vendetta- 第11部分

entering　Piombo's　salon。　Ginevra　felt　him　tremble；　and　this　emotion；

the　source　of　which　lay　in　her；　was；　to　her　eyes；　another　proof　of

love。



〃How　pale　you　are！〃　she　said　to　him　when　they　reached　the　door　of　the

house。



〃Oh！　Ginevra；　if　it　concerned　my　life　only！〃



Though　Bartolomeo　had　been　notified　by　his　wife　of　the　formal

presentation　Ginevra　was　to　make　of　her　lover；　he　would　not　advance　to

meet　him；　but　remained　seated　in　his　usual　arm…chair；　and　the

sternness　of　his　brow　was　awful。



〃Father；〃　said　Ginevra；　〃I　bring　you　a　person　you　will　no　doubt　be

pleased　to　see；a　soldier　who　fought　beside　the　Emperor　at　Mont…

Saint…Jean。〃



The　baron　rose；　cast　a　sidelong　glance　at　Luigi；　and　said；　in　a

sardonic　tone：



〃Monsieur　is　not　decorated。〃



〃I　no　longer　wear　the　Legion　of　honor；〃　replied　Luigi；　timidly；　still

standing。



Ginevra；　mortified　by　her　father's　incivility；　dragged　forward　a

chair。　The　officer's　answer　seemed　to　satisfy　the　old　servant　of

Napoleon。　Madame　Piombo；　observing　that　her　husband's　eyebrows　were

resuming　their　natural　position；　said；　by　way　of　conversation：



〃Monsieur's　resemblance　to　a　person　we　knew　in　Corsica；　Nina　Porta；　is

really　surprising。〃



〃Nothing　could　be　more　natural；〃　replied　the　young　man；　on　whose　face

Piombo's　flaming　eyes　now　rested。　〃Nina　was　my　sister。〃



〃Are　you　Luigi　Porta？〃　asked　the　old　man。



〃Yes。〃



Bartolomeo　rose；　tottered；　was　forced　to　lean　against　a　chair　and

beckon　to　his　wife。　Elisa　Piombo　came　to　him。　Then　the　two　old　people；

silently；　each　supporting　the　other；　left　the　room；　abandoning　their

daughter　with　a　sort　of　horror。



Luigi　Porta；　bewildered；　looked　at　Ginevra；　who　had　turned　as　white　as

a　marble　statue；　and　stood　gazing　at　the　door　through　which　her　father

and　mother　had　disappeared。　This　departure　and　this　silence　seemed　to

her　so　solemn　that；　for　the　first　time；　in　her　whole　life；　a　feeling

of　fear　entered　her　soul。　She　struck　her　hands　together　with　great

force；　and　said；　in　a　voice　so　shaken　that　none　but　a　lover　could　have

heard　the　words：



〃What　misery　in　a　word！〃



〃In　the　name　of　our　love；　what　have　I　said？〃　asked　Luigi　Porta。



〃My　father；〃　she　replied；　〃never　spoke　to　me　of　our　deplorable

history；　and　I　was　too　young　when　we　left　Corsica　to　know　anything

about　it。〃



〃Are　we　in　vendetta？〃　asked　Luigi；　trembling。



〃Yes。　I　have　heard　my　mother　say　that　the　Portas　killed　my　brother　and

burned　our　house。　My　father　then　massacred　the　whole　family。　How　is　it

that　you　survived？for　you　were　tied　to　the　posts　of　the　bed　before

they　set　fire　to　the　house。〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　replied　Luigi。　〃I　was　taken　to　Genoa　when　six　years

old；　and　given　in　charge　of　an　old　man　named　Colonna。　No　detail　about

my　family　was　told　to　me。　I　knew　only　that　I　was　an　orphan；　and

without　property。　Old　Colonna　was　a　father　to　me；　and　I　bore　his　name

until　I　entered　the　army。　In　order　to　do　that；　I　had　to　show　my

certificate　of　birth　in　order　to　prove　my　identity。　Colonna　then　told

me；　still　a　mere　child；　that　I　had　enemies。　And　he　advised　me　to　take

Luigi　as　my　surname；　and　so　evade　them。〃



〃Go；　go；　Luigi！〃　cried　Ginevra。　〃No；　stay；　I　must　go　with　you。　So　long

as　you　are　in　my　father's　house　you　have　nothing　to　fear；　but　the

moment　you　leave　it；　take　care！　you　will　go　from　danger　to　danger。　My

father　has　two　Corsicans　in　his　service；　and　if　he　does　not　lie　in

wait　to　kill　you；　they　will。〃



〃Ginevra；〃　he　said；　〃this　feud；　does　it　exist　between　you　and　me？〃



The　girl　smiled　sadly　and　bowed　her　head。　Presently　she　raised　it；　and

said；　with　a　sort　of　pride：



〃Oh；　Luigi；　our　love　must　be　pure　and　sincere；　indeed；　to　give　me

strength　to　tread　the　path　I　am　about　to　enter。　But　it　involves　a

happiness　that　will　last　throughout　our　lives；　will　it　not？〃



Luigi　answered　by　a　smile；　and　pressed　her　hand。



Ginevra　comprehended　that　true　love　could　despise　all　vulgar

protestations　at　such　a　moment。　This　calm　and　restrained　expression　of

his　feelings　foreshadowed；　in　some　sense；　their　strength　and　their

duration。



The　destiny　of　the　pair　was　then　and　there　decided。　Ginevra　foresaw　a

cruel　struggle；　but　the　idea　of　abandoning　Luigian　idea　which　may

have　floated　in　her　soulvanished　completely。　His　forever；　she

dragged　him　suddenly；　with　a　desperate　sort　of　energy；　from　her

father's　house；　and　did　not　leave　him　till　she　saw　him　reach　the　house

where　Servin　had　engaged　a　modest　lodging。



By　the　time　she　reached　home；　Ginevra　had　attained　to　that　serenity

which　is　caused　by　a　firm　resolution；　no　sign　in　her　manner　betrayed

uneasiness。　She　turned　on　her　father　and　mother；　whom　she　found　in　the

act　of　sitting　down　to　dinner；　a　glance　of　exceeding　gentleness　devoid

of　hardihood。　She　saw　that　her　mother　had　been　weeping；　the　redness　of

those　withered　eyelids　shook　her　heart；　but　she　hid　her　emotion。　No

one　touched　the　dinner　which　was　served　to　them。　A　horror　of　food　is

one　of　the　chief　symptoms　which　reveal　a　great　crisis　in　life。　All

three　rose　from　table　without　having　addressed　a　single　word　to　one

another。



When　Ginevra　had　placed　herself　between　her　father　and　mother　in　the

great　and　gloomy　salon；　Piombo　tried　to　speak；　but　his　voice　failed

him；　he　tried　to　walk；　but　he　had　no　strength　in　his　legs。　He　returned

to　his　seat　and　rang　the　bell。



〃Pietro；〃　he　said；　at　last；　to　the　footman；　〃light　the　fire；　I　am

cold。〃



Ginevra　trembled；　and　looked　at　her　father　anxiously。　The　struggle

within　him　must　have　been　horrible；　for　his　face　was　distorted。

Ginevra　knew　the　extent　of　the　peril　before　her；　but　she　did　not

flinch。　Bartolomeo；　meanwhile；　cast　furtive　glances　at　his　daughter；

as　if　he　feared　a　character　whose　violence　was　the　work　of　his　own

hands。



Between　such　natures　all　things　must　be　extreme。　The　certainty　of　some

impending　change　in　the　feelings　of　father　and　daughter　gave　to　the

worn　and　weary　face　of　the　baroness　an　expression　of　terror。



〃Ginevra；　you　love　the　enemy　of　your　family；〃　said　Piombo；　at　last；

not　daring　to　look　at　his　daughter。



〃That　is　true；〃　she　replied。



〃You　must　choose　between　us。　Our　vendetta　is　a　part　of　our　being。

Whoso　does　not　share　my　vengeance　is　not　a　member　of　my　family。〃



〃My　choice　is　made；〃　replied　Ginevra；　calmly。



His　daughter's　tranquillity　misled　Bartolomeo。



〃Oh！　my　dear　child！〃　he　cried；　letting　her　see　his　eyes　moistened　with

tears；　the　first　and　only　tears　he　ever　shed　in　life。



〃I　shall　be　his　wife；〃　said　Ginevra；　abruptly。



Bartolomeo　seemed　dazed　for　a　moment；　but　he　recovered　his　coolness

instantly；　and　replied：



〃The　marriage　will　not　take　place　in　my　lifetime；　I　will　never　consent

to　it。〃



Ginevra　kept　silence。



〃Ginevra；〃　continued　the　baron；　〃have　you　reflected　that　Luigi　is　the

son　of　the　man　who　killed　your　brother？〃



〃He　was　six　years　old　when　that　crime　was　committed；　he　was；

therefore；　not　guilty　of　it；〃　she　replied。



〃He　is　a　Porta！〃　cried　Bartolomeo。



〃I　have　never　shared　that　hatred；〃　said　Ginevra；　eagerly。　〃You　did　not

bring　me　up　to　think　a　Porta　must　be　a　monster。　How　could　I　know　that

one　of　those　whom　you　thought　you　had　killed　survived？　Is　it　not

natural　that　you　should　now　yield　your　vendetta　to　my　feelings？〃



〃A　Porta！〃　repeated　Piombo。　〃If　his　father　had　found　you　in　your　bed

you　would　not　be　living　now；　he　would　have　taken　your　life　a　hundred

times。〃



〃It　may　be　so；〃　she　answered；　〃but　his　son　has　given　me　life；　and　more

than　life。　To　see　Luigi　is　a　happiness　without　which　I　cannot　live。

Luigi　has　revealed　to　me　the　world　of　sentiments。　I　may；　perhaps；　have

seen　faces　more　beautiful　than　his；　but　none　has　ever　charmed　me　thus；

I　may　have　heard　voicesno；　no；　never　any　so　melodious！　Luigi　loves

me；　he　will　be　my　husband。〃



〃Never；〃　said　Piombo。　〃I　would　rather　see　you　in　your　coffin；

Ginevra。〃



The　old　Corsican　rose　and　began　to　stride　up　and　down　the　salon；

dropping　the　following　sentences；　one　by　one；　after　pauses　which

betrayed　his　agitation。



〃You　think　you　can　bend　my　will。　Undeceive　yourself。　A　Porta　shall

never　be　my　son；　that　is　my　decree。　Let　there　be　no　further　question

of　this　between　us。　I　am　Bartolomeo　di　Piombo；　do　you　hear　me；

Ginevra？〃



〃Do　you　attach　some　mysterious　meaning　to　those　words？〃　she　asked；

coldly。



〃They　mean　that　I　have　a　dagger；　and　that　I　do　not　fear　man's　justice。

Corsicans　explain　themselves　to　God。〃



〃And　I；〃　said　the　daughter；　rising；　〃am　Ginevra　Piombo；　and　I　declare

that　within　six　months　I　shall　be　the　wife　of　Luigi　Porta。　You　are　a

tyrant；　my　father；〃　she　added；　after　a　terrifying　pause。



Bartolomeo　clenched　his　fists　and　struck　them　on　the　marble　of　the

chimneypiece。



〃Ah！　we　are　in　Paris！〃　he　muttered。



Then　he　was　silent；　crossed　his　arms；　bowed　his　head　on　his　breast；

and　said　not　a