8 誓約
アテネを離れてあてどなく旅する2人は、またしても人の話を聞かなかった結果、追剥に遭い、ラッスェン卿は撃たれて負傷。今際の際に、名誉を守りたいと、オーブリーに誓いを立てさせる。オーブリーが誓うと、満足して死んでしまう。
2人してどの方向へも旅をし、手当り次第に思い出にできそうな場所を巡った。しかし、あちらこちらと旅路を急ぎこそすれ、あまり見るものを見ようともしない2人であった。追剥のことを散々聞かされながら、段々と警告を軽視し始めた。ぼったくり目的のやらせで人の懐を狙う奴等のでっちあげに違いないとしか2人には思えなかったのだ。このように原住民の助言をはねつけた結果、護衛としてよりガイドの役割に傾いた警備員2～3人のみを連れての旅行とはなった。
They travelled in every direction, and sought every spot to which a recollection could be attached: but though they thus hastened from place to place, yet they seemed not to heed what they gazed upon. They heard much of robbers, but they gradually began to slight these reports, which they imagined were only the invention of individuals, whose interest it was to excite the generosity of those whom they defended from pretended dangers. In consequence of thus neglecting the advice of the inhabitants, on one occasion they travelled with only a few guards, more to serve as guides than as a defence.
しかし狭い隘路に入ると、その底に急流の河床があり、隣の絶壁から落ちた巨岩がゴロゴロしていて、これはやらかしたかと悔いるものがあったところが。一行全員が隘路にかろうじて入り込むや、頭をかすめた銃弾の唸り、わんわん尾を引く銃声複数の反響。
咄嗟に警備員は離れて、岩の後ろに身を隠すや、銃声が来た方向に発砲し始めた。ラッスェン卿とオーブリーもお手本を真似て、まずは避難所代わりに曲がり角の後ろへ退避した。
しかし敵の、馬鹿にしたように怒鳴って前進を命じる奴に拘束されることを恥じ、それに破落戸のどいつか上に登って後を取られでもしたら、敵のなすがままに抵抗もならない、索敵のため急進しようとすぐに決め。岩の避難所を脱けきらないうちに、ラッスェン卿が肩を撃たれ、地面に持っていかれた。
オーブリーは急いで助けに入った、もはや勝負の行方や自身の危険など知った事でなく。間髪入れず周りを取り巻いた破落戸共と顔を合わせて驚いた。ラッスェン卿が負傷したとき、警備員はすぐに諸手を上げて降伏していたのだった。
Upon entering, however, a narrow defile, at the bottom of which was the bed of a torrent, with large masses of rock brought down from the neighbouring precipices, they had reason to repent their negligence; for scarcely were the whole of the party engaged in the narrow pass, when they were startled by the whistling of bullets close to their heads, and by the echoed report of several guns. In an instant their guards had left them, and, placing themselves behind rocks, had begun to fire in the direction whence the report came. Lord Ruthven and Aubrey, imitating their example, retired for a moment behind the sheltering turn of the defile: but ashamed of being thus detained by a foe, who with insulting shouts bade them advance, and being exposed to unresisting slaughter, if any of the robbers should climb above and take them in the rear, they determined at once to rush forward in search of the enemy. Hardly had they lost the shelter of the rock, when Lord Ruthven received a shot in the shoulder, which brought him to the ground.
Aubrey hastened to his assistance; and, no longer heeding the contest or his own peril, was soon surprised by seeing the robbers' faces around him—his guards having, upon Lord Ruthven's being wounded, immediately thrown up their arms and surrendered.
手間賃を弾むからと、オーブリーは破落戸共に掛け合って、すぐに負傷した友人を隣の小屋に運ばせた。身代金に同意したので、もう奴等が居ても気にする事もなく。支払うことになった金額を同志が持って帰るまで、連中は入口を警戒する程度で済ませていた。
By promises of great reward, Aubrey soon induced them to convey his wounded friend to a neighbouring cabin; and having agreed upon a ransom, he was no more disturbed by their presence—they being content merely to guard the entrance till their comrade should return with the promised sum, for which he had an order.
ラッスェン卿は急激に衰弱していった。2日のうちに壊死を起こし、死が着々と進んでいると見えた。でも行動と見た目は相変わらず。そこら辺の物も同様、痛みなど感じていないように見えた。しかし、最後の夕べが暮れるに至って、見るからに落ち着かなくなり、その視線を何度も向けられたオーブリーは、いつも以上に真剣に助けを求められたように感じた。
Lord Ruthven's strength rapidly decreased; in two days mortification ensued, and death seemed advancing with hasty steps. His conduct and appearance had not changed; he seemed as unconscious of pain as he had been of the objects about him: but towards the close of the last evening, his mind became apparently uneasy, and his eye often fixed upon Aubrey, who was induced to offer his assistance with more than usual earnestness——
「助けてくれ！君ならやれる… それ以上のことも出来よう… 我が生命ではない、日々が過ぎ去るにつれて我が存在の薄らぎ消えていくのが嫌なのだ。しかし君なら我が名誉、君の友人の名誉を守れるだろう。」
…「どう？何をどうしろと？何だってしてやろう」とオーブリーは答えた。
…「ちょっとした事さ… もう死にそうだし… 何もかも話す暇はない。…ただ何であれ、我が身の上を君が人に言わないならば、世界のどこでも悪くは言われずに済む… 我が死すともしばらくイングランドには報せるな、…未だ、生きている、ということに。」
…「それは報せないようにしよう。 」
…「よし、誓え！ 」死にゆく男は叫び、有頂天になって身を起こした。
「誓うのだ、 君が全霊なる畏敬の念にかけ、君が本性なる畏怖にかけて。1年と1日の間、君は我が罪と死について知ることを、どんな形であれ、何が起こっても、何が見えても、どんな人間にも伝えない、と。」…目玉も飛び出しそうなくらいに目を見張り。
「誓う！」とオーブリーは言った。すると笑いながら枕に沈み、息を引き取った。
"Assist me! you may save me—you may do more than that—I mean not my life, I heed the death of my existence as little as that of the passing day; but you may save my honour, your friend's honour."
—"How? tell me how? I would do any thing," replied Aubrey.
—"I need but little—my life ebbs apace—I cannot explain the whole—but if you would conceal all you know of me, my honour were free from stain in the world's mouth—and if my death were unknown for some time in England—I—I—but life."
—"It shall not be known."
—"Swear!" cried the dying man, raising himself with exultant violence, "Swear by all your soul reveres, by all your nature fears, swear that for a year and a day you will not impart your knowledge of my crimes or death to any living being in any way, whatever may happen, or whatever you may see."—His eyes seemed bursting from their sockets:
"I swear!" said Aubrey; he sunk laughing upon his pillow, and breathed no more.
the close of the last evening,:我が国よりかなり北寄りの欧州では日が長く、evening が真夜中近くまで続く事もある。この場面は先に「南国の日暮れは
早い」とされたギリシャ内なので、そんなに遅くはあるまい。
Swear by all your soul reveres, by all your nature fears,
swear that for a year and a day you will not impart your knowledge of my crimes or death to any living being in any way, whatever may happen, or whatever you may see.:直接には、バイロン卿『断章』からの引用だろう。
“Swear it, by all that”——He here dictated an oath of great solemnity.
より古い、これも有名な科白も取り込んだと見られる。
HAMLET: Never to speak of this that you have seen,
Swear by my sword.（Act1, Scene5）
—His eyes seemed bursting from their sockets:コールリッジ『年寄り船乗り』冒頭、船乗りが青年を眼力にて束縛する場面に倣う。
