V.
ヴィルヘルムが以前と同じように鹿肉を積んで戻り、ベルトラム老人に、その修行時代と同じ射撃の腕前であることを実際に証明してみせたので、森の家では全てが喜びに包まれた。本来なら、この間の不運の理由と、それを解消するために取った方法を話すべきところだが、その理由がよくわからないまま、必中の弾丸のことを話すのは躊躇われ、夜になるまで気づかなかった銃の不備のせいにしてしまった。
In the forest-house all was pleasure when William returned, as formerly, with a load of venison, and gave practical evidence to old Bertram that he was still the same marksman he had first shewn himself in his noviciate. He should now have told the reason of his late ill-luck, and what course he had taken to remove it: but, without exactly knowing why, he shrank from telling of the inevitable balls, and laid the blame upon a flaw in his gun which had escaped his notice until the proceeding night.
「さて奥様、お分かりになりましたか？」と、森番は笑って言った。「誰が間違えたんでしょうね、奥さん？魔術は銃の手入れにあったのです。そして、今朝早くクーノー老父の肖像を投げ捨てた小悪魔は、釘にあると私は思っています。」
“Now, dame, dost a’ see?” said the forester, laughing: “who’s wrong now, dame, I wonder? The witchcraft lay in the gun that wanted trimming; and the little devil, that by your account should have thrown down old father Kuno’s picture so early this morning, I’m partly of opinion lies in a cankered nail.”
「悪魔がどうのこうのと言っているのは何事ですか」とヴィルヘルムは尋ねた。
“What’s that you’re saying about a devil?” asked William.
「いや、ナンセンス以外の何物でもない 」と老人は答えた。「今朝、時計が7時を回ったとき、絵がひとりでに落っこちた。それで家内は、この家がおかしいと思うようだ。」
“Nay, nothing at all but nonsense,” replied the old man: “this morning, just as the clock was striking seven, the picture fell down of itself; and so my wife will have it that all’s not right about the house.”
「ちょうど7時になったところ。ハッ！」その同じ時刻に別れた老兵が、ヴィルヘルムの脳裏に過った。
“Just as it was striking seven, eh? Ha!” And the old soldier flashed across William’s thoughts, who had taken his leave at that identical time.
「ああ、確かに7時を回っていた。悪魔が騒ぐような時間帯ではないな。」
しかし、老女アンネは思慮深げに首を振り、「神よ、すべてが平常に戻りますように！」と言うので、ヴィルヘルムは少々、顔色を変えた。悪魔の狡猾な提案によって、将来の幸福を無意識のうちに浪費してしまわないように、あの弾丸は置いておこう。せいぜい試験の日に1発だけ。
ところが森番は彼を呼び出し、狩りに立ち会わせた。老人を挑発し、自分の腕前を疑われるようなことがない限り、このような機会には魔法の弾丸を浪費せざるを得ないではないか。
“Aye, sure enough, as it was striking seven: not a very likely time for devils to be stirring; eh, my old dame? eh Anne?” at the same time chucking her under the chin with a good-natured laugh. But old Anne shook her head thoughtfully, saying:—“God grant all may turn out natural!” and William changed colour a little. He resolved to put by his balls, and, at the most, only to use one upon his day of trial, lest he might be unconsciously trifling away his future happiness at the wily suggestions of a fiend. But the forester summoned him to attendance upon the chace; and, unless he were prepared to provoke the old man, and to rouse afresh all the late suspicions in regard to his skill, he found himself obliged to throw away some of his charmed balls upon such occasions.
a flaw in his gun: flaw は「傷」「欠陥」に当たるが、それを直したというなら、銃砲に於ては腔内にこびり付く燃え滓の除去であろう。残念ながら作者訳者は火器に興味がなかったのか、具体的な描写がない。
