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今や、誰にも邪魔されることなく、新鮮な空気と狭い通りの眺めを楽しむことができるようになった訳である。しかし、そんな事では、愛すべき対象が見えなくなることの代償には程遠い。
He was now indeed free to enjoy the fresh air and the view into the narrow street, without offending any body, but this was to him no compensation, for having lost the occasional sight of the dear object of his affections.
最初の痛烈な衝撃から少しばかり気を取り直したとき、この状況は多くの有益な考察をもたらした。自分が婦人たちの逃亡の原因になっているのではないかと考えると、自分が受け取ったお金、糸くず取引の停止、そして今回の移住、これらすべてが彼の脳裏を駆け巡り、互いに説明しあうかのようだった。
どうやら、母ブリギッタに彼の秘密がバレたに違いない。そして、自分は彼女のお気に入りには程遠い。という結論に達し、これでは希望の復活には繋がらない。しかし、メラが花を使って、彼のメロディアスな心の申し出に与えた象徴的な遣り取り、その後の彼女の憂鬱、そして去っていく直前に流した涙が、彼に自信と勇気を与えた。どんな遣り方で美しい娘と秘密の交流を続けるにしても、まずは母ブリギッタの引越し先を見つけなければならない。さして苦労する事でもなかったが、彼は慎重を心掛け、二人の後を追って住居を変えることはしなかった。二人がミサに行く教会を確認し、愛する人に毎日会えるようにすれば十分であろう。かくて二人がミサからの帰り道、彼は必ずや待ち伏せていた。ある時はある場所で、またある時は別の場所で。いつもメラを優しく迎えること、恋文にも等しく。
When he had a little recovered himself from the first painful shock, this circumstance led him to make many useful reflections. He suspected that he had been the cause of the ladies' flight. The money he had received, the breaking up of the trade in lint, and now the emigration, all rushed on his mind, and seemed to explain one another. He concluded that mother Brigitta had found out his secret, and that he was far from being her favourite, which did not serve to revive his hopes. The symbolic answers however, which the fair Mela had given, by means of the flowers, to his melodious offers of his heart; her subsequent melancholy, and the tears he had seen her shed shortly before she went away, inspired him with confidence and courage. His first care was to discover mother Brigitta's new abode, that he might be enabled, by some means or other, to continue his secret communication with her lovely daughter. This cost him only a little trouble, but he was too discreet to follow them, by likewise changing his residence; he contented himself with ascertaining the church where they went to mass, that he might have the satisfaction of daily seeing his beloved. He never forgot to lie in wait for them on their way home; sometimes in one place, sometimes in another, and then he always greeted Mela kindly, which was equal to a billet-doux.
もしメラが修道女のように育てられていなかったら、守銭奴が宝物を扱うより注意深く母ブリギッタが彼女を見ていなかったら、フランクの秘密の求愛は彼女の心にほとんどあるいは全く印象を与えなかっただろう。
しかし、彼女はまさに人生の重要な時期にあり、自然と注意深い母親とでは、まったく異なる教訓を与えることになる。前者は、一連の新しく温かい感情を生み出し、それを人生の万能薬とみなすように乙女に教える。後者は、名もない情熱がもたらす驚きに対して、最も危険な病気よりも危険で破壊的であるとして、注意深く警告を発する。
前者は人生の春に、その季節にふさわしい陽気な暖かさで心を活気づけるが、後者は氷の穴のように常に冷たく無気力なままでいるように仕向ける。
同じように親切な二人の母親によるこの正反対の制度は、乙女の柔軟な心を、決してどちらにも厳格に従わせないようにした。そして、この相反する二つの手段の影響を受けて、メラはどちらにも左右されない道を歩むことになる。教育で教えられた美徳と良識を重んじながら、その心は最も優しい印象に敏感になっていった。
フランクは自然の眠っていた感情を目覚めさせた最初の若者であり、彼女は密かに、彼を慕っていた。それは自分ではほとんど公言しなかったが、経験の浅い少女なら誰でも恋と呼ぶものだろう。そのため、彼の近くを離れることは、彼女をとても悲しませることになった。
二人はまだ一度も言葉を交わしたことがなかった。しかし、彼は彼女を、彼女は彼をとてもよく理解しており、どんな言葉を以てしても、お互いをこれ以上深く理解させることはできないだろう。そして、二人は心の中で、最大の秘密を守り、お互いに永遠に忠実であろうと誓ったのである。
If Mela had not been brought up like a nun, and if mother Brigitta had not watched her as carefully as the miser does his treasure, Frank's secret wooing would have made little or no impression on her heart. But she was exactly at that critical period of life, when nature, and a careful mother, usually teach very different lessons. The former creates a series of new and warm feelings which she teaches the maiden, to regard as the very panacea of life; the latter carefully warns her charge against the surprizes of a nameless passion, which she describes, as more dangerous and destructive than the most baneful disease; the former enlivens her heart in the spring of life with that genial warmth which is proper to the season; the latter would have her remain always as cold and cheerless as an ice-cave. These opposite systems of two equally kind mothers, caused the flexible heart of the maiden to be never strictly obedient to either, and influenced by both these opposing means, she took a path that was dictated by neither. Mela prized the virtue and decency her education had taught her to respect, but her heart grew susceptible of the most tender impressions. Frank was the first youth who had awakened nature's dormant feelings, and she had a secret inclination towards him, which she scarcely avowed to herself, but which every less inexperienced maiden would have called love; and leaving his neighbourhood, therefore, grieved her very much. It had at first filled her beautiful eyes with tears; and now made her kindly return Frank's salutation with sweet blushes, as he met her and her mother on their way from church. The two lovers had never yet exchanged one word; but he understood her and she him, so well, that words could not have made them understand each other more distinctly, even if by themselves; and both parties vowed in their hearts, to preserve the greatest secrecy, and be eternally faithful.
母ブリギッタの住む地区には、最も美しい乙女を狩ることを仕事とする者が後を絶たず、となると、メラの魅力は見過ごされたままではいられなかった。
In the quarter where mother Brigitta now resided, there were not wanting persons who made it their business to hunt out the most beautiful maidens and by them the charms of the fair Mela did not long remain unnoticed.
二人の質素な住まいの真向かいに、豪奢な醸造家が住んでいた。この大金持ちは当時の口さがない者共から、巨万の富ゆえにホップの王と呼ばれた。彼は若い男やもめで、喪が明け、礼儀に反しない程度に第2の伴侶を探しているところであった。亡き妻の死の直後、彼は守護聖人の聖クリストファーにこっそり誓いをなし、最初の妻に望んで叶わなかった幸福を次の妻にくれるなら、ホップ竿ほどもある蝋燭を贈呈すると約束した。
Directly opposite to their humble lodgings, lived an opulent brewer, whom the witlings of the day chose to call the king of hops, on account of his great wealth. He was a spruce young widower, whose time of mourning was just drawing to a close, and who, without offending the laws of decorum, might now look out for a second help-mate. Immediately after the decease of his late wife, he had, in the greatest secrecy made a pact with his patron St.Christopher, and promised to present him with a wax candle as large as a hop-pole, if he would grant him, in a second wife, the happiness he had hoped, in vain, to find with the first.
美しいメラを見かけてから間もなくして、聖クリストファーが2階の寝室の窓から入ってきて、約束を思い出す夢を見た。
これは欲張りな男やもめに、大きな幸せが待っているとの守護聖人からの指標に見え、すぐに運試しをする決心をした。
Scarcely had he seen the fair Mela, when hedreamt that St. Christopher looked into his bedroom window on the second floor, and reminded him of his promise. This appeared to the lusty widower, an indication from his patron saint, that great happiness would be his lot, and he resolved immediately to try his fortune.
翌朝早く、彼は大量のよく晒された蝋を手に入れ、できるだけ身なりを整え、結婚の事業に取り掛かった。彼は音楽の趣味もなく、愛の秘密のシンボルや表現もすべて知らなかった。
しかし、彼の醸造所は広大で、その上、利子をつけて貸した多額の資本金、ヴェーザー川の船、町の近くの農場を持っていた。このような後ろ楯があれば、聖クリストファーの助けがなくても、縁談成立が望めよう。特に、結婚相手のいない乙女の場合は。
Early the next morning he commanded a large quantity of well-bleached wax; he then made himself as smart as possible, and sallied forth on his marriage business. He had no taste for music, and was ignorant of all the secret symbols and expressions of love; but his brewery was extensive; he had, besides, a large capital lent out at interest; a ship in the Weser, and a farm near the town. With such recommendations, he might have looked for success, even without the help of St. Christopher, especially with a maiden who had no marriage portion.
古来の作法に則り、彼はまず母ブリギッタのもとに赴き、親切で愛情深い隣人のように、彼女の貞淑で控えめな娘に対する彼の誠実な意思を告げた。
聖人や天使の出現でさえ、この喜ばしい知らせ以上に老女を喜ばせることはできなかっただろう。彼女は今、自分の綿密な計画が達成されようとしていること、長い間延期していた希望が満たされるのを見たのだ。
前の住まいを離れるように仕向けられた状況に感謝し、喜びに跳び跳ねる段になって、その原因の一端がフランクにあると思い出し、彼に対しても親切に接するようになった。彼女のお気に入りではなかったが、それでも何らかの手段で、彼にもおすそ分けがあって然るべきと自身に約束した。
According to the old custom, he went immediately to mother Brigitta, and, like a kind and affectionate neighbour, declared to her the honest intentions he had, in respect to her virtuous and modest daughter. The appearance of a saint or an angel, could not have delighted the good old lady, more than this joyful piece of news. She now saw her well-laid plans about to be accomplished, and her long deferred hopes gratified. She saw herself already rescued from her poverty, and again surrounded by opulence. She blessed the circumstances that induced her to leave her former habitation; and, in the first spring of joy, looking on Frank as partly the cause of this, she thought with kindness even of him. Though he had never been a favourite with her, still she promised herself to make him, by some means or other, a sharer in her prosperity.
心の中では、既に婚姻届は署名されたようなものだと考え、しかし良識ある女性として、重大な問題は時間をかけてよく検討すべきものだった。
そこで彼女は、この立派な求婚者の善意に感謝し、提案について娘と相談し、8日後には希望通り、好ましい返事をできましょうと約束した。これに対し、彼はとても満足した様子で、丁重に別れを告げた。
In her heart, she regarded the marriage articles, as already signed, but decency required her to take some time for deliberation in so weighty an affair; she therefore thanked the honourable suitor for his good intentions; promised to consult with her daughter, on his proposal; and to give him, as she hoped, a favourable answer at the end of eight days. With this, he seemed very well pleased, and politely took his leave.
St.Christopher: 旅人の守護聖人である聖クリストファー。3世紀のローマ皇帝デキウスの時代に殉教したというキリスト教の伝説的な聖人。クリストファーの名そのものが、「キリストを背負う者」クリストフォロス（Χριστόφορος, Christophoros）に由来する。
