Daniel Deronda
乔治.艾略特 George Eliot
CHAPTER LXX.
In the checkered area of human experience the seasons are all mingledas in the golden age: fruit and blossom hang together; in the samemoment the sickle is reaping and the seed is sprinkled; one tends thegreen cluster and another treads the winepress. Nay, in each of ourlives harvest and spring-time are continually one, until himselfgathers us and sows us anew in his invisible fields.
Among the blessings of love there is hardly one more exquisite than thesense that in uniting the beloved life to ours we can watch over itshappiness, bring comfort where hardship was, and over memories ofprivation and suffering open the sweetest fountains of joy. Deronda's lovefor Mirah was strongly imbued with that blessed protectiveness. Even withinfantine feet she had begun to tread among thorns; and the first time hehad beheld her face it had seemed to him the girlish image of despair.
But now she was glowing like a dark-tipped yet delicate ivory-tintedflower in the warm sunlight of content, thinking of any possible grief aspart of that life with Deronda, which she could call by no other name thangood. And he watched the sober gladness which gave new beauty to hermovements; and her habitual attitudes of repose, with a delight which madehim say to himself that it was enough of personal joy for him to save herfrom pain. She knew nothing of Hans's struggle or of Gwendolen's pang; forafter the assurance that Deronda's hidden love had been for her, sheeasily explained Gwendolen's eager solicitude about him as part of agrateful dependence on his goodness, such as she herself had known. Andall Deronda's words about Mrs. Grandcourt confirmed that view of theirrelation, though he never touched on it except in the most distant manner.Mirah was ready to believe that he had been a rescuing angel to manybesides herself. The only wonder was, that she among them all was to havethe bliss of being continually by his side.
So, when the bridal veil was around Mirah it hid no doubtful tremors--onlya thrill of awe at the acceptance of a great gift which required greatuses. And the velvet canopy never covered a more goodly bride andbridegroom, to whom their people might more wisely wish offspring; moretruthful lips never touched the sacrament marriage-wine; the marriage-blessing never gathered stronger promise of fulfillment than in theintegrity of their mutual pledge. Naturally, they were married accordingto the Jewish rite. And since no religion seems yet to have demanded thatwhen we make a feast we should invite only the highest rank of ouracquaintances, few, it is to be hoped, will be offended to learn thatamong the guests at Deronda's little wedding-feast was the entire Cohenfamily, with the one exception of the baby who carried on her teethingintelligently at home. How could Mordecai have borne that those friends ofhis adversity should have been shut out from rejoicing in common with him?
Mrs. Meyrick so fully understood this that she had quite reconciledherself to meeting the Jewish pawnbroker, and was there with her threedaughters--all of them enjoying the consciousness that Mirah's marriage toDeronda crowned a romance which would always make a sweet memory to them.For which of them, mother or girls, had not had a generous part in it--giving their best in feeling and in act to her who needed? If Hans couldhave been there, it would have been better; but Mab had already observedthat men must suffer for being so inconvenient; suppose she, Kate, and Amyhad all fallen in love with Mr. Deronda?--but being women they were not soridiculous.
The Meyricks were rewarded for conquering their prejudices by hearing aspeech from Mr. Cohen, which had the rare quality among speeches of notbeing quite after the usual pattern. Jacob ate beyond his years, andcontributed several small whinnying laughs as a free accompaniment of hisfather's speech, not irreverently, but from a lively sense that his familywas distinguishing itself; while Adelaide Rebekah, in a new Sabbath frock,maintained throughout a grave air of responsibility.
Mordecai's brilliant eyes, sunken in their large sockets, dwelt on thescene with the cherishing benignancy of a spirit already lifted into analoofness which nullified only selfish requirements and left sympathyalive. But continually, after his gaze had been traveling round on theothers, it returned to dwell on Deronda with a fresh gleam of trustingaffection.
The wedding-feast was humble, but Mirah was not without splendid wedding-gifts. As soon as the betrothal had been known, there were friends who hadentertained graceful devices. Sir Hugo and Lady Mallinger had takentrouble to provide a complete equipment for Eastern travel, as well as aprecious locket containing an inscription--"_To the bride of our dearDaniel Deronda all blessings. H. and L. M._" The Klesmers sent a perfectwatch, also with a pretty inscription.
But something more precious than gold and gems came to Deronda from theneighborhood of Diplow on the morning of his marriage. It was a lettercontaining these words:--
Do not think of me sorrowfully on your wedding-day. I have rememberedyour words--that I may live to be one of the best of women, whomake others glad that they were born. I do not yet see how that canbe, but you know better than I. If it ever comes true, it will bebecause you helped me. I only thought of myself, and I made yougrieve. It hurts me now to think of your grief. You must not grieveany more for me. It is better--it shall be better with me because Ihave known you.
GWENDOLEN GRANDCOURT.
The preparations for the departure of all three to the East began at once;for Deronda could not deny Ezra's wish that they should set out on thevoyage forthwith, so that he might go with them, instead of detaining themto watch over him. He had no belief that Ezra's life would last throughthe voyage, for there were symptoms which seemed to show that the laststage of his malady had set in. But Ezra himself had said, "Never mindwhere I die, so that I am with you."
He did not set out with them. One morning early he said to Deronda, "Donot quit me to-day. I shall die before it is ended."
He chose to be dressed and sit up in his easy chair as usual, Deronda andMirah on each side of him, and for some hours he was unusually silent, noteven making the effort to speak, but looking at them occasionally witheyes full of some restful meaning, as if to assure them that while thisremnant of breathing-time was difficult, he felt an ocean of peace beneathhim.
It was not till late in the afternoon, when the light was falling, that hetook a hand of each in his and said, looking at Deronda, "Death is comingto me as the divine kiss which is both parting and reunion--which takes mefrom your bodily eyes and gives me full presence in your soul. Where thougoest, Daniel, I shall go. Is it not begun? Have I not breathed my soulinto you? We shall live together."
He paused, and Deronda waited, thinking that there might be another wordfor him. But slowly and with effort Ezra, pressing on their hands, raisedhimself and uttered in Hebrew the confession of the divine Unity, whichlong for generations has been on the lips of the dying Israelite.
He sank back gently into his chair, and did not speak again. But it wassome hours before he had ceased to breathe, with Mirah's and Deronda'sarms around him.
"Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wailOr knock the breast; no weakness, no contempt,Dispraise or blame; nothing but well and fair,And what may quiet us in a death so noble."