少年维特的烦恼-第23章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


and　correct　motives　of　men　who　are　not　of　the　mon　order。

　　Sorrow　and　discontent　had　taken　deep　root　in　Werther's　soul　，　and
gradually　imparted　their　character　to　his　whole　being。　The　harmony　of
his　mind　became　pletely　disturbed；　a　perpetual　excitement　and　mental
irritation，　which　weakened　his　natural　powers，　produced　the　saddest
etfects　upon　him，　and　rendered　him　at　length　the　victim　of　an　exhaustion
against　which　he　struggled　with　still　more　painful　efforts　than　he　had
displayed　，　even　in　contending　with　his　other　misfortunes。　His　mental
anxiety　weakened　his　various　good　qualities　；　and　he　was　soon　converted
into　a　gloomy　panion　，　always　unhappy　and　unjust　in　his　ideas　，　the
more　wretched　he　became。　This　was　，　at　least　，　the　opinion　of　Albert's
friends。　They　assert，　moreover　，　that　the　character　of　Albert　himself
had　undergone　no　change　in　the　meantime　：　he　was　still　the　same　being
whom　Werther　had　loved，　honoured　，　and　respected　from　the　mencement。
His　love　for　Charlotte　was　unbounded：　he　was　proud　of　her，　and　desired
that　she　should　be　recognised　by　every　one　as　the　noblest　of　created　beings。
Was　he，　however，　to　blame　for　wishing　to　avert　from　her　every　appearance
of　suspicion？　or　for　his　unwillingness　to　share　his　rich　prize　with　another，
even　for　a　moment　，　and　in　the　most　innocent　manner？　It　is　asserted
that　Albert　frequently　retired　from　his　wife's　apartment　during　Werther's
visits；　but　this　did　not　arise　from　hatred　or　aversion　to　his　friend　，
but　only　from　a　feeling　that　his　presence　was　oppressive　to　Werther。

　　Charlotte's　father，　who　was　confined　to　the　house　by　indisposition，
was　accustomed　to　send　his　carriage　for　her　，　that　she　might　make　excursions
in　the　neighbourhood。　One　day　the　weather　had　been　unusually　severe　，
and　the　whole　country　was　covered　with　snow。

　　Werther　went　for　Charlotte　the　following　morning，　in　order　that，
if　Albert　were　absent　，　he　might　conduct　her　home。

　　The　beautiful　weather　produced　but　little　impression　on　his　troubled
spirit。　A　heavy　weight　lay　upon　his　soul，　deep　melancholy　had　taken　possession
of　him，　and　his　mind　knew　no　change　save　from　one　painful　thought　to
another。

　　As　he　now　never　enjoyed　internal　peace，　the　condition　of　his　fellow
creatures　was　to　him　a　perpetual　source　of　trouble　and　distress。　He　believed
he　had　disturbed　the　happiness　of　Albert　and　his　wife　；　and，　whilst
he　censured　himself　strongly　for　this　，　he　began　to　entertain　a　secret
dislike　to　Albert。

　　His　thoughts　were　occasionally　directed　to　this　point。　〃Yes　，〃　he
would　repeat　to　himself　，　with　ill…concealed　dissatisfaction　，　〃yes　，
this　is　，　after　all，　the　extent　of　that　confiding　，　dear　，　tender　，
and　sympathetic　love，　that　calm　and　eternal　fidelity　！　What　do　I　behold
but　satiety　and　indifference？　Does　not　every　frivolous　engagement　attract
him　more　than　his　charming　and　lovely　wife？　Does　he　know　how　to　prize
his　happiness　？　Can　he　value　her　as　she　deserves　？　He　possesses　her　，
it　is　true，　I　know　that，　as　I　know　much　more，　and　I　have　bee　accustomed
to　the　thought　that　he　will　drive　me　mad，　or　，　perhaps，　murder　me。
Is　his　friendship　toward　me　unimpaired？　Does　he　not　view　my　attachment
to　Charlotte　as　an　infringement　upon　his　rights　，　and　consider　my　attention
to　her　as　a　silent　rebuke　to　himself？　I　know　，　and　indeed　feel，　that
he　dislikes　me，　that　he　wishes　for　my　absence，　that　my　presence　is　hateful
to　him。〃

　　He　would　often　pause　when　on　his　way　to　visit　Charlotte　，　stand　still，
as　though　in　doubt，　and　seem　desirous　of　returning　，　but　would　nevertheless
proceed　；　and，　engaged　in　such　thoughts　and　soliloquies　as　we　have　described，
he　finally　reached　the　hunting…lodge，　with　a　sort　of　involuntary　consent。

　　Upon　one　occasion　he　entered　the　house；　and，　inquiring　for　Charlotte，
he　observed　that　the　inmates　were　in　a　state　of　unusual　confusion。　The
eldest　boy　informed　him　that　a　dreadful　misfortune　had　occurred　at　Walheim，
——　that　a　peasant　had　been　murdered　！　But　this　made　little　impression
upon　him。　Entering　the　apartment，　he　found　Charlotte　engaged　reasoning
with　her　father　，　who，　in　spite　of　his　infirmity，　insisted　on　going
to　the　scene　of　the　crime　，　in　order　to　institute　an　inquiry。　The　criminal
was　unknown　；　the　victim　had　been　found　dead　at　his　own　door　that　morning。
Suspicions　were　excited　：　the　murdered　man　had　been　in　the　service　of
a　widow　，　and　the　person　who　had　previously　filled　the　situation　had
been　dismissed　from　her　employment。

　　As　soon　as　Werther　heard　this　，　he　exclaimed　with　great　excitement，
〃Is　it　possible　！　I　must　go　to　the　spot——　I　cannot　delay　a　moment！
〃　He　hastened　to　Walheim。　Every　incident　returned　vividly　to　his　remembrance
；　and　he　entertained　not　the　slightest　doubt　that　that　man　was　the　murderer
to　whom　he　had　so　often　spoken，　and　for　whom　he　entertained　so　much　regard。
His　way　took　him　past　the　well…known　lime　trees　，　to　the　house　where
the　body　had　been　carried　；　and　his　feelings　were　greatly　excited　at
the　sight　of　the　fondly　recollected　spot。　That　threshold　where　the　neighbours'
children　had　so　often　played　together　was　stained　with　blood；　love　and
attachment，　the　noblest　feelings　of　human　nature　，　had　been　converted
into　violence　and　murder。　The　huge　trees　stood　there　leafless　and　covered
with　hoarfrost；　the　beautiful　hedgerows　which　surrounded　the　old　churchyard
wall　were　withered；　and　the　gravestones，　half　covered　with　snow　，　were
visible　through　the　openings。

　　As　he　approached　the　inn，　in　front　of　which　the　whole　village　was
assembled　，　screams　were　suddenly　heard。　A　troop　of　armed　peasants　was
seen　approaching，　and　every　one　exclaimed　that　the　criminal　had　been
apprehended。　Werther　looked　，　and　was　not　long　in　doubt。　The　prisoner
was　no　other　than　the　servant　，　who　had　been　formerly　so　attached　to
the　widow　，　and　whom　he　had　met　prowling　about　，　with　that　suppressed
anger　and　ill…concealed　despair　，　which　we　have　before　described。

　　〃What　have　you　done　，　unfortunate　man？〃　inquired　Werther，　as　he
advanced　toward　the　prisoner。　The　latter　turned　his　eyes　upon　him　in　silence，
and　then　replied　with　perfect　posure　；　〃No　one　will　now　marry　her　，
and　she　will　marry　no　one。〃　The　prisoner　was　taken　into　the　inn　，　and
Werther　left　the　place。　The　mind　of　Werther　was　fearfully　excited　by　this
shocking　occurrence。　He　ceased，　however，　to　be　oppressed　by　his　usual
feeling　of　melancholy　，　moroseness　，　and　indifference　to　everything
that　passed　around　him。　He　entertained　a　strong　degree　of　pity　for　the
prisoner，　and　was　seized　with　an　indescribable　anxiety　to　save　him　from
his　impending　fate。　He　considered　him　so　unfortunate，　he　deemed　his　crime
so　excusable，　and　thought　his　own　condition　so　nearly　similar，　that
he　felt　convinced　he　could　make　every　one　else　view　the　matter　in　the
light　in　which　he　saw　it　himself。　He　now　became　anxious　to　undertake　his
defence　，　and　menced　posing　an　eloquent　speech　for　the　occasion
；　and，　on　his　way　to　the　hunting…lodge，　he　could　not　refrain　from　speaking
aloud　the　statement　which　he　resolved　to　make　to　the　judge。

　　Upon　his　arrival，　he　found　Albert　had　been　before　him：　and　he　was
a　little　perplexed　by　this　meeting；　but　he　soon　recovered　himself，　and
expressed　his　opinion　with　much　warmth　to　the　judge。　The　latter　shook　，
his　head　doubtingly　；　and　although　Werther　urged　his　case　with　the　utmost
zeal，　feeling，　and　determination　in　defence　of　his　client　，　yet，　as
we　may　easily　suppose　，　the　judge　was　not　much　influenced　by　his　appeal。
On　the　contrary　，　he　interrupted　him　in　his　address，　reasoned　with　him
seriously　，　and　even　administered　a　rebuke　to　him　for　being　the　advocate
of　a　murderer。　He　demonstrated，　that　，　according　to　this　precedent，
every　law　might　be　violated　，　and　the　public　security　utterly　destroyed。
He　added，　moreover　，　that　in　such　a　case　he　could　himself　do　nothing，
without　incurring　the　greatest　responsibility　；　that　everything　must
follow　in　the　usual　course，　and　pursue　the　ordinary　channel。

　　Werther　，　however，　did　not　a