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CHAPTER IV.
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Wherein is continued the History of Sinforosa's Love.

The enamoured Sinforosa listened attentively1 to the prudent2 counsels of Auristella; but without replying to them, she returned to take up again the thread of their past discourse3, saying, "You shall see, my friend, to what extremities4 this love for your brother has brought me; it made me send a captain, one of my father's guard, in search of him; and to bring him back to my presence, either by force or by his own good will. The vessel5 in which he embarked6 is the same in which you arrived hither, for his body was found among the dead."

"Very probably," answered Auristella, "for I heard from his lips a great part of what you have told me; insomuch, that I had already a notion, although somewhat confused, of your feelings towards him; which, if it be possible, I wish you to calm and compose, till you are able to discover them to my brother, or till I can undertake to find a remedy for you, which shall be as soon as you have told me what is the result of your interview. You cannot fail in finding an opportunity shortly." Sinforosa renewed her thanks to Auristella, and she in return anew expressed her sympathy.

Meantime, whilst this was passing between the Princess and Auristella, Arnoldo was in the company of Clodio, who was dying to disturb or destroy, if possible, the tender sentiments he entertained for Auristella, and finding him alone (if a man can be said to be alone whose soul is continually occupied with one image) said to him, "I told you, my lord, the other day, how little dependance was to be placed on the volatile7 nature of woman; and after all Auristella is a woman, though to you she seems an Angel. And Periander is a man, although he is her brother. Now, I am far from wishing to excite evil suspicions in your breast, but merely to create a little prudent caution, and if you think what I suggest is reasonable, I wish you sometimes to consider who you are, the loneliness of your father; how much your presence is wanted by your vassals8; the chance that may happen of even losing your kingdom, which is as a vessel deserted9 by its pilot! I would have you observe that princes are usually obliged to marry, not merely for beauty, but for high birth; not for riches so much as for virtue10 and noble qualities, that they may give good successors to the kingdom. It lessens11 the respect which a people owe to the sovereign, if they see him demean himself in an alliance; and it is not enough to say that a king stands so high and is so great himself, that it matters nothing if the wife he selects be of low degree. Therefore, my noble lord, either return to your kingdom, or look well and with caution that you are not deceived; and pardon this boldness in me, for although I have the character of being an evil-speaker and a backbiter, I do not wish to be thought bad intentioned; with you I would fain find a shelter, and beneath the shield of your valour I would spend my life, fearing no more the storms of fate, for already a better star seems dawning to amend12 my character and life, hitherto so depraved."

"I thank you, Clodio," replied Arnoldo, "for your good advice, but I cannot profit by it or accept it. Auristella is virtuous13; Periander is her brother; and I cannot doubt this, because she has herself said so; and for me, her word is truth. I adore her; there is no denying that the infinite measure of her beauty raises her so far above my desires, that I exist only in her, and for her alone has been, is, and will be, life desirable. Therefore, O Clodio, counsel me no more; for your words are only scattered14 to the winds, and my conduct will prove how useless is all your advice."

Clodio shrugged15 his shoulders, hung his head, and left the prince's presence, resolved to attempt no more to be his adviser16; because, to be so, requires three qualities, the first is authority, the second prudence17, and the third is to be acceptable, and the counsel desired. These amorous18 struggles and distresses19 were busy in the palace of King Polycarp and the bosoms20 of the lovers. Auristella jealous; Sinforosa, love-lorn; Periander, uneasy; Arnoldo, pertinacious21; and Maurice busy arranging plans for returning to his own country, sorely against Transila's inclination22, who had no wish to go back to a place of which the customs and manners were so rude and barbarous; her husband, Ladislaus, neither dared nor desired to contradict her. The elder Antonio was dying to see himself, his wife and children in Spain; and Rutilio sighed after Italy, his native land. Each had wishes, yet was not a single one of them accomplished23; this is the lot of humanity, which though God created it perfect, was by our sin made imperfect; and this imperfection we must endure until we cease to wish for anything.

It happened, then, that Sinforosa almost purposely gave Periander an opportunity of being alone with Auristella, wishing to afford her a means of opening the subject of her case, the sentence of which would be to her that of life or death. The first words Auristella said, were, "This, our pilgrimage, my lord and brother, so full of sufferings and surprises, threatening so many dangers, daily and hourly, leaves me in fear of death; and I wish we could form some plan to make life more secure, by remaining quiet in some place; nowhere shall we find one better than this where we are now, for here are riches offered you abundantly, not only promises but in reality. And, moreover, a nobly born and most beautiful wife, worthy24 of being wooed instead of herself wooing you, offers her hand to your acceptance."

Whilst Auristella thus spoke25, Periander regarded her so attentively that he never moved his eye-lashes; he followed her rapid discourse to discover whither her reasoning was going to lead to; but soon going on, she relieved him from his confusion, saying, "My brother! for by this name I must call you, let your condition be what it may, I say that Sinforosa adores you, and wishes to marry you. I say, that she has immense riches and immense beauty; I say, immense, for it is such that it can hardly be exaggerated; and as far as I have seen, she is well-conditioned, of quick intellect, and of manners discreet26 and modest. According to present appearances, such an alliance would not come amiss to you; we are far away from our native country; you, persecuted27 by your brother, and I, by my hard fate. As to our journey to Rome, the more we try to accomplish it, the more do difficulties increase; my intentions are unchanged, but I tremble, and I do not wish death to surprise me amidst terror and danger; therefore I think of ending my life in a religious house, and I wish you to finish yours in prosperity."

Here Auristella ceased speaking, and began to shed such floods of tears, that they contradicted and blotted28 out all she had said. She drew her arms modestly out of the coverlet, and turned her head to the opposite side from that where Periander was; who seeing things at such an extremity29, and having heard her last words, remained without power to speak or move; the sight left his eyes, his breath failed, and he sunk upon his knees on the floor, his head resting upon the bed. Auristella turned hers, and seeing that he had fainted, she put her hand upon his face, and bathed his cheeks with her tears, which fell drop by drop without his being conscious of it.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 attentively AyQzjz     
adv.聚精会神地;周到地;谛;凝神
参考例句:
  • She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时,她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着,把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 prudent M0Yzg     
adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的
参考例句:
  • A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
  • You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。
3 discourse 2lGz0     
n.论文,演说;谈话;话语;vi.讲述,著述
参考例句:
  • We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
  • He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。
4 extremities AtOzAr     
n.端点( extremity的名词复数 );尽头;手和足;极窘迫的境地
参考例句:
  • She was most noticeable, I thought, in respect of her extremities. 我觉得她那副穷极可怜的样子实在太惹人注目。 来自辞典例句
  • Winters may be quite cool at the northwestern extremities. 西北边区的冬天也可能会相当凉。 来自辞典例句
5 vessel 4L1zi     
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管
参考例句:
  • The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
  • You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。
6 embarked e63154942be4f2a5c3c51f6b865db3de     
乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 ); 装载; 从事
参考例句:
  • We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
  • She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。
7 volatile tLQzQ     
adj.反复无常的,挥发性的,稍纵即逝的,脾气火爆的;n.挥发性物质
参考例句:
  • With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定,投资冒着很大的风险。
  • His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱,喜怒无常。
8 vassals c23072dc9603a967a646b416ddbd0fff     
n.奴仆( vassal的名词复数 );(封建时代)诸侯;从属者;下属
参考例句:
  • He was indeed at this time having the Central Office cleared of all but his vassals. 的确,他这时正在对中央事务所进行全面清洗(他的亲信除外)。 来自辞典例句
  • The lowly vassals suffering all humiliates in both physical and mental aspects. 地位低下的奴仆,他们在身体上和精神上受尽屈辱。 来自互联网
9 deserted GukzoL     
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的
参考例句:
  • The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
  • The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。
10 virtue BpqyH     
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力
参考例句:
  • He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
  • You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。
11 lessens 77e6709415979411b220a451af0eb9d3     
变少( lessen的第三人称单数 ); 减少(某事物)
参考例句:
  • Eating a good diet significantly lessens the risk of heart disease. 良好的饮食习惯能大大减少患心脏病的机率。
  • Alcohol lessens resistance to diseases. 含有酒精的饮料会减弱对疾病的抵抗力。
12 amend exezY     
vt.修改,修订,改进;n.[pl.]赔罪,赔偿
参考例句:
  • The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
  • You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。
13 virtuous upCyI     
adj.有品德的,善良的,贞洁的,有效力的
参考例句:
  • She was such a virtuous woman that everybody respected her.她是个有道德的女性,人人都尊敬她。
  • My uncle is always proud of having a virtuous wife.叔叔一直为娶到一位贤德的妻子而骄傲。
14 scattered 7jgzKF     
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的
参考例句:
  • Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来,塞进文件夹里。
15 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 adviser HznziU     
n.劝告者,顾问
参考例句:
  • They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
  • Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。
17 prudence 9isyI     
n.谨慎,精明,节俭
参考例句:
  • A lack of prudence may lead to financial problems.不够谨慎可能会导致财政上出现问题。
  • The happy impute all their success to prudence or merit.幸运者都把他们的成功归因于谨慎或功德。
18 amorous Menys     
adj.多情的;有关爱情的
参考例句:
  • They exchanged amorous glances and clearly made known their passions.二人眉来眼去,以目传情。
  • She gave him an amorous look.她脉脉含情的看他一眼。
19 distresses d55b1003849676d6eb49b5302f6714e5     
n.悲痛( distress的名词复数 );痛苦;贫困;危险
参考例句:
  • It was from these distresses that the peasant wars of the fourteenth century sprang. 正是由于这些灾难才爆发了十四世纪的农民战争。 来自辞典例句
  • In all dangers and distresses, I will remember that. 在一切危险和苦难中,我要记住这一件事。 来自互联网
20 bosoms 7e438b785810fff52fcb526f002dac21     
胸部( bosom的名词复数 ); 胸怀; 女衣胸部(或胸襟); 和爱护自己的人在一起的情形
参考例句:
  • How beautifully gold brooches glitter on the bosoms of our patriotic women! 金光闪闪的别针佩在我国爱国妇女的胸前,多美呀!
  • Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there weep our sad bosoms empty. 我们寻个僻静的地方,去痛哭一场吧。
21 pertinacious YAkyB     
adj.顽固的
参考例句:
  • I can affirm that he is tenacious and pertinacious as are few.我可以肯定,像他那样不屈不挠、百折不回的人是十分罕见的。
  • Questions buzzed in his head like pertinacious bees.一连串问题在他脑子里盘旋着,就象纠缠不休的蜜蜂。
22 inclination Gkwyj     
n.倾斜;点头;弯腰;斜坡;倾度;倾向;爱好
参考例句:
  • She greeted us with a slight inclination of the head.她微微点头向我们致意。
  • I did not feel the slightest inclination to hurry.我没有丝毫着急的意思。
23 accomplished UzwztZ     
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的
参考例句:
  • Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
  • Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。
24 worthy vftwB     
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的
参考例句:
  • I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
  • There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。
25 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
26 discreet xZezn     
adj.(言行)谨慎的;慎重的;有判断力的
参考例句:
  • He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。
  • It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。
27 persecuted 2daa49e8c0ac1d04bf9c3650a3d486f3     
(尤指宗教或政治信仰的)迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 ); 烦扰,困扰或骚扰某人
参考例句:
  • Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
  • Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。
28 blotted 06046c4f802cf2d785ce6e085eb5f0d7     
涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 ); (用吸墨纸)吸干
参考例句:
  • She blotted water off the table with a towel. 她用毛巾擦干桌上的水。
  • The blizzard blotted out the sky and the land. 暴风雪铺天盖地而来。
29 extremity tlgxq     
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度
参考例句:
  • I hope you will help them in their extremity.我希望你能帮助在穷途末路的他们。
  • What shall we do in this extremity?在这种极其困难的情况下我们该怎么办呢?


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