安徒生童话-第152章

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n　his　little　cell；　and；　opening　the　window；　looked　outupon　old　Rome；　upon　the　desolated　temples；　and　the　great　deadColiseum…　when　he　saw　all　this　in　its　spring　garb；　when　the　acaciasbloomed；　and　the　ivy　was　fresh；　and　roses　burst　forth　everywhere；and　the　citron　and　orange　were　in　the　height　of　their　beauty；　andthe　palm　trees　waved　their　branches…　then　he　felt　a　deeper　emotionthan　had　ever　yet　thrilled　through　him。　The　quiet　open　Campagna　spreaditself　forth　towards　the　blue　snow…covered　mountains；　which　seemedto　be　painted　in　the　air；　all　the　outlines　melting　into　each　other；breathing　peace　and　beauty；　floating；　dreaming…　and　all　appearing　likea　dream！

Yes；　this　world　was　a　dream；　and　the　dream　lasts　for　hours；　andmay　return　for　hours；　but　convent　life　is　a　life　of　years…　long　years；and　many　years。

From　within　es　much　that　renders　men　sinful　and　impure。　Hefully　realized　the　truth　of　this。　What　flames　arose　up　in　him　attimes！　What　a　source　of　evil；　of　that　which　we　would　not；　welled　upcontinually！　He　mortified　his　body；　but　the　evil　came　from　within。

One　day；　after　the　lapse　of　many　years；　he　met　Angelo；　whorecognized　him。

〃Man！〃　exclaimed　Angelo。　〃Yes；　it　is　thou！　Art　thou　happy　now？Thou　hast　sinned　against　God；　and　cast　away　His　boon　from　thee…　hastneglected　thy　mission　in　this　world！　Read　the　parable　of　the　intrustedtalent！　The　MASTER；　who　spoke　that　parable；　spoke　the　truth！　What　hastthou　gained？　What　hast　thou　found？　Dost　thou　not　fashion　for　thyself　areligion　and　a　dreamy　life　after　thine　own　idea；　as　almost　all　do？Suppose　all　this　is　a　dream；　a　fair　delusion！〃

〃Get　thee　away　from　me；　Satan！〃　said　the　monk；　and　he　quittedAngelo。

〃There　is　a　devil；　a　personal　devil！　This　day　I　have　seen　him！〃said　the　monk　to　himself。　〃Once　I　extended　a　finger　to　him；　and　hetook　my　whole　hand。　But　now；〃　he　sighed；　〃the　evil　is　within　me；　andit　is　in　yonder　man；　but　it　does　not　bow　him　down；　he　goes　abroad　withhead　erect；　and　enjoys　his　fort；　and　I　grasped　at　fort　in　theconsolations　of　religion。　If　it　were　nothing　but　a　consolation？Supposing　everything　here　were；　like　the　world　I　have　quitted；　onlya　beautiful　fancy；　a　delusion　like　the　beauty　of　the　evening　clouds；like　the　misty　blue　of　the　distant　hills！…　when　you　approach　them；they　are　very　different！　O　eternity！　Thou　actest　like　the　great　calmocean；　that　beckons　us；　and　fills　us　with　expectation…　and　when　weembark　upon　thee；　we　sink；　disappear；　and　cease　to　be。　Delusion！away　with　it！　begone！〃

And　tearless；　but　sunk　in　bitter　reflection；　he　sat　upon　hishard　couch；　and　then　knelt　down…　before　whom？　Before　the　stone　crossfastened　to　the　wall？　No；　it　was　only　habit　that　made　him　take　thisposition。

The　more　deeply　he　looked　into　his　own　heart；　the　blacker　didthe　darkness　seem。　…〃Nothing　within；　nothing　without…　this　lifesquanderied　and　cast　away！〃　And　this　thought　rolled　and　grew　like　asnowball；　until　it　seemed　to　crush　him。

〃I　can　confide　my　griefs　to　none。　I　may　speak　to　none　of　thegnawing　worm　within。　My　secret　is　my　prisoner；　if　I　let　the　captiveescape；　I　shall　be　his！〃

And　the　godlike　power　that　dwelt　within　him　suffered　and　strove。

〃O　Lord；　my　Lord！〃　he　cried；　in　his　despair；　〃be　merciful　andgrant　me　faith。　I　threw　away　the　gift　thou　hadst　vouchsafed　to　me；　Ileft　my　mission　unfulfilled。　I　lacked　strength；　and　strength　thoudidst　not　give　me。　Immortality…　the　Psyche　in　my　breast…　away　withit！…　it　shall　be　buried　like　that　Psyche；　the　best　gleam　of　my　life；never　will　it　arise　out　of　its　grave！〃

The　Star　glowed　in　the　roseate　air；　the　Star　that　shall　surelybe　extinguished　and　pass　away　while　the　soul　still　lives　on；　itstrembling　beam　fell　upon　the　white　wall；　but　it　wrote　nothing　thereupon　being　made　perfect　in　God；　nothing　of　the　hope　of　mercy；　of　thereliance　on　the　divine　love　that　thrills　through　the　heart　of　thebeliever。

〃The　Psyche　within　can　never　die。　Shall　it　live　inconsciousness？　Can　the　inprehensible　happen？　Yes；　yes。　My　beingis　inprehensible。　Thou　art　unfathomable；　O　Lord。　Thy　whole　world　isinprehensible…　a　wonder…work　of　power；　of　glory　and　of　love。〃

His　eyes　gleamed；　and　then　closed　in　death。　The　tolling　of　thechurch　bell　was　the　last　sound　that　echoed　above　him；　above　the　deadman；　and　they　buried　him；　covering　him　with　earth　that　had　beenbrought　from　Jerusalem；　and　in　which　was　mingled　the　dust　of　many　ofthe　pious　dead。

When　years　had　gone　by　his　skeleton　was　dug　up；　as　the　skeletonsof　the　monks　who　had　died　before　him　had　been；　it　was　clad　in　abrown　frock；　a　rosary　was　put　into　the　bony　hand；　and　the　form　wasplaced　among　the　ranks　of　other　skeletons　in　the　cloisters　of　theconvent。　And　the　sun　shone　without；　while　within　the　censers　werewaved　and　the　Mass　was　celebrated。

And　years　rolled　by。

The　bones　fell　asunder　and　became　mingled　with　others。　Skulls　werepiled　up　till　they　formed　an　outer　wall　around　the　church；　and　therelay　also　his　head　in　the　burning　sun；　for　many　dead　were　there；　and　noone　knew　their　names；　and　his　name　was　forgotten　also。　And　see；something　was　moving　in　the　sunshine；　in　the　sightless　cavernous　eyes！What　might　that　be？　A　sparkling　lizard　moved　about　in　the　skull；gliding　in　and　out　through　the　sightless　holes。　The　lizard　nowrepresented　all　the　life　left　in　that　head；　in　which　once　greatthoughts；　bright　dreams；　the　love　of　art　and　of　the　glorious；　hadarisen；　whence　hot　tears　had　rolled　down；　where　hope　and　immortalityhad　had　their　being。　The　lizard　sprang　away　and　disappeared；　and　theskull　itself　crumbled　to　pieces　and　became　dust　among　dust。

Centuries　passed　away。　The　bright　Star　gleamed　unaltered；radiant　and　large；　as　it　had　gleamed　for　thousands　of　years；　and　theair　glowed　red　with　tints　fresh　as　roses；　crimson　like　blood。

There；　where　once　had　stood　the　narrow　lane　containing　the　ruinsof　the　temple；　a　nunnery　was　now　built。　A　grave　was　being　dug　in　theconvent　garden　for　a　young　nun　who　had　died；　and　was　to　be　laid　in　theearth　this　morning。　The　spade　struck　against　a　hard　substance；　itwas　a　stone；　that　shone　dazzling　white。　A　block　of　marble　soonappeared；　a　rounded　shoulder　was　laid　bare；　and　now　the　spade　wasplied　with　a　more　careful　hand；　and　presently　a　female　head　wasseen；　and　butterflies'　wings。　Out　of　the　grave　in　which　the　youngnun　was　to　be　laid　they　lifted；　in　the　rosy　morning；　a　wonderfulstatue　of　a　Psyche　carved　in　white　marble。

〃How　beautiful；　how　perfect　it　is！〃　cried　the　spectators。　〃A　relicof　the　best　period　of　art。〃

And　who　could　the　sculptor　have　been？　No　one　knew；　no　oneremembered　him；　except　the　bright　star　that　had　gleamed　forthousands　of　years。　The　star　had　seen　the　course　of　that　life　onearth；　and　knew　of　the　man's　trials；　of　his　weakness…　in　fact；　that　hehad　been　but　human。　The　man's　life　had　passed　away；　his　dust　hadbeen　scattered　abroad　as　dust　is　destined　to　be；　but　the　result　of　hisnoblest　striving；　the　glorious　work　that　gave　token　of　the　divineelement　within　him…　the　Psyche　that　never　dies；　that　lives　beyondposterity…　the　brightness　even　of　this　earthly　Psyche　remained　hereafter　him；　and　was　seen　and　acknowledged　and　appreciated。

The　bright　Morning　Star　in　the　roseate　air　threw　its　glancingray　downward　upon　the　Psyche；　and　upon　the　radiant　countenances　of　theadmiring　spectators；　who　here　beheld　the　image　of　the　soul　portrayedin　marble。

What　is　earthly　will　pass　away　and　be　forgotten；　and　the　Star　inthe　vast　firmament　knows　it。　What　is　heavenly　will　shine　brightlythrough　posterity；　and　when　the　ages　of　posterity　are　past；　thePsyche…　the　soul…　will　still　live　on！

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　THE　PUPPET…SHOW　MAN

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

ON　board　a　steamer　I　once　met　an　elderly　man；　with　such　a　merryface　that；　if　it　was　really　an　index　of　his　mind；　he　must　have　beenthe　happiest　fellow　in　creation；　and　indeed　he　considered　himselfso；　for　I　heard　it　from　his　own　mouth。　He　was　a　Dane；　the　owner　of　atravelling　theatre。　He　had　all　his　pany　with　him　in　a　large　box；for　he　was　the　proprietor　of　a　puppet…show。　His　inborn　cheerfulness；he　said；　had　been　tested　by　a　member　of　the　Polytechnic　Institution；and　the　experiment　had　made　him　pletely　happy。　I　did　not　at　firstunderstand　all　this；　but　afterwards　he　explained　the　whole　story　tome；　and　here　it　is：…

〃I　was　giving　a　representation；〃　he　said；　〃in　the　hall　of　theposting…house　in　the　little　town　of　Slagelse；　there　was　a　splendidaudience；　entirely　juvenile　excepting　two　respectable　matrons。　Allat　once；　a　person　in　black；　of　student…like　appearance；　entered　theroom；　and　sat　down；　he　laughed　aloud　at　the　telling　points；　andapplauded　quite　at　the　proper　time。　This　was　a　very　unusualspectator　for　me；　and　I　felt　anxious　to　know　who　he　was。　I　heardthat　he　was　a　member　of　the　Polytechnic　Institution　in　Copenhagen；　whohad　been　sent　out　to　lecture　to　the　people　in　the　provinces。Punctually　at　eight　o'clock　my　performance　closed；　for　children　mustgo　early　to　bed；　and　a　manager　must　also　consult　the　convenience　ofthe　public。

〃At　nine　o'clock　the　lecturer　menced　his　lecture　and　hisexperiments；　and　then　I　formed　a　part　of　his　audience。　It　waswonderful　both　to　hear　and　to　see。　The　greater　part　of　it　was　beyondmy　prehension；　but　it　led　me　to　think　that　if　we　men　can　acquire　somuch；　we　must　surely