90 “Aye，but my sober imagination does not often play such tricks，”said Baglioni“and were I to fancy any kind of odor，it would be that of some vile apothecary drug，wherewith my fingers are likely enough to be imbued。Our worshipful friend Rappaccini，as I have heard，tinctures his medicaments withodors richer than those of Araby。Doubtless，likewise，the fair and learned Signora Beatrice would minister to her patients with draughts as sweet as a maiden’s breath。But kill him that sips them！”
91 Giovanni’s face evinced many contending emotions。The tone in which the Professor alluded to the pure and lovely daughter of Rappaccini was a torture to hissouland yet，the intimation of a view of her character，opposite to his own，gave instantaneous distinctness to a thousand dim suspicions，which now grinned at him like so many demons。But he strove hard to quell them，and to respond to Baglioni with a true lover’s perfect faith。
92 “Signor Professor，”said he，“you were my father’s friend—perchance，too，it is your purpose to act a friendly part towards his son。I would fain feel nothing towards you，save respect and deference。But I pray you to observe，Signor，that there is one subject on which we must not speak。You know not the Signora Beatrice。You cannot，therefore，estimate the wrong—the blasphemy，I may even say—that is offered to her character by a light or injurious word。”
sage：adj。賢明的，明智的
in regard to：關於
blast：v。使枯萎，損害
odor：n。氣味，名聲
apothecary：n。藥劑師，藥師
tincture：v。染，著色於
evince：v。表明，表示
quell：v。鎮壓
injurious：adj。有害的
93 “Giovanni！—my poor Giovanni！”answered the Professor，with a calm expression of pity，“I know this wretched girl far better than yourself。You shall hear the truth in respect to the poisoner Rappaccini，and his poisonous daughter。Yespoisonous as she is beautiful！Listenfor even should you do violence to my gray hairs，it shall not silence me。That old fable of the Indian woman has beea truth，by the deep and deadly science of Rappaccini，and in the person of thelovely Beatrice！”
94 Giovanni groaned and hid his face。
95 “Her father，”continued Baglioni，“was not restrained by natural affection from offering up his child，in this horrible manner，as the victim of his insane zeal for science。For—let us do him justice—he is as true a man of scienceas ever distilled his own heart in an alembic。What，then，will be your fate？Beyond a doubt，you are selected as the material of some new experiment。Perhaps the result is to be death—perhaps a fate more awful still！Rappaccini，with what he calls the interest of science before his eyes，will hesitate at nothing。”
96 “It is a dream！”muttered Giovanni to himself，“surely it is a dream！”
97 “But，”resumed the Professor，“be of good cheer，son of my friend！It is notyet too late for the rescue。Possibly，we may even succeed in bringing back this miserable child within the limits of ordinary nature，from which her father’smadness has estranged her。Behold this little silver vase！It was wrought by thehands of the renowned Benvenuto Cellini，and is well worthy to be a love-gift to the fairest dame in Italy。But its contents are invaluable。One little sip of this antidote would have rendered the most virulent poisons of the Borgia’s innocuous。Doubt not that it will be as efficacious against those of Rappaccini。Bestow the vase，and the precious liquid within it，on your Beatrice，and hopefully await the result。”
wretched：adj。可憐的，悲慘的
alembic：n。蒸餾器
estrange：v。疏遠
Benvenuto Cellini：本維尼托·塞利尼（1500—1571），意大利著名金匠，雕刻家，也是世界聞名的自傳作者
antidote：n。解毒劑
virulent：adj。劇毒的，致命的
Borgia：波吉亞（1480—1519），意大利曆史上著名樞密主教，軍人兼政治家愷撒·波吉亞之妹，為其兄政治工具，以其下毒、通奸、亂倫等種種劣行臭名遠揚
innocuous：adj。無害的，無毒的
efficacious：adj。有效的，靈驗的
bestow：v。給予，安放98Baglioni laid a small，exquisitely wrought silver phial onthe table，and withdrew，leaving what he had said to produce its effect upon the young man’s mind。
99 “We will thwart Rappaccini yet！”thought he，chuckling to himself，as he descended the stairs。“But，let us confess the truth of him，he is a wonderful man！—a wonderful man indeed！A vile empiric，however，in his practice，and therefore not to be tolerated by those who respect the good old rules of the medical profession！”
100 Throughout Giovanni’s whole acquaintance with Beatrice，he had occasionally，as we have said，been haunted by dark surmises as to her character。Yet，so thoroughly had she made herself felt by him as a simple，natural，most affectionate and guileless creature，that the image now held up by Professor Baglioni，looked as strange and incredible，as if it were not in accordance with his own original conception。True，there were ugly recollections connected with his first glimpses of the beautiful girlhe could not quite forget the bouquet that witheredin her grasp，and the insect that perished amid the sunny air，by no ostensibleagency，save the fragrance of her breath。These incidents，however，dissolving in the pure light of her character，had no longer the efficacy of facts，but wereacknowledged as mistaken fantasies，by whatever testimony of the senses they might appear to be substantiated。There is something truer and more real，than what we can see with the eyes，and touch with the finger。
On such better evidence，had Giovanni founded his confidence in Beatrice，though rather by the necessary force of her high attributes，than by any deep and generous faith，on his part。But，now，his spirit was incapable of sustaining itself at the height to which the early enthusiasm of passion had exalted ithe fell down，grovelling among earthly doubts，and defiled therewith the pure whiteness of Beatrice’s image。Not that he gave her uphe did but distrust。He resolved to institute some decisive test that should satisfy him，once for all，whether there were those dreadful peculiarities in her physical nature，which could not be supposed to exist withoutsome corresponding monstrosity of soul。His eyes，gazing down afar，might have deceived him as to the lizard，the insect，and the flowers。But if he could witness，at the distance of a few paces，the sudden blight of one fresh and healthful flower in Beatrice’s hand，there would be room for no further question。With this idea，he hastened to the florist’s，and purchased a bouquet that was still gemmed with the morning dew drops。
phial：n。藥瓶
chuckle：v。咯咯笑
empiric：n。經驗主義者
surmise：n。猜度
ostensible：adj。表麵的，虛假的
testimony：n。宣言，陳述
grovel：v。匍匐，卑躬屈膝
defile：v。染汙
therewith：adv。隨其，與之
monstrosity：n。畸形
lizard：n。蜥蜴
dew drop：露滴
101 It was now the customary hour of his daily interview with Beatrice。Before descending into the garden，Giovanni failed not to look at his figure in the mirrora vanity to be expected in a beautiful young man，yet，as displaying itselfat that troubled and feverish moment，the token of a certain shallowness of feeling and insincerity of character。He did gaze，however，and said to himself，that his features had never before possessed so rich a grace，nor his eyes such vivacity，nor his cheeks so warm a hue of superabundant life。
102 “At least，”thought he，“her poison has not yet insinuated itself into my system。I am no flower to perish in her grasp！”
103 With that thought，he turned his eyes on the bouquet，which he had never once laid aside from his hand。A thrill of indefinable horror shot through his frame，on perceiving that those dewy flowers were already beginning to droopthey wore the aspect of things that had been fresh and lovely，yesterday。Giovanni grew white as marble，and stood motionless before the mirror，staring at his own reflection there，as at the likeness of something frightful。He remembered Baglioni’s remark about the fragrance that seemed to pervade the chamber。It must have been the poison in his breath！Then he shuddered—shuddered at himself！Recovering from his stupor，he began to watch，with curious eye，a spider that was busily at work，hanging its web from the antique cornice of the apartment，crossing and re-crossing the artful system of interwoven lines，as vigorous and active aspider as ever dangled from an old ceiling。Giovanni bent towards the insect，and emitted a deep，long breath。The spider suddenly ceased its toilthe web vibrated with a tremor originating in the body of the small artizan。Again Giovanni sent forth a breath，deeper，longer，and imbued with a venomous feeling out of his hearthe knew not whether he were wicked or only desperate。The spider made a convulsive gripe with his limbs，and hung dead across the window。
vanity：n。空虛
vivacity：n。活潑
insinuate：v。使迂回地潛入，使慢慢滋長
droop：v。低垂，凋萎，萎靡
stupor：n。昏迷
cornice：n。簷口
dangle：v。搖擺
emit：v。發出，放射，
tremor：n。震動，顫動
venomous：adj。惡意的，狠毒的
convulsive：adj。痙攣性的104“Accursed！Accursed！”muttered Giovanni，addressing himself。“Hast thou grown so poisonous，that this deadly insect perishes by thy breath？”
105 At that moment，a rich，sweet voice came floating up from the garden：“Giovanni！Giovanni！It is past the hour！Why tarriest thou！Come down！”
106 “Yes，”muttered Giovanni again。“She is the only being whom my breath may not slay！Would that it might！”
107 He rushed down，and in an instant，was standing before the bright and loving eyes of Beatrice。A moment ago，his wrath and despair had been so fierce that he could have desired nothing so much as to wither her by a glance。But，with her actual presence，there came influences which had too real an existence to be at once shaken offrecollections of the delicate and benign power of her feminine nature，which had so often enveloped him in a religious calmrecollections ofmany a holy and passionate outgush of her heart，when the pure fountain had been unsealed from its depths，and made visible in its transparencyto his mental eyerecollections which，had Giovanni known how to estimate them，would have assured him that all this ugly mystery was but an earthly illusion，and that，whatever mist of evil might seem to have gathered over her，the real Beatrice was a heavenly angel。Incapable as he was of such high faith，still her presence had not utterly lost its magic。Giovanni’s rage was quelled into an aspect of sullen insensibility。Beatrice，with a quick spiritual sense，immediately felt that there was a gulf of blackness between them，which neither he nor she could pass。They walked on together，sad and silent，and came thus to the marble fountain，and to its pool of water on the ground，in the midst of which grew the shrub that bore gem-like blossoms。Giovanni was affrighted at the eager enjoyment—the appetite，as it were—with which he found himself inhaling the fragrance of the flowers。