第 22 节
作者:
点绛唇 更新:2021-02-21 15:06 字数:9322
Marquis; expecting the holy person to come forth; and meaning to excuse his uncivil interruption; said;
〃Reverend Father; I sought the Lady Hippolita。〃
〃Hippolita!〃 replied a hollow voice; 〃camest thou to this castle to seek Hippolita?〃 and then the figure; turning slowly round; discovered to Frederic the fleshless jaws and empty sockets of a skeleton; wrapt in a hermit's cowl。
〃Angels of grace protect me!〃 cried Frederic; recoiling。
〃Deserve their protection!〃 said the Spectre。 Frederic; falling on his knees; adjured the phantom to take pity on him。
〃Dost thou not remember me?〃 said the apparition。 〃Remember the wood of Joppa!〃
〃Art thou that holy hermit?〃 cried Frederic; trembling。 〃Can I do aught for thy eternal peace?〃
〃Wast thou delivered from bondage;〃 said the spectre; 〃to pursue carnal delights? Hast thou forgotten the buried sabre; and the behest of Heaven engraven on it?〃
〃I have not; I have not;〃 said Frederic; 〃but say; blest spirit; what is thy errand to me? What remains to be done?〃
〃To forget Matilda!〃 said the apparition; and vanished。
Frederic's blood froze in his veins。 For some minutes he remained motionless。 Then falling prostrate on his face before the altar; he besought the intercession of every saint for pardon。 A flood of tears succeeded to this transport; and the image of the beauteous Matilda rushing in spite of him on his thoughts; he lay on the ground in a conflict of penitence and passion。 Ere he could recover from this agony of his spirits; the Princess Hippolita with a taper in her hand entered the oratory alone。 Seeing a man without motion on the floor; she gave a shriek; concluding him dead。 Her fright brought Frederic to himself。 Rising suddenly; his face bedewed with tears; he would have rushed from her presence; but Hippolita stopping him; conjured him in the most plaintive accents to explain the cause of his disorder; and by what strange chance she had found him there in that posture。
〃Ah; virtuous Princess!〃 said the Marquis; penetrated with grief; and stopped。
〃For the love of Heaven; my Lord;〃 said Hippolita; 〃disclose the cause of this transport! What mean these doleful sounds; this alarming exclamation on my name? What woes has heaven still in store for the wretched Hippolita? Yet silent! By every pitying angel; I adjure thee; noble Prince;〃 continued she; falling at his feet; 〃to disclose the purport of what lies at thy heart。 I see thou feelest for me; thou feelest the sharp pangs that thou inflictest … speak; for pity! Does aught thou knowest concern my child?〃
〃I cannot speak;〃 cried Frederic; bursting from her。 〃Oh; Matilda!〃
Quitting the Princess thus abruptly; he hastened to his own apartment。 At the door of it he was accosted by Manfred; who flushed by wine and love had come to seek him; and to propose to waste some hours of the night in music and revelling。 Frederic; offended at an invitation so dissonant from the mood of his soul; pushed him rudely aside; and entering his chamber; flung the door intemperately against Manfred; and bolted it inwards。 The haughty Prince; enraged at this unaccountable behaviour; withdrew in a frame of mind capable of the most fatal excesses。 As he crossed the court; he was met by the domestic whom he had planted at the convent as a spy on Jerome and Theodore。 This man; almost breathless with the haste he had made; informed his Lord that Theodore; and some lady from the castle were; at that instant; in private conference at the tomb of Alfonso in St。 Nicholas's church。 He had dogged Theodore thither; but the gloominess of the night had prevented his discovering who the woman was。
Manfred; whose spirits were inflamed; and whom Isabella had driven from her on his urging his passion with too little reserve; did not doubt but the inquietude she had expressed had been occasioned by her impatience to meet Theodore。 Provoked by this conjecture; and enraged at her father; he hastened secretly to the great church。 Gliding softly between the aisles; and guided by an imperfect gleam of moonshine that shone faintly through the illuminated windows; he stole towards the tomb of Alfonso; to which he was directed by indistinct whispers of the persons he sought。 The first sounds he could distinguish were …
〃Does it; alas! depend on me? Manfred will never permit our union。〃
〃No; this shall prevent it!〃 cried the tyrant; drawing his dagger; and plunging it over her shoulder into the bosom of the person that spoke。
〃Ah; me; I am slain!〃 cried Matilda; sinking。 〃Good heaven; receive my soul!〃
〃Savage; inhuman monster; what hast thou done!〃 cried Theodore; rushing on him; and wrenching his dagger from him。
〃Stop; stop thy impious hand!〃 cried Matilda; 〃it is my father!〃
Manfred; waking as from a trance; beat his breast; twisted his hands in his locks; and endeavoured to recover his dagger from Theodore to despatch himself。 Theodore; scarce less distracted; and only mastering the transports of his grief to assist Matilda; had now by his cries drawn some of the monks to his aid。 While part of them endeavoured; in concert with the afflicted Theodore; to stop the blood of the dying Princess; the rest prevented Manfred from laying violent hands on himself。
Matilda; resigning herself patiently to her fate; acknowledged with looks of grateful love the zeal of Theodore。 Yet oft as her faintness would permit her speech its way; she begged the assistants to comfort her father。 Jerome; by this time; had learnt the fatal news; and reached the church。 His looks seemed to reproach Theodore; but turning to Manfred; he said;
〃Now; tyrant! behold the completion of woe fulfilled on thy impious and devoted head! The blood of Alfonso cried to heaven for vengeance; and heaven has permitted its altar to be polluted by assassination; that thou mightest shed thy own blood at the foot of that Prince's sepulchre!〃
〃Cruel man!〃 cried Matilda; 〃to aggravate the woes of a parent; may heaven bless my father; and forgive him as I do! My Lord; my gracious Sire; dost thou forgive thy child? Indeed; I came not hither to meet Theodore。 I found him praying at this tomb; whither my mother sent me to intercede for thee; for her … dearest father; bless your child; and say you forgive her。〃
〃Forgive thee! Murderous monster!〃 cried Manfred; 〃can assassins forgive? I took thee for Isabella; but heaven directed my bloody hand to the heart of my child。 Oh; Matilda! … I cannot utter it … canst thou forgive the blindness of my rage?〃
〃I can; I do; and may heaven confirm it!〃 said Matilda; 〃but while I have life to ask it … oh! my mother! what will she feel? Will you comfort her; my Lord? Will you not put her away? Indeed she loves you! Oh; I am faint! bear me to the castle。 Can I live to have her close my eyes?〃
Theodore and the monks besought her earnestly to suffer herself to be borne into the convent; but her instances were so pressing to be carried to the castle; that placing her on a litter; they conveyed her thither as she requested。 Theodore; supporting her head with his arm; and hanging over her in an agony of despairing love; still endeavoured to inspire her with hopes of life。 Jerome; on the other side; comforted her with discourses of heaven; and holding a crucifix before her; which she bathed with innocent tears; prepared her for her passage to immortality。 Manfred; plunged in the deepest affliction; followed the litter in despair。
Ere they reached the castle; Hippolita; informed of the dreadful catastrophe; had flown to meet her murdered child; but when she saw the afflicted procession; the mightiness of her grief deprived her of her senses; and she fell lifeless to the earth in a swoon。 Isabella and Frederic; who attended her; were overwhelmed in almost equal sorrow。 Matilda alone seemed insensible to her own situation: every thought was lost in tenderness for her mother。
Ordering the litter to stop; as soon as Hippolita was brought to herself; she asked for her father。 He approached; unable to speak。 Matilda; seizing his hand and her mother's; locked them in her own; and then clasped them to her heart。 Manfred could not support this act of pathetic piety。 He dashed himself on the ground; and cursed the day he was born。 Isabella; apprehensive that these struggles of passion were more than Matilda could support; took upon herself to order Manfred to be borne to his apartment; while she caused Matilda to be conveyed to the nearest chamber。 Hippolita; scarce more alive than her daughter; was regardless of everything but her; but when the tender Isabella's care would have likewise removed her; while the surgeons examined Matilda's wound; she cried;
〃Remove me! never; never! I lived but in her; and will expire with her。〃
Matilda raised her eyes at her mother's voice; but closed them again without speaking。 Her sinking pulse and the damp coldness of her hand soon dispelled all hopes of recovery。 Theodore followed the surgeons into the outer chamber; and heard them pronounce the fatal sentence with a transport equal to frenzy。
〃Since she cannot live