按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
men of force and the men of thought； yet his excesses； his tumultuous
life； and his misdeeds had often turned him towards Faith； for doubt
has two sides； a side to the light and a side to the darkness。 Wilfrid
had too closely clasped the world under its forms of Matter and of
Mind not to have acquired that thirst for the unknown； that longing to
GO BEYOND which lay their grasp upon the men who know； and wish； and
will。 But neither his knowledge； nor his actions； nor his will； had
found direction。 He had fled from social life from necessity； as a
great criminal seeks the cloister。 Remorse； that virtue of weak
beings； did not touch him。 Remorse is impotence； impotence which sins
again。 Repentance alone is powerful； it ends all。 But in traversing
the world； which he made his cloister； Wilfrid had found no balm for
his wounds； he saw nothing in nature to which he could attach himself。
In him； despair had dried the sources of desire。 He was one of those
beings who； having gone through all passions and come out victorious；
have nothing more to raise in their hot…beds； and who； lacking
opportunity to put themselves at the head of their fellow…men to
trample under iron heel entire populations； buy； at the price of a
horrible martyrdom； the faculty of ruining themselves in some belief；
rocks sublime； which await the touch of a wand that comes not to
bring the waters gushing from their far…off spring。
Led by a scheme of his restless； inquiring life to the shores of
Norway； the sudden arrival of winter had detained the wanderer at
Jarvis。 The day on which； for the first time； he saw Seraphita； the
whole past of his life faded from his mind。 The young girl excited
emotions which he had thought could never be revived。 The ashes gave
forth a lingering flame at the first murmurings of that voice。 Who has
ever felt himself return to youth and purity after growing cold and
numb with age and soiled with impurity？ Suddenly； Wilfrid loved as he
had never loved； he loved secretly； with faith； with fear； with inward
madness。 His life was stirred to the very source of his being at the
mere thought of seeing Seraphita。 As he listened to her he was
transported into unknown worlds； he was mute before her； she
magnetized him。 There； beneath the snows； among the glaciers； bloomed
the celestial flower to which his hopes； so long betrayed； aspired；
the sight of which awakened ideas of freshness； purity； and faith
which grouped about his soul and lifted it to higher regions；as
Angels bear to heaven the Elect in those symbolic pictures inspired by
the guardian spirit of a great master。 Celestial perfumes softened the
granite hardness of the rocky scene； light endowed with speech shed
its divine melodies on the path of him who looked to heaven。 After
emptying the cup of terrestrial love which his teeth had bitten as he
drank it； he saw before him the chalice of salvation where the limpid
waters sparkled； making thirsty for ineffable delights whoever dare
apply his lips burning with a faith so strong that the crystal shall
not be shattered。
But Wilfrid now encountered the wall of brass for which he had been
seeking up and down the earth。 He went impetuously to Seraphita；
meaning to express the whole force and bearing of a passion under
which he bounded like the fabled horse beneath the iron horseman； firm
in his saddle； whom nothing moves while the efforts of the fiery
animal only made the rider heavier and more solid。 He sought her to
relate his life；to prove the grandeur of his soul by the grandeur of
his faults； to show the ruins of his desert。 But no sooner had he
crossed her threshold； and found himself within the zone of those eyes
of scintillating azure； that met no limits forward and left none
behind； than he grew calm and submissive； as a lion； springing on his
prey in the plains of Africa； receives from the wings of the wind a
message of love； and stops his bound。 A gulf opened before him； into
which his frenzied words fell and disappeared； and from which uprose a
voice which changed his being； he became as a child； a child of
sixteen； timid and frightened before this maiden with serene brow；
this white figure whose inalterable calm was like the cruel
impassibility of human justice。 The combat between them had never
ceased until this evening； when with a glance she brought him down； as
a falcon making his dizzy spirals in the air around his prey causes it
to fall stupefied to earth； before carrying it to his eyrie。
We may note within ourselves many a long struggle the end of which is
one of our own actions；struggles which are； as it were； the reverse
side of humanity。 This reverse side belongs to God； the obverse side
to men。 More than once Seraphita had proved to Wilfrid that she knew
this hidden and ever varied side； which is to the majority of men a
second being。 Often she said to him in her dove…like voice： 〃Why all
this vehemence？〃 when on his way to her he had sworn she should be
his。 Wilfrid was； however； strong enough to raise the cry of revolt to
which he had given utterance in Monsieur Becker's study。 The narrative
of the old pastor had calmed him。 Sceptical and derisive as he was； he
saw belief like a sidereal brilliance dawning on his life。 He asked
himself if Seraphita were not an exile from the higher spheres seeking
the homeward way。 The fanciful deifications of all ordinary lovers he
could not give to this lily of Norway in whose divinity he believed。
Why lived she here beside this fiord？ What did she？ Questions that
received no answer filled his mind。 Above all； what was about to
happen between them？ What fate had brought him there？ To him；
Seraphita was the motionless marble； light nevertheless as a vapor；
which Minna had seen that day poised above the precipices of the
Falberg。 Could she thus stand on the edge of all gulfs without danger；
without a tremor of the arching eyebrows； or a quiver of the light of
the eye？ If his love was to be without hope； it was not without
curiosity。
From the moment when Wilfrid suspected the ethereal nature of the
enchantress who had told him the secrets of his life in melodious
utterance； he had longed to try to subject her； to keep her to
himself； to tear her from the heaven where； perhaps； she was awaited。
Earth and Humanity seized their prey； he would imitate them。 His
pride； the only sentiment through which man can long be exalted； would
make him happy in this triumph for the rest of his life。 The idea sent
the blood boiling through his veins； and his heart swelled。 If he did
not succeed； he would destroy her；it is so natural to destroy that
which we cannot possess； to deny what we cannot comprehend； to insult
that which we envy。
On the morrow； Wilfrid； laden with ideas which the extraordinary
events of the previous night naturally awakened in his mind； resolved
to question David； and went to find him on the pretext of asking after
Seraphita's health。 Though Monsieur Beck