the bravo of venice-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃But　why　are　you　always　so　gloomy；　Abellino？〃　said　Cinthia；　drawing

near　him；　〃it's　that　which　makes　you　so　ugly。　　Prithee　away　with

those　frowns；　they　make　your　countenance　look　worse　than　nature　made

it？〃



Abellino　gave　no　answer。



〃Really；　you　are　enough　to　frighten　a　body！　　Come；　now；　let　us　be

friends；　Abellino；　I　begin　not　to　dislike　you；　and　to　endure　your

appearance；　and　I　don't　know　but〃



〃Go；　wake　the　sleepers！〃　roared　the　bravo。



　〃The　sleepers？　　Pshaw；　let　them　sleep　on；　the　stupid　rogues。　　Sure

you　are　not　afraid　to　be　alone　with　me？　　Mercy　on　me；　one　would

think　I　looked　as　terrible　as　yourself？　　Do　I？　　Nay；　look　on　me；

Abellino。〃



Cinthia；　to　say　the　truth；　was　by　no　means　an　ill…looking　girl；　her

eyes　were　bright　and　expressive；　the　hair　fell　in　shining　ringlets

over　her　bosom；　her　lips　were　red　and　full；　and　she　bowed　them

towards　Abellino's。　　But　Abellino's　were　still　sacred　by　the　touch

of　Rosabella's　cheek。　　He　started　from　his　seat；　and　removed；　yet

gently；　Cinthia's　hand；　which　rested　on　his　shoulder。



〃Wake　the　sleepers；　my　good　girl；〃　said　he；　〃I　must　speak　with　them

this　moment。〃



Cinthia　hesitated。



〃Nay；　go；〃　said　he；　in　a　fierce　voice。



Cinthia　retired　in　silence；　yet　as　she　crossed　the　threshold；　she

stopped　for　an　instant　and　menaced　him　with　her　finger。



Abellino　strode　through　the　chamber　with　hasty　steps；　his　head

reclining　on　his　shoulder；　his　arms　folded　over　his　breast。



〃The　first　step　is　taken；〃　said　he　to　himself。　　〃There　is　one　moral

monster　the　less　on　earth。　　I　have　committed　no　sin　by　this　murder；

I　have　but　performed　a　sacred　duty。　　Aid　me；　thou　Great　and　Good；

for　arduous　is　the　task　before　me。　　Ah；　should　that　task　be　gone

through　with　success；　and　Rosabella　be　the　reward　of　my　labours

Rosabella？　　What；　shall　the　Doge's　niece　bestow　on　the　outcast

Abellino？　　Oh；　madman　that　I　am　to　hope　it；　never　can　I　reach　the

goal　of　my　wishes！　　No；　never　was　there　frenzy　to　equal　mine。　　To

attach　myself　at　first　sight　toYet　Rosabella　alone　is　capable　of

thus　enchanting　at　first　sightRosabella　and　Valeria？　　To　be

beloved　by　two　such　womenYet；　though　'tis　impossible　to　attain；

the　striving　to　attain　such　an　end　is　glorious。　　Illusions　so

delightful　will　at　least　make　me　happy　for　a　moment；　and　alas；　the

wretched　Abellino　needs　so　many　illusions　that　for　a　moment　will

make　him　happy！　　Oh；　surely；　knew　the　world　what　I　gladly　would

accomplish；　the　world　would　both　love　and　pity　me。〃



Cinthia　returned；　the　four　bravoes　followed　her；　yawning；　grumbling；

and　still　half　asleep。



〃Come；　come！〃　said　Abellino；　〃rouse　yourselves；　lads。　　Before　I　say

anything；　be　convinced　that　you　are　wide　awake；　for　what　I　am　going

to　tell　you　is　so　strange　that　you　would　scarce　believe　it　in　a

dream。〃



They　listened　to　him　with　an　air　of　indifference　and　impatience。



〃Why；　what's　the　matter　now？〃　said　Thomaso；　while　he　stretched

himself。



〃Neither　more　nor　less　than　that　our　honest；　hearty；　brave　Matteo　is

murdered。〃



〃What；　murdered！〃　every　one　exclaimed；　and　gazed　with　looks　of

terror　on　the　bearer　of　this　unwelcome　news；　while　Cinthia　gave　a

loud　scream；　and；　clasping　her　hands　together；　sank　almost

breathless　into　a　chair。



A　general　silence　prevailed　for　some　time。



〃Murdered〃'　at　length　repeated　Thomaso；　〃and　by　whom？〃



Baluzzo。Where？



Pietrino。What？　this　forenoon？



Abellino。In　the　gardens　of　Dolabella；　where　he　was　found　bleeding

at　the　feet　of　the　Doge's　niece。　　Whether　he　fell　by　her　hand；　or　by

that　of　one　of　her　admirers；　I　cannot　say。



Cinthia　（weeping）。Poor　dear　Matteo。



Abellino。About　this　time　to…morrow　you　will　see　his　corpse

exhibited　on　the　gibbet。



Pietrino。What！　　Did　any　one　recognise　him？



Abellino。Yes；　yes！　there's　no　doubt　about　his　trade；　you　may

depend　on't。



Cinthia。The　gibbet！　　Poor　dear　Matteo！



Thomaso。This　is　a　fine　piece　of　work。



Baluzzo。Confound　the　fellow；　who　would　have　thought　of　anything

happening　so　unlucky？



Abellino。Why；　how　now？　　You　seem　to　be　overcome。



Struzza。I　cannot　recover　myself；　surprise　and　terror　have　almost

stupefied　me。



Abellino。Indeed！　　By　my　life；　when　I　heard　the　news　I　burst　into

laughter。　　〃Signor　Matteo；〃　said　I；　〃I　wish　your　worship　joy　of　your

safe　arrival。〃



Thomaso。What？



Struzza。You　laughed？　　Hang　me　if　I　can　see　what　there　is　to　laugh

at。



Abellino。Why；　surely　you　are　not　afraid　of　receiving　what　you　are

so　ready　to　bestow　on　others？　　What　is　your　object？　　What　can　we

expect　as　our　reward　at　the　end　of　our　labours　except　the　gibbet　or

the　rock？　　What　memorials　of　our　actions　shall　we　leave　behind　us；

except　our　skeletons　dancing　in　the　air；　and　the　chains　which　rattle

round　them？　　He　who　chooses　to　play　the　bravo's　part　on　the　great

theatre　of　the　world　must　not　be　afraid　of　death；　whether　it　comes

at　the　hands　of　the　physician　or　the　executioner。　　Come；　come；　pluck

up　your　spirits；　comrades。



Thomaso。That's　easy　to　say；　but　quite　out　of　my　power。



Pietrino。Mercy　on　me；　how　my　teeth　chatter。



Baluzzo。Prithee；　Abellino；　be　composed　for　a　moment　or　two；　your

gaiety　at　a　time　like　this　is　quite　horrible。



Cinthia。Oh；　me！　oh；　me！　　Poor　murdered　Matteo。



Abellino。Hey…day。　　Why；　what　is　all　this！　Cinthia；　my　life；　are

you　not　ashamed　of　being　such　a　child？　　Come；　let　you　and　I　renew

that　conversation　which　my　sending　you　to　wake　these　gentlemen

interrupted。　　Sit　down　by　me；　sweetheart；　and　give　me　a　kiss。



Cinthia。Out　upon　you；　monster。



Abellino。What；　have　you　altered　your　mind；　my　pretty　dear？　　Well；

well；　with　all　my　heart；　when　YOU　are　in　the　humour；　perhaps　_I_　may

not　have　the　inclination。



Baluzzo。Death　and　the　devil；　Abellino；　is　this　a　time　for　talking

nonsense？　　Prithee　keep　such　trash　for　a　fitter　occasion；　and　let　us

consider　what　we　are　to　do　just　now。



Pietrino。Nay；　this　is　no　season　for　trifling。



Struzza。Tell　us；　Abellino；　you　are　a　clever　fellow；　what　course　is

it　best　for　us　to　take？



Abellino　（after　a　pause）。Nothing　must　be　done；　or　a　great　deal。

One　of　two　things　we　must　choose。　　Either　we　must　remain　WHERE　we

are；　and　WHAT　we　are；　murder　honest　men　to　please　any　rascal　who

will　give　us　gold　and　fair　words；　and　make　up　our　minds　to　be　hung；

broken　on　the　wheel；　condemned　to　the　galleys；　burnt　alive；

crucified；　or　beheaded；　at　the　long　run；　just　as　it　may　seem　best　to

the　supreme　authority；　or　else　…



Thomaso。Or　else？　　Well？



Abellino。Or　else　we　must　divide　the　spoils　which　are　already　in

our　possession；　quit　the　Republic；　begin　a　new　and　better　life；　and

endeavour　to　make　our　peace　with　Heaven。　　We　have　already　wealth

enough　to　make　it　unnecessary　for　us　to　ask　how　shall　we　get　our

bread？　　You　may　either　buy　an　estate　in　some　foreign　country；　or

keep　Osteria；　or　engage　in　commerce；　or　set　up　some　trade；　or；　in

short；　do　whatever　you　like　best；　so　that　you　do　but　abandon　the

profession　of　an　assassin。　　Then　we　may　look　out　for　a　wife　among

the　pretty　girls　of　our　own　rank　in　life；　become　the　happy　fathers

of　sons　and　daughters　may　eat　and　drink　in　peace　and　security；　and

make　amends　by　the　honesty　of　our　future　lives　for　the　offences　of

our　past。



Thomaso。Ha！　ha！　ha！



Abellino。What　YOU　do；　that　will　_I_　do　too；　I　will　either　hang　or

be　broken　on　the　wheel　along　with　you；　or　become　an　honest　man；　just

as　you　please。　　Now；　then；　what　is　your　decision？



Thomaso。Was　there　ever　such　a　stupid　counsellor。



Pietrino。Our　decision？　　Nay；　the　point's　not　very　difficult　to

decide。



Abellino。I　should　have　thought　it　HAD　been。



Thomaso。Without　more　words；　then；　I　vote　for　our　remaining　as　we

are；　and　carrying　on　our　old　trade；　that　will　bring　us　plenty　of

gold；　and　enable　us　to　lead　a　jolly　life。



Pietrino。Right；　lad；　you　speak　my　thoughts　exactly。



Thomaso。We　are　bravo