the wandering jew, volume 10-第21章

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a　peculiar　glance　at　Hardy。

〃The　founder　of　La　Trappe？〃　said　Hardy；　surprised　at　Rodin's　question。　　I
remember　hearing　a　very　vague　account；　some　time　ago；　of　the　motives　of
his　conversion。〃

〃There　is；　mark　you；　no　more　striking　an　example　of　the　power　of　prayer；
and　of　the　state　of　almost　divine　ecstasy；　to　which　it　may　lead　a
religious　soul。　　In　a　few　words；　I　will　relate　to　you　this　instructive
and　tragic　history。　　Ranceybut　I　beg　your　pardon；　I　fear　I　am
trespassing　on　your　time。〃

〃No；　no；〃　answered　Hardy；　hastily；　〃You　cannot　think　how　interested　I　am
in　what　you　tell　me。　　My　interview　with　the　Abbe　Gabriel　was　abruptly
broken　off；　and　in　listening　to　you　I　fancy　that　I　hear　the　further
development　of　his　views。　　Go　on；　I　conjure　you。

〃With　all　my　heart。　　I　only　wish　that　the　instruction　which；　thanks　to
our　angelic　priest；　I　derived　from　the　story　of　Rancey　might　be　as
profitable　to　you　as　it　was　to　me。〃

〃This；　then；　also　came　from　the　Abbe　Gabriel？〃

〃He　related　to　me　this　kind　of　parable　in　support　of　his　exhortations；〃
replied　Rodin。　　〃Oh；　sir！　do　I　not　owe　to　the　consoling　words　of　that
young　priest　all　that　has　strengthened　and　revived　my　poor　old　broken
heart？〃

〃Then　I　shall　listen　to　you　with　a　double　interest。〃

〃Rancey　was　a　man　of　the　world；〃　resumed　Rodin；　as　he　looked　attentively
at　Hardy；　〃a　gentlemanyoung；　ardent；　handsome。　　He　loved　a　young　lady
of　high　rank。　　I　cannot　tell　what　impediments　stood　in　the　way　of　their
union。　　But　this　love；　though　successful；　was　kept　secret；　and　every
evening　Rancey　visited　his　mistress　by　means　of　a　private　staircase。　　It
was；　they　say；　one　of　those　passionate　loves　which　men　feel　but　once　in
their　lives。　　The　mystery；　even　the　sacrifice　made　by　the　unfortunate
girl；　who　forgot　every　duty；　seemed　to　give　new　charms　to　this　guilty
passion。　　In　the　silence　and　darkness　of　secrecy；　these　two　lovers　passed
two　years　of　voluptuous　delirium；　which　amounted　almost　to　ecstasy。〃

At　these　words　Hardy　started。　　For　the　first　time　of　late　his　brow　was
suffused　with　a　deep　blush；　his　heart　throbbed　violently；　he　remembered
that　he　too　had　once　known　the　ardent　intoxication　of　a　guilty　and　hidden
love。　　Though　the　day　was　closing　rapidly；　Rodin　cast　a　sidelong　glance
at　Hardy；　and　perceived　the　impression　he　had　made。　　〃Some　times；〃　he
continued；　〃thinking　of　the　dangers　to　which　his　mistress　was　exposed；　if
their　connection　should　be　discovered；　Rancey　wished　to　sever　these
delicious　ties；　but　the　girl；　beside　herself　with　passion；　threw　herself
on　the　neck　of　her　lover；　and　threatened　him；　in　the　language　of　intense
excitement；　to　reveal　and　to　brave　all；　if　he　thought　of　leaving　her。
Too　weak　and　loving　to　resist　the　prayers　of　his　mistress；　Rancey　again
and　again　yielded；　and　they　both　gave　themselves　up　to　a　torrent　of
delight；　which　carried　them　along；　forgetful　of　earth　and　heaven！〃

M。　Hardy　listened　to　Rodin　with　feverish　and　devouring　avidity。　　The
Jesuit；　in　painting；　with　these　almost　sensual　colors；　an　ardent　and
secret　love；　revived　in　Hardy　burning　memories；　which　till　now　had　been
drowned　in　tears。　　To　the　beneficent　calm　produced　by　the　mild　language
of　Gabriel　had　succeeded　a　painful　agitation；　which；　mingled　with　the
reaction　of　the　shocks　received　that　day；　began　to　throw　his　mind　into　a
strange　state　of　confusion。

Rodin；　having　so　far　succeeded　in　his　object；　continued　as　follows：　〃A
fatal　day　came　at　last。　　Rancey；　obliged　to　go　to　the　wars；　quitted　the
girl；　but；　after　a　short　campaign；　he　returned；　more　in　love　than　ever。
He　had　written　privately；　to　say　he　would　arrive　almost　immediately　after
his　letter。　　He　came　accordingly。　　It　was　night。　　He　ascended；　as　usual；
the　private　staircase　which　led　to　the　chamber　of　his　mistress；　he
entered　the　room；　his　heart　beating　with　love　and　hope。　　His　mistress　had
died　that　morning！〃

〃Ah！〃　cried　Hardy；　covering　his　face　with　his　hands；　in　terror。

〃She　was　dead；〃　resumed　Rodin。　　〃Two　wax…candles　were　burning　beside　the
funeral　couch。　　Rancey　could　not；　would　not　believe　that　she　was　dead。
He　threw　himself　on　his　knees　by　the　corpse。　　In　his　delirium；　he　seized
that　fair；　beloved　head；　to　cover　it　with　kisses。　　The　head　parted　from
the　body；　and　remained　in　his　hands！　　Yes；〃　resumed　Rodin　as　Hardy　drew
back；　pale　and　mute　with　terror；　〃yes；　the　girl　had　fallen　a　victim　to　so
swift　and　extraordinary　a　disease；　that　she　had　not　been　able　to　receive
the　last　sacraments。　　After　her　death；　the　doctors；　in　the　hope　of
discovering　the　cause　of　this　unknown　malady；　had　begun　to　dissect　that
fair　form〃

As　Rodin　reached　this　part　of　his　narrative；　night　was　almost　come。　　A
sort　of　hazy　twilight　alone　reigned　in　this　silent　chamber；　in　the　centre
of　which　appeared　the　pale　and　ghastly　form　of　Rodin；　clad　in　his　long
black　gown；　whilst　his　eyes　seemed　to　sparkle　with　diabolic　fire。
Overcome　by　the　violent　emotions　occasioned　by　this　story；　in　which
thoughts　of　death　and　voluptuousness；　love　and　horror；　were　so　strangely
mingled；　Hardy　remained　fixed　and　motionless；　waiting　for　the　words　of
Rodin；　with　a　combination　of　curiosity；　anguish　and　alarm。

〃And　Rancey？〃　said　he；　at　last；　in　an　agitated　voice；　whilst　he　wiped　the
cold　sweat　from　his　brow。

〃After　two　days　of　furious　delirium；〃　resumed　Rodin；　〃he　renounced　the
world；　and　shut　himself　up　in　impenetrable　solitude。　　The　first　period　of
his　retreat　was　frightful；　in　his　despair；　he　uttered　loud　yells　of　grief
and　rage；　that　were　audible　at　some　distance。　　Twice　he　attempted
suicide；　to　escape　from　the　terrible　visions。〃

〃He　had　visions；　then？〃　said　Hardy；　with　an　increased　agony　of　curiosity。

〃Yes；〃　replied　Rodin；　in　a　solemn　tone；　〃he　had　fearful　visions。　　He　saw
the　girl；　who；　for　his　sake；　had　died　in　mortal　sin；　plunged　in　the　heat
of　the　everlasting　flames　of　hell！　　On　that　fair　face；　disfigured　by
infernal　tortures；　was　stamped　the　despairing　laugh　of　the　damned！　　Her
teeth　gnashed　with　pain；　her　arms　writhed　in　anguish！　　She　wept　tears　of
blood；　and；　with　an　agonized　and　avenging　voice；　she　cried　to　her
seducer：　'Thou　art　the　cause　of　my　perditionmy　curse；　my　curse　be　upon
thee！'〃

As　he　pronounced　these　last　words；　Rodin　advanced　three　steps　nearer　to
Hardy；　accompanying　each　step　with　a　menacing　gesture。　　If　we　remember
the　state　of　weakness；　trouble；　and　fear；　in　which　M。　Hardy　wasif　we
remember　that　the　Jesuit　had　just　roused　in　the　soul　of　this　unfortunate
man　all　the　sensual　and　spiritual　memories　of　a　love；　cooled；　but　not
extinguished；　in　tearsif　we　remember；　too；　that　Hardy　reproached
himself　with　the　seduction　of　a　beloved　object；　whom　her　departure　from
her　duties　might　（according　to　the　Catholic　faith）　doom　to　everlasting
flameswe　shall　not　wonder　at　the　terrible　effect　of　this
phantasmagoria；　conjured　up　in　silence　and　solitude；　in　the　evening　dusk；
by　this　fearful　priest。

The　effect　on　Hardy　was　indeed　striking；　and　the　more　dangerous；　that　the
Jesuit；　with　diabolical　craft；　seemed　only　to　be　carrying　out；　from
another　point　of　view；　the　ideas　of　Gabriel。　　Had　not　the　young　priest
convinced　Hardy　that　nothing　is　sweeter；　than　to　ask　of　heaven
forgiveness　for　those　who　have　sinned；　or　whom　we　have　led　astray？　　But
forgiveness　implies　punishment；　and　it　was　to　the　punishment　alone　that
Rodin　drew　the　attention　of　his　victim；　by　painting　it　in　these　terrible
hues。　　With　hands　clasped　together；　and　eye　fixed　and　dilated；　Hardy
trembled　in　all　his　limbs；　and　seemed　still　listening　to　Rodin；　though
the　latter　had　ceased　to　speak。　　Mechanically；　he　repeated：　〃My　curse；　my
curse　be　upon　thee？〃

Then　suddenly　he　exclaimed；　in　a　kind　of　frenzy：　〃The　curse　is　on　me
also！　　The　woman；　whom　I　taught　to　forget　her　sacred　duties；　and　to
commit　mortal　sinone　day　plunged　in　the　everlasting　flamesher　arms
writhing　in　agonyweeping　tears　of　bloodwill　cry　to　me　from　the
bottomless　pit：　‘My　curse；　my　curse　be　upon　thee！'One　day；〃　he　added；
with　redoubled　terror；　〃one　day？who　knows？　perhaps　at　this　moment！for
if　the　sea　voyage　had　been　fatal　to　herif　a　shipwreckoh；　God！　she　too
would　have　died　in　mortal　sinlost；　lost；　forever！Oh；　have　mer