少年维特之烦恼(英文版)-第14章

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so　I　pursue　a　chimera　，　till　it　leads　me　to　the　edge　of　a　precipice　at
which　I　shudder。

　　When　I　pass　through　the　same　gate　，　and　walk　along　the　same　road
which　first　conducted　me　to　Charlotte　，　my　heart　sinks　within　me　at　the
change　that　has　since　taken　place。　All，　all，　is　altered　！　No　sentiment，
no　pulsation　of　my　heart，　is　the　same。　My　sensations　are　such　as　would
occur　to　some　departed　prince　whose　spirit　should　return　to　visit　the
superb　palace　which　he　had　built　in　happy　times　，　adorned　with　costly
magnificence，　and　left　to　a　beloved　son，　but　whose　glory　he　should　find
departed，　and　its　halls　deserted　and　in　ruins。

　　SEPTEMBER　3。　I　sometimes　cannot　understand　how　she　can　love　another，
how　she　dares　love　another，　when　I　love　nothing　in　this　world　so　pletely，
so　devotedly，　as　I　love　her，　when　I　know　only　her　，　and　have　no　other
possession。

　　SEPTEMBER　4。　It　is　even　so！　As　nature　puts　on　her　autumn　tints　it
bees　autumn　with　me　and　around　me。　My　leaves　are　sere　and　yellow　，
and　the　neighbouring　trees　are　divested　of　their　foliage。　Do　you　remember
my　writing　to　you　about　a　peasant　boy　shortly　after　my　arrival　here　？
I　have　just　made　inquiries　about　him　in　Walheim。　They　say　he　has　been
dismissed　from　his　service，　and　is　now　avoided　by　every　one。　I　met　him
yesterday　on　the　road　，　going　to　a　neighbouring　village。　I　spoke　to　him，
and　he　told　me　his　story。　It　interested　me　exceedingly，　as　you　will　easily
understand　when　I　repeat　it　to　you。　But　why　should　I　trouble　you？　Why
should　I　not　reserve　all　my　sorrow　for　myself　？　Why　should　I　continue
to　give　you　occasion　to　pity　and　blame　me　？　But　no　matter：　this　also
is　part　of　my　destiny。

　　At　first　the　peasant　lad　answered　my　inquiries　with　a　sort　of　subdued
melancholy，　which　seemed　to　me　the　mark　of　a　timid　disposition　；　but，
as　we　grew　to　understand　each　other　，　he　spoke　with　less　reserve　，　and
openly　confessed　his　faults　，　and　lamented　his　misfortune。　I　wish，　my
dear　friend　，　I　could　give　proper　expression　to　his　language。　He　told
me　with　a　sort　of　pleasurable　recollection，　that　，　after　my　departure，
his　passion　for　his　mistress　increased　daily，　until　at　last　he　neither
knew　what　he　did　nor　what　he　said　，　nor　what　was　to　bee　of　him。　He
could　neither　eat　nor　drink　nor　sleep　：　he　felt　a　sense　of　suffocation
；　he　disobeyed　all　orders，　and　forgot　all　mands　involuntarily；　he
seemed　as　if　pursued　by　an　evil　spirit，　till　one　day　，　knowing　that
his　mistress　had　gone　to　an　upper　chamber　，　he　had　followed，　or　，　rather，
been　drawn　after　her。　As　she　proved　deaf　to　his　entreaties，　he　had　recourse
to　violence。　He　knows　not　what　happened　；　but　he　called　God　to　witness
that　his　intentions　to　her　were　honourable，　and　that　he　desired　nothing
more　sincerely　than　that　they　should　marry，　and　pass　their　lives　together。
When　he　had　e　to　this　point，　he　began　to　hesitate　，　as　if　there　was
something　which　he　had　not　courage　to　utter　，　till　at　length　he　acknowledged
with　some　confusion　certain　little　confidences　she　had　encouraged　，　and
liberties　she　had　allowed。　He　broke　off　two　or　three　times　in　his　narration，
and　assured　me　most　earnestly　that　he　had　no　wish　to　make　her　bad　，　as
he　termed　it，　for　he　loved　her　still　as　sincerely　as　ever；　that　the
tale　had　never　before　escaped　his　lips，　and　was　only　now　told　to　convince
me　that　he　was　not　utterly　lost　and　abandoned。　And　here　，　my　dear　friend，
I　must　mence　the　old　song　which　you　know　I　utter　eternally。　If　I　could
only　represent　the　man　as　he　stood，　and　stands　now　before　me　，　could
I　only　give　his　true　expressions，　you　would　feel　pelled　to　sympathise
in　his　fate。　But　enough　：　you，　who　know　my　misfortune　and　my　disposition，
can　easily　prehend　the　attraction　which　draws　me　toward　every　unfortunate
being　，　but　particularly　toward　him　whose　story　I　have　recounted。

　　On　perusing　this　letter　a　second　time　，　I　find　I　have　omitted　the
conclusion　of　my　tale　；　but　it　is　easily　supplied。　She　became　reserved
toward　him，　at　the　instigation　of　her　brother　who　had　long　hated　him　，
and　desired　his　expulsion　from　the　house，　fearing　that　his　sister's　second
marriage　might　deprive　his　children　of　the　handsome　fortune　they　expected
from　her；　as　she　is　childless。　He　was　dismissed　at　length；　and　the　whole
affair　occasioned　so　much　scandal　，　that　the　mistress　dared　not　take
him　back，　even　if　she　had　wished　it。　She　has　since　hired　another　servant，
with　whom　，　they　say　，　her　brother　is　equally　displeased，　and　whom
she　is　likely　to　marry；　but　my　informant　assures　me　that　he　himself　is
determined　not　to　survive　such　a　catastrophe。

　　This　story　is　neither　exaggerated　nor　embellished　：　indeed　，　I　have
weakened　and　impaired　it　in　the　narration　，　by　the　necessity　of　using
the　more　refined　expressions　of　society。

　　This　love　，　then　，　this　constancy　，　this　passion　，　is　no　poetical
fiction。　It　is　actual　，　and　dwells　in　its　greatest　purity　amongst　that
class　of　mankind　whom　we　term　rude，　uneducated。　We　are　the　educated，
not　the　perverted。　But　read　this　story　with　attention　，　I　implore　you。
I　am　tranquil　to…day，　for　I　have　been　employed　upon　this　narration　：
you　see　by　my　writing　that　I　am　not　so　agitated　as　usual。　I　read　and　re…read
this　tale　，　Wilhelm：　it　is　the　history　of　your　friend　！　My　fortune
has　been　and　will　be　similar；　and　I　am　neither　half　so　brave　nor　half
so　determined　as　the　poor　wretch　with　whom　I　hesitate　to　pare　myself。

　　SEPTEMBER　5。　Charlotte　had　written　a　letter　to　her　husband　in　the
country　，　where　he　was　detained　by　business。　It　menced，　〃My　dearest
love，　return　as　soon　as　possible　：　I　await　you　with　a　thousand　raptures。〃
A　friend　who　arrived，　brought　word　，　that　，　for　certain　reasons，　he
could　not　return　immediately。　Charlotte's　letter　was　not　forwarded，　and
the　same　evening　it　fell　into　my　hands。　I　read　it　，　and　smiled。　She　asked
the　reason。　〃What　a　heavenly　treasure　is　imagination：〃　I　exclaimed　；
〃I　fancied　for　a　moment　that　this　was　written　to　me。〃　She　paused，　and
seemed　displeased。　I　was　silent。

　　SEPTEMBER　6。　It　cost　me　much　to　part　with　the　blue　coat　which　I　wore
the　first　time　I　danced　with　Charlotte。　But　I　could　not　possibly　wear
it　any　longer。　But　I　have　ordered　a　new　one　，　precisely　similar，　even
to　the　collar　and　sleeves　，　as　well　as　a　new　waistcoat　and　pantaloons。

　　But　it　does　not　produce　the　same　effect　upon　me。　I　know　not　how　it
is，　but　I　hope　in　time　I　shall　like　it　better。

　　SEPTEMBER　12。　She　has　been　absent　for　some　days。　She　went　to　meet
Albert。　To…day　I　visited　her：　she　rose　to　receive　me　，　and　I　kissed
her　hand　most　tenderly。

　　A　canary　at　the　moment　flew　from　a　mirror　，　and　settled　upon　her
shoulder。　〃Here　is　a　new　friend　，〃　she　observed，　while　she　made　him
perch　upon　her　hand　：　〃he　is　a　present　for　the　children。　What　a　dear
he　is　！　Look　at　him！　When　I　feed　him，　he　flutters　with　his　wings　，
and　pecks　so　nicely。　He　kisses　me　，　too，　only　look！〃

　　She　held　the　bird　to　her　mouth；　and　he　pressed　her　sweet　lips　with
so　much　fervour　that　he　seemed　to　feel　the　excess　of　bliss　which　he　enjoyed。

　　〃He　shall　kiss　you　too，〃　she　added　；　and　then　she　held　the　bird
toward　me。　His　little　beak　moved　from　her　mouth　to　mine　，　and　the　delightful
sensation　seemed　like　the　forerunner　of　the　sweetest　bliss。

　　〃A　kiss　，〃　I　observed，　〃does　not　seem　to　satisfy　him：　he　wishes
for　food，　and　seems　disappointed　by　these　unsatisfactory　endearments。〃

　　〃But　he　eats　out　of　my　mouth，〃　she　continued　，　and　extended　her
lips　to　him　containing　seed　；　and　she　smiled　with　all　the　charm　of　a
being　who　has　allowed　an　innocent　participation　of　her　love。

　　I　turned　my　face　away。　She　should　not　act　thus。　She　ought　not　to　excite
my　imagination　with　such　displays　of　heavenly　innocence　and　happiness　，
nor　awaken　my　heart　from　its　slumbers　，　in　which　it　dreams　of　the　worthlessness
of　life　！　And　why　not？　Because　she　knows　how　much　I　love　her。

　　SEPTEMBER　15。　It　makes　me　wretched，　Wilhelm，　to　think　that　there
should　be　men　incapable　of　appreciating　the　few　things　which　possess　a
real　value　in　life。　You　remember　the　walnut　trees　at　S——，　under　which
I　used　to　sit　with　Charlotte，　during　my　visits　to　the　worthy　old　vicar。
Those　glorious　trees，　the　very　sight　of　which　has　so　often　filled　my
heart　with　joy，　how　they　adorned　and　refreshed　the　parsonage　yard，　with
their　wide…extended　branches！　and　how　pleasing　was　our　remembrance　of
the　good　old　pastor　，　by　whose　hands　they　were　planted　so　many　years
ago　：　The　schoolmaster　has　frequently　mentioned　his　name。　He　had　it　from
his　grandfather。　He　must　have　been　a　most　excellent　man　；　and，　under
the　shade　of　those　old　trees，　his　memory　was　ever　venerated　by　me。　The
schoolmaster　informed　us　yesterday，　with　tears　in　his　eyes　，　that　those
trees　had　been　felled。　Yes，　cut　to　the　ground！　I　could，　in　my　wrath，
have　slain　the　monster　who　struck　the　first　stroke。　And　I　must　endure
this！——　I，　who，　if　I　had　had　two　such　trees　in　my　own　court，　and
one　had　died　from　old　age　，　should　have　wept　with　real　affliction。　But
there　is　some　fort　left，　such　a　thing　is　sentiment，　the　whole　village
murmurs　at　the　misfortune　；　and　I　hope　the　vicar's　wife　will　soon　find，
by　the　cessation　of　the　villagers'　presents　，　how　much　she　has　wounded
the　feelings　of　the　neighborhhood。　It　was　she　who　did　it，　the　wife　of
the　present　incumbent　（our　good　old　man　is　dead），　a　tall　，　sickly
creature　who　is　so　far　right　to　disregard　the　world　，　as　the　world　totally
disregards　her。　The　silly　being　affects　to　be　learned　，　pretends　to　examine
the　canonical　books　，　lends　her　aid　toward　the　new…fashioned　reformation
of　Christendom，　moral　and　critical　，　and　shrugs　up　her　shoulders　at
the　mention　of　Lavater's　enthusiasm。　Her　health　is　destroyed，　on　account
of　which　she　is　prevented　from　having　any　enjoyment　here　below。　Only　such
a　creature　could　have　cut　down　my　walnut　trees！　I　can　never　pardon　it。
Hear　her　reasons。　The　falling　leaves　made　the　court　wet　and　dirty　；　the
branches　obstructed　the　light　；　boys　threw　stones　at　the　nuts　when　they
were　ripe　，　and　the　noise　affected　her　nerves；　and　disturbed　her　profound
meditations　，　when　she　was　weighing　the　diffculties　of　Kennicot，　Semler，
and　Michaelis。　Finding　that　all　the　parish，　particularly　the　old　people，
were　displeased　，　I　asked　〃why　they　allowed　it　？〃　〃Ah　，　sir！〃　they
replied　，　〃when　the　steward　orders　，　what　can　we　poor　peasants　do　？
〃　But　one　thing　has　happened　well。　The　steward　and　the　vicar（who　，　for
once，　thought　to　reap　some　advantage　from　the　caprices　of　his　wife　）
intended　to　divide　the　trees　between　them。　The　revenue…office　，　being
informed　of　it，　revived　an　old　claim　to　the　ground　where　the　trees　had
stood　，　and　sold　them　to　the　best　bidder。　There　they　still　lie　on　the
ground。　If　I　were　the　sovereign　，　I　should　know　how　to　deal　with　them
all　，　vicar，　steward，　and　revenue…office。　Sovereign，　did　I　say？　I
should，　in　that　case　，　care　little　about　the　trees　that　grew　in　the
country。

　　OCTOBER　10。　Only　to　gaze　upon　her　dark　eye