登陆注册
4702700000034

第34章

Panting, exhausted, Colomba was utterly incapable of uttering a single word. Her head rested on her brother's shoulder, and she clasped one of his hands tightly between her own. Orso, though secretly somewhat annoyed by her peroration, was too much alarmed to reprove her, even in the mildest fashion. He was silently waiting till the nervous attack from which she seemed to be suffering should have passed, when there was a knock at the door, and Saveria, very much flustered, announced the prefect. At the words, Colomba rose, as though ashamed of her weakness, and stood leaning on a chair, which shook visibly beneath her hand.

The prefect began with some commonplace apology for the unseasonable hour of his visit, condoled with Mademoiselle Colomba, touched on the danger connected with strong emotions, blamed the custom of composing funeral dirges, which the very talent of the /voceratrice/ rendered the more harrowing to her auditors, skilfully slipped in a mild reproof concerning the tendency of the improvisation just concluded, and then, changing his tone--"M. della Rebbia," he said, "I have many messages for you from your English friends. Miss Nevil sends her affectionate regards to your sister. I have a letter for you from her."

"A letter from Miss Nevil!" cried Orso.

"Unluckily I have not got it with me. But you shall have it within five minutes. Her father has not been well. For a little while we were afraid he had caught one of our terrible fevers. Luckily he is all right again, as you will observe for yourself, for I fancy you will see him very soon."

"Miss Nevil must have been very much alarmed!"

"Fortunately she did not become aware of the danger till it was quite gone by. M. della Rebbia, Miss Nevil has talked to me a great deal about you and about your sister."

Orso bowed.

"She has a great affection for you both. Under her charming appearance, and her apparent frivolity, a fund of good sense lies hidden."

"She is a very fascinating person," said Orso.

"I have come here, monsieur, almost at her prayer. Nobody is better acquainted than I with a fatal story which I would fain not have to recall to you. As M. Barricini is still the mayor of Pietranera, and as I am prefect of the department, I need hardly tell you what weight I attach to certain suspicions which, if I am rightly informed, some incautious individuals have communicated to you, and which you, I know, have spurned with the indignation your position and your character would have led me to expect."

"Colomba," said Orso, moving uneasily to his chair. "You are very tired. You had better go to bed."

Colomba shook her head. She had recovered all her usual composure, and her burning eyes were fixed on the prefect.

"M. Barricini," the prefect continued, "is exceedingly anxious to put an end to the sort of enmity . . . or rather, the condition of uncertainty, existing between yourself and him. . . . On my part, I should be delighted to see you both in those relations of friendly intercourse appropriate to people who certainly ought to esteem each other."

"Monsieur," replied Orso in a shaking voice, "I have never charged Barricini with my father's murder. But he committed an act which must always prevent me from having anything to do with him. He forged a threatening letter, in the name of a certain bandit, or at least he hinted in an underhand sort of way that it was forged by my father.

That letter, monsieur, was probably the indirect cause of my father's death."

The prefect sat thinking for a moment.

"That your father should have believed that, when his own hasty nature led him into a lawsuit with Signor Barricini, is excusable. But such blindness on your part really can not be admitted. Pray consider that Barricini could have served no interest of his own by forging the letter. I will not talk to you about his character, for you are not acquainted with it, and are prejudiced against it; but you can not suppose that a man conversant with the law----"

"But, monsieur," said Orso, rising to his feet, "be good enough to recollect that when you tell me the letter was not Barricini's work, you ascribe it to my father. And my father's honour, monsieur, is mine!"

"No man on earth, sir, is more convinced of Colonel della Rebbia's honour than myself! But the writer of the letter is now known."

"Who wrote it?" exclaimed Colomba, making a step toward the prefect.

"A villain, guilty of several crimes--such crimes as you Corsicans never pardon--a thief, one Tomaso Bianchi, at present confined in the prison at Bastia, has acknowledged that he wrote the fatal letter."

"I know nothing of the man," said Orso. "What can have been his object?"

"He belongs to this neighbourhood," said Colomba. "He is brother to a man who was our miller--a scamp and a liar, unworthy of belief."

同类推荐
  • 豫章漫抄

    豫章漫抄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说稻秆经

    佛说稻秆经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 本事词

    本事词

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 瘗旅文

    瘗旅文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 广陵涛尺牍

    广陵涛尺牍

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 世说人语

    世说人语

    精选了郑逸梅写人物、谈掌故、品艺事、话图书的文章上百余篇,撷英采华,变成这部郑逸梅美文类编。共分人物编、书话编、掌故编、艺事编四辑。所选皆为郑文精粹,而又以类相从,可以和而观之,也可性有偏嗜,各取所好,一编在手,尽享快乐阅读的陶然之感。
  • 水秀山明

    水秀山明

    本文讲述因为意外变傻了的原心狠手辣腹黑卑鄙的男主与嚣张跋扈傲娇任性霸气外露的女主展开的一段狗血小白的爱情故事。通过讲述这个爱情故事,展现出在爱情面前智商和骄傲都是浮云……
  • 小城大爱

    小城大爱

    Tessa Jacobson是南方小城里一名颇有抱负的作家,最近正心碎如粉:她的男朋友甩了她,带着乐队和一名漂亮的女歌手去了纳什维尔。三周后的一个周末,Tessa在餐馆等位的时候遇到了好莱坞明星Nate Wilder,并立即被他吸引。尽管仍处于心碎阶段,Tessa还是感觉到了爱情的火花,俩人开始了秘密约会。Tessa爱上了Nate,一切都似乎很完美,直到一次沟通上的误会使她突然提出了分手。又过了一段时间,Tessa的前男友回来了,请求Tessa跟他一起去纳什维尔,这样他们就能复合。
  • 安静的美国人

    安静的美国人

    这是一部影响了几代美国人成长的文学巨作,被《纽约时报》誉为“每个记者都应该人手一本”的著作。两度改编成电影。2002年版由迈克尔·凯恩主演,获得奥斯卡、金球奖、英国电影学院奖多项提名。如果你无法逃避你不喜欢的,那就试着去勇敢面对。本书是格林对政治、战争、爱情的探讨,讲述了一个天真无知的理想主义者的破灭,一个渴望置身事外的旁观者的抉择。如果你无法逃避你不喜欢的,那就试着去勇敢面对。二战结束后,性格安静的美国人派尔来到越南,与英国战地记者福勒结识,并喜欢上了福勒的情人凤。与此同时,派尔为了实现自己的政治理想,不惜制造多起恐怖事件。在得知派尔的疯狂行动后,原本想置身事外的福勒被迫卷入了这场战争中。
  • 婚后三十六个月

    婚后三十六个月

    当“七年之痒”被“三年之伤”所取代,当婚后第三十六个月的情感压力达到最高点,夫妻双方如何应对婚姻八面埋伏的挑战:与爱人关系的紧张、微妙的婆媳关系、养不起的孩子、入侵婚姻的彪悍小三……任何一个挑战都足够让婚姻以最快的速度瓦解。 金灿灿、江一朵、杜娟三个80后女孩从不谙世事、懵懂的小女孩逐渐成为妻子、儿媳妇、妈妈。在步入婚姻的第三十六个月,她们经历了很多的困难。在这个过程中,她们不断地改变,不断地适应。经历使她们成长,生活的矛盾与疼痛更让她们炼就了将婚姻的一手烂牌打到最好的勇气。
  • 重生之女王难宠

    重生之女王难宠

    【简介】平庸的二十九岁,未婚夫携手妹妹出现。弟弟为她而死,她却丧失看他一眼的资格。雨夜,父亲,继母,妹妹,未婚夫,将她赶出家门。车祸,重生,15岁那年花季。她,非国色天香,却风华倾城。短短数月,手控A市黑帮。短短数年,牵制A市所有商业线。今生,她要护的人,谁敢碰一下便是自掘坟墓。今生,她要报的仇,谁敢阻挠,杀无赦。商界精英,卧底传奇,萌宠精灵,皆愿不惜一切,只求美人垂恩。浴火重生,又怎会耽恋男色?她,便是武则天再世;她,便是枭女传奇;她,便是女王难宠。【复仇篇】戴面具的亲情,不得不在她面前露出本相;添油加醋的行径不过是让始作俑者自食恶果;曾经玩弄她母女与股掌之间的叶昊天,也不过成了臣服的懦夫。她要昭告天下:断她财路者贫;谋她性命者亡。叶昊天:“婉儿,我是你父亲,你不该······”舒婉:“对,你是我父亲,所以你为了一个项目把我送给生意场上的人?你是我父亲,所以你夺去本该属于我的财产?你是我父亲,所以你要在利用完我后,将我扫地出门?”白若辰:“婉儿,你要相信,如果不是叶媚勾引,根本不会发生这种事的。婉儿吗,你知道我是爱你的。放过我。”舒婉:“爱,所以要背叛?爱,所以也要将我扫地出门?爱,所以要联合起来羞辱我?好一个‘爱’。”【情感篇】某男:“放下这些仇恨,让自己放空,不好吗?”某女:“如果有人害死你的外公,虐死你的母亲,赶你出家门,还要让你死无葬身之地,你能放下吗?我不是圣人,你别这样要求我。”某男:“放下这些忙碌,让我好好宠你,不好吗?”某女:“你愿意放下你的事业,在家等我吗?”某男:“我是男人,事业是男人的天下。”某女:“我是女人,谁说女人不可以在事业上叱咤?
  • 丹武主宰

    丹武主宰

    【火爆爽文!】丹,可救人,武,可杀人!丹武同修,踏上主宰之路!书友群升龙殿:549113243(喜欢本书的小伙伴可以加入进来!多谢了!)
  • 武吞万界

    武吞万界

    没有系统?不要紧,我有玲珑玉璧!没有外挂?不要紧,我有玲珑玉璧!想要穿越,不要紧,玲珑依然会满足你!新书《学霸从睡神开始》请大家帮忙收藏支持一下。
  • 外国名人故事荟萃(下)

    外国名人故事荟萃(下)

    培根说:“用伟大人物的事迹激励青少年,远胜于一切教育。”为此,我社编写了“名人故事精品”丛书,精选荟萃了古今中外各行各业具有代表性的名人事迹,其中有政治家、外交家、军事家、谋略家、思想家、文学家、艺术家、科学家、发明家、财富家等。“外国名人故事荟萃”包括上下两册,下册荟萃了大卫·休谟等思想家、理查德·尼克松等谋略家、切斯特·尼米兹等军事家、本杰明·富兰克林等外交家、约翰·肯尼迪等政治家的代表事迹。
  • 捡来的男神

    捡来的男神

    她是一位,退役后隐藏于都市的女特种兵。他是一位,全国人都知道的全能型大明星。且看他们相遇会擦出怎样的火花?