登陆注册
5188000000278

第278章

HER attitude was one to excite pity rather than terror, in eyes not blinded by a preconceived notion.Her bosom was fluttering like a bird, and the red and white coming and going in her cheeks, and she had her hand against the wall by the instinct of timid things, she trembled so; and the marvellous mixed gaze of love, and pious awe, and pity, and tender memories, those purple eyes cast on the emaciated and glaring hermit, was an event in nature.

"Aha!" he cried."Thou art come at last in flesh and blood; come to me as thou camest to holy Anthony.But I am ware of thee.Ithought thy wiles were not exhausted.I am armed." With this he snatched up his small crucifix and held it out at her, astonished, and the candle in the other hand, both crucifix and candle shaking violently."Exorcizo te.""Ah, no!" cried she piteously; and put out two pretty deprecating palms."Alas! work me no ill! It is Margaret.""Liar!" shouted the hermit."Margaret was fair, but not so supernatural fair as thou.Thou didst shrink at that sacred name, thou subtle hypocrite.In Nomine Dei exorcizo vos.""Ah, Jesu!" gasped Margaret, in extremity of terror, "curse me not! I will go home.I thought I might come.For very manhood be-Latin me not! Oh, Gerard, is it thus you and I meet after all, after all?"And she cowered almost to her knees and sobbed with superstitious fear and wounded affection.

Impregnated as he was with Satanophobia he might perhaps have doubted still whether this distressed creature, all woman and nature, was not all art and fiend.But her spontaneous appeal to that sacred name dissolved his chimera; and let him see with his eyes, and hear with his ears.

He uttered a cry of self-reproach, and tried to raise her but what with fasts, what with the overpowering emotion of a long solitude so broken, he could not."What," he gasped, shaking over her, "and is it thou? And have I met thee with hard words? Alas!" And they were both choked with emotion and could not speak for a while.

"I heed it not much," said Margaret bravely, struggling with her tears; "you took me for another: for a devil; oh! oh! oh! oh! oh!""Forgive me, sweet soul!" And as soon as he could speak more than a word at a time, he said, "I have been much beset by the evil one since I came here."Margaret looked round with a shudder."Like enow.Then oh take my hand, and let me lead thee from this foul place."He gazed at her with astonishment.

"What, desert my cell; and go into the world again? Is it for that thou hast come to me?" said he sadly and reproachfully.

"Ay, Gerard, I am come to take thee to thy pretty vicarage: art vicar of Gouda, thanks to Heaven and thy good brother Giles; and mother and I have made it so neat for thee, Gerard.'Tis well enow in winter I promise thee.But bide a bit till the hawthorn bloom, and anon thy walls put on their kirtle of brave roses, and sweet woodbine, Have we forgotten thee, and the foolish things thou lovest? And, dear Gerard, thy mother is waiting; and 'tis late for her to be out of her bed: prithee, prithee, come! And the moment we are out of this foul hole I'll show thee a treasure thou hast gotten, and knowest nought on't, or sure hadst never fled from us so.Alas! what is to do? What have I ignorantly said, to be regarded thus?"For he had drawn himself all up into a heap, and was looking at her with a strange gaze of fear and suspicion blended.

"Unhappy girl," said he solemnly, yet deeply agitated, "would you have me risk my soul and yours for a miserable vicarage and the flowers that grow on it? But this is not thy doing: the bowelless fiend sends thee, poor simple girl, to me with this bait.But oh, cunning fiend, I will unmask thee even to this thine instrument, and she shall see thee, and abhor thee as I do, Margaret, my lost love, why am I here? Because I love thee.""Oh! no, Gerard, you love me not.or you would not have hidden from me; there was no need.""Let there be no deceit between us twain, that have loved so true;and after this night, shall meet no more on earth.""Now God forbid!" said she.

"I love thee, and thou hast not forgotten me, or thou hadst married ere this, and hadst not been the one to find me, buried here from sight of man.I am a priest, a monk: what but folly or sin can come of you and me living neighbours, and feeding a passion innocent once, but now (so Heaven wills it) impious and unholy? No, though my heart break I must be firm.'Tis I that am the man, 'tis I that am the priest.You and I must meet no more, till I am schooled by solitude, and thou art wedded to another.""I consent to my doom but not to thine.I would ten times liever die; yet I will marry, ay, wed misery itself sooner than let thee lie in this foul dismal place, with yon sweet manse awaiting for thee." Clement groaned; at each word she spoke out stood clearer and clearer two things - his duty, and the agony it must cost.

"My beloved," said he, with a strange mixture of tenderness and dogged resolution, "I bless thee for giving me one more sight of thy sweet face, and may God forgive thee, and bless thee, for destroying in a minute the holy peace it hath taken six months of solitude to build.No matter.A year of penance will, Dei gratia, restore me to my calm.My poor Margaret, I seem cruel: yet I am kind: 'tis best we part; ay, this moment.""Part, Gerard? Never: we have seen what comes of parting.Part?

Why, you have not heard half my story; no, nor the tithe, 'Tis not for thy mere comfort I take thee to Gouda manse.Hear me!""I may not.Thy very voice is a temptation with its music, memory's delight.""But I say you shall hear me, Gerard, for forth this place I go not unheard.""Then must we part by other means," said Clement sadly.

同类推荐
  • 唐鍾馗平鬼傳

    唐鍾馗平鬼傳

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 東征紀行錄

    東征紀行錄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 续刻释氏稽古略序古可稽乎

    续刻释氏稽古略序古可稽乎

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 哈姆雷特

    哈姆雷特

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 抒情集

    抒情集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 佛说相应相可经

    佛说相应相可经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 带个郎君回现代

    带个郎君回现代

    白天梦出生在一个衣食无忧的富余家庭,在哥哥的保护下一帆风顺的生活了20年,没有想到却在自己的画作指引下穿越到了一个架空的时代,在哪里他遇见了自己梦中的王子,没有想到的是自己竟然在别人算计下了要失身了,王子也为此对他百般侮辱,在自己心灰意冷,准备离开的时候,和王子长得一模一样的双生兄弟出现了,还说他是自己要找的王子,,,,天呀,究竟哪个才是自己命中注定的爱人?更加可气得是自己的肚子里居然因意外有了一个小生命,这该让人何去何从,,,,,
  • 日本人与中国人

    日本人与中国人

    邻人恰似一面镜子,照出不熟悉的自己。日本家喻户晓的历史经典,带你走进“菊”与“刀”之外的日本。这是一部独特的日本论,也是一卷东瀛与神州大地古往今来的趣闻怪谈史略。日本华裔作家陈舜臣一生在两个故乡、两种文化之间徘徊,边缘人身份让他领受命运的桎梏,也使他以绝无仅有的生命经验和生动的“复眼”视角,洞见两国历史传统的差异与交叠,遂成妙语连珠、谐谑天成的中日文化随笔。他从遥远的古代折返现代的中日文化接点,在历史与现实之间随意驰骋;要以“遗书”的心情,写下阻碍中日两国相互理解的原因。重新认识邻人,亦是抽丝剥茧地审视自己。我们这对邻居——长短相补,此为天命。
  • 天渊大道

    天渊大道

    不修仙杀怪刷副本,是道门死敌毁灭仙界的成长史。远古异形的吞噬基因,觉醒后吞噬众神!大唐铁血悍卒,冷眼诸天神魔,敢恃道法为祸人间者,皆斩之!
  • 包容是一种大学问(精华版)

    包容是一种大学问(精华版)

    包容,是洗去怨恨的圣水,是吹散痛苦的春风,是通向快乐的路标,是暖人心扉的温度。它让我们更好地去爱自己,爱别人,给予别人理解,也让自己幸福,理性生活,享受生命。包容,不是纵容,不是妥协,不是委曲求全的懦弱。
  • 断臂上的花朵:人生与法律的奇幻炼金术

    断臂上的花朵:人生与法律的奇幻炼金术

    南非种族和解、社会转型的关键人物、铺就南非法治之路的萨克斯大法官一生的传奇与回忆。南非宪法可以说是世界上最先进的宪法。作为宪法法院法官,萨克斯以其特殊的个人经历与对宪法深刻而又温情的解读,剖析各种跨族群、跨国界的司法争议,确保每一个人,不论善恶,都能享有新宪法保障的基本权利,并获得真正的自由。书中处处可见他对“人性尊严”的坚守。他期盼种族大和解、为弱势族群的权利据理力争、统合法律论辩与人文关怀、笃信“人就应当被当人对待”的理念。正是这些努力,使南非这片被认为不可能孕育宪法正义的土地生发出了“人性尊严、平等、自由等最先进的思想”,从而实现了社会转型。
  • 家在海的那一边

    家在海的那一边

    人生初次的离家,是从此无可回头的漫长岁月。行走在世界各地的街道,从布拉格到土耳其,从巴黎到意大利。每一处风景之后都有着不太人的精彩。蒋晓云写过无比精彩的民国爱恨离愁。写起思乡之情,旅行趣事,吃穿用度,爱恨离别,姻缘交际的琐碎,也有一份练达世故,把人生都打碎咀嚼透了的淡然豁达。聪慧女人必读的女作家,全新出发!
  • 王者轮回

    王者轮回

    都市的繁华掩盖不了原始的渴望,天界的神圣掩盖不了黑暗的轮回!煮酒论英雄的时代已经过去,且看今朝如何划破苍穹追寻曾经逝去的眷恋!徘徊在爱恨情仇边缘的少年宸不仅肩负起铲除外来侵略者的使命,还要帮助天界平定三界最终实现王者的轮回!但是宸的真正身份到底是……
  • 登基为皇之皇叔哪里逃

    登基为皇之皇叔哪里逃

    一个是乡野丫头,一个是冷血王爷,一个驻守边疆,一个低微朴素,原本八竿子打不着的两个人,却因为一道圣旨,相互之间的命运紧紧的交织在了一起.......
  • LUCILE

    LUCILE

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。