the works of edgar allan poe-2-第25部分

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flash　　and　the　clouds　hung　motionless　　and　the　waters　sunk　to
their　level　and　remained　　and　the　trees　ceased　to　rock　　and　the
water…lilies　sighed　no　more　　and　the　murmur　was　heard　no　longer
from　among　them；　nor　any　shadow　of　sound　throughout　the　vast
illimitable　desert。　And　I　looked　upon　the　characters　of　the　rock；　and
they　were　changed；　　and　the　characters　were　SILENCE。

〃And　mine　eyes　fell　upon　the　countenance　of　the　man；　and　his
countenance　was　wan　with　terror。　And；　hurriedly；　he　raised　his　head
from　his　hand；　and　stood　forth　upon　the　rock　and　listened。　But　there
was　no　voice　throughout　the　vast　illimitable　desert；　and　the
characters　upon　the　rock　were　SILENCE。　And　the　man　shuddered；　and
turned　his　face　away；　and　fled　afar　off；　in　haste；　so　that　I　beheld
him　no　more。〃

Now　there　are　fine　tales　in　the　volumes　of　the　Magi　　in　the
iron…bound；　melancholy　volumes　of　the　Magi。　Therein；　I　say；　are
glorious　histories　of　the　Heaven；　and　of　the　Earth；　and　of　the　mighty
sea　　and　of　the　Genii　that　over…ruled　the　sea；　and　the　earth；　and
the　lofty　heaven。　There　was　much　lore　too　in　the　sayings　which　were
said　by　the　Sybils；　and　holy；　holy　things　were　heard　of　old　by　the
dim　leaves　that　trembled　around　Dodona　　but；　as　Allah　liveth；　that
fable　which　the　Demon　told　me　as　he　sat　by　my　side　in　the　shadow　of
the　tomb；　I　hold　to　be　the　most　wonderful　of　all！　And　as　the　Demon
made　an　end　of　his　story；　he　fell　back　within　the　cavity　of　the　tomb
and　laughed。　And　I　could　not　laugh　with　the　Demon；　and　he　cursed　me
because　I　could　not　laugh。　And　the　lynx　which　dwelleth　forever　in　the
tomb；　came　out　therefrom；　and　lay　down　at　the　feet　of　the　Demon；　and
looked　at　him　steadily　in　the　face。

~~~　End　of　Text　~~~



THE　MASQUE　OF　THE　RED　DEATH。

THE　〃Red　Death〃　had　long　devastated　the　country。　No　pestilence　had
ever　been　so　fatal；　or　so　hideous。　Blood　was　its　Avatar　and　its　seal
　the　redness　and　the　horror　of　blood。　There　were　sharp　pains；　and
sudden　dizziness；　and　then　profuse　bleeding　at　the　pores；　with
dissolution。　The　scarlet　stains　upon　the　body　and　especially　upon　the
face　of　the　victim；　were　the　pest　ban　which　shut　him　out　from　the　aid
and　from　the　sympathy　of　his　fellow…men。　And　the　whole　seizure；
progress　and　termination　of　the　disease；　were　the　incidents　of　half
an　hour。

But　the　Prince　Prospero　was　happy　and　dauntless　and　sagacious。　When
his　dominions　were　half　depopulated；　he　summoned　to　his　presence　a
thousand　hale　and　light…hearted　friends　from　among　the　knights　and
dames　of　his　court；　and　with　these　retired　to　the　deep　seclusion　of
one　of　his　castellated　abbeys。　This　was　an　extensive　and　magnificent
structure；　the　creation　of　the　prince's　own　eccentric　yet　august
taste。　A　strong　and　lofty　wall　girdled　it　in。　This　wall　had　gates　of
iron。　The　courtiers；　having　entered；　brought　furnaces　and　massy
hammers　and　welded　the　bolts。　They　resolved　to　leave　means　neither　of
ingress　or　egress　to　the　sudden　impulses　of　despair　or　of　frenzy　from
within。　The　abbey　was　amply　provisioned。　With　such　precautions　the
courtiers　might　bid　defiance　to　contagion。　The　external　world　could
take　care　of　itself。　In　the　meantime　it　was　folly　to　grieve；　or　to
think。　The　prince　had　provided　all　the　appliances　of　pleasure。　There
were　buffoons；　there　were　improvisatori；　there　were　ballet…dancers；
there　were　musicians；　there　was　Beauty；　there　was　wine。　All　these　and
security　were　within。　Without　was　the　〃Red　Death。〃

It　was　toward　the　close　of　the　fifth　or　sixth　month　of　his　seclusion；
and　while　the　pestilence　raged　most　furiously　abroad；　that　the　Prince
Prospero　entertained　his　thousand　friends　at　a　masked　ball　of　the
most　unusual　magnificence。

It　was　a　voluptuous　scene；　that　masquerade。　But　first　let　me　tell　of
the　rooms　in　which　it　was　held。　There　were　seven　　an　imperial
suite。　In　many　palaces；　however；　such　suites　form　a　long　and　straight
vista；　while　the　folding　doors　slide　back　nearly　to　the　walls　on
either　hand；　so　that　the　view　of　the　whole　extent　is　scarcely
impeded。　Here　the　case　was　very　different；　as　might　have　been
expected　from　the　duke's　love　of　the　bizarre。　The　apartments　were　so
irregularly　disposed　that　the　vision　embraced　but　little　more　than
one　at　a　time。　There　was　a　sharp　turn　at　every　twenty　or　thirty
yards；　and　at　each　turn　a　novel　effect。　To　the　right　and　left；　in　the
middle　of　each　wall；　a　tall　and　narrow　Gothic　window　looked　out　upon
a　closed　corridor　which　pursued　the　windings　of　the　suite。　These
windows　were　of　stained　glass　whose　color　varied　in　accordance　with
the　prevailing　hue　of　the　decorations　of　the　chamber　into　which　it
opened。　That　at　the　eastern　extremity　was　hung；　for　example；　in　blue
　and　vividly　blue　were　its　windows。　The　second　chamber　was　purple
in　its　ornaments　and　tapestries；　and　here　the　panes　were　purple。　The
third　was　green　throughout；　and　so　were　the　casements。　The　fourth　was
furnished　and　lighted　with　orange　　the　fifth　with　white　　the
sixth　with　violet。　The　seventh　apartment　was　closely　shrouded　in
black　velvet　tapestries　that　hung　all　over　the　ceiling　and　down　the
walls；　falling　in　heavy　folds　upon　a　carpet　of　the　same　material　and
hue。　But　in　this　chamber　only；　the　color　of　the　windows　failed　to
correspond　with　the　decorations。　The　panes　here　were　scarlet　　a
deep　blood　color。　Now　in　no　one　of　the　seven　apartments　was　there　any
lamp　or　candelabrum；　amid　the　profusion　of　golden　ornaments　that　lay
scattered　to　and　fro　or　depended　from　the　roof。　There　was　no　light　of
any　kind　emanating　from　lamp　or　candle　within　the　suite　of　chambers。
But　in　the　corridors　that　followed　the　suite；　there　stood；　opposite
to　each　window；　a　heavy　tripod；　bearing　a　brazier　of　fire　that
protected　its　rays　through　the　tinted　glass　and　so　glaringly
illumined　the　room。　And　thus　were　produced　a　multitude　of　gaudy　and
fantastic　appearances。　But　in　the　western　or　black　chamber　the　effect
of　the　fire…light　that　streamed　upon　the　dark　hangings　through　the
blood…tinted　panes；　was　ghastly　in　the　extreme；　and　produced　so　wild
a　look　upon　the　countenances　of　those　who　entered；　that　there　were
few　of　the　company　bold　enough　to　set　foot　within　its　precincts　at
all。

It　was　in　this　apartment；　also；　that　there　stood　against　the　western
wall；　a　gigantic　clock　of　ebony。　Its　pendulum　swung　to　and　fro　with　a
dull；　heavy；　monotonous　clang；　and　when　the　minute…hand　made　the
circuit　of　the　face；　and　the　hour　was　to　be　stricken；　there　came　from
the　brazen　lungs　of　the　clock　a　sound　which　was　clear　and　loud　and
deep　and　exceedingly　musical；　but　of　so　peculiar　a　note　and　emphasis
that；　at　each　lapse　of　an　hour；　the　musicians　of　the　orchestra　were
constrained　to　pause；　momentarily；　in　their　performance；　to　hearken
to　the　sound；　and　thus　the　waltzers　perforce　ceased　their　evolutions；
and　there　was　a　brief　disconcert　of　the　whole　gay　company；　and；　while
the　chimes　of　the　clock　yet　rang；　it　was　observed　that　the　giddiest
grew　pale；　and　the　more　aged　and　sedate　passed　their　hands　over　their
brows　as　if　in　confused　reverie　or　meditation。　But　when　the　echoes
had　fully　ceased；　a　light　laughter　at　once　pervaded　the　assembly；　the
musicians　looked　at　each　other　and　smiled　as　if　at　their　own
nervousness　and　folly；　and　made　whispering　vows；　each　to　the　other；
that　the　next　chiming　of　the　clock　should　produce　in　them　no　similar
emotion；　and　then；　after　the　lapse　of　sixty　minutes；　（which　embrace
three　thousand　and　six　hundred　seconds　of　the　Time　that　flies；）　there
came　yet　another　chiming　of　the　clock；　and　then　were　the　same
disconcert　and　tremulousness　and　meditation　as　before。

But；　in　spite　of　these　things；　it　was　a　gay　and　magnificent　revel。
The　tastes　of　the　duke　were　peculiar。　He　had　a　fine　eye　for　colors
and　effects。　He　disregarded　the　decora　of　mere　fashion。　His　plans
were　bold　and　fiery；　and　his　conceptions　glowed　with　barbaric　lustre。
There　are　some　who　would　have　thought　him　mad。　His　followers　felt
that　he　was　not。　It　was　necessary　to　hear　and　see　and　touch　him　to　be
sure　that　he　was　not。

He　had　directed；　in　great　part；　the　moveable　embellishments　of　the
seven　chambers；　upon　occasion　of　this　great　fete；　and　it　was　his　own
guiding　taste　which　had　given　character　to　the　masqueraders。　Be　sure
they　were　grotesque。　There　were　much　glare　and　glitter　and　piquancy
and　phantasm　　much　of　what　has　been　since　seen　in　〃Hernani。〃　There
were　arabesque　figures　with　unsuited　limbs　and　appointments。　There
were　delirious　fancies　such　as　the　madman　fashions。　There　was　much　of
the　beautiful；　much　of　the　wanton；　much　of　the　bizarre；　something　of
the　terrible；　and　not　a　little　of　that　which　might　have　excited
disgust。　To　and　fro　in　the　seven　chambers　there　stalked；　in　fact；　a
multitude　of　dreams。　And　these　　the　dreams　　writhed　in　and　about；
taking　hue　from　the　rooms；　and　causing　the　wild　music　of　the
orchestra　to　seem　as　the　echo　of　their　steps。　And；　anon；　there
strikes　the　ebony　clock　which　stands　in　the　hall　of　the　velvet。　And
then；　for　a　moment；　all　is　still；　and　all　is　silent　save　the　voice　of
the　clock。　The　dreams　are　stiff…frozen　as　they　stand。　But　the　echoes
of　the　chime　die　away　　they　have　endured　but　an　instant　　and　a
light；　half…subdued　laughter　floats　after　them　as　they　depart。　And
now　again　the　music　swells；　and　the　dreams　live；　and　writhe　to　and
fro　more　merrily　than　ever；　taking　hue　from　the　many…tinted　windows
through　which　stream　the　rays　from　the　tripods。　But　to　the　chamber
which　lies　most　westwardly　of　the　seven；　there　are　now　none　of　the
maskers　who　venture；　for　the　night　is　waning　away；　and　there　flows　a
ruddier　light　through　the　blood…colored　panes；　and　the　blackness　of
the　sable　drapery　appals；　and　to　him　whose　foot　falls　upon　the　sable
carpet；　there　comes　from　the　near　clock　of　ebony　a　muffled　peal　more
solemnly　emphatic　than　any　which　reaches　their　ears　who　indulge　in
the　more　remote　gaieties　of　the　other　apartments。

But　these　other　apartments　were　densely　crowded；　and　in　them　beat
feverishly　the　heart　of　life。　And　the　revel　went　whirlingly　on；　until
at　length　there　commenced　the　sounding　of　midnight　upon　the　clock。
And　then　the　music　ceased；　as　I　have　told；　and　the　evolutions　of　the
waltzers　were　quieted；　and　there　was　an　u