the bravo of venice-第8章

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worthy　to　contend　with　me；　and　that　man　is　Andreas。〃



Andreas。I　suspect　he　will　be　sorely　displeased　when　he　receives　my

answer　to　the　message　by　which　he　notified　to　me　the　imprisonment　of

the　French　king。



Lomellino。Displeased　he　will　be；　signor；　no　doubt　of　it；　but　what

then？　　Venice　need　not　fear　his　displeasure；　while　Andreas　still

lives。　　But　when　you　and　your　heroes　are　once　gone　to　your　eternal

restthen；　alas　for　thee；　poor　Venice。　　I　fear　your　golden　times

will　soon　come　to　their　conclusion。



Andreas。What！　　Have　we　not　many　young　officers　of　great　promise？



Lomellino。Alas；　what　are　most　of　them？　　Heroes　in　the　fields　of

Venus。　　Heroes　at　a　drinking…bout。　　Effeminate　striplings；　relaxed

both　in　mind　and　body。　　But　how　am　I　running　on；　forgetful。　　Ah；

when　one　is　grown　old；　and　conversing　with　an　Andreas；　it　is　easy　to

forget　everything　else。　　My　lord；　I　sought　you　with　a　request；　a

request；　too；　of　consequence。



Andreas。You　excite　my　curiosity。



Lomellino。About　a　week　ago　there　arrived　here　a　young　Florentine

nobleman　called　Flodoardo；　a　youth　of　noble　appearance　and　great

promise。



Andreas。Well？



Lomellino。His　father　was　one　of　my　dearest　friends。　　He　is　dead

now；　the　good　old　generous　nobleman。　　In　our　youth　we　served

together　on　board　the　same　vessel；　and　many　a　turbaned　head　has

fallen　beneath　his　sword。　　Ah；　he　was　a　brave　soldier。



Andreas。While　celebrating　the　father's　bravery；　you　seem　to　have

quite　forgotten　the　son。



Lomellino。His　son　is　arrived　in　Venice；　and　wishes　to　enter　into

the　service　of　the　Republic。　　I　entreat　you；　give　the　young　man　some

respectable　situation；　he　will　prove　the　boast　of　Venice　when　we

shall　be　in　our　graves；　on　that　would　I　hazard　my　existence。



Andreas。Has　he　sense　and　talent？



Lomellino。That　he　has；　a　heart　like　his　father's。　　Will　it　please

you　to　see　and　converse　with　him？　　He　is　yonder；　among　the　masks　in

the　great　saloon。　　One　thing　I　must　tell　you；　as　a　specimen　of　his

designs。　　He　has　heard　of　the　banditti　who　infest　Venice；　and　he

engages　that　the　first　piece　of　service　which　he　renders　the

Republic　shall　be　the　delivering　into　the　hands　of　justice　those

concealed　assassins；　who　hitherto　have　eluded　the　vigilance　of　our

police。



Andreas。Indeed！　　I　doubt　that　promise　will　be　too　much　for　his

power　to　perform。　　Flodoardo；　I　think　you　called　him？　　Tell　him　I

would　speak　with　him。



Lomellino。Oh！　then　I　have　gained　at　least　the　HALF　of　my　cause；

and　I　believe　the　WHOLE　of　it；　for　to　see　Flodoardo　and　not　to　like

him　is　as　difficult　as　to　look　at　Paradise　and　not　wish　to　enter。

To　see　Flodoardo　and　to　hate　him　is　as　unlikely　as　that　a　blind　man

should　hate　the　kind　hand　which　removes　the　cataract　from　his　eyes；

and　pours　upon　them　the　blessings　of　light　and　beauties　of　nature。



Andreas　（smiling）。In　the　whole　course　of　our　acquaintance；

Lomellino；　never　did　I　hear　you　so　enthusiastic！　　Go；　then；　conduct

this　prodigy　hither。



Lomellino。I　hasten　to　find　him。　　And　as　for　you；　signora；　look　to

yourself！　look　to　yourself；　I　say！



Rosabella。Nay；　prithee；　Lomellino；　bring　your　hero　hither　without

delay；　you　have　raised　my　curiosity　to　the　height。



Lomellino　quitted　the　saloon。



Andreas。How　comes　it　that　you　rejoin　not　the　dancers；　my　child？



Rosabella。I　am　weary；　and；　besides；　curiosity　now　detains　me　here；

for　I　would　fain　see　this　Flodoardo；　whom　Lomellino　thinks　deserving

of　such　extraordinary　praise。　　Shall　I　tell　you　the　truth；　my　dear

uncle？　　I　verily　believe　that　I　am　already　acquainted　with　him。

There　was　a　mask　in　a　Grecian　habit；　whose　appearance　was　so

striking；　that　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　remain　confounded　with

the　crowd。　　The　least　attentive　eye　must　have　singled　him　out　from

among　a　thousand。　　It　was　a　tall　light　figure；　so　graceful　in　every

movement；　then　his　dancing　was　quite　perfection。



Andreas　（smiling；　and　threatening　with　his　finger）。Child；　child！



Rosabella。Nay；　my　dear　uncle；　what　I　say　is　mere　justice；　it　is

possible；　indeed；　that　the　Greek　and　the　Florentine　may　be　two

different　persons；　but　still；　according　to　Lomellino's　description

Oh！　look；　dear　uncle；　only　look　yonder；　there　stands　the　Greek；　as　I

live。



Andreas。And　Lomellino　is　with　him；　they　approach。　　Rosabella；　you

have　made　a　good　guess。



The　Doge　had　scarcely　ceased　to　speak；　when　Lomellino　entered　the

room；　conducting　a　tall　young　man；　richly　habited　in　the　Grecian

fashion。



〃My　gracious　lord；〃　said　Lomellino；　〃I　present　to　you　the　Count

Flodoardo；　who　humbly　sues　for　your　protection。〃



Flodoardo　uncovered　his　head　in　token　of　respect；　took　off　his　mask；

and　bowed　low　before　the　illustrious　ruler　of　Venice。



Andreas。I　understand　you　are　desirous　of　serving　the　Republic？



Flodoardo。That　is　my　ambition；　should　your　Highness　think　me

deserving　of　such　an　honour。



Andreas。Lomellino　speaks　highly　of　you；　if　all　that　he　says　be

true；　how　came　you　to　deprive　your　own　country　of　your　services？



Flodoardo。Because　my　own　country　is　not　governed　by　an　Andreas。



Andreas。You　have　intentions；　it　seems；　of　discovering　the　haunts

of　the　banditti；　who　for　some　time　past　have　caused　so　many　tears　to

flow　in　Venice？



Flodoardo。If　your　Highness　would　deign　to　confide　in　me；　I　would

answer　with　my　head　for　their　delivery　into　the　hands　of　your

officers；　and　that　speedily。



Andreas。That　were　much　for　a　stranger　to　perform。　　I　would　fain

make　the　trial　whether　you　can　keep　your　word。



Flodoardo。That　is　sufficient。　　To…morrow；　or　the　day　after　at

least；　will　I　perform　my　promise。



Andreas。And　you　make　that　promise　so　resolutely？　　Are　you　aware；

young　man；　how　dangerous　a　task　it　is　to　surprise　these　miscreants？

They　are　never　to　be　found　when　sought　for；　and　always　present　when

least　expected；　they　are　at　once　everywhere　and　nowhere。　　There

exists　not　a　nook　in　Venice　which　our　spies　are　not　acquainted　with；

or　have　left　unexamined；　and　yet　has　our　police　endeavoured　in　vain

to　discover　the　place　of　their　concealment。



Flodoardo。I　know　all　this；　and　to　know　it　rejoices　me；　since　it

affords　me　an　opportunity　of　convincing　the　Doge　of　Venice；　that　my

actions　are　not　those　of　a　common　adventurer。



Andreas。Perform　your　promise；　and　then　let　me　hear　of　you。　　For

the　present　our　discourse　shall　end　here；　for　no　unpleasant　thoughts

must　disturb　the　joy　to　which　this　day　is　dedicated。　　Rosabella；

would　you　not　like　to　join　the　dancers？　　Count；　I　confide　her　to

your　care。



Flodoardo。I　could　not　be　entrusted　with　a　more　precious　charge。



Rosabella；　during　this　conversation；　had　been　leaning　against　the

back　of　her　uncle's　chair。　　She　repeated　to　herself　Lomellino's

assertion；　〃that　to　see　Flodoardo；　and　not　to　like　him；　was　as

difficult　as　to　look　at　Paradise　and　not　wish　to　enter；〃　and　while

she　gazed　on　the　youth；　she　allowed　that　Lomellino　had　not

exaggerated。　　When　her　uncle　desired　Flodoardo　to　conduct　her　to　the

dancers；　a　soft　blush　overspread　her　cheek；　and　she　doubted　whether

she　should　accept　or　decline　the　hand　which　was　immediately　offered。



And　to　tell　you　my　real　opinion；　my　fair　ladies；　I　suspect　that　very

few　of　you　would　have　been　more　collected　than　Rosabella；　had　you

found　yourselves　similarly　situated。　　In　truth；　such　a　form　as

Flodoardo's；　a　countenance　whose　physiognomy　seemed　a　passport　at

once　to　the　hearts　of　all　who　examined　it；　features　so　exquisitely

fashioned　that　the　artist　who　wished　to　execute　a　model　of　manly

beauty；　had　he　imitated　them；　would　have　had　nothing　to　supply　or

improve；　features；　every　one　of　which　spoke　so　clearly；　〃The　bosom

of　this　youth　contains　the　heart　of　a　hero。〃　　Ah；　ladies；　my　dear

ladies；　a　man　like　this　might　well　make　some　little　confusion　in　the

head　and　heart　of　a　poor　young　girl；　tender　and　unsuspicious！



Flodoardo　took　Rosabella's　hand；　and　led　her　into　the　ball…room。

Here　all　was　mirth　and　splendour；　the　roofs　re…echoed　with　the　full

swell　of　harmony；　and　the　floor　trembled　beneath　the　multitude　of

dancers；　who　formed　a　thousand　beautiful　groups　by　the　blaze　of

innumerable　lustres。　　Yes；　Flodoardo　and　Rosabella　passed　on　in

silence　till　they　reached　the　extreme　end　of　the　great　saloon。　　Here

they　stopped；　and　remained　before　an　open　window。　　Some　minutes

passed；　and　still　they　spoke　not。　　Sometimes　they　gazed　on　each

other；　sometimes　on　the　dancers；　sometimes　on　the　moon；　and　then

again　they　forgot　each　other；　the　dancers；　and　the　moon；　and　were

totally　absorbed　in　themselves。



〃Lady；〃　said　Flodoardo；　at　length；　〃can　there　be　a　greater

misfortune？〃



〃A　misfortune？〃　said　Rosabella；　starting　as　if　suddenly　awaking　from

a　dream；　〃what　misfortune；　signor？　　Who　is　unfortunate？〃



〃He　who　is　doomed　to　behold　the　joys　of　Elysium　and　never　to　possess

them。　　He　who　dies　of　thirst　and　sees　a　cup　stand　full　before　him；

but　which　he　knows　is　destined　for　the　lips　of　another。〃



〃And　are　you；　my　lord；　this　outcast　from　Elysium？　　Are　you　the

thirsty　one　who　stands　near　the　cup　which　is　filled　for　another？　　Is

it　thus　that　you　wish　me　to　understand　your　speech？〃



〃You　understand　it　as　I　meant：　　and　now　tell　me；　lovely　Rosabella；

am　I　not　indeed　unfortunate？〃



〃And　where；　then；　is　the　Elysium　which　you　must　never　possess？〃



〃Where　Rosabella　is；　there　is　indeed　Elysium。　　You　are　not　offended；

signora？〃　said　Flodoardo；　and　took　her　hand　with　an　air　of

respectful　tenderness。　　〃Has　this　openness　displeased　you？〃



〃You　are　a　native　of　Florence；　Count　Flodoardo。　　In　Venice　we

dislike　this　kind　of　compliment：　　at　least　I　dislike　them；　and　wish

to　hear　them　from　no　one　less　than　from　you。〃



〃By　my　life；　signora；　I　spoke　but　as　I　thought！　my　words　concealed

no　flattery。〃



〃See；　the　Doge　enters　the　saloon　with　Manfrone　and　Lomellino：　　he

will　seek　us　among　the　dancers。　　Come；　let　us　join　them。〃



Flodoardo　followed　her　in　silence。　　The　dance　began。　　Heavens！　how

lovely　looked　Rosabella；　as　she　glided　along　to　the　sweet　sounds　of

music；　conducted　by　Flodoardo。　　How　handsome　looked　Flodoardo；　as；

lighter　than　air；　he　flew　down　the　dance；　while　his　brilliant　eyes

saw　no　object　but　Rosabella。



He　was　still　without　his　mask；　and　bareheaded：　　but　every　eye

glanced　away　from　the　helmets　and　barettes；　waving　with　plumes；　and

sparkling　with　jewels；　to　gaze　on　Flodoardo's　raven　locks；　as　they

floated　on　the　air　in　wild　luxuriance。　　A　murmur　of　admiration　rose

from　every　corner　of　the　saloon；　but　it　rose　unmarked　by　those　who

were　the　objects　of　it。　　Neither　Rosabella　nor　Flodoardo　at　that

moment　formed　a　wish　to　be　applauded；　except　by　each　other。







CHAPTER　II：　　THE　FLORENTINE　STRANGER







Two　evenings　had　elapsed　since　the　Doge's　entertainment。　　On　the

second；　Parozzi　sat　in　his　own　apartment；　with　Memmo　and　Falie