vendetta-第13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！



impending　change　in　the　feelings　of　father　and　daughter　gave　to　the

worn　and　weary　face　of　the　baroness　an　expression　of　terror。



〃Ginevra；　you　love　the　enemy　of　your　family；〃　said　Piombo；　at　last；

not　daring　to　look　at　his　daughter。



〃That　is　true；〃　she　replied。



〃You　must　choose　between　us。　Our　vendetta　is　a　part　of　our　being。

Whoso　does　not　share　my　vengeance　is　not　a　member　of　my　family。〃



〃My　choice　is　made；〃　replied　Ginevra；　calmly。



His　daughter's　tranquillity　misled　Bartolomeo。



〃Oh！　my　dear　child！〃　he　cried；　letting　her　see　his　eyes　moistened　with

tears；　the　first　and　only　tears　he　ever　shed　in　life。



〃I　shall　be　his　wife；〃　said　Ginevra；　abruptly。



Bartolomeo　seemed　dazed　for　a　moment；　but　he　recovered　his　coolness

instantly；　and　replied：



〃The　marriage　will　not　take　place　in　my　lifetime；　I　will　never　consent

to　it。〃



Ginevra　kept　silence。



〃Ginevra；〃　continued　the　baron；　〃have　you　reflected　that　Luigi　is　the

son　of　the　man　who　killed　your　brother？〃



〃He　was　six　years　old　when　that　crime　was　committed；　he　was；

therefore；　not　guilty　of　it；〃　she　replied。



〃He　is　a　Porta！〃　cried　Bartolomeo。



〃I　have　never　shared　that　hatred；〃　said　Ginevra；　eagerly。　〃You　did　not

bring　me　up　to　think　a　Porta　must　be　a　monster。　How　could　I　know　that

one　of　those　whom　you　thought　you　had　killed　survived？　Is　it　not

natural　that　you　should　now　yield　your　vendetta　to　my　feelings？〃



〃A　Porta！〃　repeated　Piombo。　〃If　his　father　had　found　you　in　your　bed

you　would　not　be　living　now；　he　would　have　taken　your　life　a　hundred

times。〃



〃It　may　be　so；〃　she　answered；　〃but　his　son　has　given　me　life；　and　more

than　life。　To　see　Luigi　is　a　happiness　without　which　I　cannot　live。

Luigi　has　revealed　to　me　the　world　of　sentiments。　I　may；　perhaps；　have

seen　faces　more　beautiful　than　his；　but　none　has　ever　charmed　me　thus；

I　may　have　heard　voicesno；　no；　never　any　so　melodious！　Luigi　loves

me；　he　will　be　my　husband。〃



〃Never；〃　said　Piombo。　〃I　would　rather　see　you　in　your　coffin；

Ginevra。〃



The　old　Corsican　rose　and　began　to　stride　up　and　down　the　salon；

dropping　the　following　sentences；　one　by　one；　after　pauses　which

betrayed　his　agitation。



〃You　think　you　can　bend　my　will。　Undeceive　yourself。　A　Porta　shall

never　be　my　son；　that　is　my　decree。　Let　there　be　no　further　question

of　this　between　us。　I　am　Bartolomeo　di　Piombo；　do　you　hear　me；

Ginevra？〃



〃Do　you　attach　some　mysterious　meaning　to　those　words？〃　she　asked；

coldly。



〃They　mean　that　I　have　a　dagger；　and　that　I　do　not　fear　man's　justice。

Corsicans　explain　themselves　to　God。〃



〃And　I；〃　said　the　daughter；　rising；　〃am　Ginevra　Piombo；　and　I　declare

that　within　six　months　I　shall　be　the　wife　of　Luigi　Porta。　You　are　a

tyrant；　my　father；〃　she　added；　after　a　terrifying　pause。



Bartolomeo　clenched　his　fists　and　struck　them　on　the　marble　of　the

chimneypiece。



〃Ah！　we　are　in　Paris！〃　he　muttered。



Then　he　was　silent；　crossed　his　arms；　bowed　his　head　on　his　breast；

and　said　not　another　word　during　the　whole　evening。



After　once　giving　utterance　to　her　will；　Ginevra　affected

inconceivable　coolness。　She　opened　the　piano　and　sang；　played　charming

nocturnes　and　scherzos　with　a　grace　and　sentiment　which　displayed　a

perfect　freedom　of　mind；　thus　triumphing　over　her　father；　whose

darkling　face　showed　no　softening。　The　old　man　was　cruelly　hurt　by

this　tacit　insult；　he　gathered　in　this　one　moment　the　bitter　fruits　of

the　training　he　had　given　to　his　daughter。　Respect　is　a　barrier　which

protects　parents　as　it　does　children；　sparing　grief　to　the　former；

remorse　to　the　latter。



The　next　day；　when　Ginevra　sought　to　leave　the　house　at　the　hour　when

she　usually　went　to　the　studio；　she　found　the　gates　of　the　mansion

closed　to　her。　She　said　nothing；　but　soon　found　means　to　inform　Luigi

Porta　of　her　father's　severity。　A　chambermaid；　who　could　neither　read

nor　write；　was　able　to　carry　letters　between　the　lovers。　For　five　days

they　corresponded　thus；　thanks　to　the　inventive　shrewdness　of　the

youth。



The　father　and　daughter　seldom　spoke　to　each　other。　Both　were　nursing

in　the　depths　of　their　heart　a　sentiment　of　hatred；　they　suffered；　but

they　suffered　proudly；　and　in　silence。　Recognizing　how　strong　were　the

ties　of　love　which　bound　them　to　each　other；　they　each　tried　to　break

them；　but　without　success。　No　gentle　thought　came；　as　formerly；　to

brighten　the　stern　features　of　Piombo　when　he　contemplated　his

Ginevra。　The　girl　had　something　savage　in　her　eye　when　she　looked　at

her　father；　reproach　sat　enthroned　on　that　innocent　brow；　she　gave

herself　up；　it　is　true；　to　happy　thoughts；　and　yet；　at　times；　remorse

seemed　to　dull　her　eyes。　It　was　not　difficult　to　believe　that　she

could　never　enjoy；　peacefully；　any　happiness　which　caused　sorrow　to

her　parents。



With　Bartolomeo；　as　with　his　daughter；　the　hesitations　of　this　period

caused　by　the　native　goodness　of　their　souls　were；　nevertheless；

compelled　to　give　way　before　their　pride　and　the　rancor　of　their

Corsican　nature。　They　encouraged　each　other　in　their　anger；　and　closed

their　eyes　to　the　future。　Perhaps　they　mutually　flattered　themselves

that　the　one　would　yield　to　the　other。



At　last；　on　Ginevra's　birthday；　her　mother；　in　despair　at　the

estrangement　which；　day　by　day；　assumed　a　more　serious　character；

meditated　an　attempt　to　reconcile　the　father　and　daughter；　by　help　of

the　memories　of　this　family　anniversary。　They　were　all　three　sitting

in　Bartolomeo's　study。　Ginevra　guessed　her　mother's　intention　by　the

timid　hesitation　on　her　face；　and　she　smiled　sadly。



At　this　moment　a　servant　announced　two　notaries；　accompanied　by

witnesses。　Bartolomeo　looked　fixedly　at　these　persons；　whose　cold　and

formal　faces　were　grating　to　souls　so　passionately　strained　as　those

of　the　three　chief　actors　in　this　scene。　The　old　man　turned　to　his

daughter　and　looked　at　her　uneasily。　He　saw　upon　her　face　a　smile　of

triumph　which　made　him　expect　some　shock；　but；　after　the　manner　of

savages；　he　affected　to　maintain　a　deceitful　indifference　as　he　gazed

at　the　notaries　with　an　assumed　air　of　calm　curiosity。　The　strangers

sat　down；　after　being　invited　to　do　so　by　a　gesture　of　the　old　man。



〃Monsieur　is；　no　doubt；　M。　le　Baron　di　Piombo？〃　began　the　oldest　of

the　notaries。



Bartolomeo　bowed。　The　notary　made　a　slight　inclination　of　the　head；

looked　at　Ginevra　with　a　sly　expression；　took　out　his　snuff…box；

opened　it；　and　slowly　inhaled　a　pinch；　as　if　seeking　for　the　words

with　which　to　open　his　errand；　then；　while　uttering　them；　he　made

continual　pauses　（an　oratorical　manoeuvre　very　imperfectly　represented

by　the　printer's　dash）。



〃Monsieur；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　Monsieur　Roguin；　your　daughter's　notary；

and　we　have　comemy　colleague　and　Ito　fulfil　the　intentions　of　the

law　andput　an　end　to　the　divisions　whichappearto　existbetween

yourself　and　Mademoiselle；　your　daughter；on　the　subjectofher

marriage　with　Monsieur　Luigi　Porta。〃



This　speech；　pedantically　delivered；　probably　seemed　to　Monsieur

Roguin　so　fine　that　his　hearer　could　not　at　once　understand　it。　He

paused；　and　looked　at　Bartolomeo　with　that　peculiar　expression　of　the

mere　business　lawyer；　a　mixture　of　servility　with　familiarity。

Accustomed　to　feign　much　interest　in　the　persons　with　whom　they　deal；

notaries　have　at　last　produced　upon　their　features　a　grimace　of　their

own；　which　they　take　on　and　off　as　an　official　〃pallium。〃　This　mask　of

benevolence；　the　mechanism　of　which　is　so　easy　to　perceive；　irritated

Bartolomeo　to　such　an　extent　that　he　was　forced　to　collect　all　the

powers　of　his　reason　to　prevent　him　from　throwing　Monsieur　Roguin

through　the　window。　An　expression　of　anger　ran　through　his　wrinkles；

which　caused　the　notary　to　think　to　himself：　〃I've　produced　an

effect。〃



〃But；〃　he　continued；　in　a　honeyed　tone；　〃Monsieur　le　baron；　on　such

occasions　our　duties　are　preceded　byefforts　atconcilia