“Well, Ors’ Anton’,” said the elder bandit to the young man, “so your business is settled—the indictment14 against you has fallen through? I congratulate you. I’m sorry the lawyer has left the island. I’d like to see his rage. And how’s your arm?”
“They tell me I shall get rid of my sling in a fortnight,” said the young man. “Brando, my good friend, I’m going to Italy to-morrow—I wanted to say good-bye to you and to the cure. That’s why I asked you to come here.”
“You’re in a fine hurry,” said Brandolaccio. “Only acquitted15 yesterday, and you’re off to-morrow.”
“Business must be attended to,” said the young lady merrily. “Gentlemen, I’ve brought some supper. Fall to, if you please, and don’t you forget my friend Brusco.”
“You spoil Brusco, Mademoiselle Colomba. But he’s a grateful dog. You shall see. Here, Brusco,” and he held out his gun horizontally, “jump for the Barricini!”
The dog stood motionless, licking his chops, and staring at his master.
“Jump for the della Rebbia!” And he leaped two feet higher than he need have done.
“Look here, my friends,” said Orso, “you’re plying16 a bad trade; and even if you don’t end your career on that square below us,[*] the best you can look for is to die in the maquis by some gendarme’s bullet.”
[*] The square at Bastia on which executions take place.
“Well, well,” said Castriconi, “that’s no more than death, anyhow; and it’s better than being killed in your bed by a fever, with your heirs snivelling more or less honestly all round you. To men who are accustomed to the open air like us, there’s nothing so good as to die ‘in your shoes,’ as the village folk say.”
“I should like to see you get out of this country,” said Orso, “and lead a quieter life. For instance, why shouldn’t you settle in Sardinia, as several of your comrades have done? I could make the matter easy for you.”
“In Sardinia!” cried Brandolaccio. “Istos Sardos! Devil take them and their lingo17! We couldn’t live in such bad company.”
“Sardinia’s a country without resources,” added the theologian. “For my part, I despise the Sardinians. They keep mounted men to hunt their bandits. That’s a stigma18 on both the bandits and the country.[*] Out upon Sardinia, say I! The thing that astounds19 me, Signor della Rebbia, is that you, who are a man of taste and understanding, should not have taken to our life in the maquis, after having once tried it, as you did.”
[*] I owe this criticism of Sardinia to an ex-bandit of my
acquaintance, and he alone must bear the responsibility of
it. He means that bandits who let themselves be caught by
horse soldiers are idiots, and that soldiers who try to
catch bandits on horseback have very little chance of
getting at them.
“Well,” said Orso, with a smile, “when I was lucky enough to be your guest, I wasn’t in very good case for enjoying the charms of your position, and my ribs20 still ache when I think of the ride I took one lovely night, thrown like a bundle across an unsaddled horse that my good friend Brandolaccio guided.”
“And the delight of escaping from your pursuers,” rejoined Castriconi; “is that nothing to you? How can you fail to realize the charm of absolute freedom in such a beautiful climate as ours? With this to insure respect,” and he held up his gun, “we are kings of everything within its range. We can give orders, we can redress21 wrongs. That’s a highly moral entertainment, monsieur, and a very pleasant one, which we don’t deny ourselves. What can be more beautiful than a knight-errant’s life, when he has good weapons, and more common sense than Don Quixote had? Listen! The other day I was told that little Lilla Luigi’s uncle—old miser22 that he is—wouldn’t give her a dowry. So I wrote to him. I didn’t use threats—that’s not my way. Well, well, in one moment the man was convinced. He married his niece, and I made two people happy. Believe me, Orso, there’s no life like the bandit’s life! Pshaw! You’d have joined us, perhaps, if it hadn’t been for a certain young Englishwoman whom I have scarcely seen myself, but about whose beauty every one in Bastia is talking.”
“My future sister-in-law doesn’t like the maquis,” laughed Colomba. “She got too great a fright in one of them.”
“Well,” said Orso, “you are resolved to stay here? So be it! But tell me whether there is anything I can do for you?”
“Nothing,” said Brandolaccio. “You’ve heaped kindnesses upon us. Here’s little Chilina with her dowry ready, so that there’ll be no necessity for my friend the cure to write one of his persuasive23 letters to insure her marrying well. We know the man on your farm will give us bread and powder whenever we need them. So fare you well! I hope we shall see you back in Corsica one of these days.”
“In case of pressing need,” said Orso, “a few gold coins are very useful. Now we are such old friends, you won’t refuse this little cartouche.[*] It will help you to provide cartridges24 of another kind.”
[*] Cartouche means a collection of gold pieces as well as
a cartridge.
“No money between you and me, sir,” said Brandolaccio resolutely25.
“In the world money is everything,” remarked Castriconi, “but in the maquis, all a man need care for is a brave heart, and a gun that carries true.”
“I don’t want to leave you without giving you something to remember me by,” persisted Orso. “Come, Brandolaccio, what can I leave with you?”
The bandit scratched his head and cast a sidelong glance at Orso’s gun.
“By my faith, if I dared—but no! you’re too fond of it.”
“What would you like?”
“Nothing! ‘Tisn’t anything at all. It’s knowing how to use it as well. I keep thinking of that devil of a double-shot of yours—and with only one hand, too! Oh! that never could happen twice over!”
“Is it the gun you fancy? I bought it for you. But see you don’t use it more than you are obliged.”
“Oh, I won’t promise to make as good use of it as you. But make your mind easy. When any other man has it, you may be certain it’s all over with Brando Savelli.”
“And you, Castriconi—what am I to give you?”
“Since you really insist on giving me some tangible26 keepsake, I’ll simply ask you to send me the smallest Horace you can get. It will amuse me, and prevent me from forgetting all my Latin. There’s a little woman who sells cigars on the jetty at Bastia. If you give it to her, she’ll see I get it.”
“You shall have an Elzevir, my erudite friend. There just happens to be one among some books I was going to take away with me. Well, good friends, we must part! Give me your hands. If you should ever think of Sardinia write to me. Signor N., the notary27, will give you my address on the mainland.”
“To-morrow, lieutenant,” said Brando, “when you get out in the harbour, look up to this spot on the mountain-side. We shall be here, and we’ll wave our handkerchiefs to you.”
And so they parted. Orso and his sister took their way back to Cardo, and the bandits departed up the mountain.

点击
收听单词发音

1
sling
![]() |
|
vt.扔;悬挂;n.挂带;吊索,吊兜;弹弓 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2
celebrated
![]() |
|
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3
remarkably
![]() |
|
ad.不同寻常地,相当地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4
admiration
![]() |
|
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5
connoisseur
![]() |
|
n.鉴赏家,行家,内行 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6
strapped
![]() |
|
adj.用皮带捆住的,用皮带装饰的;身无分文的;缺钱;手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词);用皮带抽打;包扎;给…打绷带 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7
laden
![]() |
|
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8
concealed
![]() |
|
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9
dwelling
![]() |
|
n.住宅,住所,寓所 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10
ridges
![]() |
|
n.脊( ridge的名词复数 );山脊;脊状突起;大气层的)高压脊 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11
fawned
![]() |
|
v.(尤指狗等)跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的过去式和过去分词 );巴结;讨好 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12
cartridge
![]() |
|
n.弹壳,弹药筒;(装磁带等的)盒子 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13
continental
![]() |
|
adj.大陆的,大陆性的,欧洲大陆的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14
indictment
![]() |
|
n.起诉;诉状 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15
acquitted
![]() |
|
宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 ); 使(自己)作出某种表现 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16
plying
![]() |
|
v.使用(工具)( ply的现在分词 );经常供应(食物、饮料);固定往来;经营生意 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17
lingo
![]() |
|
n.语言不知所云,外国话,隐语 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18
stigma
![]() |
|
n.耻辱,污名;(花的)柱头 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19
astounds
![]() |
|
v.使震惊,使大吃一惊( astound的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20
ribs
![]() |
|
n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 );(船或屋顶等的)肋拱;肋骨状的东西;(织物的)凸条花纹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21
redress
![]() |
|
n.赔偿,救济,矫正;v.纠正,匡正,革除 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22
miser
![]() |
|
n.守财奴,吝啬鬼 (adj.miserly) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23
persuasive
![]() |
|
adj.有说服力的,能说得使人相信的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24
cartridges
![]() |
|
子弹( cartridge的名词复数 ); (打印机的)墨盒; 录音带盒; (唱机的)唱头 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25
resolutely
![]() |
|
adj.坚决地,果断地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26
tangible
![]() |
|
adj.有形的,可触摸的,确凿的,实际的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27
notary
![]() |
|
n.公证人,公证员 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |