seraphita- 第6部分

save　those　that　amuse　you。　Come；　what　shall　I　do　for　you；　friend？

Shall　I　sing；　shall　I　dance；　though　weariness　deprives　me　of　the　use

of　voice　and　limbs？Ah！　gentlemen；　be　we　on　our　deathbeds；　we　yet

must　smile　to　please　you；　you　call　that；　methinks；　your　right。　Poor

women！　I　pity　them。　Tell　me；　you　who　abandon　them　when　they　grow　old；

is　it　because　they　have　neither　hearts　nor　souls？　Wilfrid；　I　am　a

hundred　years　old；　leave　me！　leave　me！　go　to　Minna！〃



〃Oh；　my　eternal　love！〃



〃Do　you　know　the　meaning　of　eternity？　Be　silent；　Wilfrid。　You　desire

me；　but　you　do　not　love　me。　Tell　me；　do　I　not　seem　to　you　like　those

coquettish　Parisian　women？〃



〃Certainly　I　no　longer　find　you　the　pure　celestial　maiden　I　first　saw

in　the　church　of　Jarvis。〃



At　these　words　Seraphita　passed　her　hands　across　her　brow；　and　when

she　removed　them　Wilfrid　was　amazed　at　the　saintly　expression　that

overspread　her　face。



〃You　are　right；　my　friend；〃　she　said；　〃I　do　wrong　whenever　I　set　my

feet　upon　your　earth。〃



〃Oh；　Seraphita；　be　my　star！　stay　where　you　can　ever　bless　me　with　that

clear　light！〃



As　he　spoke；　he　stretched　forth　his　hand　to　take　that　of　the　young

girl；　but　she　withdrew　it；　neither　disdainfully　nor　in　anger。　Wilfrid

rose　abruptly　and　walked　to　the　window　that　she　might　not　see　the

tears　that　rose　to　his　eyes。



〃Why　do　you　weep？〃　she　said。　〃You　are　not　a　child；　Wilfrid。　Come　back

to　me。　I　wish　it。　You　are　annoyed　if　I　show　just　displeasure。　You　see

that　I　am　fatigued　and　ill；　yet　you　force　me　to　think　and　speak；　and

listen　to　persuasions　and　ideas　that　weary　me。　If　you　had　any　real

perception　of　my　nature；　you　would　have　made　some　music；　you　would

have　lulled　my　feelingsbut　no；　you　love　me　for　yourself　and　not　for

myself。〃



The　storm　which　convulsed　the　young　man's　heart　calmed　down　at　these

words。　He　slowly　approached　her；　letting　his　eyes　take　in　the

seductive　creature　who　lay　exhausted　before　him；　her　head　resting　in

her　hand　and　her　elbow　on　the　couch。



〃You　think　that　I　do　not　love　you；〃　she　resumed。　〃You　are　mistaken。

Listen　to　me；　Wilfrid。　You　are　beginning　to　know　much；　you　have

suffered　much。　Let　me　explain　your　thoughts　to　you。　You　wished　to　take

my　hand　just　now〃；　she　rose　to　a　sitting　posture；　and　her　graceful

motions　seemed　to　emit　light。　〃When　a　young　girl　allows　her　hand　to　be

taken　it　is　as　though　she　made　a　promise；　is　it　not？　and　ought　she　not

to　fulfil　it？　You　well　know　that　I　cannot　be　yours。　Two　sentiments

divide　and　inspire　the　love　of　all　the　women　of　the　earth。　Either　they

devote　themselves　to　suffering；　degraded；　and　criminal　beings　whom

they　desire　to　console；　uplift；　redeem；　or　they　give　themselves　to

superior　men；　sublime　and　strong；　whom　they　adore　and　seek　to

comprehend；　and　by　whom　they　are　often　annihilated。　You　have　been

degraded；　though　now　you　are　purified　by　the　fires　of　repentance；　and

to…day　you　are　once　more　noble；　but　I　know　myself　too　feeble　to　be

your　equal；　and　too　religious　to　bow　before　any　power　but　that　On

High。　I　may　refer　thus　to　your　life；　my　friend；　for　we　are　in　the

North；　among　the　clouds；　where　all　things　are　abstractions。〃



〃You　stab　me；　Seraphita；　when　you　speak　like　this。　It　wounds　me　to

hear　you　apply　the　dreadful　knowledge　with　which　you　strip　from　all

things　human　the　properties　that　time　and　space　and　form　have　given

them；　and　consider　them　mathematically　in　the　abstract；　as　geometry

treats　substances　from　which　it　extracts　solidity。〃



〃Well；　I　will　respect　your　wishes；　Wilfrid。　Let　the　subject　drop。　Tell

me　what　you　think　of　this　bearskin　rug　which　my　poor　David　has　spread

out。〃



〃It　is　very　handsome。〃



〃Did　you　ever　see　me　wear　this　'doucha　greka'？〃



She　pointed　to　a　pelisse　made　of　cashmere　and　lined　with　the　skin　of

the　black　fox；the　name　she　gave　it　signifying　〃warm　to　the　soul。〃



〃Do　you　believe　that　any　sovereign　has　a　fur　that　can　equal　it？〃　she

asked。



〃It　is　worthy　of　her　who　wears　it。〃



〃And　whom　you　think　beautiful？〃



〃Human　words　do　not　apply　to　her。　Heart　to　heart　is　the　only　language

I　can　use。〃



〃Wilfrid；　you　are　kind　to　soothe　my　griefs　with　such　sweet　words

which　you　have　said　to　others。〃



〃Farewell！〃



〃Stay。　I　love　both　you　and　Minna；　believe　me。　To　me　you　two　are　as　one

being。　United　thus　you　can　be　my　brother　or；　if　you　will；　my　sister。

Marry　her；　let　me　see　you　both　happy　before　I　leave　this　world　of

trial　and　of　pain。　My　God！　the　simplest　of　women　obtain　what　they　ask

of　a　lover；　they　whisper　'Hush！'　and　he　is　silent；　'Die'　and　he　dies；

'Love　me　afar'　and　he　stays　at　a　distance；　like　courtiers　before　a

king！　All　I　desire　is　to　see　you　happy；　and　you　refuse　me！　Am　I　then

powerless？Wilfrid；　listen；　come　nearer　to　me。　Yes；　I　should　grieve

to　see　you　marry　Minna　butwhen　I　am　here　no　longer；　thenpromise　me

to　marry　her；　heaven　destined　you　for　each　other。〃



〃I　listen　to　you　with　fascination；　Seraphita。　Your　words　are

incomprehensible；　but　they　charm　me。　What　is　it　you　mean　to　say？〃



〃You　are　right；　I　forget　to　be　foolish；to　be　the　poor　creature　whose

weaknesses　gratify　you。　I　torment　you；　Wilfrid。　You　came　to　these

Northern　lands　for　rest；　you；　worn…out　by　the　impetuous　struggle　of

genius　unrecognized；　you；　weary　with　the　patient　toils　of　science；

you；　who　well…nigh　dyed　your　hands　in　crime　and　wore　the　fetters　of

human　justice〃



Wilfrid　dropped　speechless　on　the　carpet。　Seraphita　breathed　softly　on

his　forehead；　and　in　a　moment　he　fell　asleep　at　her　feet。



〃Sleep！　rest！〃　she　said；　rising。



She　passed　her　hands　over　Wilfrid's　brow；　then　the　following　sentences

escaped　her　lips；　one　by　one；all　different　in　tone　and　accent；　but

all　melodious；　full　of　a　Goodness　that　seemed　to　emanate　from　her　head

in　vaporous　waves；　like　the　gleams　the　goddess　chastely　lays　upon

Endymion　sleeping。



〃I　cannot　show　myself　such　as　I　am　to　thee；　dear　Wilfrid；to　thee　who

art　strong。



〃The　hour　is　come；　the　hour　when　the　effulgent　lights　of　the　future

cast　their　reflections　backward　on　the　soul；　the　hour　when　the　soul

awakes　into　freedom。



〃Now　am　I　permitted　to　tell　thee　how　I　love　thee。　Dost　thou　not　see

the　nature　of　my　love；　a　love　without　self…interest；　a　sentiment　full

of　thee；　thee　only；　a　love　which　follows　thee　into　the　future　to　light

that　future　for　theefor　it　is　the　one　True　Light。　Canst　thou　now

conceive　with　what　ardor　I　would　have　thee　leave　this　life　which

weighs　thee　down；　and　behold　thee　nearer　than　thou　art　to　that　world

where　Love　is　never…failing？　Can　it　be　aught　but　suffering　to　love　for

one　life　only？　Hast　thou　not　felt　a　thirst　for　the　eternal　love？　Dost

thou　not　feel　the　bliss　to　which　a　creature　rises　when；　with　twin…

soul；　it　loves　the　Being　who　betrays　not　love；　Him　before　whom　we

kneel　in　adoration？



〃Would　I　had　wings　to　cover　thee；　Wilfrid；　power　to　give　thee　strength

to　enter　now　into　that　world　where　all　the　purest　joys　of　purest

earthly　attachments　are　but　shadows　in　the　Light　that　shines；

unceasing；　to　illumine　and　rejoice　all　hearts。



〃Forgive　a　friendly　soul　for　showing　thee　the　picture　of　thy　sins；　in

the　charitable　hope　of　soothing　the　sharp　pangs　of　thy　remorse。　Listen

to　the　pardoning　choir；　refresh　thy　soul　in　the　dawn　now　rising　for

thee　beyond　the　night　of　death。　Yes；　thy　life；　thy　true　life　is　there！



〃May　my　words　now　reach　thee　clothed　in　the　glorious　forms　of　dreams；

may　they　deck　themselves　with　images　glowing　and　radiant　as　they　hover

round　you。　Rise；　rise；　to　the　height　where　men　can　see　themselves

distinctly；　pressed　together　though　they　be　like　grains　of　sand　upon　a

sea…shore。　Humanity　rolls　out　like　a　many…colored　ribbon。　See　the

diverse　shades　of　that　flower　of　the　celestial　gardens。　Behold　the

beings　who　lack　intelligence；　those　who　begin　to　receive　it；　those　who

have　passed　through　trials；　those　who　love；　those　who　follow　wisdom

and　aspire　to　the　regions　of　Light！



〃Canst　thou　comprehend；　through　this　thought　made　visible；　the　destiny

of　humanity？whence　it　came；　whither　to　goeth？　Continue　steadfast　in

the　Path。　Reaching　the　end　of　thy　journey　thou　shalt　hear　the　clarions

of　omnipotence　sounding　the　cries　of　victory　in　chords　of　which　a

single　one　would　shake　the　earth；　but　which　are　lost　in　the　spaces　of

a　world　that　hath　neither　east　nor　west。



〃Canst　thou　comprehend；　my　poor　beloved　Tried…one；　that　unless　the

torpor　and　the　veils　of　sleep　had　wrapped　thee；　such　sights　would　rend

and　bear　away　thy　mind　as　the　whirlwinds　rend　and　carry　into　space　the

feeble　sails；　depriving　thee　forever　of　thy　reason？　Dost　thou

understand　that　the　Soul　itself；　raised　to　its　utmost　power　can

scarcely　endure　in　dreams　the　burning　communications　of　the　Spirit？



〃Speed　thy　way　through　the　luminous　spheres；　behold；　admire；　hasten！

Flying　thus　thou　canst　pause　or　advance　without　weariness。　Like　other

men；　thou　wouldst　fain　be　plunged　forever　in　these　spheres　of　light

and　perfume　where　now　thou　art；　free　of　thy　swooning　body；　and　where

thy　thought　alone　has　utterance。　Fly！　enjoy　for　a　fleeting　moment　the

wings　thou　shalt　surely　win　when　Love　has　grown　so　perfect　in　thee

that　thou　hast　no　senses　left；　when　thy　whole　being　is　all　mind；　all

love。　The　higher　thy　flight　the　less　canst　thou　see　the　abysses。　There

are　none　in　heaven。　Look　at　the　friend　who　speaks　to　thee；　she　who

holds　thee　above　this　earth　in　which　are　all　abysses。　Look；　behold；

contemplate　me　yet　a　moment　longer；　for　never　again　wilt　thou　see　me；

save　imperfectly　as　the　pale　twilight　of　this　world　may　show　me　to

thee。〃



Seraphita　stood　erect；　her　head　with　floating　hair　inclining　gently

forward；　in　that　aerial　attitude　which　great　painters　give　to

messengers　from　heaven；　the　folds　of　her　raiment　fell　with　the　same

unspeakable　grace　which　holds　an　artistthe　man　who　translates　all

things　into　sentimentbefore　the　exquisite　well…know