瓶入り魔物。THE BOTTLE-IMP.その5
まず願い事をして、失った金貨の倍を召し上げた。それを近くの公証人に預け、但し120枚は別に取っておき、不実なルクレティアの住まいに向かった。
期待通りに歓待された。愛人は、かつてないほど愛撫を惜しまなかった。金で買えるはずのものではあった。ややあって、彼は持ってきた不思議なおもちゃを見せ、薬瓶の中に入っている小さな黒い人形に、おどけた演技や芸を色々とさせた。この人形は、かつてルクレティアが水中に投げ入れたものとそっくりだと彼は告げた。彼女は他の同性と同様、このような愉快な遊び道具を手に入れたいと願っており、青年が気さくに1ドゥカートを要求すると、ためらうことなくそれを支払った。この取引が完了すると、リヒャルトはできるだけ早く立ち去り、お金を預けていた公証人のところに戻ってきた。ところが、金というものがある種の人々の指には極めて素早く貼り付き、振り払えなくなるものであることを思い知らされる羽目になった。正直そうな相手は非常な驚きを顕してみせ、この若者と会ったのは初めてだと激しく詰った。歩く誠実のような顔をしたこの金持ちは、預けた金額の領収書を、数時間のうちにすっかり消えてしまうインクで書いていたのだ。だから、リヒャルトが証票を出してみて初めて、白紙の紙切れを摑まされたのに気づく仕組。こうして彼は突然貧困に陥り、ルクレティアの家で浪費していたお金がまだ30ドゥカート残っていなければ、本当に乞食になってしまっていたところだった。
Having first of all summoned by a wish, a sum of money double to that which he had lost, he carried and deposited it all with the nearest scrivener, excepting one hundred, and twenty pieces, with which he betook himself to the abode of the faithless Lucretia. His reception was exactly such as he supposed that his gold would procure him: his mistress was as lavish of her caresses towards him, as she had ever been on any former occasion. After some time, he displayed the curious toy he had brought, making the little black puppet, inclosed in the phial, perform abundant antics and tricks. This, he informed Lucretia, was ex actly like the one which she once flung into the water. She, like the rest of her sex, was desirous of obtaining such a droll plaything ; and, on the youth's sportively demanding a ducat for it, she paid it without hesitation. This bargain being completed, Richard hastened away as quickly as he could, and repaired to the scrivener, with whom he had deposited his money. He now found, however, that gold sticks so fast to certain people's fingers, that they cannot shake it off. The honest man stared with the utmost astonishment, protesting most vehemently, that he had never clapped eyes on the young fellow before. This worthy specimen of probity, had written his receipt for the sum deposited with a kind of ink that totally disappeared in the space of a few hours: therefore, when Richard produced his voucher, he found that he had merely a piece of plain paper. He thus found himself suddenly reduced to poverty, and would, indeed, have been completely a beggar, had he not still thirty ducats remaining from what he had been squandering at Lucretia's.
寝台が短すぎれば脚を上げるしかなく、寝台が無ければ床にゴロ寝するしかなく、馬に乗れなければ歩くしかない。……我等が商人も同じこと、今では行商人にでもなろうかというところ。
He who lies in too short a bed, must even pull up his legs ; who has no bed, must couch on the bare floor ; who cannot afford to ride, must walk: -so was it with our merchant, who was now fain to become a pedlar.
この目的にぴったり合った箱を用意した。しかし最初は、それをバックルで締めるにつれて、気が重くなるばかり。数週間前までは着飾った従者を連れて通っていたまさにその通りで、今度は小間物少々を置いて立っていなくてはならないのか。しかし、しばらくすると、この新しい職業にも多少は馴染むようになり、やじ馬もいなくなった。
「この調子でいけば、」と皮算用、「そう遠くないうちに、また大金持ちになれるかもしれない。そしたら故郷のドイツに帰ろう、これまでになく快適な生活ができるだろう。呪われた瓶の悪魔の力に埋もれていたのが、自分の技術と器用で魔の手から逃れたからには。」
For this purpose he provided himself with a suitable box ; but with what a heavy heart did he first buckle it on, to take his stand with some small ware in those very streets where, but a few weeks before, he used to pass with a splendid retinue. In a little while, however, he became somewhat reconciled to this new occupation, having no Jack of customers. " If I proceed at this rate, " thought he, " I may yet again become a prosperous man, and that too at no very distant time. I will then return to my native Germany, where I shall find myself more comfortable than ever, after been in power of the accursed bottle-devil, and having got out of his clutches by my own skill and dexterity. "
我等が新米行商人は、そんなことを考えて我と我が身を励まし、慰め、とある安宿に一晩を過ごすのだった。箱から取り出していくと、客の中には好奇心に引かれて、その中に入っている様々な品物を調べ出す者も。
With such thoughts did our newly-made pedlar cheer and console himself, on retiring for the night to an obscure inn. On his taking off his box, several of the guests, attracted by curiosity, began to examine the various wares it contained.
「友よ、」と詮索好きな貴公子が叫んだ。「いったい何物であるか、この薬瓶の中にあって、甚だ勢いよく飛び跳ね続ける動物は？」
" My good friend, " exclaimed one of these inquisitive gentry, " prithee, what queer kind of animal is this which you have got here in this phial, and which keeps jumping about at so strange a rate ? "
その時になって初めて、箱の中の他の品物と一緒に、地獄行きとなる瓶の悪魔を購入してしまったことに気がついたリヒャルトは、血も凍る恐怖に襲われた。間髪を入れず、それを傍観者に捨て値で提供した。
しかしそこの誰もが、こんな醜い生き物には我慢がならず、リヒャルトにしても、それが果たすべき使い途を堂々と公言する訳にはいかない。だというのに取り縋り、ほとんど嫌がらせのようなしつこさで購入を懇願し続けたものだから、とうとう皆して厚かましい商人および商い物を路面にぶちまけた。
To his great terror Richard now, for the first time perceived, that along with the other articles in his box, he had purchased the fatal bottle-devil. Instantly did he offer it to the bystanders for a mere trifling sum, but not one of them could endure the hideous creature, neither could Richard inform them of any particular use it was of ; he, nevertheless, continued to harass them at such a rate with his entreaties to purchase it, that, at length, they thrust the impertinent chapman and his wares into the street.
悩んだ挙げ句、彼は箱を売った人のところへ戻り、この小鬼をもっと安い値段で引き取ってくれるよう迫った。しかしその男は、人の来ない筈の時間に邪魔されたことでかなり気が立っており、こんなヘンテコな品を商う気にはなれず、ルクレティアのところへ持っていくように言った。彼女こそは最近、彼に装身具の在庫を売った人物で、その中にあのヘンテコな薬瓶も入っていたからである。
In the anguish of his distress he now returned to the person who had sold him the box, and pressed him to take back the little imp, at a lower price. The fellow, however, quite out of temper at being disturbed at such an unseasonable hour, and little disposed to become a dealer in such strange commodities, bade him begone, and take his trumpery to Lucretia, for she was the person that had lately sold him the stock of trinkets, among which was that queerlooking phial.
それ以上は聞きもせず、リヒャルトはまるで自分が悪魔を運んでいるのではなく、悪魔に嗾けられたかのように素早く、ルクレチアの元へ走った。その娼婦は、二人の紳士と一緒だった。最初は、無礼無愛想な行商人が自分たちに割り込んできたとでも思われたようだ。しかしその後ルクレチアが、古い貴重品があるのと、現在の売り手に気がついたので、彼らは在庫のほとんどを買い取った。なお、彼の落魄ぶりを見ても、彼女は機嫌を損ねはしなかった。
瓶入り魔物については、誰も買おうとしなかった。こんなみっともないもの見たくもないとルクレティアが訴えたからだ。
Without waiting to hear another syllable, Richard ran off to Lucretia, as quickly as if he had a devil driving him, instead of himself carrying a devil. He found the lewd creature along with a couple of gallants. At first they rated the uncourteous pedler for daring to intrude upon them ; but afterwards they purchased nearly his whole stock, for Lucretia, had now recognized some of her old valuables, and also their present vendor: nor did the sight of him, in such a condition, seem by any means to damp her mirth. As to the bottle-imp, no one would purchase it; for Lucretia protested that she could not endure to look at the ugly thing.
「まあ、そう言わないで」とリヒャルト曰く、 「我が美しき無分別よ。あなたの耳元で、その良さを囁かせてください。そうすれば、もう迷うことはないでしょう。」
"Say not so, " replied Richard, " my fair inconsiderate: permit me but to whisper in your ear some of its virtues, and, I am sure, you will hesitate no longer. "
合う人ごとに、一々手玉に取られてばかりのこの男は、本当に商人なのか？と思わないでもない。もちろん、この後もこの男は、人を出し抜くどころではないのに、反省などということを知らない。
