基督山伯爵 英文版 The Count of Monte Cristo
大仲马 Alexandre Dumas père
Chapter 33 Page 1
Roman Bandits.
The next morning Franz woke first, and instantly rang thebell. The sound had not yet died away when Signor Pastrinihimself entered.
"Well, excellency," said the landlord triumphantly, andwithout waiting for Franz to question him, "I fearedyesterday, when I would not promise you anything, that youwere too late -- there is not a single carriage to be had --that is, for the last three days of the carnival."
"Yes," returned Franz, "for the very three days it is mostneeded."
"What is the matter?" said Albert, entering; "no carriage tobe had?"
"Just so," returned Franz, "you have guessed it."
"Well, your Eternal City is a nice sort of place."
"That is to say, excellency," replied Pastrini, who wasdesirous of keeping up the dignity of the capital of theChristian world in the eyes of his guest, "that there are nocarriages to be had from Sunday to Tuesday evening, but fromnow till Sunday you can have fifty if you please."
"Ah, that is something," said Albert; "to-day is Thursday,and who knows what may arrive between this and Sunday?"
"Ten or twelve thousand travellers will arrive," repliedFranz, "which will make it still more difficult."
"My friend," said Morcerf, "let us enjoy the present withoutgloomy forebodings for the future."
"At least we can have a window?"
"Where?"
"In the Corso."
"Ah, a window!" exclaimed Signor Pastrini, -- "utterlyimpossible; there was only one left on the fifth floor ofthe Doria Palace, and that has been let to a Russian princefor twenty sequins a day."
The two young men looked at each other with an air ofstupefaction.
"Well," said Franz to Albert, "do you know what is the bestthing we can do? It is to pass the Carnival at Venice; therewe are sure of obtaining gondolas if we cannot havecarriages."
"Ah, the devil, no," cried Albert; "I came to Rome to seethe Carnival, and I will, though I see it on stilts."
from now toSunday morning?"honor is that true?" cried Albert.
"Bravo! an excellent idea. We will disguise ourselves asmonster pulchinellos or shepherds of the Landes, and weshall have complete success."
"Do your excellencies still wish for a carriage from now toSunday morning?"
"Parbleu!" said Albert, "do you think we are going to runabout on foot in the streets of Rome, like lawyer's clerks?"
"I hasten to comply with your excellencies' wishes; only, Itell you beforehand, the carriage will cost you six piastresa day."
"And, as I am not a millionaire, like the gentleman in thenext apartments," said Franz, "I warn you, that as I havebeen four times before at Rome, I know the prices of all thecarriages; we will give you twelve piastres for to-day,tomorrow, and the day after, and then you will make a goodprofit."
"But, excellency" -- said Pastrini, still striving to gainhis point.
"Now go," returned Franz, "or I shall go myself and bargainwith your affettatore, who is mine also; he is an old friendof mine, who has plundered me pretty well already, and, inthe hope of making more out of me, he will take a less pricethan the one I offer you; you will lose the preference, andthat will be your fault."
"Do not give yourselves the trouble, excellency," returnedSignor Pastrini, with the smile peculiar to the Italianspeculator when he confesses defeat; "I will do all I can,and I hope you will be satisfied."
"And now we understand each other."
"When do you wish the carriage to be here?"
"In an hour."
An hour after the vehicle was at the door; it was a hackconveyance which was elevated to the rank of a privatecarriage in honor of the occasion, but, in spite of itshumble exterior, the young men would have thought themselveshappy to have secured it for the last three days of theCarnival. "Excellency," cried the cicerone, seeing Franzapproach the window, "shall I bring the carriage nearer tothe palace?"
Accustomed as Franz was to the Italian phraseology, hisfirst impulse was to look round him, but these words wereaddressed to him. Franz was the "excellency," the vehiclewas the "carriage," and the Hotel de Londres was the"palace." The genius for laudation characteristic of therace was in that phrase.
Franz and Albert descended, the carriage approached thepalace; their excellencies stretched their legs along theseats; the cicerone sprang into the seat behind. "Where doyour excellencies wish to go?" asked he.
"To Saint Peter's first, and then to the Colosseum,"returned Albert. But Albert did not know that it takes a dayto see Saint Peter's, and a month to study it. The day waspassed at Saint Peter's alone. Suddenly the daylight beganto fade away; Franz took out his watch -- it was half-pastfour. They returned to the hotel; at the door Franz orderedthe coachman to be ready at eight. He wished to show Albertthe Colosseum by moonlight, as he had shown him SaintPeter's by daylight. When we show a friend a city one hasalready visited, we feel the same pride as when we point outa woman whose lover we have been. He was to leave the cityby the Porta del Popolo, skirt the outer wall, and re-enterby the Porta San Giovanni; thus they would behold theColosseum without finding their impressions dulled by firstlooking on the Capitol, the Forum, the Arch of SeptimusSeverus, the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, and the ViaSacra. They sat down to dinner. Signor Pastrini had promisedthem a banquet; he gave them a tolerable repast. At the endof the dinner he entered in person. Franz thought that hecame to hear his dinner praised, and began accordingly, butat the first words he was interrupted. "Excellency," saidPastrini, "I am delighted to have your approbation, but itwas not for that I came."
"Did you come to tell us you have procured a carriage?"asked Albert, lighting his cigar.
"No; and your excellencies will do well not to think of thatany longer; at Rome things can or cannot be done; when youare told anything cannot he done, there is an end of it."
"It is much more convenient at Paris, -- when anythingcannot be done, you pay double, and it is done directly."
"That is what all the French say," returned Signor Pastrini,somewhat piqued; "for that reason, I do not understand whythey travel."
"But," said Albert, emitting a volume of smoke and balancinghis chair on its hind legs, "only madmen, or blockheads likeus, ever do travel. Men in their senses do not quit theirhotel in the Rue du Helder, their walk on the Boulevard deGand, and the Cafe de Paris." It is of course understoodthat Albert resided in the aforesaid street, appeared everyday on the fashionable walk, and dined frequently at theonly restaurant where you can really dine, that is, if youare on good terms with its frequenters. Signor Pastriniremained silent a short time; it was evident that he wasmusing over this answer, which did not seem very clear."But," said Franz, in his turn interrupting his host'smeditations, "you had some motive for coming here, may I begto know what it was?"
"Ah, yes; you have ordered your carriage at eight o'clockprecisely?"
"I have."
"You intend visiting Il Colosseo."
"You mean the Colosseum?"
"It is the same thing. You have told your coachman to leavethe city by the Porta del Popolo, to drive round the walls,and re-enter by the Porta San Giovanni?"
"These are my words exactly."
"Well, this route is impossible."
"Very dangerous, to say the least."
"Dangerous! -- and why?"
"On account of the famous Luigi Vampa."
reputation."that honor."Pastrini,somewhat!
"Pray, who may this famous Luigi Vampa be?" inquired Albert;"he may be very famous at Rome, but I can assure you he isquite unknown at Paris."
"What! do you not know him?"
"I have not that honor."
"You have never heard his name?"
"Never."
"Well, then, he is a bandit, compared to whom the Decesarisand the Gasparones were mere children."
"I forewarn you, Signor Pastrini, that I shall not believeone word of what you are going to tell us; having told youthis, begin."
"Once upon a time" --
"Well, go on." Signor Pastrini turned toward Franz, whoseemed to him the more reasonable of the two; we must do himjustice, -- he had had a great many Frenchmen in his house,but had never been able to comprehend them. "Excellency,"said he gravely, addressing Franz, "if you look upon me as aliar, it is useless for me to say anything; it was for yourinterest I" --
"Albert does not say you are a liar, Signor Pastrini," saidFranz, "but that he will not believe what you are going totell us, -- but I will believe all you say; so proceed."
"But if your excellency doubt my veracity" --
"Signor Pastrini," returned Franz, "you are more susceptiblethan Cassandra, who was a prophetess, and yet no onebelieved her; while you, at least, are sure of the credenceof half your audience. Come, sit down, and tell us all aboutthis Signor Vampa."
"I had told your excellency he is the most famous bandit wehave had since the days of Mastrilla."
"Well, what has this bandit to do with the order I havegiven the coachman to leave the city by the Porta delPopolo, and to re-enter by the Porta San Giovanni?"
"This," replied Signor Pastrini, "that you will go out byone, but I very much doubt your returning by the other."
"Why?" asked Franz.
"Because, after nightfall, you are not safe fifty yards fromthe gates."
"On your honor is that true?" cried Albert.
"Count," returned Signor Pastrini, hurt at Albert's repeateddoubts of the truth of his assertions, "I do not say this toyou, but to your companion, who knows Rome, and knows, too,that these things are not to be laughed at."
"My dear fellow," said Albert, turning to Franz, "here is anadmirable adventure; we will fill our carriage with pistols,blunderbusses, and double-barrelled guns. Luigi Vampa comesto take us, and we take him -- we bring him back to Rome,and present him to his holiness the Pope, who asks how hecan repay so great a service; then we merely ask for acarriage and a pair of horses, and we see the Carnival inthe carriage, and doubtless the Roman people will crown usat the Capitol, and proclaim us, like Curtius and the veiledHoratius, the preservers of their country." Whilst Albertproposed this scheme, Signor Pastrini's face assumed anexpression impossible to describe.
"And pray," asked Franz, "where are these pistols,blunderbusses, and other deadly weapons with which youintend filling the carriage?"
"Not out of my armory, for at Terracina I was plundered evenof my hunting-knife."
"I shared the same fate at Aquapendente."
"Do you know, Signor Pastrini," said Albert, lighting asecond cigar at the first, "that this practice is veryconvenient for bandits, and that it seems to be due to anarrangement of their own." Doubtless Signor Pastrini foundthis pleasantry compromising, for he only answered half thequestion, and then he spoke to Franz, as the only one likelyto listen with attention. "Your excellency knows that it isnot customary to defend yourself when attacked by bandits."
"What!" cried Albert, whose courage revolted at the idea ofbeing plundered tamely, "not make any resistance!"
"No, for it would be useless. What could you do against adozen bandits who spring out of some pit, ruin, or aqueduct,and level their pieces at you?"
"Eh, parbleu! -- they should kill me."
The inn-keeper turned to Franz with an air that seemed tosay, "Your friend is decidedly mad."
"My dear Albert," returned Franz, "your answer is sublime,and worthy the `Let him die,' of Corneille, only, whenHorace made that answer, the safety of Rome was concerned;but, as for us, it is only to gratify a whim, and it wouldbe ridiculous to risk our lives for so foolish a motive."Albert poured himself out a glass of lacryma Christi, whichhe sipped at intervals, muttering some unintelligible words.
"Well, Signor Pastrini," said Franz, "now that my companionis quieted, and you have seen how peaceful my intentionsare, tell me who is this Luigi Vampa. Is he a shepherd or anobleman? -- young or old? -- tall or short? Describe him,in order that, if we meet him by chance, like Bugaboo Johnor Lara, we may recognize him."
"You could not apply to any one better able to inform you onall these points, for I knew him when he was a child, andone day that I fell into his hands, going from Ferentino toAlatri, he, fortunately for me, recollected me, and set mefree, not only without ransom, but made me a present of avery splendid watch, and related his history to me."
"Let us see the watch," said Albert.
Signor Pastrini drew from his fob a magnificent Breguet,bearing the name of its maker, of Parisian manufacture, anda count's coronet.
for the comparison," said Albert, with a bow.asked?
"Here it is," said he.
"Peste," returned Albert, "I compliment you on it; I haveits fellow" -- he took his watch from his waistcoat pocket-- "and it cost me 3,000 francs."
"Let us hear the history," said Franz, motioning SignorPastrini to seat himself.
"Your excellencies permit it?" asked the host.
"Pardieu!" cried Albert, "you are not a preacher, to remainstanding!"
The host sat down, after having made each of them arespectful bow, which meant that he was ready to tell themall they wished to know concerning Luigi Vampa. "You tellme," said Franz, at the moment Signor Pastrini was about toopen his mouth, "that you knew Luigi Vampa when he was achild -- he is still a young man, then?"
"A young man? he is only two and twenty; -- he will gainhimself a reputation."
"What do you think of that, Albert? -- at two and twenty tobe thus famous?"
"Yes, and at his age, Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon, whohave all made some noise in the world, were quite behindhim."
"So," continued Franz, "the hero of this history is only twoand twenty?"
"Scarcely so much."
"Is he tall or short?"
"Of the middle height -- about the same stature as hisexcellency," returned the host, pointing to Albert.
"Thanks for the comparison," said Albert, with a bow.
"Go on, Signor Pastrini," continued Franz, smiling at hisfriend's susceptibility. "To what class of society does hebelong?"
"He was a shepherd-boy attached to the farm of the Count ofSan-Felice, situated between Palestrina and the lake ofGabri; he was born at Pampinara, and entered the count'sservice when he was five years old; his father was also ashepherd, who owned a small flock, and lived by the wool andthe milk, which he sold at Rome. When quite a child, thelittle Vampa displayed a most extraordinary precocity. Oneday, when he was seven years old, he came to the curate ofPalestrina, and asked to be taught to read; it was somewhatdifficult, for he could not quit his flock; but the goodcurate went every day to say mass at a little hamlet toopoor to pay a priest and which, having no other name, wascalled Borgo; he told Luigi that he might meet him on hisreturn, and that then he would give him a lesson, warninghim that it would be short, and that he must profit as muchas possible by it. The child accepted joyfully. Every dayLuigi led his flock to graze on the road that leads fromPalestrina to Borgo; every day, at nine o'clock in themorning, the priest and the boy sat down on a bank by thewayside, and the little shepherd took his lesson out of thepriest's breviary. At the end of three months he had learnedto read. This was not enough -- he must now learn to write.The priest had a writing teacher at Rome make threealphabets -- one large, one middling, and one small; andpointed out to him that by the help of a sharp instrument hecould trace the letters on a slate, and thus learn to write.The same evening, when the flock was safe at the farm, thelittle Luigi hastened to the smith at Palestrina, took alarge nail, heated and sharpened it, and formed a sort ofstylus. The next morning he gathered an armful of pieces ofslate and began. At the end of three months he had learnedto write. The curate, astonished at his quickness andintelligence, made him a present of pens, paper, and apenknife. This demanded new effort, but nothing compared tothe first; at the end of a week he wrote as well with thispen as with the stylus. The curate related the incident tothe Count of San-Felice, who sent for the little shepherd,made him read and write before him, ordered his attendant tolet him eat with the domestics, and to give him two piastresa month. With this, Luigi purchased books and pencils. Heapplied his imitative powers to everything, and, likeGiotto, when young, he drew on his slate sheep, houses, andtrees. Then, with his knife, he began to carve all sorts ofobjects in wood; it was thus that Pinelli, the famoussculptor, had commenced.
"A girl of six or seven -- that is, a little younger thanVampa -- tended sheep on a farm near Palestrina; she was anorphan, born at Valmontone and was named Teresa. The twochildren met, sat down near each other, let their flocksmingle together, played, laughed, and conversed together; inthe evening they separated the Count of San-Felice's flockfrom those of Baron Cervetri, and the children returned totheir respective farms, promising to meet the next morning.The next day they kept their word, and thus they grew uptogether. Vampa was twelve, and Teresa eleven. And yet theirnatural disposition revealed itself. Beside his taste forthe fine arts, which Luigi had carried as far as he could inhis solitude, he was given to alternating fits of sadnessand enthusiasm, was often angry and capricious, and alwayssarcastic. None of the lads of Pampinara, Palestrina, orValmontone had been able to gain any influence over him oreven to become his companion. His disposition (alwaysinclined to exact concessions rather than to make them) kepthim aloof from all friendships. Teresa alone ruled by alook, a word, a gesture, this impetuous character, whichyielded beneath the hand of a woman, and which beneath thehand of a man might have broken, but could never have beenbended. Teresa was lively and gay, but coquettish to excess.The two piastres that Luigi received every month from theCount of San-Felice's steward, and the price of all thelittle carvings in wood he sold at Rome, were expended inear-rings, necklaces, and gold hairpins. So that, thanks toher friend's generosity, Teresa was the most beautiful andthe best-attired peasant near Rome. The two children grew uptogether, passing all their time with each other, and givingthemselves up to the wild ideas of their differentcharacters. Thus, in all their dreams, their wishes, andtheir conversations, Vampa saw himself the captain of avessel, general of an army, or governor of a province.Teresa saw herself rich, superbly attired, and attended by atrain of liveried domestics. Then, when they had thus passedthe day in building castles in the air, they separated theirflocks, and descended from the elevation of their dreams tothe reality of their humble position.
"One day the young shepherd told the count's steward that hehad seen a wolf come out of the Sabine mountains, and prowlaround his flock. The steward gave him a gun; this was whatVampa longed for. This gun had an excellent barrel, made atBreschia, and carrying a ball with the precision of anEnglish rifle; but one day the count broke the stock, andhad then cast the gun aside. This, however, was nothing to asculptor like Vampa; he examined the broken stock,calculated what change it would require to adapt the gun tohis shoulder, and made a fresh stock, so beautifully carvedthat it would have fetched fifteen or twenty piastres, hadhe chosen to sell it. But nothing could be farther from histhoughts. For a long time a gun had been the young man'sgreatest ambition. In every country where independence hastaken the place of liberty, the first desire of a manlyheart is to possess a weapon, which at once renders himcapable of defence or attack, and, by rendering its ownerterrible, often makes him feared. From this moment Vampadevoted all his leisure time to perfecting himself in theuse of his precious weapon; he purchased powder and ball,and everything served him for a mark -- the trunk of someold and moss-grown olive-tree, that grew on the Sabinemountains; the fox, as he quitted his earth on somemarauding excursion; the eagle that soared above theirheads: and thus he soon became so expert, that Teresaovercame the terror she at first felt at the report, andamused herself by watching him direct the ball wherever hepleased, with as much accuracy as if he placed it by hand.