登陆注册
15710800000037

第37章

But the thing that most occupied my mind, and gave to my pilgrimage the interest of intense curiosity, in addition to the almost pious feelings that led me onwards, was that glorious faith of Mademoiselle de Villenoix's which the good priest had told me of. Had she in the course of time been infected with her lover's madness, or had she so completely entered into his soul that she could understand all its thoughts, even the most perplexed? I lost myself in the wonderful problem of feeling, passing the highest inspirations of passion and the most beautiful instances of self-sacrifice. That one should die for the other is an almost vulgar form of devotion. To live faithful to one love is a form of heroism that immortalized Mademoiselle Dupuis. When the great Napoleon and Lord Byron could find successors in the hearts of women they had loved, we may well admire Bolingbroke's widow; but Mademoiselle Dupuis could feed on the memories of many years of happiness, whereas Mademoiselle de Villenoix, having known nothing of love but its first excitement, seemed to me to typify love in its highest expression. If she were herself almost crazy, it was splendid; but if she had understood and entered into his madness, she combined with the beauty of a noble heart a crowning effort of passion worthy to be studied and honored.

When I saw the tall turrets of the chateau, remembering how often poor Lambert must have thrilled at the sight of them, my heart beat anxiously. As I recalled the events of our boyhood, I was almost a sharer in his present life and situation. At last I reached a wide, deserted courtyard, and I went into the hall of the house without meeting a soul. There the sound of my steps brought out an old woman, to whom I gave a letter written to Mademoiselle de Villenoix by Monsieur Lefebvre. In a few minutes this woman returned to bid me enter, and led me to a low room, floored with black-and-white marble;the Venetian shutters were closed, and at the end of the room I dimly saw Louis Lambert.

"Be seated, monsieur," said a gentle voice that went to my heart.

Mademoiselle de Villenoix was at my side before I was aware of her presence, and noiselessly brought me a chair, which at first I would not accept. It was so dark that at first I saw Mademoiselle de Villenoix and Lambert only as two black masses perceived against the gloomy background. I presently sat down under the influence of the feeling that comes over us, almost in spite of ourselves, under the obscure vault of a church. My eyes, full of the bright sunshine, accustomed themselves gradually to this artificial night.

"Monsieur is your old school-friend," she said to Louis.

He made no reply. At last I could see him, and it was one of those spectacles that are stamped on the memory for ever. He was standing, his elbows resting on the cornice of the low wainscot, which threw his body forward, so that it seemed bowed under the weight of his bent head. His hair was as long as a woman's, falling over his shoulders and hanging about his face, giving him a resemblance to the busts of the great men of the time of Louis XIV. His face was perfectly white.

He constantly rubbed one leg against the other, with a mechanical action that nothing could have checked, and the incessant friction of the bones made a doleful sound. Near him was a bed of moss on boards.

"He very rarely lies down," said Mademoiselle de Villenoix; "but whenever he does, he sleeps for several days."Louis stood, as I beheld him, day and night with a fixed gaze, never winking his eyelids as we do. Having asked Mademoiselle de Villenoix whether a little more light would hurt our friend, on her reply Iopened the shutters a little way, and could see the expression of Lambert's countenance. Alas! he was wrinkled, white-headed, his eyes dull and lifeless as those of the blind. His features seemed all drawn upwards to the top of his head. I made several attempts to talk to him, but he did not hear me. He was a wreck snatched from the grave, a conquest of life from death--or of death from life!

I stayed for about an hour, sunk in unaccountable dreams, and lost in painful thought. I listened to Mademoiselle de Villenoix, who told me every detail of this life--that of a child in arms.

Suddenly Louis ceased rubbing his legs together, and said slowly:

"The angels are white."

I cannot express the effect produced upon me by this utterance, by the sound of the voice I had loved, whose accents, so painfully expected, had seemed to be lost for ever. My eyes filled with tears in spite of every effort. An involuntary instinct warned me, making me doubt whether Louis had really lost his reason. I was indeed well assured that he neither saw nor heard me; but the sweetness of his tone, which seemed to reveal heavenly happiness, gave his speech an amazing effect. These words, the incomplete revelation of an unknown world, rang in our souls like some glorious distant bells in the depth of a dark night. I was no longer surprised that Mademoiselle de Villenoix considered Lambert to be perfectly sane. The life of the soul had perhaps subdued that of the body. His faithful companion had, no doubt --as I had at that moment--intuitions of that melodious and beautiful existence to which we give the name of Heaven in its highest meaning.

This woman, this angel, always was with him, seated at her embroidery frame; and each time she drew the needle out she gazed at Lambert with sad and tender feeling. Unable to endure this terrible sight--for Icould not, like Mademoiselle de Villenoix, read all his secrets--Iwent out, and she came with me to walk for a few minutes and talk of herself and of Lambert.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 公主太难捉摸

    公主太难捉摸

    聂元元死了,却意外地穿越了,还是个不认识的朝代,穿过来就成为公主,真不知是好运还是厄运,好吧,不管这么多了,看本公主如何治理天下,成为天下第一国家!讲的是一个二十一世纪的女生穿越到一个小女孩身上成长的故事。不喜勿入!
  • 弑天冥帝

    弑天冥帝

    万年前,一场浩大的阴谋,引发了一场天地间大乱。冥王肖天惨遭天地诸强围杀,自散三魂七魄,重走修天路,弑天而行!兄弟、女人、宝藏……还有数不尽的热血!
  • 千金丫鬟:拒嫁腹黑小王爷

    千金丫鬟:拒嫁腹黑小王爷

    俗话说,一个伟大爱情的开始,总会有一个先耍流氓。一个是转世穿越的千金小丫鬟,一个是位高权重的腹黑小王爷,一次偶然的邂逅,引发之后一连串爆笑故事。看腹黑小王爷如何调教千金小丫鬟,千金小丫鬟又如何由弱变强叫板腹黑小王爷。开头很爆笑,过程很腹黑,带点小虐,结局很温馨。菜鸟一枚,擅写小白,如不喜欢,恳请绕道,更新给力,请勿拍砖!o(∩_∩)o
  • 此生有你相伴,亦可

    此生有你相伴,亦可

    他,经历了什么归来后变得冷漠,又是什么让他对爱如此执着她,不肯接受所有,只为满足一个人的期待他,满血归来,只为抢走自己的心中所爱她,明明满腹经纶却心甘情愿当背景板,只为能挽回逝去的爱他能否找回他的她,他又能否抓住他的她他们的关系如织毛衣般一针一线的慢慢搭建,然而只要一条断,便全盘乱……每个人都在守护爱情,但是爱却偏偏不青睐他们。他们都在用自己的方式守护爱情,也依旧是剪不断,理还乱。。。
  • 重生之风起云华

    重生之风起云华

    豪门世族从来不少肮脏内幕,恩怨情仇!当战战兢兢活在他人屋檐下的孤女一夕间身世反转,当她的人生被人肆意操控,嘲笑,玩弄,当情谊,亲情成为一场梦后……棋局推散!人生重启!雾霭拨净!让我们看一场凤凰涅槃后的华丽转变!看孤女搅动这一盘乱局,风起云华!
  • 神圣榜首

    神圣榜首

    大唐奉历元年,李苏的父母被皇帝设局杀害,这个时候的李苏只有六个月大。长大以后,李苏立志要登步神圣,亲手血刃他最大的仇家--大唐皇帝。
  • 太岁奇案

    太岁奇案

    本书为著名故事作家李洪文先生的传奇故事集。本书作品题材丰富,写作手法多样。里面有令人欲罢不能的悬疑,有叫人瞠目结舌的惊险,有抽丝剥茧般的探案侦破,还有使人振聋发聩般的历史纪实……作者将那些精彩故事娓娓道来,读者一定会在阅读的过程中渐入佳境,与故事中的主人公产生共鸣;当您掩卷深思时,方能领悟到故事艺术的魅力所在。它的可读性和趣味性,都能使你得到教益和快乐。
  • 自我与沟通(和谐中华知识文库)

    自我与沟通(和谐中华知识文库)

    本书告诉我们遇到任何问题、状况与事情时,不要怨天尤人,怪别人甚至怪老天无眼,而是要冷静下来先想想自己,做自我检测与沟通。自我与沟通的首要条件,即在於认知,知自己之不足、障碍、限制、圈圈和问题到底在哪里。认知后,接著必须动心,用心去感觉、去体悟,使自己的心开放,增加自我与沟通的内心动力。心动不如马上行动,当自己内心的动力增强后,即刻就要付诸实践,让行动发挥出自我与沟通的充分效果。自我与沟通非一蹴即成,必须持续不断一次又一次的为之,不可心急或求速效,而必须慢慢的,一步一步来,方能真正达到自我与沟通的确实效果。
  • 枫雨永同舟

    枫雨永同舟

    “萧雨学姐,小心认错人了哦。”富有磁性的声音传来。……“你,你,你……”萧雨惊讶得一连说了三个“你”。“誓言,初次见面,你好。我是倾城之恋。”夏枫淡淡一笑。甜蜜虐恋带你扬帆起航!
  • 天启禁戒

    天启禁戒

    天启人,是一群觉醒能力者,但都无法完美控制的能力。一旦放任能力自主释放,一个人精力将会耗尽而亡。隐藏在地球的神秘人,会在每一个天启人觉醒之际,给他们戴上禁戒和天启人身份证。而每一个天启人一旦觉醒,都必然走上天启之路。天启之路的世界繁多,除非成神脱离天启之路,要么死亡......