Things sometimes happen in this world, that if people were beforehand to devise or project them, they never could succeed in so doing, and so from that and their rarity they pass as apocryphal1, and are not believed to be as true as they are, and it is necessary to help people's belief by swearing to the truth, or, at least, it requires that the relator should be a person of good credit, although, for my part, I am of opinion that it is best not to tell them at all, according to the advice in the old Castilian adage,—
"Very wonderful things
Should never be told,
For it is not every one
That can enter into them."
Our pilgrims had not been long in the inn when Bartholomew came and said, "Make haste, sir, and come and see the most extraordinary sight you ever saw in your life!" He said this in such a scared and frightened manner, that, thinking they were going to see some very strange thing, they followed him, and in a part of the house at some distance from that in which the pilgrims and the ladies were lodged2, they saw through some matting an apartment entirely3 hung with black, the murky4 darkness of which prevented them from seeing distinctly what was in it. Whilst they were looking at it, an old man, also dressed in black, came up to them, and said, "Gentlemen, if you wish to see the Lady Ruperta without her seeing you, I will contrive5 it so that you shall be gratified; in about two hours after midnight you will have an opportunity of seeing what will surprise you, both as to her beauty and behaviour."
"Sir," said Periander, "our servant, that you see here, brought us to see a wonder, but we have seen nothing yet, except a room hung with black, which is not wonderful at all."
"If you will return hither at the hour I have named," replied the man in black, "you shall see what will surprise you; for you must know that in this apartment lodges6 the Lady Ruperta, who was, not quite a year ago, the wife of Earl Lambert, of Scotland, which marriage cost him his life, and has placed her in danger of losing it every hour; for Claudio Rubicon, a gentleman of very good family in Scotland, whose great wealth and ancient lineage rendered him proud and overbearing, and he being also of a warm temperament7, loved my mistress when she was a maiden8; but she, whether she disliked him or not, at any rate, rejected him, and showed her disdain9 of his addresses by marrying the earl my master. This hasty act of hers seemed as if it was a proof of contempt and aversion to Rubicon, as if the fair Ruperta had not parents who fixed10 and directed her choice, and, added to which, the years of the husband chosen for her, were far better suited to her own; and it is no doubt desirable that this should be considered in a marriage, although it is good for the husband to have the advantage in point of age. Now Rubicon was a widower11, and far from young, and he had a son of about twenty or one-and-twenty years old, a young man extremely amiable12, and of a much better disposition13 than his father, indeed, had it been he who had offered himself, my master might be still alive, and my mistress happier.
"It chanced then that my lady and her husband being at a country seat of his where they had gone to enjoy themselves together, one day, in a lonely spot, they suddenly met Rubicon, attended by a strong party of his servants. At the sight of my lady all the fury he had felt at the injury he conceived she had done him, was aroused, and, instead of love, hate and rage sprang up in his soul, and a desire to revenge himself on her; and as the revenge of a despised lover far surpasses the offence given, so Rubicon, enraged14 and desperate with jealousy15 and hate, drew his sword, and ran the earl my master through the body, crying, 'If this be cruelty, far greater has been that of thy wife to me, for her disdain has tortured me a hundred thousand times!'
"I was present during this scene, these ears heard his words, and these eyes saw the blow given, and with these hands did I endeavour to close the wound. I heard the lamentations of my mistress which pierced the air. We returned to the spot afterwards to remove the body for burial, and by her command the head was cut off, and, in a few days, by dint16 of certain applications used, all the flesh was removed from the skull17. She had a silver case made to hold it, and, placing her hand thereon, she made the following vow18: but I forgot to mention that the cruel murderer, either from forgetfulness, or in his fury, or possibly from the hurry of mind he must have been in, left his sword sticking in my lord's body; and his blood even now looks fresh upon the blade. I was going to tell you that she pronounced these words:—
"'I, the hapless Ruperta, to whom God gave the fatal gift of beauty, make this vow before high Heaven: with my hand placed on these sad relics19, I swear to revenge my husband's death by all the means in my power, and with all diligence, though I were to risk therein my miserable20 life a thousand times. No dangers shall scare me, no entreaties21 shall avail to soften22 me, and until I have succeeded in effecting this my just, if not Christian23 resolve, I swear that my apparel shall be black, my apartments hung with the same gloomy hue24, my attendants shall wear mourning, and I will have no company, but live in solitude25; at every meal I will have these relics present, which keep up the torment26 of my soul; this head, which shall, without a voice, command me to revenge its injury; this sword, on which I seem to see the yet streaming blood, shall, by kindling27 mine, leave me no rest until I am avenged28!'
"After speaking thus, her tears seemed to flow less incessantly29, and her sighs and complaints became more moderate. She then began to arrange a journey to Rome, to obtain there from some powerful personages, aid and protection against the murderer of her husband, who still threatens her.
"Now, sirs, you will see what I have told you if you come in about two hours from this time; if you are not moved and astonished by it, either I have told my story ill, or your hearts must be of marble."
Here the mourning squire30 ceased speaking, and the pilgrims, even without having seen Ruperta, were filled with wonder and compassion31 for her case.
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1
apocryphal
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| adj.假冒的，虚假的 | |
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2
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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3
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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4
murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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5
contrive
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| vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出 | |
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6
lodges
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| v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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7
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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8
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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9
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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10
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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11
widower
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| n.鳏夫 | |
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12
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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13
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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14
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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15
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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16
dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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17
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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18
vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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19
relics
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| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
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20
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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21
entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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22
soften
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| v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和 | |
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23
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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24
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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25
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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26
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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27
kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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28
avenged
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| v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复 | |
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29
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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30
squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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31
compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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