the cenci-第3章

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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　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