the glance of hers; … 



so fierce and penetrating; and yet so artful and sly; is the 



expression of their dark orbs; her mouth is fine and almost 



delicate; and there is not a queen on the proudest throne between 



Madrid and Moscow who might not and would not envy the white and 



even rows of teeth which adorn it; which seem not of pearl but of 



the purest elephant's bone of Multan。  She comes not alone; a 



swarthy two…year…old bantling clasps her neck with one arm; its 



naked body half extant from the coarse blanket which; drawn round 



her shoulders; is secured at her bosom by a skewer。  Though tender 



of age; it looks wicked and sly; like a veritable imp of Roma。  



Huge rings of false gold dangle from wide slits in the lobes of her 



ears; her nether garments are rags; and her feet are cased in 



hempen sandals。  Such is the wandering Gitana; such is the witch…



wife of Multan; who has come to spae the fortune of the Sevillian 



countess and her daughters。







'O may the blessing of Egypt light upon your head; you high…born 



lady!  (May an evil end overtake your body; daughter of a Busnee 



harlot!) and may the same blessing await the two fair roses of the 



Nile here flowering by your side!  (May evil Moors seize them and 



carry them across the water!)  O listen to the words of the poor 



woman who is come from a distant country; she is of a wise people; 



though it has pleased the God of the sky to punish them for their 



sins by sending them to wander through the world。  They denied 



shelter to the Majari; whom you call the queen of heaven; and to 



the Son of God; when they flew to the land of Egypt before the 



wrath of the wicked king; it is said that they even refused them a 



draught of the sweet waters of the great river when the blessed two 



were athirst。  O you will say that it was a heavy crime; and truly 



so it was; and heavily has the Lord punished the Egyptians。  He has 



sent us a…wandering; poor as you see; with scarcely a blanket to 



cover us。  O blessed lady; (Accursed be thy dead; as many as thou 



mayest have;) we have no money to buy us bread; we have only our 



wisdom with which to support ourselves and our poor hungry babes; 



when God took away their silks from the Egyptians; and their gold 



from the Egyptians; he left them their wisdom as a resource that 



they might not starve。  O who can read the stars like the 



Egyptians? and who can read the lines of the palm like the 



Egyptians?  The poor woman read in the stars that there was a rich 



ventura for all of this goodly house; so she followed the bidding 



of the stars and came to declare it。  O blessed lady; (I defile thy 



dead corse;) your husband is at Granada; fighting with king 



Ferdinand against the wild Corahai!  (May an evil ball smite him 



and split his head!)  Within three months he shall return with 



twenty captive Moors; round the neck of each a chain of gold。  (God 



grant that when he enter the house a beam may fall upon him and 



crush him!)  And within nine months after his return God shall 



bless you with a fair chabo; the pledge for which you have sighed 



so long。  (Accursed be the salt placed in its mouth in the church 



when it is baptized!)  Your palm; blessed lady; your palm; and the 



palms of all I see here; that I may tell you all the rich ventura 



which is hanging over this good house; (May evil lightning fall 



upon it and consume it!) but first let me sing you a song of Egypt; 



that the spirit of the Chowahanee may descend more plenteously upon 



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