登陆注册
4907800000152

第152章

Anselmo was listening to all this, and every word that Camilla uttered made him change his mind; but when he heard that it was resolved to kill Lothario his first impulse was to come out and show himself to avert such a disaster; but in his anxiety to see the issue of a resolution so bold and virtuous he restrained himself, intending to come forth in time to prevent the deed. At this moment Camilla, throwing herself upon a bed that was close by, swooned away, and Leonela began to weep bitterly, exclaiming, "Woe is me! that I should be fated to have dying here in my arms the flower of virtue upon earth, the crown of true wives, the pattern of chastity!" with more to the same effect, so that anyone who heard her would have taken her for the most tender-hearted and faithful handmaid in the world, and her mistress for another persecuted Penelope.

Camilla was not long in recovering from her fainting fit and on coming to herself she said, "Why do you not go, Leonela, to call hither that friend, the falsest to his friend the sun ever shone upon or night concealed? Away, run, haste, speed! lest the fire of my wrath burn itself out with delay, and the righteous vengeance that I hope for melt away in menaces and maledictions."

"I am just going to call him, senora," said Leonela; "but you must first give me that dagger, lest while I am gone you should by means of it give cause to all who love you to weep all their lives."

"Go in peace, dear Leonela, I will not do so," said Camilla, "for rash and foolish as I may be, to your mind, in defending my honour, I am not going to be so much so as that Lucretia who they say killed herself without having done anything wrong, and without having first killed him on whom the guilt of her misfortune lay. I shall die, if I am to die; but it must be after full vengeance upon him who has brought me here to weep over audacity that no fault of mine gave birth to."

Leonela required much pressing before she would go to summon Lothario, but at last she went, and while awaiting her return Camilla continued, as if speaking to herself, "Good God! would it not have been more prudent to have repulsed Lothario, as I have done many a time before, than to allow him, as I am now doing, to think me unchaste and vile, even for the short time I must wait until I undeceive him? No doubt it would have been better; but I should not be avenged, nor the honour of my husband vindicated, should he find so clear and easy an escape from the strait into which his depravity has led him. Let the traitor pay with his life for the temerity of his wanton wishes, and let the world know (if haply it shall ever come to know) that Camilla not only preserved her allegiance to her husband, but avenged him of the man who dared to wrong him. Still, I think it might be better to disclose this to Anselmo. But then I have called his attention to it in the letter I wrote to him in the country, and, if he did nothing to prevent the mischief I there pointed out to him, I suppose it was that from pure goodness of heart and trustfulness he would not and could not believe that any thought against his honour could harbour in the breast of so stanch a friend; nor indeed did I myself believe it for many days, nor should I have ever believed it if his insolence had not gone so far as to make it manifest by open presents, lavish promises, and ceaseless tears. But why do I argue thus? Does a bold determination stand in need of arguments? Surely not. Then traitors avaunt! Vengeance to my aid! Let the false one come, approach, advance, die, yield up his life, and then befall what may. Pure I came to him whom Heaven bestowed upon me, pure I shall leave him; and at the worst bathed in my own chaste blood and in the foul blood of the falsest friend that friendship ever saw in the world;" and as she uttered these words she paced the room holding the unsheathed dagger, with such irregular and disordered steps, and such gestures that one would have supposed her to have lost her senses, and taken her for some violent desperado instead of a delicate woman.

Anselmo, hidden behind some tapestries where he had concealed himself, beheld and was amazed at all, and already felt that what he had seen and heard was a sufficient answer to even greater suspicions; and he would have been now well pleased if the proof afforded by Lothario's coming were dispensed with, as he feared some sudden mishap; but as he was on the point of showing himself and coming forth to embrace and undeceive his wife he paused as he saw Leonela returning, leading Lothario. Camilla when she saw him, drawing a long line in front of her on the floor with the dagger, said to him, "Lothario, pay attention to what I say to thee: if by any chance thou darest to cross this line thou seest, or even approach it, the instant I see thee attempt it that same instant will I pierce my bosom with this dagger that I hold in my hand; and before thou answerest me a word desire thee to listen to a few from me, and afterwards thou shalt reply as may please thee. First, I desire thee to tell me, Lothario, if thou knowest my husband Anselmo, and in what light thou regardest him; and secondly I desire to know if thou knowest me too. Answer me this, without embarrassment or reflecting deeply what thou wilt answer, for they are no riddles I put to thee."

同类推荐
  • 天然居士怀净土诗

    天然居士怀净土诗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 指武

    指武

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 鄱阳记

    鄱阳记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 潮嘉风月

    潮嘉风月

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宝女所问经

    宝女所问经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 竞选村长

    竞选村长

    “张进,你个赖种,老子不就是没有睡你老婆,你就这样给老子使绊子!”肖青营一路走一路骂,从鹿鸣镇一直骂到县委大院里。乘电梯到十楼,穿过长长的走廊,找到新闻科。王乐一见他,很是高兴,说:“先坐,我给老伙计倒杯水,有朋自远方来,不亦乐乎。”肖青营对这样文绉绉的话不感兴趣,说:“我就一点事,你看咋办。还是我入党的事。今天,村里又发展了一批党员,还是没有我。我想让你和我厮跟着,去组织部问问,看我这组织问题啥时候才能解决。”王乐有些吃惊,说:“这么长时间了你的组织问题还没有解决?”
  • 孤星泪煞

    孤星泪煞

    因为一场无妄之灾,山庄被血洗,他成了孤儿,独自踏上艰苦的复仇之路。杀神殿,地狱式的训练,让他成为绝世高手,不但做了将军,甚至还成了武林中最神秘组织的领导者。报仇的路上总会遇上更多的事,他想抱着老婆热炕头都不行。因为,是男人,就要有责任感,有道义和担当!
  • 游龙寻仙
  • 神医娇女闯情关

    神医娇女闯情关

    小女子初出江湖,即卷入爱情的旋涡:师父准备好的女婿深情款款;母亲初恋情人的儿子霸道掠情;神秘浪子如影随形;风流公子邪肆无耻;皇室姻缘纷乱无绪……孤身山野丫头又怎样,照样闯进了皇室宅门的后花园!
  • 末世化身者

    末世化身者

    在二十二世纪中(平行世界),未知的原因,使末日爆发!大街上出现了让人恐惧、绝望的丧尸!而圣兰学院的张轩,为了生存被女友驱使去寻找食物!幸运的是,张轩找到了食物。可回去的时候,张轩悲催的发现自己被绿了!他愤愤不平,质问女友林艳为什么绿自己。可却被绿自己的尤擎,活生生打成重伤!丢入丧尸群中。张轩绝望时,觉醒了强大的化身系统!复仇之后,他发现自己可以化身万物(活物),而进化,变强自己!这是张轩一路化身、变强、成长的故事!敬请期待!
  • 我夺舍了詹皇

    我夺舍了詹皇

    我是科蜜,可是一觉醒来,我夺舍了詹皇,现在是2003选秀现场,我被选为了状元秀,可是我篮球渣渣,我心里很慌,我该怎么办?急!在线等,求收藏搭救。且看老詹如何一路横推,所向无敌,无敌流!书友群:850220243
  • 郎咸平说:新帝国主义在中国2

    郎咸平说:新帝国主义在中国2

    《新帝国主义在中国2》目的在于以案例形式进一步解剖新帝国主义的操作手法和技巧,浓缩成了本书的十余场我们没有经历过的战争。美国将会如何乘中国之危挑起战争呢?我们的“危”有三,第一、资产泡沫化,第二、经济停滞化,第三、通货膨胀化。而美国无疑将利用三大战争,汇率大战、贸易大战、成本大战,恶化我们的三大危机。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 晚饭

    晚饭

    父亲提一块肉和几样蔬菜兴冲冲闯进家门,母亲刚把饭压上,高压锅哧哧地响个不停。“啥事?又买肉。”母亲说。“我碰到宋瑜了,她说她马上就回来吃晚饭。”父亲拿脚把门踢上,边说边向厨房走。母亲尾随着去了厨房,他们在厨房里愉快地准备着晚饭。一盘木耳肉片,一盘土豆丝,还有一大汤碗番茄蛋汤。母亲和我都坐下来,父亲搓着双手也坐下来,把六十度的江津白酒倒入杯中。
  • 萝莉遭遇腹黑美男:PK我的恶魔校草

    萝莉遭遇腹黑美男:PK我的恶魔校草

    他腹黑,他冷血,他傲慢,他高高在上!他是贵族学院的学生会权利会长,他是一连六届的校草,他是全市最大企业的唯一法定继承人,他是所有人都羡慕不已的人物。但是他却和完全毫不起眼的她,因为一个神秘的日记本纠缠在一起。为了找到那个日记本,他捉弄她,折磨她,想尽千方百计要开除她!但是这个女生的石头吗?居然这么倔强?好吧,他承认他爱上了她!而且,这是他的一个小小的阴谋,但是他们却不知道,紧随而来的是一个更大的阴谋......