the great stone face-第2章

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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　weatherbeaten

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　bedchamber；　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　the　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

clawthe　very　same　that　had　clawed　together　so　much

wealthpoked　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　yea