droll stories-3-第22章

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

the　more　pleased　at　having　written　to　her　friend　the　prior；　when

Imbert；　who；　towards　the　time　appointed　for　the　poor　monk's　annual

treat；　had　always　been　accustomed　to　take　a　journey　into　the　province

of　Maine；　where　he　had　considerable　property；　remained　this　time　at

home；　giving　as　his　reason　the　preparations　for　rebellion　which

monseigneur　Louis　was　then　making　against　his　father；　who　as　everyone

knows；　was　so　cut　up　at　this　revolt　that　it　caused　his　death。　This

reason　was　so　good　a　one；　that　poor　Bertha　was　quite　satisfied　with

it；　and　did　not　trouble　herself。　On　the　regular　day；　however；　the

prior　arrived　as　usual。　Bertha　seeing　him；　turned　pale；　and　asked　him

if　he　had　not　received　her　message。



〃What　message？〃　said　Jehan。



〃Ah！　we　are　lost　then；　the　child；　thou；　and　I；〃　replied　Bertha。



〃Why　so？〃　said　the　prior。



〃I　know　not；〃　said　she；　〃but　our　last　day　has　come。〃



She　inquired　of　her　dearly　beloved　son　where　Bastarnay　was。　The　young

man　told　her　that　his　father　had　been　sent　for　by　a　special　messenger

to　Loches；　and　would　not　be　back　until　evening。　Thereupon　Jehan

wished；　is　spite　of　his　mistress；　to　remain　with　her　and　his　dear　son；

asserting　that　no　harm　would　come　of　it；　after　the　lapse　of　twelve

years；　since　the　birth　of　their　boy。



The　days　when　that　adventurous　night　you　know　of　was　celebrated；

Bertha　stayed　in　her　room　with　the　poor　monk　until　supper　time。　But　on

this　occasion　the　lovershastened　by　the　apprehensions　of　Bertha；

which　was　shared　by　Jehan　directly　she　had　informed　him　of　themdined

immediately；　although　the　prior　of　Marmoustier　reassured　Bertha　by

pointing　out　to　her　the　privileges　of　the　Church；　and　how　Bastarnay；

already　in　bad　odour　at　court；　would　be　afraid　to　attack　a　dignitary

of　Marmoustier。　When　they　were　sitting　down　to　table　their　little　one

happened　to　be　playing；　and　in　spite　of　the　reiterated　prayers　of　his

mother；　would　not　stop　his　games；　since　he　was　galloping　about　the

courtyard　on　a　fine　Spanish　barb；　which　Duke　Charles　of　Burgundy　had

presented　to　Bastarnay。　And　because　young　lads　like　to　show　off；

varlets　make　themselves　bachelors　at　arms；　and　bachelors　wish　to　play

the　knight；　this　boy　was　delighted　at　being　able　to　show　the　monk　what

a　man　he　was　becoming；　he　made　the　horse　jump　like　a　flea　in　the

bedclothes；　and　sat　as　steady　as　a　trooper　in　the　saddle。



〃Let　him　have　his　way；　my　darling；〃　said　the　monk　to　Bertha。

〃Disobedient　children　often　become　great　characters。〃



Bertha　ate　sparingly；　for　her　heart　was　as　swollen　as　a　sponge　in

water。　At　the　first　mouthful；　the　monk；　who　was　a　great　scholar；　felt

in　his　stomach　a　pain；　and　on　his　palette　a　bitter　taste　of　poison

that　caused　him　to　suspect　that　the　Sire　de　Bastarnay　had　given　them

all　their　quietus。　Before　he　had　made　this　discovery　Bertha　had　eaten。

Suddenly　the　monk　pulled　off　the　tablecloth　and　flung　everything　into

the　fireplace；　telling　Bertha　his　suspicion。　Bertha　thanked　the　Virgin

that　her　son　had　been　so　taken　up　with　his　sport。　Retaining　his

presence　of　mind；　Jehan；　who　had　not　forgotten　the　lesson　he　had

learned　as　a　page；　leaped　into　the　courtyard；　lifted　his　son　from　the

horse；　sprang　across　it　himself；　and　flew　across　the　country　with　such

speed　that　you　would　have　thought　him　a　shooting…star　if　you　had　seen

him　digging　the　spurs　into　the　horse's　bleeding　flanks；　and　he　was　at

Loches　in　Fallotte's　house　in　the　same　space　of　time　that　only　the

devil　could　have　done　the　journey。　He　stated　the　case　to　her　in　two

words；　for　the　poison　was　already　frying　his　marrow；　and　requested　her

to　give　him　an　antidote。



〃Alas；〃　said　the　sorceress；　〃had　I　known　that　it　was　for　you　I　was

giving　this　poison；　I　would　have　received　in　my　breast　the　dagger's

point；　with　which　I　was　threatened；　and　would　have　sacrificed　my　poor

life　to　save　that　of　a　man　of　God；　and　of　the　sweetest　woman　that　ever

blossomed　on　this　earth；　for　alas！　my　dear　friend；　I　have　only　two

drops　of　the　counter…poison　that　you　see　in　this　phial。〃



〃Is　there　enough　for　her？〃



〃Yes；　but　go　at　once；〃　said　the　old　hag。



The　monk　came　back　more　quickly　that　he　went；　so　that　the　horse　died

under　him　in　the　courtyard。　He　rushed　into　the　room　where　Bertha；

believing　her　last　hour　to　be　come；　was　kissing　her　son；　and　writhing

like　a　lizard　in　the　fire；　uttering　no　cry　for　herself；　but　for　the

child；　left　to　the　wrath　of　Bastarnay；　forgetting　her　own　agony　at　the

thought　of　his　cruel　future。



〃Take　this；〃　said　the　monk；　〃my　life　is　saved！〃



Jehan　had　the　great　courage　to　say　these　words　with　an　unmoved　face；

although　he　felt　the　claws　of　death　seizing　his　heart。　Hardly　had

Bertha　drunk　when　the　prior　fell　dead；　not；　however；　without　kissing

his　son；　and　regarding　his　dear　lady　with　an　eye　that　changed　not　even

after　his　last　sigh。　This　sight　turned　her　as　cold　as　marble；　and

terrified　her　so　much　that　she　remained　rigid　before　this　dead　man；

stretched　at　her　feet；　pressing　the　hand　of　her　child；　who　wept；

although　her　own　eye　was　as　dry　as　the　Red　Sea　when　the　Hebrews

crossed　it　under　the　leadership　of　Baron　Moses；　for　it　seemed　to　her

that　she　had　sharp　sand　rolling　under　her　eyelids。　Pray　for　her；　ye

charitable　souls；　for　never　was　woman　so　agonised；　in　divining　that

her　lover　has　saved　her　life　at　the　expense　of　his　own。　Aided　by　her

son；　she　herself　placed　the　monk　in　the　middle　of　the　bed；　and　stood

by　the　side　of　it；　praying　with　the　boy；　whom　she　then　told　that　the

prior　was　his　true　father。　In　this　state　she　waited　her　evil　hour；　and

her　evil　hour　did　not　take　long　in　coming；　for　towards　the　eleventh

hour　Bastarnay　arrived；　and　was　informed　at　the　portcullis　that　the

monk　was　dead；　and　not　Madame　and　the　child；　and　he　saw　his　beautiful

Spanish　horse　lying　dead。　Thereupon；　seized　with　a　furious　desire　to

slay　Bertha　and　the　monk's　bastard；　he　sprang　up　the　stairs　with　one

bound；　but　at　the　sight　of　the　corpse；　for　whom　his　wife　and　her　son

repeated　incessant　litanies；　having　no　ears　for　his　torrent　of

invective；　having　no　eyes　for　his　writhings　and　threats；　he　had　no

longer　the　courage　to　perpetrate　this　dark　deed。　After　the　first　fury

of　his　rage　had　passed；　he　could　not　bring　himself　to　it；　and　quitted

the　room　like　a　coward　and　a　man　taken　in　crime；　stung　to　the　quick　by

those　prayers　continuously　said　for　the　monk。　The　night　was　passed　in

tears；　groans；　and　prayers。



By　an　express　order　from　Madame；　her　servant　had　been　to　Loches　to

purchase　for　her　the　attire　of　a　young　lady　of　quality；　and　for　her

poor　child　a　horse　and　the　arms　of　an　esquire；　noticing　which　the

Sieur　de　Bastarnay　was　much　astonished。　He　sent　for　Madame　and　the

monk's　son；　but　neither　mother　nor　child　returned　any　answer；　but

quietly　put　on　the　clothes　purchased　by　the　servant。　By　Madame's　order

this　servant　made　up　the　account　of　her　effects；　arranged　her　clothes；

purples；　jewels；　and　diamonds；　as　the　property　of　a　widow　is　arranged

when　she　renounces　her　rights。　Bertha　ordered　even　her　alms…purse　be

included；　in　order　that　the　ceremony　might　be　perfect。　The　report　of

these　preparations　ran　through　the　house；　and　everyone　knew　then　that

the　mistress　was　about　to　leave　it；　a　circumstance　that　filled　every

heart　with　sorrow；　even　that　of　a　little　scullion；　who　had　only　been　a

week　in　the　place；　but　to　whom　Madame　had　already　given　a　kind　word。



Frightened　at　these　preparations；　old　Bastarnay　came　into　her　chamber；

and　found　her　weeping　over　the　body　of　Jehan；　for　the　tears　had　come

at　last；　but　she　dried　them　directly　she　perceived　her　husband。　To　his

numerous　questions　she　replied　briefly　by　the　confession　of　her　fault；

telling　him　how　she　had　been　duped；　how　the　poor　page　had　been

distressed；　showing　him　upon　the　corpse　the　mark　of　the　poniard　wound；

how　long　he　had　been　getting　well；　and　how；　in　obedience　to　her；　and

fro