zanoni-第15章

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gentleman；　thus　disarmed　by　a　look　from　Zanoni；　turned　his　whole

anger　upon　me；　THE　　but　perhaps　you　do　not　know；　gentlemen；

that　I　have　some　repute　with　my　weapon？〃



〃The　best　swordsman　in　Italy；〃　said　Belgioso。



〃Before　I　could　guess　why　or　wherefore；〃　resumed　Cetoxa；　〃I　found

myself　in　the　garden　behind　the　house；　with　Ughelli　（that　was　the

Sicilian's　name）　facing　me；　and　five　or　six　gentlemen；　the

witnesses　of　the　duel　about　to　take　place；　around。　　Zanoni

beckoned　me　aside。　　'This　man　will　fall；'　said　he。　　'When　he　is

on　the　ground；　go　to　him；　and　ask　whether　he　will　be　buried　by

the　side　of　his　father　in　the　church　of　San　Gennaro？'　　'Do　you

then　know　his　family？'　I　asked　with　great　surprise。　　Zanoni　made

me　no　answer；　and　the　next　moment　I　was　engaged　with　the

Sicilian。　　To　do　him　justice；　his　imbrogliato　was　magnificent；

and　a　swifter　lounger　never　crossed　a　sword；　nevertheless；〃　added

Cetoxa；　with　a　pleasing　modesty；　〃he　was　run　through　the　body。　　I

went　up　to　him；　he　could　scarcely　speak。　　'Have　you　any　request

to　make；any　affairs　to　settle？'　　He　shook　his　head。　　'Where

would　you　wish　to　be　interred？'　　He　pointed　towards　the　Sicilian

coast。　　'What！'　said　I；　in　surprise；　'NOT　by　the　side　of　your

father；　in　the　church　of　San　Gennaro？'　　As　I　spoke；　his　face

altered　terribly；　he　uttered　a　piercing　shriek；the　blood　gushed

from　his　mouth；　and　he　fell　dead。　　The　most　strange　part　of　the

story　is　to　come。　　We　buried　him　in　the　church　of　San　Gennaro。

In　doing　so；　we　took　up　his　father's　coffin；　the　lid　came　off　in

moving　it；　and　the　skeleton　was　visible。　　In　the　hollow　of　the

skull　we　found　a　very　slender　wire　of　sharp　steel；　this　caused

surprise　and　inquiry。　　The　father；　who　was　rich　and　a　miser；　had

died　suddenly；　and　been　buried　in　haste；　owing；　it　was　said；　to

the　heat　of　the　weather。　　Suspicion　once　awakened；　the

examination　became　minute。　　The　old　man's　servant　was　questioned；

and　at　last　confessed　that　the　son　had　murdered　the　sire。　　The

contrivance　was　ingenious：　　the　wire　was　so　slender　that　it

pierced　to　the　brain；　and　drew　but　one　drop　of　blood；　which　the

grey　hairs　concealed。　　The　accomplice　will　be　executed。〃



〃And　Zanoni；did　he　give　evidence；　did　he　account　for〃



〃No；〃　interrupted　the　count：　　〃he　declared　that　he　had　by

accident　visited　the　church　that　morning；　that　he　had　observed

the　tombstone　of　the　Count　Ughelli；　that　his　guide　had　told　him

the　count's　son　was　in　Naples；a　spendthrift　and　a　gambler。

While　we　were　at　play；　he　had　heard　the　count　mentioned　by　name

at　the　table；　and　when　the　challenge　was　given　and　accepted；　it

had　occurred　to　him　to　name　the　place　of　burial；　by　an　instinct

which　he　either　could　not　or　would　not　account　for。〃



〃A　very　lame　story；〃　said　Mervale。



〃Yes！　but　we　Italians　are　superstitious；the　alleged　instinct

was　regarded　by　many　as　the　whisper　of　Providence。　　The　next　day

the　stranger　became　an　object　of　universal　interest　and

curiosity。　　His　wealth；　his　manner　of　living；　his　extraordinary

personal　beauty；　have　assisted　also　to　make　him　the　rage；

besides；　I　have　had　the　pleasure　in　introducing　so　eminent　a

person　to　our　gayest　cavaliers　and　our　fairest　ladies。〃



〃A　most　interesting　narrative；〃　said　Mervale；　rising。　　〃Come；

Glyndon；　shall　we　seek　our　hotel？　　It　is　almost　daylight。　　Adieu；

signor！〃



〃What　think　you　of　this　story？〃　said　Glyndon；　as　the　young　men

walked　homeward。



〃Why；　it　is　very　clear　that　this　Zanoni　is　some　imposter；some

clever　rogue；　and　the　Neapolitan　shares　the　booty；　and　puffs　him

off　with　all　the　hackneyed　charlatanism　of　the　marvellous。　　An

unknown　adventurer　gets　into　society　by　being　made　an　object　of

awe　and　curiosity；　he　is　more　than　ordinarily　handsome；　and　the

women　are　quite　content　to　receive　him　without　any　other

recommendation　than　his　own　face　and　Cetoxa's　fables。〃



〃I　cannot　agree　with　you。　　Cetoxa；　though　a　gambler　and　a　rake；

is　a　nobleman　of　birth　and　high　repute　for　courage　and　honour。

Besides；　this　stranger；　with　his　noble　presence　and　lofty　air；

so　calm；　so　unobtrusive；has　nothing　in　common　with　the　forward

garrulity　of　an　imposter。〃



〃My　dear　Glyndon；　pardon　me；　but　you　have　not　yet　acquired　any

knowledge　of　the　world！　　The　stranger　makes　the　best　of　a　fine

person；　and　his　grand　air　is　but　a　trick　of　the　trade。　　But　to

change　the　subject；how　advances　the　love　affair？〃



〃Oh；　Viola　could　not　see　me　to…day。〃



〃You　must　not　marry　her。　　What　would　they　all　say　at　home？〃



〃Let　us　enjoy　the　present；〃　said　Glyndon；　with　vivacity；　〃we　are

young；　rich；　good…looking；　let　us　not　think　of　to…morrow。〃



〃Bravo；　Glyndon！　　Here　we　are　at　the　hotel。　　Sleep　sound；　and

don't　dream　of　Signor　Zanoni。〃





CHAPTER　2。II。



Prende；　giovine　audace　e　impaziente；

L'occasione　offerta　avidamente。

〃Ger。　Lib。；〃　c。　vi。　xxix。



（Take；　youth；　bold　and　impatient；　the　offered　occasion　eagerly。）



Clarence　Glyndon　was　a　young　man　of　fortune；　not　large；　but　easy

and　independent。　　His　parents　were　dead；　and　his　nearest　relation

was　an　only　sister；　left　in　England　under　the　care　of　her　aunt；

and　many　years　younger　than　himself。　　Early　in　life　he　had

evinced　considerable　promise　in　the　art　of　painting；　and　rather

from　enthusiasm　than　any　pecuniary　necessity　for　a　profession；　he

determined　to　devote　himself　to　a　career　in　which　the　English

artist　generally　commences　with　rapture　and　historical

composition；　to　conclude　with　avaricious　calculation　and

portraits　of　Alderman　Simpkins。　　Glyndon　was　supposed　by　his

friends　to　possess　no　inconsiderable　genius；　but　it　was　of　a　rash

and　presumptuous　order。　　He　was　averse　from　continuous　and　steady

labour；　and　his　ambition　rather　sought　to　gather　the　fruit　than

to　plant　the　tree。　　In　common　with　many　artists　in　their　youth；

he　was　fond　of　pleasure　and　excitement；　yielding　with　little

forethought　to　whatever　impressed　his　fancy　or　appealed　to　his

passions。　　He　had　travelled　through　the　more　celebrated　cities　of

Europe；　with　the　avowed　purpose　and　sincere　resolution　of

studying　the　divine　masterpieces　of　his　art。　　But　in　each；

pleasure　had　too　often　allured　him　from　ambition；　and　living

beauty　distracted　his　worship　from　the　senseless　canvas。　　Brave；

adventurous；　vain；　restless；　inquisitive；　he　was　ever　involved　in

wild　projects　and　pleasant　dangers；the　creature　of　impulse　and

the　slave　of　imagination。



It　was　then　the　period　when　a　feverish　spirit　of　change　was

working　its　way　to　that　hideous　mockery　of　human　aspirations；　the

Revolution　of　France；　and　from　the　chaos　into　which　were　already

jarring　the　sanctities　of　the　World's　Venerable　Belief；　arose

many　shapeless　and　unformed　chimeras。　　Need　I　remind　the　reader

that；　while　that　was　the　day　for　polished　scepticism　and　affected

wisdom；　it　was　the　day　also　for　the　most　egregious　credulity　and

the　most　mystical　superstitions；the　day　in　which　magnetism　and

magic　found　converts　amongst　the　disciples　of　Diderot；　when

prophecies　were　current　in　every　mouth；　when　the　salon　of　a

philosophical　deist　was　converted　into　an　Heraclea；　in　which

necromancy　professed　to　conjure　up　the　shadows　of　the　dead；　when

the　Crosier　and　the　Book　were　ridiculed；　and　Mesmer　and

Cagliostro　were　believed。　　In　that　Heliacal　Rising；　heralding　the

new　sun　before　which　all　vapours　were　to　vanish；　stalked　from

their　graves　in　the　feudal　ages　all　the　phantoms　that　had　flitted

before　the　eyes　of　Paracelsus　and　Agrippa。　　Dazzled　by　the　dawn

of　the　Revolution；　Glyndon　was　yet　more　attracted　by　its　strange

accompaniments；　and　natural　it　was　with　him；　as　with　others；　that

the　fancy　which　ran　riot　amidst　the　hopes　of　a　social　Utopia；

should　grasp　with　avidity　all　that　promised；　out　of　the　dusty

tracks　of　the　beaten　science；　the　bold　discoveries　of　some

marvellous　Elysium。



In　his　travels　he　had　listened　with　vivid　interest；　at　least；　if

not　with　implicit　belief；　to　the　wonders　told　of　each　more

renowned　Ghost…seer；　and　his　mind　was　therefore　prepared　for　the

impression　which　the　mysterious　Zanoni　at　first　sight　had

produced　upon　it。



There　might　be　another　cause　for　this　disposition　to　credulity。

A　remote　ancestor　of　Glyndon's　on　the　mother's　side；　had　achieved

no　inconsiderable　reputation　as　a　philosopher　and　alchemist。

Strange　stories　were　afloat　concerning　this　wise　progenitor。　　He

was　said　to　have　lived　to　an　age　far　exceeding　the　allotted

boundaries　of　mortal　existence；　and　to　have　preserved　to　the　last

the　appearance　of　middle　life。　　He　had　died　at　length；　it　was

supposed；　of　grief　for　the　sudden　death　of　a　great…grandchild；

the　only　creature　he　had　ever　appeared　to　love。　　The　works　of

this　philosopher；　though　rare；　were　extant；　and　found　in　the

library　of　Glyndon's　home。　　Their　Platonic　mysticism；　their　bold

assertions；　the　high　promises　that　might　be　detected　through

their　figurative　and　typical　phraseology；　had　early　made　a　deep

impression　on　the　young　imagination　of　Clarence　Glyndon。　　His

parents；　not　alive　to　the　consequences　of　encouraging　fancies

which　the　very　enlightenment　of　the　age　appeared　to　them

sufficient　to　prevent　or　dispel；　were　fond；　in　the　long　winter

nights；　of　conversing　on　the　traditional　history　of　this

distinguished　progenitor。　　And　Clarence　thrilled　with　a　fearful

pleasure　when　his　mother　playfully　detected　a　striking　likeness

between　the　features　of　the　young　heir　and　the　faded　portrait　of

the　alchemist　that　overhung　their　mantelpiece；　and　was　the　boast

of　their　household　and　the　admiration　of　their　friends；the

child　is；　indeed；　more　often　than　we　think　for；　〃the　father　of

the　man。〃



I　have　said　that　Glyndon　was　fond　of　pleasure。　　Facile；　as　genius

ever　must　be；　to　cheerful　impression；　his　careless　artist…life；

ere　artist…life　settles　down　to　labour；　had　wandered　from　flower

to　flower。　　He　had　enjoyed；　almost　to　the　reaction　of　satiety；

the　gay　revelries　of　Naples；　when　he　fell　in　love　with　the　face

and　voice　of　Viola　Pisani。　　But　his　love；　like　his　ambition；　was

vague　and　desultory。　　It　did　not　satisfy　his　whole　heart　and　fill

up　his　whole　nature；　not　from　want　of　strong　and　noble　passions；

but　because　his　mind　was　not　yet　matured　and　settled　enough　for

their　development。　　As　there　is　one　season　for　the　blossom；

another　for　the　fruit；　so　it　is　not　till　the　bloom　of　fancy

begins　to　fade；　that　the　heart　ripens　to　the　passions　that　the

bloom　precedes　and　foretells。　　Joyous　alike　at　his　lonely　easel

or　amidst　his　boon　companions；　he　had　not　yet　known　enough　of

sorrow　to　love　deeply。　　For　man　must　be　disappointed　with　the

lesser　things　of　life　before　he　can　comprehend　the　full　value　of

the　greatest。　　It　is　the　shallow　sensualists　of　France；　who；　in

their　salon…language；　call　love　〃a　folly；〃love；　better

understood；　is　wisdom。　　Besides；　the　world　was　too　much　with

Clarence　Glyndon。　　His　ambition　of　art　was　associated　with　the

appl