The fair Cunegund, being thus made acquainted with the history of the old woman's life and adventures, paid her all the respect and civility due to a person of her rank and merit. She very readily acceded to her proposal of engaging the passengers to relate their adventures in their turns, and was at length, as well as Candide, compelled to acknowledge that the old woman was in the right.
“It is a thousand pities,”said Candide,“that the sage Pangloss should have been hanged contrary to the custom of an auto-da-fe, for he would have given us a most admirable lecture on the moral and physical evil which overspreads the earth and sea;and I think I should have courage enough to presume to offer(with all due respect)some few objections.”
While everyone was reciting his adventures, the ship continued on her way, and at length arrived at Buenos Ayres, where Cunegund, Captain Candide, and the old woman, landed and went to wait upon the governor, Don Fernando d'Ibaraa y Figueora y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y Souza. This nobleman carried himself with a haughtiness suitable to a person who bore so many names.He spoke with the most noble disdain to everyone, carried his nose so high, strained his voice to such a pitch, assumed so imperious an air, and stalked with so much loftiness and pride, that everyone who had the honor of conversing with him was violently tempted to bastinade His Excellency.He was immoderately fond of women, and Miss Cunegund appeared in his eyes a paragon of beauty.The frst thing he did was to ask her if she was not the captain's wife.The air with which he made this demand alarmed Candide, who did not dare to say he was married to her, because indeed he was not;neither did he venture to say she was his sister, because she was not;and though a lie of this nature proved of great service to one of the ancients, and might possibly be useful to some of the moderns, yet the purity of his heart would not permit him to violate the truth.
“Miss Cunegund,”replied he,“is to do me the honor to marry me, and we humbly beseech Your Excellency to condescend to grace the ceremony with your presence.”
Don Fernando d'Ibaraa y Figueora y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y Souza, twirling his mustachio, and putting on a sarcastic smile, ordered Captain Candide to go and review his company. The gentle Candide obeyed, and the Governor was left with Miss Cunegund.He made her a strong declaration of love, protesting that he was ready to give her his hand in the face of the Church, or otherwise, as should appear most agreeable to a young lady of her prodigious beauty.Cunegund desired leave to retire a quarter of an hour to consult the old woman, and determine how she should proceed.
The old woman gave her the following counsel:
“Miss, you have seventy-two quarterings in your arms, it is true, but you have not a penny to bless yourself with. It is your own fault if you do not become the wife of one of the greatest noblemen in South America, with an exceeding fne mustachio.What business have you to pride yourself upon an unshaken constancy?You have been outraged by a Bulgarian soldier;a Jew and an Inquisitor have both tasted of your favors.People take advantage of misfortunes.I must confess, were I in your place, I should, without the least scruple, give my hand to the Governor, and thereby make the fortune of the brave Captain Candide.”
While the old woman was thus haranguing, with all the prudence that old age and experience furnish, a small bark entered the harbor, in which was an alcayde and his alguazils. Matters had fallen out as follows.
The old woman rightly guessed that the Franciscan with the long sleeves, was the person who had taken Miss Cunegund's money and jewels, while they and Candide were at Badajoz, in their flight from Lisbon. This same friar attempted to sell some of the diamonds to a jeweler, who presently knew them to have belonged to the Grand Inquisitor, and stopped them.The Franciscan, before he was hanged, acknowledged that he had stolen them and described the persons, and the road they had taken.The flight of Cunegund and Candide was already the towntalk.They sent in pursuit of them to Cadiz;and the vessel which had been sent to make the greater dispatch, had now reached the port of Buenos Ayres.A report was spread that an alcayde was going to land, and that he was in pursuit of the murderers of My Lord, the Inquisitor.The sage old woman immediately saw what was to be done.
“You cannot run away,”said she to Cunegund,“but you have nothing to fear;it was not you who killed My Lord Inquisitor:besides, as the Governor is in love with you, he will not suffer you to be ill-treated;therefore stand your ground.”
Then hurrying away to Candide, she said,“Be gone hence this instant, or you will be burned alive.”
Candide found there was no time to be lost;but how could he part from Cunegund, and whither must he fy for shelter?
美麗的居內(nèi)貢聽了老婆子的故事,便按照她的身份與品德,向她施禮。居內(nèi)貢也聽了老婆子的主意,邀請(qǐng)全體乘客挨著次序講自己的身世。老實(shí)人和居內(nèi)貢聽著,承認(rèn)老婆子有理。
老實(shí)人說:“可惜葡萄牙的功德大會(huì)不照規(guī)矩,把大智大慧的邦葛羅斯吊死了;要不然他對(duì)于海陸兩界的物質(zhì)與精神的痛苦,準(zhǔn)能發(fā)表一套妙論,而我也覺得頗有膽氣,敢恭恭敬敬地向他提出幾點(diǎn)異議?!?/p>
每個(gè)乘客講著他的故事,不覺航行迅速,已經(jīng)到了布韋諾斯·愛累斯[26]。居內(nèi)貢、老實(shí)人上尉和老婆子,一同去見唐·斐南多總督,他有伊巴拉、腓加羅阿、瑪斯卡林、朗波爾陶和索薩[27]五處封邑。那位大人擁有這么多頭銜,自然有一副高傲的氣概,配合他的身份。他和人說話,用的是鄙夷不屑的態(tài)度,鼻子舉得那么高,嗓子喊得那么響,口吻那么威嚴(yán),神情那么傲慢,使晉見的人都恨不得揍他一頓。他好色若命,覺得居內(nèi)貢是他生平第一次見到的美人兒,一開口便問她是不是上尉的老婆。老實(shí)人看了問話的神氣嚇了一跳:他既不敢說是老婆,因?yàn)樗鋵?shí)不是;又不敢說是姊妹,因?yàn)樗鋵?shí)也不是;雖則這一類的謊話在古人中很通行[28],對(duì)今人也有很多方便,但老實(shí)人太純潔了,不敢有半點(diǎn)兒隱瞞,便道:“承蒙居內(nèi)貢小姐不棄,已經(jīng)答應(yīng)下嫁小人,我們還要請(qǐng)大人屈尊,主持婚禮呢?!?/p>
唐·斐南多·特·伊巴拉翹起胡子,獰笑了一下,吩咐老實(shí)人去檢閱部隊(duì)。老實(shí)人只得遵命;總督留下居內(nèi)貢小姐,向她表示熱情,宣布第二天就和她成婚,不管在教堂里行禮還是用別的儀式,他太喜歡她的姿色了。居內(nèi)貢要求寬限一刻鐘,讓她定定神,跟老婆子商量一下,而她自己也得打個(gè)主意。
老婆子對(duì)居內(nèi)貢說:“小姐,你沒有一個(gè)小錢,空有七十二代的家譜;總督是南美洲最有權(quán)勢(shì)的爵爺,長(zhǎng)著一綹漂亮胡子;要做總督夫人只在你自己手里。莫非你還心高氣傲,打算苦熬苦守,從一而終嗎?你已經(jīng)被保加利亞人強(qiáng)奸;一失身于猶太人,再失身于大法官。吃苦吃多了,也該嘗嘗甜頭。換了我,決不三心二意,一定嫁給總督大人,一方面提拔老實(shí)人,幫他升官發(fā)財(cái)?!?/p>
老婆子正憑著年齡與經(jīng)驗(yàn),說著這番考慮周詳?shù)脑?,港口里卻駛進(jìn)一條小船,載著一個(gè)法官和幾名差役。事情是這樣的:
老婆子原沒猜錯(cuò),當(dāng)初居內(nèi)貢和老實(shí)人匆匆忙忙逃走,在巴大育鎮(zhèn)上失落的珠寶的確是一個(gè)寬袍大袖的芳濟(jì)會(huì)神父偷的。他想把一部分寶石賣給一個(gè)珠寶商,珠寶商識(shí)破是大法官的東西。神父被吊死以前,供認(rèn)珠寶是偷來的,說出失主的面貌行蹤。官方發(fā)覺了居內(nèi)貢和老實(shí)人逃亡的路線,一直追蹤到加第士,到了加第士,立即派一條船跟著來。那船已經(jīng)進(jìn)入布韋諾斯·愛累斯港,外面紛紛傳說,有個(gè)法官就要上岸,緝捕謀殺大主教的兇手。
機(jī)靈的老婆子當(dāng)下心生一計(jì),對(duì)居內(nèi)貢說道:“你不能逃,也不用怕,殺大主教的不是你;何況總督喜歡你,決不讓人家得罪你的,你盡管留在這兒?!?/p>
她又趕去找老實(shí)人,說道:“快快逃吧;要不然一小時(shí)之內(nèi),你就得上火刑臺(tái)。”
事情果然緊急,一刻都耽誤不得;可是老實(shí)人怎么舍得下居內(nèi)貢呢?又投奔哪兒去呢?
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