lucile-第11部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


love。　　If　we　wrote；　When　we　first　love；　foreseeing　that　hour　yet　remote；　Wherein　of　necessity　each　would　recall　From　the　other　the　poor　foolish　records　of　all　Those　emotions；　whose　pain；　when　recorded；　seem'd　bliss；　Should　we　write　as　we　wrote？　　But　one　thinks　not　of　this！　At　Twenty　（who　does　not　at　Twenty？）　we　write　Believing　eternal　the　frail　vows　we　plight；　And　we　smile　with　a　confident　pity；　above　The　vulgar　results　of　all　poor　human　love：　For　we　deem；　with　that　vanity　common　to　youth；　Because　what　we　feel　in　our　bosoms；　in　truth；　Is　novel　to　usthat　'tis　novel　to　earth；　And　will　prove　the　exception；　in　durance　and　worth；　To　the　great　law　to　which　all　on　earth　must　incline。　The　error　was　noble；　the　vanity　fine！　Shall　we　blame　it　because　we　survive　it？　ah；　no；　'Twas　the　youth　of　our　youth；　my　lord；　is　it　not　so？〃


XII。


Lord　Alfred　was　mute。　　He　remember'd　her　yet　A　childthe　weak　sport　of　each　moment's　regret；　Blindly　yielding　herself　to　the　errors　of　life；　The　deceptions　of　youth；　and　borne　down　by　the　strife　And　the　tumult　of　passion；　the　tremulous　toy　Of　each　transient　emotion　of　grief　or　of　joy。　But　to　watch　her　pronounce　the　death…warrant　of　all　The　illusions　of　lifelift；　unflinching；　the　pall　From　the　bier　of　the　dead　Pastthat　woman　so　fair；　And　so　young；　yet　her　own　self…survivor；　who　there　Traced　her　life's　epitaph　with　a　finger　so　cold！　'Twas　a　picture　that　pain'd　his　self…love　to　behold。　He　himself　knewnone　betterthe　things　to　be　said　Upon　subjects　like　this。　　Yet　he　bow'd　down　his　head：　And　as　thus；　with　a　trouble　he　could　not　command；　He　paused；　crumpling　the　letters　he　held　in　his　hand；　〃You　know　me　enough；〃　she　continued；　〃or　what　I　would　say　is；　you　yet　recollect　（do　you　not；　Lord　Alfred？）　enough　of　my　nature；　to　know　That　these　pledges　of　what　was　perhaps　long　ago　A　foolish　affection；　I　do　not　recall　From　those　motives　of　prudence　which　actuate　all　Or　most　women　when　their　love　ceases。　　Indeed；　If　you　have　such　a　doubt；　to　dispel　it　I　need　But　remind　you　that　ten　years　these　letters　have　rested　Unreclaim'd　in　your　hands。〃　　A　reproach　seem'd　suggested　By　these　words。　　To　meet　it；　Lord　Alfred　look'd　up　（His　gaze　had　been　fix'd　on　a　blue　Sevres　cup　With　a　look　of　profound　connoisseurshipa　smile　Of　singular　interest　and　care；　all　this　while。）　He　look'd　up；　and　look'd　long　in　the　face　of　Lucile；　To　mark　if　that　face　by　a　sign　would　reveal　At　the　thought　of　Miss　Darcy　the　least　jealous　pain。　He　look'd　keenly　and　long；　yet　he　look'd　there　in　vain。　〃You　are　generous；　Madam；〃　he　murmur'd　at　last；　And　into　his　voice　a　light　irony　pass'd。　He　had　look'd　for　reproaches；　and　fully　arranged　His　forces。　　But　straightway　the　enemy　changed　The　position。


XIII。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Come！〃　gayly　Lucile　interposed；　With　a　smile　whose　divinely　deep　sweetness　disclosed　Some　depth　in　her　nature　he　never　had　known；　While　she　tenderly　laid　her　light　hand　on　his　own；　〃Do　not　think　I　abuse　the　occasion。　　We　gain　Justice；　judgment；　with　years；　or　else　years　are　in　vain。　From　me　not　a　single　reproach　can　you　hear。　I　have　sinn'd　to　myselfto　the　worldnay；　I　fear　To　you　chiefly。　　The　woman　who　loves　should；　indeed；　Be　the　friend　of　the　man　that　she　loves。　　She　should　heed　Not　her　selfish　and　often　mistaken　desires；　But　his　interest　whose　fate　her　own　interest　inspires；　And　rather　than　seek　to　allure；　for　her　sake；　His　life　down　the　turbulent；　fanciful　wake　Of　impossible　destinies；　use　all　her　art　That　his　place　in　the　world　find　its　place　in　her　heart。　I；　alas！I　perceived　not　this　truth　till　too　late；　I　tormented　your　youth；　I　have　darken'd　your　fate。　Forgive　me　the　ill　I　have　done　for　the　sake　Of　its　long　expiation！〃


XIV。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Lord　Alfred；　awake；　Seem'd　to　wander　from　dream　on　to　dream。　　In　that　seat　Where　he　sat　as　a　criminal；　ready　to　meet　His　accuser；　he　found　himself　turn'd　by　some　change；　As　surprising　and　all　unexpected　as　strange；　To　the　judge　from　whose　mercy　indulgence　was　sought。　All　the　world's　foolish　pride　in　that　moment　was　naught；　He　felt　all　his　plausible　theories　posed；　And；　thrill'd　by　the　beauty　of　nature　disclosed　In　the　pathos　of　all　he　had　witness'd；　his　head　He　bow'd；　and　faint　words　self…reproachfully　said；　As　he　lifted　her　hand　to　his　lips。　　'Twas　a　hand　White；　delicate；　dimpled；　warm；　languid；　and　bland。　The　hand　of　a　woman　is　often；　in　youth；　Somewhat　rough；　somewhat　red；　somewhat　graceless；　in　truth；　Does　its　beauty　refine；　as　its　pulses　grow　calm；　Or　as　Sorrow　has　cross'd　the　life…line　in　the　palm？


XV。


The　more　that　he　look'd；　that　he　listen'd；　the　more　He　discover'd　perfections　unnoticed　before。　Less　salient　than　once；　less　poetic；　perchance；　This　woman　who　thus　had　survived　the　romance　That　had　made　him　its　hero；　and　breathed　him　its　sighs；　Seem'd　more　charming　a　thousand　times　o'er　to　his　eyes。　Together　they　talk'd　of　the　years　since　when　last　They　parted；　contrasting　the　present；　the　past。　Yet　no　memory　marr'd　their　light　converse。　　Lucile　Question'd　much；　with　the　interest　a　sister　might　feel；　Of　Lord　Alfred's　new　life；of　Miss　Darcyher　face；　Her　temper；　accomplishmentspausing　to　trace　The　advantage　derived　from　a　hymen　so　fit。　Of　herself；　she　recounted　with　humor　and　wit　Her　journeys；　her　daily　employments；　the　lands　She　had　seen；　and　the　books　she　had　read；　and　the　hands　She　had　shaken。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　all　that　she　said　there　appear'd　An　amiable　irony。　　Laughing；　she　rear'd　The　temple　of　reason；　with　ever　a　touch　Of　light　scorn　at　her　work；　reveal'd　only　so　much　As　their　gleams；　in　the　thyrsus　that　Bacchanals　bear；　Through　the　blooms　of　a　garland　the　point　of　a　spear。　But　above；　and　beneath；　and　beyond　all　of　this；　To　that　soul；　whose　experience　had　paralyzed　bliss；　A　benignant　indulgence；　to　all　things　resign'd；　A　justice；　a　sweetness；　a　meekness　of　mind；　Gave　a　luminous　beauty；　as　tender　and　faint　And　serene　as　the　halo　encircling　a　saint。


XVI。


Unobserved　by　Lord　Alfred　the　time　fleeted　by。　To　each　novel　sensation　spontaneously　He　abandon'd　himself　with　that　ardor　so　strange　Which　belongs　to　a　mind　grown　accustom'd　to　change。　He　sought；　with　well…practised　and　delicate　art；　To　surprise　from　Lucile　the　true　state　of　her　heart；　But　his　efforts　were　vain；　and　the　woman；　as　ever；　More　adroit　than　the　man；　baffled　every　endeavor。　When　he　deem'd　he　had　touch'd　on　some　chord　in　her　being；　At　the　touch　it　dissolved；　and　was　gone。　　Ever　fleeing　As　ever　he　near　it　advanced；　when　he　thought　To　have　seized；　and　proceeded　to　analyze　aught　Of　the　moral　existence；　the　absolute　soul；　Light　as　vapor　the　phantom　escaped　his　control。


XVII。


From　the　hall；　on　a　sudden；　a　sharp　ring　was　heard。　In　the　passage　without　a　quick　footstep　there　stirr'd；　At　the　door　knock'd　the　negress；　and　thrust　in　her　head；　〃The　Duke　de　Luvois　had　just　enter'd；〃　she　said；　〃And　insisted〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃The　Duke！〃　cried　Lucile　（as　she　spoke；　The　Duke's　step；　approaching；　a　light　echo　woke）。　〃Say　I　do　not　receive　till　the　evening。　　Explain；〃　As　she　glanced　at　Lord　Alfred；　she　added　again；　〃I　have　business　of　private　importance。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　There　came　O'er　Lord　Alfred　at　once；　at　the　sound　of　that　name；　An　invincible　sense　of　vexation。　　He　turn'd　To　L