登陆注册
15698900000015

第15章

Herkimer did know him. But it demanded all the intimate andpractical acquaintance with the human face, acquired by modellingactual likenesses in clay, to recognize the features of RoderickElliston in the visage that now met the sculptor's gaze. Yet it washe. It added nothing to the wonder, to reflect that the once brilliantyoung man had undergone this odious and fearful change, during theno more than five brief years of Herkimer's abode at Florence. Thepossibility of such a transformation being granted, it was as easyto conceive it effected in a moment as in an age. Inexpressiblyshocked and startled, it was still the keenest pang, when Herkimerremembered that the fate of his cousin Rosina, the ideal of gentlewomanhood, was indissolubly interwoven with that of a being whomProvidence seemed to have unhumanized.

"Elliston! Roderick!" cried he, "I had heard of this; but myconception came far short of the truth. What has befallen you? Whydo I find you thus?""Oh, 'tis a mere nothing! A snake! A snake! The commonest thingin the world. A snake in the bosom- that's all," answered RoderickElliston. "But how is your own breast?" continued he, looking thesculptor in the eye, with the most acute and penetrating glance thatit had ever been his fortune to encounter. "All pure and wholesome? Noreptile there? By my faith and conscience, and by the devil within me,here is a wonder! A man without a serpent in his bosom!""Be calm, Elliston," whispered George Herkimer, laying his handupon the shoulder of the snake-possessed. "I have crossed the ocean tomeet you. Listen- let us be private- I bring a message from Rosina!

from your wife!"

"It gnaws me! It gnaws me!" muttered Roderick.

With this exclamation, the most frequent in his mouth, theunfortunate man clutched both hands upon his breast, as if anintolerable sting or torture impelled him to rend it open, and let outthe living mischief, even where it intertwined with his own life. Hethen freed himself from Herkimer's grasp, by a subtle motion, andgliding through the gate, took refuge in his antiquated familyresidence. The sculptor did not pursue him. He saw that no availableintercourse could be expected at such a moment, and was desirous,before another meeting, to inquire closely into the nature ofRoderick's disease, and the circumstances that had reduced him to solamentable a condition. He succeeded in obtaining the necessaryinformation from an eminent medical gentleman.

Shortly after Elliston's separation from his wife- now nearlyfour years ago- his associates had observed a singular gloom spreadingover his daily life, like those chill, gray mists that sometimes stealaway the sunshine from a summer's morning. The symptoms caused themendless perplexity. They knew not whether ill health were robbinghis spirits of elasticity; or whether a canker of the mind wasgradually eating, as such cankers do, from his moral system into thephysical frame, which is but the shadow of the former. They looked forthe root of this trouble in his shattered schemes of domestic bliss-wilfully shattered by himself-but could not be satisfied of itsexistence there. Some thought that their once brilliant friend wasin an incipient stage of insanity, of which his passionate impulseshad perhaps been the forerunners; others prognosticated a generalblight and gradual decline. From Roderick's own lips, they could learnnothing. More than once, it is true, he had been heard to say,clutching his hands convulsively upon his breast- "It gnaws me! Itgnaws me!"- but, by different auditors, a great diversity ofexplanation was assigned to this ominous expression. What could it be,that gnawed the breast of Roderick Elliston? Was it sorrow? Was itmerely the tooth of physical disease? Or, in his reckless course,often verging upon profligacy, if not plunging into its depths, had hebeen guilty of some deed, which made his bosom a prey to thedeadlier fangs of remorse? There was plausible ground for each ofthese conjectures; but it must not be concealed that more than oneelderly gentleman, the victim of good cheer and slothful habits,magisterially pronounced the secret of the whole matter to beDyspepsia!

Meanwhile, Roderick seemed aware how generally he had become thesubject of curiosity and conjecture, and, with a morbid repugnanceto such notice, or to any notice whatsoever, estranged himself fromall companionship. Not merely the eye of man was a horror to him;not merely the light of a friend's countenance; but even the blessedsunshine, likewise, which, in its universal beneficence, typifiesthe radiance of the Creator's face, expressing his love for all thecreatures of his hand. The dusky twilight was now too transparentfor Roderick Elliston; the blackest midnight was his chosen hour tosteal abroad; and if ever he were seen, it was when the watchman'slantern gleamed upon his figure, gliding along the street with hishands clutched upon his bosom, still muttering: "It gnaws me! It gnawsme!" What could it be that gnawed him?

After a time, it became known that Elliston was in the habit ofresorting to all the noted quacks that infested the city, or whommoney would tempt to journey thither from a distance. By one ofthese persons, in the exultation of a supposed cure, it was proclaimedfar and wide, by dint of hand-bills and little pamphlets on dingypaper, that a distinguished gentleman, Roderick Elliston, Esq., hadbeen relieved of a SNAKE in his stomach! So here was the monstroussecret, ejected from its lurking-place into public view, in all itshorrible deformity. The mystery was out; but not so the bosom serpent.

同类推荐
  • 林忠宣公全集

    林忠宣公全集

    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。
  • 佛说箭喻经

    佛说箭喻经

    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。
  • 答叶溥求论古文书

    答叶溥求论古文书

    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。
  • 通玄真经

    通玄真经

    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。
  • 明孝宗宝训

    明孝宗宝训

    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。
热门推荐
  • 恶魔校草:我穷亦不会输

    恶魔校草:我穷亦不会输

    她,不过是一个穷家孩子,凭着努力考上了贵族学院;他,竟然是一个富家少爷,因为初恋成为了冰山王子。天杀的他们遇在了一起..精彩片段1:苏子言靠着汤果薇那么近要干撒?他是要吻汤果薇吗?越来越近了,好紧张,肿么办!许久..“丫头,样子帅呆了啊!”what?!当汤果薇红着脸睁开眼时,苏子言已经走了。。。“一个王八蛋---!”精彩片段2:“他就那么好吗?”苏子言咆哮了。“你能不能先听我说。”汤果薇声音被苏子言压得很低很低..“你说。”“其实我和卓亦雨不过..”怎么解释呢,汤果薇也急了,她该怎么解释。“不过怎么?没话说了吗?”汤果薇的不语让苏子言怒气上升..“唔..”苏子言覆盖上了汤果薇的唇..
  • 赵云异界征战记

    赵云异界征战记

    随着诸葛亮的第七次北伐,年老体衰的常胜神将赵云也带着内颗战斗不休的心闭上了双眼,永远的消失在了这个战乱不断的三国,名垂千古亦是留下了常胜将军的美称,然而人死后是永远消失在了黄土之下还是亦如传说中的走上了奈何桥.....
  • 废柴逆天:妖孽夫君别惹我

    废柴逆天:妖孽夫君别惹我

    她,为身上背负的血海深仇而生,没日没夜的修炼,只是为了报家族被灭,亲人惨死在自己眼前之仇。”弃我,伤我,毁我,我会让你付出你永远都无法想象的代价。“重生,一个修炼界的天才却偏偏跟个牛皮糖似的黏着她。”娘子,我这辈子跟定你了,你再也逃不掉了。不对,是生生世世赖上你了!~~~~“”在我没发怒前,快滚~~“
  • 致姗姗来迟的你

    致姗姗来迟的你

    洪小妹快被求婚了,可是自己却发现自己并不爱这个大学毕业就被父母介绍的男孩。情急之下,好闺蜜带着她重拾自我,让她回到她该拥有的生活。在这期间,她遇到了一个让她一见钟情的男孩,本以为这情感会昙花一现,没想到却是长久的羁绊。
  • 修仙之可不可以不穿了

    修仙之可不可以不穿了

    乔奈死后变成鬼了才知道自己的项链吊坠居然是个充满了灵气的空间,不仅如此,那吊坠里还装了个神兽死皮赖脸的要认她当主人。为了重新做人(这句话怎么感觉怪怪的?),乔奈踏上了修仙的道路。本以为自己走的是都市修仙路线的乔奈却突然发现自己穿越了!!!在异世里,乔奈有充满灵气的空间,呆萌傻蠢的神兽灵宠和美得让人想毁他容的师傅。让乔奈不由得感叹一声:生活是多么美好!但是这个几次冒出来处处与她作对的神秘人物到底是谁啊?美人师傅快来救命啊!!!有人欺负你家徒弟了!!!!
  • 毒辣小宠妃

    毒辣小宠妃

    她是,韩家流离失所的大小姐,废材!无能!懦弱!她!破碎虚空,当她成为另一个“她”,该是怎么样呢?韩家血统嗜血成性,每当残月之时,就会变成“嗜血怪物”,她成为那个“家”的得意之作,血姬!便是她的面具。流转前世,罔迷后尘,他,还是他吗?她是一代青楼花魁,却只为他,轮回万生最强推:天才妖娆妃欢迎收看,不看白不看哦~帅的人都在看了~
  • 传说中的鬼压身

    传说中的鬼压身

    某种程度上废柴的少年,因缘际会被鬼压身,从而变得某种程度上更加废柴,但是在另外的程度上变得大丈夫,然而,所谓鬼,那究竟是什么?是恶念?是欲望?是怨恨?是憎恶?还是别的什么?
  • 捉鬼女天师(完结)

    捉鬼女天师(完结)

    以家族的形式存在的杨氏驱魔龙族,是一个由驱魔者和龙族结合的神秘家族!其族人必须终生以除魔卫道,守正辟邪,除尽世间阴秽之物为己任!六岁的杨雪儿开始跟杨丽丝学法术!她天赋高,灵力强,十二岁开始出师捉鬼!十八岁已经是一名非常之出色的捉鬼女天师!(本书纯属虚构)
  • 这是一个茶几

    这是一个茶几

    这是一个茶几,上面全是杯具。遇见大老婆是叶柳杨一生中最大的悲剧,遇见二老婆是叶柳杨穿越后最大的悲剧,遇见三老婆是叶柳杨发奋时最大的悲剧......当然,这些都是无关紧要的。恶搞无极限,才是本书的精要~
  • 幻梦之子

    幻梦之子

    一个恐怖的雨夜一个男孩默默地在雨中哭泣,亲人的离去使他悲痛,家人的谎言,家族的暗杀,誓言的破灭,记忆的缺失。这一切的一切全都压在了一个不满十三岁的孩子身上,经过那一个恐怖的雨夜我相信这个孩子将会成长成一个绝世强者。脑海中醒来的萝莉女孩,突然出现的御姐,手握血剑身披黑色斗篷的神秘男子,光明与黑暗的主人,尘封的血脉是否应该觉醒,四大神兽的光辉是否将再次闪耀。天使究竟是善良还是邪恶的化身。