安徒生童话-第208章

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red　to　me　a　far　lovelier　rose；　as　she　sat　onher　stool　under　the　straggling　hedge；　hugging　and　caressing　her　dollwith　the　battered　pasteboard　cheeks。

〃Ten　years　afterwards　I　saw　her　again。　I　beheld　her　in　asplendid　ballroom：　she　was　the　beautiful　bride　of　a　rich　merchant。　Irejoiced　at　her　happiness；　and　sought　her　on　calm　quiet　evenings…ah；　nobody　thinks　of　my　clear　eye　and　my　silent　glance！　Alas！　myrose　ran　wild；　like　the　rose　bushes　in　the　garden　of　the　parsonage。There　are　tragedies　in　every…day　life；　and　tonight　I　saw　the　lastact　of　one。

〃She　was　lying　in　bed　in　a　house　in　that　narrow　street：　she　wassick　unto　death；　and　the　cruel　landlord　came　up；　and　tore　away　thethin　coverlet；　her　only　protection　against　the　cold。　'Get　up！'　saidhe；　'your　face　is　enough　to　frighten　one。　Get　up　and　dress　yourself；give　me　money；　or　I'll　turn　you　out　into　the　street！　Quick…　get　up！'She　answered；　'Alas！　death　is　gnawing　at　my　heart。　Let　me　rest。'　Buthe　forced　her　to　get　up　and　bathe　her　face；　and　put　a　wreath　ofroses　in　her　hair；　and　he　placed　her　in　a　chair　at　the　window；　witha　candle　burning　beside　her；　and　went　away。

〃I　looked　at　her；　and　she　was　sitting　motionless；　with　her　handsin　her　lap。　The　wind　caught　the　open　window　and　shut　it　with　acrash；　so　that　a　pane　came　clattering　down　in　fragments；　but　still　shenever　moved。　The　curtain　caught　fire；　and　the　flames　played　abouther　face；　and　I　saw　that　she　was　dead。　There　at　the　open　window　satthe　dead　woman；　preaching　a　sermon　against　sin…　my　poor　faded　rose　outof　the　parsonage　garden！〃

　FOURTH　EVENING

〃This　evening　I　saw　a　German　play　acted；〃　said　the　Moon。　〃It　wasin　a　little　town。　A　stable　had　been　turned　into　a　theatre；　that　isto　say；　the　stable　had　been　left　standing；　and　had　been　turned　intoprivate　boxes；　and　all　the　timber　work　had　been　covered　withcoloured　paper。　A　little　iron　chandelier　hung　beneath　the　ceiling；　andthat　it　might　be　made　to　disappear　into　the　ceiling；　as　it　does　ingreat　theatres；　when　the　ting…ting　of　the　prompter's　bell　is　heard；a　great　inverted　tub　has　been　placed　just　above　it。

〃'Ting…ting！'　and　the　little　iron　chandelier　suddenly　rose　atleast　half　a　yard　and　disappeared　in　the　tub；　and　that　was　the　signthat　the　play　was　going　to　begin。　A　young　nobleman　and　his　lady；　whohappened　to　be　passing　through　the　little　town；　were　present　at　theperformance；　and　consequently　the　house　was　crowded。　But　under　thechandelier　was　a　vacant　space　like　a　little　crater：　not　a　singlesoul　sat　there；　for　the　tallow　was　dropping；　drip；　drip！　I　saweverything；　for　it　was　so　warm　in　there　that　every　loophole　had　beenopened。　The　male　and　female　servants　stood　outside；　peeping　throughthe　chinks；　although　a　real　policeman　was　inside；　threatening　themwith　a　stick。　Close　by　the　orchestra　could　be　seen　the　noble　youngcouple　in　two　old　arm…chairs；　which　were　usually　occupied　by　hisworship　the　mayor　and　his　lady；　but　these　latter　were　to…day　obligedto　content　themselves　with　wooden　forms；　just　as　if　they　had　beenordinary　citizens；　and　the　lady　observed　quietly　to　herself；　'Onesees；　now；　that　there　is　rank　above　rank；'　and　this　incident　gave　anair　of　extra　festivity　to　the　whole　proceedings。　The　chandelier　gavelittle　leaps；　the　crowd　got　their　knuckles　rapped；　and　I；　the　Moon；was　present　at　the　performance　from　beginning　to　end。〃

　FIFTH　EVENING

〃Yesterday；〃　began　the　Moon；　〃I　looked　down　upon　the　turmoil　ofParis。　My　eye　perated　into　an　apartment　of　the　Louvre。　An　oldgrandmother；　poorly　clad…　she　belonged　to　the　working　class…　wasfollowing　one　of　the　under…servants　into　the　great　emptythrone…room；　for　this　was　the　apartment　she　wanted　to　see…　that　shewas　resolved　to　see；　it　had　cost　her　many　a　little　sacrifice；　and　manya　coaxing　word；　to　perate　thus　far。　She　folded　her　thin　hands；and　looked　round　with　an　air　of　reverence；　as　if　she　had　been　in　achurch。

〃'Here　it　was！'　she　said；　'here！'　and　she　approached　the　throne；from　which　hung　the　rich　velvet　fringed　with　gold　lace。　'There；'　sheexclaimed；　'there！'　and　she　knelt　and　kissed　the　purple　carpet。　Ithink　she　was　actually　weeping。

〃'But　it　was　not　this　very　velvet！'　observed　the　footman；　and　asmile　played　about　his　mouth。　'True；　but　it　was　this　very　place；'replied　the　woman；　'and　it　must　have　looked　just　like　this。　'It　lookedso；　and　yet　it　did　not；'　observed　the　man：　'the　windows　were　beatenin；　and　the　doors　were　off　their　hinges；　and　there　was　blood　uponthe　floor。'　'But　for　all　that　you　can　say；　my　grandson　died　upon　thethrone　of　France。　Died！'　mournfully　repeated　the　old　woman。　I　do　notthink　another　word　was　spoken；　and　they　soon　quitted　the　hall。　Theevening　twilight　faded　and　my　light　shone　doubly　vivid　upon　the　richvelvet　that　covered　the　throne　of　France。

〃Now　who　do　you　think　this　poor　woman　was？　Listen；　I　will　tell　youa　story。

〃It　happened；　in　the　Revolution　of　July；　on　the　evening　of　themost　brilliantly　victorious　day；　when　every　house　was　a　fortress；every　window　a　breastwork。　The　people　stormed　the　Tuileries。　Evenwomen　and　children　were　to　be　found　among　the　batants。　Theyperated　into　the　apartments　and　halls　of　the　palace。　A　poorhalf…grown　boy　in　a　ragged　blouse　fought　among　the　older　insurgents。Mortally　wounded　with　several　bayo　thrusts；　he　sank　down。　Thishappened　in　the　throne…room。　They　laid　the　bleeding　youth　upon　thethrone　of　France；　wrapped　the　velvet　around　his　wounds；　and　hisblood　streamed　forth　upon　the　imperial　purple。　There　was　a　picture！The　splendid　hall；　the　fighting　groups！　A　torn　flag　upon　the　ground；the　tricolor　was　waving　above　the　bayos；　and　on　the　throne　laythe　poor　lad　with　the　pale　glorified　countenance；　his　eyes　turnedtowards　the　sky；　his　limbs　writhing　in　the　death　agony；　his　breastbare；　and　his　poor　tattered　clothing　half　hidden　by　the　rich　velvetembroidered　with　silver　lilies。　At　the　boy's　cradle　a　prophecy　hadbeen　spoken：　'He　will　die　on　the　throne　of　France！'　The　mother's　heartdreamt　of　a　second　Napoleon。

〃My　beams　have　kissed　the　wreath　of　immortelles　on　his　grave；and　this　night　they　kissed　the　forehead　of　the　old　grandame；　whilein　a　dream　the　picture　floated　before　her　which　thou　mayest　draw…the　poor　boy　on　the　throne　of　France。〃

　SIXTH　EVENING

〃I've　been　in　Upsala；〃　said　the　Moon：　〃I　looked　down　upon　thegreat　plain　covered　with　coarse　grass；　and　upon　the　barren　fields。　Imirrored　my　face　in　the　Tyris　river；　while　the　steamboat　drove　thefish　into　the　rushes。　Beneath　me　floated　the　waves；　throwing　longshadows　on　the　so…called　graves　of　Odin；　Thor；　and　Friga。　In　thescanty　turf　that　covers　the　hill…side　names　have　been　cut。　There　is　nomonument　here；　no　memorial　on　which　the　traveller　can　have　his　namecarved；　no　rocky　wall　on　whose　surface　he　can　get　it　painted；　sovisitors　have　the　turf　cut　away　for　that　purpose。　The　naked　earthpeers　through　in　the　form　of　great　letters　and　names；　these　form　awork　over　the　whole　hill。　Here　is　an　immortality；　which　laststill　the　fresh　turf　grows！

〃Up　on　the　hill　stood　a　man；　a　poet。　He　emptied　the　mead　horn　withthe　broad　silver　rim；　and　murmured　a　name。　He　begged　the　winds　notto　betray　him；　but　I　heard　the　name。　I　knew　it。　A　count's　corosparkles　above　it；　and　therefore　he　did　not　speak　it　out。　I　smiled；for　I　knew　that　a　poet's　crown　adorns　his　own　name。　The　nobility　ofEleanora　d'Este　is　attached　to　the　name　of　Tasso。　And　I　also　knowwhere　the　Rose　of　Beauty　blooms！〃

Thus　spake　the　Moon；　and　a　cloud　came　between　us。　May　no　cloudseparate　the　poet　from　the　rose！

　SEVENTH　EVENING

〃Along　the　margin　of　the　shore　stretches　a　forest　of　firs　andbeeches；　and　fresh　and　fragrant　is　this　wood；　hundreds　of　nightingalesvisit　it　every　spring。　Close　beside　it　is　the　sea；　the　ever…changingsea；　and　between　the　two　is　placed　the　broad　high…road。　One　carriageafter　another　rolls　over　it；　but　I　did　not　follow　them；　for　my　eyeloves　best　to　rest　upon　one　point。　A　Hun's　Grave　lies　there；　and　thesloe　and　blackthorn　grow　luxuriantly　among　the　stones。　Here　is　truepoetry　in　nature。

〃And　how　do　you　think　men　appreciate　this　poetry？　I　will　tellyou　what　I　heard　there　last　evening　and　during　the　night。

〃First；　two　rich　landed　proprietors　came　driving　by。　'Those　areglorious　trees！'　said　the　first。　'Certainly；　there　are　ten　loads　offirewood　in　each；'　observed　the　other：　'it　will　be　a　hard　winter；and　last　year　we　got　fourteen　dollars　a　load'…　and　they　were　gone。'The　road　here　is　wretched；'　observed　another　man　who　drove　past。'That's　the　fault　of　those　horrible　trees；'　replied　his　neighbour；'there　is　no　free　current　of　air；　the　wind　can　only　e　from　thesea'…　and　they　were　gone。　The　stage　coach　went　rattling　past。　Allthe　passengers　were　asleep　at　this　beautiful　spot。　The　postillion　blewhis　horn；　but　he　only　thought；　'I　can　play　capitally。　It　sounds　wellhere。　I　wonder　if　those　in　there　like　it？'…　and　the　stage　coachvanished。　Then　two　young　fellows　came　gallopping　up　on　horseback。There's　youth　and　spirit　in　the　blood　here！　thought　I；　and；　indeed；they　looked　with　a　smile　at　the　moss…grown　hill　and　thick　forest。　'Ishould　not　dislike　a　walk　here　with　the　miller's　Christine；'　said　one…and　they　flew　past。

〃The　flowers　scented　the　air；　every　breath　of　air　was　hushed；　itseemed　as　if　the　sea　were　a　part　of　the　sky　that　stretched　above　thedeep　valley。　A　carriage　rolled　by。　Six　people　were　si