beautiful stories from shakespeare-第16部分

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And　now　you　must　believe　a　very　strange　thing。　　At　the　same　inn　where　these　children　were　born；　and　on　the　same　day；　two　baby　boys　were　born　to　a　much　poorer　couple　than　AEmilia　and　AEgeon；　so　poor；　indeed；　were　the　parents　of　these　twins　that　they　sold　them　to　the　parents　of　the　other　twins。

AEmilia　was　eager　to　show　her　children　to　her　friends　in　Syracuse；　and　in　treacherous　weather　she　and　AEgeon　and　the　four　babies　sailed　homewards。

They　were　still　far　from　Syracuse　when　their　ship　sprang　a　leak；　and　the　crew　left　it　in　a　body　by　the　only　boat；　caring　little　what　became　of　their　passengers。

AEmilia　fastened　one　of　her　children　to　a　mast　and　tied　one　of　the　slave…children　to　him；　AEgeon　followed　her　example　with　the　remaining　children。　　Then　the　parents　secured　themselves　to　the　same　masts；　and　hoped　for　safety。

The　ship；　however；　suddenly　struck　a　rock　and　was　split　in　two；　and　AEmilia；　and　the　two　children　whom　she　had　tied；　floated　away　from　AEgeon　and　the　other　children。　　AEmilia　and　her　charges　were　picked　up　by　some　people　of　Epidamnum；　but　some　fishermen　of　Corinth　took　the　babies　from　her　by　force；　and　she　returned　to　Epidanmum　alone；　and　very　miserable。　　Afterwards　she　settled　in　Ephesus；　a　famous　town　in　Asia　Minor。

AEgeon　and　his　charges　were　also　saved；　and；　more　fortunate　than　AEmilia；　he　was　able　to　return　to　Syracuse　and　keep　them　till　they　were　eighteen。　　His　own　child　he　called　Antipholus；　and　the　slavechild　he　called　Dromio；　and；　strangely　enough；　these　were　the　names　given　to　the　children　who　floated　away　from　him。

At　the　age　of　eighteen　the　son　who　was　with　AEgeon　grew　restless　with　a　desire　to　find　his　brother。　　AEgeon　let　him　depart　with　his　servant；　and　the　young　men　are　henceforth　known　as　Antipholus　of　Syracuse　and　Dromio　of　Syracuse。

Let　alone；　AEgeon　found　his　home　too　dreary　to　dwell　in；　and　traveled　for　five　years。　　He　did　not；　during　his　absence；　learn　all　the　news　of　Syracuse；　or　he　would　never　have　gone　to　Ephesus。

As　it　was；　his　melancholy　wandering　ceased　in　that　town；　where　he　was　arrested　almost　as　soon　as　he　arrived。　　He　then　found　that　the　Duke　of　Syracuse　had　been　acting　in　so　tyrannical　a　manner　to　Ephesians　unlucky　enough　to　fall　into　his　hands；　that　the　Government　of　Ephesus　had　angrily　passed　a　law　which　punished　by　death　or　a　fine　of　a　thousand　pounds　any　Syracusan　who　should　come　to　Ephesus。　AEgeon　was　brought　before　Solinus；　Duke　of　Ephesus；　who　told　him　that　he　must　die　or　pay　a　thousand　pounds　before　the　end　of　the　day。

You　will　think　there　was　fate　in　this　when　I　tell　you　that　the　children　who　were　kidnaped　by　the　fishermen　of　Corinth　were　now　citizens　of　Ephesus；　whither　they　had　been　brought　by　Duke　Menaphon；　an　uncle　of　Duke　Solinus。　　They　will　henceforth　be　called　Antipholus　of　Ephesus　and　Dromio　of　Ephesus。

Moreover；　on　the　very　day　when　AEgeon　was　arrested；　Antipholus　of　Syracuse　landed　in　Ephesus　and　pretended　that　he　came　from　Epidamnum　in　order　to　avoid　a　penalty。　　He　handed　his　money　to　his　servant　Dromio　of　Syracuse；　and　bade　him　take　it　to　the　Centaur　Inn　and　remain　there　till　he　came。

In　less　than　ten　minutes　he　was　met　on　the　Mart　by　Dromio　of　Ephesus；　his　brother's　slave；　and　immediately　mistook　him　for　his　own　Dromio。　　〃Why　are　you　back　so　soon？　　Where　did　you　leave　the　money？〃　asked　Antipholus　of　Syracuse。

This　Drornio　knew　of　no　money　except　sixpence；　which　he　had　received　on　the　previous　Wednesday　and　given　to　the　saddler；　but　he　did　know　that　his　mistress　was　annoyed　because　his　master　was　not　in　to　dinner；　and　he　asked　Antipholus　of　Syracuse　to　go　to　a　house　called　The　Phoenix　without　delay。　　His　speech　angered　the　hearer；　who　would　have　beaten　him　if　he　had　not　fled。　　Antipholus　of　Syracuse　them　went　to　The　Centaur；　found　that　his　gold　had　been　deposited　there；　and　walked　out　of　the　inn。

He　was　wandering　about　Ephesus　when　two　beautiful　ladies　signaled　to　him　with　their　hands。　　They　were　sisters；　and　their　names　were　Adriana　and　Luciana。　　Adriana　was　the　wife　of　his　brother　Antipholus　of　Ephesus；　and　she　had　made　up　her　mind；　from　the　strange　account　given　her　by　Dromio　of　Ephesus；　that　her　husband　preferred　another　woman　to　his　wife。　　〃Ay；　you　may　look　as　if　you　did　not　know　me；〃　she　said　to　the　man　who　was　really　her　brother…in…law；　〃but　I　can　remember　when　no　words　were　sweet　unless　I　said　them；　no　meat　flavorsome　unless　I　carved　it。〃

〃Is　it　I　you　address？〃　said　Antipholus　of　Syracuse　stiffly。　　〃I　do　not　know　you。〃

〃Fie；　brother；〃　said　Luciana。　　〃You　know　perfectly　well　that　she　sent　Dromio　to　you　to　bid　you　come　to　dinner〃；　and　Adriana　said；　〃Come；　come；　I　have　been　made　a　fool　of　long　enough。　　My　truant　husband　shall　dine　with　me　and　confess　his　silly　pranks　and　be　forgiven。〃

They　were　determined　ladies；　and　Antipholus　of　Syracuse　grew　weary　of　disputing　with　them；　and　followed　them　obediently　to　The　Phoenix；　where　a　very　late　〃mid…day〃　dinner　awaited　them。

They　were　at　dinner　when　Antipholus　of　Ephesus　and　his　slave　Dromio　demanded　admittance。　　〃Maud；　Bridget；　Marian；　Cecily；　Gillian；　Ginn！〃　shouted　Dromio　of　Ephesus；　who　knew　all　his　fellow…servants'　names　by　heart。

From　within　came　the　reply；　〃Fool；　dray…horse；　coxcomb；　idiot！〃　It　was　Dromio　of　Syracuse　unconsciously　insulting　his　brother。

Master　and　man　did　their　best　to　get　in；　short　of　using　a　crowbar；　and　finally　went　away；　but　Antipholus　of　Ephesus　felt　so　annoyed　with　his　wife　that　he　decided　to　give　a　gold　chain　which　he　had　promised　her；　to　another　woman。

Inside　The　Phoenix；　Luciana；　who　believed　Antipholus　of　Syracuse　to　be　her　sister's　husband；　attempted；　by　a　discourse　in　rhyme；　when　alone　with　him；　to　make　him　kinder　to　Adriana。　　In　reply　he　told　her　that　he　was　not　married；　but　that　he　loved　her　so　much　that；　if　Luciana　were　a　mermaid；　he　would　gladly　lie　on　the　sea　if　he　might　feel　beneath　him　her　floating　golden　hair。

Luciana　was　shocked　and　left　him；　and　reported　his　lovemaking　to　Adriana；　who　said　that　her　husband　was　old　and　ugly；　and　not　fit　to　be　seen　or　heard；　though　secretly　she　was　very　fond　of　him。

Antipholus　of　Syracuse　soon　received　a　visitor　in　the　shape　of　Angelo　the　goldsmith；　of　whom　Antipholus　of　Ephesus　had　ordered　the　chain　which　he　had　promised　his　wife　and　intended　to　give　to　another　woman。

The　goldsmith　handed　the　chain　to　Antipholus　of　Syracuse；　and　treated　his　〃I　bespoke　it　not〃　as　mere　fun；　so　that　the　puzzled　merchant　took　the　chain　as　good…humoredly　as　he　had　partaken　of　Adriana's　dinner。　　He　offered　payment；　but　Angelo　foolishly　said　he　would　call　again。

The　consequence　was　that　Angelo　was　without　money　when　a　creditor　of　the　sort　that　stands　no　nonsense；　threatened　him　with　arrest　unless　he　paid　his　debt　immediately。　　This　creditor　had　brought　a　police　officer　with　him；　and　Angelo　was　relieved　to　see　Antipholus　of　Ephesus　coming　out　of　the　house　where　he　had　been　dining　because　he　had　been　locked　out　of　The　Phoenix。　　Bitter　was　Angelo's　dismay　when　Antipholus　denied　receipt　of　the　chain。　　Angelo　could　have　sent　his　mother　to　prison　if　she　had　said　that；　and　he　gave　Antipholus　of　Ephesus　in　charge。

At　this　moment　up　came　Dromio　of　Syracuse　and　told　the　wrong　Antipholus　that　he　had　shipped　his　goods；　and　that　a　favorable　wind　was　blowing。　　To　the　ears　of　Antipholus　of　Ephesus　this　talk　was　simple　nonsense。　　He　would　gladly　have　beaten　the　slave；　but　contented　himself　with　crossly　telling　him　to　hurry　to　Adriana　and　bid　her　send　to　her　arrested　husband　a　purse　of　money　which　she　would　find　in　his　desk。

Though　Adriana　was　furious　with　her　husband　because　she　thought　he　had　been　making　love　to　her　sister；　she　did　not　prevent　Luciana　from　getting　the　purse；　and　she　bade　Dromio　of　Syracuse　bring　home　his　master　immediately。

Unfortunately；　before　Dromio　could　reach　the　police　station　he　met　his　real　master；　who　had　never　been　arrested；　and　did　not　understand　what　he　meant　by　offering　him　a　purse。　　Antipholus　of　Syracuse　was　further　surprised　when　a　lady　whom　he　did　not　know　asked　him　for　a　chain　that　he　had　promised　her。　　She　was；　of　course；　the　lady　with　whom　Antipholus　of　Ephesus　had　dined　when　his　brother　was　occupying　his　place　at　table。　　〃Avaunt；　thou　witch！〃　was　the　answer　which；　to　her　astonishment；　she　received。

Meanwhile　Antipholus　of　Ephesus　waited　vainly　for　the　money　which　was　to　have　released　him。　　Never　a　good…tempered　man；　he　was　crazy　with　anger　when　Dromio　of　Ephesus；　who；　of　course；　had　not　been　instructed　to　fetch　a　purse；　appeared　with　nothing　more　useful　than　a　rope。　　He　beat　the　slave　in　the　street　despite　the　remonstrance　of　the　police　officer；　and　his　temper　did　not　mend　when　Adriana；　Luciana；　and　a　doctor　arrived　under　the　impression　that　he　was　mad　and　must　have　his　pulse　felt。　　He　raged　so　much　that　men　came　forward　to　bind　him。　　But　the　kindness　of　Adriana　spared　him　this　shame。　　She　promised　to　pay　the　sum　demanded　of　him；　and　asked　the　doctor　to　lead　him　to　The　Phoenix。

Angelo's　merchant　creditor　being　paid；　the　two　were　friendly　again；　and　might　soon　have　been　seen　chatting　before　an　abbey　about　the　odd　behavior　of　Antipholus　of　Ephesus。　　〃Softly；〃　said　the　merchant　at　last；　〃that's　he；　I　think。〃

It　was　not；　it　was　Antipholus　of　Syracuse　with　his　servan