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circling arm！ Tara…ra…tara； ta…tara； rara…ra！ What the devil is
in the measure that it makes the blood course like quicksilver
through the veins？ Was there ever a pair of eyes like Fillide's？
Nothing of the cold stars there！ Yet how they twinkle and laugh
at thee！ And that rosy； pursed…up mouth that will answer so
sparingly to thy flatteries； as if words were a waste of time；
and kisses were their proper language。 Oh； pupil of Mejnour！
Oh； would…be Rosicrucian； Platonist； Magian； I know not what！ I
am ashamed of thee！ What； in the names of Averroes and Burri and
Agrippa and Hermes have become of thy austere contemplations？
Was it for this thou didst resign Viola？ I don't think thou hast
the smallest recollection of the elixir or the Cabala。 Take
care！ What are you about； sir？ Why do you clasp that small hand
locked within your own？ Why do youTara…rara tara…ra tara…rara…
ra； rarara； ta…ra； a…ra！ Keep your eyes off those slender ankles
and that crimson bodice！ Tara…rara…ra！ There they go again！
And now they rest under the broad trees。 The revel has whirled
away from them。 They hearor do they not hearthe laughter at
the distance？ They seeor if they have their eyes about them；
they SHOULD seecouple after couple gliding by； love…talking and
love…looking。 But I will lay a wager； as they sit under that
tree； and the round sun goes down behind the mountains； that they
see or hear very little except themselves。
〃Hollo； Signor Excellency！ and how does your partner please you？
Come and join our feast； loiterers； one dances more merrily after
wine。〃
Down goes the round sun； up comes the autumn moon。 Tara； tara；
rarara； rarara； tarara…ra！ Dancing again； is it a dance； or some
movement gayer； noisier； wilder still？ How they glance and gleam
through the night shadows； those flitting forms！ What
confusion！what order！ Ha； that is the Tarantula dance； Maestro
Paolo foots it bravely！ Diavolo； what fury！ the Tarantula has
stung them all。 Dance or die； it is fury；the Corybantes； the
Maenads； theHo； ho！ more wine！ the Sabbat of the Witches at
Benevento is a joke to this！ From cloud to cloud wanders the
moon；now shining； now lost。 Dimness while the maiden blushes；
light when the maiden smiles。
〃Fillide； thou art an enchantress！〃
〃Buona notte； Excellency； you will see me again！〃
〃Ah； young man；〃 said an old； decrepit； hollow…eyed octogenarian；
leaning on his staff； 〃make the best of your youth。 I； too； once
had a Fillide！ I was handsomer than you then！ Alas！ if we could
be always young！〃
〃Always young！〃 Glyndon started； as he turned his gaze from the
fresh； fair； rosy face of the girl； and saw the eyes dropping
rheum； the yellow wrinkled skin； the tottering frame of the old
man。
〃Ha； ha！〃 said the decrepit creature； hobbling near to him； and
with a malicious laugh。 〃Yet I； too； was young once！ Give me a
baioccho for a glass of aqua vitae！〃
Tara； rara； ra…rara； tara； rara…ra！ There dances Youth！ Wrap
thy rags round thee； and totter off； Old Age！
CHAPTER 4。VI。
Whilest Calidore does follow that faire mayd；
Unmindful of his vow and high beheast
Which by the Faerie Queene was on him layd。
Spenser； 〃Faerie Queene；〃 cant。 x。 s。 1。
It was that grey； indistinct； struggling interval between the
night and the dawn； when Clarence stood once more in his chamber。
The abstruse calculations lying on his table caught his eye； and
filled him with a sentiment of weariness and distaste。 But
〃Alas； if we could be always young！ Oh； thou horrid spectre of
the old； rheum…eyed man！ What apparition can the mystic chamber
shadow forth more ugly and more hateful than thou？ Oh； yes； if
we could be always young！ But not ＇thinks the neophyte now＇not
to labour forever at these crabbed figures and these cold
compounds of herbs and drugs。 No； but to enjoy； to love； to
revel！ What should be the companion of youth but pleasure？ And
the gift of eternal youth may be mine this very hour！ What means
this prohibition of Mejnour's？ Is it not of the same complexion
as his ungenerous reserve even in the minutest secrets of
chemistry； or the numbers of his Cabala？compelling me to
perform all the toils； and yet withholding from me the knowledge
of the crowning result？ No doubt he will still； on his return；
show me that the great mystery CAN be attained； but will still
forbid ME to attain it。 Is it not as if he desired to keep my
youth the slave to his age； to make me dependent solely on
himself； to bind me to a journeyman's service by perpetual
excitement to curiosity； and the sight of the fruits he places
beyond my lips？〃 These； and many reflections still more
repining； disturbed and irritated him。 Heated with wineexcited
by the wild revels he had lefthe was unable to sleep。 The
image of that revolting Old Age which Time； unless defeated； must
bring upon himself； quickened the eagerness of his desire for the
dazzling and imperishable Youth he ascribed to Zanoni。 The
prohibition only served to create a spirit of defiance。 The
reviving day； laughing jocundly through his lattice； dispelled
all the fears and superstitions that belong to night。 The mystic
chamber presented to his imagination nothing to differ from any
other apartment in the castle。 What foul or malignant apparition
could harm him in the light of that blessed sun！ It was the
peculiar； and on the whole most unhappy； contradiction in
Glyndon's nature； that while his reasonings led him to doubt；
and doubt rendered him in MORAL conduct irresolute and unsteady；
he was PHYSICALLY brave to rashness。 Nor is this uncommon：
scepticism and presumption are often twins。 When a man of this
character determines upon any action； personal fear never deters
him； and for the moral fear； any sophistry suffices to self…will。
Almost without analysing himself the mental process by which his
nerves hardened themselves and his limbs moved； he traversed the
corridor； gained Mejnour's apartment； and opened the forbidden
door。 All was as he had been accustomed to see it； save that on
a table in the centre of the room lay open a large volume。 He
approached； and gazed on the characters on the page； they were in
a cipher； the study of which had made a part of his labours。
With but slight difficulty he imagined that he interpreted the
meaning of the first sentences； and that they ran thus：
〃To quaff the inner life； is to see the outer life： to live in
defiance of time； is to live in the whole。 He who discovers the
elixir discovers what lies in space； for the spirit that vivifies
the frame strengthens the senses。 There is attraction in the
elementary principle of light。 In the lamps of Rosicrucius the
fire is the pure elementary principle。 Kindle the lamps while
thou openst the vessel that contains the elixir； and the light
attracts towards thee those beings whose life is that light。
Beware of Fear。 Fear is the de