juana-第5章

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either　a　great　seigneur　or　a　wealthy　merchant；　she　lacked　no　virtue

necessary　to　the　highest　destiny。　Perez　had　intended　taking　her　to

Madrid　and　marrying　her　to　some　grandee；　but　the　events　of　the　present

war　delayed　the　fulfilment　of　this　project。



〃I　don't　know　where　the　Marana　now　is；〃　said　Perez；　ending　the　above

history；　〃but　in　whatever　quarter　of　the　world　she　may　be　living；　when

she　hears　of　the　occupation　of　our　province　by　your　armies；　and　of　the

siege　of　Tarragona；　she　will　assuredly　set　out　at　once　to　come　here

and　see　to　her　daughter's　safety。〃







CHAPTER　II



AUCTION



The　foregoing　narrative　changed　the　intentions　of　the　Italian　captain；

no　longer　did　he　think　of　making　a　Marchesa　di　Montefiore　of　Juana　di

Mancini。　He　recognized　the　blood　of　the　Maranas　in　the　glance　the　girl

had　given　from　behind　the　blinds；　in　the　trick　she　had　just　played　to

satisfy　her　curiosity；　and　also　in　the　parting　look　she　had　cast　upon

him。　The　libertine　wanted　a　virtuous　woman　for　a　wife。



The　adventure　was　full　of　danger；　but　danger　of　a　kind　that　never

daunts　the　least　courageous　man；　for　love　and　pleasure　followed　it。

The　apprentice　sleeping　in　the　shop；　the　cook　bivouacking　in　the

kitchen；　Perez　and　his　wife　sleeping；　no　doubt；　the　wakeful　sleep　of

the　aged；　the　echoing　sonority　of　the　old　mansion；　the　close

surveillance　of　the　girl　in　the　day…time；all　these　things　were

obstacles；　and　made　success　a　thing　well…nigh　impossible。　But

Montefiore　had　in　his　favor　against　all　impossibilities　the　blood　of

the　Maranas　which　gushed　in　the　heart　of　that　inquisitive　girl；

Italian　by　birth；　Spanish　in　principles；　virgin　indeed；　but　impatient

to　love。　Passion；　the　girl；　and　Montefiore　were　ready　and　able　to　defy

the　whole　universe。



Montefiore；　impelled　as　much　by　the　instinct　of　a　man　of　gallantry　as

by　those　vague　hopes　which　cannot　be　explained；　and　to　which　we　give

the　name　of　presentiments　（a　word　of　astonishing　verbal　accuracy）；

Montefiore　spent　the　first　hours　of　the　night　at　his　window；

endeavoring　to　look　below　him　to　the　secret　apartment　where；

undoubtedly；　the　merchant　and　his　wife　had　hidden　the　love　and

joyfulness　of　their　old　age。　The　ware…room　of　the　〃entresol〃　separated

him　from　the　rooms　on　the　ground…floor。　The　captain　therefore　could

not　have　recourse　to　noises　significantly　made　from　one　floor　to　the

other；　an　artificial　language　which　all　lovers　know　well　how　to

create。　But　chance；　or　it　may　have　been　the　young　girl　herself；　came

to　his　assistance。　At　the　moment　when　he　stationed　himself　at　his

window；　he　saw；　on　the　black　wall　of　the　courtyard；　a　circle　of　light；

in　the　centre　of　which　the　silhouette　of　Juana　was　clearly　defined；

the　consecutive　movement　of　the　arms；　and　the　attitude；　gave　evidence

that　she　was　arranging　her　hair　for　the　night。



〃Is　she　alone？〃　Montefiore　asked　himself；　〃could　I；　without　danger；

lower　a　letter　filled　with　coin　and　strike　it　against　that　circular

window　in　her　hiding…place？〃



At　once　he　wrote　a　note；　the　note　of　a　man　exiled　by　his　family　to

Elba；　the　note　of　a　degraded　marquis　now　a　mere　captain　of　equipment。

Then　he　made　a　cord　of　whatever　he　could　find　that　was　capable　of

being　turned　into　string；　filled　the　note　with　a　few　silver　crowns；

and　lowered　it　in　the　deepest　silence　to　the　centre　of　that　spherical

gleam。



〃The　shadows　will　show　if　her　mother　or　the　servant　is　with　her；〃

thought　Montefiore。　〃If　she　is　not　alone；　I　can　pull　up　the　string　at

once。〃



But；　after　succeeding　with　infinite　trouble　in　striking　the　glass；　a

single　form；　the　little　figure　of　Juana；　appeared　upon　the　wall。　The

young　girl　opened　her　window　cautiously；　saw　the　note；　took　it；　and

stood　before　the　window　while　she　read　it。　In　it；　Montefiore　had　given

his　name　and　asked　for　an　interview；　offering；　after　the　style　of　the

old　romances；　his　heart　and　hand　to　the　Signorina　Juana　di　Mancinia

common　trick；　the　success　of　which　is　nearly　always　certain。　At

Juana's　age；　nobility　of　soul　increases　the　dangers　which　surround

youth。　A　poet　of　our　day　has　said：　〃Woman　succumbs　only　to　her　own

nobility。　The　lover　pretends　to　doubt　the　love　he　inspires　at　the

moment　when　he　is　most　beloved；　the　young　girl；　confident　and　proud；

longs　to　make　sacrifices　to　prove　her　love；　and　knows　the　world　and

men　too　little　to　continue　calm　in　the　midst　of　her　rising　emotions

and　repel　with　contempt　the　man　who　accepts　a　life　offered　in

expiation　of　a　false　reproach。〃



Ever　since　the　constitution　of　societies　the　young　girl　finds　herself

torn　by　a　struggle　between　the　caution　of　prudent　virtue　and　the　evils

of　wrong…doing。　Often　she　loses　a　love；　delightful　in　prospect；　and

the　first；　if　she　resists；　on　the　other　hand；　she　loses　a　marriage　if

she　is　imprudent。　Casting　a　glance　over　the　vicissitudes　of　social

life　in　Paris；　it　is　impossible　to　doubt　the　necessity　of　religion；

and　yet　Paris　is　situated　in　the　forty…eighth　degree　of　latitude；

while　Tarragona　is　in　the　forty…first。　The　old　question　of　climates　is

still　useful　to　narrators　to　explain　the　sudden　denouements；　the

imprudences；　or　the　resistances　of　love。



Montefiore　kept　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　exquisite　black　profile

projected　by　the　gleam　upon　the　wall。　Neither　he　nor　Juana　could　see

each　other；　a　troublesome　cornice；　vexatiously　placed；　deprived　them

of　the　mute　correspondence　which　may　be　established　between　a　pair　of

lovers　as　they　bend　to　each　other　from　their　windows。　Thus　the　mind

and　the　attention　of　the　captain　were　concentrated　on　that　luminous

circle　where；　without　perhaps　knowing　it　herself；　the　young　girl

would；　he　thought；　innocently　reveal　her　thoughts　by　a　series　of

gestures。　But　no！　The　singular　motions　she　proceeded　to　make　gave　not

a　particle　of　hope　to　the　expectant　lover。　Juana　was　amusing　herself

by　cutting　up　his　missive。　But　virtue　and　innocence　sometimes　imitate

the　clever　proceedings　inspired　by　jealousy　to　the　Bartholos　of

comedy。　Juana；　without　pens；　ink；　or　paper；　was　replying　by　snip　of

scissors。　Presently　she　refastened　the　note　to　the　string；　the　officer

drew　it　up；　opened　it；　and　read　by　the　light　of　his　lamp　one　word；

carefully　cut　out　of　the　paper：　COME。



〃Come！〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃but　what　of　poison？　or　the　dagger　or

carbine　of　Perez？　And　that　apprentice　not　yet　asleep；　perhaps；　in　the

shop？　and　the　servant　in　her　hammock？　Besides；　this　old　house　echoes

the　slightest　sound；　I　can　hear　old　Perez　snoring　even　here。　Come；

indeed！　She　can　have　nothing　more　to　lose。〃



Bitter　reflection！　rakes　alone　are　logical　and　will　punish　a　woman　for

devotion。　Man　created　Satan　and　Lovelace；　but　a　virgin　is　an　angel　on

whom　he　can　bestow　naught　but　his　own　vices。　She　is　so　grand；　so

beautiful；　that　he　cannot　magnify　or　embellish　her；　he　has　only　the

fatal　power　to　blast　her　and　drag　her　down　into　his　own　mire。



Montefiore　waited　for　a　later　and　more　somnolent　hour　of　the　night；

then；　in　spite　of　his　reflections；　he　descended　the　stairs　without

boots；　armed　with　his　pistols；　moving　step　by　step；　stopping　to

question　the　silence；　putting　forth　his　hands；　measuring　the　stairs；

peering　into　the　darkness；　and　ready　at　the　slightest　incident　to　fly

back　into　his　room。　The　Italian　had　put　on　his　handsomest　uniform；　he

had　perfumed　his　black　hair；　and　now　shone　with　the　particular

brilliancy　which　dress　and　toilet　bestow　upon　natural　beauty。　Under

such　circumstances　most　men　are　as　feminine　as　a　woman。



The　marquis　arrived　without　hindrance　before　the　secret　door　of　the

room　in　which　the　girl　was　hidden；　a　sort　of　cell　made　in　the　angle　of

the　house　and　belonging　exclusively　to　Juana；　who　had　remained　there

hidden　during　the　day　from　every　eye　while　the　siege　lasted。　Up　to　the

present　time　she　had　slept　in　the　room　of　her　adopted　mother；　but　the

limited　space　in　the　garret　where　the　merchant　and　his　wife　had　gone

to　make　room　for　the　officer　who　was　billeted　up