zanoni-第20章

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impossible　to　resist；　besides；　I　was　burning　to　recover　my

losses；　and　should　not　have　risen　had　I　had　any　money　left　about

me。　　I　told　him　I　would　accept　his　offer；　provided　we　shared　the

risk　as　well　as　profits。　'As　you　will；'　said　he；　smiling；　'we

need　have　no　scruple；　for　you　will　be　sure　to　win。'　　I　sat　down；

Zanoni　stood　behind　me；　my　luck　rose；I　invariably　won。　　In

fact；　I　rose　from　the　table　a　rich　man。〃



〃There　can　be　no　foul　play　at　the　public　tables；　especially　when

foul　play　would　make　against　the　bank？〃　　This　question　was　put　by

Glyndon。



〃Certainly　not；〃　replied　the　count。　　〃But　our　good　fortune　was；

indeed；　marvellous；so　extraordinary　that　a　Sicilian　（the

Sicilians　are　all　ill…bred；　bad…tempered　fellows）　grew　angry　and

insolent。　　'Sir；'　said　he；　turning　to　my　new　friend；　'you　have　no

business　to　stand　so　near　to　the　table。　　I　do　not　understand

this；　you　have　not　acted　fairly。'　　Zanoni　replied；　with　great

composure；　that　he　had　done　nothing　against　the　rules；that　he

was　very　sorry　that　one　man　could　not　win　without　another　man

losing；　and　that　he　could　not　act　unfairly；　even　if　disposed　to

do　so。　　The　Sicilian　took　the　stranger's　mildness　for

apprehension；　and　blustered　more　loudly。　　In　fact；　he　rose　from

the　table；　and　confronted　Zanoni　in　a　manner　that；　to　say　the

least　of　it；　was　provoking　to　any　gentleman　who　has　some

quickness　of　temper；　or　some　skill　with　the　small…sword。〃



〃And；〃　interrupted　Belgioso；　〃the　most　singular　part　of　the　whole

to　me　was；　that　this　Zanoni；　who　stood　opposite　to　where　I　sat；

and　whose　face　I　distinctly　saw；　made　no　remark；　showed　no

resentment。　　He　fixed　his　eyes　steadfastly　on　the　Sicilian；　never

shall　I　forget　that　look！　it　is　impossible　to　describe　it；it

froze　the　blood　in　my　veins。　　The　Sicilian　staggered　back　as　if

struck。　　I　saw　him　tremble；　he　sank　on　the　bench。　　And　then〃



〃Yes；　then；〃　said　Cetoxa；　〃to　my　infinite　surprise；　our

gentleman；　thus　disarmed　by　a　look　from　Zanoni；　turned　his　whole

anger　upon　me；　THE　　but　perhaps　you　do　not　know；　gentlemen；

that　I　have　some　repute　with　my　weapon？〃



〃The　best　swordsman　in　Italy；〃　said　Belgioso。



〃Before　I　could　guess　why　or　wherefore；〃　resumed　Cetoxa；　〃I　found

myself　in　the　garden　behind　the　house；　with　Ughelli　（that　was　the

Sicilian's　name）　facing　me；　and　five　or　six　gentlemen；　the

witnesses　of　the　duel　about　to　take　place；　around。　　Zanoni

beckoned　me　aside。　　'This　man　will　fall；'　said　he。　　'When　he　is

on　the　ground；　go　to　him；　and　ask　whether　he　will　be　buried　by

the　side　of　his　father　in　the　church　of　San　Gennaro？'　　'Do　you

then　know　his　family？'　I　asked　with　great　surprise。　　Zanoni　made

me　no　answer；　and　the　next　moment　I　was　engaged　with　the

Sicilian。　　To　do　him　justice；　his　imbrogliato　was　magnificent；

and　a　swifter　lounger　never　crossed　a　sword；　nevertheless；〃　added

Cetoxa；　with　a　pleasing　modesty；　〃he　was　run　through　the　body。　　I

went　up　to　him；　he　could　scarcely　speak。　　'Have　you　any　request

to　make；any　affairs　to　settle？'　　He　shook　his　head。　　'Where

would　you　wish　to　be　interred？'　　He　pointed　towards　the　Sicilian

coast。　　'What！'　said　I；　in　surprise；　'NOT　by　the　side　of　your

father；　in　the　church　of　San　Gennaro？'　　As　I　spoke；　his　face

altered　terribly；　he　uttered　a　piercing　shriek；the　blood　gushed

from　his　mouth；　and　he　fell　dead。　　The　most　strange　part　of　the

story　is　to　come。　　We　buried　him　in　the　church　of　San　Gennaro。

In　doing　so；　we　took　up　his　father's　coffin；　the　lid　came　off　in

moving　it；　and　the　skeleton　was　visible。　　In　the　hollow　of　the

skull　we　found　a　very　slender　wire　of　sharp　steel；　this　caused

surprise　and　inquiry。　　The　father；　who　was　rich　and　a　miser；　had

died　suddenly；　and　been　buried　in　haste；　owing；　it　was　said；　to

the　heat　of　the　weather。　　Suspicion　once　awakened；　the

examination　became　minute。　　The　old　man's　servant　was　questioned；

and　at　last　confessed　that　the　son　had　murdered　the　sire。　　The

contrivance　was　ingenious：　　the　wire　was　so　slender　that　it

pierced　to　the　brain；　and　drew　but　one　drop　of　blood；　which　the

grey　hairs　concealed。　　The　accomplice　will　be　executed。〃



〃And　Zanoni；did　he　give　evidence；　did　he　account　for〃



〃No；〃　interrupted　the　count：　　〃he　declared　that　he　had　by

accident　visited　the　church　that　morning；　that　he　had　observed

the　tombstone　of　the　Count　Ughelli；　that　his　guide　had　told　him

the　count's　son　was　in　Naples；a　spendthrift　and　a　gambler。

While　we　were　at　play；　he　had　heard　the　count　mentioned　by　name

at　the　table；　and　when　the　challenge　was　given　and　accepted；　it

had　occurred　to　him　to　name　the　place　of　burial；　by　an　instinct

which　he　either　could　not　or　would　not　account　for。〃



〃A　very　lame　story；〃　said　Mervale。



〃Yes！　but　we　Italians　are　superstitious；the　alleged　instinct

was　regarded　by　many　as　the　whisper　of　Providence。　　The　next　day

the　stranger　became　an　object　of　universal　interest　and

curiosity。　　His　wealth；　his　manner　of　living；　his　extraordinary

personal　beauty；　have　assisted　also　to　make　him　the　rage；

besides；　I　have　had　the　pleasure　in　introducing　so　eminent　a

person　to　our　gayest　cavaliers　and　our　fairest　ladies。〃



〃A　most　interesting　narrative；〃　said　Mervale；　rising。　　〃Come；

Glyndon；　shall　we　seek　our　hotel？　　It　is　almost　daylight。　　Adieu；

signor！〃



〃What　think　you　of　this　story？〃　said　Glyndon；　as　the　young　men

walked　homeward。



〃Why；　it　is　very　clear　that　this　Zanoni　is　some　imposter；some

clever　rogue；　and　the　Neapolitan　shares　the　booty；　and　puffs　him

off　with　all　the　hackneyed　charlatanism　of　the　marvellous。　　An

unknown　adventurer　gets　into　society　by　being　made　an　object　of

awe　and　curiosity；　he　is　more　than　ordinarily　handsome；　and　the

women　are　quite　content　to　receive　him　without　any　other

recommendation　than　his　own　face　and　Cetoxa's　fables。〃



〃I　cannot　agree　with　you。　　Cetoxa；　though　a　gambler　and　a　rake；

is　a　nobleman　of　birth　and　high　repute　for　courage　and　honour。

Besides；　this　stranger；　with　his　noble　presence　and　lofty　air；

so　calm；　so　unobtrusive；has　nothing　in　common　with　the　forward

garrulity　of　an　imposter。〃



〃My　dear　Glyndon；　pardon　me；　but　you　have　not　yet　acquired　any

knowledge　of　the　world！　　The　stranger　makes　the　best　of　a　fine

person；　and　his　grand　air　is　but　a　trick　of　the　trade。　　But　to

change　the　subject；how　advances　the　love　affair？〃



〃Oh；　Viola　could　not　see　me　to…day。〃



〃You　must　not　marry　her。　　What　would　they　all　say　at　home？〃



〃Let　us　enjoy　the　present；〃　said　Glyndon；　with　vivacity；　〃we　are

young；　rich；　good…looking；　let　us　not　think　of　to…morrow。〃



〃Bravo；　Glyndon！　　Here　we　are　at　the　hotel。　　Sleep　sound；　and

don't　dream　of　Signor　Zanoni。〃





CHAPTER　2。II。



Prende；　giovine　audace　e　impaziente；

L'occasione　offerta　avidamente。

〃Ger。　Lib。；〃　c。　vi。　xxix。



（Take；　youth；　bold　and　impatient；　the　offered　occasion　eagerly。）



Clarence　Glyndon　was　a　young　man　of　fortune；　not　large；　but　easy

and　independent。　　His　parents　were　dead；　and　his　nearest　relation

was　an　only　sister；　left　in　England　under　the　care　of　her　aunt；

and　many　years　younger　than　himself。　　Early　in　life　he　had

evinced　considerable　promise　in　the　art　of　painting；　and　rather

from　enthusiasm　than　any　pecuniary　necessity　for　a　profession；　he

determined　to　devote　himself　to　a　career　in　which　the　English

artist　generally　commences　with　rapture　and　historical

composition；　to　conclude　with　avaricious　calculation　and

portraits　of　Alderman　Simpkins。　　Glyndon　was　supposed　by　his

friends　to　possess　no　inconsiderable　genius；　but　it　was　of　a　rash

and　presumptuous　order。　　He　was　averse　from　continuous　and　steady

labour；　and　his　ambition　rather　sought　to　gather　the　fruit　than

to　plant　the　tree。　　In　common　with　many　artists　in　their　youth；

he　was　fond　of　pleasure　and　excitement；　yielding　with　little

forethought　to　whatever　impressed　his　fancy　or　appealed　to　his

passions。　　He　had　travelled　through　the　more　celebrated　cities　of

Europ