第26章 Scenes from OULANEM(5)

Confounded villain,yet good villain too,What shall I do?Get out of here,by God!

Pertini (aloud).

It rankles in his mind,remembering how I took the words out of his mouth just now.

In language beautiful he would have talked,When by my interruption he was balked.

But never mind,'tis Beatrice's belief You kindly wished to afford her some relief From your grand talk;like any German jest,Once swallowed,it's not easy to digest.

I go.

Lucindo (in a low voice).But man!

Pertini (aloud).Think of the sympathies That from the stomach to the heart soon rise;

I'll soon be back to fetch you swift away,Or else in this sweet place too long you'll stay.

(Aside.)I must be gone.And while he pays his court,I'll see the old man brings it all to naught.

(Exit Pertini.Lucindo is in confusion.)

Beatrice.And must I yet once more bid you be seated?

Lucindo.I'll gladly sit here if you truly wish it.(Sits down.)

Beatrice.Our friend Pertini's often strangely moody.

Lucindo.Yes,strangely so!Most strangely!Very strangely!

(Pause.)

Forgive me,ladyyou esteem this man!

Beatrice.He has long been a true friend of the household,And always treated me most amiably.

And yet I know not why I cannot bear him.

He's often violent.Often from his breast

Forgive me,he's your friendsome secret spirit Calls strangely,in a voice I do not like.

It is as though some inner turbulent darkness Shrank from the daylight's open look of love And feared to make response,as if he harboured An evil worse than his tongue speaks,worse even Than his heart dares to think.This is but surmise,And I do wrong,confiding it so soon;

It is suspicion;suspicion is a viper.

Lucindo.Do you regret confiding in me,then?

Beatrice.Were it a secret that concerned myself

But oh,what am I saying!Have you won My trust already?Yet it is not wrong That I should tell you everything I know;

I could confide it all to anyone,Since I know nothing that's not known to all.

Lucindo.To all?Well said!You would be kind to all?

Beatrice.Would you not too?

Lucindo.O angel,O sweet being!

Beatrice.You make me fearful,sir.What mean these words?

You jump so suddenly from theme to theme!

Lucindo.I must act quickly,for the hour is striking.

Why hesitate?Death is in every minute.

Can I conceal it?It's a miracle,I have just met you;strange though it appears,We might have known each other many years.

It is as if the music I heard sound Within my own heart,living form had found,And into vibrant,warm reality The spiritbond uniting us breaks free.

Beatrice.I won't deny it:you are not to me A stranger,yet still strange you are,unknown.

But as dark spirits would not let us see Each other till this hour,so we must own There may be other spirits whose deceit Binds us with treacherous bonds,however sweet.

Foresight and wisdom we must not despise;

The strongest lightning strikes not from dark skies.

Lucindo.O fair philosopher of the heart!O God,I can resist no more,for you compel me!

Do not imagine that I do not hold You in respect because my heart grows bold.

It throbs to bursting,all my nerves are tense.

I can resist no more.Soon I'll be gone,Far,far away from here,from you divided.

Then,worlds,plunge down,plunge down into the abyss!

Forgive me,sweet my child,forgive the hour That drives me onward with such violent power.

I love you,Beatrice,by God I swear it,And Love and Beatrice make but one word That I can utter only in one breath,And in this thought I'd go to meet my death.

Beatrice.Since good can never come of it,I pray Speak no more thus.Ifbut this cannot be

You were to win my heart,now,straightaway,Surely you would no longer honour me.

You'd say that I was just a common thing,Ready,as thousands are,to have her fling.

If for a moment such a notion crossed Your mind,then love and honour would be lost.