seraphita-第23章

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redoubled　her　curiosity。



To　all　three；　therefore；　this　evening　was　to　be　what　that　other

evening　had　been　for　the　pilgrims　to　Emmaus；　what　a　vision　was　to

Dante；　an　inspiration　to　Homer；to　them；　three　aspects　of　the　world

revealed；　veils　rent　away；　doubts　dissipated；　darkness　illumined。

Humanity　in　all　its　moods　expecting　light　could　not　be　better

represented　than　here　by　this　young　girl；　this　man　in　the　vigor　of　his

age；　and　these　old　men；　of　whom　one　was　learned　enough　to　doubt；　the

other　ignorant　enough　to　believe。　Never　was　any　scene　more　simple　in

appearance；　nor　more　portentous　in　reality。



When　they　entered　the　room；　ushered　in　by　old　David；　they　found

Seraphita　standing　by　a　table　on　which　were　served　the　various　dishes

which　compose　a　〃tea〃；　a　form　of　collation　which　in　the　North　takes

the　place　of　wine　and　its　pleasures；reserved　more　exclusively　for

Southern　climes。　Certainly　nothing　proclaimed　in　her；　or　in　him；　a

being　with　the　strange　power　of　appearing　under　two　distinct　forms；

nothing　about　her　betrayed　the　manifold　powers　which　she　wielded。　Like

a　careful　housewife　attending　to　the　comfort　of　her　guests；　she

ordered　David　to　put　more　wood　into　the　stove。



〃Good　evening；　my　neighbors；〃　she　said。　〃Dear　Monsieur　Becker；　you　do

right　to　come；　you　see　me　living　for　the　last　time；　perhaps。　This

winter　has　killed　me。　Will　you　sit　there？〃　she　said　to　Wilfrid。　〃And

you；　Minna；　here？〃　pointing　to　a　chair　beside　her。　〃I　see　you　have

brought　your　embroidery。　Did　you　invent　that　stitch？　the　design　is

very　pretty。　For　whom　is　it；your　father；　or　monsieur？〃　she　added；

turning　to　Wilfrid。　〃Surely　we　ought　to　give　him；　before　we　part；　a

remembrance　of　the　daughters　of　Norway。〃



〃Did　you　suffer　much　yesterday？〃　asked　Wilfrid。



〃It　was　nothing；〃　she　answered；　〃the　suffering　gladdened　me；　it　was

necessary；　to　enable　me　to　leave　this　life。〃



〃Then　death　does　not　alarm　you？〃　said　Monsieur　Becker；　smiling；　for　he

did　not　think　her　ill。



〃No；　dear　pastor；　there　are　two　ways　of　dying：　to　some；　death　is

victory；　to　others；　defeat。〃



〃Do　you　think　that　you　have　conquered？〃　asked　Minna。



〃I　do　not　know；〃　she　said；　〃perhaps　I　have　only　taken　a　step　in　the

path。〃



The　lustrous　splendor　of　her　brow　grew　dim；　her　eyes　were　veiled

beneath　slow…dropping　lids；　a　simple　movement　which　affected　the

prying　guests　and　kept　them　silent。　Monsieur　Becker　was　the　first　to

recover　courage。



〃Dear　child；〃　he　said；　〃you　are　truth　itself；　and　you　are　ever　kind。　I

would　ask　of　you　to…night　something　other　than　the　dainties　of　your

tea…table。　If　we　may　believe　certain　persons；　you　know　amazing　things；

if　this　be　true；　would　it　not　be　charitable　in　you　to　solve　a　few　of

our　doubts？〃



〃Ah！〃　she　said　smiling；　〃I　walk　on　the　clouds。　I　visit　the　depths　of

the　fiord；　the　sea　is　my　steed　and　I　bridle　it；　I　know　where　the

singing　flower　grows；　and　the　talking　light　descends；　and　fragrant

colors　shine！　I　wear　the　seal　of　Solomon；　I　am　a　fairy；　I　cast　my

orders　to　the　wind　which；　like　an　abject　slave；　fulfils　them；　my　eyes

can　pierce　the　earth　and　behold　its　treasures；　for　lo！　am　I　not　the

virgin　to　whom　the　pearls　dart　from　their　ocean　depths　and〃



〃who　led　me　safely　to　the　summit　of　the　Falberg？〃　said　Minna；

interrupting　her。



〃Thou！　thou　too！〃　exclaimed　the　strange　being；　with　a　luminous　glance

at　the　young　girl　which　filled　her　soul　with　trouble。　〃Had　I　not　the

faculty　of　reading　through　your　foreheads　the　desires　which　have

brought　you　here；　should　I　be　what　you　think　I　am？〃　she　said；

encircling　all　three　with　her　controlling　glance；　to　David's　great

satisfaction。　The　old　man　rubbed　his　hands　with　pleasure　as　he　left

the　room。



〃Ah！〃　she　resumed　after　a　pause；　〃you　have　come；　all　of　you；　with　the

curiosity　of　children。　You；　my　poor　Monsieur　Becker；　have　asked

yourself　how　it　was　possible　that　a　girl　of　seventeen　should　know　even

a　single　one　of　those　secrets　which　men　of　science　seek　with　their

noses　to　the　earth；instead　of　raising　their　eyes　to　heaven。　Were　I

to　tell　you　how　and　at　what　point　the　plant　merges　into　the　animal　you

would　begin　to　doubt　your　doubts。　You　have　plotted　to　question　me；　you

will　admit　that？〃



〃Yes；　dear　Seraphita；〃　answered　Wilfrid；　〃but　the　desire　is　a　natural

one　to　men；　is　it　not？〃



〃You　will　bore　this　dear　child　with　such　topics；〃　she　said；　passing

her　hand　lightly　over　Minna's　hair　with　a　caressing　gesture。



The　young　girl　raised　her　eyes　and　seemed　as　though　she　longed　to　lose

herself　in　him。



〃Speech　is　the　endowment　of　us　all；〃　resumed　the　mysterious　creature；

gravely。　〃Woe　to　him　who　keeps　silence；　even　in　a　desert；　believing

that　no　one　hears　him；　all　voices　speak　and　all　ears　listen　here

below。　Speech　moves　the　universe。　Monsieur　Becker；　I　desire　to　say

nothing　unnecessarily。　I　know　the　difficulties　that　beset　your　mind；

would　you　not　think　it　a　miracle　if　I　were　now　to　lay　bare　the　past

history　of　your　consciousness？　Well；　the　miracle　shall　be

accomplished。　You　have　never　admitted　to　yourself　the　full　extent　of

your　doubts。　I　alone；　immovable　in　my　faith；　I　can　show　it　to　you；　I

can　terrify　you　with　yourself。



〃You　stand　on　the　darkest　side　of　Doubt。　You　do　not　believe　in　God；

although　you　know　it　not；and　all　things　here　below　are　secondary　to

him　who　rejects　the　first　principle　of　things。　Let　us　leave　aside　the

fruitless　discussions　of　false　philosophy。　The　spiritualist

generations　made　as　many　and　as　vain　efforts　to　deny　Matter　as　the

materialist　generations　have　made　to　deny　Spirit。　Why　such

discussions？　Does　not　man　himself　offer　irrefragable　proof　of　both

systems？　Do　we　not　find　in　him　material　things　and　spiritual　things？

None　but　a　madman　can　refuse　to　see　in　the　human　body　a　fragment　of

Matter；　your　natural　sciences；　when　they　decompose　it；　find　little

difference　between　its　elements　and　those　of　other　animals。　On　the

other　hand；　the　idea　produced　in　man　by　the　comparison　of　many　objects

has　never　seemed　to　any　one　to　belong　to　the　domain　of　Matter。　As　to

this；　I　offer　no　opinion。　I　am　now　concerned　with　your　doubts；　not

with　my　certainties。　To　you；　as　to　the　majority　of　thinkers；　the

relations　between　things；　the　reality　of　which　is　proved　to　you　by

your　sensations　and　which　you　possess　the　faculty　to　discover；　do　not

seem　Material。　The　Natural　universe　of　things　and　beings　ends；　in　man；

with　the　Spiritual　universe　of　similarities　or　differences　which　he

perceives　among　the　innumerable　forms　of　Nature；relations　so

multiplied　as　to　seem　infinite；　for　if；　up　to　the　present　time；　no　one

has　been　able　to　enumerate　the　separate　terrestrial　creations；　who　can

reckon　their　correlations？　Is　not　the　fraction　which　you　know；　in

relation　to　their　totality；　what　a　single　number　is　to　infinity？　Here；

then；　you　fall　into　a　perception　of　the　infinite　which　undoubtedly

obliges　you　to　conceive　of　a　purely　Spiritual　world。



〃Thus　man　himself　offers　sufficient　proof　of　the　two　orders；Matter

and　Spirit。　In　him　culminates　a　visible　finite　universe；　in　him　begins

a　universe　invisible　and　infinite；two　worlds　unknown　to　each　other。

Have　the　pebbles　of　the　fiord　a　perception　of　their　combined　being？

have　they　a　consciousness　of　the　colors　they　present　to　the　eye　of

man？　do　they　hear　the　music　of　the　waves　that　lap　them？　Let　us

therefore　spring　over　and　not　attempt　to　sound　the　abysmal　depths

presented　to　our　minds　in　the　union　of　a　Material　universe　and　a

Spiritual　universe；a　creation　visible；　ponderable；　tangible；

terminating　in　a　creation　invisible；　imponderable；　intangible；

completely　dissimilar；　separated　by　the　void；　yet　united　by

indisputable　bonds　and　meeting　in　a　being　who　derives　equally　from　the

one　and　from　the　other！　Let　us　mingle　in　one　world　these　two　worlds；

absolutely　irreconcilable　to　your　philosophies；　but　conjoined　by　fact。

However　abstract　man　may　suppose　the　relation　which　binds　two　things

to