9
対ヴェネチア作戦の話になると、騎士はすっかり本領を発揮し、もう遅い時間というのに、眠る気もないようだった。盃を空けるほどに、彼の説明はより生き生きとしたものになった。フランクは、これが本番の幕開けではないかと心配になったが、そうなると彼は最も目立つ、しかし最も好ましくない役を演じることになるのだ。そこでフランクは、自分がどこで夜を過ごすことになるのか、すぐに知りたいと思い、別れの盃を求めた。騎士は今にも自分に飲むように迫り、飲まなければ喧嘩の種にして、家の習慣に従っていつものように殴打で彼を追い出すのだろう…。しかし、彼の予想に反して、彼の要求はすぐに受け入れられた。騎士はこう言って話を打ち切った。「すべては然るべき時に、続きは明日に」
The knight seemed quite in his element, when talking of his campaigns against the Venetians, and, though it grew late, he seemed to have no disposition to sleep. His description became more lively at every goblet he emptied; and Frank became apprehensive, lest this might be the prologue to the principal action, in which he was to perform the most conspicuous, though the least agreeable part. He wished to learn at once, where he was to pass the night; and, therefore, asked for the parting cup, expecting that the knight would now begin to press him to drink, and, if he did not, would make his refusal the ground for a quarrel, and send him away with his usual quantum of blows, according to the custom of the house. Contrary to his expectation, however, his request was immediately complied with. The knight broke off his story, saying: "Every thing in proper time, more to morrow."
「失礼します、騎士様」とフランクは答えた。
「明日には遠くへ行くことになります。ブラバントへの長い旅があるので、早く出発しなければならないのです。
ですから僕の出発があなたの休息を妨げないよう、今夜、これにてお別れします。お元気でお過ごしください。」
"Pardon me, sir knight,"replied Frank, "to-morrow, I shall be far from here. I have a long journey before me to Brabant, and must depart early. I shall therefore bid you fare well, to-night, that my departure may not disturb your rest in the morning.”
「お好きなようにどうぞ」と騎士は言った。「しかし私が起きるまでは、我が家を出なさるな、朝食を摂り給え。そなたと共に門まで行こう、そして我が家の慣例によりお別れとしよう」
"Do as you choose,"said the knight,"but you shall not leave my house till I am up, and have seen you refreshed by a morning's repast; and then I will accompany you to the gates, and part with you according to the custom of my house."
フランクはこの言葉を説明する必要はなかった。家主の最後の礼節を進んで省きたかったのだ。しかし、彼は通常の儀式から離れる気はないようだった。
召使に命じて客人を寝室に案内させ、間もなくフランクは無事に素晴らしい羽毛のベッドに寝かされることになった。眠りにつく前に、下にも置かぬようなもてなしは高くつく、形ばかりの打撃程度で済むはずがないと自分に言い聞かせずにはいられなかった。楽しい夢が彼の想像力を支配した。愛するメラが母親と一緒にバラの間を歩き回り、美しい花を集めているのを見て、厳しい老婦人に見られないように、すぐに厚い垣根の後ろに身を隠した。
Frank needed no commentary to explain these words. He would willingly have dis pensed with the last civilities of his landlord, but he did not seem disposed to depart from the usual ceremonies. He ordered the servants to shew the stranger into the bed chamber, and soon Frank was safely deposited in an excellent bed of down. Before he fell asleep, he could not help confessing to himself, that such a lordly entertainment was not too dearly bought, by a moderate beating. Pleasant dreams took possession of his imagination. He saw his beloved Mela, walking about among roses with her mother, gathering the beautiful flowers, and he quickly concealed himself behind a thick hedge, not to be seen by the severe old lady.
再び前の宿に戻り、花の間で忙しくしている乙女の雪のように白い手を見た。そして、草むらで彼女のそばに座り、恋の話をしようと思ったが、羞恥のあまり言葉が見つからなかった。
もし、夜明けに大きな声と、すでに蹄鉄を打っている騎士の踏みつけで目が覚めなければ、昼までこうして夢を見ていたかもしれない。執事と料理人は朝食を用意するよう、他の使用人は準備を整え、フランクの起床を待って着替えさせるよう命じられるのが聞こえた。
Again, he was transported into his old lodgings, and saw the snow-white hand of the maiden, busy among the flowers. Then he sat beside her in the grass, and wished to talk of love, but was so bashful, he could find no words for it. He might have dreamt thus till mid-day, if the loud voice and the trampling of the knight, who was already booted and spurred, had not awakened him at day-break. Frank heard the butler and cook ordered to prepare a good breakfast, and the other servants to be ready, to wait on and dress him at his rising.
幸せな夢想家は、安全で快適な寝床から、非常に不本意ながら別れることになった。とはいえ家主の大声で、あらかた彼の眠気は飛んでしまった。もう起きなければならないのかと、起きた途端に1ダースもの人の手が、周りで忙しなく動いた。
服を着ると、騎士がやってきて広間に連れて行き、そこには小さいながら丁寧に覆われた食卓があった。しかし、その場へ近づくにつれ、旅人は食欲がなくなっていった。家主は彼に食事をするように、あるいは少なくとも朝の冷気から身を守るために何か持っていくように勧めた。
The happy dreamer parted very reluctantly from his safe and hospitable bed: but the loud voice of his landlord deprived him of all desire to sleep; he knew he must get up, and therefore did; a dozen hands were immediately busy about him; and, when he was dressed, the knight himself came and led him into the hall, where he found a small but well covered table. As the scene drew towards a close, however, our traveller had little appetite. His landlord encouraged him to eat, or at least to take something to protect himself against the coolness of the morning.
フランク答えて「騎士殿、夕食があまりに美味しかったので、朝食までは頂けませんでした。しかしお許しなら、空腹に備えポケットに詰めておきますとも。」
食卓にあった中でも一番旨そうな高そうなものを取り上げ、ポケットにしっかり詰め込んだ。馬がきれいに洗われ、手綱と鞍が付けられ、玄関まで運ばれてくると。主人の健康と幸福を祈って、コーディアルで乾杯。それが彼に襲いかかり激しく打ちのめす合図になるものと固く信じて疑わなかった。
しかし驚いたことに、騎士は初めて会ったときと同じように優しく彼の手を握って、良い旅をと祈り、召使が門を開けたのである。馬に乗り、急発進し、数分後には門の外に出たが、髪の毛一筋も失わずに済んだ。
"Sir knight,"said Frank,"your supper was too good to allow me to relish my breakfast; but, with your leave, I will fill my pockets to be provided against hunger when it comes."
He accordingly took the best and richest that was on the table, and crammed his pockets well. When his horse, well cleaned, bridled and saddled, was brought to the door, he drank in a glass of cordial to the health and welfare of his host, expecting that would be the signal for his being seized on and soundly beat.
But, to his great astonishment, the knight shook him as kindly by the hand as when he first met him, wished him a good journey, and the servants opened the gates. He mounted his horse, spurred him rapidly on, and was in a few minutes outside of the gate, without a hair on his head being injured.
覚悟した殴打を受けることなく自由になったと解ったとき、彼の心臓から重荷が降ろされた。なぜ主人が自分の習慣に反して彼を惜しんだのか考えられず、今はまず、このもてなし上手な騎士の親切に感謝した。そして、聞いた話に根拠があるのかどうか、大いに知りたくなった。というわけで、馬の首を回して引き返した。
騎士はまだ門のところに立っていて、馬の飼育が趣味なものだから、フランクの乗騎の形や種類を観察していた。客の荷物を一部取り違えたと思ってか、使用人たちを不愉快そうに見やった。
「どうした？」フランクに質して「旅路を急ぐはずだったのに、なぜ戻ってみえた？」
「騎士様、一言お願いします」と、馬に乗ったまま「あなたの名と評判を台無しにする悪い噂によると、あなたは客人を機嫌よく迎え入れながら、出発する段になってボコボコに打ちのめすのだと。この話を信じて、私は別れの挨拶に値するよう、できる限りのことをしました。そして、あなたは私に慣習的な清算をさせることなく、平穏に旅立つことをお許しになりました。これには驚きました。この噂には何か根拠があるのでしょうか？それとも卑劣な中傷者たちが嘘つきの責を負うべきでしょうか？」
騎士はこう答えた。「その噂は本当だ。根拠のない言い伝えという訳ではない。しかし、この件の事情を説明しよう。私は自分の門に来る客人をすべて迎え入れ、食事と盃を共にする。ただ、私は古い人間、単純なドイツ人であり、思ったことをそのまま話すので、客人も陽気で自信に満ちていて、私が持っているものを一緒に楽しみ、欲しいものを自由に求めることを期待している。しかし、阿ったり、諂ったりして、私を馬鹿にし、決して率直に話さず、意味もない言葉ばかり並べ立て、滑らかな舌で私をおだてようとし、食事の席では愚かな女のように振る舞う人たちがいるのだ。私が食べよと言えば、私の犬に差し出すべきでない惨めな骨を、非常に不本意そうに取り、私が飲めと言えば、神の恵みを軽んじるかのように、良いワインで唇をほとんど濡らさない。彼らは自分たちの愚行をあまりにも長引かせるので、私は自分の家でどうしたらよいのかほとんど分からない。最後には激情に駆られ、奴等の襟首を掴み、激しく棍棒で叩いて、戸外に追い出す。これが私のやり方で、厄介だと思う客はすべてこのように扱う。しかし、君のような人なら、いつでも歓迎だ。ブレーメンの善良な人々がいつもそうであるように、君は自分の考えを率直に、自由に話してくれた。お帰りの際にまたお会いしましょう、では失礼します」
A heavy load fell from his heart when he saw himself at liberty, without having received the expected beating. He could not conceive why his host should have spared him contrary to his general custom, and was now first grateful for the hospitable knight's kindness; he felt a great curiosity to know whether there was any foundation in the report he had heard, and, therefore, turned his horse's head and rode back. The knight was still standing at the gate, making observations on the shape and breed of Frank's horse, breeding horses being his own favourite pursuit. He thought his guest had missed some part of his baggage, and looked with displeasure on his servants.
"What do you want, young man?" he called out to Frank, as he approached, "why do you return when you intended to pursue your journey?"
"To have one word with you, sir knight,"said the rider."A malicious report to the ruin of your good name and reputation, says, that you receive all strangers well, but that you beat them soundly before you allow them to depart. Relying on this report, I have done all 1 could to deserve the parting salutation, and you have allowed me to depart in peace, without making me pay the customary reckoning. This astonishes me. Tell me, therefore, is there any foundation for this report, or shall I give the foul defamers the lie? "
To this the knight replied: "Report has, in this instance, told the truth; and there is no such saying among the people quite destitute of foundation. I shall explain to you, however, the real circumstances of this affair. I receive every stranger who comes to my gates, and share my food and my goblet with him. But I am a simple German of the old school, who speaks as he thinks, and I expect that my guests should be also cheerful and confident, and enjoy with me what I have, and freely ask for what they want. But there are some people who teaze me with all sorts of follies, and make a fool of me, with their bowing and scraping, who never speak openly, and use many words without sense or meaning; they want to flatter me with their smooth tongues, and behave at meals like foolish women. If I say eat! they take with great apparent reluctance a miserable bone which I should not offer to my dog: if I say drink! they scarcely wet their lips with the good wine, as if they despised the bounties of God. They carry their follies to so great a length, that 1 scarcely know what to do in my own house. They put me at last into a passion, I seize them by the collar, cudgel them soundly, and turn them out of my doors. This is my plan, and I treat every guest thus, whom I find troublesome. But a man like you is always welcome to my house. You spoke your mind openly and freely, as the good people of Bremen always do. Let me see you again, therefore, on your return, and now farewell."
フランクは、これを最後に旅立った。ブロコスト卿の城のような親切なもてなしを受けることを心から願いながら、新たな力と勇気をもってアントワープへの旅を続けた。
After these words Frank departed, and continued his journey towards Antwerp with renewed strength and courage, sincerely wishing he might every where meet with as kind a reception as at the castle of Sir Egbert of Brockhost.
