茵夢(mèng)湖?

（德）臺(tái)奧多爾?沃爾特森―施篤姆

老人

在一個(gè)深秋的下午，一位穿著講究的老人沿著街道慢慢走來。他好象是散步后回家的樣子，因?yàn)樵谒请p老式的扣鞋上沾滿了塵土。他的腋下夾著一根長長的金頭手杖；他那對(duì)黑色的眼睛平靜地環(huán)顧著四周，有時(shí)又向著那座躺臥在他面前的、沐浴在黃昏氣息中的城市眺望。在這對(duì)眼睛里仿佛還隱藏著那已失去了的全部的青春，它們和那頭雪白的頭發(fā)形成了奇特的對(duì)照。——他看來是個(gè)外地人，盡管好些人禁不住要對(duì)這雙嚴(yán)肅的眼睛看上幾眼，但過路人中只有很少幾個(gè)跟他打招呼。他最后站停在一所三角頂?shù)母叻孔用媲?，再一次向那座城市瞥了一眼，隨即進(jìn)了門廊。隨著門鈴聲響，屋子里有人把看得見門廊的小窗洞上的綠窗帷拉了開來，于是里面露出了一個(gè)老婦人的臉容。老人用手杖招呼她?！斑€用不著點(diǎn)幻！”他用一種稍帶南方的口音說道。管家婦把窗帷重新放了下來。老人走過寬闊的門廊，然后經(jīng)過一間起居室，那里靠墻立著幾個(gè)放有花瓶的大橡木柜子；接著他又走進(jìn)對(duì)面一扇門，來到了狹小的過道，這里有一道窄樓梯通向后面樓上的屋子。他慢慢地登了上去，到達(dá)上面后打開一道門，進(jìn)到了一間大小適度的屋子里。這兒既安適又清靜；墻的一面擺滿了書架和書柜；另一面墻上掛了許多人物和風(fēng)景畫；鋪有綠臺(tái)布的桌子上放著好幾本打開了的書，桌子前面有一把笨重的靠背椅，上面是紅天鵝絨的靠墊。——老人把帽子和手杖放到角落里，隨即在靠背椅上坐下。他交叉著兩手，仿佛散步后在休息。當(dāng)他這樣坐著的時(shí)候，天色漸漸地黑了下來；后來有一道月光透過玻璃窗射到了墻上的畫像上；這道光亮緩慢地移動(dòng)的時(shí)候，老人的兩眼情不自禁地跟隨著它?，F(xiàn)在它落到一張裝在一個(gè)樸素的黑鏡框里的小照片上?！耙晾?！”老人低聲喚道；隨著這一聲呼喚，時(shí)間就起了變化——

他回到了他的青年時(shí)代。

The Old Man

0ne afternoon in the late autumn a well-dressed old man was walking slowly down the street. He appeared to be returning home from a walk, for his buckle-shoes, which followed a fashion long since out of date, were covered with dust.

Under his arm he carried a long, gold-headed cane; his dark eyes, in which the whole of his long-lost youth seemed to have centred, and which contrasted strangely with his snow-white hair, gazed calmly on the sights around him or peered into the town below as it lay before him, bathed in the haze of sunset. He appeared to be almost a stranger, for of the passers-by only a few greeted him, although many a one involuntarily was compelled to gaze into those grave eyes.

At last he halted before a high, gabled house, cast one more glance out toward the town, and then passed into the hall. At the sound of the door-bell some one in the room within drew aside the green curtain from a small window that looked out on to the hall, and the face of an old woman was seen behind it. The man made a sign to her with his cane.

"No light yet!" he said in a slightly southern accent, and the housekeeper let the curtain fall again.

The old man now passed through the broad hall, through an inner hall, wherein against the walls stood huge oaken chests bearing porcelain vases; then through the door opposite he entered a small lobby, from which a narrow staircase led to the upper rooms at the back of the house. He climbed the stairs slowly, unlocked a door at the top, and landed in a room of medium size.

It was a comfortable, quiet retreat. One of the walls was lined with cupboards and bookcases; on the other hung pictures of men and places; on a table with a green cover lay a number of open books, and before the table stood a massive arm-chair with a red velvet cushion.

After the old man had placed his hat and stick in a corner, he sat down in the arm-chair and, folding his hands, seemed to be taking his rest after his walk. While he sat thus, it was growing gradually darker; and before long a moonbeam came streaming through the window- panes and upon the pictures on the wall; and as the bright band of light passed slowly onward the old man followed it involuntarily with his eyes.

Now it reached a little picture in a simple black frame. "Elisabeth!" said the old man softly; and as he uttered the word, time had changed: he was young again.

孩子們

頃刻，一個(gè)可愛的小女孩子的形態(tài)出現(xiàn)在他面前。她叫伊利莎白，年紀(jì)五歲左右；他自己的歲數(shù)要比她大一倍。她的脖子上圍著一條紅綢的小圍巾；配著她的褐色眼睛顯得很漂亮。

“萊因哈特！”她叫道，“我們放假了，放假了！今天一整天不上學(xué)，明天也不去?！?/p>

萊因哈特把已經(jīng)夾在臂下的石板趕忙放到門背后，隨即兩個(gè)孩子穿過屋子跑進(jìn)花園，又穿越園門跑到外面的草地上。

這次出乎意料的放假對(duì)他們簡直是太有用了。萊因哈特在伊利莎白的幫助下已經(jīng)在這里蓋了一間草皮房子；他們打算在夏天的夜晚住在里面；可是還缺一條長凳。于是他馬上就動(dòng)手干起活來；釘子、錘子和必需的木材都是現(xiàn)成的。在他干活的時(shí)候，伊利莎白便沿著圍墻撿野錦葵的環(huán)形花子放在她的圍裙里；她想用它們給自己做鏈子和項(xiàng)圈；當(dāng)萊因哈特敲彎了不少釘子終于把長凳做成，回到外面陽光下時(shí)，她已經(jīng)走得很遠(yuǎn)，到草地的另一端去了。

“伊利莎白！”他呼喚，“伊利莎白！”她來了，一路上卷發(fā)飄拂著?！皝戆?，”他說，“現(xiàn)在我們的房子造好了。你跑得很熱；進(jìn)來吧，我們要坐坐新凳了。我給你講些什么聽聽。”

于是，兩個(gè)孩子一起進(jìn)到屋里，在新凳子上坐了下來。伊利莎白從圍裙里拿出她的小花子圈，把它們穿在一根長線上；萊因哈特開始講他的故事：

“從前有三個(gè)紡紗的女人——”

“?。　币晾渍f，“這個(gè)故事我都能背出來了；你別講來講去老講這一個(gè)故事呀。”

于是萊因哈特只好把三個(gè)紡炒女人的故事放到一邊，換一個(gè)被扔到獅子洞里的不幸人的故事。

“那是在夜晚，”他說，“你懂嗎？黑極了，獅子已經(jīng)睡覺了。但是即使在睡著的時(shí)候，它們有時(shí)也會(huì)打呵欠伸出它們的紅舌頭來的；這樣，那個(gè)人就發(fā)顫，以為天亮了。就在這時(shí)，突然在他周圍出現(xiàn)了一道光亮，當(dāng)他抬頭看時(shí)，有個(gè)天使站在他面前。天使向他招手，然后就一直走進(jìn)了巖石里?！?/p>

伊利莎白注意地聽著?！耙粋€(gè)天使？”她問道?！八谐岚騿?？”這只是個(gè)故事。”萊因哈特回答說，“根本就沒有什么天使?！?/p>

“喔呸，萊因哈特！”她說道，盯著看他的臉。當(dāng)他不高興地回看她時(shí)，她就遲疑地問他說：“那為什么她們老是這樣說呢？媽媽和姑姑，還有學(xué)校里也那樣講？”

“這我就不知道了。”他回答說。

“可是你說，”伊利莎白說，“獅子也是沒有的嗎？”

“獅子？有沒有獅子！在印度就有；在那里拜佛的教士就把它們駕在車前，用來通過沙漠。等我長大了，我要親自上那兒去。那地方比我們這里不知要漂亮幾千倍呢；那里根本就沒有冬天。你也得跟我一起去。你愿意嗎？”

“愿意的。”伊利莎白說，“不過媽媽也得跟我們一起去，還有你的媽媽?！?/p>

“不，”萊因哈特說，“那時(shí)候，她們太老了，不能跟我們一起去了?！?/p>

“我一個(gè)人去是不可以的。”

“你可以，到那時(shí)你就真的是我的妻子了，這樣別人就管不了你了?！?/p>

“可是我媽媽要哭的?！?/p>

“我們會(huì)回來的，”萊因哈特急躁地說；“痛快地說吧：你到底愿不愿意跟我一起去旅行？你要不去我就一個(gè)人去；而且永遠(yuǎn)也不再回來?！?/p>

小女孩幾乎要哭出來了。“不要這樣兇啊，”她說道，“我是愿意跟你一起到印度去的。”

萊因哈特快樂得發(fā)狂似地抓住了她的雙手，拉著她一起跑到草地上?！暗接《热?，到印度去！”他唱著，同時(shí)拉著她轉(zhuǎn)圈子，使得她的小紅圍巾從脖子上飛了出去。可是隨后，他突然一下松開了她的手，嚴(yán)肅地說道：

“這事是不會(huì)成功的；你沒有勇氣?！?/p>

“伊利莎白！萊因哈特！”這時(shí)有人在花園門口呼喚道。

“在這兒！在這兒！”孩子們回答著，便手拉著手向家里跑去。

The Children

Before very long the dainty form of a little maiden advanced toward him. Her name was Elisabeth, and she might have been five years old. He himself was twice that age. Round her neck she wore a red silk kerchief which was very becoming to her brown eyes.

"Reinhard!" she cried, "we have a holiday, a holiday! No school the whole day and none to-morrow either!"

Reinhard was carrying his slate under his arm, but he flung it behind the front door, and then both the children ran through the house into the garden and through the garden gate out into the meadow. The unexpected holiday came to them at a most happily opportune moment.

It was in the meadow that Reinhard, with Elisabeth's help, had built a house out of sods of grass. They meant to live in it during the summer evenings; but it still wanted a bench. He set to work at once; nails, hammer, and the necessary boards were already to hand.

While he was thus engaged, Elisabeth went along the dyke, gathering the ring-shaped seeds of the wild mallow in her apron, with the object of making herself chains and necklaces out of them; so that when Reinhard had at last finished his bench in spite of many a crookedly hammered nail, and came out into the sunlight again, she was already wandering far away at the other end of the meadow.

"Elisabeth!" he called, "Elisabeth!" and then she came, her hair streaming behind her.

"Come here," he said; "our house is finished now. Why, you have got quite hot! Come in, and let us sit on the new bench. I will tell you a story."

So they both went in and sat down on the new bench. Elisabeth took the little seed-rings out of her apron and strung them on long threads. Reinhard began his tale: "There were once upon a time three spinning- women..." (Footnote: The beginning of one of the best known of Grimm's fairy tales.)

"Oh!" said Elisabeth, "I know that off by heart; you really must not always tell me the same story."

Accordingly Reinhard had to give up the story of the three spinning- women and tell instead the story of the poor man who was cast into the den of lions.

"It was now night," he said, "black night, you know, and the lions were asleep. But every now and then they would yawn in their sleep and shoot out their red tongues. And then the man would shudder and think it was morning. All at once a bright light fell all about him, and when he looked up an angel was standing before him. The angel beckoned to him with his hand and then went straight into the rocks."

Elisabeth had been listening attentively. "An angel?" she said. "Had he wings then?"

"It is only a story," answered Reinhard; "there are no angels, you know."

"Oh, fie! Reinhard!" she said, staring him straight in the face.

He looked at her with a frown, and she asked him hesitatingly: "Well, why do they always say there are? mother, and aunt, and at school as well?"

"I don't know," he answered.

"But tell me," said Elisabeth, "are there no lions either?"

"Lions? Are there lions? In India, yes. The heathen priests harness them to their carriages, and drive about the desert with them. When I'm big, I mean to go out there myself. It is thousands of times more beautiful in that country than it is here at home; there's no winter at all there. And you must come with me. Will you?"

"Yes," said Elisabeth; "but mother must come with us, and your mother as well."

"No," said Reinhard, "they will be too old then, and cannot come with us."

"But I mayn't go by myself."

"Oh, but you may right enough; you will then really be my wife, and the others will have no say in the matter."

"But mother will cry!"

"We shall come back again of course," said Reinhard impetuously. "Now just tell me straight out, will you go with me? If not, I will go all alone, and then I shall never come back again."

The little girl came very near to crying. "Please don't look so angry," said she; "I will go to India with you."

Reinhard seized both her hands with frantic glee, and rushed out with her into the meadow.

"To India, to India!" he sang, and swung her round and round, so that her little red kerchief was whirled from off her neck. Then he suddenly let her go and said solemnly:

"Nothing will come of it, I'm sure; you haven't the pluck."

"Elisabeth! Reinhard!" some one was now calling from the garden gate. "Here we are!" the children answered, and raced home hand in hand.

在樹林里

這兩個(gè)孩子就這樣地生活在一起；對(duì)他講來，她常常是太幽靜，而對(duì)她說來，他又常常是太激烈，可是他們并不因此而分開，差不多所有空閑的時(shí)間他們都是一起度過的，冬天在他們母親窄小的屋子里，夏天則到樹林和田野里去?！幸淮危晾桩?dāng)著萊因哈特的面受到了教師的責(zé)罵，萊因哈特就憤怒地用他的石板碰擊桌子，想把老師的怒氣轉(zhuǎn)移到自己身上?？墒抢蠋煵]有注意。但萊因哈特卻再也聽不進(jìn)地理課了；他不聽課，卻做了首長詩；在詩里，他把自己比作一只小鷹，把老師比作一只灰烏鴉，伊利莎白則是一只白鴿子；小鷹發(fā)誓，一旦它的翅膀長成，它就要向灰烏鴉復(fù)仇。這位年輕的詩人眼眶里含著淚水，自己覺得很崇高?；丶液?，他設(shè)法弄到了一本帶有許多空頁的羊皮紙小冊(cè)子，在開頭幾頁，他細(xì)心地抄上了他的第一首詩?！痪靡院笏狭肆硗獾囊凰鶎W(xué)校；在那里他在年齡相仿的男孩中結(jié)交了一些新朋友，可是這并不妨礙他和伊利莎白的交往。現(xiàn)在他開始從平時(shí)他給伊利莎白講了又講的故事中選出一些她最愛聽的記下來；這樣做的時(shí)候，他常常想把自己的一些思想加進(jìn)去；可是不知道為什么，他總是沒有能做到。為此他只能按照他自己聽來的內(nèi)容一成不變地寫下來。后來他把這個(gè)手抄本給了伊利莎白，她把它細(xì)心地保存在她的首飾匣的一個(gè)抽屜里；每當(dāng)她有時(shí)晚上當(dāng)著他的面從他的手抄本里選一些故事讀給她母親聽時(shí)，他就感到很大的滿足。

七年的時(shí)間過去了。萊因哈特為了繼續(xù)深造必須離開城市。伊利莎白簡直不能想象，現(xiàn)在竟然要過全然沒有萊因哈特的日子。有一天，萊因哈特跟她說，他將要一如既往為她把故事寫下來，附在給母親的信里寄給她，然后她也得回信，告訴他是否喜歡這些故事，伊利莎白聽了這些話后，才高興起來。啟程的日子快到了；在走之前羊皮本里又添寫了好些詩。雖然這整個(gè)本子的構(gòu)成和絕大部分詩歌創(chuàng)作的起因是伊利莎白，它們已經(jīng)漸漸占滿了一半的空白頁，但只有伊利莎白本人對(duì)此一無所知。

這是在六月；萊因哈特第二天就要?jiǎng)由砹恕４蠹蚁朐倬墼谝黄鹂炜旎罨畹剡^一天。于是在附近的一個(gè)林子里，安排了一個(gè)有許多朋友參加的野餐會(huì)。乘馬車走了一小時(shí)的路程后來到了樹林的邊上。他們把裝有食品的籃子拿下車，然后步行前進(jìn)。首先要穿過的是一個(gè)樅樹林；那兒陰涼而幽暗，地上到處撒滿了細(xì)細(xì)的松針。半小時(shí)后大家走出了這個(gè)黑洞洞的樅林又進(jìn)入到一個(gè)清新的山毛櫸林。這兒的一切都是明亮的，綠油油的。偶爾有道日光穿過長滿濃葉的枝頭射進(jìn)來；在他們的頭頂上，一只松鼠在樹枝間跳來跳去?！@一群人找到一個(gè)地方停了下來，這里古老的山毛櫸的頂枝織成了一個(gè)透明的綠葉華蓋。伊利莎白的母親打開一只食品籃子。一位老先生以司膳者自居?！按蠹叶嫉轿疫@里來，你們這些小鳥們！”他喊叫說?！奥犌宄医o你們講的話。現(xiàn)在你們每人拿兩個(gè)干面包當(dāng)早飯，黃油忘在家里了，夾面包的東西你們得自己去找。樹林里有的是草莓，也就是說，誰找到，就歸誰。

誰找不到，就得啃他的干面包。生活里到處都是這樣。你們明白我說的話了嗎？”

“明白了！”青年人嚷嚷說。

“好，注意，”。老人又說道，“話還沒有說完呢。我們老人在當(dāng)年已經(jīng)漫游得夠了，因此我們就留在家里，也就是說，留在這幾棵大樹下，削土豆皮，生火，配備食品，十二點(diǎn)鐘的時(shí)候，就得把雞蛋煮出來。因此你們有義務(wù)把你們的草莓分一半給我們，我們也好拿來當(dāng)餐后的水果?，F(xiàn)在你們走吧，往東或向西都可以，要老老實(shí)實(shí)?。　?/p>

年輕人做出各式各樣的頑皮臉色。“等一等！”這位老先生又一次喊道?！捌鋵?shí)我不用多費(fèi)口舌：誰要找不到東西，當(dāng)然也就不用交什么東西。不過你們要特別注意，這人也就別想從我們老人這里得到什么。今天你們得到了許多有益的教導(dǎo)，要是你們還找到草莓的話，那么這一天也就不算白過了。”

年輕人同意這個(gè)看法，開始成雙成對(duì)地出發(fā)上路。

“來吧，伊利莎白，”萊因哈特說，“我知道哪兒有成堆的草莓，你不會(huì)啃干面包的。”

伊利莎白把草帽上的綠帶子打上結(jié)，掛在胳臂上?！澳敲?，走吧?！彼f，“監(jiān)子已經(jīng)預(yù)備好了。”

于是他們走進(jìn)了樹林，愈走愈深；他們穿過陰濕、濃密的樹蔭前行，這里一片寂靜，只是在他們頭頂上，看不見的高空處傳來老鷹的鳴叫聲。后來他們又進(jìn)到了一個(gè)濃密的灌木叢，這里是這樣地濃密，以致萊因哈特必須走在前面開路，這邊折斷一根樹枝，那邊撩開一種垂藤?？墒沁^了一忽兒，他聽到后面的伊利莎白在叫他的名字。他轉(zhuǎn)過身去?！叭R因哈特！”她叫喚道，“等等我，萊因哈特！”他先看不見她，后來才看見她正在稍遠(yuǎn)的灌木叢里掙扎；她那秀麗的小腦袋剛夠在鳳尾草的頂端浮動(dòng)。他馬上又走了回去，把她從雜草叢里領(lǐng)到一塊空曠的地方，那里，藍(lán)色的蝴蝶在孤寂的花叢里飛來飛去。萊因哈特從她散發(fā)著熱氣的臉上把她的潮頭發(fā)掠開；然后他要給她戴上草帽，但她不愿意；可是后來由于他的懇求，她終于還是同意了。

“可是你的草莓到底在哪兒呢？”她終于問道，停止了腳步，深深地吸了一口氣。

“它們本來就是在這兒的。”他說，“可是蟾蜍比我們先來了一步，要不就是貂，再不也許是妖怪?！?/p>

“對(duì)了，”伊利莎白說道，“葉子還在這里呢；不過，可別在這個(gè)地方講妖怪。走吧，我還一點(diǎn)不倦，我們可以再繼續(xù)去找。”

一條小溪橫在他們面前，對(duì)岸又是樹林。萊因哈特雙手抱起伊利莎白，把她帶了過去。

不久他們走出了濃密的樹蔭又來到一塊寬闊的林中空地。“這里一定有草莓，”女孩說道，“味兒香極了?！?/p>

他們?cè)谡盏弥柟獾牡胤綄ふ抑?，可是卻一無所獲?！安粚?duì)，”萊因哈特說，“這只是石南草發(fā)出的香味罷了?！?/p>

遍地雜亂地長著覆盆子和荊棘，空氣里彌漫著強(qiáng)烈的石南香，這些石南草和短草相間地蓋滿了這兒的空地?！斑@里多靜呀，”伊利莎白說：“別的人到哪兒去了呢？”

萊因哈特沒有想到要回去?！暗纫坏龋猴L(fēng)是從哪個(gè)方向吹來的？”說著他把手舉向高空。可是并沒有什么風(fēng)。

“不要出聲，”伊利莎說，“我好像聽到了他們的說話聲。

朝那方向喊一聲吧?！?/p>

萊因哈特用手做成圓筒喊道：“上這兒來！”——這兒來！”

有了應(yīng)聲。

“他們回答了！”伊利莎白說道，拍起手來。

“不，那不是回答，這只是回聲?！?/p>

伊利莎白抓住了萊因哈特的手?！拔液ε拢　彼f。

“不要緊，”萊因哈特說，“用不著害怕。這地方很好。你到那邊樹蔭下的草叢里坐一會(huì)。讓我們休息一下；我們就會(huì)找到他們的?！?/p>

伊利莎白在一棵伸展出分枝的山毛櫸樹下坐了下來，留神地向四面傾聽著。萊因哈特坐在離她不遠(yuǎn)的一個(gè)樹墩上，默默地望著她。這時(shí)正是烈日當(dāng)空，中午炎熱的時(shí)刻。一小群閃著金光的青藍(lán)色蒼蠅鼓動(dòng)翅膀在空中飛舞。在他們的四周響著輕微的嗡嗡營營的聲音。有時(shí)從樹林深處傳來啄木鳥的剝啄聲和各種林鳥的鳴叫。

“聽！”伊利莎白說，“鐘響了?！?/p>

“哪兒？”萊因哈特問道?！?/p>

“我們的后面。你聽到了嗎？整十二點(diǎn)?！?/p>

“那么城市就在我們后邊。如果我們朝這方向一直走去，我們就一定會(huì)碰到他們的?！?/p>

于是他們就踏上了回家的路，莓子不找了，因?yàn)橐晾滓呀?jīng)累了。最后從樹叢中傳來了伙伴們的笑聲；接著他們看見一幅白布耀眼地鋪在地上，這就是餐桌，上面放著許許多多的莓子。那們老先生在他的鈕孔里扣著一條餐巾，正在繼續(xù)向年輕人作道德的說教，一邊使勁地將一塊烤肉切成片。

“最后的人來了！”當(dāng)年輕人看見萊因哈特和伊利莎白從樹叢里走來時(shí)，他們叫了起來。

“到這兒來！”老先生喊道，“把手帕打開，帽子里的東西倒出來！讓我們瞧瞧，你們找到了些什么?！?/p>

“饑餓和口渴！”萊因哈特回答說。

“要是果真這樣的話，”老人回答說，一邊向他們端起那只裝得滿滿的盤子，“那么你們就想著吧。你們是知道那個(gè)規(guī)定的：這里不給懶漢吃東西?！弊詈蠼?jīng)過勸說他還是讓了步，宴會(huì)開始了；就在這時(shí)杜松林里響起了畫眉鳥的歌聲。

這一天就這樣過去了。——萊因哈特終究還是找到了一些東西；雖然并不是草莓，卻也是長在樹林里的?；丶液螅谀潜九f羊皮本里寫下了這樣的詩句：

在這山坡上

風(fēng)聲靜寂；

低垂的樹枝下

坐著女孩。

她靜坐在麝香草叢里，

她坐在純潔的芬芳中；

青蠅發(fā)出嗡嗡的聲響

空中飛舞著閃亮的翅膀。

樹林是如此地寧靜，

她的眼神是這樣機(jī)敏；

在她褐色的卷發(fā)上，

流瀉著燦爛的陽光。

遠(yuǎn)處傳來杜鵑的笑聲，

我忽然閃過一個(gè)念頭：

她有一雙金色的眼睛，

就像森林里的仙后。

因而她不只是他的保護(hù)對(duì)象；對(duì)他說來，她同時(shí)體現(xiàn)了他青春時(shí)期一切可愛的，奇妙的事物。

站在路旁的孩子圣誕夜來到了…——中午時(shí)刻，萊因哈特和一些大學(xué)生在市議會(huì)的地下室里一起圍坐在一張古老的橡木桌旁。

墻上的燈已經(jīng)點(diǎn)燃起來，因?yàn)樗率依镆呀?jīng)光線昏暗?？墒堑降目腿藚s寥寥無幾，侍役們都閑散地靠在墻柱上。在這圓頂屋的一個(gè)角落里坐著一個(gè)提琴師，還有一個(gè)長著秀麗的吉普賽臉容的彈弦琴的女孩。他們把樂器放在膝上，頗為冷漠地望著前方。

在大學(xué)生的桌子上響起了開香檳酒的聲音。“喝吧，我的波希米亞的愛人！’一個(gè)有著貴族外表的年輕人喊道，一邊把滿滿一杯酒遞給這個(gè)女孩。

“我不想喝，”她說，沒有移動(dòng)她的位置。

“那就唱吧！”這位闊少爺叫道，向她的膝上丟了一枚銀幣。當(dāng)琴師在她耳邊悄悄說著什么的時(shí)候，女孩用手指慢慢地掠她的黑發(fā)。但是之后她卻把腦袋向后一仰，把下頷支在她的弦琴上?！盀樗?，我可不唱?！彼f。

萊因哈特手拿著酒杯跳了起來，站到她面前?！?/p>

“你想干嗎？”她倔強(qiáng)地問道。

“看看你的眼睛?！?/p>

“我的眼睛跟你有什么關(guān)系？”

萊因哈特向下閃視著她?！拔液芮宄鼈兪翘搨蔚?！”——她用手掌托著她的臉腮，細(xì)細(xì)地打量著他。萊因哈特把杯子舉到嘴邊。“為你美麗而邪惡的眼睛干杯！”說著把酒喝了下去。

她笑了，急速地轉(zhuǎn)過頭來?！敖o我！”她說，用她黑色的眼睛盯著他的兩眼，慢慢地喝于了杯中的殘酒。然后她撥動(dòng)琴弦，用深沉而富有感情的聲音唱了起來：

今天，只有今天

我是這樣美麗；

明天，啊明天

一切都成過去！

只在這時(shí)刻

你還屬于我；

死亡，啊死亡

我將獨(dú)自去。

當(dāng)提琴師快速彈奏終曲的時(shí)候，新來一個(gè)人加入了他們的團(tuán)體。

“萊因哈特，我是來叫你回去的，”他說，“你跑掉了，可是圣誕禮品已經(jīng)在你那里了?！?/p>

“圣誕禮品？”萊回哈特問道?！八僖膊粫?huì)到我這里來了。”

“什么??！你滿屋子都是樅樹和巧克力點(diǎn)心的香味。”

萊因哈特放下手中的杯子，拿起他的帽子。

“你要干嗎？”女孩問道。

“我一忽兒就回來?！?/p>

她的前額皺了起來?！傲粝掳桑　彼p輕喚道，深情地看著他。

萊因哈特遲疑了。“我不能啊，”他說。

她大笑著用腳尖踢了他一下。“那就走吧！”她說?！澳氵@沒有出息的；你們統(tǒng)統(tǒng)都是些沒有出息的東西?！彼D(zhuǎn)過臉去的時(shí)候，萊因哈特慢慢地走上了地下室的樓梯。

外邊街上已經(jīng)幕色深沉；他的灼熱的前額感受到了清新的冬日的冷空氣。這里，那里到處是從窗戶里映射出來的點(diǎn)燃了的圣誕樹的光亮，時(shí)不時(shí)可以聽到從里邊傳來的小笛和喇叭的聲響，還夾雜著孩子們的歡呼聲。一群群乞討的孩子從這家走到那家，要不就爬上臺(tái)階的的欄桿，想看一眼自己享受不到的場景。有時(shí)候也有這種情形，突然一扇門打開了，一陣呵責(zé)聲把一群這樣的小客人從明亮的屋子里轟到了外邊黑洞洞的巷子里。在另外的一家門廊里有人正在唱著一首古老的圣誕之歌；其中響徹著清脆的小姑娘的聲音。萊因哈特沒有細(xì)聽這歌聲，他急速地經(jīng)過這一切，出一條街又進(jìn)另一條。當(dāng)他來到他的住所門前時(shí)，天色差不多已經(jīng)完全黑了。他跌跌絆絆地上了樓梯，進(jìn)了他的屋子。一股甜香撲鼻而來，使他想起了家鄉(xiāng)，這股味兒就像是從家里母親放圣誕樹的屋子里散發(fā)出來似的。他用顫抖的手點(diǎn)燃了燈，桌上放著一個(gè)大包裹，他打開的時(shí)候，熟悉的褐色餅從里邊掉了出來。有幾個(gè)，上面用糖寫著他的名字的簡寫字母。除了伊利莎白，別人是不會(huì)這樣做的。接著映入眼簾的是一個(gè)小包，里面是繡得很精致的襯衣，手絹和袖口。最后是母親和伊利莎白給他的信。萊因哈特把伊利莎白的來信先打開。伊利莎白寫道：

“這些漂亮的糖字一定會(huì)告訴你，是誰幫忙做了這些糕餅的；就是這同一個(gè)人為你繡了這些袖口。今年的圣誕夜在我們這里將會(huì)過得非常冷冷清清；我母親總是一到九點(diǎn)半鐘就把她的紡車挪到室角里。

因?yàn)槟悴辉谶@里，今年的冬天顯得這樣寂寞。正巧你送我的那只紅雀也在上個(gè)星期日死掉了，我大哭了一場，我可是一直把它照料得好好的。平時(shí)，一到下午，只要陽光照到它的籠子上，它就唱起歌來。

你知道，要是它唱得太起勁，母親常常遮一塊布在上面，才能叫它靜下未，現(xiàn)在我的家里更靜了，只有你的老朋友埃利希有時(shí)來看看我們。有一次你曾跟我說，他看起來就像他身上穿的那件褐色大衣，因此只要他一進(jìn)門，我就會(huì)想到你說的那幾句話，這簡直是太滑稽了。不過可別跟母親說，她是很容易生氣的?！悴虏?，過圣誕節(jié)我送你母親的禮物是什么吧！你猜不著吧？送的是我自己？埃利希用炭筆給我畫了張像；我在他面前坐了三次，每次整整一小時(shí)。我很討厭讓一個(gè)陌生人把我的臉部看得這樣熟悉。我是不愿意的，可是母親勸我這樣做。她說，這會(huì)使好心的維爾納夫人非常愉快。

可是萊因哈特，你可沒有守信。你沒有寄故事給我。我常常在你的母親面前告你的狀，可她總是說，你現(xiàn)在很忙，顧不上這種孩子氣的行徑了。我可不相信，一定是有別的原因?！?/p>

接著萊因哈特又讀他母親的信。當(dāng)他讀完這兩封信，慢慢地把它們重新摺好收起來的時(shí)候，產(chǎn)生了一種不可抑制的思鄉(xiāng)之情。有好一會(huì)，他來回在屋子里踱著方步；他輕聲地，含含糊糊地自語說：

他差一點(diǎn)步入歧途

不知道哪里有出路；

不知道哪里有出路；

招手叫他返回故土！

后來他走到他的書桌前，拿了些錢出來，然后又下樓來到街上?！@其間外面已經(jīng)變得安靜了些。圣誕樹上的燭火息滅了，孩子們的游行也結(jié)束了。風(fēng)呼呼地掠過孤寂的街道；老老少少都在他們的家里跟家族們坐在一起；圣誕夜的第二階段開始了。

當(dāng)萊因哈特走到市議會(huì)地下室的附近時(shí)，他聽到了從底下傳上來的提琴聲和那個(gè)彈弦琴的女孩的歌唱聲。接著地下室的門鈴響了起來，一個(gè)黑影搖搖晃晃地從寬闊的，燈光黯淡的樓梯走了上來。萊因哈特閃到房屋的陰影處，隨即很快地走了過去。過了一會(huì)，他來到一家珠寶店，買了一個(gè)鑲著紅珊瑚的小十字架，然后就順著原路折了回去。

離他住所不遠(yuǎn)的地方，他注意到有一個(gè)穿得破破爛爛的小女孩正站在一扇高門面前，費(fèi)力地想打開它?！耙?guī)湍忝?？”他說。那孩子沒有回答，可是卻放下了沉甸甸的門把。

萊因哈特已經(jīng)打開了門，卻又說道：“不，他們會(huì)把你趕出來的。還是跟我走吧！我給你圣誕餅?！庇谑撬椭匦掳验T關(guān)上，伸手拉起小女孩的手，女孩一聲不響地隨著他來到他的住所。

他出去的時(shí)候沒有滅燈?！斑@是給你的餅。”說著他把他的全部寶貝倒了一半在她的裙子里，只是里邊沒有一個(gè)是有糖字的?！艾F(xiàn)在你回家去吧，把餅給你媽媽一些?！迸⒂悬c(diǎn)膽怯地抬頭望了他一眼；看起來她不習(xí)慣于受到這樣親切的接待，因而竟然一個(gè)字也回答不出來。萊因哈特打開門，照她出去。于是這小女孩帶著她的糕餅就象一只小鳥似地飛快地跑下了樓，出了大門。

萊因哈特把爐子里的火撥旺，把上面蓋滿了塵土的墨水瓶放到桌子上，然后就坐下來開始寫信，給他的母親，給伊利莎白寫了整整一夜的信。剩下的圣誕餅放在旁邊沒有動(dòng)過，可是伊利莎白做的硬袖卻已經(jīng)扣上了，配他的白絨毛衣顯得很古怪。當(dāng)冬日的陽光照射到結(jié)了冰花的窗玻璃上的時(shí)候，他還一直這樣坐著，在他對(duì)面的鏡子里映出了一張蒼白而嚴(yán)肅的臉容。

In The Woods

So the children lived together. She was often too quiet for him, and he was often too head-strong for her, but for all that they stuck to one another. They spent nearly all their leisure hours together: in winter in their mothers' tiny rooms, during the summer in wood and field.

Once when Elisabeth was scolded by the teacher in Reinhard's hearing, he angrily banged his slate upon the table in order to turn upon himself the master's wrath. This failed to attract attention.

But Reinhard paid no further attention to the geography lessons, and instead he composed a long poem, in which he compared himself to a young eagle, the schoolmaster to a grey crow, and Elisabeth to a white dove; the eagle vowed vengeance on the grey crow, as soon as his wings had grown.

Tears stood in the young poet's eyes: he felt very proud of himself. When he reached home he contrived to get hold of a little parchment- bound volume with a lot of blank pages in it; and on the first pages he elaborately wrote out his first poem.

Soon after this he went to another school. Here he made many new friendships among boys of his own age, but this did not interrupt his comings and goings with Elisabeth. Of the stories which he had formerly told her over and over again he now began to write down the ones which she had liked best, and in doing so the fancy often took him to weave in something of his own thoughts; yet, for some reason he could not understand, he could never manage it.

So he wrote them down exactly as he had heard them himself. Then he handed them over to Elisabeth, who kept them carefully in a drawer of her writing-desk, and now and again of an evening when he was present it afforded him agreeable satisfaction to hear her reading aloud to her mother these little tales out of the notebooks in which he had written them.

Seven years had gone by. Reinhard was to leave the town in order to proceed to his higher education. Elisabeth could not bring herself to think that there would now be a time to be passed entirely without Reinhard. She was delighted when he told her one day that he would continue to write out stories for her as before; he would send them to her in the letters to his mother, and then she would have to write back to him and tell him how she liked them.

The day of departure was approaching, but ere it came a good deal more poetry found its way into the parchment-bound volume. This was the one secret he kept from Elisabeth, although she herself had inspired the whole book and most of the songs, which gradually had filled up almost half of the blank pages.

It was the month of June, and Reinhard was to start on the following day. It was proposed to spend one more festive day together and therefore a picnic was arranged for a rather large party of friends in an adjacent forest.

It was an hour's drive along the road to the edge of the wood, and there the company took down the provision baskets from the carriages and walked the rest of the way. The road lay first of all through a pine grove, where it was cool and darksome, and the ground was all strewed with pine needles.

After half an hour's walk they passed out of the gloom of the pine trees into a bright fresh beech wood. Here everything was light and green; every here and there a sunbeam burst through the leafy branches, and high above their heads a squirrel was leaping from branch to branch.

The party came to a halt at a certain spot, over which the topmost branches of ancient beech trees interwove a transparent canopy of leaves. Elisabeth's mother opened one of the baskets, and an old gentleman constituted himself quartermaster.

"Round me, all of you young people," he cried, "and attend carefully to what I have to say to you. For lunch each one of you will now get two dry rolls; the butter has been left behind at home. The extras every one must find for himself. There are plenty of strawberries in the wood--that is, for anyone who knows where to find them. Unless you are sharp, you'll have to eat dry bread; that's the way of the world all over. Do you understand what I say?"

"Yes, yes," cried the young folks.

"Yes, but look here," said the old gentleman, "I have not done yet. We old folks have done enough roaming about in our time, and therefore we will stay at home now, here, I mean, under these wide-spreading trees, and we'll peel the potatoes and make a fire and lay the table, and by twelve o'clock the eggs shall be boiled.

"In return for all this you will be owing us half of your strawberries, so that we may also be able to serve some dessert. So off you go now, east and west, and mind be honest."

The young folks cast many a roguish glance at one another.

"Wait," cried the old gentleman once again. "I suppose I need not tell you this, that whoever finds none need not produce any; but take particular note of this, that he will get nothing out of us old folks either. Now you have had enough good advice for to-day; and if you gather strawberries to match you will get on very well for the present at any rate."

The young people were of the same opinion, and pairing off in couples set out on their quest.

"Come along, Elisabeth," said Reinhard, "I know where there is a clump of strawberry bushes; you shan't eat dry bread."

Elisabeth tied the green ribbons of her straw hat together and hung it on her arm. "Come on, then," she said, "the basket is ready."

Off into the wood they went, on and on; on through moist shady glens, where everything was so peaceful, except for the cry of the falcon flying unseen in the heavens far above their heads; on again through the thick brushwood, so thick that Reinhard must needs go on ahead to make a track, here snapping off a branch, there bending aside a trailing vine. But ere long he heard Elisabeth behind him calling out his name. He turned round.

"Reinhard!" she called, "do wait for me! Reinhard!"

He could not see her, but at length he caught sight of her some way off struggling with the undergrowth, her dainty head just peeping out over the tops of the ferns. So back he went once more and brought her out from the tangled mass of briar and brake into an open space where blue butterflies fluttered among the solitary wood blossoms.

Reinhard brushed the damp hair away from her heated face, and would have tied the straw hat upon her head, but she refused; yet at his earnest request she consented after all.

"But where are your strawberries?" she asked at length, standing still and drawing a deep breath.

"They were here," he said, "but the toads have got here before us, or the martens, or perhaps the fairies."

"Yes," said Elisabeth, "the leaves are still here; but not a word about fairies in this place. Come along, I'm not a bit tired yet; let us look farther on."

In front of them ran a little brook, and on the far side the wood began again. Reinhard raised Elisabeth in his arms and carried her over. After a while they emerged from the shady foliage and stood in a wide clearing.

"There must be strawberries here," said the girl, "it all smells so sweet."

They searched about the sunny spot, but they found none. "No," said Reinhard, "it is only the smell of the heather."

Everywhere was a confusion of raspberry-bushes and holly, and the air was filled with a strong smell of heather, patches of which alternated with the short grass over these open spaces.

"How lonely it is here!" said Elisabeth "I wonder where the others are?"

Reinhard had never thought of getting back.

"Wait a bit," he said, holding his hand aloft; "where is the wind coming from?" But wind there was none.

"Listen!" said Elisabeth, "I think I heard them talking. Just give a call in that direction."

Reinhard hollowed his hand and shouted: "Come here!"

"Here!" was echoed back.

"They answered," cried Elisabeth clapping her hands.

"No, that was nothing; it was only the echo."

Elisabeth seized Reinhard's hand. "I'm frightened!" she said.

"Oh! no, you must not be frightened. It is lovely here. Sit down there in the shade among the long grass. Let us rest awhile: we'll find the others soon enough."

Elisabeth sat down under the overhanging branch of a beech and listened intently in every direction. Reinhard sat a few paces off on a tree stump, and gazed over at her in silence.

The sun was just above their heads, shining with the full glare of midday heat. Tiny, gold-flecked, steel-blue flies poised in the air with vibrating wings. Their ears caught a gentle humming and buzzing all round them, and far away in the wood were heard now and again the tap-tap of the woodpecker and the screech of other birds.

"Listen," said Elisabeth, "I hear a bell."

"Where?" asked Reinhard.

"Behind us. Do you hear it? It is striking twelve o'clock."

"Then the town lies behind us, and if we go straight through in this direction we are bound to fall in with the others."

So they started on their homeward way; they had given up looking for strawberries, for Elisabeth had become tired. And at last there rang out from among the trees the laughing voices of the picnic party; then they saw too a white cloth spread gleaming on the ground; it was the luncheon-table and on it were strawberries enough and to spare.

The old gentleman had a table-napkin tucked in his button-hole and was continuing his moral sermon to the young folks and vigorously carving a joint of roast meat.

"Here come the stragglers," cried the young people when they saw Reinhard and Elisabeth advancing among the trees.

"This way," shouted the old gentleman. "Empty your handkerchiefs, upside down, with your hats! Now show us what you have found."

"Only hunger and thirst," said Reinhard.

"If that's all," replied the old man, lifting up and showing them the bowl full of fruit, "you must keep what you've got. You remember the agreement: nothing here for lazybones to eat."

But in the end he was prevailed on to relent; the banquet proceeded, and a thrush in a juniper bush provided the music.

So the day passed. But Reinhard had, after all, found something, and though it was not strawberries yet it was something that had grown in the wood. When he got home this is what he wrote in his old parchment- bound volume:

Out on the hill-side yonder The wind to rest is laid; Under the drooping branches There sits the little maid.

She sits among the wild thyme, She sits in the fragrant air; The blue flies hum around her, Bright wings flash everywhere.

And through the silent woodland She peers with watchful eyen, While on her hazel ringlets Sparkles the glad sunshine.

And far, far off the cuckoo Laughs out his song. I ween Hers are the bright, the golden Eyes of the woodland queen.

So she was not only his little sweetheart, but was also the expression of all that was lovely and wonderful in his opening life.