the diary of a man of fifty-第6部分

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story；　but　why；　a　quarter　of　a　century　later；　should　it　have　the　same　

denoument？　　Let　him　make　his　own　denoument。



5th。Hang　it；　however；　I　don't　want　the　poor　boy　to　be　miserable。



6th。Ah；　but　did　my　denoument　then　prove　such　a　happy　one？



7th。He　came　to　my　room　late　last　night；　he　was　much　excited。



〃What　was　it　she　did　to　you？〃　he　asked。



I　answered　him　first　with　another　question。　　〃Have　you　quarrelled　

with　the　Countess？〃



But　he　only　repeated　his　own。　　〃What　was　it　she　did　to　you？〃



〃Sit　down　and　I'll　tell　you。〃　　And　he　sat　there　beside　she　candle；　

staring　at　me。　　〃There　was　a　man　always　thereCount　Camerino。〃



〃The　man　she　married？〃



〃The　man　she　married。　　I　was　very　much　in　love　with　her；　and　yet　I　

didn't　trust　her。　　I　was　sure　that　she　lied；　I　believed　that　she　

could　be　cruel。　　Nevertheless；　at　moments；　she　had　a　charm　which　made　

it　pure　pedantry　to　be　conscious　of　her　faults；　and　while　these　

moments　lasted　I　would　have　done　anything　for　her。　　Unfortunately　

they　didn't　last　long。　　But　you　know　what　I　mean；　am　I　not　describing　

the　Scarabelli？〃



〃The　Countess　Scarabelli　never　lied！〃　cried　Stanmer。



〃That's　just　what　I　would　have　said　to　any　one　who　should　have　made　

the　insinutation！　　But　I　suppose　you　are　not　asking　me　the　question　

you　put　to　me　just　now　from　dispassionate　curiosity。〃



〃A　man　may　want　to　know！〃　said　the　innocent　fellow。



I　couldn't　help　laughing　out。　　〃This；　at　any　rate；　is　my　story。　　

Camerino　was　always　there；　he　was　a　sort　of　fixture　in　the　house。　　If　

I　had　moments　of　dislike　for　the　divine　Bianca；　I　had　no　moments　of　

liking　for　him。　　And　yet　he　was　a　very　agreeable　fellow；　very　civil；　

very　intelligent；　not　in　the　least　disposed　to　make　a　quarrel　with　

me。　　The　trouble；　of　course；　was　simply　that　I　was　jealous　of　him。　　I　

don't　know；　however；　on　what　ground　I　could　have　quarrelled　with　him；　

for　I　had　no　definite　rights。　　I　can't　say　what　I　expectedI　can't　

say　what；　as　the　matter　stood；　I　was　prepared　to　do。　　With　my　name　

and　my　prospects；　I　might　perfectly　have　offered　her　my　hand。　　I　am　

not　sure　that　she　would　have　accepted　itI　am　by　no　means　clear　that　

she　wanted　that。　　But　she　wanted；　wanted　keenly；　to　attach　me　to　her；　

she　wanted　to　have　me　about。　　I　should　have　been　capable　of　giving　up　

everythingEngland；　my　career；　my　familysimply　to　devote　myself　to　

her；　to　live　near　her　and　see　her　every　day。〃



〃Why　didn't　you　do　it；　then？〃　asked　Stanmer。



〃Why　don't　you？〃



〃To　be　a　proper　rejoinder　to　my　question；〃　he　said；　rather　neatly；　

〃yours　should　be　asked　twenty…five　years　hence。〃



〃It　remains　perfectly　true　that　at　a　given　moment　I　was　capable　of　

doing　as　I　say。　　That　was　what　she　wanteda　rich；　susceptible；　

credulous；　convenient　young　Englishman　established　near　her　en　

permanence。　　And　yet；〃　I　added；　〃I　must　do　her　complete　justice。　　I　

honestly　believe　she　was　fond　of　me。〃　　At　this　Stanmer　got　up　and　

walked　to　the　window；　he　stood　looking　out　a　moment；　and　then　he　

turned　round。　　〃You　know　she　was　older　than　I；〃　I　went　on。　　〃Madame　

Scarabelli　is　older　than　you。　　One　day　in　the　garden；　her　mother　

asked　me　in　an　angry　tone　why　I　disliked　Camerino；　for　I　had　been　at　

no　pains　to　conceal　my　feeling　about　him；　and　something　had　just　

happened　to　bring　it　out。　　'I　dislike　him；'　I　said；　'because　you　like　

him　so　much。'　　'I　assure　you　I　don't　like　him；'　she　answered。　　'He　

has　all　the　appearance　of　being　your　lover；'　I　retorted。　　It　was　a　

brutal　speech；　certainly；　but　any　other　man　in　my　place　would　have　

made　it。　　She　took　it　very　strangely；　she　turned　pale；　but　she　was　

not　indignant。　　'How　can　he　be　my　lover　after　what　he　has　done？'　she　

asked。　　'What　has　he　done？'　　She　hesitated　a　good　while；　then　she　

said：　　'He　killed　my　husband。'　　'Good　heavens！'　I　cried；　'and　you　

receive　him！'　　Do　you　know　what　she　said？　　She　said；　'Che　voule？'〃



〃Is　that　all？〃　asked　Stanmer。



〃No；　she　went　on　to　say　that　Camerino　had　killed　Count　Salvi　in　a　

duel；　and　she　admitted　that　her　husband's　jealousy　had　been　the　

occasion　of　it。　　The　Count；　it　appeared；　was　a　monster　of　jealousy

he　had　led　her　a　dreadful　life。　　He　himself；　meanwhile；　had　been　

anything　but　irreproachable；　he　had　done　a　mortal　injury　to　a　man　of　

whom　he　pretended　to　be　a　friend；　and　this　affair　had　become　

notorious。　　The　gentleman　in　question　had　demanded　satisfaction　for　

his　outraged　honour；　but　for　some　reason　or　other　（the　Countess；　to　

do　her　justice；　did　not　tell　me　that　her　husband　was　a　coward）；　he　

had　not　as　yet　obtained　it。　　The　duel　with　Camerino　had　come　on　

first；　in　an　access　of　jealous　fury　the　Count　had　struck　Camerino　in　

the　face；　and　this　outrage；　I　know　not　how　justly；　was　deemed　

expiable　before　the　other。　　By　an　extraordinary　arrangement　（the　

Italians　have　certainly　no　sense　of　fair　play）　the　other　man　was　

allowed　to　be　Camerino's　second。　　The　duel　was　fought　with　swords；　

and　the　Count　received　a　wound　of　which；　though　at　first　it　was　not　

expected　to　be　fatal；　he　died　on　the　following　day。　　The　matter　was　

hushed　up　as　much　as　possible　for　the　sake　of　the　Countess's　good　

name；　and　so　successfully　that　it　was　presently　observed　that；　among　

the　public；　the　other　gentleman　had　the　credit　of　having　put　his　

blade　through　M。　de　Salvi。　　This　gentleman　took　a　fancy　not　to　

contradict　the　impression；　and　it　was　allowed　to　subsist。　　So　long　as　

he　consented；　it　was　of　course　in　Camerino's　interest　not　to　

contradict　it；　as　it　left　him　much　more　free　to　keep　up　his　intimacy　

with　the　Countess。〃



Stanmer　had　listened　to　all　this　with　extreme　attention。　　〃Why　didn't　

SHE　contradict　it？〃



I　shrugged　my　shoulders。　　〃I　am　bound　to　believe　it　was　for　the　same　

reason。　　I　was　horrified；　at　any　rate；　by　the　whole　story。　　I　was　

extremely　shocked　at　the　Countess's　want　of　dignity　in　continuing　to　

see　the　man　by　whose　hand　her　husband　had　fallen。〃



〃The　husband　had　been　a　great　brute；　and　it　was　not　known；〃　said　

Stanmer。



〃Its　not　being　known　made　no　difference。　　And　as　for　Salvi　having　

been　a　brute；　that　is　but　a　way　of　saying　that　his　wife；　and　the　man　

whom　his　wife　subsequently　married；　didn't　like　him。〃



Stanmer　hooked　extremely　meditative；　his　eyes　were　fixed　on　mine。　　

〃Yes；　that　marriage　is　hard　to　get　over。　　It　was　not　becoming。〃



〃Ah；〃　said　I；　〃what　a　long　breath　I　drew　when　I　heard　of　it！　　I　

remember　the　place　and　the　hour。　　It　was　at　a　hill…station　in　India；　

seven　years　after　I　had　left　Florence。　　The　post　brought　me　some　

English　papers；　and　in　one　of　them　was　a　letter　from　Italy；　with　a　

lot　of　so…called　'fashionable　intelligence。'　　There；　among　various　

scandals　in　high　life；　and　other　delectable　items；　I　read　that　the　

Countess　Bianca　Salvi；　famous　for　some　years　as　the　presiding　genius　

of　the　most　agreeable　seen　in　Florence；　was　about　to　bestow　her　hand　

upon　Count　Camerino；　a　distinguished　Bolognese。　　Ah；　my　dear　boy；　it　

was　a　tremendous　escape！　　I　had　been　ready　to　marry　the　woman　who　was　

capable　of　that！　　But　my　instinct　had　warned　me；　and　I　had　trusted　my　

instinct。〃



〃'Instinct's　everything；'　as　Falstaff　says！〃　　And　Stanmer　began　to　

laugh。　　〃Did　you　tell　Madame　de　Salvi　that　your　instinct　was　against　

her？〃



〃No；　I　told　her　that　she　frightened　me；　shocked　me；　horrified　me。〃



〃That's　about　the　same　thing。　　And　what　did　she　say？〃



〃She　asked　me　what　I　would　have？　　I　called　her　friendship　with　

Camerino　a　scandal；　and　she　answered　that　her　husband　had　been　a　

brute。　　Besides；　no　one　knew　it；　therefore　it　was　no　scandal。　　Just　

YOUR　argument！　　I　retorted　that　this　was　odious　reasoning；　and　that　

she　had　no　moral　sense。　　We　had　a　passionate　argument；　and　I　declared　

I　would　never　see　her　again。　　In　the　heat　of　my　displeasure　I　left　

Florence；　and　I　kept　my　vow。　　I　never　saw　her　again。〃



〃You　couldn't　have　been　much　in　love　with　her；〃　said　Stanmer。



〃I　was　notthree　months　after。〃



〃If　you　had　been　you　would　have　come　backthree　days　after。〃



〃So　doubtless　it　seems　to　you。　　All　I　can　say　is　that　it　was　the　

great　effort　of　my　life。　　Being　a　military　man；　I　have　had　on　various　

occasions　to　face　time　enemy。　　But　it　was　not　then　I　needed　my　

resolution；　it　was　when　I　left　Florence　in　a　post…chaise。〃



Stanmer　turned　about　the　room　two　or　three　times；　and　then　he　said：　　

〃I　don't　understand！　　I　don't　understand　why　she　should　have　told　you　

that　Camerino　had　killed　her　husband。　　It　could　only　damage　her。〃



〃She　was　afraid　it　would　damage　her　more　that　I　should　think　he　was　

her　lover。　　She　wished　to　say　the　thing　that　would　most　effectually　

persuade　me　that　he　was　not　her　loverthat　he　could　never　be。　　And　

then　she　wished　to　get　the　credit　of　being　very　frank。〃



〃Good　heavens；　how　you　must　have　analysed　her！〃　cried　my　companion；　

staring。



〃There　is　nothing　so　analytic　as　disillusionment。　　But　there　it　is。　　

She　married　Camerino。〃



〃Yes；　I　don't　lime　that；〃　said　Stanmer。　　He　was　silent　a　while；　and　

then　he　added〃Perhaps　she　wouldn't　have　done　so　if　you　had　

remained。〃



He　has　a　little　innocent　way！　　〃Very　likely　she　would　have　dispensed　

with　the　ceremony；〃　I　answered；　drily。



〃Upon　my　word；〃　he　said；　〃you　HAVE　analysed　her！〃



〃You　ought　to　he　grateful　to　me。　　I　have　done　for　you　what　you　seem　

unable　to　do　for　yourself。〃



〃I　don't　see　any　Camerino　in　my　case；〃　he　said。



〃Perhaps　among　those　gentlemen　I　can　find　one　for　you。〃



〃Thank　you；〃　he　cried；　〃I'll　take　care　of　that　myself！〃　　And　he　went　

awaysatisfied；　I　hope。



10th。He's　an　obstinate　little　wretch；　it　irritates　me　to　see　him　

sticking　to　it。　　Perhaps　he　is　looking　for　his　Camerino。　　I　shall　

leave　him；　at　any　rate；　to　his　fate；　it　is　growing　insupportably　hot。



11th。I　went　this　evening　to　bid　farewell　to　the　Scarabelli。　　There　

was　no　one　there；　she　wa