droll stories-3-第25章

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the　roguish　judge　laughed　too；　and　the　fair　Portillone　cried　for　her

golden　crowns。



〃If　you　don't　keep　still；〃　cried　she；　losing　patience；　〃if　you　keep

moving　about　I　shall　never　be　able　to　put　the　thread　in。〃



〃Then；　my　dear；　if　you　had　done　the　same；　Monseigneur　would　have　been

unsuccessful　too。　Think；　too；　how　easy　is　the　one　affair；　and　how

difficult　the　other。〃



The　pretty　wench；　who　declared　she　had　been　forced；　remained

thoughtful；　and　sought　to　find　a　means　to　convince　the　judge　by

showing　how　she　had　been　compelled　to　yield；　since　the　honour　of　all

poor　girls　liable　to　violence　was　at　stake。



〃Monseigneur；　in　order　that　the　bet　made　the　fair；　I　must　do　exactly

as　the　young　lord　did。　If　I　had　only　had　to　move　I　should　be　moving

still；　but　he　went　through　other　performances。〃



〃Let　us　hear　them；〃　replied　the　judge。



Then　La　Portillone　straightens　the　thread；　and　rubs　it　in　the　wax　of

the　candle；　to　make　it　firm　and　straight；　then　she　looked　towards　the

eye　of　the　bodkin；　held　by　the　judge；　slipping　always　to　the　right　or

to　the　left。　Then　she　began　making　endearing　little　speeches；　such　as；

〃Ah；　the　pretty　little　bodkin！　What　a　pretty　mark　to　aim　at！　Never　did

I　see　such　a　little　jewel！　What　a　pretty　little　eye！　Let　me　put　this

little　thread　into　it！　Ah；　you　will　hurt　my　poor　thread；　my　nice

little　thread！　Keep　still！　Come；　my　love　of　a　judge；　judge　of　my　love！

Won't　the　thread　go　nicely　into　this　iron　gate；　which　makes　good　use

of　the　thread；　for　it　comes　out　very　much　out　of　order？〃　Then　she

burst　out　laughing；　for　she　was　better　up　in　this　game　than　the　judge；

who　laughed　too；　so　saucy　and　comical　and　arch　was　she；　pushing　the

thread　backwards　and　forwards。　She　kept　the　poor　judge　with　the　case

in　his　hand　until　seven　o'clock；　keeping　on　fidgeting　and　moving　about

like　a　schoolboy　let　loose；　but　as　La　Portillone　kept　on　trying　to　put

the　thread　in；　he　could　not　help　it。　As；　however；　his　joint　was

burning；　and　his　wrist　was　tired；　he　was　obliged　to　rest　himself　for　a

minute　on　the　side　of　the　table；　then　very　dexterously　the　fair　maid

of　Portillon　slipped　the　thread　in；　saying



〃That's　how　the　thing　occurred。〃



〃But　my　joint　was　burning。〃



〃So　was　mine；〃　said　she。



The　judge；　convinced；　told　La　Portillone　that　he　would　speak　to

Monseigneur　du　Fou；　and　would　himself　carry　the　affair　through；　since

it　was　certain　the　young　lord　had　embraced　her　against　her　will；　but

that　for　valid　reasons　he　would　keep　the　affair　dark。　On　the　morrow

the　judge　went　to　the　Court　and　saw　Monseigneur　du　Fou；　to　whom　he

recounted　the　young　woman's　complaint；　and　how　she　had　set　forth　her

case。　This　complaint　lodged　in　court；　tickled　the　king　immensely。

Young　du　Fou　having　said　that　there　was　some　truth　in　it；　the　king

asked　if　he　had　had　much　difficulty；　and　as　he　replied；　innocently；

〃No；〃　the　king　declared　the　girl　was　quite　worth　a　hundred　gold

crowns；　and　the　chamberlain　gave　them　to　the　judge；　in　order　not　to　be

taxed　with　stinginess；　and　said　the　starch　would　be　a　good　income　to

La　Portillone。　The　judge　came　back　to　La　Portillone；　and　said；

smiling；　that　he　had　raised　a　hundred　gold　crowns　for　her。　But　if　she

desired　the　balance　of　the　thousand；　there　were　at　that　moment　in　the

king's　apartments　certain　lords　who；　knowing　the　case；　had　offered　to

make　up　the　sum　for　her；　with　her　consent。　The　little　hussy　did　not

refuse　this　offer；　saying；　that　in　order　to　do　no　more　washing　in　the

future　she　did　not　mind　doing　a　little　hard　work　now。　She　gratefully

acknowledged　the　trouble　the　good　judge　had　taken；　and　gained　her

thousand　crowns　in　a　month。　From　this　came　the　falsehoods　and　jokes

concerning　her；　because　out　of　these　ten　lords　jealousy　made　a

hundred；　whilst；　differently　from　young　men；　La　Portillone　settled

down　to　a　virtuous　life　directly　she　had　her　thousand　crowns。　Even　a

Duke；　who　would　have　counted　out　five　hundred　crowns；　would　have　found

this　girl　rebellious；　which　proves　she　was　niggardly　with　her

property。　It　is　true　that　the　king　caused　her　to　be　sent　for　to　his

retreat　of　Rue　Quinquangrogne；　on　the　mall　of　Chardonneret；　found　her

extremely　pretty；　exceedingly　affectionate；　enjoyed　her　society；　and

forbade　the　sergeants　to　interfere　with　her　in　any　way　whatever。

Seeing　she　was　so　beautiful；　Nicole　Beaupertuys；　the　king's　mistress；

gave　her　a　hundred　gold　crowns　to　go　to　Orleans；　in　order　to　see　if

the　colour　of　the　Loire　was　the　same　there　as　at　Portillon。　She　went

there；　and　the　more　willingly　because　she　did　not　care　very　much　for

the　king。　When　the　good　man　came　who　confessed　the　king　in　his　last

hours；　and　was　afterwards　canonised；　La　Portillone　went　to　him　to

polish　up　her　conscience；　did　penance；　and　founded　a　bed　in　the　leper…

house　of　St。　Lazare…aux…Tours。　Many　ladies　whom　you　know　have　been

assaulted　by　more　than　two　lords；　and　have　founded　no　other　beds　than

those　in　their　own　houses。　It　is　as　well　to　relate　this　fact；　in　order

to　cleanse　the　reputation　of　this　honest　girl；　who　herself　once　washed

dirty　things；　and　who　afterwards　became　famous　for　her　clever　tricks

and　her　wit。　She　gave　a　proof　of　her　merit　in　marrying　Taschereau；　who

she　cuckolded　right　merrily；　as　has　been　related　in　the　story　of　The

Reproach。　This　proves　to　us　most　satisfactorily　that　with　strength　and

patience　justice　itself　can　be　violated。







IN　WHICH　IT　IS　DEMONSTRATED　THAT　FORTUNE　IS　ALWAYS　FEMININE



During　the　time　when　knights　courteously　offered　to　each　other　both

help　and　assistance　in　seeking　their　fortune；　it　happened　that　in

Sicilywhich；　as　you　are　probably　aware；　is　an　island　situated　in　the

corner　of　the　Mediterranean　Sea；　and　formerly　celebratedone　knight

met　in　a　wood　another　knight；　who　had　the　appearance　of　a　Frenchman。

Presumably；　this　Frenchman　was　by　some　chance　stripped　of　everything；

and　was　so　wretchedly　attired　that　but　for　his　princely　air　he　might

have　been　taken　for　a　blackguard。　It　was　possible　that　his　horse　had

died　of　hunger　or　fatigue；　on　disembarking　from　the　foreign　shore　for

which　he　came；　on　the　faith　of　the　good　luck　which　happened　to　the

French　in　Sicily；　which　was　true　in　every　respect。



The　Sicilian　knight；　whose　name　was　Pezare；　was　a　Venetian　long　absent

from　the　Venetian　Republic；　and　with　no　desire　to　return　there；　since

he　had　obtained　a　footing　in　the　Court　of　the　King　of　Sicily。　Being

short　of　funds　in　Venice；　because　he　was　a　younger　son；　he　had　no

fancy　for　commerce；　and　was　for　that　reason　eventually　abandoned　by

his　family；　a　most　illustrious　one。　He　therefore　remained　at　this

Court；　where　he　was　much　liked　by　the　king。



This　gentleman　was　riding　a　splendid　Spanish　horse；　and　thinking　to

himself　how　lonely　he　was　in　this　strange　court；　without　trusty

friends；　and　how　in　such　cases　fortune　was　harsh　to　helpless　people

and　became　a　traitress；　when　he　met　the　poor　French　knight；　who

appeared　far　worse　off　that　he；　who　had　good　weapons；　a　fine　horse；

and　a　mansion　where　servants　were　then　preparing　a　sumptuous　supper。



〃You　must　have　come　a　long　way　to　have　so　much　dust　on　your　feet；〃

said　the　Venetian。



〃My　feet　have　not　as　much　dust　as　the　road　was　long；〃　answered　the

Frenchman。



〃If　you　have　travelled　so　much；〃　continued　the　Venetian；　〃you　must　be

a　learned　man。〃



〃I　have　learned；〃　replied　the　Frenchman；　〃to　give　no　heed　to　those　who

do　not　trouble　about　me。　I　have　learnt　that　however　high　a　man's　head

was；　his　feet　were　always　level　with　my　own；　more　than　that；　I　have

learnt　to　have　no　confidence　in　the　warm　days　of　winter；　in　the　sleep

of　my　enemies；　or　the　words　of　my　friends。〃



〃You　are；　then；　richer　than　I　am；〃　said　the　Venetian；　astonished；

〃since　you　tell　me　things　of　which　I　never　thought。〃



〃Everyone　must　think　for　himself；〃　said　the　Frenchman；　〃and　as　you

have　interrogated　me；　I　can　request　from　you　the　kindness　of　pointing

to　me　the　road　to　Palermo　or　some　inn；　f