anner.vittoriothevampire-第16章

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have　returned　to　God　with　their　whole　hearts。〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　the　old　elfin　man；　shaking　his　head；　〃and　God　has　been　merciful　in　so　many　other　ways。〃
　I　felt　chills　on　my　back　again；　as　I　had　with　Ursula；　but　it　was　not　from　pleasure。　〃In　what　way　is　that；　in　particular？〃　I　asked。
　〃Well；　look　around；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃Have　you　seen　any　cripples　in　our　streets？　Do　you　see　any　half…wits？　When　I　was　a　child；　why；　when　you；　my　son；　were　a　child〃　…　he　said　to　the　priest　…　〃there　were　always　a　few　unfortunate　souls；　born　ill　formed；　or　without　good　brains；　you　know；　and　one　had　to　look　out　for　them。　I　can　remember　a　time　when　there　were　always　beggars　at　the　gates。　We　have　no　beggars；　haven't　had　any　for　years。〃
　〃Amazing；〃　I　said。
　〃Yes；　true；〃　said　the　priest　thoughtfully。　〃Everyone　here　is　in　good　health。　That's　why　the　nuns　left　so　long　ago。　Did　you　see　the　old　hospital　shut　up？　And　the　convent　out　of　town；　long　abandoned。　I　think　there　are　sheep　in　there　now。　The　farmers　use　its　old　rooms。〃
　〃No　one　ever　takes　sick？〃　I　asked。
　〃Well；　they　do；〃　said　the　priest；　taking　a　slow　drink　of　his　wine；　as　though　he　were　a　moderate　man　in　this　respect；　〃but　they　don't　suffer；　you　know。　It's　not　like　the　old　days。　It　seems　if　a　person　is　like　to　go；　then　he　goes　quickly。〃
　〃Yes；　true；　thanks　be　to　God；〃　said　the　elder。　〃And　the　women；〃　said　the　priest；　〃they　are　lucky　here　in　birth。　They　are　not　burdened　with　so　many　children。　Oh；　we　have　many　whom　God　calls　home　to　himself　in　the　first　few　weeks　…　you　know；　it's　the　curse　of　a　mother　…　but　in　general；　our　families　are　blessedly　small。〃　He　looked　to　his　father。　〃My　poor　mother；〃　he　said；　〃she　had　twenty　babies　all　told。　Well；　that　never　happens　now；　does　it？〃
　The　little　old　man　stuck　out　his　chest　and　smiled　proudly。　〃Aye；　twenty　children　I　reared　myself；　well；　many　have　gone　their　way；　and　I　don't　even　know　what　became　of。。。　but　never　mind。　No；　families　are　small　here　now。〃
　The　priest　looked　slightly　troubled。　〃My　brothers；　maybe　someday　God　will　grant　me　some　knowledge　of　what　became　of　them。〃
　〃Oh；　forget　about　them；〃　said　the　old　man。
　〃Were　they　a　spirited　bunch；　might　I　ask？〃　I　said　under　my　breath；　peering　at　both　of　them　and　trying　to　make　it　seem　quite　natural。
　〃Bad；〃　muttered　the　priest；　shaking　his　head。　〃But　that's　our　blessing；　see；　bad　people　leave　us。〃
　〃Is　that　so？〃　I　asked。
　The　little　old　man　scratched　his　pink　scalp。　His　white　hair　was　thin　and　long；　sticking　in　all　directions；　rather　like　the　hair　of　his　eyebrows。
　〃You　know；　I　was　trying　to　remember；〃　he　said；　〃what　did　happen　to　those　poor　cripple　boys；　you　remember；　the　ones　born　with　such　miserable　legs；　they　were　brothers。。。〃
　〃Oh；　Tomasso　and　Felix；〃　said　the　priest。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃They　were　taken　off　to　Bologna　to　be　cured。　Same　as　Bettina's　boy；　the　one　born　without　his　hands；　remember；　poor　little　child。〃
　〃Yes；　yes；　of　course。　We　have　several　doctors。〃
　〃Do　you？〃　I　said。　〃I　wonder　what　they　do；〃　I　murmured。　〃What　about　the　town　council；　the　gonfalonier？〃　I　asked。　Gonfalonier　was　the　name　for　the　governor　in　Florence；　the　man　who　nominally；　at　least；　ran　things。
　〃We　have　a　borsellino；〃　said　the　priest；　〃and　we　pick　a　new　six　or　eight　names　out　of　it　now　and　then；　but　nothing　much　ever　happens　here。　There's　no　quarreling。　The　merchants　take　care　of　the　taxes。　Everything　runs　smoothly。〃
　The　little　elfin　man　went　into　laughter。　〃Oh；　we　have　no　taxes！〃　he　declared。
　His　son；　the　priest；　looked　at　the　old　fellow　as　though　this　was　not　something　that　ought　to　be　said；　but　then　he　himself　merely　looked　puzzled。　〃Well；　no；　Papa；〃　he　said；　〃it's　only　that　the　taxes　are。。。　small。〃　He　seemed　perplexed。
　〃Well；　then　you　are　really　blessed；〃　I　said　agreeably；　trying　on　the　surface　to　make　light　of　this　utterly　implausible　picture　of　things。
　〃And　that　terrible　Oviso；　remember　him？〃　the　priest　suddenly　said　to　his　father　and　then　to　me。　〃Now　that　was　a　diseased　fellow。　He　nearly　killed　his　son。　He　was　out　of　his　mind；　roared　like　a　bull。　There　was　a　traveling　doctor　who　came　through；　said　they　would　cure　him　at　Padua。　Or　was　it　Assisi？〃
　〃I'm　glad　he　never　came　back；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃He　used　to　drive　the　town　crazy。〃　I　studied　them　both。　Were　they　serious？　Were　they　talking　double…talk　to　me？　I　could　see　nothing　cunning　in　either　one　of　them；　but　a　melancholy　was　ing　over　the　priest。
　〃God　does　work　in　the　strangest　ways；〃　he　said。　〃Oh；　I　know　that's　not　quite　the　proverb。〃
　〃Don't　tempt　the　Almighty！〃　said　his　father；　downing　the　dregs　of　his　cup。　I　quickly　poured　out　the　wine　for　both　of　them。　〃The　little　mute　fellow；〃　said　a　voice。
　I　looked　up。　It　was　the　innkeeper；　with　his　hands　on　his　hips；　his　apron　stretching　over　his　potbelly；　a　tray　in　his　hand。　〃The　nuns　took　him　with　them；　didn't　they？〃
　〃Came　back　for　him；　I　think；〃　said　the　priest。　He　was　now　fully　preoccupied。　Troubled；　I　would　say。　The　innkeeper　took　up　my　empty　plate。
　〃The　worst　scare　was　the　plague；〃　he　whispered　in　my　ear。　〃Oh；　it's　gone　now；　believe　you　me；　or　I　wouldn't　utter　the　word。　There's　no　word　that　will　empty　a　town　any　faster。〃
　〃No；　all　those　families；　gone；　just　like　that；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃thanks　to　our　doctors；　and　the　visiting　monks。　All　taken　to　the　hospital　in　Florence。〃
　〃Plague　victims？　Taken　to　Florence？〃　I　asked；　in　obvious　disbelief。　〃I　wonder　who　was　minding　the　city　gates；　and　which　gate　it　was　by　which　they　were　admitted。〃
　The　Franciscan　stared　at　me　fixedly　for　a　moment；　as　if　something　had　disturbed　him　violently　and　deeply。　The　innkeeper　gave　the　priest's　shoulder　a　squeeze。　〃These　are　happy　times；〃　he　said。　〃I　miss　the　processions　to　the　monastery　…　it's　gone　too；　of　course　…　but　we　have　never　been　better。〃
　I　let　my　eyes　shift　quite　deliberately　from　the　innkeeper　to　the　priest　and　found　that　the　priest　was　gazing　directly　at　me。　There　seemed　a　tremor　to　the　edge　of　his　mouth。　He　was　sloppily　shaven　and　had　a　loose　jaw；　and　his　deeply　creased　face　looked　sad　suddenly。
　The　very　old　man　chimed　in　that　there　had　been　a　whole　family　down　with　the　plague　out　in　the　country　not　very　long　ago；　but　they　had　been　taken　to　Lucca。
　〃It　was　the　generosity　of。。。　who　was　it；　my　son；　I　don't。。。〃
　〃Oh；　what　does　it　matter？〃　said　the　innkeeper。　〃Signore；〃　he　said　to　me；　〃some　more　wine。〃
　〃For　my　guests；〃　I　gestured。　〃I　have　to　be　off。　Restless　limbs；〃　I　said。　〃I　must　see　what　books　are　for　sale。〃
　〃This　is　a　fine　place　for　you　to　stay；〃　said　the　priest　with　sudden　conviction；　his　voice　soft　as　he　continued　to　gaze　at　me；　his　eyebrows　knitted。　〃A　fine　place　indeed；　and　we　could　use　another　scholar。　But　…〃
　〃Well；　I'm　rather　young　myself；〃　I　said。　I　made　ready　to　rise；　putting　one　leg　over　the　bench。　〃There　are　no　young　men　here　of　my　age？〃
　〃Well；　they　go　off；　you　see；〃　said　the　elfin　one。　〃There　are　a　few；　but　they　are　busy　at　the　trades　of　their　fathers。　No；　the　rapscallions　don't　hang　around　here。　No；　young　man；　they　do　not！〃
　The　priest　studied　me　as　if　he　didn't　hear　his　father's　voice。
　〃Yes；　and　you're　a　learned　young　man；〃　said　the　priest；　but　he　was　clearly　troubled。　〃I　can　see　that；　and　hear　it　in　your　voice；　and　all　about　you　is　thoughtful　and　clever　…　〃　He　broke　off。　〃Well；　I　guess　you'll　be　on　your　way　very　soon；　won't　you？〃
　〃You　think　I　should？〃　I　asked。　〃Or　stay；　which　is　it？〃　I　made　my　manner　mild；　not　unkind。
　He　gave　me　a　half…smile。　〃I　don't　know；〃　he　said。　Then　he　looked　dour　again　and　almost　tragic。　〃God　be　with　you；〃　he　whispered。
　I　leant　towards　him。　The　innkeeper；　seeing　this　confidential　manner；　turned　away　and　busied　himself　somewhere　else。　The　old　elfin　one　was　talking　to　his　cup。
　〃What　is　it；　Father？〃　I　asked　in　a　whisper。　〃Is　the　town　too　well…off；　is　that　it？〃
　〃Go　on　your　way；　son；〃　he　said　almost　wistfully。　〃I　wish　I　could。　But　I'm　bound　by　my　vow　of　obedience　and　by　the　fact　that　this　is　my　home；　and　here　sits　my　father；　and　all　the　others　have　vanished　into　the　wide　world。〃　He　became　suddenly　hard。　〃Or　so　it　seems；〃　he　said。　And　then；　〃If　I　were　you；　I　wouldn't　stay　here。〃　I　nodded。
　〃You　look　strange；　son；〃　he　said　to　me　in　the　same　whisper。　Our　heads　were　right　together。　〃You　stand　out　too　much。　You're