the bravo of venice-第9章

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second；　Parozzi　sat　in　his　own　apartment；　with　Memmo　and　Falieri。

Dimly　burnt　the　lights；　lowering　and　tempestuous　were　the　skies

without；　gloomy　and　fearful　were　the　souls　of　the　libertines　within。



Parozzi　（after　a　long　silence）。What；　are　you　both　dreaming？　　Ho；

there；　Memmo；　Falieri；　fill　your　goblets。



Memmo　（with　indifference）。Well；　to　please　you。　　But　I　care　not

for　wine　to…night。



Falieri。Nor　I。　　Methinks　it　tastes　like　vinegar：　　yet　the　wine

itself　is　good：　　'tis　our　ill　temper　spoils　it。



Parozzi。Confound　the　rascals。



Memmo。What；　the　banditti？



Parozzi。Not　a　trace　of　them　can　be　found。　　It　is　enough　to　kill

one　with　vexation。



Falieri。And　in　the　meanwhile　the　time　runs　out；　our　projects　will

get　wind；　and　then　we　shall　sit　quietly　in　the　State　prisons　of

Venice；　objects　of　derision　to　the　populace　and　ourselves。　　I　could

tear　my　flesh　for　anger。　　（A　universal　silence。）



Parozzi　（striking　his　hand　against　the　table　passionately）。

Flodoardo；　Flodoardo。



Falieri。In　a　couple　of　hours　I　must　attend　the　Cardinal　Gonzaga；

and　what　intelligence　shall　I　have　to　give　him？



Memmo。Come；　come；　Contarino　cannot　have　been　absent　so　long

without　cause；　I　warrant　you　he　will　bring　some　news　with　him　when

he　arrives。



Falieri。Pshaw；　pshaw！　　My　life　on't　he　lies　at　this　moment　at

Olympia's　feet；　and　forgets　us；　the　Republic；　the　banditti；　and

himself。



Parozzi。And　so　neither　of　you　know　anything　of　this　Flodoardo？



Memmo。No　more　than　of　what　happened　on　Rosabella's　birthday。



Falieri。Well；　then；　I　know　one　thing　more　about　him；　Parozzi　is

jealous　of　him。



Parozzi。I？　　Ridiculous；　Rosabella　may　bestow　her　hand　on　the

German　Emperor；　or　a　Venetian　gondolier；　without　its　giving　me　the

least　anxiety。



Falieri。Ha！　ha！　ha！



Memmo。Well；　one　thing　at　least　even　envy　must　confess；　Flodoardo

is　the　handsomest　man　in　Venice。　　I　doubt　whether　there's　a　woman　in

the　city　who　can　resist　him。



Parozzi。And　I　should　doubt　it　too；　if　women　had　as　little　sense　as

you　have；　and　looked　only　at　the　shell　without　minding　the　kernel　…



Memmo。Which　unluckily　is　exactly　the　thing　which　women　always　do　…



Falieri。The　old　Lomellino　seems　to　be　extremely　intimate　with　this

Flodoardo。　　They　say　he　was　well　acquainted　with　his　father。



Memmo。It　was　he　who　presented　him　to　the　Doge。



Parozzi。Hark！Surely　some　one　knocked　at　the　palace　door？



Memmo。It　can　be　none　but　Contarino。　　Now；　then；　we　shall　hear

whether　he　has　discovered　the　banditti。



Falieri　（starting　from　his　chair）。I'll　swear　to　that　footstep；

it's　Contarino。



The　doors　were　thrown　open。　　Contarino　entered　hastily；　enveloped　in

his　cloak。



〃Good　evening；　sweet　gentlemen；〃　said　he；　and　threw　his　mantle

aside。　　And　Memmo；　Parozzi；　and　Falieri　started　back　in　horror。



〃Good　God！〃　they　exclaimed；　〃what　has　happened？　　You　are　covered

with　blood？〃



〃A　trifle！〃　cried　Contarino；　〃is　that　wine？　quick；　give　me　a　goblet

of　it；　I　expire　with　thirst。〃



Falieri　（while　he　gives　him　a　cup）。But；　Contarino；　you　bleed？



Contarino。You　need　not　tell　me　that。　　I　did　not　do　it　myself；　I

promise　you。



Parozzi。First　let　us　bind　up　your　wounds；　and　then　tell　us　what

has　happened　to　you。　　It　is　as　well　that　the　servants　should　remain

ignorant　of　your　adventure；　I　will　be　your　surgeon　myself。



Contarino。What　has　happened　to　me；　say　you？　　Oh！　a　joke；

gentlemen；　a　mere　joke。　　Here；　Falieri；　fill　the　bowl　again。



Memmo。I　can　scarcely　breathe　for　terror。



Contarino。Very　possibly；　neither　should　I；　were　I　Memmo　instead　of

being　Contarino。　　The　wound　bleeds　plenteously　it's　true；　but　it's

by　no　means　dangerous　（he　tore　open　his　doublet；　and　uncovered　his

bosom）。　　There；　look；　comrades；　you　see　it's　only　a　cut　of　not　more

than　two　inches　deep。



Memmo　（shuddering）。Mercy　on　me！　the　very　sight　of　it　makes　my

blood　run　cold。



Parozzi　brought　ointments　and　linen；　and　bound　up　the　wound　of　his

associate。



Contarino。Old　Horace　is　in　the　right。　　A　philosopher　can　be

anything　he　pleases；　a　cobbler；　a　king；　or　a　physician。　　Only

observe　with　what　dignified　address　the　philosopher　Parozzi　spreads

that　plaster　for　me。　　I　thank　you；　friend；　that's　enough：　　and　now；

comrades；　place　yourselves　in　a　circle　round　me；　and　listen　to　the

wonders　which　I　am　going　to　relate。



Falieri。Proceed。



Contarino。As　soon　as　it　was　twilight；　I　stole　out；　wrapped　in　my

cloak；　determined　if　possible　to　discover　some　of　the　banditti。　　I

knew　not　their　persons；　neither　were　they　acquainted　with　mine。　　An

extravagant　undertaking；　perhaps；　you　will　tell　me；　but　I　was

resolved　to　convince　you　that　everything　which　a　man　DETERMINES　to

do；　may　be　done。　　I　had　some　information　respecting　the　rascals；

though　it　was　but　slight；　and　on　these　grounds　I　proceeded。　　I

happened　by　mere　accident　to　stumble　upon　a　gondolier；　whose

appearance　excited　my　curiosity。　　I　fell　into　discourse　with　him。　　I

was　soon　convinced　that　he　was　not　ignorant　of　the　lurking…place　of

the　bravoes；　and　by　means　of　some　gold　and　many　fair　speeches；　I　at

length　brought　him　to　confess　that　though　not　regularly　belonging　to

the　band；　he　had　occasionally　been　employed　by　them。　　I　immediately

made　a　bargain　with　him；　he　conducted　me　in　his　gondola　through　the

greatest　part　of　Venice；　sometimes　right；　sometimes　left；　till　I

lost　every　idea　as　to　the　quarter　of　the　town　in　which　I　found

myself。　　At　length　he　insisted　on　binding　my　eyes　with　his

handkerchief；　and　I　was　compelled　to　submit。　　Half　an　hour　elapsed

before　the　gondola　stopped。　　He　told　me　to　descend；　conducted　me

through　a　couple　of　streets；　and　at　length　knocked　at　a　door；　where

he　left　me　still　blindfolded。　　The　door　was　opened；　my　business　was

inquired　with　great　caution；　and　after　some　demur　I　was　at　length

admitted。　　The　handkerchief　was　now　withdrawn　from　my　eyes；　and　I

found　myself　in　a　small　chamber；　surrounded　by　four　men　of　not　the

most　creditable　appearance；　and　a　young　woman；　who　（it　seems）　had

opened　the　door　for　me。



Falieri。You　are　a　daring　fellow；　Contarino。



Contarino。Here　was　no　time　to　be　lost。　　I　instantly　threw　my　purse

on　the　table；　promised　them　mountains　of　gold；　and　fixed　on

particular　days；　hours；　and　signals　which　were　necessary　to

facilitate　our　future　intercourse。　　For　the　present　I　only　required

that　Manfrone；　Conari；　and　Lomellino　should　be　removed　with　all

possible　expedition。



All。Bravo。



Contarino。So　far　everything　went　exactly　as　we　could　have　wished；

and　one　of　my　new　associates　was　just　setting　out　to　guide　me　home；

when　we　were　surprised　by　an　unexpected　visit。



Parozzi。Well？



Memmo　（anxiously）。Go　on；　for　God's　sake！



Contarino。A　knocking　was　heard　at　the　door；　the　girl　went　to

inquire　the　cause。　　In　an　instant　she　returned　pale　as　a　corpse；　and

〃Fly！　fly！〃　cried　she。



Falieri。What　followed？



Contarino。Why　then　followed　a　whole　legion　of　sbirri　and　police…

officers；　and　who　should　be　at　their　head　but　the　Florentine

stranger。



All。Flodoardo？　　What；　Flodoardo？



Contarino。Flodoardo。



Falieri。What　demon　could　have　guided　him　thither？



Parozzi。Hell　and　furies！　　Oh；　that　I　had　been　there。



Memmo。There；　now；　Parozzi；　you　see　at　least　that　Flodoardo　is　no

coward。



Falieri。Hush；　let　us　hear　the　rest。



Contarino。We　stood　as　if　we　had　been　petrified；　not　a　soul　could

stir　a　finger。　　〃In　the　name　of　the　Doge　and　the　Republic；〃　cried

Flodoardo；　〃yield　yourselves　and　deliver　your　arms。〃　　〃The　devil

shall　yield　himself　sooner　than　we；〃　exclaimed　one　of　the　banditti；

and　forced　a　sword　from　one　of　the　officers。　　The　others　snatched

their　muskets　from　the　walls；　and　as　for　me；　my　first　care　was　to

extinguish　the　lamp　so　that　we　could　not　tell　friends　from　foes。

But　still　the　confounded　moonshine　gleamed　through　the　window…

shutters；　and　shed　a　partial　light　through　the　room。　　〃Look　to

yourself；　Contarino；〃　thought　I；　〃if　you　are　found　here；　you　will　be

hanged　for　company；〃　and　I　drew　my　sword　and　made　a　plunge　at

Flodoardo；　but；　however　well　intended；　my　thrust　was　foiled　by　his

sabre；　which　he　whirled　around　with　the　rapidity　of　lightning。　　I

fought　like　a　madman；　but　all　my　skill　was　without　effect　on　this

occasion；　and　before　I　was　aware　of　it；　Flodoardo　ripped　open　my

bosom。　　I　felt　myself　wounded；　and　sprang　back。　　At　that　moment　two

pistols　were　fired；　and　the　flash　discovered　to　me　a　small　side

door；　which　they　had　neglected　to　beset。　　Through　this　I　stole

unperceived　into　the　adjoining　chamber；　burst　open　the　grated

window；　sprang　below　unhurt；　crossed　a　courtyard；　climbed　two　or

three　garden　walls；　gained　the　canal；　where　a　gondola　fortunately

was　waiting；　persuaded　the　boatman　to　convey　me　with　all　speed　to

the　Place　of　St。　Mark；　and　thence　hastened　hither；　astonished　to

find　myself　still　alive。　　There's　an　infernal　adventure　for　you。



Parozzi。I　shall　go　mad。



Falieri。Everything　we　design　is　counteracted；　the　more　trouble　we

give　ourselves；　the　further　we　are　from　the　goal。



Memmo。I　confess　it　seems　to　me　as　if　Heaven　gave　us　warning　to

desist。　　How　say　you？



Contarino。Pshaw；　these　are　trifles！　　Such　accidents　should　only

serve　to　sharpen　our　wits。　　The　more　obstacles　I　encounter；　the

firmer　is　my　resolution　to　surmount　them。



Falieri。Do　the　banditti　know　who　you　are？



Contarino。No；　they　are　not　only　ignorant　of　my　name；　but　suppose

me　to　be　a　mere　instrument　of　some　powerful　man；　who　has　been

injured　by　the　ducal　confederates。



Memmo。Well；　Contarino；　in　my　mind　you　should　thank　Heaven　that　you

have　escaped　so　well。



Falieri。But　since　he　is　an　absolute　stranger　in　Venice；　how　could

Flodoardo　discover　the　lurking　place　of　the　banditti？



Contarino。I　know　not；　probably　by　mere　accident　like　myself；　but

by　the　Power　that　made　me；　he　shall　pay　dearly　for　this　wound。



Falieri。Flodoardo　is　rather　too　hasty　in　making　himself　remarked。



Parozzi。Flodoardo　must　die。



Contarino　（filling　a　goblet）。May　his　next　cup　contain　poison。



Falieri。I　shall　do　myself　the　honour　of　becoming　better　acquainted

with　the　gentleman。



Contarino。Memmo；　we　must　needs　have　full　purses；　or　our　business

will　hang　on　hand　wofully。



When　does　your　uncle　take　his　departure　to　a　better　world？



Memmo。To…morrow　evening；　and　yetugh；　I　tremble。







CHAPTER　III：　　MORE　CONFUSION。







Since　Rosabella's　birthday；　no　woman　in　Venice　who　had　the　slightest

pretensions　to　beauty；　or　the　most　remote　expectations　of　making

conquests；　had　any　subject　of　conversation　except　the　handsome

Florentine。　　He　found　employment　for　every　female　tongue；　and　she

who　dared　not　to　employ　her　tongue；　made　amends　for　the　privation

with　her　thoughts。　　Many　a　maiden　now　enjoyed　less　tranquil

slumbers；　many　an　experienced　coque