droll stories-3-第21章

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cried　so　loudly　to　God　that　He　heard　her；　because　He　hears　everything；

He　hears　the　stones　that　roll　beneath　the　waters；　the　poor　who　groan；

and　the　flies　who　wing　their　way　through　the　air。　It　is　well　that　you

should　know　this；　otherwise　you　would　not　believe　in　what　happened。

God　commanded　the　archangel　Michael　to　make　for　this　penitent　a　hell

upon　earth；　so　that　she　might　enter　without　dispute　into　Paradise。

Then　St。　Michael　descended　from　the　skies　as　far　as　the　gate　of　hell；

and　handed　over　this　triple　soul　to　the　devil；　telling　him　that　he　had

permission　to　torment　it　during　the　rest　of　her　days；　at　the　same　time

indicating　to　him　Bertha；　Jehan　and　the　child。



The　devil；　who　by　the　will　of　God；　is　lord　of　all　evil；　told　the

archangel　that　he　would　obey　the　message。　During　this　heavenly

arrangement　life　went　on　as　usual　here　below。　The　sweet　lady　of

Bastarnay　gave　the　most　beautiful　child　in　the　world　to　the　Sire

Imbert；　a　boy　all　lilies　and　roses；　of　great　intelligence；　like　a

little　Jesus；　merry　and　arch　as　a　pagan　love。　He　became　more　beautiful

day　by　day；　while　the　elder　was　turning　into　an　ape；　like　his　father；

whom　he　painfully　resembled。　The　younger　boy　was　as　bright　as　a　star；

and　resembled　his　father　and　mother；　whose　corporeal　and　spiritual

perfections　had　produced　a　compound　of　illustrious　graces　and

marvellous　intelligence。　Seeing　this　perpetual　miracle　of　body　and

mind　blended　with　the　essential　conditions；　Bastarnay　declared　that

for　his　eternal　salvation　he　would　like　to　make　the　younger　the　elder；

and　that　he　would　do　with　the　king's　protection。　Bertha　did　not　know

what　to　do；　for　she　adored　the　child　of　Jehan；　and　could　only　feel　a

feeble　affection　for　the　other；　whom；　nevertheless　she　protected

against　the　evil　intentions　of　the　old　fellow；　Bastarnay。



Bertha；　satisfied　with　the　way　things　were　going；　quieted　her

conscience　with　falsehood；　and　thought　that　all　danger　was　past；　since

twelve　years　had　elapsed　with　no　other　alloy　than　the　doubt　which　at

times　embittered　her　joy。　Each　year；　according　to　her　pledged　faith；

the　monk　of　Marmoustier；　who　was　unknown　to　everyone　except　the

servant…maid；　came　to　pass　a　whole　day　at　the　chateau　to　see　his

child；　although　Bertha　had　many　times　besought　brother　Jehan　to　yield

his　right。　But　Jehan　pointed　to　the　child；　saying；　〃You　see　him　every

day　of　the　year；　and　I　only　once！〃　And　the　poor　mother　could　find　no

word　to　answer　this　speech　with。



A　few　months　before　the　last　rebellion　of　the　Dauphin　Louis　against

his　father；　the　boy　was　treading　closely　on　the　heels　of　his　twelfth

year；　and　appeared　likely　to　become　a　great　savant；　so　learned　was　he

in　all　the　sciences。　Old　Bastarnay　had　never　been　more　delighted　at

having　been　a　father　in　his　life；　and　resolved　to　take　his　son　with

him　to　the　Court　of　Burgundy；　where　Duke　Charles　promised　to　make　for

this　well…beloved　son　a　position；　which　should　be　the　envy　of　princes；

for　he　was　not　at　all　averse　to　clever　people。　Seeing　matters　thus

arranged；　the　devil　judged　the　time　to　be　ripe　for　his　mischiefs。　He

took　his　tail　and　flapped　it　right　into　the　middle　of　this　happiness；

so　that　he　could　stir　it　up　in　his　own　peculiar　way。





III

HORRIBLE　CHASTISEMENT　OF　BERTHA　AND　EXPIATION　OF　THE　SAME；

WHO　DIED　PARDONED



The　servant　of　the　lady　of　Bastarnay；　who　was　then　about　five…and…

thirty　years　old；　fell　in　love　with　one　of　the　master's　men…at…arms；

and　was　silly　enough　to　let　him　take　loaves　out　of　the　oven；　until

there　resulted　therefrom　a　natural　swelling；　which　certain　wags　in

these　parts　call　a　nine　months'　dropsy。　The　poor　woman　begged　her

mistress　to　intercede　for　her　with　the　master；　so　that　he　might　compel

this　wicked　man　to　finish　at　the　altar　that　which　he　had　commenced

elsewhere。　Madame　de　Bastarnay　had　no　difficulty　in　obtaining　this

favour　from　him；　and　the　servant　was　quite　satisfied。　But　the　old

warrior；　who　was　always　extremely　rough；　hastened　into　his　pretorium；

and　blew　him　up　sky…high；　ordering　him；　under　the　pain　of　the　gallows；

to　marry　the　girl；　which　the　soldier　preferred　to　do；　thinking　more　of

his　neck　than　of　his　peace　of　mind。



Bastarnay　sent　also　for　the　female；　to　whom　he　imagined；　for　the

honour　of　his　house；　he　ought　to　sing　a　litany；　mixed　with　epithets

and　ornamented　with　extremely　strong　expressions；　and　made　her　think；

by　way　of　punishment；　that　she　was　not　going　to　be　married；　but　flung

into　one　of　the　cells　in　the　jail。　The　girl　fancied　that　Madame　wanted

to　get　rid　of　her；　in　order　to　inter　the　secret　of　the　birth　of　her

beloved　son。　With　this　impression；　when　the　old　ape　said　such

outrageous　things　to　hernamely；　that　he　must　have　been　a　fool　to

keep　a　harlot　in　his　houseshe　replied　that　he　certainly　was　a　very

big　fool；　seeing　that　for　a　long　time　past　his　wife　had　been　played

the　harlot；　and　with　a　monk　too；　which　was　the　worst　thing　that　could

happen　to　a　warrior。



Think　of　the　greatest　storm　you　ever　saw　it　in　your　life；　and　you　will

have　a　weak　sketch　of　the　furious　rage　into　which　the　old　man　fell；

when　thus　assailed　in　a　portion　of　his　heart　which　was　a　triple　life。

He　seized　the　girl　by　the　throat；　and　would　have　killed　her　there　and

then；　but　she；　to　prove　her　story；　detailed　the　how；　the　why；　and　the

when；　and　said　that　if　he　had　no　faith　in　her；　he　could　have　the

evidence　of　his　own　ears　by　hiding　himself　the　day　that　Father　Jehan

de　Sacchez；　the　prior　of　Marmoustier；　came。　He　would　then　hear　the

words　of　the　father；　who　solaced　herself　for　his　year's　fast；　and　in

one　day　kissed　his　son　for　the　rest　of　the　year。



Imbert　ordered　this　woman　instantly　to　leave　the　castle；　since；　if　her

accusation　were　true；　he　would　kill　her　just　as　though　she　had

invented　a　tissue　of　lies。　In　an　instant　he　had　given　her　a　hundred

crowns；　besides　her　man；　enjoining　them　not　to　sleep　in　Touraine；　and

for　greater　security；　they　were　conducted　into　Burgundy；　by　de

Bastarnay's　officers。　He　informed　his　wife　of　their　departure；　saying；

that　as　her　servant　was　a　damaged　article　he　had　thought　it　best　to

get　rid　of　her；　but　had　given　her　a　hundred　crowns；　and　found

employment　for　the　man　at　the　Court　of　Burgundy。　Bertha　was　astonished

to　learn　that　her　maid　had　left　the　castle　without　receiving　her

dismissal　from　herself；　her　mistress；　but　she　said　nothing。　Soon

afterwards　she　had　other　fish　to　fry；　for　she　became　a　prey　to　vague

apprehensions；　because　her　husband　completely　changed　in　his　manner；

commenced　to　notice　the　likeness　of　his　first…born　to　himself；　and

could　find　nothing　resembling　his　nose；　or　his　forehead；　his　this；　or

his　that；　in　the　youngest　he　loved　so　well。



〃He　is　my　very　image；〃　replied　Bertha　one　day　that　he　was　throwing　out

these　hints。　〃Know　you　not　that　in　well　regulated　households；　children

are　formed　from　the　father　and　mother；　each　in　turn；　or　often　from

both　together；　because　the　mother　mingles　her　qualities　with　the　vital

force　of　the　father？　Some　physicians　declare　that　they　have　known　many

children　born　without　any　resemblance　to　either　father　or　mother；　and

attribute　these　mysteries　to　the　whim　of　the　Almighty。〃



〃You　have　become　very　learned；　my　dear；〃　replied　Bastarnay；　〃but　I；

who　am　an　ignoramus；　I　should　fancy　that　a　child　who　resembles　a

monk〃



〃Had　a　monk　for　a　father！〃　said　Bertha；　looking　at　him　with　an

unflinching　gaze；　although　ice　rather　than　blood　was　coursing　through

her　veins。



The　old　fellow　thought　he　was　mistaken；　and　cursed　the　servant；　but　he

was　none　the　less　determined　to　make　sure　of　the　affair。　As　the　day　of

Father　Jehan's　visit　was　close　at　hand；　Bertha；　whose　suspicions　were

aroused　by　this　speech；　wrote　him　that　it　was　her　wish　that　he　should

not　come　this　year；　without；　however；　telling　him　her　reason；　then　she

went　in　search　of　La　Fallotte　at　Loches；　who　was　to　give　her　letter　to

Jehan；　and　believed　everything　was　safe　for　the　present。　She　was　all

the　m