THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding. He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo. They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table. On the whole they got on very well with him. He was hospitable and friendly to everyone, especially to the local members of the Mazzinian party. To this rule Gemma, apparently, formed an exception; he seemed to have taken a dislike to her from the time of their first meeting, and in every way avoided her company. On two or three occasions he was actually rude to her, thus bringing upon himself Martini's most cordial detestation. There had been no love lost between the two men from the beginning; their temperaments appeared to be too incompatible for them to feel anything but repugnance for each other. On Martini's part this was fast developing into hostility.
"I don't care about his not liking me," he said one day to Gemma with an aggrieved air. "I don't like him, for that matter; so there's no harm done. But I can't stand the way he behaves to you. If it weren't for the scandal it would make in the party first to beg a man to come and then to quarrel with him, I should call him to account for it."
"Let him alone, Cesare; it isn't of any consequence, and after all, it's as much my fault as his."
"What is your fault?"
"That he dislikes me so. I said a brutal thing to him when we first met, that night at the Grassinis'."
"YOU said a brutal thing? That's hard to believe, Madonna."
"It was unintentional, of course, and I was very sorry. I said something about people laughing at cripples, and he took it personally. It had never occurred to me to think of him as a cripple; he is not so badly deformed."
"Of course not. He has one shoulder higher than the other, and his left arm is pretty badly disabled, but he's neither hunchbacked nor clubfooted. As for his lameness, it isn't worth talking about."
"Anyway, he shivered all over and changed colour. Of course it was horribly tactless of me, but it's odd he should be so sensitive. I wonder if he has ever suffered from any cruel jokes of that kind."
"Much more likely to have perpetrated them, I should think. There's a sort of internal brutality about that man, under all his fine manners, that is perfectly sickening to me."
"Now, Cesare, that's downright unfair. I don't like him any more than you do, but what is the use of making him out worse than he is? His manner is a little affected and irritating--I expect he has been too much lionized--and the everlasting smart speeches are dreadfully tiring; but I don't believe he means any harm."
"I don't know what he means, but there's something not clean about a man who sneers at everything. It fairly disgusted me the other day at Fabrizi's debate to hear the way he cried down the reforms in Rome, just as if he wanted to find a foul motive for everything."
Gemma sighed. "I am afraid I agreed better with him than with you on that point," she said. "All you good people are so full of the most delightful hopes and expectations; you are always ready to think that if one well-meaning middle-aged gentleman happens to get elected Pope, everything else will come right of itself. He has only got to throw open the prison doors and give his blessing to everybody all round, and we may expect the millennium within three months. You never seem able to see that he can't set things right even if he would. It's the principle of the thing that's wrong, not the behaviour of this man or that."
"What principle? The temporal power of the Pope?"
"Why that in particular? That's merely a part of the general wrong. The bad principle is that any man should hold over another the power to bind and loose. It's a false relationship to stand in towards one's fellows."
Martini held up his hands. "That will do, Madonna," he said, laughing. "I am not going to discuss with you, once you begin talking rank Antinomianism in that fashion. I'm sure your ancestors must have been English Levellers in the seventeenth century. Besides, what I came round about is this MS."
He pulled it out of his pocket.
"Another new pamphlet?"
"A stupid thing this wretched man Rivarez sent in to yesterday's committee. I knew we should come to loggerheads with him before long."
"What is the matter with it? Honestly, Cesare, I think you are a little prejudiced. Rivarez may be unpleasant, but he's not stupid."
"Oh, I don't deny that this is clever enough in its way; but you had better read the thing yourself."
The pamphlet was a skit on the wild enthusiasm over the new Pope with which Italy was still ringing. Like all the Gadfly's writing, it was bitter and vindictive; but, notwithstanding her irritation at the style, Gemma could not help recognizing in her heart the justice of the criticism.
"I quite agree with you that it is detestably malicious," she said, laying down the manuscript. "But the worst thing about it is that it's all true."
"Gemma!"
"Yes, but it is. The man's a cold-blooded eel, if you like; but he's got the truth on his side. There is no use in our trying to persuade ourselves that this doesn't hit the mark--it does!"
"Then do you suggest that we should print it?"
"Ah! that's quite another matter. I certainly don't think we ought to print it as it stands; it would hurt and alienate everybody and do no good. But if he would rewrite it and cut out the personal attacks, I think it might be made into a really valuable piece of work. As political criticism it is very fine. I had no idea he could write so well. He says things which need saying and which none of us have had the courage to say. This passage, where he compares Italy to a tipsy man weeping with tenderness on the neck of the thief who is picking his pocket, is splendidly written."
"Gemma! The very worst bit in the whole thing! I hate that ill-natured yelping at everything and everybody!"
"So do I; but that's not the point. Rivarez has a very disagreeable style, and as a human being he is not attractive; but when he says that we have made ourselves drunk with processions and embracing and shouting about love and reconciliation, and that the Jesuits and Sanfedists are the people who will profit by it all, he's right a thousand times. I wish I could have been at the committee yesterday. What decision did you finally arrive at?"
"What I have come here about: to ask you to go and talk it over with him and persuade him to soften the thing."
"Me? But I hardly know the man; and besides that, he detests me. Why should I go, of all people?"
"Simply because there's no one else to do it to-day. Besides, you are more reasonable than the rest of us, and won't get into useless arguments and quarrel with him, as we should."
"I shan't do that, certainly. Well, I will go if you like, though I have not much hope of success."
"I am sure you will be able to manage him if you try. Yes, and tell him that the committee all admired the thing from a literary point of view. That will put him into a good humour, and it's perfectly true, too."
. . . . .
The Gadfly was sitting beside a table covered with flowers and ferns, staring absently at the floor, with an open letter on his knee. A shaggy collie dog, lying on a rug at his feet, raised its head and growled as Gemma knocked at the open door, and the Gadfly rose hastily and bowed in a stiff, ceremonious way. His face had suddenly grown hard and expressionless.
"You are too kind," he said in his most chilling manner. "If you had let me know that you wanted to speak to me I would have called on you."
Seeing that he evidently wished her at the end of the earth, Gemma hastened to state her business. He bowed again and placed a chair for her.
"The committee wished me to call upon you," she began, "because there has been a certain difference of opinion about your pamphlet."
"So I expected." He smiled and sat down opposite to her, drawing a large vase of chrysanthemums between his face and the light.
"Most of the members agreed that, however much they may admire the pamphlet as a literary composition, they do not think that in its present form it is quite suitable for publication. They fear that the vehemence of its tone may give offence, and alienate persons whose help and support are valuable to the party."
He pulled a chrysanthemum from the vase and began slowly plucking off one white petal after another. As her eyes happened to catch the movement of the slim right hand dropping the petals, one by one, an uncomfortable sensation came over Gemma, as though she had somewhere seen that gesture before.
"As a literary composition," he remarked in his soft, cold voice, "it is utterly worthless, and could be admired only by persons who know nothing about literature. As for its giving offence, that is the very thing I intended it to do."
"That I quite understand. The question is whether you may not succeed in giving offence to the wrong people."
He shrugged his shoulders and put a torn-off petal between his teeth. "I think you are mistaken," he said. "The question is: For what purpose did your committee invite me to come here? I understood, to expose and ridicule the Jesuits. I fulfil my obligation to the best of my ability."
"And I can assure you that no one has any doubt as to either the ability or the good-will. What the committee fears is that the liberal party may take offence, and also that the town workmen may withdraw their moral support. You may have meant the pamphlet for an attack upon the Sanfedists: but many readers will construe it as an attack upon the Church and the new Pope; and this, as a matter of political tactics, the committee does not consider desirable."
"I begin to understand. So long as I keep to the particular set of clerical gentlemen with whom the party is just now on bad terms, I may speak sooth if the fancy takes me; but directly I touch upon the committee's own pet priests--'truth's a dog must to kennel; he must be whipped out, when the--Holy Father may stand by the fire and-----' Yes, the fool was right; I'd rather be any kind of a thing than a fool. Of course I must bow to the committee's decision, but I continue to think that it has pared its wit o' both sides and left--M-mon-signor M-m-montan-n-nelli in the middle."
"Montanelli?" Gemma repeated. "I don't understand you. Do you mean the Bishop of Brisighella?"
"Yes; the new Pope has just created him a Cardinal, you know. I have a letter about him here. Would you care to hear it? The writer is a friend of mine on the other side of the frontier."
"The Papal frontier?"
"Yes. This is what he writes----" He took up the letter which had been in his hand when she entered, and read aloud, suddenly beginning to stammer violently:
"'Y-o-you will s-s-s-soon have the p-pleasure of m-m-meeting one of our w-w-worst enemies, C-cardinal Lorenzo M-montan-n-nelli, the B-b-bishop of Brisig-g-hella. He int-t----'"
He broke off, paused a moment, and began again, very slowly and drawling insufferably, but no longer stammering:
"'He intends to visit Tuscany during the coming month on a mission of reconciliation. He will preach first in Florence, where he will stay for about three weeks; then will go on to Siena and Pisa, and return to the Romagna by Pistoja. He ostensibly belongs to the liberal party in the Church, and is a personal friend of the Pope and Cardinal Feretti. Under Gregory he was out of favour, and was kept out of sight in a little hole in the Apennines. Now he has come suddenly to the front. Really, of course, he is as much pulled by Jesuit wires as any Sanfedist in the country. This mission was suggested by some of the Jesuit fathers. He is one of the most brilliant preachers in the Church, and as mischievous in his way as Lambruschini himself. His business is to keep the popular enthusiasm over the Pope from subsiding, and to occupy the public attention until the Grand Duke has signed a project which the agents of the Jesuits are preparing to lay before him. What this project is I have been unable to discover.' Then, further on, it says: 'Whether Montanelli understands for what purpose he is being sent to Tuscany, or whether the Jesuits are playing on him, I cannot make out. He is either an uncommonly clever knave, or the biggest ass that was ever foaled. The odd thing is that, so far as I can discover, he neither takes bribes nor keeps mistresses--the first time I ever came across such a thing.'"
He laid down the letter and sat looking at her with half-shut eyes, waiting, apparently, for her to speak.
"Are you satisfied that your informant is correct in his facts?" she asked after a moment.
"As to the irreproachable character of Monsignor M-mon-t-tan-nelli's private life? No; but neither is he. As you will observe, he puts in the s-s-saving clause: 'So far as I c-can discover----
"I was not speaking of that," she interposed coldly, "but of the part about this mission."
"I can fully trust the writer. He is an old friend of mine--one of my comrades of '43, and he is in a position which gives him exceptional opportunities for finding out things of that kind."
"Some official at the Vatican," thought Gemma quickly. "So that's the kind of connections you have? I guessed there was something of that sort."
"This letter is, of course, a private one," the Gadfly went on; "and you understand that the information is to be kept strictly to the members of your committee."
"That hardly needs saying. Then about the pamphlet: may I tell the committee that you consent to make a few alterations and soften it a little, or that----"
"Don't you think the alterations may succeed in spoiling the beauty of the 'literary composition,' signora, as well as in reducing the vehemence of the tone?"
"You are asking my personal opinion. What I have come here to express is that of the committee as a whole."
"Does that imply that y-y-you disagree with the committee as a whole?" He had put the letter into his pocket and was now leaning forward and looking at her with an eager, concentrated expression which quite changed the character of his face. "You think----"
"If you care to know what I personally think --I disagree with the majority on both points. I do not at all admire the pamphlet from a literary point of view, and I do think it true as a presentation of facts and wise as a matter of tactics."
"That is------"
"I quite agree with you that Italy is being led away by a will-o'-the-wisp and that all this enthusiasm and rejoicing will probably land her in a terrible bog; and I should be most heartily glad to have that openly and boldly said, even at the cost of offending or alienating some of our present supporters. But as a member of a body the large majority of which holds the opposite view, I cannot insist upon my personal opinion; and I certainly think that if things of that kind are to be said at all, they should be said temperately and quietly; not in the tone adopted in this pamphlet."
"Will you wait a minute while I look through the manuscript?"
He took it up and glanced down the pages. A dissatisfied frown settled on his face.
"Yes, of course, you are perfectly right. The thing's written like a cafe chantant skit, not a political satire. But what's a man to do? If I write decently the public won't understand it; they will say it's dull if it isn't spiteful enough."
"Don't you think spitefulness manages to be dull when we get too much of it?"
He threw a keen, rapid glance at her, and burst out laughing.
"Apparently the signora belongs to the dreadful category of people who are always right! Then if I yield to the temptation to be spiteful, I may come in time to be as dull as Signora Grassini? Heavens, what a fate! No, you needn't frown. I know you don't like me, and I am going to keep to business. What it comes to, then, is practically this: if I cut out the personalities and leave the essential part of the thing as it is, the committee will very much regret that they can't take the responsibility of printing it. If I cut out the political truth and make all the hard names apply to no one but the party's enemies, the committee will praise the thing up to the skies, and you and I will know it's not worth printing. Rather a nice point of metaphysics: Which is the more desirable condition, to be printed and not be worth it, or to be worth it and not be printed? Well, signora?"
"I do not think you are tied to any such alternative. I believe that if you were to cut out the personalities the committee would consent to print the pamphlet, though the majority would, of course, not agree with it; and I am convinced that it would be very useful. But you would have to lay aside the spitefulness. If you are going to say a thing the substance of which is a big pill for your readers to swallow, there is no use in frightening them at the beginning by the form."
He sighed and shrugged his shoulders resignedly. "I submit, signora; but on one condition. If you rob me of my laugh now, I must have it out next time. When His Eminence, the irreproachable Cardinal, turns up in Florence, neither you nor your committee must object to my being as spiteful as I like. It's my due!"
He spoke in his lightest, coldest manner, pulling the chrysanthemums out of their vase and holding them up to watch the light through the translucent petals. "What an unsteady hand he has," she thought, seeing how the flowers shook and quivered. "Surely he doesn't drink!"
"You had better discuss the matter with the other members of the committee," she said, rising. "I cannot form any opinion as to what they will think about it."
"And you?" He had risen too, and was leaning against the table, pressing the flowers to his face
She hesitated. The question distressed her, bringing up old and miserable associations. "I --hardly know," she said at last. "Many years ago I used to know something about Monsignor Montanelli. He was only a canon at that time, and Director of the theological seminary in the province where I lived as a girl. I heard a great deal about him from--someone who knew him very intimately; and I never heard anything of him that was not good. I believe that, in those days at least, he was really a most remarkable man. But that was long ago, and he may have changed. Irresponsible power corrupts so many people."
The Gadfly raised his head from the flowers, and looked at her with a steady face.
"At any rate," he said, "if Monsignor Montanelli is not himself a scoundrel, he is a tool in scoundrelly hands. It is all one to me which he is--and to my friends across the frontier. A stone in the path may have the best intentions, but it must be kicked out of the path, for all that. Allow me, signora!" He rang the bell, and, limping to the door, opened it for her to pass out.
"It was very kind of you to call, signora. May I send for a vettura? No? Good-afternoon, then! Bianca, open the hall-door, please."
Gemma went out into the street, pondering anxiously. "My friends across the frontier"-- who were they? And how was the stone to be kicked out of the path? If with satire only, why had he said it with such dangerous eyes?
牛虻住在罗马城墙的外边，就在绮达的寓所附近。他显然有点像是一位西巴列人。尽管房间没有什么显得特别奢侈的东西，但是细小之处却有浮华的倾向，物什的摆放极尽典雅，直让加利和里卡尔多感到意外。他们原本以为一个生活在亚马逊荒野之中的人不像别人那样讲究，所以看见纤尘不染的领带和一排排的皮靴，以及总是摆在写字台上的鲜花，他们很纳闷。总的来说他们处得挺好。他对每个人都殷勤友好，特别是对这里的玛志尼党的成员。对琼玛则是例外，他好像从第一次见面起就不喜欢她，老是躲着她，因此就引起了马尔蒂尼的强烈反感。从一开始，这两个人之间就没有什么好感，他们的气质水火不容，彼此之间只有憎恨。在马尔蒂尼那一方面，这种情感很快就变成了仇恨。
“我并不在乎他不喜欢我。”有一天他对琼玛说，神情有些委屈。“我就是不喜欢他，这也没什么要紧的。但是他那么对待你，这就叫我无法容忍。如果不是怕这事在党内闹得沸沸扬扬，让人说我们先是把他请来，然后又和他大吵一通，我就要让他对此作出说明。”
“别去管他，塞萨雷。没什么大不了，话又说回来，这事也有我的不对。”
“你有什么不对？”
“就是为此他才不喜欢我。我们第一次见面时，就在格拉西尼家里做客的那天晚上，我对他说了一句无礼的话。”
“你说了一句无礼的话吗？这可就让人难以置信了，夫人。”
“当然不是有意的，为此我感到非常抱歉。当时我说了人们嘲笑瘸子什么的，他就当真了。我从来没把他当成是瘸子，他还没有那么难看。”
“当然不算是难看。他一个肩膀高一个肩膀低，他的左臂伤得很厉害，但是他既不驼背也不畸足。至于说到他走路一瘸一拐的，那也不值一提。”
“反正他气得发抖，脸都变了色。我当然没有把握好分寸，但是奇怪的是，他竟然那么敏感。我就纳闷别人就没有跟他开过这样残忍的玩笑。”
“我倒认为更有可能跟他乱开过玩笑。这人骨子里残忍得很，外表却又装出风度不俗的模样，我看了实在恶心。”
“得了，塞萨雷，这就太不公平了。我并不比你更喜欢他，但是把他说得更坏又有什么用呢？他的举止是有点做作，让人看了生气——我看他是被别人捧得太高了——而且他那些夸夸其谈的俏皮话也着实让人感到厌倦。可我不相信他有什么恶意。”
“我不知道他是什么意思，但是一个对一切都嗤之以鼻的人，他的内心就有点龌龊了。那天在法布里齐家中讨论时，他大肆贬低罗马的改革，好像他想对一切都要找出一个肮脏的动机。我当时感到深恶痛绝。”
琼玛叹息一声。“在这一点上，恐怕我倒是同意他的意见。”她说，“你们这些好心的人充满了美好的希望和期待，你们总是认为如果一个心地善良的中年男士碰巧被选为教皇，一切自然都会好转起来。他只须打开监狱的大门，并把他的祝福赐予周围的人，那么我们就可以指望在三个月里迎来至福千年。你们好像永远都看不到即使他愿意，他也不能做到拨乱反正。是原则出了差错，而不是这个人或者那个人举止不当。”
“什么原则？教皇的世俗权力吗？”
“为什么说得那么具体呢？这只不过是大的错误中的一个方面。这个原则错在任何人都能握有别人的生杀大权。这种虚伪的关系不应存在于人与人之间。”
马尔蒂尼举起双手。“好了，夫人，”他笑着说道，“你一旦这样开始谈论废除道德论，我就不和你讨论下去了。我相信你的祖先一定是英国十七世纪的平均派成员。此外，我到这儿来是为了这些稿子。”
他从口袋里取了出来。
“另一份小册子吗？”
“那个叫做里瓦雷兹的倒霉蛋昨天把这篇愚不可及的文章提交给了委员会。我知道过不了多长时间，我们就要和他争吵起来。”
“这篇文章怎么啦？坦率地说，塞萨雷，我认为你们有点偏见。里瓦雷兹也许让人感到厌烦，但是他并非愚不可及。”
“噢，我并不否认这篇文章自有精明之处，但是你最好还是读一读。”
这是一篇讽刺文章，它抨击了围绕新教皇的即位而在意大利引发的那种狂热。就像牛虻的所有文章一样，这篇文章笔调辛辣，刻意中伤。尽管琼玛厌恶文章的风格，她还是打心眼儿里觉得这种批评是有道理的。
“我十分同意你的意见，这篇东西确实非常恶毒，”她放下稿子说道，“但是最糟糕的是他说的都是实话。”
“琼玛！”
“对，是这么回事。你可以说这人是一条冷血鳗鱼，但真理是在他的一边。我们试图劝说自己这篇文章没有击中要害是没有用的——它的确击中了要害！”
“那么你建议我们付印它吗？”
“嗯，那是另外一回事。我当然并不认为我们应该原封不动地付印，那会伤害每一个人，并使大家四分五裂。没有什么好处的。但是如果他能重写一下，删除人身攻击部分，那么我认为这也许是篇非常难得的文章。作为一篇政论文，它是很出色的。我没有想到他的文章写得这么好。他说出了我们想说但却没有勇气说出来的话。瞧这一段，他把意大利比作是一个醉汉，搂住正在掏他口袋的扒手的脖子，柔声柔气地哭泣。写得太棒了！”
“琼玛！通篇文章里就数这段最糟糕了！我讨厌心怀恶意的大呼小叫，对所有的事和所有的人都是这样！”
“我也是，但是关键不在这儿。里瓦雷兹的风格让人不敢苟同，作为一个人来说，他也不招人喜欢。但是他说我们沉醉于游行和拥抱，高呼友爱和和解，并说耶稣会和圣信会的教士们才是从中坐收渔利的人。这话可是一点也不假。我希望昨天我参加了委员会举行的会议。你们最终作出了什么决定？”
“这就是我来这儿的目的：请你去和他谈谈，劝他把调子改得缓和一些。”
“我吗？但是我根本就不大认识这个人，而且他还讨厌我。为什么其他的人不去，该着让我去呢？”
“原因很简单，今天别的人没空。而且你比我们这些人更有理性，不会犯不着和他辩论一番，甚至吵起来。换了我们可就不一样了。”
“我相信如果你们尽力，你们是能说服他的。对了，就告诉他从文学的观点来看，委员会一致称赞这是一篇好文章。这样他就会开心的，而且这也是实话。”
牛虻坐在放着鲜花和凤尾草的桌边，茫然地凝视着地板，膝上摆着一封拆开的信。一只长着一身粗毛的柯利狗躺在他脚头的地毯上，听到琼玛在敞开的房门上轻敲的声音，它扬头吼叫起来。牛虻匆忙起身，出于礼节生硬地鞠了一躬。他的脸突然变得严肃起来，没有任何表情。
“你也太客气了。”他说，态度极其冷漠。“如果你告诉我一声，说你想要找我谈话，我会登门拜访的。”
琼玛看出他显然希望把她拒于千里之外，于是赶紧说明来意。他又鞠了一躬，并且拉过一把椅子放在她的前面。
“委员会希望我来拜访你一下，”她开口说道，“因为关于你的小册子，有些不同的意见。”
“这我已经想到了。”他微微一笑，坐在她的对面。他随手拿过一只插着菊花的大花瓶，挪到面前挡住光线。
“大多数的成员一致认为，作为一篇文学作品，他们也许推崇这本小册子，但是他们认为原封不动很难拿去出版。他们担心激烈的语调也许会得罪人，并且离间一些人，而这些人的帮助和支持对党来说是珍贵的。”
他从花瓶里抽出一支菊花，开始慢慢地撕下白色的花瓣，一片接着一片。当她的眼睛碰巧看到他纤细的右手一片接着一片扔落花瓣时，琼玛觉得有些不安。她好像在什么地方见过这种举动。
“作为一篇文学作品，”他用柔和而又冷漠的声音说道，“它一点价值也没有，只能受到一些对文学一无所知的人们推崇。至于说它会得罪人，这才是写作这篇文章的本意。”
“这我十分明白。问题是你会不会得罪那些不该得罪的人。”
他耸了耸肩膀，牙齿咬着一片扯下的花瓣。“我认为你错了，”他说，“问题是你们出于什么目的把我请到这里。我的理解是揭露并且嘲笑那些耶稣会教士。我可是尽力履行我的职责。”
“我可以向你保证，没有人怀疑你的才能和好意。委员会担心也许会得罪自由党，而且城市工人也许会撤回给予我们的道义支持。你也许想用这本小册子攻击圣信会教士，但是很多读者会认为这是在攻击教会和新教皇。从政治策略的角度出发，委员会考虑这样做是不可取的。”
“我开始明白过来了。只要我将矛头对准教会中特定的一些先生们，因为他们目前和党的关系弄得很僵，那么照我看来我就可以畅所欲言。但是我直接涉及到了委员会自己所宠爱的教士——‘真理’就是一只狗，必须把它关在狗窝里。而且在那个——圣父可能受到攻击时，那就必须拿起鞭子抽它。对，那个傻子是对的［牛虻是在引述莎士比亚的悲剧《李尔王》第一幕第四场中傻子的一段话：“真理是一条贱狗，它只好躲在狗洞里；当猎狗太太站在火边撒尿的时候，它必须一鞭子把人赶出去。”］。我什么都愿意做，就是不愿做个傻子。我当然必须服从委员会的决定，但是我不免还要认为委员会把聪明劲儿用在两旁的走卒身上，却放过了中间的蒙、蒙、蒙泰尼、尼、尼里大、大人。”
“蒙泰尼里？”琼玛重复了一遍。“我不明白你是什么意思。你是说布里西盖拉教区的主教吗？”
“对，你要知道新教皇刚把他提升为红衣主教。我这儿有一封谈到他的信。你愿意听一下吗？写信的人是我的一个朋友，他在边境的另一边。”
“教皇的边境吗？”
“对，他在信中是这么写的——”他捧起她进来时就已在他手里的那封信，然后大声朗读起来，突然结巴得非常厉害：
“‘不、不、不、不久你、你就会有、有幸见、见、见到我们的一个最、最、最大的敌人，红、红衣主教劳伦佐·蒙、蒙泰尼、尼、尼里，布里西盖、盖拉教区的主、主、主教。他打、打——’”
他打住了话头，停顿了片刻，然后又开始念了起来，念得很慢，声音拖得让人难以忍受，但是不再结巴。
“‘他打算在下个月访问托斯卡纳，他的使命是实现和解。他将先在佛罗伦萨布道，并在那里逗留大约三个星期，然后前往锡耶纳和比萨，经过皮斯托亚返回罗马尼阿。他表面上属于教会中的自由派，并和教皇和费雷蒂红衣主教私交很深。他在格列高利在位期间失宠，被打发到亚平宁山区的一个小洞里，从而销声匿迹。突然之间他现在又抛头露面了。当然，他确实受到了耶稣会的操纵，就像这个国家任何一位圣信会教士一样。还是一些耶稣会教士建议由他出面执行这一使命的。他在教会中算是一位杰出的传道士，就像兰姆勃鲁斯契尼一样阴险。他的任务就是维持公众对教皇的狂热，不让这种狂热消退下去，并且吸引公众的注意力，直到大公签署耶稣会的代理人准备提交的那份计划。我还没能探悉这份计划。’然后信上还说：‘究竟蒙泰尼里是否明白他被派往托斯卡纳的目的，以及他是否明白受到了耶稣会的愚弄，我无法查个水落石出。他要么是个老奸巨猾的恶棍，要么就是最大的傻瓜。从我迄今发现的情况来看，奇怪的是他既不接受贿赂也不蓄养情妇——我还是第一次见到这样的事情。’”
他放下了信，坐在那里眯着眼睛望着她，显然是在等她回答。
“你对这位通风报信的人所说的情况感到满意吗？”她过了一会儿说道。
“有关蒙、蒙泰、泰尼、尼里大人无可非议的私生活吗？不，这一点他也不满意的。你也听到了，他加了一句表示存疑。‘从我迄今发现的情况来看——’”
“我说的不是这个，”她冷冷地打断了他的话，“我说的是他的使命。”
“我完全信得过写信的人。他是我的一位老朋友——四三年结识的一位朋友。他所处的地位给他提供了异乎寻常的机会，能够查出这种事情。”
“那是梵蒂冈的官员了？”琼玛很快就想到了这一点。“这么说来，你还有这种关系了？我已猜到了几分。”
“这当然是封私信，”牛虻接着说道，“你要明白这个情况应该只限你们的委员会了解，需要严加保密。”
“这根本就不需要说。那么关于小册子，我可否告诉委员会你同意作些修改，把调子改得缓和一些，或者——”
“你不认为作了修改，夫人，降低言辞激烈的语调，也许就会损害这篇‘文学作品’的整体之美吗？”
“你这是在问我个人的意见。我来这里表达的是整个委员会的意见。”
“这就是说你、你、你并不赞同整个委员会的意见了？”他把那封信塞进了口袋，这会儿身体前倾。他带着急切而又专注的表情望着她，这种表情完全改变了他的面容。“你认为——”
“如果你愿意了解我本人的看法——我在这两个方面和委员会大多数人的意见不相一致。从文学的观点来看，我并不欣赏这个小册子。我的确认为陈述了事实，策略的运用也有过人之处。”
“这是——”
“我十分同意你的观点，意大利正被鬼火引入歧途，所有的狂热和狂喜很有可能使她陷入一个可怕的沼泽地。有人公开而又大胆地说出这种观点，我应该感到由衷的高兴，尽管需要付出代价，得罪并且离间我们目前的一些支持者。但是作为一个组织的一名成员，大多数人持有相反的观点，那我就不能坚持我个人的意见。我当然认为如要说出这些话来，那就应该说得含蓄，说得平心静气，而不是采用这个小册子里的语调。”
“你能稍等片刻，让我浏览一遍这份稿子好吗？”
他把它拿了起来，一页页地翻看下去。他皱起了眉头，似是不满。
“对，你说得完全正确。这个东西写得就像是在音乐餐馆里见到的那种讽刺短文，不是一篇政治讽刺文章。但是我又怎么办呢？如果我一本正经地写，那么公众就会看不明白。如果不够尖酸刻薄，他们就会说枯燥乏味。”
“你不认为老是尖酸刻薄，那也会枯燥乏味吗？”
他那锐利的目光迅速地扫了她一下，接着哈哈大笑。
“有一类人总是对的，夫人显然就属于这类可怕的人！这么说来，如果我迫于尖酸刻薄的诱惑，时间一长我也许会像格拉西尼夫人一样枯燥乏味吗？天啊，真是命苦！不，你不用皱眉头。我知道你不喜欢我，我这就说正经的。基本上就是这个情况：如果我删掉人身攻击，原样保留主要的部分，那么委员会就会觉得非常遗憾，他们不能负责印刷出来。如果我删掉政治真理，只是臭骂党的敌人，那么委员会就会把这个东西捧上天，可是你我都知道那就不值得印了。确切地说，这是一个有趣的形而上学观点：哪种状况更可取呢？是印出来但却不值得，还是值得但却不印出来呢？夫人，你说呢？”
“我并不认为必须从这两者之间作出选择。我相信如果你删掉了人身攻击，委员会就会同意印刷这个小册子，尽管大多数人当然不会赞同文中的观点。我确信这篇文章将会发挥很大的作用。但是你得丢开那种尖酸刻薄。如果你想要表达一种观点，这个观点的实质就是一颗大药丸，需要你的读者吞下去，那么就不要在一开始就拿形式吓唬他们。”
他叹息一声，无可奈何地耸了耸肩膀。“我服从，夫人，但是有一个条件。如果你们现在不让我笑出声来，那么下一次我就必须笑出声来。在那位无可非议的红衣主教大人莅临佛罗伦萨时，你和你的委员会都不许反对我尖酸刻薄，我想怎样就怎样。那是我的权利！”
他说话时的态度轻松而又冷漠，随手从花瓶里抽出菊花，举起来观察透过半透明的花瓣的阳光。“他的手抖得多厉害！”
看到鲜花摇晃抖动，她在心里想到。“他当然不喝酒了！”
“你最好还是和委员会的其他成员讨论一下这个问题。”
她起身说道，“至于他们将会如何看待这事，我不能发表意见。”
“你呢？”他也站了起来，靠在桌边，并把鲜花摁在脸上。
她犹豫不决。这个问题使她感到不安，勾起了过去那些不愉快的事情。“我——不大知道，”她最后说道，“多年以前我了解蒙泰尼里的一些情况。他那时只是一个神父。我小时住在外省，他是那里的神学院院长。我是从——一个和他非常亲近的人那里听到过他的很多事情。我没有听到过他做过什么不好的事情。我相信至少他在那时确是一个非常杰出的人。但那还是很早以前的事情，他也许已经变了。不负责任的权力毒害了太多的人。”
牛虻从花中扬起头来看着她，脸上很平静。
“不管怎样，”他说，“如果蒙泰尼里大人本人不是一个恶棍，那么他就是掌握在恶棍手中的工具。不管他是什么，对我来说都是一样——对我在边境那边的朋友来说也是如此。路中的石头也许存心极好，但是仍然必须把它踢开。请让我来，夫人！”他摁了一下铃，然后一瘸一拐地走到门口，打开门来让她出去。
“谢谢你来看我，夫人。我去叫辆马车好吗？不用？那么就再见了！比安卡，请把门厅的门打开。”
琼玛走到街上，心里苦思不得其解。“我在边境那边的朋友。”——他们是谁？怎么把路中的石头踢开？如果只是用讽刺，那么他说话时眼里为什么含着杀气？
蒙泰尼里大人在十月里的第一个星期到达佛罗伦萨。他的来访在全城引起一阵小小的骚动。他是一位著名的传道士，革新教廷的代表。人们热切地期望他会阐述“新教义”，阐述友爱与和解的福音，这个福音就能治愈意大利的苦难。红衣主教吉齐已被提名担任罗马圣院的书记长，以便接替万人痛恨的兰姆勃鲁契尼。这一举动已将公众的狂热煽到了最高点。
蒙泰尼里正是能够轻易维持这种狂热的合适人选。他那无可非议的严谨生活作风，在罗马教会的显赫人物中是个罕见的现象，因而吸引了人们的注意。人们习惯于把敲诈、贪污和为人不齿的私通看作是高级教士职业之恒定不变的附属品。
此外，作为一名传道士，他的才能确实了不起。加上他那美妙的声音和富有魅力的性格，无论何时何地，他都能做到人过留名。
格拉西尼如同往常一样费尽心机，想把新到的名人请到他的家里。但是蒙泰尼里可不会轻而易举地上钩。对于所有的邀请，他都一概谢绝，态度客气而又坚决。他借口他身体不好，抽不出时间，并说他既没有力气也没有闲心去社交场合走动。
一个晴朗而寒冷的星期天早晨，马尔蒂尼和琼玛走过西格诺里亚广场。“格拉西尼夫妇真是欲壑难填！”他厌恶地对她说道。“你注意到在红衣主教的马车开过时，格拉西尼鞠躬的姿态吗？他们不管是谁，只要他是别人谈论的对象。我这一辈子还没见过这样巴结名流的人。八月份是牛虻，现在又是蒙泰尼里。我希望红衣主教阁下受到如此瞩目会感到受宠若惊，竟然会有这么许多的宝贝投机分子趋炎附势。”
大教堂里已经挤满了热心的听众，他们已经听说蒙泰尼里正在那里布道。马尔蒂尼担心琼玛又会头疼，所以劝她在弥撒结束之前出去。这是一个晴朗的早晨，先前下了一个星期的雨，这样他就找到了一个借口，提议到圣尼科罗山旁边的花园散步。
“不，”她答道，“如果你有时间我还是愿意散步的，但是不要去山上。我们还是沿着阿诺河走走吧。蒙泰尼里将从大教堂经过这里，我也像格拉西尼一样——想要看看这位名人。”
“但是你刚才已经看见他了。”
“离得太远。大教堂里挤得水泄不通，而且在马车经过的时候，他是背对着我们。如果我们站在桥的附近，我们肯定就能清楚地看到他——你知道他就住在阿诺河边。”
“可是你怎么突发奇想，希望见见蒙泰尼里呢？你从来都不留意著名的传道士啊。”
“我并不留意传道士，我留意的是那个人。我想看看自从我上次见过他以后，他的变化有多大。”
“那是什么时候？”
“亚瑟死过两天以后。”
马尔蒂尼不安地看了她一眼。他们已经来到阿诺河边，她正茫然地凝视河的对岸。他不喜欢她脸上露出的表情。
“琼玛，亲爱的，”过了一会儿他说，“你难道要让那件不幸的往事纠缠你一辈子吗？我们在十七岁时全都犯过错误。”
“我们在十七岁时并非全都杀死过自己最亲爱的朋友。”
她有气无力地答道。她把胳膊支在小桥的石栏杆上，俯视河水。马尔蒂尼缄默不语。当她陷入这种心境时，他几乎有些害怕跟她说话。
“每当我俯视河水的时候，我总是会想起这段往事。”她说。她缓缓地抬起了头，望着他的眼睛。接着她神经质地哆嗦了一下。“我们再走一会儿吧，塞萨雷。站着不动有点冷。”
他们默默地过了桥，然后沿着河边往前走去。过了几分钟，她又开口说话。
“那人的嗓音真美！里面有种什么东西，我在别人的嗓音里从来没有听到过。他之所以有这么大的感染力，我相信一半的秘密就在这个上面。”
“是副好嗓子。”马尔蒂尼表示同意。河水勾起了她那不堪回首的回忆，他算是捕捉到了一个也许可以把她引开的话题。“撇开他的嗓子不谈，在我见过的传道士当中，他是最出色的一位。但是我相信他之所以有这么大的感染力，还有更深的秘密。那就是他的生活方式几乎与所有的高级教士不同，因而他就显得超凡脱俗。我不知道在整个意大利教会中，你是否可以找到另外一个显赫人物——除了教皇本人——享有如此白璧无瑕的名声。记得去年我在罗马尼阿时，经过他的教区，看见那些粗野的山民冒雨等着见他一面，或者摸一摸他的衣服。他在那里受到顶礼膜拜，他们几乎把他当成圣人一样。罗马尼阿人一向憎恨所有身穿黑色法衣的人，可是却把他看得很重。我曾对一位老农——生平见过的一个典型的私贩子——说人们好像非常忠于他们的主教，他说：‘我们并不热爱主教，他们全是骗子。我们热爱蒙泰尼里大人。没人见过他说过一句谎话，或者做过一件不公的事情。’”
琼玛半是自言自语地说：“我就纳闷他是否知道人们对他的这种看法。”
“他怎么就不该知道呢？你认为这种看法不对吗？”
“我知道是不对的。”
“你是怎么知道的？”
“因为他是这么告诉我的。”
“他告诉你的？蒙泰尼里？琼玛，你说的是什么意思？”
她把额前的头发向后掠去，然后转身对着他。他们又静静地站着，他靠在栏杆上，她则用雨伞的尖头在人行道上慢悠悠地画着线。
“塞萨雷，你我都是多年的朋友了，我从没跟你讲过有关亚瑟的真实情况。”
“用不着跟我讲了，亲爱的，”他匆忙插嘴说道，“我全都知道。”
“乔万尼告诉你的？”
“是的，在他临死的时候。有一天晚上我守在他的身边，他把这事告诉了我。他说——琼玛，既然我们谈起了这事，我最好还是跟你说真话吧——他说你总是沉湎于这件痛苦的往事，他恳求我尽力做你的好朋友，设法不让你想起这事。我已经尽了力，亲爱的，尽管我也许没有成功——我的确尽了力。”
“我知道的。”她轻声地答道，抬起眼睛望了一会儿。“没有你的友情，我的日子会很难过的。但是——乔万尼并没有跟你讲起蒙泰尼里大人，对吗？”
“没有，我并不知道他与这事有什么关系。他告诉我的是有关——那个暗探的事，有关——”
“有关我打了亚瑟和他投河自杀的事。呃，我就给你讲讲蒙泰尼里吧。”
他们转身走向主教马车将会经过的小桥。在讲话的时候，琼玛失神地望着河的对岸。
“那时蒙泰尼里还是一个神父，他是比萨神学院的院长。亚瑟进入萨宾查大学以后，他常给他讲解哲学，并和他一起读书。他们相互忠贞不贰，不像是一对师生，更像是一对情人。亚瑟几乎对蒙泰尼里崇拜得五体投地，我记得有一次他对我说，如果他失去他的‘Padre’——他总是这样称呼蒙泰尼里——他就会投河自杀的。呃，你知道其后就发生了暗探那事。第二天，我父亲和伯顿一家——亚瑟的同父异母兄弟，最可恶的人——花了一天时间在达赛纳港湾打捞尸体，我独自坐在屋里，前思后想我做了些什么——”
她顿了一会儿，然后接着讲了下去。
“天黑以后我父亲走进我的房间说：‘琼玛，孩子，下楼去吧。我想让你见个人。’我们走下楼去，见到那个团体里的一个学生。他坐在接待室里，脸色苍白，浑身发抖。他告诉我们乔万尼从狱中送出了第二封信，说他们从狱卒那里打听到了卡尔迪的情况，亚瑟是在忏悔时被骗了。我记得那位学生对我说：‘我们知道了他是无辜的，至少是个安慰吧。’我的父亲握住我的手，试图劝慰我。他并不知道我打了他。然后我回到了我房间，独自坐了一夜。我的父亲在早上又出了门，陪同伯顿一家到港口去看打捞的情况。他们还是希望能在那里找到尸体。”
“什么也没有找到？”
“没有找到，肯定是被冲到海上去了。但是他们还是抱着一线希望。我们自呆在我的房间里，女仆上来告诉我一位神父登门来访。她告诉他我的父亲去了码头，然后他就走了。我知道肯定是蒙泰尼里，所以我从后门跑了出去，并在花园的门口赶上了他。当时我说：‘蒙泰尼里神父，我想和你说句话。’他随即停下脚步，默默地等我说话。噢，塞萨雷，如果你想到了他的脸——此后的几个月里，它一直萦绕在我的心头！我说：‘我是华伦医生的女儿，我来告诉你是我杀死了亚瑟。’我把一切都告诉了他，他站在那里听着，就像是一个石头人。等我讲完后，他说：‘你就放宽心吧，我的孩子。我是凶手，不是你。我欺骗了他，他发现了。’说完就转过身去，一句话也不说就走出了大门。”
“然后呢？”
“我不知道在这以后他的情况。我在那天傍晚听说他昏倒在街上，被人送到码头附近的一户人家里。我只知道这些。我的父亲想方设法，为我做这做那。我把情况告诉他以后，他就歇了业，立即带我回到英国，这样我就听不到任何可能勾起我回忆的事情。他害怕我也会跳河自杀，我的确相信有一次我差一点就那么做了。但是你知道的，后来我就发现我的父亲得了癌症，这样我就得正视自己——没有别人服侍他。他死了以后，我就要照顾家中的小弟小妹，直到我的哥哥有了一个家，可以安顿他们。后来乔万尼去了。他为自己所做的事情追悔莫及——就是他从狱中写了那封不幸的信。但是我相信，真的，正是我们的共同苦恼把我们连在一起了。”
马尔蒂尼微微一笑，摇了摇头。
“你可以这么讲，”他说，“但是自从第一次见到你以后，乔万尼就拿定了主意。我记得他第一次去里窝那回来后，没完没了地谈起你。后来听到他提起那个英国女孩琼玛，我就感到腻味。我还以为我不会喜欢你的。啊！来了！”
马车通过了小桥，停在阿诺河边的一座大宅前。蒙泰尼里靠在垫子上，仿佛已经疲惫不堪，不再去管聚集在门前想要见上他一面的狂热群众。他在大教堂里露出的那种动人表情已经荡然无存，阳光照出了烦恼和疲劳的皱纹。他下了马车，然后走进了屋里。他显得心力交瘁，龙钟老态，迈着沉重而又无力的脚步。琼玛转过了身，慢慢地朝着小桥走去。有一段时间里，她的脸好像也露出他脸上的那种枯槁、绝望的表情。马尔蒂尼默默地走在她的身边。
“我时常觉得纳闷，”过了一会儿，她又开口说道，“他所说的欺骗是什么意思。有时我想——”
“想什么？”
“呃，很奇怪。他们俩长得那么相像。”
“哪两个人？”
“亚瑟和蒙泰尼里。不仅是我一个人注意到这一点，而且那一家人之间的关系有点神秘。伯顿夫人，亚瑟的母亲，在我见过的人当中，她是最温柔的一个人。和亚瑟一样，她的脸上有种圣洁的表情，而且我相信他们的性格也是一样的。但是她却总是显得有点害怕，就像一个被人发现的罪犯。前妻的儿媳把她不当人看，连一只狗都不如。另外亚瑟本人和伯顿家里那些俗不可耐的人简直有天壤之别。当然了，人小的时候认为一切都是顺理成章的。但是回头想想，我时常纳闷亚瑟是否真是伯顿家里的人。”
“可能他发现了他母亲的一些事情——也许这就是他的死因，跟卡尔迪一事没有什么关系。”马尔蒂尼插嘴说道，这会儿他只能说出这样安慰的话来。琼玛摇了摇头。
“如果你看见了我打了他后他脸上的表情，塞萨雷，你就不会那么想了。有关蒙泰尼里的事也许是真的——很可能是真的——但是我所做的事我已做了。”
他们又走了一小会儿，相互之间没有说话。
“我亲爱的，”马尔蒂尼最后说道，“如果世上还有什么办法，能够挽回已经做过的事情，那还值得我们反思从前犯下的错误，但是事实上并没有，人死不能复活。这是一件令人痛心的事情，但是至少那个可怜的小伙子已经解脱了，比起一些活下来的人——那些流亡和坐牢的人——倒是更幸运。你我还得想到他们，我们没有权利为了死者伤心欲绝。记住你们自己的雪莱说的话：‘过去属于死亡，未来属于自己。’抓住未来，趁它仍然属于你自己的时候。拿定主意，不要想着许久以前你应该做些什么，那样只会伤害自己；而要想着现在你能够做些什么，这样才能帮助自己。”
他在情急之下抓住了她的手。听到背后传来一个柔和、冷酷、拖沓的声音，他赶紧撒开手来，并且直往后缩。
“蒙泰尼、尼、尼里大人，”那个懒洋洋的声音喃喃地说道，“无疑正像你所说的那样，我亲爱的先生。对于这个世界来说，事实上他好像是太好了，所以应该把他礼送到另外一个世界去。我相信他会像在这里一样，在那里也会引起哄动的。许多老鬼可、可能从来没有见过这样一个东西，竟有一个诚实的主教。鬼可是喜爱新奇的东西——”
“你是怎么知道这个的？”马尔蒂尼强压怒火问道。
“是从《圣经》上知道的，我亲爱的先生。如果相信福音书，甚至连那些最体面的鬼都会想入非非，希望得到变幻莫测的组合。这不，诚实和红、红、红衣主教——在我看来可是一个变幻莫测的组合，而且还是一个令人难受的组合，就像虾子和甘草一样。啊，马尔蒂尼先生，波拉夫人！雨后的天气真好，对吗？你们也听了新－新萨伏纳罗拉［萨伏纳罗拉·季罗拉摩（１４５９—１４９８）是著名的佛罗伦萨传道士，因揭露教会和当局的不道德而被处死。］的布道吗？”
马尔蒂尼猛然转过身来。牛虻嘴里叼着雪茄，纽孔里插着刚买的鲜花。他朝他伸过一只细长的手，手上戴着手套。阳光从他那一尘不染的靴子反射出去，又从水上映到他那喜笑盈开的脸上。在马尔蒂尼看来，他不像平常那样一瘸一拐，而且也比平常自负。他们在握手时，一方和蔼可亲，一方怒形于色。这时里卡尔多焦急地喊道：“恐怕波拉夫人不大舒服！”
她脸色变得煞白，帽檐下面的阴影几乎呈青灰色。因为呼吸急促，系在喉部的帽带瑟瑟发抖。
“我要回家。”她虚弱地说道。
叫来一辆马车以后，马尔蒂尼随她一起坐在上面，护送她回家。就在牛虻弯腰拉起缠在车轮上的披风时，他突然抬起了眼睛注视着她的脸。马尔蒂尼看见她露出了惧色，身体直往后缩。
“琼玛，你怎么啦？”他们坐上马车开走以后，他用英语问道。“那个恶棍对你说了什么？”
“没说什么，塞萨雷。不是他的过错。我、我、吃了一惊——”
“吃了一惊？”
“对，我好像看见了——”她用一只手遮住了她的眼睛，他默不做声，等着她恢复自制。她的脸已经重新有了血色。
“你说得很对，”她转过身来，最后就像平常那样平静地说道，“追忆不堪回首的往事不但无益而且更糟。这会刺激人的神经，让人幻想各种子虚乌有的事情。我们再也不要谈起这个话题，塞萨雷，否则我就会觉得我所见的每个人都像亚瑟。这是一种幻觉，就像是在青天白日做起噩梦一样。就在刚才，在那个可恶的花花公子走上前来时，我竟以为是亚瑟。”