the works of edgar allan poe-3-第48部分

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〃Authority？　　no；〃　he　replied。　〃It　is　a　mere　typographical　error。
The　name　is　Bedlo　with　an　e；　all　the　world　over；　and　I　never　knew　it
to　be　spelt　otherwise　in　my　life。〃

〃Then；〃　said　I　mutteringly；　as　I　turned　upon　my　heel；　〃then　indeed
has　it　come　to　pass　that　one　truth　is　stranger　than　any　fiction　
for　Bedloe；　without　the　e；　what　is　it　but　Oldeb　conversed！　And　this
man　tells　me　that　it　is　a　typographical　error。〃

~~~　End　of　Text　~~~



THE　SPECTACLES

MANY　years　ago；　it　was　the　fashion　to　ridicule　the　idea　of　〃love　at
first　sight；〃　but　those　who　think；　not　less　than　those　who　feel
deeply；　have　always　advocated　its　existence。　Modern　discoveries；
indeed；　in　what　may　be　termed　ethical　magnetism　or　magnetoesthetics；
render　it　probable　that　the　most　natural；　and；　consequently；　the
truest　and　most　intense　of　the　human　affections　are　those　which　arise
in　the　heart　as　if　by　electric　sympathy　　in　a　word；　that　the
brightest　and　most　enduring　of　the　psychal　fetters　are　those　which
are　riveted　by　a　glance。　The　confession　I　am　about　to　make　will　add
another　to　the　already　almost　innumerable　instances　of　the　truth　of
the　position。

My　story　requires　that　I　should　be　somewhat　minute。　I　am　still　a　very
young　man　　not　yet　twenty…two　years　of　age。　My　name；　at　present；　is
a　very　usual　and　rather　plebeian　one　　Simpson。　I　say　〃at　present；〃
for　it　is　only　lately　that　I　have　been　so　called　　having
legislatively　adopted　this　surname　within　the　last　year　in　order　to
receive　a　large　inheritance　left　me　by　a　distant　male　relative；
Adolphus　Simpson；　Esq。　The　bequest　was　conditioned　upon　my　taking　the
name　of　the　testator；　　the　family；　not　the　Christian　name；　my
Christian　name　is　Napoleon　Bonaparte　　or；　more　properly；　these　are
my　first　and　middle　appellations。

I　assumed　the　name；　Simpson；　with　some　reluctance；　as　in　my　true
patronym；　Froissart；　I　felt　a　very　pardonable　pride　　believing　that
I　could　trace　a　descent　from　the　immortal　author　of　the　〃Chronicles。〃
While　on　the　subject　of　names；　by　the　bye；　I　may　mention　a　singular
coincidence　of　sound　attending　the　names　of　some　of　my　immediate
predecessors。　My　father　was　a　Monsieur　Froissart；　of　Paris。　His　wife
　my　mother；　whom　he　married　at　fifteen　　was　a　Mademoiselle
Croissart；　eldest　daughter　of　Croissart　the　banker；　whose　wife；
again；　being　only　sixteen　when　married；　was　the　eldest　daughter　of
one　Victor　Voissart。　Monsieur　Voissart；　very　singularly；　had　married
a　lady　of　similar　name　　a　Mademoiselle　Moissart。　She；　too；　was
quite　a　child　when　married；　and　her　mother；　also；　Madame　Moissart；
was　only　fourteen　when　led　to　the　altar。　These　early　marriages　are
usual　in　France。　Here；　however；　are　Moissart；　Voissart；　Croissart；
and　Froissart；　all　in　the　direct　line　of　descent。　My　own　name；
though；　as　I　say；　became　Simpson；　by　act　of　Legislature；　and　with　so
much　repugnance　on　my　part；　that；　at　one　period；　I　actually　hesitated
about　accepting　the　legacy　with　the　useless　and　annoying　proviso
attached。

As　to　personal　endowments；　I　am　by　no　means　deficient。　On　the
contrary；　I　believe　that　I　am　well　made；　and　possess　what　nine　tenths
of　the　world　would　call　a　handsome　face。　In　height　I　am　five　feet
eleven。　My　hair　is　black　and　curling。　My　nose　is　sufficiently　good。
My　eyes　are　large　and　gray；　and　although；　in　fact　they　are　weak　a
very　inconvenient　degree；　still　no　defect　in　this　regard　would　be
suspected　from　their　appearance。　The　weakness　itself；　however；　has
always　much　annoyed　me；　and　I　have　resorted　to　every　remedy　　short
of　wearing　glasses。　Being　youthful　and　good…looking；　I　naturally
dislike　these；　and　have　resolutely　refused　to　employ　them。　I　know
nothing；　indeed；　which　so　disfigures　the　countenance　of　a　young
person；　or　so　impresses　every　feature　with　an　air　of　demureness；　if
not　altogether　of　sanctimoniousness　and　of　age。　An　eyeglass；　on　the
other　hand；　has　a　savor　of　downright　foppery　and　affectation。　I　have
hitherto　managed　as　well　as　I　could　without　either。　But　something　too
much　of　these　merely　personal　details；　which；　after　all；　are　of
little　importance。　I　will　content　myself　with　saying；　in　addition；
that　my　temperament　is　sanguine；　rash；　ardent；　enthusiastic　　and
that　all　my　life　I　have　been　a　devoted　admirer　of　the　women。

One　night　last　winter　I　entered　a　box　at　the　P…　　Theatre；　in
company　with　a　friend；　Mr。　Talbot。　It　was　an　opera　night；　and　the
bills　presented　a　very　rare　attraction；　so　that　the　house　was
excessively　crowded。　We　were　in　time；　however；　to　obtain　the　front
seats　which　had　been　reserved　for　us；　and　into　which；　with　some
little　difficulty；　we　elbowed　our　way。

For　two　hours　my　companion；　who　was　a　musical　fanatico；　gave　his
undivided　attention　to　the　stage；　and；　in　the　meantime；　I　amused
myself　by　observing　the　audience；　which　consisted；　in　chief　part；　of
the　very　elite　of　the　city。　Having　satisfied　myself　upon　this　point；
I　was　about　turning　my　eyes　to　the　prima　donna；　when　they　were
arrested　and　riveted　by　a　figure　in　one　of　the　private　boxes　which
had　escaped　my　observation。

If　I　live　a　thousand　years；　I　can　never　forget　the　intense　emotion
with　which　I　regarded　this　figure。　It　was　that　of　a　female；　the　most
exquisite　I　had　ever　beheld。　The　face　was　so　far　turned　toward　the
stage　that；　for　some　minutes；　I　could　not　obtain　a　view　of　it　　but
the　form　was　divine；　no　other　word　can　sufficiently　express　its
magnificent　proportion　　and　even　the　term　〃divine〃　seems
ridiculously　feeble　as　I　write　it。

The　magic　of　a　lovely　form　in　woman　　the　necromancy　of　female
gracefulness　　was　always　a　power　which　I　had　found　it　impossible　to
resist；　but　here　was　grace　personified；　incarnate；　the　beau　ideal　of
my　wildest　and　most　enthusiastic　visions。　The　figure；　almost　all　of
which　the　construction　of　the　box　permitted　to　be　seen；　was　somewhat
above　the　medium　height；　and　nearly　approached；　without　positively
reaching；　the　majestic。　Its　perfect　fullness　and　tournure　were
delicious。　The　head　of　which　only　the　back　was　visible；　rivalled　in
outline　that　of　the　Greek　Psyche；　and　was　rather　displayed　than
concealed　by　an　elegant　cap　of　gaze　aerienne；　which　put　me　in　mind　of
the　ventum　textilem　of　Apuleius。　The　right　arm　hung　over　the
balustrade　of　the　box；　and　thrilled　every　nerve　of　my　frame　with　its
exquisite　symmetry。　Its　upper　portion　was　draperied　by　one　of　the
loose　open　sleeves　now　in　fashion。　This　extended　but　little　below　the
elbow。　Beneath　it　was　worn　an　under　one　of　some　frail　material；
close…fitting；　and　terminated　by　a　cuff　of　rich　lace；　which　fell
gracefully　over　the　top　of　the　hand；　revealing　only　the　delicate
fingers；　upon　one　of　which　sparkled　a　diamond　ring；　which　I　at　once
saw　was　of　extraordinary　value。　The　admirable　roundness　of　the　wrist
was　well　set　off　by　a　bracelet　which　encircled　it；　and　which　also　was
ornamented　and　clasped　by　a　magnificent　aigrette　of　jewels…telling；
in　words　that　could　not　be　mistaken；　at　once　of　the　wealth　and
fastidious　taste　of　the　wearer。

I　gazed　at　this　queenly　apparition　for　at　least　half　an　hour；　as　if　I
had　been　suddenly　converted　to　stone；　and；　during　this　period；　I　felt
the　full　force　and　truth　of　all　that　has　been　said　or　sung　concerning
〃love　at　first　sight。〃　My　feelings　were　totally　different　from　any
which　I　had　hitherto　experienced；　in　the　presence　of　even　the　most
celebrated　specimens　of　female　loveliness。　An　unaccountable；　and　what
I　am　compelled　to　consider　a　magnetic；　sympathy　of　soul　for　soul；
seemed　to　rivet；　not　only　my　vision；　but　my　whole　powers　of　thought
and　feeling；　upon　the　admirable　object　before　me。　I　saw　　I　felt　
I　knew　that　I　was　deeply；　madly；　irrevocably　in　love　　and　this　even
before　seeing　the　face　of　the　person　beloved。　So　intense；　indeed；　was
the　passion　that　consumed　me；　that　I　really　believe　it　would　have
received　little　if　any　abatement　had　the　features；　yet　unseen；　proved
of　merely　ordinary　character；　so　anomalous　is　the　nature　of　the　only
true　love　　of　the　love　at　first　sight　　and　so　little　really
dependent　is　it　upon　the　external　conditions　which　only　seem　to
create　and　control　it。

While　I　was　thus　wrapped　in　admiration　of　this　lovely　vision；　a
sudden　disturbance　among　the　audience　caused　her　to　turn　her　head
partially　toward　me；　so　that　I　beheld　the　entire　profile　of　the　face。
Its　beauty　even　exceeded　my　anticipations　　and　yet　there　was
something　about　it　which　disappointed　me　without　my　being　able　to
tell　exactly　what　it　was。　I　said　〃disappointed；〃　but　this　is　not
altogether　the　word。　My　sentiments　were　at　once　quieted　and　exalted。
They　partook　less　of　transport　and　more　of　calm　enthusiasm　of
enthusiastic　repose。　This　state　of　feeling　arose；　perhaps；　from　the
Madonna…like　and　matronly　air　of　the　face；　and　yet　I　at　once
understood　that　it　could　not　have　arisen　entirely　from　this。　There
was　something　else…　some　mystery　which　I　could　not　develope　　some
expression　about　the　countenance　which　slightly　disturbed　me　while　it
greatly　heightened　my　interest。　In　fact；　I　was　just　in　that　condition
of　mind　which　prepares　a　young　and　susceptible　man　for　any　act　of
extravagance。　Had　the　lady　been　alone；　I　should　undoubtedly　have
entered　her　box　and　accosted　her　at　all　hazards；　but；　fortunately；
she　was　attended　by　two　companions　　a　gentleman；　and　a　strikingly
beautiful　woman；　to　all　appearance　a　few　years　younger　than　herself。

I　revolved　in　my　mind　a　thousand　schemes　by　which　I　might　obtain；
hereafter；　an　introduction　to　the　elder　lady；　or；　for　the　present；　at
all　events；　a　more　distinct　view　of　her　beauty。　I　would　have　removed
my　position　to　one　nearer　her　own；　but　the　crowded　state　of　the
theatre　rendered　this　impossible；　and　the　stern　decrees　of　Fashion
had；　of　late；　imperatively　prohibited　the　use　of　the　opera…glass　in　a
case　such　as　this；　even　had　I　been　so　fortunate　as　to　have　one　with
me　　but　I　had　not　　and　was　thus　in　despair。

At　length　I　bethought　me　of　applying　to　my　companion。

〃Talbot；〃　I　said；　〃you　have　an　opera…glass。　Let　me　have　it。〃

〃An　opera　　glass！　　no！　　what　do　you　suppose　I　would　be　doing
with　an　opera…glass？〃　Here　he　turned　impatiently　toward　the　stage。

〃But；　Talbot；〃　I　continued；　pulling　him　by　the　shoulder；　〃listen　to
me　will　you？　Do　y