joan of naples-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ut　lately　the　tomb　of　the　grandfather　and　father　of　the　young　queen；　who　reposed　to　right　and　left　of　the　high　altar。　　Joan；　clad　in　the　royal　robe；　with　the　crown　upon　her　head；　uttered　her　oath　of　fidelity　between　the　hands　of　the　apostolic　legate　in　the　presence　of　her　husband；　who　stood　behind　her　simply　as　a　witness；　just　like　the　other　princes　of　the　blood。　　Among　the　prelates　with　their　pontifical　insignia　who　formed　the　brilliant　following　of　the　envoy；　there　stood　the　Archbishops　of　Pisa；　Bari；　Capua；　and　Brindisi；　and　the　reverend　fathers　Ugolino；　Bishop　of　Castella；　and　Philip；　Bishop　of　Cavaillon；　chancellor　to　the　queen。　All　the　nobility　of　Naples　and　Hungary　were　present　at　this　ceremony；　which　debarred　Andre　from　the　throne　in　a　fashion　at　once　formal　and　striking。　　Thus；　when　they　left　the　church　the　excited　feelings　of　both　parties　made　a　crisis　imminent；　and　such　hostile　glances；　such　threatening　words　were　exchanged；　that　the　prince；　finding　himself　too　weak　to　contend　against　his　enemies；　wrote　the　same　evening　to　his　mother；　telling　her　that　he　was　about　to　leave　a　country　where　from　his　infancy　upwards　he　had　experienced　nothing　but　deceit　and　disaster。

Those　who　know　a　mother's　heart　will　easily　guess　that　Elizabeth　of　Poland　was　no　sooner　aware　of　the　danger　that　threatened　her　son　than　she　travelled　to　Naples；　arriving　there　before　her　coming　was　suspected。　　Rumour　spread　abroad　that　the　Queen　of　Hungary　had　come　to　take　her　son　away　with　her；　and　the　unexpected　event　gave　rise　to　strange　comments：　the　fever　of　excitement　now　blazed　up　in　another　direction。　　The　Empress　of　Constantinople；　the　Catanese；　her　two　daughters；　and　all　the　courtiers；　whose　calculations　were　upset　by　Andre's　departure；　hurried　to　honour　the　arrival　of　the　Queen　of　Hungary　by　offering　a　very　cordial　and　respectful　reception；　with　a　view　to　showing　her　that；　in　the　midst　of　a　court　so　attentive　and　devoted；　any　isolation　or　bitterness　of　feeling　on　the　young　prince's　part　must　spring　from　his　pride；　from　an　unwarrantable　mistrust；　and　his　naturally　savage　and　untrained　character。　　Joan　received　her　husband's　mother　with　so　much　proper　dignity　in　her　behaviour　that；　in　spite　of　preconceived　notions；　Elizabeth　could　not　help　admiring　the　noble　seriousness　and　earnest　feeling　she　saw　in　her　daughter…in…　law。　　To　make　the　visit　more　pleasant　to　an　honoured　guest；　fetes　and　tournaments　were　given；　the　barons　vying　with　one　another　in　display　of　wealth　and　luxury。　　The　Empress　of　Constantinople；　the　Catanese；　Charles　of　Duras　and　his　young　wife；　all　paid　the　utmost　attention　to　the　mother　of　the　prince。　　Marie；　who　by　reason　of　her　extreme　youth　and　gentleness　of　character　had　no　share　in　any　intrigues；　was　guided　quite　as　much　by　her　natural　feeling　as　by　her　husband's　orders　when　she　offered　to　the　Queen　of　Hungary　those　marks　of　regard　and　affection　that　she　might　have　felt　for　her　own　mother。　　In　spite；　however；　of　these　protestations　of　respect　and　love；　Elizabeth　of　Poland　trembled　for　her　son；　and；　obeying　a　maternal　instinct；　chose　to　abide　by　her　original　intention；　believing　that　she　should　never　feel　safe　until　Andre　was　far　away　from　a　court　in　appearance　so　friendly　but　in　reality　so　treacherous。　　The　person　who　seemed　most　disturbed　by　the　departure；　and　tried　to　hinder　it　by　every　means　in　his　power；　was　Friar　Robert。　　Immersed　in　his　political　schemes；　bending　over　his　mysterious　plans　with　all　the　eagerness　of　a　gambler　who　is　on　the　point　of　gaining；　the　Dominican；　who　thought　himself　on　the　eve　of　a　tremendous　event；　who　by　cunning；　patience；　and　labour　hoped　to　scatter　his　enemies　and　to　reign　as　absolute　autocrat；　now　falling　suddenly　from　the　edifice　of　his　dream；　stiffened　himself　by　a　mighty　effort　to　stand　and　resist　the　mother　of　his　pupil。　　But　fear　cried　too　loud　in　the　heart　of　Elizabeth　for　all　the　reasonings　of　the　monk　to　lull　it　to　rest：　to　every　argument　he　advanced　she　simply　said　that　while　her　son　was　not　king　and　had　not　entire　unlimited　power；　it　was　imprudent　to　leave　him　exposed　to　his　enemies。　　The　monk；　seeing　that　all　was　indeed　lost　and　that　he　could　not　contend　against　the　fears　of　this　woman；　asked　only　the　boon　of　three　days'　grace；　at　the　end　of　which　time；　should　a　reply　he　was　expecting　have　not　arrived；　he　said　he　would　not　only　give　up　his　opposition　to　Andre's　departure；　but　would　follow　himself；　renouncing　for　ever　a　scheme　to　which　he　had　sacrificed　everything。

Towards　the　end　of　the　third　day；　as　Elizabeth　was　definitely　making　her　preparations　for　departure；　the　monk　entered　radiant。　　Showing　her　a　letter　which　he　had　just　hastily　broken　open；　he　cried　triumphantly

〃God　be　praised；　madam！　　I　can　at　last　give　you　incontestable　proofs　of　my　active　zeal　and　accurate　foresight。〃

Andre's　mother；　after　rapidly　running　through　the　document；　turned　her　eyes　on　the　monk　with　yet　some　traces　of　mistrust　in　her　manner；　not　venturing　to　give　way　to　her　sudden　joy。

〃Yes；　madam；〃　said　the　monk；　raising　his　head；　his　plain　features　lighted　up　by　his　glance　of　intelligence〃　yes；　madam；　you　will　believe　your　eyes；　perhaps；　though　you　would　never　believe　my　words：　this　is　not　the　dream　of　an　active　imagination；　the　hallucination　of　a　credulous　mind；　the　prejudice　of　a　limited　intellect；　it　is　a　plan　slowly　conceived；　painfully　worked　out；　my　daily　thought　and　my　whole　life's　work。　　I　have　never　ignored　the　fact　that　at　the　court　of　Avignon　your　son　had　powerful　enemies；　but　I　knew　also　that　on　the　very　day　I　undertook　a　certain　solemn　engagement　in　the　prince's　name；　an　engagement　to　withdraw　those　laws　that　had　caused　coldness　between　the　pope　and　Robert；　who　was　in　general　so　devoted　to　the　Church；　I　knew　very　well　that　my　offer　would　never　be　rejected；　and　this　argument　of　mine　I　kept　back　for　the　last。　　See；　madam；　my　calculations　are　correct；　your　enemies　are　put　to　shame　and　your　son　is　triumphant。〃

Then　turning　to　Andre；　who　was　just　corning　in　and　stood　dumbfounded…　at　the　threshold　on　hearing　the　last　words；　he　added

〃Come；　my　son；　our　prayers　are　at　last　fulfilled　you　are　king。〃

〃King！〃　repeated　Andre；　transfixed　with　joy；　doubt；　and　amazement。

〃King　of　Sicily　and　Jerusalem：　yes；　my　lord；　there　is　no　need　for　you　to　read　this　document　that　brings　the　joyful；　unexpected　news。　　You　can　see　it　in　your　mother's　tears；　she　holds　out　her　arms　to　press　you　to　her　bosom；　you　can　see　it　in　the　happiness　of　your　old　teacher；　he　falls　on　his　knees　at　your　feet　to　salute　you　by　this　title；　which　he　would　have　paid　for　with　his　own　blood　had　it　been　denied　to　you　much　longer。〃

〃And　yet；〃　said　Elizabeth；　after　a　moment's　mournful　reflection；　〃if　I　obey　my　presentiments；　your　news　will　make　no　difference　to　our　plans　for　departure。〃

〃Nay；　mother；〃　said　Andre　firmly；　〃you　would　not　force　me　to　quit　the　country　to　the　detriment　of　my　honour。　　If　I　have　made　you　feel　some　of　the　bitterness　and　sorrow　that　have　spoiled　my　own　young　days　because　of　my　cowardlyenemies；　it　is　not　from　a　poor　spirit；　but　because　I　was　powerless；　and　knew　it；　to　take　any　sort　of　striking　vengeance　for　their　secret　insults；　their　crafty　injuries；　their　underhand　intrigues。　　It　was　not　because　my　arm　wanted　strength；　but　because　my　head　wanted　a　crown。　　I　might　have　put　an　end　to　some　of　these　wretched　beings；　the　least　dangerous　maybe；　but　it　would　have　been　striking　in　the　dark；　the　ringleaders　would　have　escaped；　and　I　should　never　have　really　got　to　the　bottom　of　their　infernal　plots。　So　I　have　silently　eaten　out　my　own　heart　in　shame　and　indignation。　Now　that　my　sacred　rights　are　recognised　by　the　Church；　you　will　see；　my　mother；　how　these　terrible　barons；　the　queen's　counsellors；　the　governors　of　the　kingdom；　will　lower　their　heads　in　the　dust：　for　they　are　threatened　with　no　sword　and　no　struggle；　no　peer　of　their　own　is　he　who　speaks；　but　the　king；　it　is　by　him　they　are　accused；　by　the　law　they　shall　be　condemned；　and　shall　suffer　on　the　scaffold。〃

〃O　my　beloved　son；〃　cried　the　queen　in　tears；　〃I　never　doubted　your　noble　feelings　or　the　justice　of　your　claims；　but　when　your　life　is　in　danger；　to　what　voice　can　I　listen　but　the　voice　of　fear？　what　can　move　my　counsels　but　the　promptings　of　love？〃

〃Mother；　believe　me；　if　the　hands　and　hearts　alike　of　these　cowards　had　not　trembled；　you　would　have　lost　your　son　long　ago。〃

〃It　is　not　violence　that　I　fear；　my　son；　it　is　treachery。〃

〃My　life；　like　every　man's；　belongs　to　God；　and　the　lowest　of　sbirri　may　take　it　as　I　turn　the　corner　of　the　street；　but　a　king　owes　something　to　his　people。〃

The　poor　mother　long　tried　to　bend　the　resolution　of　Andre　by　reason　and　entreaties；　but　when　she　had　spoken　her　last　word　and　shed　her　last　tear；　she　summoned　Bertram　de　Baux；　chief…justice　of　the　kingdom；　and　Marie；　Duchess　of　Durazzo。　　Trusting　in　the　old　man's　wisdom　and　the　girl's　innocence；　she　commended　her　son　to　them　in　the　tenderest　and　most　affecting　words；　then　drawing　from　her　own　hand　a　ring　richly　wrought；　and　taking　the　prince　aside；　she　slipped　it　upon　his　finger；　saying　in　a　voice　that　trembled　with　emotion　as　she　pressed　him　to　her　heart

〃My　son；　as　you　refuse　to　come　with　me；　here　is　a　wonderful　talisman；　which　I　would　not　use　before