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第2章

twice-told tales- the great stone face-第2章

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might sell their oil; and make a profit on it。 Be the original

commodity what it might; it was gold within his grasp。 It might be

said of him; as of Midas in the fable; that whatever he touched with

his finger immediately glistened; and grew yellow; and was changed

at once into sterling metal; or; which suited him still better; into

piles of coin。 And; when Mr。 Gathergold had become so very rich that

it would have taken him a hundred years only to count his wealth; he

bethought himself of his native valley; and resolved to go back

thither; and end his days where he was born。 With this purpose in

view; he sent a skilful architect to build him such a palace as should

be fit for a man of his vast wealth to live in。

   As I have said above; it had already been rumored in the valley

that Mr。 Gathergold had turned out to be the prophetic personage so

long and vainly looked for; and that his visage was the perfect and

undeniable similitude of the Great Stone Face。 People were the more

ready to believe that this must needs be the fact; when they beheld

the splendid edifice that rose; as if by enchantment; on the site of

his father's old weather…beaten farm…house。 The exterior was of

marble; so dazzlingly white that it seemed as though the whole

structure might melt away in the sunshine; like those humbler ones

which Mr。 Gathergold; in his young play…days; before his fingers

were gifted with the touch of transmutation; had been accustomed to

build of snow。 It had a richly ornamented portico; supported by tall

pillars; beneath which was a lofty door; studded with silver knobs;

and made of a kind of variegated wood that had been brought from

beyond the sea。 The windows; from the floor to the ceiling of each

stately apartment; were composed; respectively; of but one enormous

pane of glass; so transparently pure that it was said to be a finer

medium than even the vacant atmosphere。 Hardly anybody had been

permitted to see the interior of this palace; but it was reported; and

with good semblance of truth; to be far more gorgeous than the

outside; insomuch that whatever was iron or brass in other houses; was

silver or gold in this; and Mr。 Gathergold's bed…chamber;

especially; made such a glittering appearance that no ordinary man

would have been able to close his eyes there。 But; on the other

hand; Mr。 Gathergold was now so inured to wealth; that perhaps he

could not have closed his eyes unless where the gleam of it was

certain to find its way beneath his eyelids。

   In due time; the mansion was finished; next came the

upholsterers; with magnificent furniture; then; a whole troop of black

and white servants; the harbingers of Mr。 Gathergold; who; in his

own majestic person was expected to arrive at sunset。 Our friend

Ernest; meanwhile; had been deeply stirred by the idea that the

great man; the noble man; the man of prophecy; after so many ages of

delay; was at length to be made manifest to his native valley。 He

knew; boy as he was; that there were a thousand ways in which Mr。

Gathergold; with his vast wealth; might transform himself into an

angel of beneficence; and assume a control over human affairs as

wide and benignant as the smile of the Great Stone Face。 Full of faith

and hope; Ernest doubted not that what the people said was true; and

that now he was to behold the living likeness of those wondrous

features on the mountain…side。 While the boy was still gazing up the

valley; and fancying; as he always did; that the Great Stone Face

returned his gaze and looked kindly at him; the rumbling of wheels was

heard; approaching swiftly along the winding road。

   〃Here he comes!〃 cried a group of people who were assembled to

witness the arrival。 〃Here comes the great Mr。 Gathergold!〃

   A carriage; drawn by four horses; dashed round the turn of the

road。 Within it; thrust partly out of the window; appeared the

physiognomy of a little old man; with a skin as yellow as if his own

Midas…hand had transmuted it。 He had a low forehead; small; sharp

eyes; puckered about with innumerable wrinkles; and very thin lips;

which he made still thinner by pressing them forcibly together。

   〃The very image of the Great Stone Face!〃 shouted the people。 〃Sure

enough; the old prophecy is true; and here we have the great man come;

at last!〃

   And; what greatly perplexed Ernest; they seemed actually to believe

that here was the likeness which they spoke of。 By the roadside

there chanced to be an old beggar…woman and two little

beggar…children; stragglers from some far…off region; who; as the

carriage rolled onward; held out their hands and lifted up their

doleful voices; most piteously beseeching charity。 A yellow claw…

the very same that had clawed together so much wealth… poked itself

out of the coach…window; and dropt some copper coins upon the

ground; so that; though the great man's name seems to have been

Gathergold; he might just as suitably have been nicknamed

Scattercopper。 Still; nevertheless; with an earnest shout; and

evidently with as much good faith as ever; the people bellowed; 〃He is

the very image of the Great Stone Face!〃

   But Ernest turned sadly from the wrinkled shrewdness of that sordid

visage; and gazed up the valley; where; amid a gathering mist;

gilded by the last sunbeams; he could still distinguish those glorious

features which had impressed themselves into his soul。 Their aspect

cheered him。 What did the benign lips seem to say?

   〃He will come! Fear not; Ernest; the man will come!〃

   The years went on; and Ernest ceased to be a boy。 He had grown to

be a young man now。 He attracted little notice from the other

inhabitants of the valley; for they saw nothing remarkable in his

way of life; save that; when the labor of the day was over; he still

loved to go apart and gaze and meditate upon the Great Stone Face。

According to their idea of the matter; it was a folly; indeed; but

pardonable; inasmuch as Ernest was industrious; kind; and

neighborly; and neglected no duty for the sake of indulging this

idle habit。 They knew not that the Great Stone Face had become a

teacher to him; and that the sentiment which was expressed in it would

enlarge the young man's heart; and fill it with wider and deeper

sympathies than other hearts。 They knew not that thence would come a

better wisdom than could be learned from books; and a better life than

could be moulded on the defaced example of other human lives。

Neither did Ernest know that the thoughts and affections which came to

him so naturally; in the fields and at the fireside; and wherever he

communed with himself; were of a higher tone than those which all

men shared with him。 A simple soul… simple as when his mother first

taught him the old prophecy… he beheld the marvellous features beaming

adown the valley; and still wondered that their human counterpart

was so long in making his appearance。

   By this time poor Mr。 Gathergold was dead and buried; and the

oddest part of the matter was; that his wealth; which was the body and

spirit of his existence; had disappeared before his death; leaving

nothing of him but a living skeleton; covered over with a wrinkled;

yellow skin。 Since the melting away of his gold; it had been very

generally conceded that there was no such striking resemblance;

after all; betwixt the ignoble features of the ruined merchant and

that majestic face upon the mountain…side。 So the people ceased to

honor him during his lifetime; and quietly consigned him to

forgetfulness after his decease。 Once in a while; it is true; his

memory was brought up in connection with the magnificent palace

which he had built; and which had long ago been turned into a hotel

for the accommodation of strangers; multitudes of whom came; every

summer; to visit that famous natural curiosity; the Great Stone

Face。 Thus; Mr。 Gathergold being discredited and thrown into the

shade; the man of prophecy was yet to come。

   It so happened that a native…born son of the valley; many years

before; had enlisted as a soldier; and; after a great deal of hard

fighting; had now become

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