the works of edgar allan poe-3-第53章

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And　the　angels；　all　pallid　and　wan；
　　　Uprising；　unveiling；　affirm
That　the　play　is　the　tragedy；　〃Man；〃
　　　And　its　hero　the　Conqueror　Worm。

〃O　God！〃　half　shrieked　Ligeia；　leaping　to　her　feet　and　extending　her
arms　aloft　with　a　spasmodic　movement；　as　I　made　an　end　of　these　lines
　〃O　God！　O　Divine　Father！　　shall　these　things　be　undeviatingly
so？　　shall　this　Conqueror　be　not　once　conquered？　Are　we　not　part
and　parcel　in　Thee？　Who　　who　knoweth　the　mysteries　of　the　will　with
its　vigor？　Man　doth　not　yield　him　to　the　angels；　nor　unto　death
utterly；　save　only　through　the　weakness　of　his　feeble　will。〃

And　now；　as　if　exhausted　with　emotion；　she　suffered　her　white　arms　to
fall；　and　returned　solemnly　to　her　bed　of　death。　And　as　she　breathed
her　last　sighs；　there　came　mingled　with　them　a　low　murmur　from　her
lips。　I　bent　to　them　my　ear　and　distinguished；　again；　the　concluding
words　of　the　passage　in　Glanvill　　〃Man　doth　not　yield　him　to　the
angels；　nor　unto　death　utterly；　save　only　through　the　weakness　of　his
feeble　will。〃

She　died；　　and　I；　crushed　into　the　very　dust　with　sorrow；　could　no
longer　endure　the　lonely　desolation　of　my　dwelling　in　the　dim　and
decaying　city　by　the　Rhine。　I　had　no　lack　of　what　the　world　calls
wealth。　Ligeia　had　brought　me　far　more；　very　far　more　than　ordinarily
falls　to　the　lot　of　mortals。　After　a　few　months；　therefore；　of　weary
and　aimless　wandering；　I　purchased；　and　put　in　some　repair；　an　abbey；
which　I　shall　not　name；　in　one　of　the　wildest　and　least　frequented
portions　of　fair　England。　The　gloomy　and　dreary　grandeur　of　the
building；　the　almost　savage　aspect　of　the　domain；　the　many　melancholy
and　time…honored　memories　connected　with　both；　had　much　in　unison
with　the　feelings　of　utter　abandonment　which　had　driven　me　into　that
remote　and　unsocial　region　of　the　country。　Yet　although　the　external
abbey；　with　its　verdant　decay　hanging　about　it；　suffered　but　little
alteration；　I　gave　way；　with　a　child…like　perversity；　and　perchance
with　a　faint　hope　of　alleviating　my　sorrows；　to　a　display　of　more
than　regal　magnificence　within。　　For　such　follies；　even　in
childhood；　I　had　imbibed　a　taste　and　now　they　came　back　to　me　as　if
in　the　dotage　of　grief。　Alas；　I　feel　how　much　even　of　incipient
madness　might　have　been　discovered　in　the　gorgeous　and　fantastic
draperies；　in　the　solemn　carvings　of　Egypt；　in　the　wild　cornices　and
furniture；　in　the　Bedlam　patterns　of　the　carpets　of　tufted　gold！　I
had　become　a　bounden　slave　in　the　trammels　of　opium；　and　my　labors
and　my　orders　had　taken　a　coloring　from　my　dreams。　But　these
absurdities　must　not　pause　to　detail。　Let　me　speak　only　of　that　one
chamber；　ever　accursed；　whither　in　a　moment　of　mental　alienation；　I
led　from　the　altar　as　my　bride　　as　the　successor　of　the　unforgotten
Ligeia　　the　fair…haired　and　blue…eyed　Lady　Rowena　Trevanion；　of
Tremaine。

There　is　no　individual　portion　of　the　architecture　and　decoration　of
that　bridal　chamber　which　is　not　now　visibly　before　me。　Where　were
the　souls　of　the　haughty　family　of　the　bride；　when；　through　thirst　of
gold；　they　permitted　to　pass　the　threshold　of　an　apartment　so
bedecked；　a　maiden　and　a　daughter　so　beloved？　I　have　said　that　I
minutely　remember　the　details　of　the　chamber　　yet　I　am　sadly
forgetful　on　topics　of　deep　moment　　and　here　there　was　no　system；
no　keeping；　in　the　fantastic　display；　to　take　hold　upon　the　memory。
The　room　lay　in　a　high　turret　of　the　castellated　abbey；　was
pentagonal　in　shape；　and　of　capacious　size。　Occupying　the　whole
southern　face　of　the　pentagon　was　the　sole　window　　an　immense　sheet
of　unbroken　glass　from　Venice　　a　single　pane；　and　tinted　of　a
leaden　hue；　so　that　the　rays　of　either　the　sun　or　moon；　passing
through　it；　fell　with　a　ghastly　lustre　on　the　objects　within。　Over
the　upper　portion　of　this　huge　window；　extended　the　trellice…work　of
an　aged　vine；　which　clambered　up　the　massy　walls　of　the　turret。　The
ceiling；　of　gloomy…looking　oak；　was　excessively　lofty；　vaulted；　and
elaborately　fretted　with　the　wildest　and　most　grotesque　specimens　of
a　semi…Gothic；　semi…Druidical　device。　From　out　the　most　central
recess　of　this　melancholy　vaulting；　depended；　by　a　single　chain　of
gold　with　long　links；　a　huge　censer　of　the　same　metal；　Saracenic　in
pattern；　and　with　many　perforations　so　contrived　that　there　writhed
in　and　out　of　them；　as　if　endued　with　a　serpent　vitality；　a　continual
succession　of　parti…colored　fires。

Some　few　ottomans　and　golden　candelabra；　of　Eastern　figure；　were　in
various　stations　about　　and　there　was　the　couch；　too　　bridal
couch　　of　an　Indian　model；　and　low；　and　sculptured　of　solid　ebony；
with　a　pall…like　canopy　above。　In　each　of　the　angles　of　the　chamber
stood　on　end　a　gigantic　sarcophagus　of　black　granite；　from　the　tombs
of　the　kings　over　against　Luxor；　with　their　aged　lids　full　of
immemorial　sculpture。　But　in　the　draping　of　the　apartment　lay；　alas！
the　chief　phantasy　of　all。　The　lofty　walls；　gigantic　in　height　
even　unproportionably　so　　were　hung　from　summit　to　foot；　in　vast
folds；　with　a　heavy　and　massive…looking　tapestry　　tapestry　of　a
material　which　was　found　alike　as　a　carpet　on　the　floor；　as　a
covering　for　the　ottomans　and　the　ebony　bed；　as　a　canopy　for　the　bed；
and　as　the　gorgeous　volutes　of　the　curtains　which　partially　shaded
the　window。　The　material　was　the　richest　cloth　of　gold。　It　was
spotted　all　over；　at　irregular　intervals；　with　arabesque　figures；
about　a　foot　in　diameter；　and　wrought　upon　the　cloth　in　patterns　of
the　most　jetty　black。　But　these　figures　partook　of　the　true　character
of　the　arabesque　only　when　regarded　from　a　single　point　of　view。　By　a
contrivance　now　common；　and　indeed　traceable　to　a　very　remote　period
of　antiquity；　they　were　made　changeable　in　aspect。　To　one　entering
the　room；　they　bore　the　appearance　of　simple　monstrosities；　but　upon
a　farther　advance；　this　appearance　gradually　departed；　and　step　by
step；　as　the　visitor　moved　his　station　in　the　chamber；　he　saw　himself
surrounded　by　an　endless　succession　of　the　ghastly　forms　which　belong
to　the　superstition　of　the　Norman；　or　arise　in　the　guilty　slumbers　of
the　monk。　The　phantasmagoric　effect　was　vastly　heightened　by　the
artificial　introduction　of　a　strong　continual　current　of　wind　behind
the　draperies　　giving　a　hideous　and　uneasy　animation　to　the　whole。

In　halls　such　as　these　　in　a　bridal　chamber　such　as　this　　I
passed；　with　the　Lady　of　Tremaine；　the　unhallowed　hours　of　the　first
month　of　our　marriage　　passed　them　with　but　little　disquietude。
That　my　wife　dreaded　the　fierce　moodiness　of　my　temper　　that　she
shunned　me　and　loved　me　but　little　　I　could　not　help　perceiving；
but　it　gave　me　rather　pleasure　than　otherwise。　I　loathed　her　with　a
hatred　belonging　more　to　demon　than　to　man。　My　memory　flew　back；　（oh；
with　what　intensity　of　regret！）　to　Ligeia；　the　beloved；　the　august；
the　beautiful；　the　entombed。　I　revelled　in　recollections　of　her
purity；　of　her　wisdom；　of　her　lofty；　her　ethereal　nature；　of　her
passionate；　her　idolatrous　love。　Now；　then；　did　my　spirit　fully　and
freely　burn　with　more　than　all　the　fires　of　her　own。　In　the
excitement　of　my　opium　dreams　（for　I　was　habitually　fettered　in　the
shackles　of　the　drug）　I　would　call　aloud　upon　her　name；　during　the
silence　of　the　night；　or　among　the　sheltered　recesses　of　the　glens　by
day；　as　if；　through　the　wild　eagerness；　the　solemn　passion；　the
consuming　ardor　of　my　longing　for　the　departed；　I　could　restore　her
to　the　pathway　she　had　abandoned　　ah；　could　it　be　forever？　　upon
the　earth。

About　the　commencement　of　the　second　month　of　the　marriage；　the　Lady
Rowena　was　attacked　with　sudden　illness；　from　which　her　recovery　was
slow。　The　fever　which　consumed　her　rendered　her　nights　uneasy；　and　in
her　perturbed　state　of　half…slumber；　she　spoke　of　sounds；　and　of
motions；　in　and　about　the　chamber　of　the　turret；　which　I　concluded
had　no　origin　save　in　the　distemper　of　her　fancy；　or　perhaps　in　the
phantasmagoric　influences　of　the　chamber　itself。　She　became　at　length
convalescent　　finally　well。　Yet　but　a　brief　period　elapsed；　ere　a
second　more　violent　disorder　again　threw　her　upon　a　bed　of　suffering；
and　from　this　attack　her　frame；　at　all　times　feeble；　never　altogeth