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the cenci-第3部分

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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 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
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