PART I - CHAPTER XXXIII.

by Miguel de Cervantes

　　IN WHICH IS RELATED THE NOVEL OF "THE ILL-ADVISED CURIOSITY"In Florence, a rich and famous city of Italy in the province calledTuscany, there lived two gentlemen of wealth and quality, Anselmo andLothario, such great friends that by way of distinction they were calledby all that knew them "The Two Friends." They were unmarried, young, ofthe same age and of the same tastes, which was enough to account for thereciprocal friendship between them. Anselmo, it is true, was somewhatmore inclined to seek pleasure in love than Lothario, for whom thepleasures of the chase had more attraction; but on occasion Anselmo wouldforego his own tastes to yield to those of Lothario, and Lothario wouldsurrender his to fall in with those of Anselmo, and in this way theirinclinations kept pace one with the other with a concord so perfect thatthe best regulated clock could not surpass it.Anselmo was deep in love with a high-born and beautiful maiden of thesame city, the daughter of parents so estimable, and so estimableherself, that he resolved, with the approval of his friend Lothario,without whom he did nothing, to ask her of them in marriage, and did so,Lothario being the bearer of the demand, and conducting the negotiationso much to the satisfaction of his friend that in a short time he was inpossession of the object of his desires, and Camilla so happy in havingwon Anselmo for her husband, that she gave thanks unceasingly to heavenand to Lothario, by whose means such good fortune had fallen to her. Thefirst few days, those of a wedding being usually days of merry-making,Lothario frequented his friend Anselmo's house as he had been wont,striving to do honour to him and to the occasion, and to gratify him inevery way he could; but when the wedding days were over and thesuccession of visits and congratulations had slackened, he beganpurposely to leave off going to the house of Anselmo, for it seemed tohim, as it naturally would to all men of sense, that friends' housesought not to be visited after marriage with the same frequency as intheir masters' bachelor days: because, though true and genuine friendshipcannot and should not be in any way suspicious, still a married man'shonour is a thing of such delicacy that it is held liable to injury frombrothers, much more from friends. Anselmo remarked the cessation ofLothario's visits, and complained of it to him, saying that if he hadknown that marriage was to keep him from enjoying his society as he used,he would have never married; and that, if by the thorough harmony thatsubsisted between them while he was a bachelor they had earned such asweet name as that of "The Two Friends," he should not allow a title sorare and so delightful to be lost through a needless anxiety to actcircumspectly; and so he entreated him, if such a phrase was allowablebetween them, to be once more master of his house and to come in and goout as formerly, assuring him that his wife Camilla had no other desireor inclination than that which he would wish her to have, and thatknowing how sincerely they loved one another she was grieved to see suchcoldness in him.To all this and much more that Anselmo said to Lothario to persuade himto come to his house as he had been in the habit of doing, Lotharioreplied with so much prudence, sense, and judgment, that Anselmo wassatisfied of his friend's good intentions, and it was agreed that on twodays in the week, and on holidays, Lothario should come to dine with him;but though this arrangement was made between them Lothario resolved toobserve it no further than he considered to be in accordance with thehonour of his friend, whose good name was more to him than his own. Hesaid, and justly, that a married man upon whom heaven had bestowed abeautiful wife should consider as carefully what friends he brought tohis house as what female friends his wife associated with, for whatcannot be done or arranged in the market-place, in church, at publicfestivals or at stations (opportunities that husbands cannot always denytheir wives), may be easily managed in the house of the female friend orrelative in whom most confidence is reposed. Lothario said, too, thatevery married man should have some friend who would point out to him anynegligence he might be guilty of in his conduct, for it will sometimeshappen that owing to the deep affection the husband bears his wife eitherhe does not caution her, or, not to vex her, refrains from telling her todo or not to do certain things, doing or avoiding which may be a matterof honour or reproach to him; and errors of this kind he could easilycorrect if warned by a friend. But where is such a friend to be found asLothario would have, so judicious, so loyal, and so true?Of a truth I know not; Lothario alone was such a one, for with the utmostcare and vigilance he watched over the honour of his friend, and stroveto diminish, cut down, and reduce the number of days for going to hishouse according to their agreement, lest the visits of a young man,wealthy, high-born, and with the attractions he was conscious ofpossessing, at the house of a woman so beautiful as Camilla, should beregarded with suspicion by the inquisitive and malicious eyes of the idlepublic. For though his integrity and reputation might bridle slanderoustongues, still he was unwilling to hazard either his own good name orthat of his friend; and for this reason most of the days agreed upon hedevoted to some other business which he pretended was unavoidable; sothat a great portion of the day was taken up with complaints on one sideand excuses on the other. It happened, however, that on one occasion whenthe two were strolling together outside the city, Anselmo addressed thefollowing words to Lothario."Thou mayest suppose, Lothario my friend, that I am unable to givesufficient thanks for the favours God has rendered me in making me theson of such parents as mine were, and bestowing upon me with no niggardhand what are called the gifts of nature as well as those of fortune, andabove all for what he has done in giving me thee for a friend and Camillafor a wife--two treasures that I value, if not as highly as I ought, atleast as highly as I am able. And yet, with all these good things, whichare commonly all that men need to enable them to live happily, I am themost discontented and dissatisfied man in the whole world; for, I knownot how long since, I have been harassed and oppressed by a desire sostrange and so unusual, that I wonder at myself and blame and chidemyself when I am alone, and strive to stifle it and hide it from my ownthoughts, and with no better success than if I were endeavouringdeliberately to publish it to all the world; and as, in short, it mustcome out, I would confide it to thy safe keeping, feeling sure that bythis means, and by thy readiness as a true friend to afford me relief, Ishall soon find myself freed from the distress it causes me, and that thycare will give me happiness in the same degree as my own folly has causedme misery."The words of Anselmo struck Lothario with astonishment, unable as he wasto conjecture the purport of such a lengthy preamble; and though bestrove to imagine what desire it could be that so troubled his friend,his conjectures were all far from the truth, and to relieve the anxietywhich this perplexity was causing him, he told him he was doing aflagrant injustice to their great friendship in seeking circuitousmethods of confiding to him his most hidden thoughts, for he well knew hemight reckon upon his counsel in diverting them, or his help in carryingthem into effect."That is the truth," replied Anselmo, "and relying upon that I will tellthee, friend Lothario, that the desire which harasses me is that ofknowing whether my wife Camilla is as good and as perfect as I think herto be; and I cannot satisfy myself of the truth on this point except bytesting her in such a way that the trial may prove the purity of hervirtue as the fire proves that of gold; because I am persuaded, myfriend, that a woman is virtuous only in proportion as she is or is nottempted; and that she alone is strong who does not yield to the promises,gifts, tears, and importunities of earnest lovers; for what thanks does awoman deserve for being good if no one urges her to be bad, and whatwonder is it that she is reserved and circumspect to whom no opportunityis given of going wrong and who knows she has a husband that will takeher life the first time he detects her in an impropriety? I do nottherefore hold her who is virtuous through fear or want of opportunity inthe same estimation as her who comes out of temptation and trial with acrown of victory; and so, for these reasons and many others that I couldgive thee to justify and support the opinion I hold, I am desirous thatmy wife Camilla should pass this crisis, and be refined and tested by thefire of finding herself wooed and by one worthy to set his affectionsupon her; and if she comes out, as I know she will, victorious from thisstruggle, I shall look upon my good fortune as unequalled, I shall beable to say that the cup of my desire is full, and that the virtuouswoman of whom the sage says 'Who shall find her?' has fallen to my lot.And if the result be the contrary of what I expect, in the satisfactionof knowing that I have been right in my opinion, I shall bear withoutcomplaint the pain which my so dearly bought experience will naturallycause me. And, as nothing of all thou wilt urge in opposition to my wishwill avail to keep me from carrying it into effect, it is my desire,friend Lothario, that thou shouldst consent to become the instrument foreffecting this purpose that I am bent upon, for I will afford theeopportunities to that end, and nothing shall be wanting that I may thinknecessary for the pursuit of a virtuous, honourable, modest andhigh-minded woman. And among other reasons, I am induced to entrust thisarduous task to thee by the consideration that if Camilla be conquered bythee the conquest will not be pushed to extremes, but only far enough toaccount that accomplished which from a sense of honour will be leftundone; thus I shall not be wronged in anything more than intention, andmy wrong will remain buried in the integrity of thy silence, which I knowwell will be as lasting as that of death in what concerns me. If,therefore, thou wouldst have me enjoy what can be called life, thou wiltat once engage in this love struggle, not lukewarmly nor slothfully, butwith the energy and zeal that my desire demands, and with the loyalty ourfriendship assures me of."Such were the words Anselmo addressed to Lothario, who listened to themwith such attention that, except to say what has been already mentioned,he did not open his lips until the other had finished. Then perceivingthat he had no more to say, after regarding him for awhile, as one wouldregard something never before seen that excited wonder and amazement, hesaid to him, "I cannot persuade myself, Anselmo my friend, that what thouhast said to me is not in jest; if I thought that thou wert speakingseriously I would not have allowed thee to go so far; so as to put a stopto thy long harangue by not listening to thee I verily suspect thateither thou dost not know me, or I do not know thee; but no, I know wellthou art Anselmo, and thou knowest that I am Lothario; the misfortune is,it seems to me, that thou art not the Anselmo thou wert, and must havethought that I am not the Lothario I should be; for the things that thouhast said to me are not those of that Anselmo who was my friend, nor arethose that thou demandest of me what should be asked of the Lothario thouknowest. True friends will prove their friends and make use of them, as apoet has said, usque ad aras; whereby he meant that they will not makeuse of their friendship in things that are contrary to God's will. Ifthis, then, was a heathen's feeling about friendship, how much moreshould it be a Christian's, who knows that the divine must not beforfeited for the sake of any human friendship? And if a friend should goso far as to put aside his duty to Heaven to fulfil his duty to hisfriend, it should not be in matters that are trifling or of littlemoment, but in such as affect the friend's life and honour. Now tell me,Anselmo, in which of these two art thou imperilled, that I should hazardmyself to gratify thee, and do a thing so detestable as that thou seekestof me? Neither forsooth; on the contrary, thou dost ask of me, so far asI understand, to strive and labour to rob thee of honour and life, and torob myself of them at the same time; for if I take away thy honour it isplain I take away thy life, as a man without honour is worse than dead;and being the instrument, as thou wilt have it so, of so much wrong tothee, shall not I, too, be left without honour, and consequently withoutlife? Listen to me, Anselmo my friend, and be not impatient to answer meuntil I have said what occurs to me touching the object of thy desire,for there will be time enough left for thee to reply and for me to hear.""Be it so," said Anselmo, "say what thou wilt."Lothario then went on to say, "It seems to me, Anselmo, that thine isjust now the temper of mind which is always that of the Moors, who cannever be brought to see the error of their creed by quotations from theHoly Scriptures, or by reasons which depend upon the examination of theunderstanding or are founded upon the articles of faith, but must haveexamples that are palpable, easy, intelligible, capable of proof, notadmitting of doubt, with mathematical demonstrations that cannot bedenied, like, 'If equals be taken from equals, the remainders are equal:'and if they do not understand this in words, and indeed they do not, ithas to be shown to them with the hands, and put before their eyes, andeven with all this no one succeeds in convincing them of the truth of ourholy religion. This same mode of proceeding I shall have to adopt withthee, for the desire which has sprung up in thee is so absurd and remotefrom everything that has a semblance of reason, that I feel it would be awaste of time to employ it in reasoning with thy simplicity, for atpresent I will call it by no other name; and I am even tempted to leavethee in thy folly as a punishment for thy pernicious desire; but thefriendship I bear thee, which will not allow me to desert thee in suchmanifest danger of destruction, keeps me from dealing so harshly by thee.And that thou mayest clearly see this, say, Anselmo, hast thou not toldme that I must force my suit upon a modest woman, decoy one that isvirtuous, make overtures to one that is pure-minded, pay court to onethat is prudent? Yes, thou hast told me so. Then, if thou knowest thatthou hast a wife, modest, virtuous, pure-minded and prudent, what is itthat thou seekest? And if thou believest that she will come forthvictorious from all my attacks--as doubtless she would--what highertitles than those she possesses now dost thou think thou canst upon herthen, or in what will she be better then than she is now? Either thoudost not hold her to be what thou sayest, or thou knowest not what thoudost demand. If thou dost not hold her to be what thou why dost thou seekto prove her instead of treating her as guilty in the way that may seembest to thee? but if she be as virtuous as thou believest, it is anuncalled-for proceeding to make trial of truth itself, for, after trial,it will but be in the same estimation as before. Thus, then, it isconclusive that to attempt things from which harm rather than advantagemay come to us is the part of unreasoning and reckless minds, moreespecially when they are things which we are not forced or compelled toattempt, and which show from afar that it is plainly madness to attemptthem."Difficulties are attempted either for the sake of God or for the sake ofthe world, or for both; those undertaken for God's sake are those whichthe saints undertake when they attempt to live the lives of angels inhuman bodies; those undertaken for the sake of the world are those of themen who traverse such a vast expanse of water, such a variety ofclimates, so many strange countries, to acquire what are called theblessings of fortune; and those undertaken for the sake of God and theworld together are those of brave soldiers, who no sooner do they see inthe enemy's wall a breach as wide as a cannon ball could make, than,casting aside all fear, without hesitating, or heeding the manifest perilthat threatens them, borne onward by the desire of defending their faith,their country, and their king, they fling themselves dauntlessly into themidst of the thousand opposing deaths that await them. Such are thethings that men are wont to attempt, and there is honour, glory, gain, inattempting them, however full of difficulty and peril they may be; butthat which thou sayest it is thy wish to attempt and carry out will notwin thee the glory of God nor the blessings of fortune nor fame amongmen; for even if the issue he as thou wouldst have it, thou wilt be nohappier, richer, or more honoured than thou art this moment; and if it beotherwise thou wilt be reduced to misery greater than can be imagined,for then it will avail thee nothing to reflect that no one is aware ofthe misfortune that has befallen thee; it will suffice to torture andcrush thee that thou knowest it thyself. And in confirmation of the truthof what I say, let me repeat to thee a stanza made by the famous poetLuigi Tansillo at the end of the first part of his 'Tears of SaintPeter,' which says thus:The anguish and the shame but greater grew In Peter's heart as morningslowly came; No eye was there to see him, well he knew, Yet he himselfwas to himself a shame; Exposed to all men's gaze, or screened from view,A noble heart will feel the pang the same; A prey to shame the sinningsoul will be, Though none but heaven and earth its shame can see.Thus by keeping it secret thou wilt not escape thy sorrow, but ratherthou wilt shed tears unceasingly, if not tears of the eyes, tears ofblood from the heart, like those shed by that simple doctor our poettells us of, that tried the test of the cup, which the wise Rinaldo,better advised, refused to do; for though this may be a poetic fiction itcontains a moral lesson worthy of attention and study and imitation.Moreover by what I am about to say to thee thou wilt be led to see thegreat error thou wouldst commit."Tell me, Anselmo, if Heaven or good fortune had made thee master andlawful owner of a diamond of the finest quality, with the excellence andpurity of which all the lapidaries that had seen it had been satisfied,saying with one voice and common consent that in purity, quality, andfineness, it was all that a stone of the kind could possibly be, thouthyself too being of the same belief, as knowing nothing to the contrary,would it be reasonable in thee to desire to take that diamond and placeit between an anvil and a hammer, and by mere force of blows and strengthof arm try if it were as hard and as fine as they said? And if thoudidst, and if the stone should resist so silly a test, that would addnothing to its value or reputation; and if it were broken, as it mightbe, would not all be lost? Undoubtedly it would, leaving its owner to berated as a fool in the opinion of all. Consider, then, Anselmo my friend,that Camilla is a diamond of the finest quality as well in thy estimationas in that of others, and that it is contrary to reason to expose her tothe risk of being broken; for if she remains intact she cannot rise to ahigher value than she now possesses; and if she give way and be unable toresist, bethink thee now how thou wilt be deprived of her, and with whatgood reason thou wilt complain of thyself for having been the cause ofher ruin and thine own. Remember there is no jewel in the world soprecious as a chaste and virtuous woman, and that the whole honour ofwomen consists in reputation; and since thy wife's is of that highexcellence that thou knowest, wherefore shouldst thou seek to call thattruth in question? Remember, my friend, that woman is an imperfectanimal, and that impediments are not to be placed in her way to make hertrip and fall, but that they should be removed, and her path left clearof all obstacles, so that without hindrance she may run her course freelyto attain the desired perfection, which consists in being virtuous.Naturalists tell us that the ermine is a little animal which has a fur ofpurest white, and that when the hunters wish to take it, they make use ofthis artifice. Having ascertained the places which it frequents andpasses, they stop the way to them with mud, and then rousing it, drive ittowards the spot, and as soon as the ermine comes to the mud it halts,and allows itself to be taken captive rather than pass through the mire,and spoil and sully its whiteness, which it values more than life andliberty. The virtuous and chaste woman is an ermine, and whiter and purerthan snow is the virtue of modesty; and he who wishes her not to lose it,but to keep and preserve it, must adopt a course different from thatemployed with the ermine; he must not put before her the mire of thegifts and attentions of persevering lovers, because perhaps--and evenwithout a perhaps--she may not have sufficient virtue and naturalstrength in herself to pass through and tread under foot theseimpediments; they must be removed, and the brightness of virtue and thebeauty of a fair fame must be put before her. A virtuous woman, too, islike a mirror, of clear shining crystal, liable to be tarnished anddimmed by every breath that touches it. She must be treated as relicsare; adored, not touched. She must be protected and prized as oneprotects and prizes a fair garden full of roses and flowers, the owner ofwhich allows no one to trespass or pluck a blossom; enough for othersthat from afar and through the iron grating they may enjoy its fragranceand its beauty. Finally let me repeat to thee some verses that come to mymind; I heard them in a modern comedy, and it seems to me they bear uponthe point we are discussing. A prudent old man was giving advice toanother, the father of a young girl, to lock her up, watch over her andkeep her in seclusion, and among other arguments he used these: Woman is a thing of glass; But her brittleness 'tis best Not too curiously to test: Who knows what may come to pass? Breaking is an easy matter, And it's folly to expose What you cannot mend to blows; What you can't make whole to shatter. This, then, all may hold as true, And the reason's plain to see; For if Danaes there be, There are golden showers too. "All that I have said to thee so far, Anselmo, has had reference to whatconcerns thee; now it is right that I should say something of whatregards myself; and if I be prolix, pardon me, for the labyrinth intowhich thou hast entered and from which thou wouldst have me extricatethee makes it necessary."Thou dost reckon me thy friend, and thou wouldst rob me of honour, athing wholly inconsistent with friendship; and not only dost thou aim atthis, but thou wouldst have me rob thee of it also. That thou wouldst robme of it is clear, for when Camilla sees that I pay court to her as thourequirest, she will certainly regard me as a man without honour or rightfeeling, since I attempt and do a thing so much opposed to what I owe tomy own position and thy friendship. That thou wouldst have me rob thee ofit is beyond a doubt, for Camilla, seeing that I press my suit upon her,will suppose that I have perceived in her something light that hasencouraged me to make known to her my base desire; and if she holdsherself dishonoured, her dishonour touches thee as belonging to her; andhence arises what so commonly takes place, that the husband of theadulterous woman, though he may not be aware of or have given any causefor his wife's failure in her duty, or (being careless or negligent) havehad it in his power to prevent his dishonour, nevertheless is stigmatisedby a vile and reproachful name, and in a manner regarded with eyes ofcontempt instead of pity by all who know of his wife's guilt, though theysee that he is unfortunate not by his own fault, but by the lust of avicious consort. But I will tell thee why with good reason dishonourattaches to the husband of the unchaste wife, though he know not that sheis so, nor be to blame, nor have done anything, or given any provocationto make her so; and be not weary with listening to me, for it will be forthy good."When God created our first parent in the earthly paradise, the HolyScripture says that he infused sleep into Adam and while he slept took arib from his left side of which he formed our mother Eve, and when Adamawoke and beheld her he said, 'This is flesh of my flesh, and bone of mybone.' And God said 'For this shall a man leave his father and hismother, and they shall be two in one flesh; and then was instituted thedivine sacrament of marriage, with such ties that death alone can loosethem. And such is the force and virtue of this miraculous sacrament thatit makes two different persons one and the same flesh; and even more thanthis when the virtuous are married; for though they have two souls theyhave but one will. And hence it follows that as the flesh of the wife isone and the same with that of her husband the stains that may come uponit, or the injuries it incurs fall upon the husband's flesh, though he,as has been said, may have given no cause for them; for as the pain ofthe foot or any member of the body is felt by the whole body, because allis one flesh, as the head feels the hurt to the ankle without havingcaused it, so the husband, being one with her, shares the dishonour ofthe wife; and as all worldly honour or dishonour comes of flesh andblood, and the erring wife's is of that kind, the husband must needs bearhis part of it and be held dishonoured without knowing it. See, then,Anselmo, the peril thou art encountering in seeking to disturb the peaceof thy virtuous consort; see for what an empty and ill-advised curiositythou wouldst rouse up passions that now repose in quiet in the breast ofthy chaste wife; reflect that what thou art staking all to win is little,and what thou wilt lose so much that I leave it undescribed, not havingthe words to express it. But if all I have said be not enough to turnthee from thy vile purpose, thou must seek some other instrument for thydishonour and misfortune; for such I will not consent to be, though Ilose thy friendship, the greatest loss that I can conceive."Having said this, the wise and virtuous Lothario was silent, and Anselmo,troubled in mind and deep in thought, was unable for a while to utter aword in reply; but at length he said, "I have listened, Lothario myfriend, attentively, as thou hast seen, to what thou hast chosen to sayto me, and in thy arguments, examples, and comparisons I have seen thathigh intelligence thou dost possess, and the perfection of truefriendship thou hast reached; and likewise I see and confess that if I amnot guided by thy opinion, but follow my own, I am flying from the goodand pursuing the evil. This being so, thou must remember that I am nowlabouring under that infirmity which women sometimes suffer from, whenthe craving seizes them to eat clay, plaster, charcoal, and things evenworse, disgusting to look at, much more to eat; so that it will benecessary to have recourse to some artifice to cure me; and this can beeasily effected if only thou wilt make a beginning, even though it be ina lukewarm and make-believe fashion, to pay court to Camilla, who willnot be so yielding that her virtue will give way at the first attack:with this mere attempt I shall rest satisfied, and thou wilt have donewhat our friendship binds thee to do, not only in giving me life, but inpersuading me not to discard my honour. And this thou art bound to do forone reason alone, that, being, as I am, resolved to apply this test, itis not for thee to permit me to reveal my weakness to another, and soimperil that honour thou art striving to keep me from losing; and ifthine may not stand as high as it ought in the estimation of Camillawhile thou art paying court to her, that is of little or no importance,because ere long, on finding in her that constancy which we expect, thoucanst tell her the plain truth as regards our stratagem, and so regainthy place in her esteem; and as thou art venturing so little, and by theventure canst afford me so much satisfaction, refuse not to undertake it,even if further difficulties present themselves to thee; for, as I havesaid, if thou wilt only make a beginning I will acknowledge the issuedecided."Lothario seeing the fixed determination of Anselmo, and not knowing whatfurther examples to offer or arguments to urge in order to dissuade himfrom it, and perceiving that he threatened to confide his perniciousscheme to some one else, to avoid a greater evil resolved to gratify himand do what he asked, intending to manage the business so as to satisfyAnselmo without corrupting the mind of Camilla; so in reply he told himnot to communicate his purpose to any other, for he would undertake thetask himself, and would begin it as soon as he pleased. Anselmo embracedhim warmly and affectionately, and thanked him for his offer as if he hadbestowed some great favour upon him; and it was agreed between them toset about it the next day, Anselmo affording opportunity and time toLothario to converse alone with Camilla, and furnishing him with moneyand jewels to offer and present to her. He suggested, too, that he shouldtreat her to music, and write verses in her praise, and if he wasunwilling to take the trouble of composing them, he offered to do ithimself. Lothario agreed to all with an intention very different fromwhat Anselmo supposed, and with this understanding they returned toAnselmo's house, where they found Camilla awaiting her husband anxiouslyand uneasily, for he was later than usual in returning that day. Lothariorepaired to his own house, and Anselmo remained in his, as well satisfiedas Lothario was troubled in mind; for he could see no satisfactory wayout of this ill-advised business. That night, however, he thought of aplan by which he might deceive Anselmo without any injury to Camilla. Thenext day he went to dine with his friend, and was welcomed by Camilla,who received and treated him with great cordiality, knowing the affectionher husband felt for him. When dinner was over and the cloth removed,Anselmo told Lothario to stay there with Camilla while he attended tosome pressing business, as he would return in an hour and a half. Camillabegged him not to go, and Lothario offered to accompany him, but nothingcould persuade Anselmo, who on the contrary pressed Lothario to remainwaiting for him as he had a matter of great importance to discuss withhim. At the same time he bade Camilla not to leave Lothario alone untilhe came back. In short he contrived to put so good a face on the reason,or the folly, of his absence that no one could have suspected it was apretence.Anselmo took his departure, and Camilla and Lothario were left alone atthe table, for the rest of the household had gone to dinner. Lothario sawhimself in the lists according to his friend's wish, and facing an enemythat could by her beauty alone vanquish a squadron of armed knights;judge whether he had good reason to fear; but what he did was to lean hiselbow on the arm of the chair, and his cheek upon his hand, and, askingCamilla's pardon for his ill manners, he said he wished to take a littlesleep until Anselmo returned. Camilla in reply said he could repose moreat his ease in the reception-room than in his chair, and begged of him togo in and sleep there; but Lothario declined, and there he remainedasleep until the return of Anselmo, who finding Camilla in her own room,and Lothario asleep, imagined that he had stayed away so long as to haveafforded them time enough for conversation and even for sleep, and wasall impatience until Lothario should wake up, that he might go out withhim and question him as to his success. Everything fell out as he wished;Lothario awoke, and the two at once left the house, and Anselmo askedwhat he was anxious to know, and Lothario in answer told him that he hadnot thought it advisable to declare himself entirely the first time, andtherefore had only extolled the charms of Camilla, telling her that allthe city spoke of nothing else but her beauty and wit, for this seemed tohim an excellent way of beginning to gain her good-will and render herdisposed to listen to him with pleasure the next time, thus availinghimself of the device the devil has recourse to when he would deceive onewho is on the watch; for he being the angel of darkness transformshimself into an angel of light, and, under cover of a fair seeming,discloses himself at length, and effects his purpose if at the beginninghis wiles are not discovered. All this gave great satisfaction toAnselmo, and he said he would afford the same opportunity every day, butwithout leaving the house, for he would find things to do at home so thatCamilla should not detect the plot.Thus, then, several days went by, and Lothario, without uttering a wordto Camilla, reported to Anselmo that he had talked with her and that hehad never been able to draw from her the slightest indication of consentto anything dishonourable, nor even a sign or shadow of hope; on thecontrary, he said she would inform her husband of it."So far well," said Anselmo; "Camilla has thus far resisted words; wemust now see how she will resist deeds. I will give you to-morrow twothousand crowns in gold for you to offer or even present, and as manymore to buy jewels to lure her, for women are fond of being becominglyattired and going gaily dressed, and all the more so if they arebeautiful, however chaste they may be; and if she resists thistemptation, I will rest satisfied and will give you no more trouble."Lothario replied that now he had begun he would carry on the undertakingto the end, though he perceived he was to come out of it wearied andvanquished. The next day he received the four thousand crowns, and withthem four thousand perplexities, for he knew not what to say by way of anew falsehood; but in the end he made up his mind to tell him thatCamilla stood as firm against gifts and promises as against words, andthat there was no use in taking any further trouble, for the time was allspent to no purpose.But chance, directing things in a different manner, so ordered it thatAnselmo, having left Lothario and Camilla alone as on other occasions,shut himself into a chamber and posted himself to watch and listenthrough the keyhole to what passed between them, and perceived that formore than half an hour Lothario did not utter a word to Camilla, norwould utter a word though he were to be there for an age; and he came tothe conclusion that what his friend had told him about the replies ofCamilla was all invention and falsehood, and to ascertain if it were so,he came out, and calling Lothario aside asked him what news he had and inwhat humour Camilla was. Lothario replied that he was not disposed to goon with the business, for she had answered him so angrily and harshlythat he had no heart to say anything more to her."Ah, Lothario, Lothario," said Anselmo, "how ill dost thou meet thyobligations to me, and the great confidence I repose in thee! I have beenjust now watching through this keyhole, and I have seen that thou has notsaid a word to Camilla, whence I conclude that on the former occasionsthou hast not spoken to her either, and if this be so, as no doubt it is,why dost thou deceive me, or wherefore seekest thou by craft to depriveme of the means I might find of attaining my desire?"Anselmo said no more, but he had said enough to cover Lothario with shameand confusion, and he, feeling as it were his honour touched by havingbeen detected in a lie, swore to Anselmo that he would from that momentdevote himself to satisfying him without any deception, as he would seeif he had the curiosity to watch; though he need not take the trouble,for the pains he would take to satisfy him would remove all suspicionsfrom his mind. Anselmo believed him, and to afford him an opportunitymore free and less liable to surprise, he resolved to absent himself fromhis house for eight days, betaking himself to that of a friend of his wholived in a village not far from the city; and, the better to account forhis departure to Camilla, he so arranged it that the friend should sendhim a very pressing invitation.Unhappy, shortsighted Anselmo, what art thou doing, what art thouplotting, what art thou devising? Bethink thee thou art working againstthyself, plotting thine own dishonour, devising thine own ruin. Thy wifeCamilla is virtuous, thou dost possess her in peace and quietness, no oneassails thy happiness, her thoughts wander not beyond the walls of thyhouse, thou art her heaven on earth, the object of her wishes, thefulfilment of her desires, the measure wherewith she measures her will,making it conform in all things to thine and Heaven's. If, then, the mineof her honour, beauty, virtue, and modesty yields thee without labour allthe wealth it contains and thou canst wish for, why wilt thou dig theearth in search of fresh veins, of new unknown treasure, risking thecollapse of all, since it but rests on the feeble props of her weaknature? Bethink thee that from him who seeks impossibilities that whichis possible may with justice be withheld, as was better expressed by apoet who said: 'Tis mine to seek for life in death, Health in disease seek I, I seek in prison freedom's breath, In traitors loyalty. So Fate that ever scorns to grant Or grace or boon to me, Since what can never be I want, Denies me what might be. The next day Anselmo took his departure for the village, leavinginstructions with Camilla that during his absence Lothario would come tolook after his house and to dine with her, and that she was to treat himas she would himself. Camilla was distressed, as a discreet andright-minded woman would be, at the orders her husband left her, and badehim remember that it was not becoming that anyone should occupy his seatat the table during his absence, and if he acted thus from not feelingconfidence that she would be able to manage his house, let him try herthis time, and he would find by experience that she was equal to greaterresponsibilities. Anselmo replied that it was his pleasure to have it so,and that she had only to submit and obey. Camilla said she would do so,though against her will.Anselmo went, and the next day Lothario came to his house, where he wasreceived by Camilla with a friendly and modest welcome; but she neversuffered Lothario to see her alone, for she was always attended by hermen and women servants, especially by a handmaid of hers, Leonela byname, to whom she was much attached (for they had been brought uptogether from childhood in her father's house), and whom she had keptwith her after her marriage with Anselmo. The first three days Lothariodid not speak to her, though he might have done so when they removed thecloth and the servants retired to dine hastily; for such were Camilla'sorders; nay more, Leonela had directions to dine earlier than Camilla andnever to leave her side. She, however, having her thoughts fixed uponother things more to her taste, and wanting that time and opportunity forher own pleasures, did not always obey her mistress's commands, but onthe contrary left them alone, as if they had ordered her to do so; butthe modest bearing of Camilla, the calmness of her countenance, thecomposure of her aspect were enough to bridle the tongue of Lothario. Butthe influence which the many virtues of Camilla exerted in imposingsilence on Lothario's tongue proved mischievous for both of them, for ifhis tongue was silent his thoughts were busy, and could dwell at leisureupon the perfections of Camilla's goodness and beauty one by one, charmsenough to warm with love a marble statue, not to say a heart of flesh.Lothario gazed upon her when he might have been speaking to her, andthought how worthy of being loved she was; and thus reflection beganlittle by little to assail his allegiance to Anselmo, and a thousandtimes he thought of withdrawing from the city and going where Anselmoshould never see him nor he see Camilla. But already the delight he foundin gazing on her interposed and held him fast. He put a constraint uponhimself, and struggled to repel and repress the pleasure he found incontemplating Camilla; when alone he blamed himself for his weakness,called himself a bad friend, nay a bad Christian; then he argued thematter and compared himself with Anselmo; always coming to the conclusionthat the folly and rashness of Anselmo had been worse than hisfaithlessness, and that if he could excuse his intentions as easilybefore God as with man, he had no reason to fear any punishment for hisoffence.In short the beauty and goodness of Camilla, joined with the opportunitywhich the blind husband had placed in his hands, overthrew the loyalty ofLothario; and giving heed to nothing save the object towards which hisinclinations led him, after Anselmo had been three days absent, duringwhich he had been carrying on a continual struggle with his passion, hebegan to make love to Camilla with so much vehemence and warmth oflanguage that she was overwhelmed with amazement, and could only risefrom her place and retire to her room without answering him a word. Butthe hope which always springs up with love was not weakened in Lotharioby this repelling demeanour; on the contrary his passion for Camillaincreased, and she discovering in him what she had never expected, knewnot what to do; and considering it neither safe nor right to give him thechance or opportunity of speaking to her again, she resolved to send, asshe did that very night, one of her servants with a letter to Anselmo, inwhich she addressed the following words to him.