The night was moonless, with cold dashes of rain, and though the streetsof Turin were well-lit no lantern-ray reached the windings1 of the lanebehind the Corpus Domini.
As Odo, alone under the wall of the church, awaited his friend'sarrival, he wondered what risk had constrained2 the reckless Alfieri tosuch unwonted caution. Italy was at that time a vast network ofespionage, and the Piedmontese capital passed for one of thebest-policed cities in Europe; but even on a moonless night the lawdistinguished between the noble pleasure-seeker and the obscuredelinquent whose fate it was to pay the other's shot. Odo knew that hewould probably be followed and his movements reported to theauthorities; but he was almost equally certain that there would be noactive interference in his affairs. What chiefly puzzled him wasAlfieri's insistence4 that Cantapresto should not be privy5 to theadventure. The soprano had long been the confidant of his pupil'sescapades, and his adroitness6 had often been of service in intriguessuch as that on which Odo now fancied himself engaged. The place, again,perplexed him: a sober quarter of convents and private dwellings7, in thevery eye of the royal palace, scarce seeming the theatre for a lightadventure. These incongruities8 revived his former wonder; nor was thisdispelled by Alfieri's approach.
The poet, masked and unattended, rejoined his friend without a word; andOdo guessed in him an eye and ear alert for pursuit. Guided by thepressure of his arm, Odo was hurried round the bend of the lane, up atransverse alley9 and across a little square lost between high shutteredbuildings. Alfieri, at his first word, gripped his arm with a backwardglance; then urged him on under the denser10 blackness of an archedpassage-way, at the end of which an oil-light glimmered11. Here a gate ina wall confronted them. It opened at Alfieri's tap and Odo scented13 wetbox-borders and felt the gravel14 of a path under foot. The gate was atonce locked behind them and they entered the ground-floor of a house asdark as the garden. Here a maid-servant of close aspect met them with alamp and preceded them upstairs to a bare landing hung with charts andportulani. On Odo's flushed anticipations15 this antechamber, which seemedthe approach to some pedant's cabinet, had an effect undeniablychilling; but Alfieri, heedless of his surprise, had cast off cloak andmask, and now led the way into a long conventual-looking room lined withbook-shelves. A knot of middle-aged16 gentlemen of sober dress and manner,gathered about a cabinet of fossils in the centre of this apartment,looked up at the entrance of the two friends; then the group divided,and Odo with a start recognised the girl he had seen on the road to theSuperga.
She bowed gravely to the young men. "My father," said she, in a clearvoice without trace of diffidence, "has gone to his study for a book,but will be with you in a moment."She wore a dress in keeping with her manner, its black stuff folds andthe lawn kerchief crossed on her bosom17 giving height and authority toher slight figure. The dark unpowdered hair drawn18 back over a cushionmade a severer setting for her face than the fluctuating brim of hershade-hat; and this perhaps added to the sense of estrangement19 withwhich Odo gazed at her; but she met his look with a smile, and instantlythe rosy20 girl flashed through her grave exterior21.
"Here is my father," said she; and her companion of the previous daystepped into the room with several folios under his arm.
Alfieri turned to Odo. "This, my dear Odo," said he, "is mydistinguished friend, Professor Vivaldi, who has done us the honour ofinviting us to his house." He took the Professor's hand. "I have broughtyou," he continued, "the friend you were kind enough to include in yourinvitation--the Cavaliere Odo Valsecca."Vivaldi bowed. "Count Alfieri's friends," said he, "are always welcometo my house; though I fear there is here little to interest a younggentleman of the Cavaliere Valsecca's years." And Odo detected a shadeof doubt in his glance.
"The Cavaliere Valsecca," Alfieri smilingly rejoined, "is above hisyears in wit and learning, and I answer for his interest as I do for hisdiscretion."The Professor bowed again. "Count Alfieri, sir," he said, "has doubtlessexplained to you the necessity that obliges me to be so private inreceiving my friends; and now perhaps you will join these gentlemen inexamining some rare fossil fish newly sent me from the Monte Bolca."Odo murmured a civil rejoinder; but the wonder into which the sight ofthe young girl had thrown him was fast verging23 on stupefaction. Whatmystery was here? What necessity compelled an elderly professor toreceive his scientific friends like a band of political conspirators24?
How above all, in the light of the girl's presence, was Odo to interpretAlfieri's extravagant25 allusions26 to the nature of their visit?
The company having returned to the cabinet of fossils, none seemed toobserve his disorder28 but the young lady who was its cause; and seeinghim stand apart she advanced with a smile, saying, "Perhaps you wouldrather look at some of my father's other curiosities."Simple as the words were, they failed to restore Odo's self-possession,and for a moment he made no answer. Perhaps she partly guessed the causeof his commotion29; yet it was not so much her beauty that silenced him,as the spirit that seemed to inhabit it. Nature, in general so chary30 ofher gifts, so prone31 to use one good feature as the palliation of a dozendeficiencies, to wed3 the eloquent32 lip with the ineffectual eye, hadindeed compounded her of all fine meanings, making each grace thecomplement of another and every outward charm expressive33 of some inwardquality. Here was as little of the convent-bred miss as of the flippantand vapourish fine lady; and any suggestion of a less fair alternativevanished before such candid34 graces. Odo's confusion had in truth sprungfrom Alfieri's ambiguous hints; and these shrivelling to nought35 in thegaze that encountered his, constraint36 gave way to a sense of wonderingpleasure.
"I should like to see whatever you will show me," said he, as simply asone child speaking to another; and she answered in the same tone, "Thenwe'll glance at my father's collections before the serious business ofthe evening begins."With these words she began to lead him about the room, pointing out andexplaining the curiosities it contained. It was clear that, like manyscholars of his day, Professor Vivaldi was something of an eclectic inhis studies, for while one table held a fine orrery, a cabinet of coinsstood near, and the book-shelves were surmounted37 by specimens38 of coraland petrified39 wood. Of all these rarities his daughter had a word tosay, and though her explanations were brief and without affectation ofpedantry, they put her companion's ignorance to the blush. It must beowned, however, that had his learning been a match for hers it wouldhave stood him in poor stead at the moment; his faculties40 being lost inthe wonder of hearing such discourse41 from such lips. To his complimentson her erudition she returned with a smile that what learning she hadwas no merit, since she had been bred in a library; to which shesuddenly added:--"You are not unknown to me, Cavaliere; but I neverthought to see you here."The words renewed her hearer's surprise; but giving him no time toreply, she went on in a lower tone:--"You are young and the world isfair before you. Have you considered that before risking yourself amongus?"She coloured under Odo's wondering gaze, and at his random42 rejoinderthat it was a risk any man would gladly take without considering, sheturned from him with a gesture in which he fancied a shade ofdisappointment.
By this they had reached the cabinet of fossils, about which theinterest of the other guests still seemed to centre. Alfieri, indeed,paced the farther end of the room with the air of awaiting the despatchof some tedious business; but the others were engaged in an animateddiscussion necessitating43 frequent reference to the folios Vivaldi hadbrought from his study.
The latter turned to Odo as though to include him in the group. "I donot know, sir," said he, "whether you have found leisure to study theseenigmas of that mysterious Sphinx, the earth; for though Count Alfierihas spoken to me of your unusual acquirements, I understand your tasteshave hitherto lain rather in the direction of philosophy and letters;"and on Odo's prompt admission of ignorance, he courteously45 continued:
"The physical sciences seem, indeed, less likely to appeal to theimaginative and poetical46 faculty47 in man, and, on the other hand,religion has appeared to prohibit their too close investigation48; yet Iquestion if any thoughtful mind can enter on the study of these curiousphenomena without feeling, as it were, an affinity49 between suchinvestigations and the most abstract forms of thought. For whether weregard these figured stones as of terriginous origin, either mere12 lususnaturae, or mineral formations produced by a plastic virtue50 latent inthe earth, or whether as in fact organic substances lapidified by theaction of water; in either case, what speculations51 must their originexcite, leading us back into that dark and unexplored period of timewhen the breath of Creation was yet moving on the face of the waters!"Odo had listened but confusedly to the first words of this discourse;but his intellectual curiosity was too great not to respond to such anappeal, and all his perplexities slipped from him in the pursuit of theProfessor's thought.
One of the other guests seemed struck by his look of attention. "My dearVivaldi," said this gentleman, laying down a fossil, and fixing his gazeon Odo while he addressed the Professor, "why use such superannuatedformulas in introducing a neophyte53 to a study designed to subvert54 thevery foundations of the Mosaic55 cosmogony? I take it the Cavaliere is oneof us, since he is here this evening: why, then, permit him to strayeven for a moment in the labyrinth56 of theological error?"The Professor's deprecating murmur22 was cut short by an outburst fromanother of the learned group, a red-faced spectacled personage in adoctor's gown.
"Pardon me for suggesting," he exclaimed, "that the conditional57 terms inwhich our host was careful to present his hypotheses are better suitedto the instruction of the neophyte than our learned friend's positiveassertions. But if the Vulcanists are to claim the Cavaliere Valsecca,may not the Diluvials also have a hearing? How often must it be repeatedthat theology as well as physical science is satisfied by the Diluvialexplanation of the origin of petrified organisms, whereas inexorablelogic compels the Vulcanists to own that their thesis is subversive58 ofall dogmatic belief?"The first speaker answered with a gesture of disdain59. "My dear doctor,you occupy a chair in our venerated60 University. From that exaltedcathedra the Mosaic theory of Creation must still be expounded61; but inthe security of these surroundings--the catacombs of the new faith--whykeep up the forms of an obsolete62 creed63? As long ago as Pythagoras, manwas taught that all things were in a state of flux64, without end aswithout beginning, and must we still, after more than two thousandyears, pretend to regard the universe as some gigantic toy manufacturedin six days by a Superhuman Artisan, who is presently to destroy it athis pleasure?""Sir," cried the other, flushing from red to purple at this assault, "Iknow not on what ground you insinuate65 that my private convictions differfrom my public doctrine--"But here, with a firmness tempered by the most scrupulous66 courtesy,Professor Vivaldi intervened.
"Gentlemen," said he, "the discussion in which you are engaged,interesting as it is, must, I fear, distract us from the true purpose ofour meeting. I am happy to offer my house as the asylum67 of all freeresearch; but you must remember that the first object of these reunionsis, not the special study of any one branch of modern science, but theapplication of physical investigation to the origin and destiny of man.
In other words, we ask the study of nature to lead us to the knowledgeof ourselves; and it is because we approach this great problem from apoint as yet unsanctioned by dogmatic authority, that I am reluctantlyobliged"--and here he turned to Odo with a smile--"to throw a veil ofprivacy over these inoffensive meetings."Here at last was the key to the enigma44. The gentlemen assembled inProfessor Vivaldi's rooms were met there to discuss questions not safelyaired in public. They were conspirators indeed, but the liberation theyplanned was intellectual rather than political; though the acuter amongthem doubtless saw whither such innovations tended. Meanwhile they werecontent to linger in that wide field of speculation52 which thedevelopment of the physical sciences had recently opened to philosophicthought. As, at the Revival68 of Learning, the thinker imprisoned69 inmediaeval dialectics suddenly felt under his feet the firm ground ofclassic argument, so, in the eighteenth century, philosophy, longsuspended in the void of metaphysic, touched earth again and,Antaeus-like, drew fresh life from the contact. It was clear thatProfessor Vivaldi, whose very name had been unknown to Odo, was animportant figure in the learned world, and one uniting the tact70 andfirmness necessary to control those dissensions from which philosophyitself does not preserve its disciples71. His words calmed the twodisputants who were preparing to do battle over Odo's unborn scientificcreed, and the talk growing more general, the Professor turned to hisdaughter, saying, "My Fulvia, is the study prepared?"She signed her assent72, and her father led the way to an inner cabinet,where seats were drawn about a table scattered73 with pamphlets, gazettesand dictionaries, and set out with modest refreshments74. Here began aconversation ranging from chemistry to taxation75, and from theperfectibility of man to the secondary origin of the earth's surface. Itwas evident to Odo that, though the Professor's guests represented allshades of opinion, some being clearly loth to leave the safe anchorageof orthodoxy, while others already braved the seas of free enquiry, yetall were at one as to the need of unhampered action and discussion.
Odo's dormant76 curiosity woke with a start at the summons of freshknowledge. Here were worlds to explore, or rather the actual world abouthim, a region then stranger and more unfamiliar77 than the lost Atlantisof fable78. Liberty was the word on every lip, and if to some itrepresented the right to doubt the Diluvial origin of fossils, to othersthat of reforming the penal79 code, to a third (as to Alfieri) merelypersonal independence and relief from civil restrictions80; yet thesefragmentary conceptions seemed, to Odo's excited fancy, to blend in thevision of a New Light encircling the whole horizon of thought. Heunderstood at last Alfieri's allusion27 to a face for the sight of whichmen were ready to lay down their lives; and if, as he walked home beforedawn, those heavenly lineaments were blent in memory with features of amortal cast, yet these were pure and grave enough to stand for the imageof the goddess.
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windings
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| （道路、河流等）蜿蜒的，弯曲的( winding的名词复数 )； 缠绕( wind的现在分词 )； 卷绕； 转动（把手） | |
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constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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insistence
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| n.坚持；强调；坚决主张 | |
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privy
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| adj.私用的；隐密的 | |
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adroitness
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dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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incongruities
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| n.不协调( incongruity的名词复数 )；不一致；不适合；不协调的东西 | |
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alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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denser
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| adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的 | |
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glimmered
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| v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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anticipations
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| 预期( anticipation的名词复数 )； 预测； （信托财产收益的）预支； 预期的事物 | |
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middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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estrangement
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| n.疏远，失和，不和 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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verging
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| 接近，逼近（verge的现在分词形式） | |
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conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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allusions
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| 暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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chary
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| adj.谨慎的，细心的 | |
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prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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petrified
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| adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词) | |
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faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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necessitating
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| 使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的现在分词 ) | |
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enigma
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| n.谜，谜一样的人或事 | |
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courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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poetical
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| adj.似诗人的；诗一般的；韵文的；富有诗意的 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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affinity
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| n.亲和力，密切关系 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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neophyte
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| n.新信徒；开始者 | |
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subvert
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| v.推翻；暗中破坏；搅乱 | |
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mosaic
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| n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的 | |
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labyrinth
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| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
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conditional
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| adj.条件的，带有条件的 | |
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subversive
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| adj.颠覆性的，破坏性的；n.破坏份子，危险份子 | |
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disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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venerated
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| 敬重（某人或某事物），崇敬( venerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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expounded
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| 论述，详细讲解( expound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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obsolete
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| adj.已废弃的，过时的 | |
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creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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flux
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| n.流动；不断的改变 | |
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insinuate
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| vt.含沙射影地说，暗示 | |
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scrupulous
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| adj.审慎的，小心翼翼的，完全的，纯粹的 | |
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asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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disciples
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| n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一 | |
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assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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74
refreshments
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| n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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75
taxation
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| n.征税，税收，税金 | |
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76
dormant
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| adj.暂停活动的；休眠的；潜伏的 | |
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77
unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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78
fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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79
penal
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| adj.刑罚的；刑法上的 | |
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restrictions
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| 约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则） | |
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