基督山伯爵 英文版 The Count of Monte Cristo
大仲马 Alexandre Dumas père
Chapter 33 Page 2
"One evening a wolf emerged from a pine-wood hear which theywere usually stationed, but the wolf had scarcely advancedten yards ere he was dead. Proud of this exploit, Vampa tookthe dead animal on his shoulders, and carried him to thefarm. These exploits had gained Luigi considerablereputation. The man of superior abilities always findsadmirers, go where he will. He was spoken of as the mostadroit, the strongest, and the most courageous contadino forten leagues around; and although Teresa was universallyallowed to be the most beautiful girl of the Sabines, no onehad ever spoken to her of love, because it was known thatshe was beloved by Vampa. And yet the two young people hadnever declared their affection; they had grown together liketwo trees whose roots are mingled, whose branchesintertwined, and whose intermingled perfume rises to theheavens. Only their wish to see each other had become anecessity, and they would have preferred death to a day'sseparation. Teresa was sixteen, and Vampa seventeen. Aboutthis time, a band of brigands that had established itself inthe Lepini mountains began to be much spoken of. Thebrigands have never been really extirpated from theneighborhood of Rome. Sometimes a chief is wanted, but whena chief presents himself he rarely has to wait long for aband of followers.
"The celebrated Cucumetto, pursued in the Abruzzo, drivenout of the kingdom of Naples, where he had carried on aregular war, had crossed the Garigliano, like Manfred, andhad taken refuge on the banks of the Amasine between Sonninoand Juperno. He strove to collect a band of followers, andfollowed the footsteps of Decesaris and Gasperone, whom hehoped to surpass. Many young men of Palestrina, Frascati,and Pampinara had disappeared. Their disappearance at firstcaused much disquietude; but it was soon known that they hadjoined Cucumetto. After some time Cucumetto became theobject of universal attention; the most extraordinary traitsof ferocious daring and brutality were related of him. Oneday he carried off a young girl, the daughter of a surveyorof Frosinone. The bandit's laws are positive; a young girlbelongs first to him who carries her off, then the rest drawlots for her, and she is abandoned to their brutality untildeath relieves her sufferings. When their parents aresufficiently rich to pay a ransom, a messenger is sent tonegotiate; the prisoner is hostage for the security of themessenger; should the ransom be refused, the prisoner isirrevocably lost. The young girl's lover was in Cucumetto'stroop; his name was Carlini. When she recognized her lover,the poor girl extended her arms to him, and believed herselfsafe; but Carlini felt his heart sink, for he but too wellknew the fate that awaited her. However, as he was afavorite with Cucumetto, as he had for three yearsfaithfully served him, and as he had saved his life byshooting a dragoon who was about to cut him down, he hopedthe chief would have pity on him. He took Cucumetto oneside, while the young girl, seated at the foot of a hugepine that stood in the centre of the forest, made a veil ofher picturesque head-dress to hide her face from thelascivious gaze of the bandits. There he told the chief all-- his affection for the prisoner, their promises of mutualfidelity, and how every night, since he had been near, theyhad met in some neighboring ruins.
"It so happened that night that Cucumetto had sent Carlinito a village, so that he had been unable to go to the placeof meeting. Cucumetto had been there, however, by accident,as he said, and had carried the maiden off. Carlini besoughthis chief to make an exception in Rita's favor, as herfather was rich, and could pay a large ransom. Cucumettoseemed to yield to his friend's entreaties, and bade himfind a shepherd to send to Rita's father at Frosinone.Carlini flew joyfully to Rita, telling her she was saved,and bidding her write to her father, to inform him what hadoccurred, and that her ransom was fixed at three hundredpiastres. Twelve hours' delay was all that was granted --that is, until nine the next morning. The instant the letterwas written, Carlini seized it, and hastened to the plain tofind a messenger. He found a young shepherd watching hisflock. The natural messengers of the bandits are theshepherds who live between the city and the mountains,between civilized and savage life. The boy undertook thecommission, promising to be in Frosinone in less than anhour. Carlini returned, anxious to see his mistress, andannounce the joyful intelligence. He found the troop in theglade, supping off the provisions exacted as contributionsfrom the peasants; but his eye vainly sought Rita andCucumetto among them. He inquired where they were, and wasanswered by a burst of laughter. A cold perspiration burstfrom every pore, and his hair stood on end. He repeated hisquestion. One of the bandits rose, and offered him a glassfilled with Orvietto, saying, `To the health of the braveCucumetto and the fair Rita.' At this moment Carlini heard awoman's cry; he divined the truth, seized the glass, brokeit across the face of him who presented it, and rushedtowards the spot whence the cry came. After a hundred yardshe turned the corner of the thicket; he found Rita senselessin the arms of Cucumetto. At the sight of Carlini, Cucumettorose, a pistol in each hand. The two brigands looked at eachother for a moment -- the one with a smile of lasciviousnesson his lips, the other with the pallor of death on his brow.A terrible battle between the two men seemed imminent; butby degrees Carlini's features relaxed, his hand, which hadgrasped one of the pistols in his belt, fell to his side.Rita lay between them. The moon lighted the group.
"`Well,' said Cucumetto, `have you executed yourcommission?'
"`Yes, captain,' returned Carlini. `At nine o'clockto-morrow Rita's father will be here with the money.' -- `Itis well; in the meantime, we will have a merry night; thisyoung girl is charming, and does credit to your taste. Now,as I am not egotistical, we will return to our comrades anddraw lots for her.' -- `You have determined, then, toabandon her to the common law?" said Carlini.
"`Why should an exception be made in her favor?'
"`I thought that my entreaties' --
"`What right have you, any more than the rest, to ask for anexception?' -- `It is true.' -- `But never mind,' continuedCucumetto, laughing, `sooner or later your turn will come.'Carlini's teeth clinched convulsively.
"`Now, then,' said Cucumetto, advancing towards the otherbandits, `are you coming?' -- `I follow you.'
"Cucumetto departed, without losing sight of Carlini, for,doubtless, he feared lest he should strike him unawares; butnothing betrayed a hostile design on Carlini's part. He wasstanding, his arms folded, near Rita, who was stillinsensible. Cucumetto fancied for a moment the young man wasabout to take her in his arms and fly; but this matteredlittle to him now Rita had been his; and as for the money,three hundred piastres distributed among the band was sosmall a sum that he cared little about it. He continued tofollow the path to the glade; but, to his great surprise,Carlini arrived almost as soon as himself. `Let us drawlots! let us draw lots!' cried all the brigands, when theysaw the chief.
"Their demand was fair, and the chief inclined his head insign of acquiescence. The eyes of all shone fiercely as theymade their demand, and the red light of the fire made themlook like demons. The names of all, including Carlini, wereplaced in a hat, and the youngest of the band drew forth aticket; the ticket bore the name of Diovolaccio. He was theman who had proposed to Carlini the health of their chief,and to whom Carlini replied by breaking the glass across hisface. A large wound, extending from the temple to the mouth,was bleeding profusely. Diovalaccio, seeing himself thusfavored by fortune, burst into a loud laugh. `Captain,' saidhe, `just now Carlini would not drink your health when Iproposed it to him; propose mine to him, and let us see ifhe will be more condescending to you than to me.' Every oneexpected an explosion on Carlini's part; but to their greatsurprise, he took a glass in one hand and a flask in theother, and filling it, -- `Your health, Diavolaccio,' saidhe calmly, and he drank it off, without his hand tremblingin the least. Then sitting down by the fire, `My supper,'said he; `my expedition has given me an appetite.' -- `Welldone, Carlini!' cried the brigands; `that is acting like agood fellow;' and they all formed a circle round the fire,while Diavolaccio disappeared. Carlini ate and drank as ifnothing had happened. The bandits looked on withastonishment at this singular conduct until they heardfootsteps. They turned round, and saw Diavolaccio bearingthe young girl in his arms. Her head hung back, and her longhair swept the ground. As they entered the circle, thebandits could perceive, by the firelight, the unearthlypallor of the young girl and of Diavolaccio. This apparitionwas so strange and so solemn, that every one rose, with theexception of Carlini, who remained seated, and ate and drankcalmly. Diavolaccio advanced amidst the most profoundsilence, and laid Rita at the captain's feet. Then every onecould understand the cause of the unearthly pallor in theyoung girl and the bandit. A knife was plunged up to thehilt in Rita's left breast. Every one looked at Carlini; thesheath at his belt was empty. `Ah, ah,' said the chief, `Inow understand why Carlini stayed behind.' All savagenatures appreciate a desperate deed. No other of the banditswould, perhaps, have done the same; but they all understoodwhat Carlini had done. `Now, then,' cried Carlini, rising inhis turn, and approaching the corpse, his hand on the buttof one of his pistols, `does any one dispute the possessionof this woman with me?' -- `No,' returned the chief, `she isthine.' Carlini raised her in his arms, and carried her outof the circle of firelight. Cucumetto placed his sentinelsfor the night, and the bandits wrapped themselves in theircloaks, and lay down before the fire. At midnight thesentinel gave the alarm, and in an instant all were on thealert. It was Rita's father, who brought his daughter'sransom in person. `Here,' said he, to Cucumetto, `here arethree hundred piastres; give me back my child. But thechief, without taking the money, made a sign to him tofollow. The old man obeyed. They both advanced beneath thetrees, through whose branches streamed the moonlight.Cucumetto stopped at last, and pointed to two personsgrouped at the foot of a tree.
"`There,' said he, `demand thy child of Carlini; he willtell thee what has become of her;' and he returned to hiscompanions. The old man remained motionless; he felt thatsome great and unforeseen misfortune hung over his head. Atlength he advanced toward the group, the meaning of which hecould not comprehend. As he approached, Carlini raised hishead, and the forms of two persons became visible to the oldman's eyes. A woman lay on the ground, her head resting onthe knees of a man, who was seated by her; as he raised hishead, the woman's face became visible. The old manrecognized his child, and Carlini recognized the old man. `Iexpected thee,' said the bandit to Rita's father. --`Wretch!' returned the old man, `what hast thou done?' andhe gazed with terror on Rita, pale and bloody, a knifeburied in her bosom. A ray of moonlight poured through thetrees, and lighted up the face of the dead. -- `Cucumettohad violated thy daughter,' said the bandit; `I loved her,therefore I slew her; for she would have served as the sportof the whole band.' The old man spoke not, and grew pale asdeath. `Now,' continued Carlini, `if I have done wrongly,avenge her;' and withdrawing the knife from the wound inRita's bosom, he held it out to the old man with one hand,while with the other he tore open his vest. -- `Thou hastdone well!' returned the old man in a hoarse voice; `embraceme, my son.' Carlini threw himself, sobbing like a child,into the arms of his mistress's father. These were the firsttears the man of blood had ever wept. `Now,' said the oldman, `aid me to bury my child.' Carlini fetched twopickaxes; and the father and the lover began to dig at thefoot of a huge oak, beneath which the young girl was torepose. When the grave was formed, the father kissed herfirst, and then the lover; afterwards, one taking the head,the other the feet, they placed her in the grave. Then theyknelt on each side of the grave, and said the prayers of thedead. Then, when they had finished, they cast the earth overthe corpse, until the grave was filled. Then, extending hishand, the old man said; `I thank you, my son; and now leaveme alone.' -- `Yet' -- replied Carlini. -- `Leave me, Icommand you.' Carlini obeyed, rejoined his comrades, foldedhimself in his cloak, and soon appeared to sleep as soundlyas the rest. It had been resolved the night before to changetheir encampment. An hour before daybreak, Cucumetto arousedhis men, and gave the word to march. But Carlini would notquit the forest, without knowing what had become of Rita'sfather. He went toward the place where he had left him. Hefound the old man suspended from one of the branches of theoak which shaded his daughter's grave. He then took an oathof bitter vengeance over the dead body of the one and thetomb of the other. But he was unable to complete this oath,for two days afterwards, in an encounter with the Romancarbineers, Carlini was killed. There was some surprise,however, that, as he was with his face to the enemy, heshould have received a ball between his shoulders. Thatastonishment ceased when one of the brigands remarked to hiscomrades that Cucumetto was stationed ten paces in Carlini'srear when he fell. On the morning of the departure from theforest of Frosinone he had followed Carlini in the darkness,and heard this oath of vengeance, and, like a wise man,anticipated it. They told ten other stories of this banditchief, each more singular than the other. Thus, from Fondito Perusia, every one trembles at the name of Cucumetto.
"These narratives were frequently the theme of conversationbetween Luigi and Teresa. The young girl trembled very muchat hearing the stories; but Vampa reassured her with asmile, tapping the butt of his good fowling-piece, whichthrew its ball so well; and if that did not restore hercourage, he pointed to a crow, perched on some dead branch,took aim, touched the trigger, and the bird fell dead at thefoot of the tree. Time passed on, and the two young peoplehad agreed to be married when Vampa should be twenty andTeresa nineteen years of age. They were both orphans, andhad only their employers' leave to ask, which had beenalready sought and obtained. One day when they were talkingover their plans for the future, they heard two or threereports of firearms, and then suddenly a man came out of thewood, near which the two young persons used to graze theirflocks, and hurried towards them. When he came withinhearing, he exclaimed. `I am pursued; can you conceal me?'They knew full well that this fugitive must be a bandit; butthere is an innate sympathy between the Roman brigand andthe Roman peasant and the latter is always ready to aid theformer. Vampa, without saying a word, hastened to the stonethat closed up the entrance to their grotto, drew it away,made a sign to the fugitive to take refuge there, in aretreat unknown to every one, closed the stone upon him, andthen went and resumed his seat by Teresa. Instantlyafterwards four carbineers, on horseback, appeared on theedge of the wood; three of them appeared to be looking forthe fugitive, while the fourth dragged a brigand prisoner bythe neck. The three carbineers looked about carefully onevery side, saw the young peasants, and galloping up, beganto question them. They had seen no one. `That is veryannoying,' said the brigadier; for the man we are lookingfor is the chief.' -- `Cucumetto?' cried Luigi and Teresa atthe same moment.
"`Yes,' replied the brigadier; `and as his head is valued ata thousand Roman crowns, there would have been five hundredfor you, if you had helped us to catch him.' The two youngpersons exchanged looks. The brigadier had a moment's hope.Five hundred Roman crowns are three thousand lire, and threethousand lire are a fortune for two poor orphans who aregoing to be married.
"`Yes, it is very annoying,' said Vampa; `but we have notseen him.'
"Then the carbineers scoured the country in differentdirections, but in vain; then, after a time, theydisappeared. Vampa then removed the stone, and Cucumettocame out. Through the crevices in the granite he had seenthe two young peasants talking with the carbineers, andguessed the subject of their parley. He had read in thecountenances of Luigi and Teresa their steadfast resolutionnot to surrender him, and he drew from his pocket a pursefull of gold, which he offered to them. But Vampa raised hishead proudly; as to Teresa, her eyes sparkled when shethought of all the fine gowns and gay jewellery she couldbuy with this purse of gold.
"Cucumetto was a cunning fiend, and had assumed the form ofa brigand instead of a serpent, and this look from Teresashowed to him that she was a worthy daughter of Eve, and hereturned to the forest, pausing several times on his way,under the pretext of saluting his protectors. Several dayselapsed, and they neither saw nor heard of Cucumetto. Thetime of the Carnival was at hand. The Count of San-Feliceannounced a grand masked ball, to which all that weredistinguished in Rome were invited. Teresa had a greatdesire to see this ball. Luigi asked permission of hisprotector, the steward, that she and he might be presentamongst the servants of the house. This was granted. Theball was given by the Count for the particular pleasure ofhis daughter Carmela, whom he adored. Carmela was preciselythe age and figure of Teresa, and Teresa was as handsome asCarmela. On the evening of the ball Teresa was attired inher best, her most brilliant ornaments in her hair, andgayest glass beads, -- she was in the costume of the womenof Frascati. Luigi wore the very picturesque garb of theRoman peasant at holiday time. They both mingled, as theyhad leave to do, with the servants and peasants.
"The festa was magnificent; not only was the villabrilliantly illuminated, but thousands of colored lanternswere suspended from the trees in the garden; and very soonthe palace overflowed to the terraces, and the terraces tothe garden-walks. At each cross-path was an orchestra, andtables spread with refreshments; the guests stopped, formedquadrilles, and danced in any part of the grounds theypleased. Carmela was attired like a woman of Sonnino. Hercap was embroidered with pearls, the pins in her hair wereof gold and diamonds, her girdle was of Turkey silk, withlarge embroidered flowers, her bodice and skirt were ofcashmere, her apron of Indian muslin, and the buttons of hercorset were of jewels. Two of her companions were dressed,the one as a woman of Nettuno, and the other as a woman ofLa Riccia. Four young men of the richest and noblestfamilies of Rome accompanied them with that Italian freedomwhich has not its parallel in any other country in theworld. They were attired as peasants of Albano, Velletri,Civita-Castellana, and Sora. We need hardly add that thesepeasant costumes, like those of the young women, werebrilliant with gold and jewels.