Мхи старой усадьбы
Rappaccini's Daughter
Somewereplacedinurns,richwitholdcarving,andothersincommongardenpots;somecreptserpent-likealongthegroundorclimbedonhigh,usingwhatevermeansofascentwasofferedthem.OneplanthadwreatheditselfroundastatueofVertumnus,whichwasthusquiteveiledandshroudedinadraperyofhangingfoliage,sohappilyarrangedthatitmighthaveservedasculptorforastudy.
WhileGiovannistoodatthewindowheheardarustlingbehindascreenofleaves,andbecameawarethatapersonwasatworkinthegarden.Hisfiguresoonemergedintoview,andshoweditselftobethatofnocommonlaborer,butatall,emaciated,sallow,andsickly-lookingman,dressedinascholar’sgarbofblack.Hewasbeyondthemiddletermoflife,withgrayhair,athin,graybeard,andafacesingularlymarkedwithintellectandcultivation,butwhichcouldnever,eveninhismoreyouthfuldays,haveexpressedmuchwarmthofheart.
Nothingcouldexceedtheintentnesswithwhichthisscientificgardenerexaminedeveryshrubwhichgrewinhispath:itseemedasifhewaslookingintotheirinmostnature,makingobservationsinregardtotheircreativeessence,anddiscoveringwhyoneleafgrewinthisshapeandanotherinthat,andwhereforesuchandsuchflowersdifferedamongthemselvesinhueandperfume.Nevertheless,inspiteofthisdeepintelligenceonhispart,therewasnoapproachtointimacybetweenhimselfandthesevegetableexistences.
