droll stories-3-第23章

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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

from　penitence　towards　God；　he　had　entered　the　Church；　abandoning　the

glorious　career　of　a　knight；　putting　an　end　to　his　name；　which　was

certainly　worse　than　death；　how　she；　while　avenging　her　honour；　had

thought　that　even　God　himself　would　not　have　refused　the　monk　one　day

in　the　year　to　see　the　son　for　whom　he　had　sacrificed　everything；　how；

not　wishing　to　live　with　a　murderer；　she　was　about　to　quit　his　house；

leaving　all　her　property　behind　her；　because；　if　the　honour　of　the

Bastarnays　was　stained；　it　was　not　she　who　had　brought　the　shame

about；　because　in　this　calamity　she　had　arranged　matters　as　best　she

could；　finally；　she　added　a　vow　to　go　over　mountain　and　valley；　she

and　her　son；　until　all　was　expiated；　for　she　knew　how　to　expiate　all。



Having　with　noble　mien　and　a　pale　face　uttered　these　beautiful　words；

she　took　her　child　by　the　hand　and　went　out　in　great　mourning；　more

magnificently　beautiful　than　was　Mademoiselle　Hagar　on　her　departure

from　the　residence　of　the　patriarch　Abraham；　and　so　proudly；　that　all

the　servants　and　retainers　fell　on　their　knees　as　she　passed　along；

imploring　her　with　joined　hands；　like　Notre　Dame　de　la　Riche。　It　was

pitiful　to　see　the　Sieur　de　Bastarnay　following　her；　ashamed；　weeping；

confessing　himself　to　blame；　and　downcast　and　despairing；　like　a　man

being　led　to　the　gallows；　there　to　be　turned　off。



And　Bertha　turned　a　deaf　ear　to　everything。　The　desolation　was　so

great　that　she　found　the　drawbridge　lowered；　and　hastened　to　quit　the

castle；　fearing　that　it　might　be　suddenly　raised　again；　but　no　one　had

the　right　or　the　heart　to　do　it。　She　sat　down　on　the　curb　of　the　moat；

in　view　of　the　whole　castle；　who　begged　her；　with　tears；　to　stay。　The

poor　sire　was　standing　with　his　hand　upon　the　chain　of　the　portcullis；

as　silent　as　the　stone　saints　carved　above　the　door。　He　saw　Bertha

order　her　son　to　shake　the　dust　from　his　shoes　at　the　end　of　the

bridge；　in　order　to　have　nothing　belonging　to　Bastarnay　about　him；　and

she　did　likewise。　Then；　indicating　the　sire　to　her　son　with　her

finger；　she　spoke　to　him　as　follows



〃Child；　behold　the　murderer　of　thy　father；　who　was；　as　thou　art　aware；

the　poor　prior；　but　thou　hast　taken　the　name　of　this　man。　Give　it　him

back　here；　even　as　thou　leavest　the　dust　taken　by　the　shoes　from　his

castle。　For　the　food　that　thou　hast　had　in　the　castle；　by　God's　help

we　will　also　settle。〃



Hearing　this；　Bastarnay　would　have　let　his　wife　receive　a　whole

monastery　of　monks　in　order　not　to　be　abandoned　by　her；　and　by　a　young

squire　capable　of　becoming　the　honour　of　his　house；　and　remained　with

his　head　sunk　down　against　the　chains。



The　heart　of　Bertha　was　suddenly　filled　with　holy　solace；　for　the

banner　of　the　great　monastery　turned　the　corner　of　a　road　across　the

fields；　and　appeared　accompanied　by　the　chants　of　the　Church；　which

burst　forth　like　heavenly　music。　The　monks；　informed　of　the　murder

perpetrated　on　their　well…beloved　prior；　came　in　procession；　assisted

by　the　ecclesiastical　justice；　to　claim　his　body。　When　he　saw　this；

the　Sire　de　Bastarnay　had　barely　that　time　to　make　for　the　postern

with　his　men；　and　set　out　towards　Monseigneur　Louis；　leaving

everything　in　confusion。



Poor　Bertha；　en　croup　behind　her　son；　came　to　Montbazon　to　bid　her

father　farewell；　telling　him　that　this　blow　would　be　her　death；　and

was　consoled　by　those　of　her　family　who　endeavoured　to　raise　her

spirits；　but　were　unable　to　do　so。　The　old　Sire　de　Rohan　presented　his

grandson　with　a　splendid　suit　of　armour；　telling　him　to　acquire　glory

and　honour　that　he　might　turn　his　mother's　faults　into　eternal　renown。

But　Madame　de　Bastarnay　had　implanted　in　the　mind　of　her　dear　son　no

other　idea　than　of　atoning　for　the　harm　done；　in　order　to　save　her　and

Jehan　from　eternal　damnation。　Both　then　set　out　for　the　places　then　in

a　state　of　rebellion；　in　order　to　render　such　service　to　Bastarnay

that　he　would　receive　from　them　more　than　life　itself。



Now　the　heat　of　the　sedition　was；　as　everyone　knows；　in　the

neighbourhood　of　Angouleme；　and　of　Bordeaux　in　Guienne；　and　other

parts　of　the　kingdom；　where　great　battles　and　severe　conflicts　between

the　rebels　and　the　royal　armies　was　likely　to　take　place。　The

principal　one　which　finished　the　war　was　given　between　Ruffec　and

Angouleme；　where　all　the　prisoners　taken　were　tried　and　hanged。　This

battle；　commanded　by　old　Bastarnay；　took　place　in　the　month　of

November；　seven　months　after　the　poisoning　of　Jehan。　Now　the　Baron

knew　that　his　head　had　been　strongly　recommended　as　one　to　be　cut　off；

he　being　the　right　hand　of　Monsiegneur　Louis。　Directly　his　men　began

to　fall　back；　the　old　fellow　found　himself　surrounded　by　six　men

determined　to　seize　him。　Then　he　understood　that　they　wished　to　take

him　alive；　in　order　to　proceed　against　his　house；　ruin　his　name；　and

confiscate　his　property。　The　poor　sire　preferred　rather　to　die　and

save　his　family；　and　present　the　domains　to　his　son。　He　defended

himself　like　the　brave　old　lion　that　he　was。　In　spite　of　their　number；

these　said　soldiers；　seeing　three　of　their　comrades　fall；　were　obliged

to　attack　Bastarnay　at　the　risk　of　killing　him；　and　threw　themselves

together　upon　him；　after　having　laid　low　two　of　his　equerries　and　a

page。



In　this　extreme　danger　an　esquire　wearing　the　arms　of　Rohan；　fell　upon

the　assailants　like　a　thunderbolt；　and　killed　two　of　them；　crying；

〃God　save　the　Bastarnays！〃　The　third　man…at…arms；　who　had　already

seized　old　Bastarnay；　was　so　hard　pressed　by　this　squire；　that　he　was

obliged　to　leave　the　elder　and　turn　against　the　younger；　to　whom　he

gave　a　thrust　with　his　dagger　through　a　flaw　in　his　armour。　Bastarnay

was　too　good　a　comrade　to　fly　without　assisting　the　liberator　of　his

house；　who　was　badly　wounded。　With　a　blow　of　his　mace　he　killed　the

man…at…arms；　seized　the　squire；　lifted　him　on　to　his　horse；　and　gained

the　open；　accompanied　by　a　guide；　who　led　him　to　the　castle　of　Roche…

Foucauld；　which　he　entered　by　night；　and　found　in　the　great　room

Bertha　de　Rohan；　who　had　arranged　this　retreat　for　him。　But　on

removing　the　helmet　of　his　rescuer；　he　recognised　the　son　of　Jehan；

who　expired　upon　the　table；　as　by　a　final　effort　he　kissed　his　mother；

and　saying　in　a　loud　voice　to　her



〃Mother；　we　have　paid　the　debt　we　owed　him！〃



Hearing　these　words；　the　mother　clasped　the　body　of　her　loved　child　to

her　heart；　and　separated　from　him　never　again；　for　she　died　of　grief；

without　hearing　or　heeding　the　pardon　and　repentance　of　Bastarnay。



The　strange　calamity　hastened　the　last　day　of　the　poor　old　man；　who

did　not　live　to　see　the　coronation　of　King　Louis　the　Eleventh。　He

founded　a　daily　mass　in　the　Church　of　Roche…Foucauld；　where　in　the

same　grave　he　placed　mother　and　son；　with　a　large　tombstone；　upon

which　their　lives　are　much　honoured　in　the　Latin　language。



The　morals　which　any　one　can　deduce　from　this　history　are　the　most

profitable　for　the　conduct　of　life；　since　this　shows　how　gentlemen

should　be　courteous　with　the　dearly　beloveds　of　their　wives。　Further；

it　teaches　us　that　all　children　are　blessings　sent　by　God　Himself；　and

over　them　fathers；　whether　true　or　false；　have　no　right　of　murder；　as

was　formerly　the　case　at　Rome；　owing　to　a　heathen　and　abominable　law；

which　ill　became　that　Christianity　which　makes　us　all　sons　of　God。







HOW　THE　PRETTY　MAID　OF　PORTILLON　CONVINCED　HER　JUDGE



The　Maid　of　Portillon；　who　became　as　everyone　knows；　La　Tascherette；

was；　before　she　became　a　dyer；　a　laundress　at　the　said　place　of

Portillon；　from　which　she　took　her　name。　If　any　there　be　who　do　not

know　Tours；　it　may　be　as　well　to　state　that　Portillon　is　down　the

Loire；　on　the　same　side　as　St。　Cyr；　about　as　far　from　the　bridge　which

leads　to　the　cathedral　of　Tours　as　said　bridge　is　distant　from

Marm