《Rosa Alchemica》第7章

divinities　is　altogether　a　spirit；　and　hides　in　passions　not　of　his　essence　if　he　would　mune　with　a　mortal　heart。　so　that　if　a　man　love　nobly　he　knows　love　through　infinite　pity；　unspeakable　trust；　unending　sympathy；　and　if　ignobly　through　vehement　jealousy；　sudden　hatred；　and　unappeasable　desire；　but　unveiled　love　he　never　knows。　while　i　thought　these　things；　a　voice　cried　to　me　from　the　crimson　figures：　into　the　dance！　there　is　none　that　can　be　spared　out　of　the　dance；　into　the　dance！　into　the　dance！　that　the　gods　may　make　them　bodies　out　of　the　substance　of　our　hearts；　and　before　i　could　answer；　a　mysterious　wave　of　passion；　that　seemed　like　the　soul　of　the　dance　moving　within　our　souls；　took　alchemica。　hold　of　me；　and　i　was　swept；　neither　consenting　nor　refusing；　into　the　midst。　i　was　dancing　with　an　immortal　august　woman；　who　had　black　lilies　in　her　hair；　and　her　dreamy　gesture　seemed　laden　with　a　wisdom　more　profound　than　the　darkness　that　is　between　star　and　star；　and　with　a　love　like　the　love　that　breathed　upon　the　waters；　and　as　we　danced　on　and　on；　the　incense　drifted　over　us　and　round　us；　covering　us　away　as　in　the　heart　of　the　world；　and　ages　seemed　to　pass；　and　tempests　to　awake　and　perish　in　the　folds　of　our　robes　and　in　her　heavy　hair。
suddenly　i　remembered　that　her　eyelids　had　never　quivered；　and　that　her　lilies　had　not　dropped　a　black　petal；　or　shaken　from　their　places；　and　understood　with　a　great　horror　that　i　danced　with　one　who　was　more　or　less　than　human；　and　who　was　drinking　up　my　soul　as　an　ox　drinks　up　a　wayside　pool；　and　i　fell；　and　darkness　passed　over　me。
i　awoke　suddenly　as　though　something　had　awakened　me；　and　saw　that　i　was　lying　on　a　roughly　painted　floor；　and　that　on　the　ceiling；　which　was　at　no　great　distance；　was　a　roughly　painted　rose；　and　about　me　on　the　walls　half？finished　paintings。　the　pillars　and　the　censers　had　gone；　and　near　me　a　score　of　sleepers　lay　wrapped　in　disordered　robes；　their　upturned　faces　looking　to　my　imagination　like　hollow　masks；　and　a　chill　dawn　was　shining　down　upon　them　from　a　long　window　i　had　not　noticed　before；　and　outside　the　sea　roared。　i　saw　michael　robartes　lying　at　a　little　distance　and　beside　him　an　overset　bowl　of　wrought　bronze　which　looked　as　though　it　had　once　held　incense。　as　i　sat　thus；　i　heard　a　sudden　tumult　of　angry　men　and　womens　voices　mix with　the　roaring　of　the　sea；　and　leaping　to　my　feet；　i　went　quickly　to　michael　robartes；　and　tried　to　shake　him　out　of　his　sleep。　i　then　seized　him　by　the　shoulder　and　tried　to　lift　him；　but　he　fell　backwards；　and　sighed　faintly；　and　the　voices　became　louder　and　angrier；　and　there　was　a　sound　of　heavy　blows　upon　the　door；　which　opened　on　to　the　pier。　suddenly　i　heard　a　sound　of　rending　wood；　and　i　knew　it　had　begun　to　give；　and　i　ran　to　the　door　of　the　room。　i　pushed　it　open　and　came　out　upon　a　passage　whose　bare　boards　clattered　under　my　feet；　and　found　in　the　passage　another　door　which　led　into　an　empty　kitchen；　and　as　i　passed　through　the　door　i　heard　two　crashes　in　quick　succession；　and　knew　by　the　sudden　noise　of　feet　and　the　shouts　that　the　door　which　opened　on　to　the　pier　had　fallen　inwards。　i　ran　from　the　kitchen　and　out　into　a　small　yard；　and　from　this　down　some　steps　which　descended　the　seaward　and　sloping　side　of　the　pier；　and　from　the　steps　clambered　along　the　waters　edge；　with　the　angry　voices　ringing　in　my　ears。　this　part　of　the　pier　had　been　but　lately　refaced　with　blocks　of　granite；　so　that　it　was　almost　clear　of　seaweed；　but　when　i　came　to　the　old　part；　i　found　it　so　slippery　with　green　weed　that　i　had　to　climb　up　on　to　the　roadway。　i　looked　towards　the　temple　of　the　alchemical　rose；　where　the　fishermen　and　the　women　were　still　shouting；　but　somewhat　more　faintly；　and　saw　that　there　was　no　one　about　the　door　or　upon　the　pier；　but　as　i　looked；　a　little　crowd　hurried　out　of　the　door　and　began　gathering　large　stones　from　where　they　were　heaped　up　in　readiness　for　the　next　time　a　storm　shattered　the　pier；　when　they　would　be　laid　under　blocks　of　granite。　while　i　stood　watching　the　crowd；　an　old　man；　who　was；　i　think；　the　voteen；　pointed　to　me；　and　screamed　out　something；　and　the　crowd　whitened；　for　all　the　faces　had　turned　towards　me。　i　ran；　and　it　was　well　for　me　that　pullers　of　the　oar　are　poorer　men　with　their　feet　than　with　their　arms　and　their　bodies；　and　yet　while　i　ran　i　scarcely　heard　the　following　feet　or　the　angry　voices；　for　many　voices　of　exultation　and　lamentation；　which　were　forgotten　as　a　dream　is　forgotten　the　moment　they　were　heard；　seemed　to　be　ringing　in　the　air　over　my　head。
there　are　moments　even　now　when　i　seem　to　hear　those　voices　of　exultation　and　lamentation；　and　when　the　indefinite　world；　which　has　but　half　lost　its　mastery　over　my　heart　and　my　intellect；　seems　about　to　claim　a　perfect　mastery；　but　i　carry　the　rosary　about　my　neck；　and　when　i　hear；　or　seem　to　hear　them；　i　press　it　to　my　heart　and　say：　he　whose　name　is　legion　is　at　our　doors　deceiving　our　intellects　with　subtlety　and　flattering　our　hearts　with　beauty；　and　we　have　no　trust　but　in　thee；　and　then　the　war　that　rages　within　me　at　other　times　is　still；　and　i　am　at　peace。
％％。
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