《安徒生童话英文版》第298章

　　"Something rather unusual," said the shadow; "but you are yourselfan uncommon man, and you know very well that I have followed in yourfootsteps ever since your childhood. As soon as you found that Ihave travelled enough to be trusted alone, I went my own way, and I amnow in the most brilliant circumstances. But I felt a kind oflonging to see you once more before you die, and I wanted to seethis place again, for there is always a clinging to the land ofone's birth. I know that you have now another shadow; do I owe youanything? If so, have the goodness to say what it is."

　　"No! Is it really you?" said the learned man. "Well, this ismost remarkable; I never supposed it possible that a man's oldshadow could become a human being."

　　"Just tell me what I owe you," said the shadow, "for I do not liketo be in debt to any man."

　　"How can you talk in that manner?" said the learned man. "Whatquestion of debt can there be between us? You are as free as anyone. I rejoice exceedingly to hear of your good fortune. Sit down, oldfriend, and tell me a little of how it happened, and what you saw inthe house opposite to me while we were in those hot climates."

　　"Yes, I will tell you all about it," said the shadow, sittingdown; "but then you must promise me never to tell in this city,wherever you may meet me, that I have been your shadow. I amthinking of being married, for I have more than sufficient tosupport a family."

　　"Make yourself quite easy," said the learned man; "I will tellno one who you really are. Here is my hand,- I promise, and a wordis sufficient between man and man."

　　"Between man and a shadow," said the shadow; for he could not helpsaying so.

　　It was really most remarkable how very much he had become a man inappearance. He was dressed in a suit of the very finest black cloth,polished boots, and an opera crush hat, which could be folded togetherso that nothing could be seen but the crown and the rim, besides thetrinkets, the gold chain, and the diamond rings already spoken of. Theshadow was, in fact, very well dressed, and this made a man of him."Now I will relate to you what you wish to know," said the shadow,placing his foot with the polished leather boot as firmly aspossible on the arm of the new shadow of the learned man, which lay athis feet like a poodle dog. This was done, it might be from pride,or perhaps that the new shadow might cling to him, but the prostrateshadow remained quite quiet and at rest, in order that it mightlisten, for it wanted to know how a shadow could be sent away by itsmaster, and become a man itself. "Do you know," said the shadow, "thatin the house opposite to you lived the most glorious creature in theworld? It was poetry. I remained there three weeks, and it was morelike three thousand years, for I read all that has ever been writtenin poetry or prose; and I may say, in truth, that I saw and learnteverything."

　　"Poetry!" exclaimed the learned man. "Yes, she lives as a hermitin great cities. Poetry! Well, I saw her once for a very short moment,while sleep weighed down my eyelids. She flashed upon me from thebalcony like the radiant aurora borealis, surrounded with flowers likeflames of fire. Tell me, you were on the balcony that evening; youwent through the door, and what did you see?"

　　"I found myself in an ante-room," said the shadow. "You stillsat opposite to me, looking into the room. There was no light, or atleast it seemed in partial darkness, for the door of a whole suiteof rooms stood open, and they were brilliantly lighted. The blaze oflight would have killed me, had I approached too near the maidenmyself, but I was cautious, and took time, which is what every oneought to do."

　　"And what didst thou see?"