The Corsican Brothers | Page 6

books and studies, my brother has become more fair,
while I, constantly in the open air, always crossing the hills or the plain,
grew darker."
"I hope, said I, "that you will enable me to judge of this difference, by
giving me some message for Signor de Franchi?"
"Yes, certainly, with the greatest pleasure, if you will be kind enough to
trouble yourself with any thing of the kind. But excuse me, I see that
you are more advanced in your toilette than I am, and in a quarter of an
hour supper will be ready."
"Is it for me that you go to the trouble of changing your dress?"
"If such was the case, it would be your fault, as you have given me the
example. But at all events I am in my riding dress, and I must put on
my highlander's garments; after supper I have to take a walk where my
boots and spurs would be very much in the way."
"You are going out after supper?" asked I.
"Yes," replied he, "I have a rendezvous."
I smiled.
"Oh! not in the sense you take it; it is a mere business appointment."
"Do you believe me so presumptuous as to suppose I have a right to
your confidence?"
"Why not? I think every one should live so as to be able to speak
openly of all his actions. I have never been in love, nor ever shall be; if
my brother takes a wife and has children, it is probable that I shall not
marry. If on the contrary he does not take a wife, I shall be obliged to
do so; but it will only be to prevent the family from becoming extinct. I

told you," added he with a smile, "that I was a real savage; I came into
this world a hundred years too late. But I continue to talk, and at supper
time I shall not be ready."
"But we can continue our conversation, your room being opposite to
mine you have but to leave the door open and we can hear each other."
"You can do still better, come into my room, and while I am dressing,
as you are an amateur of weapons I presume, you can examine mine;
some of them have a certain value, an historical one I mean."
This invitation I accepted, as it enabled me to gratify the desire of
comparing the rooms of the two brothers.
I followed my host, who opened the door of his room, preceding me, to
show the way.
I thought I was entering a real arsenal. All the furniture belonged to the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries; the carved bedstead, with the canopy
supported by large turned columns, was surrounded by curtains of
green damask with gold flowers; the window curtains were of the same
material; the walls were covered with Spanish leather, and around the
walls mere pieces of furniture supporting trophies of gothic or modern
arms.
I could not long be in doubt about the tendency of the occupant of this
room; it was as warlike as that of his brother was peaceable.
"See here," said he, proceeding to his toilette cabinet, "here you are in
the midst of three centuries; look round, and in the mean time I will
dress like a highlander, for I told you soon after supper I shall have to
go out."
"And which among these swords, arquebuses, and poniards, are the
historical ones of which you spoke?"
"There are three of them; let us proceed in order. Look at the head of
my bed for a single poniard, with a wide sheath, and whose handle

forms a seal."
"Here it is, go on."
"That is Sampiero's dagger."
"The celebrated Sampiero, the assassin of Vanina."
"The assassin? No--but the murderer."
"That is the same thing, I believe."
"In the rest of the world it is, perhaps, but not in Corsica."
"And this dagger is authentic?"
"Look at it! it bears Sampiero's arms, only the lily of France is not yet
on it. You know that it was not until after the siege of Perpignan that
Sampiero received permission to join the lily to his blazon."
"No, I was not acquainted with that circumstance. But how did this
stiletto come into your possession?"
"It has been in the family for three hundred years, and was given to
Napoleon de Franchi by Sampiero himself."
"And do you know upon what occasion?"
"Yes. Sampiero and my father fell into a Genoese ambuscade, and
defended themselves like lions; the helmet of Sampiero got loose, and a
Genoese on horseback was on the point of striking him with his mace,
when my forefather plunged his poniard between the joints of his
cuirass. The horseman feeling himself wounded, spurred his horse and