zanoni-第23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！



gentleman；　thus　disarmed　by　a　look　from　Zanoni；　turned　his　whole

anger　upon　me；　THE　　but　perhaps　you　do　not　know；　gentlemen；

that　I　have　some　repute　with　my　weapon？〃



〃The　best　swordsman　in　Italy；〃　said　Belgioso。



〃Before　I　could　guess　why　or　wherefore；〃　resumed　Cetoxa；　〃I　found

myself　in　the　garden　behind　the　house；　with　Ughelli　（that　was　the

Sicilian's　name）　facing　me；　and　five　or　six　gentlemen；　the

witnesses　of　the　duel　about　to　take　place；　around。　　Zanoni

beckoned　me　aside。　　'This　man　will　fall；'　said　he。　　'When　he　is

on　the　ground；　go　to　him；　and　ask　whether　he　will　be　buried　by

the　side　of　his　father　in　the　church　of　San　Gennaro？'　　'Do　you

then　know　his　family？'　I　asked　with　great　surprise。　　Zanoni　made

me　no　answer；　and　the　next　moment　I　was　engaged　with　the

Sicilian。　　To　do　him　justice；　his　imbrogliato　was　magnificent；

and　a　swifter　lounger　never　crossed　a　sword；　nevertheless；〃　added

Cetoxa；　with　a　pleasing　modesty；　〃he　was　run　through　the　body。　　I

went　up　to　him；　he　could　scarcely　speak。　　'Have　you　any　request

to　make；any　affairs　to　settle？'　　He　shook　his　head。　　'Where

would　you　wish　to　be　interred？'　　He　pointed　towards　the　Sicilian

coast。　　'What！'　said　I；　in　surprise；　'NOT　by　the　side　of　your

father；　in　the　church　of　San　Gennaro？'　　As　I　spoke；　his　face

altered　terribly；　he　uttered　a　piercing　shriek；the　blood　gushed

from　his　mouth；　and　he　fell　dead。　　The　most　strange　part　of　the

story　is　to　come。　　We　buried　him　in　the　church　of　San　Gennaro。

In　doing　so；　we　took　up　his　father's　coffin；　the　lid　came　off　in

moving　it；　and　the　skeleton　was　visible。　　In　the　hollow　of　the

skull　we　found　a　very　slender　wire　of　sharp　steel；　this　caused

surprise　and　inquiry。　　The　father；　who　was　rich　and　a　miser；　had

died　suddenly；　and　been　buried　in　haste；　owing；　it　was　said；　to

the　heat　of　the　weather。　　Suspicion　once　awakened；　the

examination　became　minute。　　The　old　man's　servant　was　questioned；

and　at　last　confessed　that　the　son　had　murdered　the　sire。　　The

contrivance　was　ingenious：　　the　wire　was　so　slender　that　it

pierced　to　the　brain；　and　drew　but　one　drop　of　blood；　which　the

grey　hairs　concealed。　　The　accomplice　will　be　executed。〃



〃And　Zanoni；did　he　give　evidence；　did　he　account　for〃



〃No；〃　interrupted　the　count：　　〃he　declared　that　he　had　by

accident　visited　the　church　that　morning；　that　he　had　observed

the　tombstone　of　the　Count　Ughelli；　that　his　guide　had　told　him

the　count's　son　was　in　Naples；a　spendthrift　and　a　gambler。

While　we　were　at　play；　he　had　heard　the　count　mentioned　by　name

at　the　table；　and　when　the　challenge　was　given　and　accepted；　it

had　occurred　to　him　to　name　the　place　of　burial；　by　an　instinct

which　he　either　could　not　or　would　not　account　for。〃



〃A　very　lame　story；〃　said　Mervale。



〃Yes！　but　we　Italians　are　superstitious；the　alleged　instinct

was　regarded　by　many　as　the　whisper　of　Providence。　　The　next　day

the　stranger　became　an　object　of　universal　interest　and

curiosity。　　His　wealth；　his　manner　of　living；　his　extraordinary

personal　beauty；　have　assisted　also　to　make　him　the　rage；

besides；　I　have　had　the　pleasure　in　introducing　so　eminent　a

person　to　our　gayest　cavaliers　and　our　fairest　ladies。〃



〃A　most　interesting　narrative；〃　said　Mervale；　rising。　　〃Come；

Glyndon；　shall　we　seek　our　hotel？　　It　is　almost　daylight。　　Adieu；

signor！〃



〃What　think　you　of　this　story？〃　said　Glyndon；　as　the　young　men

walked　homeward。



〃Why；　it　is　very　clear　that　this　Zanoni　is　some　imposter；some

clever　rogue；　and　the　Neapolitan　shares　the　booty；　and　puffs　him

off　with　all　the　hackneyed　charlatanism　of　the　marvellous。　　An

unknown　adventurer　gets　into　society　by　being　made　an　object　of

awe　and　curiosity；　he　is　more　than　ordinarily　handsome；　and　the

women　are　quite　content　to　receive　him　without　any　other

recommendation　than　his　own　face　and　Cetoxa's　fables。〃



〃I　cannot　agree　with　you。　　Cetoxa；　though　a　gambler　and　a　rake；

is　a　nobleman　of　birth　and　high　repute　for　courage　and　honour。

Besides；　this　stranger；　with　his　noble　presence　and　lofty　air；

so　calm；　so　unobtrusive；has　nothing　in　common　with　the　forward

garrulity　of　an　imposter。〃



〃My　dear　Glyndon；　pardon　me；　but　you　have　not　yet　acquired　any

knowledge　of　the　world！　　The　stranger　makes　the　best　of　a　fine

person；　and　his　grand　air　is　but　a　trick　of　the　trade。　　But　to

change　the　subject；how　advances　the　love　affair？〃



〃Oh；　Viola　could　not　see　me　to…day。〃



〃You　must　not　marry　her。　　What　would　they　all　say　at　home？〃



〃Let　us　enjoy　the　present；〃　said　Glyndon；　with　vivacity；　〃we　are

young；　rich；　good…looking；　let　us　not　think　of　to…morrow。〃



〃Bravo；　Glyndon！　　Here　we　are　at　the　hotel。　　Sleep　sound；　and

don't　dream　of　Signor　Zanoni。〃





CHAPTER　2。II。



Prende；　giovine　audace　e　impaziente；

L'occasione　offerta　avidamente。

〃Ger。　Lib。；〃　c。　vi。　xxix。



（Take；　youth；　bold　and　impatient；　the　offered　occasion　eagerly。）



Clarence　Glyndon　was　a　young　man　of　fortune；　not　large；　but　easy

and　independent。　　His　parents　were　dead；　and　his　nearest　relation

was　an　only　sister；　left　in　England　under　the　care　of　her　aunt；

and　many　years　younger　than　himself。　　Early　in　life　he　had

evinced　considerable　promise　in　the　art　of　painting；　and　rather

from　enthusiasm　than　any　pecuniary　necessity　for　a　profession；　he

determined　to　devote　himself　to　a　career　in　which　the　English

artist　generally　commences　with　rapture　and　historical

composition；　to　conclude　with　avaricious　calculation　and

portraits　of　Alderman　Simpkins。　　Glyndon　was　supposed　by　his

friends　to　possess　no　inconsiderable　genius；　but　it　was　of　a　rash

and　presumptuous　order。　　He　was　averse　from　continuous　and　steady

labour；　and　his　ambition　rather　sought　to　gather　the　fruit　than

to　plant　the　tree。　　In　common　with　many　artists　in　their　youth；

he　was　fond　of　pleasure　and　excitement；　yielding　with　little

forethought　to　whatever　impressed　his　fancy　or　appealed　to　his

passions。　　He　had　travelled　through　the　more　celebrated　cities　of

Europe；　with　the　avowed　purpose　and　sincere　resolution　of

studying　the　divine　masterpieces　of　his　art。　　But　in　each；

pleasure　had　too　often　allured　him　from　ambition；　and　living

beauty　distracted　his　worship　from　the　senseless　canvas。　　Brave；

adventurous；　vain；　restless；　inquisitive；　he　was　ever　involved　in

wild　projects　and　pleasant　dangers；the　creature　of　impulse　and

the　slave　of　imagination。



It　was　then　the　period　when　a　feverish　spirit　of　change　was

working　its　way　to　that　hideous　mockery　of　human　aspirations；　the

Revolution　of　France；　and　from　the　chaos　into　which　were　already

jarring　the　sanctities　of　the　World's　Venerable　Belief；　arose

many　shapeless　and　unformed　chimeras。　　Need　I　remind　the　reader

that；　while　that　was　the　day　for　polished　scepticism　and　affected

wisdom；　it　was　the　day　also　for　the　most　egregious　credulity　and

the　most　mystical　superstitions；the　day　in　which　magnetism　and

magic　found　converts　amongst　the　disciples　of