The ceremony was to take place at eleven o’clock, but at ten Irene drove up to the Vatican, hoping to be one of the first to arrive. Alas2! an extended line of carriages had already long been blocking the way to the Portone di Bronzo, and, advancing slowly one by one, setting down ladies in black lace and gentlemen in dress clothes. Like Irene, they had all counted on arriving first, and all contemplated3, with undisguised astonishment4, the dense5 crowd slowly making its way up the stairs. The predominating impression among this crowd was far less one of religious[63] emotion than of excited curiosity. There were many Americans and Germans, who had come to see a rare sight, in order to boast about it later on in their own countries. The eyes of these tourists sparkled with delight as they gazed at the papal guards, who, in their medi?val costumes and their peculiar6 hats, looked as if they had just stepped out of pictures, as indeed did also the papal lackeys7, in cherry-coloured brocade, with silk stockings and buckled8 shoes.
Irene loved the Vatican. This medi?val fortress9, with its numberless houses, towers, courtyards, cemeteries10, and gardens appealed strongly to her imagination. She loved, perhaps most of all, the splendid halls with their frescoes11 and their beautiful antique statues. This, she thought, was true luxury, in comparison with which the luxury of modern palaces, with their commonplace silk-panelled walls and their carpets and pictures, grew pale and seemed almost vulgar. In the magnificent halls of the Vatican the walls and ceilings were covered with frescoes by Raphael and Michael Angelo,[64] and the ornaments12 consisted of antique porphyry sarcophagi, ancient mosaics13, such as have never been equalled in more modern times, and colossal14 marble vases and fonts, excavated15 from ancient baths and shrines16. Modern art has been able to add nothing to all these priceless treasures.
And now Irene was gazing with rapture17 at the frescoed18 walls of the immense Sala Clementina, into which, little by little, the extraordinarily19 mixed assemblage, whose like one can hardly meet anywhere, was making its way. There were foreigners shivering in furs; aristocratic Roman ladies in elegant black dresses, long white gloves, and family pearls; prelates; cardinals20; nuns21 in white starched22 headdresses; Capucins in sandals, and with ropes round their waists; little girls in white dresses and lace veils, with curls framing their flushed, excited faces; officers of the papal guard; dominicans in white cloth cassocks; attachés of the various foreign embassies in gold embroidered23 uniforms—all this formed one heterogeneous24, palpitating mass of humanity. The variety of the crowd[65] pleased and interested Irene. It struck her that all this was just as it should be in the Palace of the Roman Pontiff, the only sovereign who acknowledged neither rank nor position nor class distinctions, and who did not surround himself with a Chinese wall, guarded by a handful of privileged people, in no way more deserving than their fellows. “It is in most countries these privileged classes,” thought Irene, “who by energetically pushing to a safe distance from the precincts of the throne all who really work for the good of their country, always manage artificially to create enemies for their King.” The Pope believed in a very different policy. He was accessible to everybody, without distinction of nationality, faith, or social position, and he was ready to receive and to bless everyone alike. Perhaps, indeed, it may be owing to this wise policy that no attempt has ever been made on his life, in spite of the fact that the Vatican employs neither spies nor secret guards. Such a Court, thought Irene, should have existed under Constantine the Great or Louis IX.
[66]
The ceremony of presenting consecrated25 candles to the Pope (dei ceri benedetti) was to take place in the neighbouring Sala del Trono. At one end of this lofty, narrow, frescoed hall stood, under a baldaquin, the golden throne of the Pope; at the other end, a great crucifix supported by an angel. On either side of the central passage, kept clear by the Swiss guards, were long benches, on which were already seated various pilgrims, all trying to get as near as possible to the throne. The best places had already long been taken by clergy26 of all nationalities, with enormous opera-glasses and firm intentions to miss not the smallest detail of the interesting spectacle. Subdued27 excitement reigned28 supreme29 in the half-darkened hall, with its drawn30 red blinds and its sparse31, electric lights. There was a hushed murmur32 of low-toned conversation—everyone spoke33 in a whisper, except, of course, the Americans, who exchanged silly little remarks and impressions in unceremonious, strident tones. A Frenchman, with a small pointed34 beard was, in a loud voice, relating to someone something[67] about an inn in Naples, where one could get excellent wine and macaroni. With the impudence35 of a dull-minded Atheist36, he smacked37 his lips over various details, keenly enjoying the paradox38 contained in the mere39 fact of discussing such things at the Vatican.
Here and there in the crowd, however, could also be seen the rapturous faces of youthful priests and young girls. Full of religious exaltation, trembling with emotion, they kept their shining eyes fixed40 on the door before which stood the papal guards.
At last there was a wave of movement. The crowd rose, made as though it would fall on its knees, but thought better of the intention, and remained standing41. Surrounded by his Court, His Holiness, in white raiment and a little white cap, passed to the throne, and, throwing a quick glance over the assemblage, took his place.
Along the central passage, between the benches, a procession of priests advanced, two and two, holding in their hands long painted tapers42, covered with funny little[68] fringed extinguishers. They approached the throne, handed the tapers to attendants, fell on their knees, and kissed the Pope’s ring. On the beautiful face of the Pontiff shone a radiant smile. He said a few words to each one, sometimes whispered in their ears, and often laughed. This was not the face of a mighty43 sovereign, but only that of a good, kind old man, who had long ago learnt that all sorrows, all dreams, all hopes, are soon over, and that life is short, and does not contain anything specially44 good or attractive. He was deeply sorry for all those expectant pilgrims, exciting themselves about nothing at all, awaiting Heaven knows what, and needlessly tiring themselves out; and all he could do was to help them with a kind word, a warm glance, and with the love that illumined his beautiful features. It seemed to Irene that, for the first time in centuries, a truly Christian45 pastor46 reigned in Rome, and one who in spirit resembled the first Christian apostles, the builders of the Church. What a striking contrast between this Pope and his surrounding Court! They, too, were all smiling[69] at the pilgrims; but what hypocrisy47, what falseness and flattery, breathed in those smiles! Their crafty48 faces were cold and indifferent. For them, this ceremony was only one of the countless49 comedies in which they had constantly to play parts. Two of these papal courtiers, both still young and handsome, were obviously posing before the aristocratic Roman ladies, among whom they probably had admiring friends.
The ceremony lasted a long time. The tapers, in the hands of the priests, moved along in endless procession. Everyone was tired and hot, all faces were flushed. The courtiers around the throne left off smiling, and made no attempt to hide their fatigue50. Only the Pope alone smiled as warmly and caressingly51 as before upon each man who knelt before him. For him, this was no ceremony, this was a human service, which he rendered joyfully52.
At last, the final tapers were presented. His Holiness rose, blessed the bowing crowd, and left the hall. There was a general rush for the door. Close to Irene, a young French[70] girl was heatedly disputing some point with her mother.
“Mais, il t’a donné sa bénédiction, ma chère,” persuaded the mother. “He has blessed us all. What more do you want?”
But the girl was not consoled, and only looked sadly at the door, behind which the Pope had disappeared.
Irene understood: she, too, felt sad at the thought that she would never again see that beautiful Christian smile.
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1
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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7
lackeys
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| n.听差( lackey的名词复数 )；男仆（通常穿制服）；卑躬屈膝的人；被待为奴仆的人 | |
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8
buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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cemeteries
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| n.（非教堂的）墓地，公墓( cemetery的名词复数 ) | |
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frescoes
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| n.壁画( fresco的名词复数 )；温壁画技法，湿壁画 | |
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ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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13
mosaics
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| n.马赛克( mosaic的名词复数 )；镶嵌；镶嵌工艺；镶嵌图案 | |
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colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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excavated
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| v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘 | |
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shrines
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| 圣地，圣坛，神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 ) | |
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rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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frescoed
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| 壁画( fresco的名词复数 )； 温壁画技法，湿壁画 | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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cardinals
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| 红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数 | |
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nuns
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| n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 ) | |
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starched
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| adj.浆硬的，硬挺的，拘泥刻板的v.把（衣服、床单等）浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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heterogeneous
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| adj.庞杂的；异类的 | |
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consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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26
clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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30
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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sparse
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| adj.稀疏的，稀稀落落的，薄的 | |
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32
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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33
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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34
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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atheist
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| n.无神论者 | |
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37
smacked
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| 拍，打，掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
paradox
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| n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物) | |
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39
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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40
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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41
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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42
tapers
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| （长形物体的）逐渐变窄( taper的名词复数 )； 微弱的光； 极细的蜡烛 | |
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43
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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44
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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45
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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46
pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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hypocrisy
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| n.伪善，虚伪 | |
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48
crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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49
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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50
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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51
caressingly
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| 爱抚地，亲切地 | |
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52
joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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