seraphita-第7部分

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things　into　sentimentbefore　the　exquisite　well…known　lines　of

Polyhymnia's　veil。　Then　she　stretched　forth　her　hand。　Wilfrid　rose。

When　he　looked　at　Seraphita　she　was　lying　on　the　bear's…skin；　her　head

resting　on　her　hand；　her　face　calm；　her　eyes　brilliant。　Wilfrid　gazed

at　her　silently；　but　his　face　betrayed　a　deferential　fear　in　its

almost　timid　expression。



〃Yes；　dear；〃　he　said　at　last；　as　though　he　were　answering　some

question；　〃we　are　separated　by　worlds。　I　resign　myself；　I　can　only

adore　you。　But　what　will　become　of　me；　poor　and　alone！〃



〃Wilfrid；　you　have　Minna。〃



He　shook　his　head。



〃Do　not　be　so　disdainful；　woman　understands　all　things　through　love；

what　she　does　not　understand　she　feels；　what　she　does　not　feel　she

sees；　when　she　neither　sees；　nor　feels；　nor　understands；　this　angel　of

earth　divines　to　protect　you；　and　hides　her　protection　beneath　the

grace　of　love。〃



〃Seraphita；　am　I　worthy　to　belong　to　a　woman？〃



〃Ah；　now；〃　she　said；　smiling；　〃you　are　suddenly　very　modest；　is　it　a

snare？　A　woman　is　always　so　touched　to　see　her　weakness　glorified。

Well；　come　and　take　tea　with　me　the　day　after　to…morrow　evening；　good

Monsieur　Becker　will　be　here；　and　Minna；　the　purest　and　most　artless

creature　I　have　known　on　earth。　Leave　me　now；　my　friend；　I　need　to

make　long　prayers　and　expiate　my　sins。〃



〃You；　can　you　commit　sin？〃



〃Poor　friend！　if　we　abuse　our　power；　is　not　that　the　sin　of　pride？　I

have　been　very　proud　to…day。　Now　leave　me；　till　to…morrow。〃



〃Till　to…morrow；〃　said　Wilfrid　faintly；　casting　a　long　glance　at　the

being　of　whom　he　desired　to　carry　with　him　an　ineffaceable　memory。



Though　he　wished　to　go　far　away；　he　was　held；　as　it　were；　outside　the

house　for　some　moments；　watching　the　light　which　shone　from　all　the

windows　of　the　Swedish　dwelling。



〃What　is　the　matter　with　me？〃　he　asked　himself。　〃No；　she　is　not　a　mere

creature；　but　a　whole　creation。　Of　her　world；　even　through　veils　and

clouds；　I　have　caught　echoes　like　the　memory　of　sufferings　healed；

like　the　dazzling　vertigo　of　dreams　in　which　we　hear　the　plaints　of

generations　mingling　with　the　harmonies　of　some　higher　sphere　where

all　is　Light　and　all　is　Love。　Am　I　awake？　Do　I　still　sleep？　Are　these

the　eyes　before　which　the　luminous　space　retreated　further　and　further

indefinitely　while　the　eyes　followed　it？　The　night　is　cold；　yet　my

head　is　on　fire。　I　will　go　to　the　parsonage。　With　the　pastor　and　his

daughter　I　shall　recover　the　balance　of　my　mind。〃



But　still　he　did　not　leave　the　spot　whence　his　eyes　could　plunge　into

Seraphita's　salon。　The　mysterious　creature　seemed　to　him　the　radiating

centre　of　a　luminous　circle　which　formed　an　atmosphere　about　her　wider

than　that　of　other　beings；　whoever　entered　it　felt　the　compelling

influence　of；　as　it　were；　a　vortex　of　dazzling　light　and　all　consuming

thoughts。　Forced　to　struggle　against　this　inexplicable　power；　Wilfrid

only　prevailed　after　strong　efforts；　but　when　he　reached　and　passed

the　inclosing　wall　of　the　courtyard；　he　regained　his　freedom　of　will；

walked　rapidly　towards　the　parsonage；　and　was　soon　beneath　the　high

wooden　arch　which　formed　a　sort　of　peristyle　to　Monsieur　Becker's

dwelling。　He　opened　the　first　door；　against　which　the　wind　had　driven

the　snow；　and　knocked　on　the　inner　one；　saying：



〃Will　you　let　me　spend　the　evening　with　you；　Monsieur　Becker？〃



〃Yes；〃　cried　two　voices；　mingling　their　intonations。



Entering　the　parlor；　Wilfrid　returned　by　degrees　to　real　life。　He

bowed　affectionately　to　Minna；　shook　hands　with　Monsieur　Becker；　and

looked　about　at　the　picture　of　a　home　which　calmed　the　convulsions　of

his　physical　nature；　in　which　a　phenomenon　was　taking　place　analogous

to　that　which　sometimes　seizes　upon　men　who　have　given　themselves　up

to　protracted　contemplations。　If　some　strong　thought　bears　upward　on

phantasmal　wing　a　man　of　learning　or　a　poet；　isolates　him　from　the

external　circumstances　which　environ　him　here　below；　and　leads　him

forward　through　illimitable　regions　where　vast　arrays　of　facts　become

abstractions；　where　the　greatest　works　of　Nature　are　but　images；　then

woe　betide　him　if　a　sudden　noise　strikes　sharply　on　his　senses　and

calls　his　errant　soul　back　to　its　prison…house　of　flesh　and　bones。　The

shock　of　the　reunion　of　these　two　powers；　body　and　mind；one　of　which

partakes　of　the　unseen　qualities　of　a　thunderbolt；　while　the　other

shares　with　sentient　nature　that　soft　resistant　force　which　deifies

destruction；this　shock；　this　struggle；　or；　rather　let　us　say；　this

painful　meeting　and　co…mingling；　gives　rise　to　frightful　sufferings。

The　body　receives　back　the　flame　that　consumes　it；　the　flame　has　once

more　grasped　its　prey。　This　fusion；　however；　does　not　take　place

without　convulsions；　explosions；　tortures；　analogous　and　visible　signs

of　which　may　be　seen　in　chemistry；　when　two　antagonistic　substances

which　science　has　united　separate。



For　the　last　few　days　whenever　Wilfrid　entered　Seraphita's　presence

his　body　seemed　to　fall　away　from　him　into　nothingness。　With　a　single

glance　this　strange　being　led　him　in　spirit　through　the　spheres　where

meditation　leads　the　learned　man；　prayer　the　pious　heart；　where　vision

transports　the　artist；　and　sleep　the　souls　of　men；each　and　all　have

their　own　path　to　the　Height；　their　own　guide　to　reach　it；　their　own

individual　sufferings　in　the　dire　return。　In　that　sphere　alone　all

veils　are　rent　away；　and　the　revelation；　the　awful　flaming　certainty

of　an　unknown　world；　of　which　the　soul　brings　back　mere　fragments　to

this　lower　sphere；　stands　revealed。　To　Wilfrid　one　hour　passed　with

Seraphita　was　like　the　sought…for　dreams　of　Theriakis；　in　which　each

knot　of　nerves　becomes　the　centre　of　a　radiating　delight。　But　he　left

her　bruised　and　wearied　as　some　young　girl　endeavoring　to　keep　step

with　a　giant。



The　cold　air；　with　its　stinging　flagellations；　had　begun　to　still　the

nervous　tremors　which　followed　the　reunion　of　his　two　natures；　so

powerfully　disunited　for　a　time；　he　was　drawn　towards　the　parsonage；

then　towards　Minna；　by　the　sight　of　the　every…day　home　life　for　which

he　thirsted　as　the　wandering　European　thirsts　for　his　native　land　when

nostalgia　seizes　him　amid　the　fairy　scenes　of　Orient　that　have　seduced

his　senses。　More　weary　than　he　had　ever　yet　been；　Wilfrid　dropped　into

a　chair　and　looked　about　him　for　a　time；　like　a　man　who　awakens　from

sleep。　Monsieur　Becker　and　his　daughter　accustomed；　perhaps；　to　the

apparent　eccentricity　of　their　guest；　continued　the　employments　in

which　they　were　engaged。



The　parlor　was　ornamented　with　a　collection　of　the　shells　and　insects

of　Norway。　These　curiosities；　admirably　arranged　on　a　background　of

the　yellow　pine　which　panelled　the　room；　formed；　as　it　were；　a　rich

tapestry　to　which　the　fumes　of　tobacco　had　imparted　a　mellow　tone。　At

the　further　end　of　the　room；　opposite　to　the　door；　was　an　immense

wrought…iron　stove；　carefully　polished　by　the　serving…woman　till　it

shone　like　burnished　steel。　Seated　in　a　large　tapestried　armchair　near

the　stove；　before　a　table；　with　his　feet　in　a　species　of　muff；

Monsieur　Becker　was　reading　a　folio　volume　which　was　propped　against　a

pile　of　other　books　as　on　a　desk。　At　his　left　stood　a　jug　of　beer　and

a　glass；　at　his　right　burned　a　smoky　lamp　fed　by　some　species　of　fish…

oil。　The　pastor　seemed　about　sixty　years　of　age。　His　face　belonged　to

a　type　often　painted　by　Rembrandt；　the　same　small　bright　eyes；　set　in

wrinkles　and　surmounted　by　thick　gray　eyebrows；　the　same　white　hair

escaping　in　snowy　flakes　from　a　black　velvet　cap；　the　same　broad；　bald

brow；　and　a　contour　of　face　which　the　ample　chin　made　almost　square；

and　lastly；　the　same　calm　tranquillity；　which；　to　an　observer；　denoted

the　possession　of　some　inward　power；　be　it　the　supremacy　bestowed　by

money；　or　the　magisterial　influence　of　the　burgomaster；　or　the

consciousness　of　art；　or　the　cubic　force　of　blissful　ignorance。　This

fine　old　man；　whose　stout　body　proclaimed　his　vigorous　health；　was

wrapped　in　a　dressing…gown　of　rough　gray　cloth　plainly　bound。　Between

his　lips　was　a　meerschaum　pipe；　from　which；　at　regular　intervals；　he

blew　the　smoke；　following　with　abstracted　vision　its　fantastic

wreathings；his　mind　employed；　no　doubt；　in　assimilating　through　some

meditative　process　the　thoughts　of　the　author　whose　works　he　was

studying。



On　the　other　side　of　the　stove　and　near　a　door　which　communicated　with

the　kitchen　Minna　was　indistinctly　visible　in　the　haze　of　the　good

man's　smoke；　to　which　she　was　apparently　accustomed。　Beside　her　on　a

little　table　were　the　implements　of　household　work；　a　pile　of　napkins；

and　another　of　socks　waiting　to　be　mended；　also　a　lamp　like　that　which

shone　on　the　white　page　of　the　book　in　which　the　pastor　was　absorbed。

Her　fresh　young　face；　with　its　delicate　outline；　expressed　an　infinite

purity　which　harmonized　with　the　candor　of　the　white　brow　and　the

clear　blue　eyes。　She　sat　erect；　turning　slightly　toward　the　lamp　for

better　light；　unconsciously　showing　as　she　did　so　the　beauty　of　her

waist　and　bust。　She　was　already　dressed　for　the　night　in　a　long　robe

of　white　cotton；　a　cambric　cap；　without　other　ornament　than　a　frill　of

the　same；　confined　her　hair。　Though　evidently　plunged　in　some　inward

meditation；　she　counted　without　a　mistake　the　threads　of　her　napkins

or　the　meshes　of　her　socks。　Sitting　thus；　she　presented　the　most

complete　image；　the　truest　type；　of　the　woman　destined　for　terrestrial

labor；　whose　glance　may　piece　the　clouds　of　the　sanctuary　while　her

thought；　humble　and　charitable；　keeps　her　ever　on　the　level　of　man。



Wilfrid　had　flung　himself　into　a　chair　between　the　two　tables　and　was

contemplating　with　a　species　of　intoxication　this　picture　full　of

harmony；　to　which　the　clouds　of　smoke　did　no　despite。　The　single

window　which　lighted　the　parlor　during　the　fine　weather　was　now

carefully　closed。　An　old　tapestry；　us