"de Musset, Alfred - Tizianello" - читать интересную книгу автора (Musset Alfred De)

on his adventure. He also resolved to give this poem, when finished, to his
godmother, who would no doubt show it to his fair unknown. Not wishing to delay
any longer, he at once put into execution his dual project.
After having arranged his doublet and carefully placed his hat on his head, he
first examined himself in a mirror to see if he looked well, for his first
thought had been to again deceive La Bianchina by fictitious protestations of
love and to persuade her by kindness. But he soon gave up this idea, reflecting
that in this way he would only bring to life the woman's passion and make
further trouble for himself. He took the opposite course and hastily rushed to
her house, as if he were furious. He prepared to create a scene and so well to
intimidate her that she should henceforth leave him alone.
Monna Bianchina was one of those blonde Venetians with black eyes, whose
resentment has always been looked upon as dangerous. Since he had so misused
her, Pippo had not received a single message from her. She was, no doubt,
preparing in silence the vengeance of which she had spoken. It was therefore
necessary to strike a decisive blow, in default of increasing the harm done. She
was about to go out when the young man arrived. He stopped her on the staircase
and forced her to go back to her room.
"Unhappy woman!" he cried. "What have you done? You have destroyed all my hopes
and your vengeance is accomplished!"
"Good God! What has happened to you?" asked La Bianchina, thunderstruck.
"Can you ask? Where is that purse that you told me came from you? Do you still
dare lie to me?"
"What matters it if I have lied or not? I do not know where that purse has
gone."
"You will die or return it!" cried Pippo, rushing at her. And, with no respect
for a new gown which the poor woman had just put on, he violently tore away the
cloth that covered her breast and placed his dagger on her heart.
La Bianchina thought her end had come and began to call for help, but Pippo
choked her with his handkerchief, and without her being able to utter a sound,
he forced her to return the purse, which happily she had kept. "You have caused
trouble to a powerful family," he then told her. "You have forever troubled one
of the most illustrious houses in Venice! Tremble! This redoubtable house
watches you: neither you nor your husband will now take a single step without
its being known. The Lords of the Night have inscribed your name in their book;
think of the dungeons of the Ducal Palace! At the first word you say, that makes
known the terrible secret that your malice has caused, your entire family
disappears!"
With these words he left, and every one knows that in Venice none more
terrifying could be uttered. The pitiless and secret arrests of the Corte
Maggiore spread so great a terror that those who thought themselves even
suspected already looked upon themselves as dead. This was just what happened in
the case of La Bianchina's husband, Ser Orio, whom she had told, in part, of the
threat that Pippo had just made. It is true that she ignored the motives, and in
fact Pippo himself ignored them, since all this was but a fable. But Ser Orio
prudently thought it was not necessary to know why one had brought down upon
oneself the wrath of the supreme court, and that the most important thing was to
avoid it. He was not born in Venice. His parents lived on the mainland. So he
embarked the next day with his wife and they were no longer spoken of. It was
thus that Pippo found means of getting rid of La Bianchina, and of repaying her