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