the wandering jew, volume 10-第28章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


heaven。

〃Then；　sister；　this　dream　may　be　a　warningit　is　so　like　that　we　had　in
Germany。〃

〃The　difference　being　that　then　the　Angel　Gabriel　came　down　from　heaven
to　us；　and　that　this　time　he　takes　us　from　earth；　to　our　mother。〃

〃And　this　dream　will　perhaps　come　true；　like　the　other；　my　sister。　　We
dreamt　that　the　Angel　Gabriel　would　protect　us；　and　he　came　to　save　us
from　the　shipwreck。〃

〃And；　this　time；　we　dream　that　he　will　lead　us　to　heaven。　　Why　should　not
that　happen　also？〃

〃But　to　bring　that　about；　sister；　our　Gabriel；　who　saved　us　from　the
shipwreck；　must　die　also。　　No；　no；　that　must　not　happen。　　Let　us　pray
that　it　may　not　happen。〃

〃No；　it　will　not　happenfor　it　is　only　Gabriel's　good　angel；　who　is　so
like　him；　that　we　saw　in　our　dreams。〃

〃Sister；　dear；　how　singular　is　this　dream！Here；　as　in　Germany；　we　have
both　dreamt　the　samethree　times；　the　very　same！〃

〃It　is　true。　　The　Angel　Gabriel　bent　over　us；　and　looked　at　us　with　so
mild　and　sad　an　air；　saying：　‘Come；　my　children！　come；　my　sisters！　　Your
mother　waits　for　you。　　Poor　children；　arrived　from　so　far！'　added　he　in
his　tender　voice：　‘You　have　passed　over　the　earth；　gentle　and　innocent　as
two　doves；　to　repose　forever　in　the　maternal　nest。'〃

〃Yes；　those　were　the　words　of　the　archangel；〃　said　the　other　orphan；　with
a　pensive　air；　〃we　have　done　no　harm　to　any　one；　and　we　have　loved　those
who　loved　uswhy　should　we　fear　to　die？〃

〃Therefore；　dear　sister；　we　rather　smiled　than　wept；　when　he　took　us　by
the　hand；　and；　spreading　wide　his　beautiful　white　wings；　carried　us　along
with　him　to　the　blue　depths　of　the　sky。〃

〃To　heaven；　where　our　dear　mother　waited　for　us　with　open　arms；　her　face
all　bathed　in　tears。〃

〃Oh；　sweet　sister！　one　has　not　dreams　like　ours　for　nothing。　　And　then；〃
added　she；　looking　at　Rose；　with　a　sad　smile　that　went　to　the　heart；　〃our
death　might　perhaps　end　the　sorrow；　of　which　we　have　been　the　cause。〃

〃Alas！　it　is　not　our　fault。　　We　love　him　so　much。　　But　we　are　so　timid
and　sorrowful　before　him；　that　he　may　perhaps　think　we　love　him　not。〃

So　saying；　Rose　took　her　handkerchief　from　her　workbasket；　to　dry　her
fears；　a　paper；　folded　in　the　form　of　a　letter；　fell　out。

At　this　sight；　the　two　shuddered；　and　pressed　close　to　one　mother；　and
Rose　said　to　Blanche；　in　a　trembling　voice：　〃Another　of　these　letters！
Oh；　I　am　afraid！　　It　will　doubtless　be　like　the　last。〃

〃We　must　pick　it　up　quickly；　that　it　may　not　be　seen；〃　said　Blanche；
hastily　stooping　to　seize　the　letter；　〃the　people　who　take　interest　in　us
might　otherwise　be　exposed　to　great　danger。〃

〃But　how　could　this　letter　come　to　us？〃

〃How　did　the　others　come　to　be　placed　right　under　our　hand；　and　always　in
the　absence　of　our　duenna？〃

〃It　is　true。　　Why　seek　to　explain　the　mystery？　　We　should　never　be　able
to　do　so。　　Let　us　read　the　letter。　　It　will　perhaps　be　more　favorable　to
us　than　the　last。〃　　And　the　two　sisters　read　as　follows：

〃Continue　to　love　your　father；　dear　children；　for　he　is　very　miserable；
and　you　are　the　involuntary　cause　of　his　distress。　　You　will　never　know
the　terrible　sacrifices　that　your　presence　imposes　on　him；　but；　alas！　he
is　the　victim　of　his　paternal　duties。　　His　sufferings　are　more　cruel　than
ever；　spare　him　at　least　those　marks　of　tenderness；　which　occasion　him　so
much　more　pain　than　pleasure。　　Each　caress　is　a　dagger…stroke；　for　he
sees　in　you　the　innocent　cause　of　his　misfortunes。　　Dear　children；　you
must　not　therefore　despair。　　If　you　have　enough　command　over　yourselves；
not　to　torture　him　by　the　display　of　too　warm　a　tenderness；　if　you　can
mingle　some　reserve　with　your　affection；　you　will　greatly　alleviate　his
sorrow。　　Keep　these　letters　a　secret　from　every　one；　even　from　good
Dagobert；　who　loves　you　so　much；　otherwise；　both　he　and　you；　your　father；
and　the　unknown　friend　who　is　writing　to　you；　will　be　exposed　to　the
utmost　peril；　for　your　enemies　are　indeed　formidable。　　Courage　and　hope！
May　your　father's　tenderness　be　once　more　free　from　sorrow　and　regret！
That　happy　day　is　perhaps　not　so　far　distant。　　Burn　this　letter　like　all
the　others！〃

The　above　note　was　written　with　so　much　cunning　that；　even　supposing　the
orphans　had　communicated　it　to　their　father　or　Dagobert；　it　would　at　the
worst　have　been　considered　a　strange；　intrusive　proceeding；　but　almost
excusable　from　the　spirit　in　which　it　was　conceived。　　Nothing　could　have
been　contrived　with　more　perfidious　art；　if　we　consider　the　cruel
perplexity　in　which　Marshal　Simon　was　struggling　between　the　fear　of
again　leaving　his　children　and　the　shame　of　neglecting　what　he　considered
a　sacred　duty。　　All　the　tenderness；　all　the　susceptibility　of　heart　which
distinguished　the　orphans；　had　been　called　into　play　by　these　diabolical
counsels；　and　the　sisters　soon　perceived　that　their　presence　was　in　fact
both　sweet　and　painful　to　their　father；　for　sometimes　he　felt　himself
incapable　of　leaving　them；　and　sometimes　the　thought　of　a　neglected　duty
spread　a　cloud　of　sadness　over　his　brow。　　Hence　the　poor　twins　could　not
fail　to　value　the　fatal　meaning　of　the　anonymous　letters　they　received。
They　were　persuaded　that；　from　some　mysterious　motive；　which　they　were
unable　to　penetrate；　their　presence　was　often　importunate　and　even
painful　to　their　father。　　Hence　the　growing　sadness　of　Rose　and　Blanche
hence　the　sort　of　fear　and　reserve　which　restrained　the　expression　of
their　filial　tenderness。　　A　most　painful　situation　for　the　marshal；　who
deceived　by　inexplicable　appearances；　mistook；　in　his　turn；　their　manner
of　indifference　to　himand　so；　with　breaking　heart；　and　bitter　grief
upon　his　face；　often　abruptly　quitted　his　children　to　conceal　his　tears！

And　the　desponding　orphans　said　to　each　other：　〃We　are　the　cause　of　our
father's　grief。　　It　is　our　presence　which　makes　him　so　unhappy。〃

The　reader　may　new　judge　what　ravages　such　a　thought；　when　fixed　and
incessant；　must　have　made　on　these　young；　loving；　timid；　and　simple
hearts。　　Haw　could　the　orphans　be　on　their　guard　against　such　anonymous
communications；　which　spoke　with　reverence　of　all　they　loved；　and　seemed
every　day　justified　by　the　conduct　of　their　father？　　Already　victims　of
numerous　plots；　and　hearing　that　they　were　surrounded　by　enemies；　we　can
understand；　how　faithful　to　the　advice　of　their　unknown　friend；　they
forbore　to　confide　to　Dagobert　these　letters；　in　which　he　was　so　justly
appreciated。　　The　object　of　the　proceeding　was　very　plain。　　By
continually　harassing　the　marshal　on　all　sides；　and　persuading　him　of　the
coldness　of　his　children；　the　conspirators　might　naturally　hope　to
conquer　the　hesitation　which　had　hitherto　prevented　his　again　quitting
his　daughters　to　embark　in　a　dangerous　enterprise。　　To　render　the
marshal's　life　so　burdensome　that　he　would　desire　to　seek　relief　from　his
torments　in　airy　project　of　daring　and　generous　chivalry；　was　one　of　the
ends　proposed　by　Rodinand；　as　we　have　seen；　it　wanted　neither　logic　nor
possibility。

After　having　read　the　letter；　the　two　remained　for　a　moment　silent　and
dejected。　　Then　Rose；　who　held　the　paper　in　her　hand；　started　up
suddenly；　approached　the　chimneypiece；　and　threw　the　letter　into　the
fire；　saying；　with　a　timid　air：　〃We　must　burn　it　quickly；　or　perhaps　some
great　danger　will　ensue。〃

〃What　greater　misfortune　can　happen　to　us；〃　said　Blanche；　despondingly；
〃than　to　cause　such　sorrow　to　our　father？　　What　can　be　the　reason　of　it？〃

〃Perhaps；〃　said　Rose；　whose　tears　were　slowly　trickling　down　her　cheek；
〃he　does　not　find　us　what　he　could　have　desired。　　He　may　love　us　well　as
the　children　of　our　poor　mother；　but　we　are　not　the　daughters　he　had
dreamed　of。　　Do　you　understand　me；　sister？〃

〃Yes；　yesthat　is　perhaps　what　occasioned　all　his　sorrow。　　We　are　so
badly　informed；　so　wild；　so　awkward；　that　he　is　no　doubt　ashamed　of　us；
and；　as　he　loves　us　in　spite　of　all；　it　makes　him　suffer。〃

〃Alas！　it　is　not　our　fault。　　Our　dear　mother　brought　us　up　in　the　deserts
of　Siberia　as　well　as　she　could。〃

〃Oh！　father　himself　does　not　reproach　us　with　it；　only　it　gives　him
pain。〃

〃Particularly　if　he　has　friends　whose　daughters　are　very　beautiful；　and
possessed　of　all　sorts　of　t