the bravo of venice-第19部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



Parozzi。Mark　me；　friends；　we　must　go　armed　to　the　Doge's

entertainment。



Gonzaga。All　the　members　of　the　College　of　Ten　have　been

particularly　invited　…



Falieri。Down　with　every　man　of　them！



Memmo。Aye；　aye！　　Fine　talking；　but　suppose　it　should　turn　out　to

be　down　with　ourselves？



Falieri。Thou　white…livered　wretch！　　Stay　at　home；　then；　and　take

care　of　your　worthless　existence。　　But　if　our　attempt　succeeds；　come

not　to　us　to　reimburse　you　for　the　sums　which　you　have　already

advanced。　　Not　a　sequin　shall　be　paid　you　back；　depend　on't。



Memmo。You　wrong　me；　Falieri；　if　you　wish　to　prove　my　courage；　draw

your　sword　and　measure　it　against　mine。　　I　am　as　brave　as　yourself；

but；　thank　Heaven；　I　am　not　quite　so　hot…headed。



Gonzaga。Nay；　even　suppose　that　the　event　should　not　answer　our

expectations？　　Andreas　once　dead；　let　the　populace　storm　as　it

pleases；　the　protection　of　his　Holiness　will　sanction　our

proceedings。



Memmo。The　Pope？　　May　we　count　on　his　protection？



Gonzaga　（throwing　him　a　letter）。Read　there；　unbeliever。　　The　Pope；

I　tell　you；　must　protect　us；　since　one　of　our　objects　is　professed

to　be　the　assertion　of　the　rights　of　St。　Peter's　Chair　in　Venice。

Prithee；　Memmo；　tease　us　no　more　with　such　doubts；　but　let

Contarino's　proposal　be　adopted　at　once。　　Our　confederates　must　be

summoned　to　Parozzi's　palace　with　all　diligence；　and　there　furnished

with　such　weapons　as　are　necessary。　　Let　the　stroke　of　midnight　be

the　signal　for　Contarino's　quitting　the　ball…room；　and　hastening　to

seize　the　arsenal。　　Salviati；　who　commands　there；　is　in　our

interest；　and　will　throw　open　the　gates　at　the　first　summons。



Falieri。The　admiral　Adorna；　as　soon　as　he　hears　the　alarm…bell；

will　immediately　lead　his　people　to　our　assistance。



Parozzi。Oh；　our　success　is　certain。



Contarino。Only　let　us　take　care　to　make　the　confusion　as　general

as　possible。　　Our　adversaries　must　be　kept　in　the　dark　who　are　their

friends　and　who　their　foes；　and　all　but　our　own　party　must　be　left

ignorant　as　to　the　authors；　the　origin；　and　the　object　of　the

uproar。



Parozzi。Heaven；　I　am　delighted　at　finding　the　business　at　length

so　near　the　moment　of　execution！



Falieri。Parozzi；　have　you　distributed　the　white　ribbons　by　which

we　are　to　recognise　our　partisans？



Parozzi。That　was　done　some　days　ago。



Contarino。Then　there　is　no　more　necessary　to　be　said　on　the

subject。　　Comrades；　fill　your　goblets。　　We　will　not　meet　again

together　till　our　work　has　been　completed。



Memmo。And　yet　methinks　it　would　not　be　unwise　to　consider　the

matter　over　again　coolly。



Contarino。Pshaw！　consideration　and　prudence　have　nothing　to　do

with　a　rebellion；　despair　and　rashness　in　this　case　are　better

counsellors。　　The　work　once　begun；　the　constitution　of　Venice　once

boldly　overturned；　so　that　no　one　can　tell　who　is　master　and　who　is

subject；　then　consideration　will　be　of　service　in　instructing　us　how

far　it　may　be　necessary　for　our　interest　to　push　the　confusion。

Come；　friends！　fill；　fill；　I　say。　　I　cannot　help　laughing　when　I

reflect　that；　by　giving　this　entertainment　to…morrow；　the　Doge

himself　kindly　affords　us　an　opportunity　of　executing　our　plans。



Parozzi。As　to　Flodoardo；　I　look　upon　him　already　as　in　his　grave；

yet　before　we　go　to…morrow　to　the　Doge's；　it　will　be　as　well　to　have

a　conference　with　Abellino。



Contarino。That　care　we　will　leave　to　you；　Parozzi；　and　in　the

meanwhile　here's　the　health　of　Abellino。



All。Abellino！



Gonzaga。And　success　to　our　enterprise　to…morrow。



Memmo。I'll　drink　THAT　toast　with　all　my　heart。



All。Success　to　to…morrow's　enterprise！



Parozzi。The　wine　tastes　well；　and　every　face　looks　gay；　pass

eight…and…forty　hours；　and　shall　we　look　as　gaily？　　We　separate

smiling；　shall　we　smile　when　two　nights　hence　we　meet　again？　　No

matter。







CHAPTER　IV。THE　DECISIVE　DAY。







The　next　morning　everything　in　Venice　seemed　as　tranquil　as　if

nothing　more　than　ordinary　was　on　the　point　of　taking　place；　and

yet；　since　her　first　foundation；　never　had　a　more　important　day

risen　on　the　Republic。



The　inhabitants　of　the　ducal　palace　were　in　motion　early。　　The

impatient　Andreas　forsook　the　couch　on　which　he　had　passed　a

sleepless　and　anxious　night；　as　soon　as　the　first　sunbeams

penetrated　through　the　lattice　of　his　chamber。　　Rosabella　had

employed　the　hours　of　rest　in　dreams　of　Flodoardo；　and　she　still

seemed　to　be　dreaming　of　him；　even　after　sleep　was　fled。　　Camilla's

love　for　her　fair　pupil　had　broken　her　repose；　she　loved　Rosabella

as　had　she　been　her　daughter；　and　was　aware　that　on　this　interesting

day　depended　the　love…sick　girl's　whole　future　happiness。　　For　some

time　Rosabella　was　unusually　gay；　she　sang　to　her　harp　the　most

lively　airs；　and　jested　with　Camilla　for　looking　so　serious　and　so

uneasy；　but　when　mid…day　approached；　her　spirits　began　to　forsake

her。　　She　quitted　her　instrument；　and　paced　the　chamber　with

unsteady　steps。　　With　every　succeeding　hour　her　heart　palpitated

with　greater　pain　and　violence；　and　she　trembled　in　expectation　of

the　scene　which　was　soon　to　take　place。



The　most　illustrious　persons　in　Venice　already　filled　her　uncle's

palace；　the　afternoon　so　much　dreaded；　and　yet　so　much　desired；　was

come；　and　the　Doge　now　desired　Camilla　to　conduct　his　niece　to　the

great　saloon；　where　she　was　expected　with　impatience　by　all　those

who　were　of　most　consequence　in　the　Republic。



Rosabella　sank　on　her　knees　before　a　statue　of　the　Virgin。　　〃Blessed

Lady！〃　she　exclaimed；　with　lifted　hands；　〃have　mercy　on　me！　　Let　all

to…day　end　well！〃



Pale　as　death　did　she　enter　the　chamber　in　which；　on　the　day　before；

she　had　acknowledged　her　love　for　Flodoardo；　and　Flodoardo　had　sworn

to　risk　his　life　to　obtain　her。　　Flodoardo　was　not　yet　arrived。



The　assembly　was　brilliant；　the　conversation　was　gay。　　They　talked

over　the　politics　of　the　day；　and　discussed　the　various　occurrences

of　Europe。　　The　Cardinal　and　Contarino　were　engaged　in　a　conference

with　the　Doge；　while　Memmo；　Parozzi；　and　Falieri　stood　silent

together；　and　revolved　the　project　whose　execution　was　to　take　place

at　midnight。



The　weather　was　dark　and　tempestuous。　　The　wind　roared　among　the

waters　of　the　canal；　and　the　vanes　of　the　palace…towers　creaked

shrilly　and　discordantly。　　One　storm　of　rain　followed　hard　upon

another。



The　clock　struck　four。　　The　cheeks　of　Rosabella；　if　possible；　became

paler　than　before。　　Andreas　whispered　something　to　his　chamberlain。

In　a　few　minutes　the　tread　of　armed　men　seemed　approaching　the　doors

of　the　saloon；　and　soon　after　the　clattering　of　weapons　was　heard。



Instantly　a　sudden　silence　reigned　through　the　whole　assembly。　　The

young　courtiers　broke　off　their　love…speeches　abruptly；　and　the

ladies　stopped　in　their　criticisms　upon　the　last　new　fashions。　　The

statesmen　dropped　their　political　discussions；　and　gazed　on　each

other　in　silence　and　anxiety。



The　Doge　advanced　slowly　into　the　midst　of　the　assembly。　　Every　eye

was　fixed　upon　him。　　The　hearts　of　the　conspirators　beat　painfully。



〃Be　not　surprised；　my　friends；〃　said　Andreas；　〃at　these　unusual

precautions；　they　relate　to　nothing　which　need　interfere　with　the

pleasures　of　this　society。　　You　have　all　heard　but　too　much　of　the

bravo　Abellino；　the　murderer　of　the　Procurator　Conari；　and　of　my

faithful　counsellors　Manfrone　and　Lomellino；　and　to　whose　dagger　my

illustrious　guest　the　Prince　of　Monaldeschi　has　but　lately　fallen　a

victim。　　This　miscreant；　the　object　of　aversion　to　every　honest　man

in　Venice；　to　whom　nothing　is　sacred　or　venerable；　and　who　has

hitherto　set　at　defiance　the　whole　vengeance　of　the　Republicbefore

another　hour　expires；　perhaps　this　outcast　of　hell　may　stand　before

you　in　this　very　saloon。〃



All　（astonished）。Abellino？　　What；　the　bravo　Abellino？



Gonzaga。Of　his　own　accord！



Andreas。No；　not　of　his　own　accord；　in　truth。　　But　Flodoardo　of

Florence　has　undertaken　to　render　this　important　service　to　the

Republic；　to　seize　Abellino；　cost　what　it　may；　and　conduct　him

hither　at　the　risk　of　his　life。



A　Senator。The　engagement　will　be　difficult　to　fulfil。　　I　doubt

much　Flodoardo's　keeping　his　promise。



Another。But　if　he　SHOULD　perform　it；　the　obligation　which

Flodoardo　will　lay　upon　the　Republic　will　not　be　trifling。



A　Third。Nay；　we　shall　be　all　his　debtors；　nor　do　I　know　how　we　can

reward　Flodoardo　for　so　important　a　service。



Andreas。Be　that　my　task。　　Flodoardo　has　demanded　my　niece　in

marriage　if　he　performs　his　promise。　　Rosabella　shall　be　his　reward。



All　gazed　on　each　other　in　silence；　some　with　looks　expressing　the

most　heartfelt　satisfaction；　and　others　with　glances　of　envy　and

surprise。



Falieri　（in　a　low　voice）。Parozzi；　how　will　this　end？



Memmo。As　I　live；　the　very　idea　makes　me　shake　as　if　I　had　a　fever。



Parozzi　（smiling　contemptuou