Traducción
Original
Capítulo XVI
Continuación de la misma aventura
—«¡Ah, señora!», exclamé. «No dudéis que conservaré duradero agradecimiento a la suma benignidad con que me ha tratado la hermosa Sidimiris y que me glorificaré de consagrarla esta misma vida que debo a su cuidado, pero, señora, no me neguéis una gracia, sin la cual no puedo partir de aquí. Proporcionadme la ocasión de ponerme a sus pies para darla gracias de sus beneficios». «No puedo prometeros un favor que no depende de mí, pero me obligo a solicitarlo con la mayor instancia y os prometo que no será culpa mía el que vuestros deseos no se cumplan». Salió Zamira, dicho esto, y yo pasé lo restante del día no tanto ocupado en el logro de mi libertad cuanto impaciente de conocer a mi bienhechora; llegó, en fin, la noche. Oí abrirse mi puerta y vi entrar a la dama que me había asegurado de sus buenos oficios. «He determinado a Sidimiris», me dijo, «a concederos una audiencia: seguidme y no perdamos tiempo». Atravesé una galería larguísima y, después de haber pasado por muchas salas espaciosas, entré en la que estaba Sidimiris. Difícil es pintaros la impresión que hizo en mí aquella mujer admirable. Mil afectos se desarrollaron a un mismo tiempo en mi corazón y me usurparon el uso de la palabra. Estúvela contemplando mucho tiempo con la expresión del placer, de la novedad, de la admiración y del respeto. No puedo dejar de haceros aquí la pintura de su persona: omitiré por de contado muchas de sus gracias, pero, a lo menos, os daré alguna idea. Sidimiris es de alta estatura, de talle majestuoso, de porte noble y desembarazado, y de modales finos y agasajadores; sus cabellos son negros como el ébano; su tez fina y blanca como el alabastro; sus facciones proporcionadas, su boca risueña, sus ojos rasgados y llenos de aquel fuego que devora el corazón y, en fin, se me presentó con tantas perfecciones que primero que la gratitud habló en mi alma el amor. «Divina Sidimiris», la dije, «prosternándome casi enajenado101, a vuestros pies está el hombre más poseído de agradecimiento que tiene el mundo: vengo a ofreceros una vida, porque os dignáis interesaros y a protestar también que siempre estaré pronto a volvérosla si el príncipe Marcomiro, enfurecido contra vos, no puede aplacarse sino con mi sangre. ¡Pluguiese a Dios que pudiera yo derramar hasta la última gota peleando por vuestra causa!».
—Bien hablado –dijo el barón, echándose a reír–, pero bien sabíais que no habían de cogeros la palabra.
—¡Ah, tío! Haced a Belmur la justicia de creer que hubiera cumplido lo que ofreció: no podía prometer menos a una princesa generosa que le daba la libertad a expensas de su sosiego y acaso de su vida. p. 162
—Pronuncié estas palabras –continuó Belmur– tan tierna y apasionadamente que Sidimiris bajó los ojos y se sonrojó… Ved su respuesta, después de unos instantes de silencio. «Me lisonjea mucho, amable extranjero, el procuraros la libertad: no exijo de vuestra gratitud prueba ninguna que os exponga al menor peligro; sobradamente pagada quedaré del servicio que os hago si, por atención a mí, no dais entrada al aborrecimiento que os han debido inspirar los procederes indignos de mi hermano». «¿Puede aborrecerse lo que os importa, señora? Os prometo que miraré siempre al príncipe Marcomiro como hermano de la divina Sidimiris: por este título olvidaré sus furores y aun defenderé su vida, con riesgo de la mía, si tengo la fortuna de hallar ocasión para hacerlo».
—Cada vez mejor –dijo el barón irónicamente–. Vuestra historia es de lo más admirable.
—Hay, tío mío –replicó Arabela–, infinitos rasgos semejantes y todavía superiores en las vidas de los héroes antiguos. Entre ellos se ve un hombre grande, estrechamente unido con los enemigos de su patria, pelear con generosidad contra un ejército mandado por su mismo padre.
—No concibo, sobrina mía, cómo puedes admirar a un hombre como ese, porque, según nuestras costumbres, es un malvado sin alma y sin honra.
—No hay mérito, tío, en defender a su patria o a su padre, porque eso es natural, pero cuando un guerrero ha llegado a un punto de grandeza, capaz de respetar a la virtud entre sus enemigos, de preferir la gloria a sus intereses y de desprenderse de todas las consideraciones personales no se le puede, sin injusticia, rehusar el título de héroe.
—No pretendo apocar el mérito de Belmur en haberse determinado a defender al príncipe Marcomiro con riesgo de su propia vida, pero juzgo que no hizo más que lo que cualquiera otro hubiera hecho en igual caso y, aun añado, que Sidimiris representa un papel tan airoso, cuando menos, como el suyo.
—Tuve la felicidad –continuó Belmur– de conocer que mi modo de significar el agradecimiento hacía impresión en el corazón de Sidimiris, porque se mostró conmovida y me habló con los ojos un lenguaje inteligible. Nos interrumpió Zamira, la cual, temiendo las consecuencias de una conversación demasiado larga, llegó a advertirnos que ya era tiempo de separarnos. Estuve para desfallecer en aquel instante funesto y así, mirando a mi bienhechora de un modo que expresaba mi sentimiento, me atreví a confesarla mi amor y la añadí que la prisión que dejaba me sería menos penosa que una libertad de que no me sería posible disfrutar. «Muy temerario sois», replicó Sidimiris, encendiéndosela el color. «Os lo perdono en favor de los malos procedimientos de mi hermano102, pero bajo la condición de que partiréis al instante». Sidimiris pronunció este mandato en un tono tan resuelto que no me dio lugar a réplica alguna. Besé respetuosamente uno de los pliegues de su vestido y me retiré suspirando. Zamira me dio salida por una puerta secreta y me entregó al cuidado de un hombre que reconocí ser uno de los que me habían asistido y guardado en la prisión.
Chapter IV
The adventure continued.
“‘Ah! Madam’ said I, observing she had finished her discourse, ‘doubt not but I shall most gratefully preserve the remembrance of what the generous Sydimiris has done for me; [78] and shall always be ready to lose that life in her defence, which she has had the superlative goodness to take so much care of. But, madam,’ pursued I, with an earnest look, ‘do not, I beseech you, refuse me one favour, without which I shall depart with inconceivable sorrow.’
“‘Depend upon it, valiant sir,’ replied she, ‘that if what you will require of me, be in my power, and fit for me to grant, I shall very willingly oblige you.’
“‘It is then,’ resumed I, trembling at the boldness of my request, ‘that you would condescend to entreat the most generous Sydimiris to favour me with an interview, and give me an opportunity of throwing myself at her feet, to thank her for all those favours I have received from her compassion.’
“‘I cannot promise you,’ replied the lady, rising, ‘to prevail upon Sydimiris to grant you an audience; but I assure you that I will endeavour to dispose her to do you this favour, and it shall not be my fault if you are not satisfied.’
“Saying this, she went out of my chamber, I having followed her to the door, with protestations that I would never forget her kindness upon this occasion.
“I passed the rest of that day in an anxious impatience for night, divided between fear and hope, and more taken up with the thoughts of seeing Sydimiris than with my expected liberty.
“Night came at last, and the door of my apartment opening, I saw the lady who had been with me in the morning enter. [79] ‘I have prevailed upon Sydimiris to see you,’ said she. ‘And she is willing, at my entreaty, to grant that favour to a person who, she with reason thinks, has been inhumanly treated by her brother.’
“Then, giving me her hand, she conducted me along a large gallery, to a stately apartment; and after traversing several rooms, she led me into one where Sydimiris herself was, who, as soon as she perceived me, rose from her seat, and received me with great civility.
“In the transport I then was, I know not how I returned the graceful* salute the incomparable Sydimiris gave me; for most certain it is that I was so lost in wonder at the sight of the many charms I beheld in her person that I could not unlock my tongue, or remove my eyes from her enchanting face; but remained fixed in a posture which at once expressed my admiration and delight.p. 213
“To give you a description of that beauty which I then contemplated, I must inform you, madam, that Sydimiris is tall, of a handsome stature, and admirably proportioned; her hair was of the finest black in the world; her complexion marvellously fair; all the lineaments of her visage were perfectly beautiful; and her eyes, which were large and black, sparkled with so quick and piercing a fire that no heart was able to resist their powerful glances. Moreover, Sydimiris is admirably shaped; her port* is high and noble; and her air so free, yet so commanding that there are few persons in the world with whom she may not dispute the priority of beauty. In fine, [80] madam, Sydimiris appeared with so many advantages to a spirit prepossessed already with the most grateful sense of her favours that I could not resist the sweet violence wherewith her charms took possession of my heart. I yielded, therefore, without reluctance, to my destiny, and resigned myself, in an instant, to those fetters which the sight of the divine Sydimiris prepared for me. Recovering therefore a little from that admiration which had so totally engrossed all my faculties, I threw myself at her feet with an action wholly composed of transport.
“‘Divine Sydimiris!’ said I, beholding her with eyes in which the letters of my new-born passion might very plainly be read. ‘See at your feet a man devoted to your service by all the ties of gratitude and respect. I come, madam, to declare to you that from the first moment you gave me liberty, I had devoted that and my life to you; and at your feet I confirm the gift, protesting by all that is most dear and sacred to me that since I hold my life from the divine Sydimiris, she alone shall have the absolute disposal of it for the future; and should she please again to demand it, either to appease her brother’s fury or to sacrifice it to her own security, I will most faithfully perform her will, and shed the last drop of that blood at her command, which I would with transport lose in her defence.’”
“A fine high-flown speech, indeed!” said Sir Charles, laughing. “But I hope you did not intend to keep your word.”
[81] “Sure, sir,” replied Arabella, “you do not imagine that Sir George would have failed in executing all he had promised to the beautiful and generous Sydimiris. What could he possibly have said less? And indeed what less could she have expected from a man, whom at the hazard of her own life and happiness she had given freedom to?”
“I accompanied these words, madam,” pursued Sir George, “with so passionate a look and accent that the fair Sydimiris blushed, and for a moment cast down her eyes with a visible confusion. At last:
“‘Sir,’ replied she, ‘I am too well satisfied with what I have done with respect to your safety to require any proofs of your gratitude that might be dangerous to it; and shall remain extremely well satisfied if the obligations you think you owe me may induce you to moderate your resentment against my brother, for the cruel treatment you received from him.’
“‘Doubt not, madam,’ interrupted I, eagerly, ‘but I shall, in the person of Marcomire, regard the brother of the divine Sydimiris; and that consideration will be sufficient not only to make me forget all the violences he committed against me, but even to defend his life, if need be, with the hazard of my own.’”
“Excessively generous indeed!” said Sir Charles. “I never heard anything like it.”p. 214
“Oh! Dear sir,” replied Arabella, “there are numberless instances of equal and even superior generosity to be met with in the lives of the heroes of antiquity. You will there see a lover, whose mistress has been taken from [82] him, either by treachery or force, venture his life in defence of the injurious husband who possesses her; and though all his felicity depends upon his death, yet he will rescue him from it at the expense of the greater part of his blood.
“Another, who, after a long and bloody war, has, by taking his enemy prisoner, an opportunity of terminating it honourably, yet, through a heroic principle of generosity, he gives his captive liberty, without making any conditions, and has all his work to do over again.
“A third, having contracted a violent friendship with the enemies of his country, through the same generous sentiments, draws his sword in their defence, and makes no scruple to fight against an army where the king his father is in person.”
“I must confess,” said Sir Charles, “that generosity seems to me very peculiar, that will make a man fight for his enemies against his own father.”
“It is in that peculiarity, sir,” said Arabella, “that his generosity consists; for certainly there is nothing extraordinary in fighting for one’s father and one’s country; but when a man has arrived to such a pitch of greatness of soul as to neglect those mean and selfish considerations, and, loving virtue in the persons of his enemies, can prefer their glory before his own particular interest, he is then a perfect hero indeed. Such an one was Oroondates, Artaxerxes and many others I could name, who all gave eminent proofs of their disinterestedness and greatness of soul upon the like occasions. [83] Therefore, not to detract from Sir George’s merit, I must still insist that in the resolutions he had taken to defend his enemy’s life at the expense of his own, he did no more than what any man of ordinary generosity ought to do, and what he was particularly obliged to, by what the amiable Sydimiris had done for him.”
“I was so happy, however, madam,” continued Sir George, “to find that those expressions of my gratitude wrought somewhat upon the heart of the lovely Sydimiris in my favour. Her words discovered as much, and her eyes spoke yet more intelligibly; but our conversation was interrupted by the discreet Urinoe, who, fearing the consequence of so long a stay in her chamber, represented to me that it was time to take my leave.
“I turned pale at this cruel sound and, beholding Sydimiris with a languishing look:
“‘Would to heaven, madam,’ said I, ‘that instead of giving me liberty, you would keep me eternally your prisoner! For though a dungeon was to be the place of my confinement, yet if it was near you, it would seem a palace to me; for indeed I am no longer in a condition to relish that freedom you bestow upon me, since it must remove me farther from you. But I beseech you, madam, to believe that in delivering me from your brother’s fetters, you have cast me into your own, and that I am more a prisoner than ever, but a prisoner to so lovely a conqueror that I do not wish to break my chains, and prefer the sweet and glorious captivity [84] I am in to all the crowns in the world.’p. 215
“‘You are very bold,’ said Sydimiris, blushing, ‘to entertain me with such discourse; yet I pardon this offence, in consideration of what you have suffered from my brother, and on condition that you will depart immediately, without speaking another word.’
“Sydimiris spoke this so earnestly that I durst not disobey her; and, kissing the hem of her robe with a passionate air, I left her chamber, conducted by Urinoe, who having brought me to a private door, which carried us into the street, I there found a man waiting for me, whom I knew to be the same that had attended me during my stay in that house.
“Urinoe having recommended to him to see me safe out of the town, I took leave of her with the most grateful acknowledgments for her kindness; and followed my conductor, so oppressed with grief at the thoughts of leaving the place where Sydimiris was that I had hardly strength to walk.”