lucile-第24章

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le　sense　of　the　deja　connu！


VI。


Perchance　'twas　the　fault　of　the　life　that　they　led；　Perchance　'twas　the　fault　of　the　novels　they　read；　Perchance　'twas　a　fault　in　themselves；　I　am　bound　not　To　say：　this　I　knowthat　these　two　creatures　found　not　In　each　other　some　sign　they　expected　to　find　Of　a　something　unnamed　in　the　heart　or　the　mind；　And；　missing　it；　each　felt　a　right　to　complain　Of　a　sadness　which　each　found　no　word　to　explain。　Whatever　it　was；　the　world　noticed　not　it　In　the　light…hearted　beauty；　the　light…hearted　wit。　Still；　as　once　with　the　actors　in　Greece；　'tis　the　case；　Each　must　speak　to　the　crowd　with　a　mask　on　his　face。　Praise　follow'd　Matilda　wherever　she　went；　She　was　flatter'd。　　Can　flattery　purchase　content？　Yes。　　While　to　its　voice　for　a　moment　she　listen'd；　The　young　cheek　still　bloom'd　and　the　soft　eyes　still　glisten'd；　And　her　lord；　when；　like　one　of　those　light　vivid　things　That　glide　down　the　gauzes　of　summer　with　wings　Of　rapturous　radiance；　unconscious　she　moved　Through　that　buzz　of　inferior　creatures；　which　proved　Her　beauty；　their　envy；　one　moment　forgot；　'Mid　the　many　charms　there；　the　one　charm　that　was　not：　And　when　o'er　her　beauty　enraptured　he　bow'd；　（As　they　turn'd　to　each　other；　each　flush'd　from　the　crowd；）　And　murmur'd　those　praises　which　yet　seem'd　more　dear　Than　the　praises　of　others　had　grown　to　her　ear；　She；　too；　ceased　awhile　her　own　fate　to　regret：　〃Yes！　。　。　。　he　loves　me；〃　she　sigh'd；　〃this　is　love；　thenand　YET！〃


VII。


Ah；　that　YET！　fatal　word！　'tis　the　moral　of　all　Thought　and　felt；　seen　or　done；　in　this　world　since　the　Fall！　It　stands　at　the　end　of　each　sentence　we　learn；　It　flits　in　the　vista　of　all　we　discern；　It　leads　us；　forever　and　ever；　away　To　find　in　to…morrow　what　flies　with　to…day。　'Twas　the　same　little　fatal　and　mystical　word　That　now；　like　a　mirage；　led　my　lady　and　lord　To　the　waters　of　Ems　from　the　waters　of　Marah；　Drooping　Pilgrims　in　Fashion's　blank；　arid　Sahara！


VIII。


At　the　same　time；　pursued　by　a　spell　much　the　same；　To　these　waters　two　other　worn　pilgrims　there　came：　One　a　man；　one　a　woman：　just　now；　at　the　latter；　As　the　Reader　I　mean　by　and　by　to　look　at　her　And　judge　for　himself；　I　will　not　even　glance。


IX。


Of　the　self…crown'd　young　kings　of　the　Fashion　in　France　Whose　resplendent　regalia　so　dazzled　the　sight；　Whose　horse　was　so　perfect；　whose　boots　were　so　bright；　Who　so　hail'd　in　the　salon；　so　mark'd　in　the　Bois；　Who　so　welcomed　by　all；　as　Eugene　de　Luvois？　Of　all　the　smooth…brow'd　premature　debauchees　In　that　town　of　all　towns；　where　Debauchery　sees　On　the　forehead　of　youth　her　mark　everywhere　graven；　In　Paris　I　mean；where　the　streets　are　all　paven　By　those　two　fiends　whom　Milton　saw　bridging　the　way　From　Hell　to　this　planet；who；　haughty　and　gay；　The　free　rebel　of　life；　bound　or　led　by　no　law；　Walk'd　that　causeway　as　bold　as　Eugene　de　Luvois？　Yes！　he　march'd　through　the　great　masquerade；　loud　of　tongue；　Bold　of　brow：　but　the　motley　he　mask'd　in；　it　hung　So　loose；　trail'd　so　wide；　and　appear'd　to　impede　So　strangely　at　times　the　vex'd　effort　at　speed；　That　a　keen　eye　might　guess　it　was　madenot　for　him；　But　some　brawler　more　stalwart　of　stature　and　limb。　That　it　irk'd　him；　in　truth；　you　at　times　could　divine；　For　when　low　was　the　music；　and　spilt　was　the　wine；　He　would　clutch　at　the　garment；　as　though　it　oppress'd　And　stifled　some　impulse　that　choked　in　his　breast。


X。


What！　he；　。　。　。　the　light　sport　of　his　frivolous　ease！　Was　he；　too；　a　prey　to　a　mortal　disease？　My　friend；　hear　a　parable：　ponder　it　well：　For　a　moral　there　is　in　the　tale　that　I　tell。　One　evening　I　sat　in　the　Palais　Royal；　And　there；　while　I　laugh'd　at　Grassot　and　Arnal；　My　eye　fell　on　the　face　of　a　man　at　my　side；　Every　time　that　he　laugh'd　I　observed　that　he　sigh'd；　As　though　vex'd　to　be　pleased。　　I　remark'd　that　he　sat　Ill　at　ease　on　his　seat；　and　kept　twirling　his　hat　In　his　hand；　with　a　look　of　unquiet　abstraction。　I　inquired　the　cause　of　his　dissatisfaction。　〃Sir；〃　he　said；　〃if　what　vexes　me　here　you　would　know；　Learn　that；　passing　this　way　some　few　half…hours　ago；　I　walk'd　into　the　Francais；　to　look　at　Rachel。　（Sir；　that　woman　in　Phedre　is　a　miracle！）Well；　I　ask'd　for　a　box：　they　were　occupied　all：　For　a　seat　in　the　balcony：　all　taken！　a　stall：　Taken　too：　the　whole　house　was　as　full　as　could　be；　Not　a　hole　for　a　rat！　　I　had　just　time　to　see　The　lady　I　love　tete…a…tete　with　a　friend　In　a　box　out　of　reach　at　the　opposite　end：　Then　the　crowd　push'd　me　out。　　What　was　left　me　to　do？　I　tried　for　the　tragedy　。　。　。　que　voulez…vous？　Every　place　for　the　tragedy　book'd！　。　。　。　mon　ami。　The　farce　was　close　by：　。　。　。　at　the　farce　me　voici。　The　piece　is　a　new　one：　and　Grassot　plays　well：　There　is　drollery；　too；　in　that　fellow　Ravel：　And　Hyacinth's　nose　is　superb：　。　。　。　yet　I　meant　My　evening　elsewhere；　and　not　thus　to　have　spent。　Fate　orders　these　things　by　her　will；　not　by　ours！　Sir；　mankind　is　the　sport　of　invisible　powers。〃

I　once　met　the　Duc　de　Luvois　for　a　moment；　And　I　mark'd；　when　his　features　I　fix'd　in　my　comment；　O'er　those　features　the　same　vague　disquietude　stray　I　had　seen　on　the　face　of　my　friend　at　the　play；　And　I　thought　that　he　too；　very　probably；　spent　His　evenings　not　wholly　as　first　he　had　meant。


XI。


O　source　of　the　holiest　joys　we　inherit；　O　Sorrow；　thou　solemn；　invisible　spirit！　Ill　fares　it　with　man　when；　through　life's　desert　sand；　Grown　impatient　too　soon　for　the　long…promised　land；　He　turns　from　the　worship　of　thee；　as　thou　art；　An　expressless　and　imageless　truth　in　the　heart；　And　takes　of　the　jewels　of　Egypt；　the　pelf　And　the　gold　of　the　Godless；　to　make　to　himself　A　gaudy；　idolatrous　image　of　thee；　And　then　bows　to　the　sound　of　the　cymbal　the　knee。　The　sorrows　we　make　to　ourselves　are　false　gods：　Like　the　prophets　of　Baal；　our　bosoms　with　rods　We　may　smite；　we　may　gash　at　our　hearts　till　they　bleed；　But　these　idols　are　blind；　deaf；　and　dumb　to　our　need。　The　land　is　athirst；　and　cries　out！　。　。　。　'tis　in　vain；　The　great　blessing　of　Heaven　descends　not　in　rain。


XII。


It　was　night；　and　the　lamps　were　beginning　to　gleam　Through　the　long　linden…trees；　folded　each　in　his　dream；　From　that　building　which　looks　like　a　temple　。　。　。　and　is　The　Temple　ofHealth？　　Nay；　but　enter！　I　wis　That　never　the　rosy…hued　deity　knew　One　votary　out　of　that　sallow…cheek'd　crew　Of　Courlanders；　Wallacs；　Greeks；　affable　Russians；　Explosive　Parisians；　potato…faced　Prussians；　JewsHamburghers　chiefly；pure　patriots；Suabians；　〃Cappadocians　and　Elamites；　Cretes　and　Arabians；　And　the　dwellers　in　Pontus〃　。　。　。　My　muse　will　not　weary　More　lines　with　the　list　of　them　。　。　。　cur　fremuere？　What　is　it　they　murmur；　and　mutter；　and　hum？　Into　what　Pandemonium　is　Pentecost　come？　Oh；　what　is　the　name　of　the　god　at　whose　fane　Every　nation　is　mix'd　in　so　motley　a　train？　What　weird　Kabala　lies　on　those　tables　outspread？　To　what　oracle　turns　with　attention　each　head？　What　holds　these　pale　worshippers　each　so　devout；　And　what　are　those　hierophants　busied　about？


XIII。


Here　passes；　repasses；　and　flits　to　and　fro；　And　rolls　without　ceasing　the　great　Yes　and　No：　Round　this　altar　alternate　the　weird　Passions　dance；　And　the　God　worshipp'd　here　is　the　old　God　of　Chance。　Through　the　wide…open　doors　of　the　distant　saloon　Flute；　hautboy；　and　fiddle　are　squeaking　in　tune；　And　an　indistinct　music　forever　is　roll'd；　That　mixes　and　chimes　with　the　chink　of　the　gold；　From　a　vision；　that　flits　in　a　luminous　haze；　Of　figures　forever　eluding　the　gaze；　It　fleets　through　the　doorway；　it　gleams　on　the　glass；　And　the　weird　words　pursue　itRouge；　Impair；　et　Passe！　Like　a　sound　borne　in　sleep　through　such　dreams　as　encumber　With　haggard　emotions　the　wild　wicked　slumber　Of　some　witch　when　she　seeks；　through　a　nightmare；　to　grab　at　The　hot　hoof　of　the　fiend；　on　her　way　to　the　Sabbat。


XIV。


The　Duc　de　Luvois　and　Lord　Alfred　had　met　Some　few　evenings　ago　（for　the　season　as　yet　Was　but　young）　in　this　selfsame　Pavilion　of　Chance。　The　idler　from　England；　the　idler　from　France；　Shook　hands；　each；　of　course；　with　much　cordial　pleasure：　An　acquaintance　at　Ems　is　to　most　men　a　treasure；　And　they　both　were　too　well…bred　in　aught　to　betray　One　discourteous　remembrance　of　things　pass'd　aw