登陆注册
5188000000279

第279章

"Alack! what other means? Wouldst put me to thine own door, being the stronger?""Nay, Margaret, well thou knowest I would suffer many deaths rather than put force on thee; thy sweet body is dearer to me than my own; but a million times dearer to me are our immortal souls, both thine and mine.I have withstood this direst temptation of all long enow.Now I must fly it: farewell! farewell!"He made to the door, and had actually opened it and got half out, when she darted after and caught him by the arm.

"Nay, then another must speak for me.I thought to reward thee for yielding to me; but unkind that thou art, I need his help I find;turn then this way one moment."

"Nay, nay."

"But I say ay! And then turn thy back on us an thou canst." She somewhat relaxed her grasp, thinking he would never deny her so small a favour.But at this he saw his opportunity and seized it.

"Fly, Clement, fly!" he almost shrieked; and his religious enthusiasm giving him for a moment his old strength, he burst wildly away from her, and after a few steps bounded over the little stream and ran beside it, but finding he was not followed stopped, and looked back.

She was lying on her face, with her hands spread out.

Yes, without meaning it, he had thrown her down and hurt her.

When he saw that, he groaned and turned back a step; but suddenly, by another impulse flung himself into the icy water instead.

"There, kill my body!" he cried, "but save my soul!"Whilst he stood there, up to his throat in liquid ice, so to speak, Margaret uttered one long, piteous moan, and rose to her knees.

He saw her as plain almost as in midday.Saw her pale face and her eyes glistening; and then in the still night he heard these words:

"Oh, God! Thou that knowest all, Thou seest how I am used.Forgive me then! For I will not live another day." With this she suddenly started to her feet, and flew like some wild creature, wounded to death, close by his miserable hiding-place, shrieking: "CRUEL! -CRUEL! - CRUEL! - CRUEL!"

What manifold anguish may burst from a human heart in a single syllable.There were wounded love, and wounded pride, and despair, and coming madness all in that piteous cry.Clement heard, and it froze his heart with terror and remorse, worse than the icy water chilled the marrow of his bones.

He felt he had driven her from him for ever, and in the midst of his dismal triumph, the greatest he had won, there came an almost incontrollable impulse to curse the Church, to curse religion itself, for exacting such savage cruelty from mortal man.At last he crawled half dead out of the water, and staggered to his den.

"I am safe here," he groaned; "she will never come near me again;unmanly, ungrateful wretch that I am." And he flung his emaciated, frozen body down on the floor, not without a secret hope that it might never rise thence alive.

But presently he saw by the hour-glass that it was past midnight.

On this, he rose slowly and took off his wet things, and moaning all the time at the pain he had caused her he loved, put on the old hermit's cilice of bristles, and over that his breastplate.He had never worn either of these before, doubting himself worthy to don the arms of that tried soldier.But now he must give himself every aid; the bristles might distract his earthly remorse by bodily pain, and there might be holy virtue in the breastplate.

Then he kneeled down and prayed God humbly to release him that very night from the burden of the flesh.Then he lighted all his candles, and recited his psalter doggedly; each word seemed to come like a lump of lead from a leaden heart, and to fall leaden to the ground; and in this mechanical office every now and then he moaned with all his soul.In the midst of which he suddenly observed a little bundle in the corner he had not seen before in the feebler light, and at one end of it something like gold spun into silk.

He went to see what it could be; and he had no sooner viewed it closer, than he threw up his hands with rapture."It is a seraph,"he whispered, "a lovely seraph.Heaven hath witnessed my bitter trial, and approves my cruelty; and this flower of the skies is sent to cheer me, fainting under my burden."He fell on his knees, and gazed with ecstasy on its golden hair, and its tender skin, and cheeks like a peach.

"Let me feast my sad eyes on thee ere thou leavest me for thine ever-blessed abode, and my cell darkens again at thy parting, as it did at hers."With all this, the hermit disturbed the lovely visitor.He opened wide two eyes, the colour of heaven; and seeing a strange figure kneeling over him, he cried piteously, "MUMMA! MUM-MA!" And the tears began to run down his little cheeks.

Perhaps, after all, Clement, who for more than six months had not looked on the human face divine, estimated childish beauty more justly than we can; and in truth, this fair northern child, with its long golden hair, was far more angelic than any of our imagined angels.But now the spell was broken.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 海贼之吞吞果实

    海贼之吞吞果实

    这是穿越者夺取吞吞果实,自己偶尔浪一浪的小说这是对吞吞果实的幻想研究创造的小说。
  • 封神双龙5

    封神双龙5

    商纣末年,妖魔乱政,两名身份卑贱的少年奴隶,于一次偶然的机会被卷进神魔争霸的洪流中,一个性格沉稳、温文尔雅,有着超凡的感悟力;另一个古灵精怪、活泼机智,满身的市井顽童气息,却聪明绝顶。
  • 梦萦相思桥

    梦萦相思桥

    一段跨越千年的神秘之旅,一场令人匪夷所思的爱情,一章章永远出乎你意料的结局。从巍山到大理,从扬州到汴京,再从西夏到昆仑山脉;从南诏的迷踪之林到大理城的相思桥,从扬州的天音阁到汴京的小兰轩,有一种相遇叫前世注定。从上古时代的落霞谷,到花花世界的汴京城,被遗忘和忽略的历史重新揭开了帷幕;从苗疆的蛊王到回鹘的钟山镜,那是宗族承袭了千年的宝物。她只是一个喜欢唱歌的女子,因为一个魔咒,被搅进了一场错乱的故事。
  • 贝多芬:音乐世界的英雄

    贝多芬:音乐世界的英雄

    《图说世界名人:贝多芬(音乐世界的英雄)》介绍了,路德维希·凡·贝多芬,德国作曲家、钢琴家、指挥家,维也纳古典乐派代表人物之一。他一共创作了9首编号交响曲、35首钢琴奏鸣曲(其中后32首带有编号)、10部小提琴奏鸣曲、16首弦乐四重奏、1部歌剧、2部弥撒、1部清唱剧与3部康塔塔,另外还有大量室内乐、艺术歌曲与舞曲。这些作品对音乐发展有着深远影响,因此被尊称为“乐圣”。
  • 超凡人间

    超凡人间

    我有一个梦想我希望有一天,可以将生我养我的那个地方,变成超凡人间。为善者,能有善报,为恶者,必遭天谴!
  • 文学武侯

    文学武侯

    武侯,是一个闪烁着智慧光芒的文化符号,也是一个散发着浓烈的区域文化气息的诗意名字。在这个名字背后默默矗立的人和事,像时间长河中一坛窖藏的老酒,我们路过酒窖,就能闻到历史的瓶塞边流溢而出的醇香,不同的人还会品出不同的风味,让人回味无穷。跨越时空,对话历史,我们乐意成为文化的朝圣者。与历史对话不是为了单纯地触摸、延续,而是为了传承城市的文化血脉。如今,我们身边活跃着这么一群文化的守望者、探索者。他们来自不同的地方、不同的工作岗位,用文字孜孜不倦地耕耘着,用真心的投入丈量着生命的里程,凝聚、聚集、沉淀着武侯作家群落的内涵。
  • 别汗!我是民国模范作文

    别汗!我是民国模范作文

    从假大空的高考作文到矫情的小学生作文,当下的语文教育实在让人不敢恭维;至少从80后那一代开始,我们的语文教育工作者仿佛打了变质的鸡血一般,总是想给学生们无限的想象力挂上一把锁,禁锢起来,好让学生们按着自己的心思和“上头的意思”写作文,为此他们煞费苦心,且乐此不彼。而在他们手持分数大棒的威吓追赶之下,学生们早已累得气喘吁吁、晕头转向。
  • 愿你安然若晨曦

    愿你安然若晨曦

    如果爱对了人,就像是两条相交的线,就算有一天会各奔东西,但起码在某一瞬间紧紧牵扯过;如果爱错了,就像是两条平行的线,无论双方再怎么努力,也会擦肩而过。
  • 震撼中国的100位英雄模范人物

    震撼中国的100位英雄模范人物

    这是一次对英雄事迹的重温,也是一次对烽火年代的回望。所有的重温和回望,都是因为在这些远去的英烈们的身上,深藏着我们民族不可失落的魂魄。阅读他们的故事,从中感受到生命的韧劲与执著;走进他们的内心世界,心灵会得到无数次震撼与洗礼。
  • 美腿女王

    美腿女王

    美腿是女人最性感的部分,不是每个人都像思璇天生丽质,但后天的保养和美姿美仪的训练才是最重要的。出道十年,思璇很认真的累积不同的经验,并发展出一套独门功夫,本书就是她的美丽养成圣经!内容非常完整详细,包含简单易学的腿臀体操及保养、按摩和急救妙招;另外,并提供美姿美仪指导、模特儿减重秘帖、上半身的保养方式、拍照的致命表情……让所有姊姊妹妹都能从头到“腿”,美丽自信!