the cenci-第3节

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to　display　itself；　she　was　lively；　joyous；　and　sympathetic；　but　at

the　same　time　evinced　a　firm　and　decided　disposition。



To　make　sure　of　her　custody；　Francesco　kept　her　shut　up　in　a　remote

apartment　of　his　palace；　the　key　of　which　he　kept　in　his　own

possession。　　There；　her　unnatural　and　inflexible　gaoler　daily　brought

her　some　food。　　Up　to　the　age　of　thirteen；　which　she　had　now　reached；

he　had　behaved　to　her　with　the　most　extreme　harshness　and　severity；

but　now；　to　poor　Beatrice's　great　astonishment；　he　all　at　once　became

gentle　and　even　tender。　　Beatrice　was　a　child　no　longer；　her　beauty

expanded　like　a　flower；　and　Francesco；　a　stranger　to　no　crime；

however　heinous；　had　marked　her　for　his　own。



Brought　up　as　she　had　been；　uneducated；　deprived　of　all　society；　even

that　of　her　stepmother；　Beatrice　knew　not　good　from　evil：　her　ruin

was　comparatively　easy　to　compass；　yet　Francesco；　to　accomplish　his

diabolical　purpose；　employed　all　the　means　at　his　command。　　Every

night　she　was　awakened　by　a　concert　of　music　which　seemed　to　come

from　Paradise。　　When　she　mentioned　this　to　her　father；　he　left　her　in

this　belief；　adding　that　if　she　proved　gentle　and　obedient　she　would

be　rewarded　by　heavenly　sights；　as　well　as　heavenly　sounds。



One　night　it　came　to　pass　that　as　the　young　girl　was　reposing；　her

head　supported　on　her　elbow；　and　listening　to　a　delightful　harmony；

the　chamber　door　suddenly　opened；　and　from　the　darkness　of　her　own

room　she　beheld　a　suite　of　apartments　brilliantly　illuminated；　and

sensuous　with　perfumes；　beautiful　youths　and　girls；　half　clad；　such

as　she　had　seen　in　the　pictures　of　Guido　and　Raffaelle；　moved　to　and

fro　in　these　apartments；　seeming　full　of　joy　and　happiness：　these

were　the　ministers　to　the　pleasures　of　Francesco；　who；　rich　as　a

king；　every　night　revelled　in　the　orgies　of　Alexander；　the　wedding

revels　of　Lucrezia；　and　the　excesses　of　Tiberius　at　Capri。　　After　an

hour；　the　door　closed；　and　the　seductive　vision　vanished；　leaving

Beatrice　full　of　trouble　and　amazement。



The　night　following；　the　same　apparition　again　presented　itself；

only；　on　this　occasion；　Francesco　Cenci；　undressed；　entered　his

daughter's　roam　and　invited　her　to　join　the　fete。　　Hardly　knowing

what　she　did；　Beatrice　yet　perceived　the　impropriety　of　yielding　to

her　father's　wishes：　she　replied　that；　not　seeing　her　stepmother；

Lucrezia　Petroni；　among　all　these　women；　she　dared　not　leave　her　bed

to　mix　with　persons　who　were　unknown　to　her。　　Francesco　threatened

and　prayed；　but　threats　and　prayers　were　of　no　avail。　　Beatrice

wrapped　herself　up　in　the　bedclothes；　and　obstinately　refused　to

obey。



The　next　night　she　threw　herself　on　her　bed　without　undressing。　　At

the　accustomed　hour　the　door　opened；　and　the　nocturnal　spectacle

reappeared。　　This　time；　Lucrezia　Petroni　was　among　the　women　who

passed　before　Beatrice's　door；　violence　had　compelled　her　to　undergo

this　humiliation。　　Beatrice　was　too　far　off　to　see　her　blushes　and

her　tears。　　Francesco　pointed　out　her　stepmother；　whom　she　had　lacked

for　in　vain　the　previous　evening；　and　as　she　could　no　longer　make　any

opposition；　he　led　her；　covered　with　blushes　and　confusion；　into　the

middle　of　this　orgy。



Beatrice　there　saw　incredible　and　infamous　things。。。。



Nevertheless；　she　resisted　a　long　time：　an　inward　voice　told　her　that

this　was　horrible；　but　Francesco　had　the　slaw　persistence　of　a　demon。

To　these　sights；　calculated　to　stimulate　her　passions；　he　added

heresies　designed　to　warp　her　mind；　he　told　her　that　the　greatest

saints　venerated　by　the　Church　were　the　issue　of　fathers　and

daughters；　and　in　the　end　Beatrice　committed　a　crime　without　even

knowing　it　to　be　a　sin。



His　brutality　then　knew　no　bounds。　　He　forced　Lucrezia　and　Beatrice

to　share　the　same　bed；　threatening　his　wife　to　kill　her　if　she

disclosed　to　his　daughter　by　a　single　word　that　there　was　anything

odious　in　such　an　intercourse。　　So　matters　went　on　for　about　three

years。



At　this　time　Francesco　was　obliged　to　make　a　journey；　and　leave　the

women　alone　and　free。　　The　first　thing　Lucrezia　did　was　to　enlighten

Beatrice　an　the　infamy　of　the　life　they　were　leading；　they　then

together　prepared　a　memorial　to　the　pope；　in　which　they　laid　before

him　a　statement　of　all　the　blows　and　outrages　they　had　suffered。

But；　before　leaving；　Francesco　Cenci　had　taken　precautions；　every

person　about　the　pope　was　in　his　pay；　or　hoped　to　be。　　The　petition

never　reached　His　Holiness；　and　the　two　poor　women；　remembering　that

Clement　VIII　had　on　a　farmer　occasion　driven　Giacomo；　Cristaforo；　and

Rocco　from　his　presence；　thought　they　were　included　in　the　same

proscription；　and　looked　upon　themselves　as　abandoned　to　their　fate。



When　matters　were　in　this　state；　Giacomo；　taking　advantage　of　his

father's　absence；　came　to　pay　them　a　visit　with　a　friend　of　his；　an

abbe　named　Guerra：　he　was　a　young　man　of　twenty…five　or　twenty…six；

belonging　to　one　of　the　most　noble　families　in　Rome；　of　a　bold；

resolute；　and　courageous　character；　and　idolised　by　all　the　Roman

ladies　for　his　beauty。　　To　classical　features　he　added　blue　eyes

swimming　in　poetic　sentiment；　his　hair　was　long　and　fair；　with

chestnut　beard　and　eyebrows；　add　to　these　attractions　a　highly

educated　mind；　natural　eloquence　expressed　by　a　musical　and

penetrating　voice；　and　the　reader　may　form　some　idea　of　Monsignor　the

Abbe　Guerra。



No　sooner　had　he　seen　Beatrice　than　he　fell　in　love　with　her。　　On　her

side；　she　was　not　slow　to　return　the　sympathy　of　the　young　priest。

The　Council　of　Trent　had　not　been　held　at　that　time；　consequently

ecclesiastics　were　not　precluded　from　marriage。　　It　was　therefore

decided　that　on　the　return　of　Francesco　the　Abbe　Guerra　should　demand

the　hand　of　Beatrice　from　her　father；　and　the　women；　happy　in　the

absence　of　their　master；　continued　to　live　on；　hoping　for　better

things　to　come。



After　three　or　four　months；　during　which　no　one　knew　where　he　was；

Francesco　returned。　　The　very　first　night；　he　wished　to　resume　his

intercourse　with　Beatrice；　but　she　was　no　longer　the　same　person；　the

timid　and　submissive　child　had　become　a　girl　of　decided　will；　strong

in　her　love　for　the　abbe；　she　resisted　alike　prayers；　threats；　and

blows。



The　wrath　of　Francesco　fell　upon　his　wife；　whom　he　accused　of

betraying　him；　he　gave　her　a　violent　thrashing。　　Lucrezia　Petroni　was

a　veritable　Roman　she…wolf；　passionate　alike　in　love　and　vengeance；

she　endured　all；　but　pardoned　nothing。



Some　days　after　this；　the　Abbe　Guerra　arrived　at　the　Cenci　palace　to

carry　out　what　had　been　arranged。　　Rich；　young；　noble；　and　handsome；

everything　would　seem　to　promise　him　success；　yet　he　was　rudely

dismissed　by　Francesco。　　The　first　refusal　did　not　daunt　him；　he

returned　to　the　charge　a　second　time　and　yet　a　third；　insisting　upon

the　suitableness　of　such　a　union。　　At　length　Francesco；　losing

patience；　told　this　obstinate　lover　that　a　reason　existed　why

Beatrice　could　be　neither　his　wife　nor　any　other　man's。　　Guerra

demanded　what　this　reason　was。　　Francesco　replied：



〃Because　she　is　my　mistress。〃



Monsignor　Guerra　turned　pale　at　this　answer；　although　at　first　he　did

not　believe　a　word　of　it；　but　when　he　saw　the　smile　with　which

Francesco　Cenci　accompanied　his　words；　he　was　compelled　to　believe

that；　terrible　though　it　was；　the　truth　had　been　spoken。



For　three　days　he　sought　an　interview　with　Beatrice　in　vain；　at

length　he　succeeded　in　finding　her。　　His　last　hope　was　her　denial　of

this　horrible　story：　Beatrice　confessed　all。　　Henceforth　there　was　no

human　hope　for　the　two　lovers；　an　impassable　gulf　separated　them。

They　parted　bathed　in　tears；　promising　to　love　one　another　always。



Up　to　that　time　the　two　women　had　not　formed　any　criminal　resolution；

and　possibly　the　tragical　incident　might　never　have　happened；　had　not

Frances　one　night　returned　into　his　daughter's　room　and　violently

forced　her　into　the　commission　of　fresh　crime。



Henceforth　the　doom　of　Francesco　was　irrevocably　pronounced。



As　we　have　said；　the　mind　of　Beatrice　was　susceptible　to　the　best　and

the　worst　influences：　it　could　attain　excellence；　and　descend　to

guilt。　　She　went　and　told　her　mother　of　the　fresh　outrage　she　had

undergone；　this　roused　in　the　heart　of　the　other　woman　the　sting　of

her　own　wrongs；　and；　stimulating　each　other's　desire　for　revenge；

they；　decided　upon　the　murder　of　Francesco。



Guerra　was　called　in　to　this　council　of　death。　　His　heart　was　a　prey

to　hatred　and　revenge。　　He　undertook　to　communicate　with　Giacomo

Cenci；　without　whose　concurrence　the　women　would　not　act；　as　he　was

the　head　of　the　family；　when　his　father　was　left　out　of　account。



Giacomo　entered　readily　into　the　conspiracy。　　It　will　be　remembered

what　he　had　formerly　suffered　from　his　father；　since　that　time　he　had

married；　and　the　close…fisted　old　man　had　left　him；　with　his　wife　and

children；　to　languish　in　povert