juana-第4节

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voice　made　an　oasis　for　her　soul　in　the　burning　sands　of　her

existence。　That　sentiment　could　not　be　measured　or　estimated　by　any

other。　Did　it　not；　in　fact；　comprise　all　human　sentiments；　all

heavenly　hopes？　La　Marana　was　so　resolved　not　to　soil　her　daughter

with　any　stain　other　than　that　of　birth；　that　she　sought　to　invest　her

with　social　virtues；　she　even　obliged　the　young　father　to　settle　a

handsome　patrimony　upon　the　child　and　to　give　her　his　name。　Thus　the

girl　was　not　know　as　Juana　Marana；　but　as　Juana　di　Mancini。



Then；　after　seven　years　of　joy；　and　kisses；　and　intoxicating

happiness；　the　time　came　when　the　poor　Marana　deprived　herself　of　her

idol。　That　Juana　might　never　bow　her　head　under　their　hereditary

shame；　the　mother　had　the　courage　to　renounce　her　child　for　her

child's　sake；　and　to　seek；　not　without　horrible　suffering；　for　another

mother；　another　home；　other　principles　to　follow；　other　and　saintlier

examples　to　imitate。　The　abdication　of　a　mother　is　either　a　revolting

act　or　a　sublime　one；　in　this　case；　was　it　not　sublime？



At　Tarragona　a　lucky　accident　threw　the　Lagounias　in　her　way；　under

circumstances　which　enabled　her　to　recognize　the　integrity　of　the

Spaniard　and　the　noble　virtue　of　his　wife。　She　came　to　them　at　a　time

when　her　proposal　seemed　that　of　a　liberating　angel。　The　fortune　and

honor　of　the　merchant；　momentarily　compromised；　required　a　prompt　and

secret　succor。　La　Marana　made　over　to　the　husband　the　whole　sum　she

had　obtained　of　the　father　for　Juana's　〃dot；〃　requiring　neither

acknowledgment　nor　interest。　According　to　her　own　code　of　honor；　a

contract；　a　trust；　was　a　thing　of　the　heart；　and　God　its　supreme

judge。　After　stating　the　miseries　of　her　position　to　Dona　Lagounia；

she　confided　her　daughter　and　her　daughter's　fortune　to　the　fine　old

Spanish　honor；　pure　and　spotless；　which　filled　the　precincts　of　that

ancient　house。　Dona　Lagounia　had　no　child；　and　she　was　only　too　happy

to　obtain　one　to　nurture。　The　mother　then　parted　from　her　Juana；

convinced　that　the　child's　future　was　safe；　and　certain　of　having

found　her　a　mother；　a　mother　who　would　bring　her　up　as　a　Mancini；　and

not　as　a　Marana。



Leaving　her　child　in　the　simple　modest　house　of　the　merchant　where　the

burgher　virtues　reigned；　where　religion　and　sacred　sentiments　and

honor　filled　the　air；　the　poor　prostitute；　the　disinherited　mother　was

enabled　to　bear　her　trial　by　visions　of　Juana；　virgin；　wife；　and

mother；　a　mother　throughout　her　life。　On　the　threshold　of　that　house

Marana　left　a　tear　such　as　the　angels　garner　up。



Since　that　day　of　mourning　and　hope　the　mother；　drawn　by　some

invincible　presentiment；　had　thrice　returned　to　see　her　daughter。　Once

when　Juana　fell　ill　with　a　dangerous　complaint：



〃I　knew　it；〃　she　said　to　Perez　when　she　reached　the　house。



Asleep；　she　had　seen　her　Juana　dying。　She　nursed　her　and　watched　her；

until　one　morning；　sure　of　the　girl's　convalescence；　she　kissed　her；

still　asleep；　on　the　forehead　and　left　her　without　betraying　whom　she

was。　A　second　time　the　Marana　came　to　the　church　where　Juana　made　her

first　communion。　Simply　dressed；　concealing　herself　behind　a　column；

the　exiled　mother　recognized　herself　in　her　daughter　such　as　she　once

had　been；　pure　as　the　snow　fresh…fallen　on　the　Alps。　A　courtesan　even

in　maternity；　the　Marana　felt　in　the　depths　of　her　soul　a　jealous

sentiment；　stronger　for　the　moment　than　that　of　love；　and　she　left　the

church；　incapable　of　resisting　any　longer　the　desire　to　kill　Dona

Lagounia；　as　she　sat　there；　with　radiant　face；　too　much　the　mother　of

her　child。　A　third　and　last　meeting　had　taken　place　between　mother　and

daughter　in　the　streets　of　Milan；　to　which　city　the　merchant　and　his

wife　had　paid　a　visit。　The　Marana　drove　through　the　Corso　in　all　the

splendor　of　a　sovereign；　she　passed　her　daughter　like　a　flash　of

lightning　and　was　not　recognized。　Horrible　anguish！　To　this　Marana；

surfeited　with　kisses；　one　was　lacking；　a　single　one；　for　which　she

would　have　bartered　all　the　others：　the　joyous；　girlish　kiss　of　a

daughter　to　a　mother；　an　honored　mother；　a　mother　in　whom　shone　all

the　domestic　virtues。　Juana　living　was　dead　to　her。　One　thought

revived　the　soul　of　the　courtesana　precious　thought！　Juana　was

henceforth　safe。　She　might　be　the　humblest　of　women；　but　at　least　she

was　not　what　her　mother　wasan　infamous　courtesan。



The　merchant　and　his　wife　had　fulfilled　their　trust　with　scrupulous

integrity。　Juana's　fortune；　managed　by　them；　had　increased　tenfold。

Perez　de　Lagounia；　now　the　richest　merchant　in　the　provinces；　felt　for

the　young　girl　a　sentiment　that　was　semi…superstitious。　Her　money　had

preserved　his　ancient　house　from　dishonorable　ruin；　and　the　presence

of　so　precious　a　treasure　had　brought　him　untold　prosperity。　His　wife；

a　heart　of　gold；　and　full　of　delicacy；　had　made　the　child　religious；

and　as　pure　as　she　was　beautiful。　Juana　might　well　become　the　wife　of

either　a　great　seigneur　or　a　wealthy　merchant；　she　lacked　no　virtue

necessary　to　the　highest　destiny。　Perez　had　intended　taking　her　to

Madrid　and　marrying　her　to　some　grandee；　but　the　events　of　the　present

war　delayed　the　fulfilment　of　this　project。



〃I　don't　know　where　the　Marana　now　is；〃　said　Perez；　ending　the　above

history；　〃but　in　whatever　quarter　of　the　world　she　may　be　living；　when

she　hears　of　the　occupation　of　our　province　by　your　armies；　and　of　the

siege　of　Tarragona；　she　will　assuredly　set　out　at　once　to　come　here

and　see　to　her　daughter's　safety。〃







CHAPTER　II



AUCTION



The　foregoing　narrative　changed　the　intentions　of　the　Italian　captain；

no　longer　did　he　think　of　making　a　Marchesa　di　Montefiore　of　Juana　di

Mancini。　He　recognized　the　blood　of　the　Maranas　in　the　glance　the　girl

had　given　from　behind　the　blinds；　in　the　trick　she　had　just　played　to

satisfy　her　curiosity；　and　also　in　the　parting　look　she　had　cast　upon

him。　The　libertine　wanted　a　virtuous　woman　for　a　wife。



The　adventure　was　full　of　danger；　but　danger　of　a　kind　that　never

daunts　the　least　courageous　man；　for　love　and　pleasure　followed　it。

The　apprentice　sleeping　in　the　shop；　the　cook　bivouacking　in　the

kitchen；　Perez　and　his　wife　sleeping；　no　doubt；　the　wakeful　sleep　of

the　aged；　the　echoing　sonority　of　the　old　mansion；　the　close

surveillance　of　the　girl　in　the　day…time；all　these　things　were

obstacles；　and　made　success　a　thing　well…nigh　impossible。　But

Montefiore　had　in　his　favor　against　all　impossibilities　the　blood　of

the　Maranas　which　gushed　in　the　heart　of　that　inquisitive　girl；

Italian　by　birth；　Spanish　in　principles；　virgin　indeed；　but　impatient

to　love。　Passion；　the　girl；　and　Montefiore　were　ready　and　able　to　defy

the　whole　universe。



Montefiore；　impelled　as　much　by　the　instinct　of　a　man　of　gallantry　as

by　those　vague　hopes　which　cannot　be　explained；　and　to　which　we　give

the　name　of　presentiments　（a　word　of　astonishing　verbal　accuracy）；

Montefiore　spent　the　first　hours　of　the　night　at　his　window；

endeavoring　to　look　below　him　to　the　secret　apartment　where；

undoubtedly；　the　merchant　and　his　wife　had　hidden　the　love　and

joyfulness　of　their　old　age。　The　ware…room　of　the　〃entresol〃　separated

him　from　the　rooms　on　the　ground…floor。　The　captain　therefore　could

not　have　recourse　to　noises　significantly　made　from　one　floor　to　the

other；　an　artificial　language　which　all　lovers　know　well　how　to

create。　But　chance；　or　it　may　have　been　the　young　girl　herself；　came

to　his　assistance。　At　the　moment　when　he　stationed　himself　at　his

window；　he　saw；　on　the　black　wall　of　the　courtyard；　a　circle　of　light；

in　the　centre　of　which　the　silhouette　of　Juana　was　clearly　defined；

the　consecutive　movement　of　the　arms；　and　the　attitude；　gave　evidence

that　she　was　arranging　her　hair　for　the　night。



〃Is　she　alone？〃　Montefiore　asked　himself；　〃could　I；　without　danger；

lower　a　letter　filled　with　coin　and　strike　it　against　that　circular

window　in　her　hiding…place？〃



At　once　he　wrote　a　note；　the　note　of　a　man　exiled　by　his　family　to

Elba；　the　note　of　a　degraded　marquis　now　a　mere　captain　of　equipment。

Then　he　made　a　cord　of　whatever　he　could　find　that　was　capable　of

being　turned　into　string；　filled　the　note　with　a　few　silver　crowns；

and　lowered　it　in　the　deepest　silence　to　the　centre　of　that　spherical

gleam。



〃The　shadows　will　show　if　her　mother　or　the　servant　is　with　her；〃

thought　Montefiore。　〃If　she　is　not　alone；　I　can　pull　up　the　string　at

once。〃



But；　after　succeeding　with　infinite　trouble　in　striking　the　glass；　a

single　form；　the　little　figure　of　Juana；　appeared　upon　the　wall。　The

young　girl　opened　her　window　cautiously；　saw　the　note；　took　it；　and

stood　before　the　window　while　she　read　it。　In　it；　Montefiore　had　given

his　name　and　asked　for　an　interview；　offering；　after　the　style　of　the

old　romances；　his　heart　and　hand　to　the　Signorina　Juana　di　Mancinia

common　trick；　the　success　of　which　is　nearly　always　certain。　At

Juan