zanoni-第58章

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me　over　to　an　honest　notary　at　Naples；　and　gave　me　two　hundred

crowns　by　way　of　provision。　　Well；　signor；　I　saw　enough　of　the

law　to　convince　me　that　I　should　never　be　rogue　enough　to　shine

in　the　profession。　　So；　instead　of　spoiling　parchment；　I　made

love　to　the　notary's　daughter。　　My　master　discovered　our　innocent

amusement；　and　turned　me　out　of　doors；　that　was　disagreeable。

But　my　Ninetta　loved　me；　and　took　care　that　I　should　not　lie　out

in　the　streets　with　the　Lazzaroni。　　Little　jade！　　I　think　I　see

her　now　with　her　bare　feet；　and　her　finger　to　her　lips；　opening

the　door　in　the　summer　nights；　and　bidding　me　creep　softly　into

the　kitchen；　where；　praised　be　the　saints！　a　flask　and　a　manchet

always　awaited　the　hungry　amoroso。　　At　last；　however；　Ninetta

grew　cold。　　It　is　the　way　of　the　sex；　signor。　　Her　father　found

her　an　excellent　marriage　in　the　person　of　a　withered　old

picture…dealer。　　She　took　the　spouse；　and　very　properly　clapped

the　door　in　the　face　of　the　lover。　　I　was　not　disheartened；

Excellency；　no；　not　I。　　Women　are　plentiful　while　we　are　young。

So；　without　a　ducat　in　my　pocket　or　a　crust　for　my　teeth；　I　set

out　to　seek　my　fortune　on　board　of　a　Spanish　merchantman。　　That

was　duller　work　than　I　expected；　but　luckily　we　were　attacked　by

a　pirate；half　the　crew　were　butchered；　the　rest　captured。　　I

was　one　of　the　last：　　always　in　luck；　you　see；　signor；monks'

sons　have　a　knack　that　way！　　The　captain　of　the　pirates　took　a

fancy　to　me。　　'Serve　with　us？'　said　he。　　'Too　happy；'　said　I。

Behold　me；　then；　a　pirate！　　O　jolly　life！　how　I　blessed　the　old

notary　for　turning　me　out　of　doors！　　What　feasting；　what

fighting；　what　wooing；　what　quarrelling！　　Sometimes　we　ran　ashore

and　enjoyed　ourselves　like　princes；　sometimes　we　lay　in　a　calm

for　days　together　on　the　loveliest　sea　that　man　ever　traversed。

And　then；　if　the　breeze　rose　and　a　sail　came　in　sight；　who　so

merry　as　we？　　I　passed　three　years　in　that　charming　profession；

and　then；　signor；　I　grew　ambitious。　　I　caballed　against　the

captain；　I　wanted　his　post。　　One　still　night　we　struck　the　blow。

The　ship　was　like　a　log　in　the　sea；　no　land　to　be　seen　from　the

mast…head；　the　waves　like　glass；　and　the　moon　at　its　full。　　Up　we

rose；　thirty　of　us　and　more。　　Up　we　rose　with　a　shout；　we　poured

into　the　captain's　cabin；　I　at　the　head。　　The　brave　old　boy　had

caught　the　alarm；　and　there　he　stood　at　the　doorway；　a　pistol　in

each　hand；　and　his　one　eye　（he　had　only　one）　worse　to　meet　than

the　pistols　were。



〃'Yield！'　cried　I；　'your　life　shall　be　safe。'



〃'Take　that；'　said　he；　and　whiz　went　the　pistol；　but　the　saints

took　care　of　their　own；　and　the　ball　passed　by　my　cheek；　and　shot

the　boatswain　behind　me。　　I　closed　with　the　captain；　and　the

other　pistol　went　off　without　mischief　in　the　struggle。　　Such　a

fellow　he　was；six　feet　four　without　his　shoes！　　Over　we　went；

rolling　each　on　the　other。　　Santa　Maria！　no　time　to　get　hold　of

one's　knife。　　Meanwhile　all　the　crew　were　up；　some　for　the

captain；　some　for　me；clashing　and　firing；　and　swearing　and

groaning；　and　now　and　then　a　heavy　splash　in　the　sea。　　Fine

supper　for　the　sharks　that　night！　　At　last　old　Bilboa　got

uppermost；　out　flashed　his　knife；　down　it　came；　but　not　in　my

heart。　　No！　I　gave　my　left　arm　as　a　shield；　and　the　blade　went

through　to　the　hilt；　with　the　blood　spurting　up　like　the　rain

from　a　whale's　nostril！　　With　the　weight　of　the　blow　the　stout

fellow　came　down　so　that　his　face　touched　mine；　with　my　right

hand　I　caught　him　by　the　throat；　turned　him　over　like　a　lamb；

signor；　and　faith　it　was　soon　all　up　with　him：　　the　boatswain's

brother；　a　fat　Dutchman；　ran　him　through　with　a　pike。



〃'Old　fellow；'　said　I；　as　he　turned　his　terrible　eye　to　me；　'I

bear　you　no　malice；　but　we　must　try　to　get　on　in　the　world；　you

know。'　　The　captain　grinned　and　gave　up　the　ghost。　　I　went　upon

deck；what　a　sight！　　Twenty　bold　fellows　stark　and　cold；　and　the

moon　sparkling　on　the　puddles　of　blood　as　calmly　as　if　it　were

water。　　Well；　signor；　the　victory　was　ours；　and　the　ship　mine；　I

ruled　merrily　enough　for　six　months。　　We　then　attacked　a　French

ship　twice　our　size；　what　sport　it　was！　　And　we　had　not　had　a

good　fight　so　long；　we　were　quite　like　virgins　at　it！　　We　got　the

best　of　it；　and　won　ship　and　cargo。　　They　wanted　to　pistol　the

captain；　but　that　was　against　my　laws：　　so　we　gagged　him；　for　he

scolded　as　loud　as　if　we　were　married　to　him；　left　him　and　the

rest　of　his　crew　on　board　our　own　vessel；　which　was　terribly

battered；　clapped　our　black　flag　on　the　Frenchman's；　and　set　off

merrily；　with　a　brisk　wind　in　our　favour。　　But　luck　deserted　us

on　forsaking　our　own　dear　old　ship。　　A　storm　came　on；　a　plank

struck；　several　of　us　escaped　in　a　boat；　we　had　lots　of　gold　with

us；　but　no　water。　　For　two　days　and　two　nights　we　suffered

horribly；　but　at　last　we　ran　ashore　near　a　French　seaport。　　Our

sorry　plight　moved　compassion；　and　as　we　had　money；　we　were　not

suspected；people　only　suspect　the　poor。　　Here　we　soon　recovered

our　fatigues；　rigged　ourselves　out　gayly；　and　your　humble　servant

was　considered　as　noble　a　captain　as　ever　walked　deck。　　But　now；

alas！　my　fate　would　have　it　that　I　should　fall　in　love　with　a

silk…mercer's　daughter。　　Ah；　how　I　loved　her！the　pretty　Clara！

Yes；　I　loved　her　so　well　that　I　was　seized　with　horror　at　my　past

life！　　I　resolved　to　repent；　to　marry　her；　and　settle　down　into

an　honest　man。　　Accordingly；　I　summoned　my　messmates；　told　them

my　resolution；　resigned　my　command；　and　persuaded　them　to　depart。

They　were　good　fellows；　engaged　with　a　Dutchman；　against　whom　I

heard　afterwards　they　made　a　successful　mutiny；　but　I　never　saw

them　more。　　I　had　two　thousand　crowns　still　left；　with　this　sum　I

obtained　the　consent　of　the　silk…mercer；　and　it　was　agreed　that　I

should　become　a　partner　in　the　firm。　　I　need　not　say　that　no　one

suspected　that　I　had　been　so　great　a　man；　and　I　passed　for　a

Neapolitan　goldsmith's　son　instead　of　a　cardinal's。　　I　was　very

happy　then；　signor；　very；I　could　not　have　harmed　a　fly！　　Had　I

married　Clara；　I　had　been　as　gentle　a　mercer　as　ever　handled　a

measure。〃



The　bravo　paused　a　moment；　and　it　was　easy　to　see　that　he　felt

more　than　his　words　and　tone　betokened。　　〃Well；　well；　we　must　not

look　back　at　the　past　too　earnestly；the　sunlight　upon　it　makes

one's　eyes　water。　　The　day　was　fixed　for　our　wedding；it

approached。　　On　the　evening　before　the　appointed　day；　Clara；　her

mother；　her　little　sister；　and　myself；　were　walking　by　the　port；

and　as　we　looked　on　the　sea；　I　was　telling　them　old　gossip…tales

of　mermaids　and　sea…serpents；　when　a　red…faced；　bottle…nosed

Frenchman　clapped　himself　right　before　me；　and；　placing　his

spectacles　very　deliberately　astride　his　proboscis；　echoed　out；

'Sacre；　mille　tonnerres！　this　is　the　damned　pirate　who　boarded

the　〃Niobe〃！'



〃'None　of　your　jests；'　said　I；　mildly。　　'Ho；　ho！'　said　he；　'I

can't　be　mistaken；　help　there！'　and　he　griped　me　by　the　collar。

I　replied；　as　you　may　suppose；　by　laying　him　in　the　kennel；　but

it　would　not　do。　　The　French　captain　had　a　French　lieutenant　at

his　back；　whose　memory　was　as　good　as　his　chief's。　　A　crowd

assembled；　other　sailors　came　up：　　the　odds　were　against　me。　　I

slept　that　night　in　prison；　and　in　a　few　weeks　afterwards　I　was

sent　to　the　galleys。　　They　spared　my　life；　because　the　old

Frenchman　politely　averred　that　I　had　made　my　crew　spare　his。

You　may　believe　that　the　oar　and　the　chain　were　not　to　my　taste。

I　and　two　others　escaped；　they　took　to　the　road；　and　have；　no

doubt；　been　long　since　broken　on　the　wheel。　　I；　soft　soul；　would

not　commit　another　crime　to　gain　my　bread；　for　Clara　was　still　at

my　heart　with　her　sweet　eyes；　so；　limiting　my　rogueries　to　the

theft　of　a　beggar's　rags；　which　I　compensated　by　leaving　him　my

galley　attire　instead；　I　begged　my　way　to　the　town　where　I　left

Clara。　　It　was　a　clear　winter's　day　when　I　approached　the

outskirts　of　the　town。　　I　had　no　fear