vendetta- 第13部分

I　cannot！〃　he　cried；　flinging　away　the　weapon；　which　buried　itself　in

the　wainscot。



〃Well；　then！　have　mercy！　have　pity！〃　she　said。　〃You　hesitate　to　be　my

death；　and　you　refuse　me　life！　Oh！　father；　never　have　I　loved　you　as　I

do　at　this　moment；　give　me　Luigi！　I　ask　for　your　consent　upon　my

knees：　a　daughter　can　humiliate　herself　before　her　father。　My　Luigi；

give　me　my　Luigi；　or　I　die！〃



The　violent　excitement　which　suffocated　her　stopped　her　words；　for　she

had　no　voice；　her　convulsive　movements　showed　plainly　that　she　lay；　as

it　were；　between　life　and　death。　Bartolomeo　roughly　pushed　her　from

him。



〃Go；〃　he　said。　〃The　wife　of　Luigi　Porta　cannot　be　a　Piombo。　I　have　no

daughter。　I　have　not　the　strength　to　curse　you；　but　I　cast　you　off；

you　have　no　father。　My　Ginevra　Piombo　is　buried　here；〃　he　said；　in　a

deep　voice；　pressing　violently　on　his　heart。　〃Go；　leave　my　house；

unhappy　girl；〃　he　added；　after　a　moment's　silence。　〃Go；　and　never　come

into　my　sight　again。〃



So　saying；　he　took　Ginevra　by　the　arm　to　the　gate　of　the　house　and

silently　put　her　out。



〃Luigi！〃　cried　Ginevra；　entering　the　humble　lodging　of　her　lover；〃my

Luigi；　we　have　no　other　fortune　than　our　love。〃



〃Then　am　I　richer　than　the　kings　of　the　earth！〃　he　cried。



〃My　father　and　my　mother　have　cast　me　off；〃　she　said；　in　deepest

sadness。



〃I　will　love　you　in　place　of　them。〃



〃Then　let　us　be　happy；we　WILL　be　happy！〃　she　cried；　with　a　gayety　in

which　there　was　something　dreadful。







CHAPTER　V



MARRIAGE



The　day　after　Ginevra　was　driven　from　her　father's　house　she　went　to

ask　Madame　Servin　for　asylum　and　protection　until　the　period　fixed　by

law　for　her　marriage　to　Luigi。



Here　began　for　her　that　apprenticeship　to　trouble　which　the　world

strews　about　the　path　of　those　who　do　not　follow　its　conventions。

Madame　Servin　received　her　very　coldly；　being　much　annoyed　by　the　harm

which　Ginevra's　affair　had　inflicted　on　her　husband；　and　told　her；　in

politely　cautious　words；　that　she　must　not　count　on　her　help　in

future。　Too　proud　to　persist；　but　amazed　at　a　selfishness　hitherto

unknown　to　her；　the　girl　took　a　room　in　the　lodging…house　that　was

nearest　to　that　of　Luigi。　The　son　of　the　Portas　passed　all　his　days　at

the　feet　of　his　future　wife；　and　his　youthful　love；　the　purity　of　his

words；　dispersed　the　clouds　from　the　mind　of　the　banished　daughter；

the　future　was　so　beautiful　as　he　painted　it　that　she　ended　by　smiling

joyfully；　though　without　forgetting　her　father's　severity。



One　morning　the　servant　of　the　lodging　house　brought　to　Ginevra's　room

a　number　of　trunks　and　packages　containing　stuffs；　linen；　clothes；　and

a　great　quantity　of　other　articles　necessary　for　a　young　wife　in

setting　up　a　home　of　her　own。　In　this　welcome　provision　she　recognized

her　mother's　foresight；　and；　on　examining　the　gifts；　she　found　a

purse；　in　which　the　baroness　had　put　the　money　belonging　to　her

daughter；　adding　to　it　the　amount　of　her　own　savings。　The　purse　was

accompanied　by　a　letter；　in　which　the　mother　implored　the　daughter　to

forego　the　fatal　marriage　if　it　were　still　possible　to　do　so。　It　had

cost　her；　she　said；　untold　difficulty　to　send　these　few　things　to　her

daughter；　she　entreated　her　not　to　think　her　hard　if；　henceforth；　she

were　forced　to　abandon　her　to　want；　she　feared　she　could　never　again

assist　her；　but　she　blessed　her　and　prayed　for　her　happiness　in　this

fatal　marriage；　if；　indeed；　she　persisted　in　making　it；　assuring　her

that　she　should　never　cease　to　think　of　her　darling　child。　Here　the

falling　tears　had　effaced　some　words　of　the　letter。



〃Oh；　mother！〃　cried　Ginevra；　deeply　moved。



She　felt　the　impulse　to　rush　home；　to　breathe　the　blessed　air　of　her

father's　house；　to　fling　herself　at　his　feet；　to　see　her　mother。　She

was　springing　forward　to　accomplish　this　wish；　when　Luigi　entered。　At

the　mere　sight　of　him　her　filial　emotion　vanished；　her　tears　were

stopped；　and　she　no　longer　had　the　strength　to　abandon　that　loving　and

unfortunate　youth。　To　be　the　sole　hope　of　a　noble　being；　to　love　him

and　then　abandon　him！that　sacrifice　is　the　treachery　of　which　young

hearts　are　incapable。　Ginevra　had　the　generosity　to　bury　her　own　grief

and　suffering　silently　in　her　soul。



The　marriage　day　arrived。　Ginevra　had　no　friend　with　her。　While　she

was　dressing；　Luigi　fetched　the　witnesses　necessary　to　sign　the

certificate　of　marriage。　These　witnesses　were　worthy　persons；　one；　a

cavalry　sergeant；　was　under　obligations　to　Luigi；　contracted　on　the

battlefield；　obligations　which　are　never　obliterated　from　the　heart　of

an　honest　man；　the　other；　a　master…mason；　was　the　proprietor　of　the

house　in　which　the　young　couple　had　hired　an　apartment　for　their

future　home。　Each　witness　brought　a　friend；　and　all　four；　with　Luigi；

came　to　escort　the　bride。　Little　accustomed　to　social　functions；　and

seeing　nothing　in　the　service　they　were　rendering　to　Luigi　but　a

simple　matter　of　business；　they　were　dressed　in　their　ordinary

clothes；　without　any　luxury；　and　nothing　about　them　denoted　the　usual

joy　of　a　marriage　procession。



Ginevra　herself　was　dressed　simply；　as　befitted　her　present　fortunes；

and　yet　her　beauty　was　so　noble　and　so　imposing　that　the　words　of

greeting　died　away　on　the　lips　of　the　witnesses；　who　supposed

themselves　obliged　to　pay　her　some　usual　compliments。　They　bowed　to

her　with　respect；　and　she　returned　the　bow；　but　they　did　so　in

silence；　looking　at　her　with　admiration。　This　reserve　cast　a　chill

over　the　whole　party。　Joy　never　bursts　forth　freely　except　among　those

who　are　equals。　Thus　chance　determined　that　all　should　be　dull　and

grave　around　the　bridal　pair；　nothing　reflected；　outwardly；　the

happiness　that　reigned　within　their　hearts。



The　church　and　the　mayor's　office　being　near　by；　Luigi　and　Ginevra；

followed　by　the　four　witnesses　required　by　law；　walked　the　distance；

with　a　simplicity　that　deprived　of　all　pomp　this　greatest　event　in

social　life。　They　saw　a　crowd　of　waiting　carriages　in　the　mayor's

court…yard；　and　when　they　reached　the　great　hall　where　the　civil

marriages　take　place；　they　found　two　other　wedding…parties　impatiently

awaiting　the　mayor's　arrival。



Ginevra　sat　down　beside　Luigi　at　the　end　of　a　long　bench；　their

witnesses　remained　standing；　for　want　of　seats。　Two　brides；

elaborately　dressed　in　white；　with　ribbons；　laces；　and　pearls；　and

crowned　with　orange…blossoms　whose　satiny　petals　nodded　beneath　their

veils；　were　surrounded　by　joyous　families；　and　accompanied　by　their

mothers；　to　whom　they　looked　up；　now　and　then；　with　eyes　that　were

content　and　timid　both；　the　faces　of　all　the　rest　reflected　happiness；

and　seemed　to　be　invoking　blessings　on　the　youthful　pairs。　Fathers；

witnesses；　brothers；　and　sisters　went　and　came；　like　a　happy　swarm　of

insects　disporting　in　the　sun。　Each　seemed　to　be　impressed　with　the

value　of　this　passing　moment　of　life；　when　the　heart　finds　itself

within　two　hopes；the　wishes　of　the　past；　the　promises　of　the　future。



As　she　watched　them；　Ginevra's　heart　swelled　within　her；　she　pressed

Luigi's　arm；　and　gave　him　a　look。　A　tear　rolled　from　the　eyes　of　the

young　Corsican；　never　did　he　so　well　understand　the　joys　that　his

Ginevra　was　sacrificing　to　him。　That　precious　tear　caused　her　to

forget　all　else　but　him；even　the　abandonment　in　which　she　sat　there。

Love　poured　down　its　treasures　of　light　upon　their　hearts；　they　saw

nought　else　but　themselves　in　the　midst　of　the　joyous　tumult；　they

were　there　alone；　in　that　crowd；　as　they　were　destined　to　be；

henceforth；　in　life。　Their　witnesses；　indifferent　to　what　was

happening；　conversed　quietly　on　their　own　affairs。



〃Oats　are　very　dear；〃　said　the　sergeant　to　the　mason。



〃But　they　have　not　gone　up　like　lime；　relatively　speaking；〃　replied

the　contractor。



Then　they　walked　round　the　hall。



〃How　one　loses　time　here；〃　said　the　mason；　replacing　a　thick　silver

watch　in　his　fob。



Luigi　and　Ginevra；　sitting　pressed　to　one　another；　seemed　like　one

person。　A　poet　would　have　admired　their　two　heads；　inspired　by　the

same　sentiment；　colored　in　the　same　tones；　silent　and　saddened　in

presence　of　that　humming　happiness　sparkling　in　diamonds；　gay　with

flowers；a　gayety　in　which　there　was　something　fleeting。　The　joy　of

those　noisy　and　splendid　groups　was　visible；　that　of　Ginevra　and　Luigi

was　buried　in　their　bosom。　On　one　side　the　tumult　of　common　pleasure；

on　the　other；　the　delicate　silence　of　happy　souls；earth　and　heaven！



But　Ginevra　was　not　wholly　free　from　the　weaknesses　of　women。

Superstitious　as　an　Italian；　she　saw　an　omen　in　this　contrast；　and　in

her　heart　there　lay　a　sense　of　terror；　as　invincible　as　her　love。



Suddenly　the　office　servant；　in　the　town　livery；　opened　a　folding…

door。　Silence　reigned；　and　his　voice　was　heard；　like　the　yapping　of　a

dog；　calling　Monsieur　Luigi　da　Porta　and　Mademoiselle　Ginevra　di

Piombo。　This　caused　some　embarrass