首页 >出版文学> Lost Face>第2章

第2章

  FIFE。
  Oh,whatasoulsomewomenhave——ImeanSomemen——
  ROS。
  Oh,Fife,Fife,asyouloveme,Fife,Makeyourselfperfectinthatlittlepart,Orallwillgotoruin!
  FIFE。
  Oh,Iwill,PleaseGodwefindsomeonetotryiton。
  But,truly,wouldnotanyonebelieveSomefairyhadexchangedusaswelayTwotinyfoster—childreninonecradle?
  ROS。
  Well,bethatasitmay,Fife,itremindsmeOfwhatperhapsIshouldhavethoughtbefore,Butbetterlatethannever——YouknowIloveyou,Asyou,Iknow,loveme,andloyallyHavefollow'dmethusfarinmywildventure。
  Well!nowthen——havingseenmesafethusfarSafeifnotwhollysound——overtherocksIntothecountrywheremybusinessliesWhyshouldnotyoureturnthewaywecame,Thestormallclear'daway,and,leavingme(Whonowshallwantyou,thoughnotthankyou,less,Nowthatourhorsesgone)thissidetheridge,Findyourwaybacktodearoldhomeagain;
  WhileI——Come,come!——
  What,weepingmypoorfellow?
  FIFE。
  LeaveyouhereAlone——myLady——Lord!ImeanmyLord——
  Inastrangecountry——amongsavages——
  Oh,nowIknow——youwouldberidofmeForfearmystumblingspeech——
  ROS。
  Oh,no,no,no!——
  IwantyouwithmeforathousandsakesTowhichthatisasnothing——ImyselfMoreapttoletthesecretoutmyselfWithoutyourhelpatall——Come,come,cheerup!
  Andifyousingagain,'Comeweal,comewoe,'
  Letitbethat;forwewillneverpartUntilyougivethesignal。
  FIFE。
  'Tisabargain。
  ROS。
  Nowtobegin,then。'Follow,followme,'Youfairyelvesthatbe。'
  FIFE。
  Ay,andgoon——
  Somethingof'followingdarknesslikeadream,'
  Forthatwe'reafter。
  ROS。
  No,afterthesun;
  TryingtocatchholdofhisglitteringskirtsThathanguponthemountainashegoes。
  FIFE。
  Ah,he'shimselfpastcatching——asyouspokeHeheardwhatyouweresaying,and——justso——
  Likesomescaredwater—bird,Aswesayinmycountry,/dove/below。
  ROS。
  Well,wemustfollowhimasbestwemay。
  Polandisnogreatcountry,and,asrichInmenandmeans,willbutfewacresspareToliebeneathherbarriermountainsbare。
  Wecannot,Ibelieve,beveryfarFrommankindortheirdwellings。
  FIFE。
  Senditso!
  Andwellprovidedforman,woman,andbeast。
  No,notforbeast。Ah,butmyheartbeginsToyearnforher——
  ROS。
  Keepclose,andkeepyourfeetFromservingyouashersdid。
  FIFE。
  Asforbeasts,Ifindefaultofotherentertainment,Weshouldprovidethemwithourselvestoeat——
  Bears,lions,wolves——
  ROS。
  Oh,neverfear。
  FIFE。
  Orelse,Defaultofotherbeasts,beastliermen,Cannibals,Anthropophagi,barePolesWhoneverknewatailorbutbytaste。
  ROS。
  Look,look!UnlessmyfancymisconceiveWithtwilight——downamongtherocksthere,Fife——
  Somehumandwelling,surely——
  OrthinkyoubutarocktornfromtherocksInsomeconvulsionliketo—day's,andperch'dQuaintlyamongtheminmock—masonry?
  FIFE。
  Mostlikelythat,Idoubt。
  ROS。
  No,no——forlook!
  Asquareofdarknessopeninginit——
  FIFE。
  Oh,Idon'thalflikesuchopenings!——
  ROS。
  LiketheloomOfnightfromwhichshespinsheroutergloom——
  FIFE。
  Lord,Madam,prayforbearthistragicveinInsuchatimeandplace——
  ROS。
  AndnowagainWithinthatsquareofdarkness,look!alightThatfeelsitswaywithhesitatingpulse,Aswedo,throughthedarknessthatitdrivesToblackenintodeepernightbeyond。
  FIFE。
  Inwhichcouldwefollowthatlight'sexample,AsmightsomeEnglishBardolphwithhisnose,Wemightdefythesunset——Hark,achain!
  ROS。
  Andnowalamp,alamp!AndnowthehandThatcarriesit。
  FIFE。
  Oh,Lord!thatdreadfulchain!
  ROS。
  Andnowthebearerofthelamp;indeedAsstrangeasanyinArabiantale,Sogiant—like,andterrible,andgrand,Spiteoftheskinhe'swraptin。
  FIFE。
  Why,'tishisown:
  Oh,'tissomewildmanofthewoods;I'veheardTheybuildandcarrytorches——
  ROS。
  NeverApeBoresuchabrowbeforetheheavensasthat——
  Chain'dasyousaytoo!——
  FIFE。
  Oh,thatdreadfulchain!
  ROS。
  Andnowhesetsthelampdownbyhisside,Andwithonehandclench'dinhistangledhairAndwithasighasifhisheartwouldbreak——
  (DuringthisSegismundhasenteredfromthefortress,withatorch。)
  SEGISMUND。
  Oncemorethestormhasroar'ditselfaway,SplittingthecragsofGodasitretires;
  Butsparingstillwhatitshouldonlyblast,Thisguiltypieceofhumanhandiwork,Andallthatarewithinit。Oh,howoft,Howoft,withinorhereabroad,haveI
  Waited,andinthewhisperofmyheartPray'dfortheslantinghandofheaventostrikeTheblowmyselfIdarednot,outoffearOfthatHereafter,worse,theysay,thanhere,Plungedheadlongin,but,tilldismissalwaited,Towipeatlastallsorrowfrommen'seyes,Andmakethisheavydispensationclear。
  ThushaveIbornetillnow,andstillendure,Crouchinginsullenimpotencedaybyday,Tillsomesuchout—burstoftheelementsLikethisrousesthesleepingfirewithin;
  AndstandingthusuponthethresholdofAnothernightabouttoclosethedoorUpononewretcheddaytoopenitOnoneyetwretchederbecauseonemore;——
  Oncemore,yousavageheavens,Iaskofyou——
  I,lookinguptothoserelentlesseyesThat,nowthegreaterlampisgonebelow,Begintomusterinthelisteningskies;
  InalltheshiningcircuitsyouhavegoneAboutthistheatreofhumanwoe,WhatgreatersorrowhaveyougazeduponThandownthisnarrowchinkyouwitnessstill;
  Andwhich,didyouyourselvesnotfore—devise,Youregisteredforotherstofulfil!
  FIFE。
  ThisissomeLaureateatabirthdayode;
  Nowonderwewentrhyming。
  ROS。
  Hush!AndnowSee,startingtohisfeet,hestridesaboutFarashistether'dsteps——
  SEG。
  AndifthechainYouhelp'dtorivetroundmedidcontractSinceguiltlessinfancyfromguiltinact;
  OfwhatinaspirationorinthoughtGuilty,butinresentmentofthewrongThatwreaksrevengeonwrongIneverwroughtByexcommunicationfromthefreeInheritancethatallcreatedlife,Besidemyself,isbornto——fromthewingsThatrangeyourownimmeasurableblue,Downtothepoor,mute,scale—imprison'dthings,Thatyetarefreetowander,glide,andpassAboutthatunder—sapphire,whereintoYourselvestransfusingyouyourselvesenglass!
  ROS。
  Whatmysteryisthis?
  FIFE。
  Why,theman'smad:
  That'sallthemystery。That'swhyhe'schain'd——
  Andwhy——
  SEG。
  NorNature'sguiltlesslifealone——
  Butthatwhichlivesonbloodandrapine;nay,Charter'dwithlargerlibertytoslayTheirguiltlesskind,thetyrantsoftheairSoarzenith—upwardwiththeirscreamingprey,MakingpureheavendropblooduponthestageOfunderearth,wherelion,wolf,andbear,AndtheythatontheirtreacherousvelvetwearFigureandconstellationlikeyourown,WiththeirstilllivingslaughterboundawayOverthebarriersofthemountaincage,Againstwhichone,blood—guiltless,andenduedWithaspirationandwithaptitudeTranscendingothercreatures,daybydayBeatshimselfmadwithunavailingrage!