the bravo of venice-第23节

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He　turned　himself　to　the　conspirators



〃Mark　me！〃　said　he；　〃the　first　among　you　who　acknowledges　the　truth

shall　receive　a　free　pardon。　　I　swear　it；　I；　the　bravo　Abellino！〃



The　conspirators　remained　silent。　　Suddenly　Memmo　started　forward

and　threw　himself　trembling　at　the　Doge's　feet。



〃Venetians；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃Abellino　has　told　you　true。〃



〃'Tis　false；　'tis　false！〃　exclaimed　the　accused　altogether。



〃Silence！〃　cried　Abellino；　in　a　voice　of　thunder；　while　the

indignation　which　flamed　in　every　feature　struck　terror　into　his

hearers：　　〃Silence；　I　say；　and　hear　me；　or　rather　hear　the　ghosts　of

your　victims。　　Appear；　appear！〃　cried　this　dreadful　man；　in　a　tone

still　louder：　　〃'Tis　time！〃



Again　he　sounded　his　whistle。　　The　folding　doors　were　thrown　open；

and　there　stood　the　Doge's　much　lamented　friendsConari；　Lomellino；

and　Manfrone。



〃We　are　betrayed！〃　shouted　Contarino；　who　drew　out　a　concealed

dagger；　and　plunged　it　in　his　bosom　up　to　the　very　hilt。



And　now　what　a　scene　of　rapture　followed。　　Tears　streamed　down　the

silver　beard　of　Andreas；　as　he　rushed　into　the　arms　of　his　long…lost

companions；　tears　bedewed　the　cheeks　of　the　venerable　triumvirate；

as　they　once　more　clasped　the　knees　of　their　prince；　their　friend；

their　brother。　　These　excellent　men；　these　heroes；　never　had　Andreas

hoped　to　meet　them　again　till　they　should　meet　in　heaven；　and

Andreas　blessed　heaven　for　permitting　him　to　meet　them　once　more　on

earth。　　These　four　men；　who　had　valued　each　other　in　the　first　dawn

of　YOUTH；　who　had　fought　by　each　other's　sides　in　MANHOOD；　were　now

assembled　in　AGE；　and　valued　each　other　more　than　ever。　　The

spectators　gazed　with　universal　interest　on　the　scene　before　them；

and　the　good　old　senators　mingled　tears　of　joy　with　those　shed　by

the　re…united　companions。　　In　the　happy　delirium　of　this　moment；

nothing　but　Andreas　and　his　friends　were　attended　to；　no　one　was

aware　that　the　conspirators　and　the　self…murderer　Contarino　were

removed　by　the　guards　from　the　saloon；　no　one　but　Camilla　observed

Rosabella；　who　threw　herself　sobbing　on　the　bosom　of　the　handsome

bravo；　and　repeated　a　thousand　times；　〃Abellino；　then；　is　not　a

murderer！〃



At　length　they　began　to　recollect　themselves　they　looked　round　them…

…and　the　first　words　which　broke　from　every　lip　were〃Hail；　saviour

of　Venice！〃The　roof　rung　with　the　name　of　Abellino；　and　unnumbered

blessings　accompanied　the　name。



That　very　Abellino；　who　not　an　hour　before　had　been　doomed　to　the

scaffold　by　the　whole　assembly；　now　stood　calm　and　dignified　as　a

god　before　the　adoring　spectators；　and　now　he　viewed　with

complacency　the　men　whose　lives　he　had　saved；　and　now　his　eye　dwelt

with　rapture　on　the　woman　whose　love　was　the　reward　of　all　his

dangers。



〃Abellino！〃　said　Andreas　advancing　to　the　bravo；　and　extending　his

hand　towards　him。



〃I　am　not　Abellino；〃　replied　he；　smiling；　while　he　pressed　the

Doge's　hand　respectfully　to　his　lips　〃neither　am　I　Flodoardo　of

Florence。　　I　am　by　birth　a　Neapolitan；　and　by　name　Rosalvo。　　The

death　of　my　inveterate　enemy　the　Prince　of　Monaldeschi　makes　it　no

longer　necessary　to　conceal　who　I　really　am。〃



〃Monaldeschi？〃　repeated　Andreas；　with　a　look　of　anxiety。



〃Fear　not；〃　continued　Rosalvo；　〃Monaldeschi；　it　is　true；　fell　by　my

hand；　but　fell　in　honourable　combat。　　The　blood　which　stained　his

sword　flowed　from　my　veins；　and　in　his　last　moments　conscience

asserted　her　empire　in　his　bosom。　　He　died　not　till　he　had　written

in　his　tablets　the　most　positive　declaration　of　my　innocence　as　to

the　crimes　with　which　his　hatred　had　contrived　to　blacken　me；　and　he

also　instructed　me　by　what　means　I　might　obtain　at　Naples　the

restoration　of　my　forfeited　estates　and　the　re…establishment　of　my

injured　honour。　　Those　means　have　been　already　efficacious；　and　all

Naples　is　by　this　time　informed　of　the　arts　by　which　Monaldeschi

procured　my　banishment；　and　of　the　many　plots　which　he　laid　for　my

destruction；　plots；　which　made　it　necessary　for　me　to　drop　my　own

character；　and　never　to　appear　but　in　disguise。　　After　various

wanderings　chance　led　me　to　Venice。　　My　appearance　was　so　much

altered；　that　I　dreaded　not　discovery；　but　I　dreaded　（and　with

reason）　perishing　in　your　streets　with　hunger。　　In　this　situation

accident　brought　me　acquainted　with　the　banditti；　by　whom　Venice　was

then　infested。　　I　willingly　united　myself　to　their　society；　partly

with　a　view　of　purifying　the　Republic　from　the　presence　of　these

wretches；　and　partly　in　the　hope　of　discovering　through　them　the

more　illustrious　villains　by　whom　their　daggers　were　employed。　　I

was　successful。　　I　delivered　the　banditti　up　to　justice；　and　stabbed

their　captain　in　Rosabella's　sight。　　I　was　now　the　only　bravo　in

Venice。　　Every　scoundrel　was　obliged　to　have　recourse　to　me。　　I

discovered　the　plans　of　the　conspirators；　and　now　you　know　them

also。　　I　found　that　the　deaths　of　the　Doge's　three　friends　had　been

determined　on；　and　in　order　to　obtain　full　confidence　with　the

confederates；　it　was　necessary　to　persuade　them　that　these　men　had

fallen　beneath　my　dagger。　　No　sooner　had　my　plan　been　formed　than　I

imparted　it　to　Lomellino。　　He；　and　he　only；　was　my　confidant　in　this

business。　　He　presented　me　to　the　Doge　as　the　son　of　a　deceased

friend；　he　assisted　me　with　his　advice；　he　furnished　me　with　keys　to

those　doors　to　the　public　gardens；　which　none　were　permitted　to　pass

through　except　Andreas　and　his　particular　friends；　and　which

frequently　enabled　me　to　elude　pursuit；　he　showed　me　several　private

passages　in　the　palace　by　which　I　could　penetrate　unobserved　even

into　the　Doge's　very　bed…chamber。　　When　the　time　for　his

disappearance　arrived；　he　not　only　readily　consented　to　lie

concealed　in　a　retreat　known　only　to　ourselves；　but　was　also　the

means　of　inducing　Manfrone　and　Conari　to　join　him　in　his　retirement；

till　the　fortunate　issue　of　this　day's　adventure　permitted　me　to　set

them　once　more　at　liberty。　　The　banditti　exist　no　longer；　the

conspirators　are　in　chains；　my　plans　are　accomplished；　and　now；

Venetians；　if　you　still　think　him　deserving　of　it；　here　stands　the

bravo　Abellino；　and　you　may　lead　him　to　the　scaffold　when　you　will。〃



〃To　the　scaffold！〃　exclaimed　at　once　the　Doge；　the　senators；　and　the

whole　crowd　of　nobility；　and　every　one　burst　into　enthusiastic

praises　of　the　dauntless　Neapolitan。



〃Oh；　Abellino；〃　exclaimed　Andreas；　while　he　wiped　away　a　tear；　〃I

would　gladly　give　my　ducal　bonnet　to　be　such　a　bravo　as　thou　hast

been。　　'Doge；'　did　thou　once　say　to　me；　'thou　and　I　are　the　two

greatest　men　in　Venice；'　but　oh；　how　much　greater　is　the　bravo　than

the　Doge！　　Rosabella　is　that　jewel；　than　which　I　have　nothing　in　the

world　more　precious；　Rosabella　is　dearer　to　me　than　an　emperor's

crown；　Rosabella　is　thine。〃



〃Abellino；〃　said　Rosabella；　and　extended　her　hand　to　the　handsome

Bravo。



〃Triumph！〃　cried　he；　〃Rosabella　is　the　Bravo's　Bride；〃　and　he

clasped　the　blushing　maid　to　his　bosom。







CHAPTER　VII。CONCLUSION。







And　now　it　would　not　be　at　all　amiss　to　make　Count　Rosalvo　sit　down

quietly　between　the　good　old　Doge　and　his　lovely　niece；　and　then

cause　him　to　relate　the　motive　of　Monaldeschi's　hatred；　in　what

manner　he　lost　Valeria；　what　crimes　were　imputed　to　him；　and　how　he

escaped　from　the　assassins　sent　in　pursuit　of　him　by　his　enemy；　how

he　had　long　wandered　from　place　to　place；　and　how　he　had　at　length

learned；　during　his　abode　in　Bohemia　with　a　gang　of　gipsies；　such

means　of　disguising　his　features　as　enabled　him　to　defy　the　keenest

penetration　to　discover　in　the　beggar　Abellino　the　once　admired

Count　Rosalvo；　how　in　this　disguise　he　had　returned　to　Italy；　and

how　Lomellino；　having　ascertained　that　he　was　universally　believed

at　Naples　to　have　long　since　perished　by　shipwreck；　and　therefore

that　neither　the　officers　of　the　Inquisition；　nor　the　assassins　of

his　enemies　were　likely　to　trouble　themselves　any　more　about　him；　he

had　ventured　to　resume；　with　some　slight　alterations；　his　own

appearance　at　Venice；　how　the　arrival　of　Monaldeschi　had　obliged　him

to　conceal　himself；　till　an　opportunity　offered　of　presenting

himself　to　the　Prince　when　unattended；　and　of　demanding　satisfaction

for　his　injuries；　how　he　had　been　himself　wounded　in　several　places

by　his　antagonist；　though　the　combat　finally　terminated　in　his

favour；　how　he　had　resolved　to　make　use　of　Monaldeschi's　death　to

terrify　Andreas　still　further；　and　of　Parozzi's　conspiracy　to　obtain

Rosabella's　hand　of　the　Doge；　how　he　had　trembled　lest　the　heart　of

his　mistress　should　have　been　only　captivated　by　the　romantic

appearance　of　the　adventurer　Flodoardo；　and　have　rejected　him　when

known　to　be　the　bravo　Abellino；　how　he　had　resolved　to　make　use　of

the　terror　inspired　by　the　assassin　to　put　her　love　to　the　severest

trial；　and　how；　had　she　failed　in　that　trial；　he　had　determined　to

r