the bravo of venice-第4节

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operating　in　various　ways；　garments　fit　for　every　possible　disguise；

whether　to　personate　the　monk；　the　Jew；　or　the　mendicant；　the

soldier；　the　sailor；　or　the　gondolier。



One　day　he　summoned　Abellino　to　attend　him　in　his　armoury。



〃Mark　me；〃　said　he；　〃thou　wilt　turn　out　a　brave　fellow；　that　I　can

see　already。　　It　is　now　time　that　you　should　earn　that　bread　for

yourself　which　hitherto　you　have　owed　to　our　bounty。　　Look！　　Here

thou　hast　a　dagger　of　the　finest　steel；　you　must　charge　for　its　use

by　the　inch。　　If　you　plunge　it　only　one　inch　deep　into　the　bosom　of

his　foe；　your　employer　must　reward　you　with　only　one　sequin：　　if　two

inches；　with　ten　sequins；　if　three；　with　twenty；　if　the　whole

dagger；　you　may　then　name　your　own　price。　　Here　is　next　a　glass

poniard；　whomsoever　this　pierces；　that　man's　death　is　certain。　　As

soon　as　the　blow　is　given；　you　must　break　the　dagger　in　the　wound。

The　flesh　will　close　over　the　point　which　has　been　broken　off；　and

which　will　keep　its　quarters　till　the　day　of　resurrection！　　Lastly；

observe　this　metallic　dagger；　its　cavity　conceals　a　subtle　poison；

which；　whenever　you　touch　this　spring；　will　immediately　infuse　death

into　the　veins　of　him　whom　the　weapon's　point　hath　wounded。　　Take

these　daggers。　　In　giving　them　I　present　you　with　a　capital　capable

of　bringing　home　to　you　most　heavy　and　most　precious　interest。〃



Abellino　received　the　instruments　of　death；　but　his　hand　shook　as　it

grasped　them。



〃Possessed　of　such　unfailing　weapons；　of　what　immense　sums　must　your

robberies　have　made　you　master！〃



〃Scoundrel！〃　interrupted　Matteo；　frowning　and　offended；　〃amongst　us

robbery　is　unknown。　　What？　　Dost　take　us　for　common　plunderers；　for

mere　thieves；　cut…purses；　housebreakers；　and　villains　of　that　low；

miserable　stamp？〃



〃Perhaps　what　you　wish　me　to　take　you　for　is　something　worse；　for；

to　speak　openly；　Matteo；　villains　of　that　stamp　are　contented　within

plundering　a　purse　or　a　casket；　which　can　easily　be　filled　again；

but　that　which　we　take　from　others　is　a　jewel　which　a　man　never　has

but　once；　and　which　stolen　can　never　be　replaced。　　Are　we　not；　then；

a　thousand　times　more　atrocious　plunderers？〃



〃By　the　house　at　Loretto；　I　think　you　have　a　mind　to　moralise；

Abellino？〃



〃Hark　ye；　Matteo；　only　one　question。　　At　the　Day　of　Judgment；　which

think　you　will　hold　his　head　highest；　the　thief　or　the　assassin？〃



〃Ha！　ha！　ha！〃



〃Think　not　that　Abellino　speaks　thus　from　want　of　resolution。　　Speak

but　the　word；　and　I　murder　half　the　senators　of　Venice；　but　still〃



〃Fool！　know；　the　bravo　must　be　above　crediting　the　nurse's

antiquated　tales　of　vice　and　virtue。　　What　is　virtue？　　What　is　vice？

Nothing　but　such　things　as　forms　of　government；　custom；　manners；　and

education　have　made　sacred：　　and　that　which　men　are　able　to　make

honourable　at　one　time；　it　is　in　their　power　to　make　dishonourable

at　another；　whenever　the　humour　takes　them；　had　not　the　senate

forbidden　us　to　give　opinions　freely　respecting　the　politics　of

Venice；　there　would　have　been　nothing　wrong　in　giving　such　opinions；

and　were　the　senate　to　declare　that　it　is　right　to　give　such

opinions；　that　which　to…day　is　thought　a　crime　would　be　thought

meritorious　to…morrow。　　Then；　prithee；　let　us　have　no　more　of　such

doubts　as　these。　　We　are　men；　as　much　as　the　Doge　and　his　senators；

and　have　reasons　as　much　as　THEY　have　to　lay　down　the　law　of　right

and　wrong；　and　to　alter　the　law　of　right　and　wrong；　and　to　decree

what　shall　be　vice；　and　what　shall　be　virtue。〃



Abellino　laughed。　　Matteo　proceeded　with　increased　animation　…



〃Perhaps　you　will　tell　me　that　your　trade　is　DISHONOURABLE！　　And

what；　then；　is　the　thing　called　HONOUR！　　　'Tis　a　word；　an　empty

sound；　a　mere　fantastic　creature　of　the　imagination！　　Ask；　as　you

traverse　some　frequented　street；　in　what　honour　consists？　　The

usurer　will　answer'To　be　honourable　is　to　be　rich；　and　he　has　most

honour　who　can　heap　up　the　greatest　quantity　of　sequins。'　　'By　no

means；'　cries　the　voluptuary；　'honour　consists　in　being　beloved　by　a

very　handsome　woman；　and　finding　no　virtue　proof　against　your

attacks。'　　'How　mistaken！'　interrupts　the　general；　'to　conquer　whole

cities；　to　destroy　whole　armies；　to　ruin　all　provinces；　THAT　indeed

brings　REAL　honour。'　　The　man　of　learning　places　his　renown　in　the

number　of　pages　which　he　has　either　written　or　read；　the　tinker；　in

the　number　of　pots　and　kettles　which　he　has　made　or　mended；　the　nun；

in　the　number　of　GOOD　things　which　she　has　done；　or　BAD　things　which

she　has　resisted；　the　coquette；　in　the　list　of　her　admirers；　the

Republic；　in　the　extent　of　her　provinces；　and　thus；　my　friend；　every

one　thinks　that　honour　consists　in　something　different　from　the

rest。　　And　why；　then；　should　not　the　bravo　think　that　honour

consists　in　reaching　the　perfection　of　his　trade；　and　in　guiding　a

dagger　to　the　heart　of　an　enemy　with　unerring　aim？〃



〃By　my　life；　'tis　a　pity；　Matteo；　that　you　should　be　a　bravo；　the

schools　have　lost　an　excellent　teacher　of　philosophy。〃



〃Do　you　think　so？　　Why；　the　fact　is　thus；　Abellino。　　I　was　educated

in　a　monastery；　my　father　was　a　dignified　prelate　in　Lucca；　and　my

mother　a　nun　of　the　Ursuline　order；　greatly　respected　for　her

chastity　and　devotion。　　Now；　Signor；　it　was　thought　fitting　that　I

should　apply　closely　to　my　studies；　my　father；　good　man；　would　fain

have　made　me　a　light　of　the　Church；　but　I　soon　found　that　I　was

better　qualified　for　an　incendiary's　torch。　　I　followed　the　bent　of

my　genius；　yet　count　I　not　my　studies　thrown　away；　since　they　taught

me　more　philosophy　than　to　tremble　at　phantoms　created　by　my　own

imagination。　　Follow　my　example；　friend；　and　so　farewell。〃







CHAPTER　V：　　SOLITUDE。







Abellino　had　already　passed　six　weeks　in　Venice；　and　yet；　either

from　want　of　opportunity；　or　of　inclination；　he　had　suffered　his

daggers　to　remain　idle　in　their　sheaths。　　This　proceeded　partly　from

his　not　being　as　yet　sufficiently　acquainted　with　the　windings　and

turnings；　the　bye…lanes　and　private　alleys　of　the　town；　and　partly

because　he　had　hitherto　found　no　customers；　whose　murderous　designs

stood　in　need　of　his　helping　hand。



This　want　of　occupation　was　irksome　to　him　in　the　extreme；　he　panted

for　action；　and　was　condemned　to　indolence。



With　a　melancholy　heart　did　he　roam　through　Venice；　and　number　every

step　with　a　sigh。　　He　frequented　the　public　places；　the　taverns；　the

gardens；　and　every　scene　which　was　dedicated　to　amusement。　　But

nowhere　could　he　find　what　ho　soughttranquillity。



One　evening　he　had　loitered　beyond　the　other　visitants　in　a　public

garden；　situated　on　one　of　the　most　beautiful　of　the　Venetian

islands。　　He　strolled　from　arbour　to　arbour；　threw　himself　down　on

the　sea…shore；　and　watched　the　play　of　the　waves　as　they　sparkled　in

the　moonshine。



〃Four　years　ago；〃　said　he；　with　a　sigh；　〃just　such　a　heavenly

evening　was　it；　that　I　stole　from　Valeria's　lips　the　first　kiss；　and

heard　from　Valeria's　lips　for　the　first　time　the　avowal　that　she

loved　me。〃



He　was　silent；　and　abandoned　himself　to　the　melancholy　recollections

which　thronged　before　his　mind's　eye。



Everything　around　him　was　so　calm；　so　silent！　　Not　a　single　zephyr

sighed　among　the　blades　of　grass；　but　a　storm　raged　in　the　bosom　of

Abellino。



〃Four　years　ago　could　I　have　believed　that　a　time　would　come　when　I

should　play　the　part　of　a　bravo　in　Venice！　　Oh；　where　are　they

flown；　the　golden　hopes　and　plans　of　glory　which　smiled　upon　me　in

the　happy　days　of　my　youth？　　I　am　a　bravo：　　to　be　a　beggar　were　to

be　something　better。〃



〃When　my　good　old　father；　in　the　enthusiasm　of　paternal　vanity；　so

oft　threw　his　arms　around　my　neck；　and　cried；　'My　boy；　thou　wilt

render　the　name　of　Rosalvo　glorious！'　　God；　as　I　listened；　how　was

my　blood　on　fire？　　What　thought　I　not；　what　that　was　good　and　great

did　I　not　promise　myself　to　do！　　The　father　is　dead；　and　the　son　is

a　Venetian　bravo！　　When　my　preceptors　praised　and　admired　me；　and；

carried　away　by　the　warmth　of　their　feelings；　clapped　my　shoulder；

and　exclaimed；　'Count；　thou　wilt　immortalise　the　ancient　race　of

Rosalvo！'　　Ha；　in　those　blessed　moments　of　sweet　delirium；　how

bright　and　beauteous　stood　futurity　before　me！　　When；　happy　in　the

performance　of　some　good　deed；　I　returned　home；　and　saw　Valeria

hasten　to　receive　me　with　open　arms；　and　when；　while　she　clasped　me

to　her　bosom　I　heard　her　whisper　'Oh；　who　could　forbear　to　love　the

great　Rosalvo？'　　God！　oh；　God！　　Away；　away；　glorious　visions　of　the

past。　　To　look　on　you　drives　me　mad！〃



He　was　again　silent；　he　bit　his　lips　in　fury；　raised　one　emaciated

hand　to　heaven；　and　struck　his　forehead　violently　with　the　other。



〃An　assassin；　the　slave　of　cowards　and　rascals；　the　ally　of　the

greatest　villains　that　the　Venetian　sun　ever　shines　upon；　such　is

now　the　great　Rosalvo。　　Fie；　ah；　fie　on't；　and　yet　to　thi