"MacDONALD, George - The Castle" - читать интересную книгу автора (MacDonald George)

permit them to forget it now; but, appearing suddenly amongst them, when they
had no expectation of being interrupted by him, he rebuked them, both for the
indiscriminate nature of their invitation, and for the intention of introducing
any one, not to speak of some who would doubtless make their appearance on the
evening in question, into the rooms kept sacred for the use of the unknown
father. But by this time their talk with each other had so excited their
expectations of enjoyment, which had previously been strong enough, that anger
sprung up within them at the thought of being deprived of their hopes, and they
looked each other in the eyes; and the look said: "We are many and he is one-let
us get rid of him, for he is always finding fault, and thwarting us in the most
innocent pleasures;-as if we would wish to do anything wrong!" So without a word
spoken, they rushed upon him; and although he was stronger than any of them, and
struggled hard at first, yet they overcame him at last. Indeed some of them
thought he yielded to their violence long before they had the mastery of him;
and this very submission terrified the more tender-hearted amongst them.
However, they bound him; carried him down many stairs, and, having remembered an
iron staple in the wall of a certain vault, with a thick rusty chain attached to
it, they bore him thither, and made the chain fast around him. There they left
him, shutting the great gnarring brazen door of the vault, as they departed for
the upper regions of the castle.
Now all was in a tumult of preparation. Every one was talking of the coming
festivity; but no one spoke of the deed they had done. A sudden paleness
overspread the face, now of one, and now of another; but it passed away, and no
one took any notice of it; they only plied the task of the moment the more
energetically. Messengers were sent far and near, not to individuals or
families, but publishing in all places of concourse a general invitation to any
who chose to come on a certain day, and partake for certain succeeding days of
the hospitality of the dwellers in the castle. Many were the preparations
immediately begun for complying with the invitation. But the noblest of their
neighbours refused to appear; not from pride, but because of the unsuitableness
and carelessness of such a mode. With some of them it was an old condition in
the tenure of their estates, that they should go to no one's dwelling except
visited in person, and expressly solicited. Others, knowing what sort of persons
would be there, and that, from a certain physical antipathy, they could scarcely
breathe in their company, made up their minds at once not to go. Yet multitudes,
many of them beautiful and innocent as well as gay, resolved to appear.
Meanwhile the great rooms of the castle were got in readiness-that is, they
proceeded to deface them with decorations; for there was a solemnity and
stateliness about them in their ordinary condition, which was at once felt to be
unsuitable for the light-hearted company so soon to move about in them with the
self-same carelessness with which men walk abroad within the great heavens and
hills and clouds. One day, while the workmen were busy, the eldest sister, of
whom I have already spoken, happened to enter, she knew not why. Suddenly the
great idea of the mighty halls dawned upon her, and filled her soul. The
so-called decorations vanished from her view, and she felt as if she stood in
her father's presence. She was at one elevated and humbled. As suddenly the idea
faded and fled, and she beheld but the gaudy festoons and draperies and
paintings which disfigured the grandeur. She wept and sped away. Now it was too
late to interfere, and things must take their course. She would have been but a
Cassandra-prophetess to those who saw but the pleasure before them. She had not