the works of edgar allan poe-2-第52部分

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the　moral　and　physical　being　of　my　cousin；　may　be　mentioned　as　the
most　distressing　and　obstinate　in　its　nature；　a　species　of　epilepsy
not　unfrequently　terminating　in　_trance_　itself　…　trance　very　nearly
resembling　positive　dissolution；　and　from　which　her　manner　of
recovery　was　in　most　instances；　startlingly　abrupt。　In　the　mean　time
my　own　disease　…　for　I　have　been　told　that　I　should　call　it　by　no
other　appellation　…　my　own　disease；　then；　grew　rapidly　upon　me；　and
assumed　finally　a　monomaniac　character　of　a　novel　and　extraordinary
form　…　hourly　and　momently　gaining　vigor　…　and　at　length　obtaining
over　me　the　most　incomprehensible　ascendancy。　This　monomania；　if　I
must　so　term　it；　consisted　in　a　morbid　irritability　of　those
properties　of　the　mind　in　metaphysical　science　termed　the
_attentive_。　It　is　more　than　probable　that　I　am　not　understood；　but　I
fear；　indeed；　that　it　is　in　no　manner　possible　to　convey　to　the　mind
of　the　merely　general　reader；　an　adequate　idea　of　that　nervous
_intensity　of　interest_　with　which；　in　my　case；　the　powers　of
meditation　（not　to　speak　technically）　busied　and　buried　themselves；
in　the　contemplation　of　even　the　most　ordinary　objects　of　the
universe。

　　　　To　muse　for　long　unwearied　hours；　with　my　attention　riveted　to
some　frivolous　device　on　the　margin；　or　in　the　typography　of　a　book；
to　become　absorbed；　for　the　better　part　of　a　summer's　day；　in　a
quaint　shadow　falling　aslant　upon　the　tapestry　or　upon　the　floor；　to
lose　myself；　for　an　entire　night；　in　watching　the　steady　flame　of　a
lamp；　or　the　embers　of　a　fire；　to　dream　away　whole　days　over　the
perfume　of　a　flower；　to　repeat；　monotonously；　some　common　word；　until
the　sound；　by　dint　of　frequent　repetition；　ceased　to　convey　any　idea
whatever　to　the　mind；　to　lose　all　sense　of　motion　or　physical
existence；　by　means　of　absolute　bodily　quiescence　long　and
obstinately　persevered　in：　such　were　a　few　of　the　most　common　and
least　pernicious　vagaries　induced　by　a　condition　of　the　mental
faculties；　not；　indeed；　altogether　unparalleled；　but　certainly
bidding　defiance　to　anything　like　analysis　or　explanation。

　　　　Yet　let　me　not　be　misapprehended。　The　undue；　earnest；　and　morbid
attention　thus　excited　by　objects　in　their　own　nature　frivolous；　must
not　be　confounded　in　character　with　that　ruminating　propensity　common
to　all　mankind；　and　more　especially　indulged　in　by　persons　of　ardent
imagination。　It　was　not　even；　as　might　be　at　first　supposed；　an
extreme　condition；　or　exaggeration　of　such　propensity；　but　primarily
and　essentially　distinct　and　different。　In　the　one　instance；　the
dreamer；　or　enthusiast；　being　interested　by　an　object　usually　_not_
frivolous；　imperceptibly　loses　sight　of　this　object　in　a　wilderness
of　deductions　and　suggestions　issuing　therefrom；　until；　at　the
conclusion　of　a　day　dream　_often　replete　with　luxury_；　he　finds　the
_incitamentum_；　or　first　cause　of　his　musings；　entirely　vanished　and
forgotten。　In　my　case；　the　primary　object　was　_invariably　frivolous_；
although　assuming；　through　the　medium　of　my　distempered　vision；　a
refracted　and　unreal　importance。　Few　deductions；　if　any；　were　made；
and　those　few　pertinaciously　returning　in　upon　the　original　object　as
a　centre。　The　meditations　were　_never_　pleasurable；　and；　at　the
termination　of　the　reverie；　the　first　cause；　so　far　from　being　out　of
sight；　had　attained　that　supernaturally　exaggerated　interest　which
was　the　prevailing　feature　of　the　disease。　In　a　word；　the　powers　of
mind　more　particularly　exercised　were；　with　me；　as　I　have　said
before；　the　_attentive_；　and　are；　with　the　day…dreamer；　the
_speculative_。

　　　　My　books；　at　this　epoch；　if　they　did　not　actually　serve　to
irritate　the　disorder；　partook；　it　will　be　perceived；　largely；　in
their　imaginative　and　inconsequential　nature；　of　the　characteristic
qualities　of　the　disorder　itself。　I　well　remember；　among　others；　the
treatise　of　the　noble　Italian；　Coelius　Secundus　Curio；　〃_De
Amplitudine　Beati　Regni　Dei；_〃　St。　Austin's　great　work；　the　〃City　of
God；〃　and　Tertullian's　〃_De　Carne　Christi_；〃　in　which　the　paradoxical
sentence　〃_Mortuus　est　Dei　filius；　credible　est　quia　ineptum　est：　et
sepultus　resurrexit；　certum　est　quia　impossibile　est；_〃　occupied　my
undivided　time；　for　many　weeks　of　laborious　and　fruitless
investigation。

　　　　Thus　it　will　appear　that；　shaken　from　its　balance　only　by　trivial
things；　my　reason　bore　resemblance　to　that　ocean…crag　spoken　of　by
Ptolemy　Hephestion；　which　steadily　resisting　the　attacks　of　human
violence；　and　the　fiercer　fury　of　the　waters　and　the　winds；　trembled
only　to　the　touch　of　the　flower　called　Asphodel。　And　although；　to　a
careless　thinker；　it　might　appear　a　matter　beyond　doubt；　that　the
alteration　produced　by　her　unhappy　malady；　in　the　_moral_　condition
of　Berenice；　would　afford　me　many　objects　for　the　exercise　of　that
intense　and　abnormal　meditation　whose　nature　I　have　been　at　some
trouble　in　explaining；　yet　such　was　not　in　any　degree　the　case。　In
the　lucid　intervals　of　my　infirmity；　her　calamity；　indeed；　gave　me
pain；　and；　taking　deeply　to　heart　that　total　wreck　of　her　fair　and
gentle　life；　I　did　not　fall　to　ponder；　frequently　and　bitterly；　upon
the　wonder…working　means　by　which　so　strange　a　revolution　had　been　so
suddenly　brought　to　pass。　But　these　reflections　partook　not　of　the
idiosyncrasy　of　my　disease；　and　were　such　as　would　have　occurred；
under　similar　circumstances；　to　the　ordinary　mass　of　mankind。　True　to
its　own　character；　my　disorder　revelled　in　the　less　important　but
more　startling　changes　wrought　in　the　_physical_　frame　of　Berenice　…
in　the　singular　and　most　appalling　distortion　of　her　personal
identity。

　　　　During　the　brightest　days　of　her　unparalleled　beauty；　most　surely
I　had　never　loved　her。　In　the　strange　anomaly　of　my　existence；
feelings　with　me；　_had　never　been_　of　the　heart；　and　my　passions
_always　were_　of　the　mind。　Through　the　gray　of　the　early　morning　…
among　the　trellised　shadows　of　the　forest　at　noonday　…　and　in　the
silence　of　my　library　at　night　…　she　had　flitted　by　my　eyes；　and　I
had　seen　her　…　not　as　the　living　and　breathing　Berenice；　but　as　the
Berenice　of　a　dream；　not　as　a　being　of　the　earth；　earthy；　but　as　the
abstraction　of　such　a　being；　not　as　a　thing　to　admire；　but　to
analyze；　not　as　an　object　of　love；　but　as　the　theme　of　the　most
abstruse　although　desultory　speculation。　And　_now_　…　now　I　shuddered
in　her　presence；　and　grew　pale　at　her　approach；　yet；　bitterly
lamenting　her　fallen　and　desolate　condition；　I　called　to　mind　that
she　had　loved　me　long；　and；　in　an　evil　moment；　I　spoke　to　her　of
marriage。

　　　　And　at　length　the　period　of　our　nuptials　was　approaching；　when；
upon　an　afternoon　in　the　winter　of　the　year　…　one　of　those
unseasonably　warm；　calm；　and　misty　days　which　are　the　nurse　of　the
beautiful　Halcyon　｛*1｝；　…　I　sat；　（and　sat；　as　I　thought；　alone；）　in
the　inner　apartment　of　the　library。　But；　uplifting　my　eyes；　I　saw
that　Berenice　stood　before　me。

　　　　Was　it　my　own　excited　imagination　…　or　the　misty　influence　of　the
atmosphere　…　or　the　uncertain　twilight　of　the　chamber　…　or　the　gray
draperies　which　fell　around　her　figure　…　that　caused　in　it　so
vacillating　and　indistinct　an　outline？　I　could　not　tell。　She　spoke　no
word；　and　I　…　not　for　worlds　could　I　have　uttered　a　syllable。　An　icy
chill　ran　through　my　frame；　a　sense　of　insufferable　anxiety　oppressed
me；　a　consuming　curiosity　pervaded　my　soul；　and　sinking　back　upon　the
chair；　I　remained　for　some　time　breathless　and　motionless；　with　my
eyes　riveted　upon　her　person。　Alas！　its　emaciation　was　excessive；　and
not　one　vestige　of　the　former　being　lurked　in　any　single　line　of　the
contour。　My　burning　glances　at　length　fell　upon　the　face。

　　　　The　forehead　was　high；　and　very　pale；　and　singularly　placid；　and
the　once　jetty　hair　fell　partially　over　it；　and　overshadowed　the
hollow　temples　with　innumerable　ringlets；　now　of　a　vivid　yellow；　and
jarring　discordantly；　in　their　fantastic　character；　with　the　reigning
melancholy　of　the　countenance。　The　eyes　were　lifeless；　and
lustreless；　and　seemingly　pupilless；　and　I　shrank　involuntarily　from
their　glassy　stare　to　　he　contemplation　of　the　thin　and　shrunken
lips。　They　parted；　and　in　a　smile　of　peculiar　meaning；　_the　teeth_　of
the　changed　Berenice　disclosed　themselves　slowly　to　my　view。　Would　to
God　that　I　had　never　beheld　them；　or　that；　having　done　so；　I　had
died！

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　　　　The　shutting　of　a　door　disturbed　me；　and；　looking　up；　I　found
that　my　cousin　had　departed　from　the　chamber。　But　from　the　disordered
chamber　of　my　brain；　had　not；　alas！　departed；　and　would　not　be　driven
away；　the　white　and　ghastly　_spectrum_　of　the　teeth。　Not　a　speck　on
their　surface　…　not　a　shade　on　their　enamel　…　not　an　indenture　in
their　edges　…　but　what　that　period　of　her　smile　had　sufficed　to　brand
in　upon　my　memory。　I　saw　them　_now_　even　more　unequivocally　than　I
beheld　them　_then_。　The　teeth！　…　the　teeth！　…　they　were　here；　and
there；　and　everywhere；　and　visibly　and　palpably　before　me；　long；
narrow；　and　excessively　white；　with　the　pale　lips　writhing　about
them；　as　in　the　very　moment　of　their　first　terrible　development。　Then
came　the　full　fury　of　my　_monomania_；　and　I　struggled　in　vain　against
its　strange　and　irresistible　influence。　In　the　multiplied　objects　of
the　external　world　I　had　no　thoughts　but　for　the　teeth。　For　these　I
longed　with　a　phrenzied　desire。　All　other　matters　and　all　different
interests　became　absorbed　in　their　single　contemplation。　They　…　they
alone　were　present　to　the　mental　eye；　and　they；　in　their　sole
individuality；　became　the　essence　of　my　mental　life。　I　held　them　in
every　light。　I　turned　them　in　every　attitude。　I　surveyed　their
characteristics。　I　dwelt　upon　their　peculiarities。　I　pondered　upon
their　conformation。　I　mused　upon　the　alteration　in　their　nature。　I
shuddered　as　I　assigned　to　them　in　imagination　a　sensitive　and
sentient　power；　and　even　when　unassisted　by　the　lips；　a　capability　of
moral　expression。　Of　Mademoiselle　Salle　it　has　been　well　said；　〃_Que
tous　ses　pas　etaient　des　sentiments_；〃　and　of　Berenice　I　more
seriously　believed　_que　toutes　ses　dents　etaient　des　idees_。　_Des
idees！_　…　ah　h