joan of naples- 第2部分

〃I　have　long　quieted　my　scruples　thus；〃　replied　the　dying　man；　〃and　the　pope's　authority　has　kept　me　silent；　but　whatever　security　one　may　pretend　to　feel　in　one's　lifetime；　there　yet　comes　a　dreadful　solemn　hour　when　all　illusions　needs　must　vanish：　this　hour　for　me　has　come；　and　now　I　must　appear　before　God；　the　one　unfailing　judge。〃

〃If　His　justice　cannot　fail；　is　not　His　mercy　infinite？〃　pursued　the　queen；　with　the　glow　of　sacred　inspiration。　　〃Even　if　there　were　good　reason　for　the　fear　that　has　shaken　your　soul；　what　fault　could　not　be　effaced　by　a　repentance　so　noble？　　Have　you　not　repaired　the　wrong　you　may　have　done　your　nephew　Carobert；　by　bringing　his　younger　son　Andre　to　your　kingdom　and　marrying　him　to　Joan；　your　poor　Charles's　elder　daughter？　　Will　not　they　inherit　your　crown？〃

〃Alas！〃　cried　Robert；　with　a　deep　sigh；　〃God　is　punishing　me　perhaps　for　thinking　too　late　of　this　just　reparation。　　O　my　good　and　noble　Sandra；　you　touch　a　chord　which　vibrates　sadly　in　my　heart；　and　you　anticipate　the　unhappy　confidence　I　was　about　to　make。　　I　feel　a　gloomy　presentimentand　in　the　hour　of　death　presentiment　is　prophecythat　the　two　sons　of　my　nephew；　Louis；　who　has　been　King　of　Hungary　since　his　father　died；　and　Andre；　whom　I　desired　to　make　King　of　Naples；　will　prove　the　scourge　of　my　family。　　Ever　since　Andre　set　foot　in　our　castle；　a　strange　fatality　has　pursued　and　overturned　my　projects。　　I　had　hoped　that　if　Andre　and　Joan　were　brought　up　together　a　tender　intimacy　would　arise　between　the　two　children；　and　that　the　beauty　of　our　skies；　our　civilisation；　and　the　attractions　of　our　court　would　end　by　softening　whatever　rudeness　there　might　be　in　the　young　Hungarian's　character；　but　in　spite　of　my　efforts　all　has　tended　to　cause　coldness；　and　even　aversion；　between　the　bridal　pair。　　Joan；　scarcely　fifteen；　is　far　ahead　of　her　age。　　Gifted　with　a　brilliant　and　mobile　mind；　a　noble　and　lofty　character；　a　lively　and　glowing　fancy；　now　free　and　frolicsome　as　a　child；　now　grave　and　proud　as　a　queen；　trustful　and　simple　as　a　young　girl；　passionate　and　sensitive　as　a　woman；　she　presents　the　most　striking　contrast　to　Andre；　who；　after　a　stay　of　ten　years　at　our　court；　is　wilder；　more　gloomy；　more　intractable　than　ever。　　His　cold；　regular　features；　impassive　countenance；　and　indifference　to　every　pleasure　that　his　wife　appears　to　love；　all　this　has　raised　between　him　and　Joan　a　barrier　of　indifference；　even　of　antipathy。　　To　the　tenderest　effusion　his　reply　is　no　more　than　a　scornful　smile　or　a　frown；　and　he　never　seems　happier　than　when　on　a　pretext　of　the　chase　he　can　escape　from　the　court。　　These；　then；　are　the　two；　man　and　wife；　on　whose　heads　my　crown　shall　rest；　who　in　a　short　space　will　find　themselves　exposed　to　every　passion　whose　dull　growl　is　now　heard　below　a　deceptive　calm；　but　which　only　awaits　the　moment　when　I　breathe　my　last；　to　burst　forth　upon　them。〃

〃O　my　God；　my　God！〃　the　queen　kept　repeating　in　her　grief：　her　arms　fell　by　her　side；　like　the　arms　of　a　statue　weeping　by　a　tomb。

〃Listen；　Dona　Sandra。　　I　know　that　your　heart　has　never　clung　to　earthly　vanities；　and　that　you　only　wait　till　God　has　called　me　to　Himself　to　withdraw　to　the　convent　of　Santa　Maria　delta　Croce；　founded　by　yourself　in　the　hope　that　you　might　there　end　your　days。　Far　be　it　from　me　to　dissuade　you　from　your　sacred　vocation；　when　I　am　myself　descending　into　the　tomb　and　am　conscious　of　the　nothingness　of　all　human　greatness。　　Only　grant　me　one　year　of　widowhood　before　you　pass　on　to　your　bridal　with　the　Lord；　one　year　in　which　you　will　watch　over　Joan　and　her　husband；　to　keep　from　them　all　the　dangers　that　threaten。　　Already　the　woman　who　was　the　seneschal's　wife　and　her　son　have　too　much　influence　over　our　grand…　daughter；　be　specially　careful；　and　amid　the　many　interests；　intrigues；　and　temptations　that　will　surround　the　young　queen；　distrust　particularly　the　affection　of　Bertrand　d'Artois；　the　beauty　of　Louis　of　Tarentum；　and　the　ambition　of　Charles　of　Durazzo。〃

The　king　paused；　exhausted　by　the　effort　of　speaking；　then　turning　on　his　wife　a　supplicating　glance　and　extending　his　thin　wasted　hand；　he　added　in　a　scarcely　audible　voice：

〃Once　again　I　entreat　you；　leave　not　the　court　before　a　year　has　passed。　　Do　you　promise　me？〃

〃I　promise；　my　lord。〃

〃And　now；〃　said　Robert；　whose　face　at　these　words　took　on　a　new　animation；　〃call　my　confessor　and　the　physician　and　summon　the　family；　for　the　hour　is　at　hand；　and　soon　I　shall　not　have　the　strength　to　speak　my　last　words。〃

A　few　moments　later　the　priest　and　the　doctor　re…entered　the　room；　their　faces　bathed；　in　tears。　　The　king　thanked　them　warmly　for　their　care　of　him　in　his　last　illness；　and　begged　them　help　to　dress　him　in　the　coarse　garb　of　a　Franciscan　monk；　that　God；　as　he　said；　seeing　him　die　in　poverty；　humility；　and　penitence；　might　the　more　easily　grant　him　pardon。　　The　confessor　and　doctor　placed　upon　his　naked　feet　the　sandals　worn　by　mendicant　friars；　robed　him　in　a　Franciscan　frock；　and　tied　the　rope　about　his　waist。　　Stretched　thus　upon　his　bed；　his　brow　surmounted　by　his　scanty　locks；　with　his　long　white　beard；　and　his　hands　crossed　upon　his　breast；　the　King　of　Naples　looked　like　one　of　those　aged　anchorites　who　spend　their　lives　in　mortifying　the　flesh；　and　whose　souls；　absorbed　in　heavenly　contemplation；　glide　insensibly　from　out　their　last　ecstasy　into　eternal　bliss。　　Some　time　he　lay　thus　with　closed　eyes；　putting　up　a　silent　prayer　to　God；　then　he　bade　them　light　the　spacious　room　as　for　a　great　solemnity；　and　gave　a　sign　to　the　two　persons　who　stood；　one　at　the　head；　the　other　at　the　foot　of　the　bed。　　The　two　folding　doors　opened；　and　the　whole　of　the　royal　family；　with　the　queen　at　their　head　and　the　chief　barons　following；　took　their　places　in　silence　around　the　dying　king　to　hear　his　last　wishes。

His　eyes　turned　toward　Joan；　who　stood　next　him　on　his　right　hand；　with　an　indescribable　look　of　tenderness　and　grief。　　She　was　of　a　beauty　so　unusual　and　so　marvellous；　that　her　grandfather　was　fascinated　by　the　dazzling　sight；　and　mistook　her　for　an　angel　that　God　had　sent　to　console　him　on　his　deathbed。　　The　pure　lines　of　her　fine　profile；　her　great　black　liquid　eyes；　her　noble　brow　uncovered；　her　hair　shining　like　the　raven's　wing；　her　delicate　mouth；　the　whole　effect　of　this　beautiful　face　on　the　mind　of　those　who　beheld　her　was　that　of　a　deep　melancholy　and　sweetness；　impressing　itself　once　and　for　ever。　　Tall　and　slender；　but　without　the　excessive　thinness　of　some　young　girls；　her　movements　had　that　careless　supple　grace　that　recall　the　waving　of　a　flower　stalk　in　the　breeze。　　But　in　spite　of　all　these　smiling　and　innocent　graces　one　could　yet　discern　in　Robert's　heiress　a　will　firm　and　resolute　to　brave　every　obstacle；　and　the　dark　rings　that　circled　her　fine　eyes　plainly　showed　that　her　heart　was　already　agitated　by　passions　beyond　her　years。

Beside　Joan　stood　her　younger　sister；　Marie；　who　was　twelve　or　thirteen　years　of　age；　the　second　daughter　of　Charles；　Duke　of　Calabria；　who　had　died　before　her　birth；　and　whose　mother；　Marie　of　Valois；　had　unhappily　been　lost　to　her　from　her　cradle。　　Exceedingly　pretty　and　shy；　she　seemed　distressed　by　such　an　assembly　of　great　personages；　and　quietly　drew　near　to　the　widow　of　the　grand　seneschal；　Philippa；　surnamed　the　Catanese；　the　princesses'　governess；　whom　they　honoured　as　a　mother。　　Behind　the　princesses　and　beside　this　lady　stood　her　son；　Robert　of　Cabane；　a　handsome　young　man；　proud　and　upright；　who　with　his　left　hand　played　with　his　slight　moustache　while　he　secretly　cast　on　Joan　a　glance　of　audacious　boldness。　　The　group　was　completed　by　Dona　Cancha；　the　young　chamberwoman　to　the　princesses；　and　by　the　Count　of　Terlizzi；　who　exchanged　with　her　many　a　furtive　look　and　many　an　open　smile。　　The　second　group　was　composed　of　Andre；　Joan's　husband；　and　Friar　Robert；　tutor　to；　the　young　prince；　who　had　come　with　him　from　Budapesth；　and　never　left　him　for　a　minute。　　Andre　was　at　this　time　perhaps　eighteen　years　old：　at　first　sight　one　was　struck　by　the　extreme　regularity　of　his　features；　his　handsome；　noble　face；　and　abundant　fair　hair；　but　among　all　these　Italian　faces；　with　their　vivid　animation；　his　countenance　lacked　expression；　his　eyes　seemed　dull；　and　something　hard　and　icy　in　his　looks　revealed　his　wild　character　and　foreign　extraction。　　His　tutor's　portrait　Petrarch　has　drawn　for　us：　crimson　face；　hair　and　beard　red；　figure　short　and　crooked；　proud　in　poverty；　rich　and　miserly；　like　a　second　；Diogenes；　with　hideous　and　deformed　limbs　barely　concealed　beneath　his　friar's　frock。

In　the　third　group　stood　the　widow　of　Philip；　Prince　of　Tarentum；　the　king's　brother；　honoured　at　the　court　of　Naples　with　the　title　of　Empress　of　Constantinople；　a　style　inherited　by　her　as　the　granddaughter　of　Baldwin　II。　　Anyone　accustomed　to　sound　the　depths　of　the　human　heart　would　at　one　glance　have　perceived　that　this　woman　under　her　ghastly　pallor　concealed　an　implacable　hatred；　a　venomous　jealousy；　and　an　all…devouring　ambition。　　She　had　her　three　sons　about　herRobert；　Philip　and　Louis；　the　youngest。　　Had　the　king　chosen　out　from　among　his　nephews　the　handsomest；　bravest；　and　most　generous；　there　can　be　no　doub