登陆注册
5302100000072

第72章 BOOK III.(12)

"In all the ages,"said Cortlandt,"that these moons have wandered with Saturn about the sun,and with the solar system in its journey through space,they can never have gazed upon the scene they now behold,for we may be convinced that no mortal man has been here before.""We may say,"said Ayrault,"that they see in our bodies a type of the source from which come all the spiritual beings that are here.""If,as the writers of mythology supposed,"replied Cortlandt,"inanimate objects were endowed with senses,these moons would doubtless be unable to perceive the spiritual beings here;for the satellites,being material,should,to be consistent,have only those senses possessed by ourselves,so that to them this planet would ordinarily appear deserted.""I shall be glad,"said Bearwarden,gloomily,"when those moons wane and are succeeded by their fellows,for one would give me an attack of the blues,while the other would subject me to the inconvenience of falling in love."As he spoke,the upper branches of the trees in the grove began to sway as a cold gust from the north sighed among them."Lose no more opportunities,"it seemed to cry,"for life is short and uncertain.Soon you will all be colder than I,and your future,still as easily moulded as clay,will be set as Marpesian marble,more fixed than the hardest rock.""Paradise,"said Cortlandt,"contains sights and sounds that might,I should think,arouse sad reminiscences without the aid of the waters of Lethe,unless the joy of its souls in their new resources and the sense of forgiveness outweigh all else."With a parting look at the refined,silvery moon,and its sorrow-laden companion,they retired to the sheltering cave,piled up the fire,and talked on for an hour.

"I do not see how it is,"said Bearwarden,"that these moons,considering their distance from the sun,and the consequently small amount of light they receive,are so bright.""A body's brightness in reflecting light,"replied Cortlandt,"depends as much on the colour and composition of its own surface as on the amount it receives.It is conceivable that these moons,if placed at the earth's distance from the sun,would be far brighter than our moon,and that our familiar satellite,if removed to Saturn,would seem very dim.We know how much more brilliant a mountain in the sunlight is when clad in snow than when its sides are bare.These moons evidently reflect a large proportion of the light they receive."When they came out shortly after midnight the girl's-face moon had already set,leaving a dark and dreary void in the part of the sky it had so ideally filled.The inexpressibly sad satellite (on account of its shorter distance and more rapid rate of revolution)was still above the horizon,and,being slightly tilted,had a more melancholy,heart-broken look than before.

While they gazed sadly at the emptiness left by Dione,Cortlandt saw Ayrault's expression change,and,not clearly perceiving its cause,said,wishing to cheer him:"Never mind,Dick;to-morrow night we shall see it again.""Ah,prosaic reasoner,"retorted Bearwarden,who saw that this,like so many other things,had reminded Ayrault of Sylvia,"that is but small consolation for having lost it now,though I suppose our lot is not so hard as if we were never to see it again.In that moon's face I find the realization of my fancied ideal woman;while that sad one yonder seems as though some celestial lover,in search of his fate,had become enamoured of her,and tried in vain to win her,and the grief in his mind had impressed itself on the then molten face of a satellite to be the monument throughout eternity of love and a broken heart.If the spirits and souls of the departed have any command of matter,why may not their intensest thoughts engrave themselves on a moon that,when dead and frozen,may reflect and shine as they did,while immersed in the depths of space?At first Dione bored me;now Ishould greatly like to see her again."

"History repeats itself,"replied Cortlandt,"and the same phases of life recur.It is we that are in a changed receptive mood.

The change that seems to be in them is in reality in us.Remain as you are now,and Dione will give you the same pleasure tomorrow that she gave to-day."To Ayrault this meant more than the mere setting to rise again of a heavenly body.The perfume of a flower,the sighing of the wind,suggesting some harmony or song,a full or crescent moon,recalled thoughts and associations of Sylvia.Everything seemed to bring out memory,and he realized the utter inability of absence to cure the heart of love."If Sylvia should pass from my life as that moon has left my vision,"his thoughts continued,"existence would be but sadness and memory would be its cause,for the most beautiful sounds entail sorrow;the most beautiful sights,intense pain."Ah,"he went on with a trace of bitterness,while his friends fell asleep in the cave,"I might better have remained in love with science;for whose studies Nature,which is but a form of God,in the right spirit,is not dependent for his joy or despair on the whims of a girl.She,of course,sees many others,and,being only twenty,may forget me.

Must I content myself with philosophical rules and mathematical formulae,when she,whose changefulness I may find greater than the winds that sigh over me,now loves me no longer?O love,which makes us miserable when we feel it,and more miserable still when it is gone!"He strung a number of copper wires at different degrees of tension between two trees,and listened to the wind as it ranged up and down on this improvised AEolian harp.It gradually ran into a regular refrain,which became more and more like words.

Ayrault was puzzled,and then amazed.There could be no doubt about it."You should be happy,"it kept repeating--"you should be happy,"in soft musical tones.

同类推荐
  • 金志

    金志

    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。
  • 杂纂三续

    杂纂三续

    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。
  • 环溪惟一禅师语录

    环溪惟一禅师语录

    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。
  • 悦生随抄

    悦生随抄

    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。
  • 泉州府志选录

    泉州府志选录

    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
  • 魅世妖颜:女主独行天下

    魅世妖颜:女主独行天下

    她异世重生,是江湖上令人闻风丧胆的罗刹女,一柄青玉刃杀人如麻,嗜血成瘾,剑下亡魂无数。他是北城半仙湖主,掌天下大计运筹帷幄,江湖翩翩美男子。世人皆知他驻颜有术可媲美长生不老,却不知他不过是只剩半条性命的活死人,生无所求只为寻找曾经惊鸿一瞥的她。他是南城香渺门主,传她杀人秘术诱敌之计,亲手将她打造成冷血无情的杀人利器,将所有男人的尊严无情的践踏脚下,却从未想过有朝一日他亦沦陷。他是平烟渡药派嫡传,初遇她时便被她那一双清眉冷目所吸引,决意以举世无双的血灵珠向她礼聘,但奈何他的聘礼竟为他人做了嫁衣?江湖逍遥,美男为伴,是仅拥一人入怀,还是,一拥?再拥?拥到白发苍鬓,永不停止?且看一张魅世妖颜如何惑乱苍生,美人无情无心如何潇洒江湖!
  • 他来自青城.A

    他来自青城.A

    清幽一出寒光闪,天下寻亲孝感天。锄强扶弱威严立,自古英雄出少年。江湖中的恩怨情仇有谁能够说得清楚,权力上的阴谋诡计有谁能够看得穿。只道青城豪侠笑傲江湖,且看少年英豪叱咤风云。
  • 重生之军团召唤

    重生之军团召唤

    这是一个征战不断的大陆,这里是一个万国共存的大陆,在这里每天都有国家覆灭,同样也有国家建立,猪脚带着系统穿越来到这个世界。
  • 头号巨星

    头号巨星

    重生新世界,当了一辈子配角的周野给自己定了一个小目标,他要当巨星。一句话简介:老戏骨的男团生涯,演技派的偶像巨星之路。食用指南:无系统有金手指,单女主(非圈内人),半架空,日常流,作品小众主流齐飞。
  • 超级庄园主

    超级庄园主

    一眼神泉,帮他打开了新生活的大门;一幅地图,为他展开了理想中的画卷。天赐神泉,我有庄园,亲朋好友来相伴,开开心心赚大钱,快乐生活美滋滋。1——500:经营陈家坞501-600:放飞自我601——:穿越西游
  • 你是我的亿万星辰

    你是我的亿万星辰

    【甜宠虐文】【推荐完结虐文:《方先生余生请放手》《听说你从月光来》推荐甜宠新书《我磕的cp超甜》】他是她的星辰。她被大火灼伤,被现实击垮,却因为他,迎来了新生。【如果你的世界没有我,那我会从你的世界里撕裂开一条缝,纵身一跳,然后抱住你,紧紧相依。——林夕】【如果你的世界里没有我,那么我会化为亿万星辰,为你的世界照亮光芒,让你永不孤单。——夜昼鄞】
  • 你恍惚来到人间

    你恍惚来到人间

    我哭了,说,静茹有孕在身,那是我们的孩子。高个警察说,在这点上,这个女人是有考虑的,她知道怀孕后如果东窗事发不会判死刑。我怔住了,不禁问,那幅《寒山图》的画,是真的是假的?高个警察愣住了,说,这事情还得再问问。秋天的雨很刺骨,我走出照相馆,没有带雨伞,就在雨中这么走着。我已经不知道什么是冷了,不知不觉有人给我支伞,扭头看是一个老太太,很像是我母亲。因为母亲走失很久了,我对她的印象还是在我初中的时候。老人给我支着朝前走,什么话也没有说。那条红狐狸在引路,蹦蹦跳跳。一辆车的车灯很亮,闪过以后我觉得老人不在了,红狐狸也不在了,但我手里分明有那把雨伞。
  • 谁教月老谈恋爱

    谁教月老谈恋爱

    什么,我是月老转世?促成别人成双成对,功德圆满返回仙界?我妈不杀了我?九代单传,在我这断了香火,祖宗会不会追杀我到天界!月老就月老,怎么也是神仙,不过连点金手指都没有,玉帝不发工资吗!
  • 三七年夏至(下册)

    三七年夏至(下册)

    励志言情大神未再重磅归来!呈现一场令人唏嘘的生死谍恋,潜藏希望的悲欢故事。谨以此书致敬在战火纷飞的时代,值得我们永远铭记的,付出生命和热情的那些人!烽火乱世,家国飘零,在这个战乱时代,家已亡,国濒破,归云和雁飞这对异姓姐妹花,相识又相离。当再次相逢,一个寄身于戏班,另一个则在欢场煎熬。她努力向她靠拢,终究无奈折戟。而她却不曾放弃,始终等待她归来。十里洋场,总有人想要粉饰太平,努力留住炮火中的繁华,大上海在天堂与地狱之间随意切换。她们都曾遇到爱,又险与爱擦肩而过。面对国仇家恨,个人的爱恨情仇显得那么渺小,即便粉身碎骨,他们亦义无反顾!此去经年,物是人非,浮生掠影,如惊魂一梦。
  • 清穿之荣宠

    清穿之荣宠

    现代白领意外穿成历史上不存在内大臣费扬古的嫡次女,从此开启荣宠的一生!无忧无虑的生活成长到十岁,即将选秀的嫡姐突然一场大病红颜薄命,作为内大臣仅剩唯一嫡女的菀福风中凌乱了!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】