the cenci-第4节

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

children；　to　languish　in　poverty。　　Guerra's　house　was　selected　to

meet　in　and　concert　matters。



Giacomo　hired　a　sbirro　named　Marzio；　arid　Guerra　a　second　named

Olympio。



Both　these　men　had　private　reasons　for　committing　the　crimeone

being　actuated　by　love；　the　other　by　hatred。　　Marzio；　who　was　in　the

service　of　Giacomo；　had　often　seen　Beatrice；　and　loved　her；　but　with

that　silent　and　hopeless　love　which　devours　the　soul。　　When　he

conceived　that　the　proposed　crime　would　draw　him　nearer　to　Beatrice；

he　accepted　his　part　in　it　without　any　demur。



As　for　Olympio；　he　hated　Francesco；　because　the　latter　had　caused　him

to　lose　the　post　of　castellan　of　Rocco　Petrella；　a　fortified

stronghold　in　the　kingdom　of　Naples；　belonging　to　Prince　Colonna。

Almost　every　year　Francesco　Cenci　spent　some　months　at　Rocco　Petrella

with　his　family；　for　Prince　Colonna；　a　noble　and　magnificent　but

needy　prince；　had　much　esteem　for　Francesco；　whose　purse　he　found

extremely　useful。　　It　had　so　happened　that　Francesco；　being

dissatisfied　with　Olympio；　complained　about　him　to　Prince　Colonna；

and　he　was　dismissed。



After　several　consultations　between　the　Cenci　family；　the　abbe　and

the　sbirri；　the　following　plan　of　action　was　decided　upon。



The　period　when　Francesco　Cenci　was　accustomed　to　go　to　Rocco

Petrella　was　approaching：　it　was　arranged　that　Olympio；　conversant

with　the　district　and　its　inhabitants；　should　collect　a　party　of　a

dozen　Neapolitan　bandits；　and　conceal　them　in　a　forest　through　which

the　travellers　would　have　to　pass。　　Upon　a　given　signal；　the　whole

family　were　to　be　seized　and　carried　off。　　A　heavy　ransom　was　to　be

demanded；　and　the　sons　were　to　be　sent　back　to　Rome　to　raise　the　sum；

but；　under　pretext　of　inability　to　do　so；　they　were　to　allow　the　time

fixed　by　the　bandits　to　lapse；　when　Francesco　was　to　be　put　to　death。

Thus　all　suspicions　of　a　plot　would　be　avoided；　and　the　real

assassins　would　escape　justice。



This　well…devised　scheme　was　nevertheless　unsuccessful。　　When

Francesco　left　Rome；　the　scout　sent　in　advance　by　the　conspirators

could　not　find　the　bandits；　the　latter；　not　being　warned　beforehand；

failed　to　come　down　before　the　passage　of　the　travellers；　who　arrived

safe　and　sound　at　Rocco　Petreila。　　The　bandits；　after　having

patrolled　the　road　in　vain；　came　to　the　conclusion　that　their　prey

had　escaped；　and；　unwilling　to　stay　any　longer　in　a　place　where　they

had　already　spent　a　week；　went　off　in　quest　of　better　luck　elsewhere。



Francesco　had　in　the　meantime　settled　down　in　the　fortress；　and；　to

be　more　free　to　tyrannise　over　Lucrezia　and　Beatrice；　sent　back　to

Rome　Giacomo　and　his　two　other　sons。　　He　then　recommenced　his

infamous　attempts　upon　Beatrice；　and　with　such　persistence；　that　she

resolved　herself　to　accomplish　the　deed　which　at　first　she　desired　to

entrust　to　other　hands。



Olympio　and　Marzio；　who　had　nothing　to　fear　from　justice；　remained

lurking　about　the　castle；　one　day　Beatrice　saw　them　from　a　window；

and　made　signs　that　she　had　something　to　communicate　to　them。　　The

same　night　Olympio；　who　having　been　castellan　knew　all　the　approaches

to　the　fortress；　made　his　way　there　with　his　companion。　　Beatrice

awaited　them　at　a　window　which　looked　on　to　a　secluded　courtyard；　she

gave　them　letters　which　she　had　written　to　her　brother　and　to

Monsignor　Guerra。　　The　former　was　to　approve；　as　he　had　done　before；

the　murder　of　their　father；　for　she　would　do　nothing　without　his

sanction。　　As　for　Monsignor　Guerra；　he　was　to　pay　Olympio　a　thousand

piastres；　half　the　stipulated　sum；　Marzio　acting　out　of　pure　love　for

Beatrice；　whom　he　worshipped　as　a　Madonna；　which　observing；　the　girl

gave　him　a　handsome　scarlet　mantle；　trimmed　with　gold　lace；　telling

him　to　wear　it　for　love　of　her。　　As　for　the　remaining　moiety；　it　was

to　be　paid　when　the　death　of　the　old　man　had　placed　his　wife　and

daughter　in　possession　of　his　fortune。



The　two　sbirri　departed；　and　the　imprisoned　conspirators　anxiously

awaited　their　return。　　On　the　day　fixed；　they　were　seen　again。

Monsignor　Guerra　had　paid　the　thousand　piastres；　and　Giacomo　had

given　his　consent。　　Nothing　now　stood　in　the　way　of　the　execution　of

this　terrible　deed；　which　was　fixed　for　the　8th　of　September；　the　day

of　the　Nativity　of　the　Virgin；　but　Signora　Lucrezia；　a　very　devout

person；　having　noticed　this　circumstance；　would　not　be　a　party　to　the

committal　of　a　double　sin；　the　matter　was　therefore　deferred　till　the

next　day；　the　9th。



That　evening；　the　9th　of　September；　1598；　the　two　women；　supping　with

the　old　man；　mixed　some　narcotic　with　his　wine　so　adroitly　that；

suspicious　though　he　was；　he　never　detected　it；　and　having　swallowed

the　potion；　soon　fell　into　a　deep　sleep。



The　evening　previous；　Marzio　and　Olympio　had　been　admitted　into　the

castle；　where　they　had　lain　concealed　all　night　and　all　day；　for；　as

will　be　remembered；　the　assassination　would　have　been　effected　the

day　before　had　it　not　been　for　the　religious　scruples　of　Signora

Lucrezia　Petroni。　　Towards　midnight；　Beatrice　fetched　them　out　of

their　hiding…place；　and　took　them　to　her　father's　chamber；　the　door

of　which　she　herself　opened。　　The　assassins　entered；　and　the　two

women　awaited　the　issue　in　the　room　adjoining。



After　a　moment；　seeing　the　sbirri　reappear　pale　and　nerveless；

shaking　their　heads　without　speaking；　they　at　once　inferred　that

nothing　had　been　done。



〃What　is　the　matter？〃　cried　Beatrice；　〃and　what　hinders　you？〃



〃It　is　a　cowardly　act；〃　replied　the　assassins；　〃to　kill　a　poor　old

man　in　his　sleep。　　At　the　thought　of　his　age；　we　were　struck　with

pity。〃



Then　Beatrice　disdainfully　raised　her　head；　and　in　a　deep　firm　。voice

thus　reproached　them。



〃Is　it　possible　that　you；　who　pretend　to　be　brave　and　strong；　have

not　courage　enough　to　kill　a　sleeping　old　man？　　How　would　it　be　if　he

were　awake？　　And　thus　you　steal　our　money！　　Very　well：　since　your

cowardice　compels　me　to　do　so；　I　will　kill　my　father　myself；　but　you

will　not　long　survive　him。〃



Hearing　these　words；　the　sbirri　felt　ashamed　of　their　irresolution；

and；　indicating　by　signs　that　they　would　fulfil　their　compact；　they

entered　the　room；　accompanied　by　the　two　women。　　As　they　had　said；　a

ray　of　moonlight　shone　through　the　open　window；　and　brought　into

prominence　the　tranquil　face　of　the　old　man；　the　sight　of　whose　white

hair　had　so　affected　them。



This　time　they　showed　no　mercy。　　One　of　them　carried　two　great　nails；

such　as　those　portrayed　in　pictures　of　the　Crucifixion；　the　other

bore　a　mallet：　the　first　placed　a　nail　upright　over　one　of　the　old

man's　eyes；　the　other　struck　it　with　the　hammer；　and　drove　it　into

his　head。　　The　throat　was　pierced　in　the　same　way　with　the　second

nail；　and　thus　the　guilty　soul；　stained　throughout　its　career　with

crimes　of　violence；　was　in　its　turn　violently　torn　from　the　body；

which　lay　writhing　on　the　floor　where　it　had　rolled。

The　young　girl　then；　faithful　to　her　word；　handed　the　sbirri　a　large

purse　containing　the　rest　of　the　sum　agreed　upon；　and　they　left。

When　they　found　themselves　alone；　the　women　drew　the　nails　out　of　the

wounds；　wrapped　the　corpse　in　a　sheet；　and　dragged　it　through　the

rooms　towards　a　small　rampart；　intending　to　throw　it　down　into　a

garden　which　had　been　allowed　to　run　to　waste。　　They　hoped　that　the

old　man's　death　would　be　attributed　to　his　having　accidentally　fallen

off　the　terrace　on　his　way　in　the　dark　to　a　closet　at　the　end　of　the

gallery。　　But　their　strength　failed　them　when　they　reached　the　door

of　the　last　room；　and；　while　resting　there；　Lucrezia　perceived　the

two　sbirri；　sharing　the　money　before　making　their　escape。　　At　her

call　they　came　to　her；　carried　the　corpse　to　the　rampart；　and；　from　a

spot　pointed　out　by　the　women；　where　the　terrace　was　unfenced　by　any

parapet；　they　threw　it　into　an　elder　tree　below；　whose　branches

retained'　it　suspended。



When　the　body　was　found　the　following　morning　hanging　in　the　branches

of　the　elder　tree；　everybody　supposed；　as　Beatrice　and　her　stepmother

had　foreseen；　that　Francesco；　stepping　over　the　edge　of　the　386

terrace　in　the　dark；　had　thus　met　his　end。　　The　body　was　so　scratched

and　disfigured　that　no　one　noticed　the　wounds　made　by　the　two　nails。

The　ladies；　as　soon　as　the　news　was　imparted　to　them；　came　out　from

their　rooms；　weeping　and　lamenting　in　so　natural　a　manner　as　to

disarm　any　suspicions。　　The　only　person　who　formed　any　was　the

laundress　to　whom　Beatrice　entrusted　the　sheet　in　which　her　father's

body　had　been　wrapped；　accounting　for　its　bloody　condition　by　a　lame

explanation；　which　the　laundress　accepted　without　question；　or

pretended　to　do　so；　and　immediately　after　the　funeral；　the　mourners

returned　to　Rome；　hoping　at　length　to　enjoy　quietude　and　peace。

For　some　time；　indeed；　they　did　enjoy　tranquillity；　perhaps　poisoned

by　remorse；