zanoni-第18章

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not　mistake　the　sentiment　that；　that〃　she　faltered　an　instant；

and　went　on　with　downcast　eyes；〃that　has　fascinated　my　thoughts

to　thee。　　Do　not　think　that　I　could　nourish　a　love　unsought　and

unreturned。　　It　is　not　love　that　I　feel　for　thee；　stranger。　　Why

should　I？　　Thou　hast　never　spoken　to　me　but　to　admonish；and

now；　to　wound！〃　　Again　she　paused；　again　her　voice　faltered；　the

tears　trembled　on　her　eyelids；　she　brushed　them　away　and　resumed。

〃No；　not　love；if　that　be　love　which　I　have　heard　and　read　of；

and　sought　to　simulate　on　the　stage；but　a　more　solemn；　fearful；

and；　it　seems　to　me；　almost　preternatural　attraction；　which　makes

me　associate　thee；　waking　or　dreaming；　with　images　that　at　once

charm　and　awe。　　Thinkest　thou；　if　it　were　love；　that　I　could

speak　to　thee　thus；　that；〃　she　raised　her　looks　suddenly　to　his；

〃mine　eyes　could　thus　search　and　confront　thine　own？　　Stranger；　I

ask　but　at　times　to　see；　to　hear　thee！　　Stranger；　talk　not　to　me

of　others。　　Forewarn；　rebuke；　bruise　my　heart；　reject　the　not

unworthy　gratitude　it　offers　thee；　if　thou　wilt；　but　come　not

always　to　me　as　an　omen　of　grief　and　trouble。　　Sometimes　have　I

seen　thee　in　my　dreams　surrounded　by　shapes　of　glory　and　light；

thy　looks　radiant　with　a　celestial　joy　which　they　wear　not　now。

Stranger；　thou　hast　saved　me；　and　I　thank　and　bless　thee！　　Is

that　also　a　homage　thou　wouldst　reject？〃　　With　these　words；　she

crossed　her　arms　meekly　on　her　bosom；　and　inclined　lowlily　before

him。　　Nor　did　her　humility　seem　unwomanly　or　abject；　nor　that　of

mistress　to　lover；　of　slave　to　master；　but　rather　of　a　child　to

its　guardian；　of　a　neophyte　of　the　old　religion　to　her　priest。

Zanoni's　brow　was　melancholy　and　thoughtful。　　He　looked　at　her

with　a　strange　expression　of　kindness；　of　sorrow；　yet　of　tender

affection；　in　his　eyes；　but　his　lips　were　stern；　and　his　voice

cold；　as　he　replied；



〃Do　you　know　what　you　ask；　Viola？　　Do　you　guess　the　danger　to

yourselfperhaps　to　both　of　uswhich　you　court？　　Do　you　know

that　my　life；　separated　from　the　turbulent　herd　of　men；　is　one

worship　of　the　Beautiful；　from　which　I　seek　to　banish　what　the

Beautiful　inspires　in　most？　　As　a　calamity；　I　shun　what　to　man

seems　the　fairest　fate；the　love　of　the　daughters　of　earth。　　At

present　I　can　warn　and　save　thee　from　many　evils；　if　I　saw　more

of　thee；　would　the　power　still　be　mine？　　You　understand　me　not。

What　I　am　about　to　add；　it　will　be　easier　to　comprehend。　　I　bid

thee　banish　from　thy　heart　all　thought　of　me；　but　as　one　whom　the

Future　cries　aloud　to　thee　to　avoid。　　Glyndon；　if　thou　acceptest

his　homage；　will　love　thee　till　the　tomb　closes　upon　both。　　I；

too；〃　he　added　with　emotion；〃I；　too；　might　love　thee！〃



〃You！〃　cried　Viola；　with　the　vehemence　of　a　sudden　impulse　of

delight；　of　rapture；　which　she　could　not　suppress；　but　the

instant　after；　she　would　have　given　worlds　to　recall　the

exclamation。



〃Yes；　Viola；　I　might　love　thee；　but　in　that　love　what　sorrow　and

what　change！　　The　flower　gives　perfume　to　the　rock　on　whose　heart

it　grows。　　A　little　while；　and　the　flower　is　dead；　but　the　rock

still　endures；the　snow　at　its　breast；　the　sunshine　on　its

summit。　　Pause；think　well。　　Danger　besets　thee　yet。　　For　some

days　thou　shalt　be　safe　from　thy　remorseless　persecutor；　but　the

hour　soon　comes　when　thy　only　security　will　be　in　flight。　　If　the

Englishman　love　thee　worthily；　thy　honour　will　be　dear　to　him　as

his　own；　if　not；　there　are　yet　other　lands　where　love　will　be

truer；　and　virtue　less　in　danger　from　fraud　and　force。　　Farewell；

my　own　destiny　I　cannot　foresee　except　through　cloud　and　shadow。

I　know；　at　least；　that　we　shall　meet　again；　but　learn　ere　then；

sweet　flower；　that　there　are　more　genial　resting…places　than　the

rock。〃



He　turned　as　he　spoke；　and　gained　the　outer　door　where　Gionetta

discreetly　stood。　　Zanoni　lightly　laid　his　hand　on　her　arm。　　With

the　gay　accent　of　a　jesting　cavalier；　he　said；



〃The　Signor　Glyndon　woos　your　mistress；　he　may　wed　her。　　I　know

your　love　for　her。　　Disabuse　her　of　any　caprice　for　me。　　I　am　a

bird　ever　on　the　wing。〃



He　dropped　a　purse　into　Gionetta's　hand　as　he　spoke；　and　was

gone。





CHAPTER　2。IV。



Les　Intelligences　Celestes　se　font　voir；　et　see　communiquent　plus

volontiers；　dans　le　silence　et　dans　la　tranquillite　de　la

solitude。　　On　aura　donc　une　petite　chambre　ou　un　cabinet　secret；

etc。

〃Les　Clavicules　de　Rabbi　Salomon；〃　chapter　3；　traduites

exactement　du　texte　Hebreu　par　M。　Pierre　Morissoneau；　Professeur

des　Langues　Orientales；　et　Sectateur　de　la　Philosophie　des　Sages

Cabalistes。　　（Manuscript　Translation。）



（The　Celestial　Intelligences　exhibit　and　explain　themselves　most

freely　in　silence　and　the　tranquillity　of　solitude。　　One　will

have　then　a　little　chamber；　or　a　secret　cabinet；　etc。）



The　palace　retained　by　Zanoni　was　in　one　of　the　less　frequented

quarters　of　the　city。　　It　still　stands；　now　ruined　and

dismantled；　a　monument　of　the　splendour　of　a　chivalry　long　since

vanished　from　Naples；　with　the　lordly　races　of　the　Norman　and　the

Spaniard。



As　he　entered　the　rooms　reserved　for　his　private　hours；　two

Indians；　in　the　dress　of　their　country；　received　him　at　the

threshold　with　the　grave　salutations　of　the　East。　　They　had

accompanied　him　from　the　far　lands　in　which；　according　to　rumour；

he　had　for　many　years　fixed　his　home。　　But　they　could　communicate

nothing　to　gratify　curiosity　or　justify　suspicion。　　They　spoke　no

language　but　their　own。　　With　the　exception　of　these　two　his

princely　retinue　was　composed　of　the　native　hirelings　of　the

city；　whom　his　lavish　but　imperious　generosity　made　the　implicit

creatures　of　his　will。　　In　his　house；　and　in　his　habits；　so　far

as　they　were　seen；　there　was　nothing　to　account　for　the　rumours

which　were　circulated　abroad。　　He　was　not；　as　we　are　told　of

Albertus　Magnus　or　the　great　Leonardo　da　Vinci；　served　by　airy

forms；　and　no　brazen　image；　the　invention　of　magic　mechanism；

communicated　to　him　the　influences　of　the　stars。　　None　of　the

apparatus　of　the　alchemistthe　crucible　and　the　metalsgave

solemnity　to　his　chambers；　or　accounted　for　his　wealth；　nor　did

he　even　seem　to　interest　himself　in　those　serener　studies　which

might　be　supposed　to　colour　his　peculiar　conversation　with

abstract　notions；　and　often　with　recondite　learning。　　No　books

spoke　to　him　in　his　solitude；　and　if　ever　he　had　drawn　from　them

his　knowledge；　it　seemed　now　that　the　only　page　he　read　was　the

wide　one　of　Nature；　and　that　a　capacious　and　startling　memory

supplied　the　rest。　　Yet　was　there　one　exception　to　what　in　all

else　seemed　customary　and　commonplace；　and　which；　according　to

the　authority　we　have　prefixed　to　this　chapter；　might　indicate

the　follower　of　the　occult　sciences。　　Whether　at　Rome　or　Naples；

or；　in　fact；　wherever　his　abode；　he　selected　one　room　remote　from

the　rest　of　the　house；　which　was　fastened　by　a　lock　scarcely

larger　than　the　seal　of　a　ring；　yet　which　sufficed　to　baffle　the

most　cunning　instruments　of　the　locksmith：　　at　least；　one　of　his

servants；　prompted　by　irresistible　curiosity；　had　made　the

attempt　in　vain；　and　though　he　had　fancied　it　was　tried　in　the

most　favourable　time　for　secrecy；not　a　soul　near；　in　the　dead

of　night；　Zanoni　himself　absent　from　home；yet　his　superstition；

or　his　conscience；　told　him　the　reason　why　the　next　day　the　Major

Domo　quietly　dismissed　him。　　He　compensated　himself　for　this

misfortune　by　spreading　his　own　story；　with　a　thousand　amusing

exaggerations。　　He　declared　that；　as　he　approached　the　door；

invisible　hands　seemed　to　pluck　him　away；　and　that　when　he

touched　the　lock；　he　was　struck；　as　by　a　palsy；　to　the　ground。

One　surgeon；　who　heard　the　tale；　observed；　to　the　distaste　of　the

wonder…mongers；　that　possibly　Zanoni　made　a　dexterous　use　of

electricity。　　Howbeit；　this　room；　once　so　secured；　was　never

entered　save　by　Zanoni　himself。



The　solemn　voice　of　Time；　from　the　neighbouring　church　at　last

aroused　the　lord　of　the　palace　from　the　deep　and　motionless

reverie；　rather　resembling　a　trance　than　thought；　in　which　his

mind　was　absorbed。



〃It　is　one　more　sand　out　of　the　mighty　hour…glass；〃　said　he；

murmuringly；　〃and　yet　time　neither　adds　to；　nor　steals　from；　an

atom　in　the　Infinite！　　Soul　of　mine；　the　luminous；　the　Augoeides

（Augoeides；a　word　favoured　by　the　mystical　Platonists；　sphaira

psuches　augoeides；　otan　mete　ekteinetai　epi　ti；　mete　eso

suntreche　mete　sunizane；　alla　photi　lampetai；　o　ten　aletheian　opa

ten　panton；　kai　ten　en　aute。Marc。　Ant。；　lib。　2。The　sense　of

which　beautiful　sentence　of　the　old　philosophy；　which；　as　Bayle

well　observes；　in　his　article　on　Cornelius　Agrippa；　the　modern

Quietists　have　（however　impotently）　sought　to　imitate；　is　to　the

effect　that　〃the　sphere　of　the　soul　is　luminous　when　nothing

external　has　contact　with　the　soul　itself；　but　when　lit　by　its

own　light；　it　sees　the　truth　of　all　things　and　the　truth　centred

in　itself。〃）；　why　descendest　thou　from　thy　sphere；why　from　the

eternal；　starlike；　and　passionless　Serene；　shrinkest　thou　back　to

the　mists　of　the　dark　sarcophagus？　　How　long；　too　austerely

taught　that　companionship　with　the　things　that　die　brings　with　it

but　sorrow　in　its　sweetness；　hast　thou　dwelt　contented　with　thy

majestic　solitude？〃



As　he　thus　murmured；　one　of　the　earliest　birds　that　salute　the

dawn　broke　into　sudden　song　from　amidst　the　orange…trees　in　the

garden　below　his　casement；　and　as　suddenly；　song　answered　song；

the　mate；　awakened　at　the　note；　gave　back　its　happy　answer　to　the

bird。　　He　listened；　and　not　the　soul　he　had　questioned；　but　the

heart　replied。　　He　rose；　and　with　restless　strides　paced　the

narrow　floor。　　〃Away　from　this　world！〃　he　exclaimed　at　length；

with　an　impatient　tone。　　〃Can　no　time　loosen　its　fatal　ties？　　As

the　attraction　that　holds　the　earth　in　space；　is　the　attraction

that　fixes　the　soul　to　earth。　　Away　from　the　dark　grey　planet！

Break；　ye　fetters：　　arise；　ye　wings！〃



He　passed　through　the　silent　galleries；　and　up　the　lofty　stairs；

and　entered　the　secret　chamber。



。。。





CHAPTER　2。V。



I　and　my　fellows

Are　ministers　of　Fate。

〃The　Tempest。〃



The　next　day　Glyndon　bent　his　steps　towards　Zanoni's　palace。　　The

young　man's　imagination；　naturally　inflammable；　was　singularly

excited　by　the　little　he　had　seen　and　heard　of　this　strange

being；a　spell；　he　could　neither　master　nor　account　for；

attracted　him　towards　the　stranger。　　Zanoni's　power　seemed

mysterious　and　great；　his　motives　kindly　and　benevolent；　yet　his

manners　chilling　and　repellent。　　Why　at　one　moment　reject

Glyndon's　acquaintance；　at　another　save　him　from　danger？　　How　had

Zanoni　thus　acquired　the　knowledge　of　enemies　unknown　to　Glyndon

himself？　　His　interest　was　deeply　roused；　his　gratitude　appealed

to；　he　resolved　to　make　another　effort　to　conciliate　the

ungracious　herbalist。



The　signor　was　at　home；　and　Glyndon