droll stories-3-第26章

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

to　me　the　road　to　Palermo　or　some　inn；　for　the　night　is　closing　in。〃



〃Are　you　then；　acquainted　with　no　French　or　Sicilian　gentlemen　at

Palermo？〃



〃No。〃



〃Then　you　are　not　certain　of　being　received？〃



〃I　am　disposed　to　forgive　those　who　reject　me。　The　road；　sir；　if　you

please。〃



〃I　am　lost　like　yourself；〃　said　the　Venetian。　〃Let　us　look　for　it　in

company。〃



〃To　do　that　we　must　go　together；　but　you　are　on　horseback；　I　am　on

foot。〃



The　Venetian　took　the　French　knight　on　his　saddle　behind　him；　and

said



〃Do　you　know　with　whom　you　are？〃



〃With　a　man；　apparently。〃



〃Do　you　think　you　are　in　safety？〃



〃If　you　were　a　robber；　you　would　have　to　take　care　of　yourself；〃　said

the　Frenchman；　putting　the　point　of　his　dagger　to　the　Venetian's

heart。



〃Well；　now；　my　noble　Frenchman；　you　appear　to　be　a　man　of　great

learning　and　sound　sense；　know　that　I　am　a　noble；　established　at　the

Court　of　Sicily；　but　alone；　and　I　seek　a　friend。　You　seem　to　be　in　the

same　plight；　and；　judging　from　appearances；　you　do　not　seem　friendly

with　your　lot；　and　have　apparently　need　of　everybody。〃



〃Should　I　be　happier　if　everybody　wanted　me？〃



〃You　are　a　devil；　who　turns　every　one　of　my　words　against　me。　By　St。

Mark！　my　lord　knight；　can　one　trust　you？〃



〃More　than　yourself；　who　commenced　our　federal　friendship　by　deceiving

me；　since　you　guide　your　horse　like　a　man　who　knows　his　way；　and　you

said　you　were　lost。〃



〃And　did　not　you　deceive　me？〃　said　the　Venetian；　〃by　making　a　sage　of

your　years　walk；　and　giving　a　noble　knight　the　appearance　of　a

vagabond？　Here　is　my　abode；　my　servants　have　prepared　supper　for　us。〃



The　Frenchman　jumped　off　the　horse；　and　entered　the　house　with　the

Venetian　cavalier；　accepting　his　supper。　They　both　seated　themselves

at　the　table。　The　Frenchman　fought　so　well　with　his　jaws；　he　twisted

the　morsels　with　so　much　agility；　that　he　showed　herself　equally

learned　in　suppers；　and　showed　it　again　in　dexterously　draining　the

wine　flasks　without　his　eye　becoming　dimmed　or　his　understanding

affected。　Then　you　may　be　sure　that　the　Venetian　thought　to　himself　he

had　fallen　in　with　a　fine　son　of　Adam；　sprung　from　the　right　side　and

the　wrong　one。　While　they　were　drinking　together；　the　Venetian

endeavoured　to　find　some　joint　through　which　to　sound　the　secret

depths　of　his　friend's　cogitations。　He；　however；　clearly　perceived

that　he　would　cast　aside　his　shirt　sooner　than　his　prudence；　and

judged　it　opportune　to　gain　his　esteem　by　opening　his　doublet　to　him。

Therefore　he　told　him　in　what　state　was　Sicily；　where　reigned　Prince

Leufroid　and　his　gentle　wife；　how　gallant　was　the　Court；　what　courtesy

there　flourished；　that　there　abounded　many　lords　of　Spain；　Italy；

France；　and　other　countries；　lords　in　high　feather　and　well　feathered；

many　princesses；　as　rich　as　noble；　and　as　noble　as　rich；　that　this

prince　had　the　loftiest　aspirationssuch　as　to　conquer　Morocco；

Constantinople；　Jerusalem；　the　lands　of　Soudan；　and　other　African

places。　Certain　men　of　vast　minds　conducted　his　affairs；　bringing

together　the　ban　and　arriere　ban　of　the　flower　of　Christian　chivalry；

and　kept　up　his　splendour　with　the　idea　of　causing　to　reign　over　the

Mediterranean　this　Sicily；　so　opulent　in　times　gone　by；　and　of　ruining

Venice；　which　had　not　a　foot　of　land。　These　designs　had　been　planted

in　the　king's　mind　by　him；　Pezare；　but　although　he　was　high　in　that

prince's　favour；　he　felt　himself　weak；　had　no　assistance　from　the

courtiers；　and　desired　to　make　a　friend。　In　this　great　trouble　he　had

gone　for　a　little　ride　to　turn　matters　over　in　his　mind；　and　decide

upon　the　course　to　pursue。　Now；　since　while　in　this　idea　he　had　met　a

man　of　so　much　sense　as　the　chevalier　had　proved　herself　to　be；　he

proposed　to　fraternise　with　him；　to　open　his　purse　to　him；　and　give

him　his　palace　to　live　in。　They　would　journey　in　company　through　life

in　search　of　honours　and　pleasure；　without　concealing　one　single

thought；　and　would　assist　each　other　on　all　occasions　as　the　brothers…

in…arms　did　at　the　Crusades。　Now；　as　the　Frenchman　was　seeking　his

fortune；　and　required　assistance；　the　Venetian　did　not　for　a　moment

expect　that　this　offer　of　mutual　consolation　would　be　refused。



〃Although　I　stand　in　need　of　no　assistance；〃　said　the　Frenchman；

〃because　I　rely　upon　a　point　which　will　procure　me　all　that　I　desire；

I　should　like　to　acknowledge　your　courtesy；　dear　Chevalier　Pezare。　You

will　soon　see　that　you　will　yet　be　the　debtor　of　Gauttier　de

Monsoreau；　a　gentleman　of　the　fair　land　of　Touraine。〃



〃Do　you　possess　any　relic　with　which　your　fortune　is　wound　up？〃　said

the　Venetian。



〃A　talisman　given　me　by　my　dear　mother；〃　said　the　Touranian；　〃with

which　castles　and　cities　are　built　and　demolished；　a　hammer　to　coin

money；　a　remedy　for　every　ill；　a　traveller's　staff　always　ready　to　be

tried；　and　worth　most　when　in　a　state　of　readiness；　a　master　tool；

which　executes　wondrous　works　in　all　sorts　of　forges；　without　making

the　slightest　noise。〃



〃Eh！　by　St。　Mark　you　have；　then；　a　mystery　concealed　in　your　hauberk？〃



〃No；〃　said　the　French　knight；　〃it　is　a　perfectly　natural　thing。　Here

it　is。〃



And　rising　suddenly　from　the　table　to　prepare　for　bed；　Gauttier　showed

to　the　Venetian　the　finest　talisman　to　procure　joy　that　he　had　ever

seen。



〃This；〃　said　the　Frenchman；　as　they　both　got　into　bed　together；

according　to　the　custom　of　the　times；　〃overcomes　every　obstacle；　by

making　itself　master　of　female　hearts；　and　as　the　ladies　are　the

queens　in　this　court；　your　friend　Gauttier　will　soon　reign　there。〃



The　Venetian　remained　in　great　astonishment　at　the　sight　of　the　secret

charms　of　the　said　Gauttier；　who　had　indeed　been　bounteously　endowed

by　his　mother；　and　perhaps　also　by　his　father；　and　would　thus　triumph

over　everything；　since　he　joined　to　this　corporeal　perfection　the　wit

of　a　young　page；　and　the　wisdom　of　an　old　devil。　Then　they　swore　an

eternal　friendship；　regarding　as　nothing　therein　a　woman's　heart；

vowing　to　have　one　and　the　same　idea；　as　if　their　heads　had　been　in

the　same　helmet；　and　they　fell　asleep　on　the　same　pillow　enchanted

with　this　fraternity。　This　was　a　common　occurrence　in　those　days。



On　the　morrow　the　Venetian　gave　a　fine　horse　to　his　friend　Gauttier；

also　a　purse　full　of　money；　fine　silken　hose；　a　velvet　doublet；

fringed　with　gold；　and　an　embroidered　mantle；　which　garments　set　off

his　figure　so　well；　and　showed　up　his　beauties；　that　the　Venetian　was

certain　he　would　captivate　all　the　ladies。　The　servants　received

orders　to　obey　this　Gauttier　as　they　would　himself；　so　that　they

fancied　their　master　had　been　fishing；　and　had　caught　this　Frenchman。

Then　the　two　friends　made　their　entry　into　Palermo　at　the　hour　when

the　princes　and　princesses　were　taking　the　air。　Pezare　presented　his

French　friend；　speaking　so　highly　of　his　merits；　and　obtaining　such　a

gracious　reception　for　him；　that　Leufroid　kept　him　to　supper。　The

knight　kept　a　sharp　eye　on　the　Court；　and　noticed　therein　various

curious　little　secret　practices。　If　the　king　was　a　brave　and　handsome

prince；　the　princess　was　a　Spanish　lady　of　high　temperature；　the　most

beautiful　and　most　noble　woman　of　his　Court；　but　inclined　to

melancholy。　Looking　at　her；　the　Touranian　believed　that　she　was

sparingly　embraced　by　the　king；　for　the　law　of　Touraine　is　that　joy　in

the　face　comes　from　joy　elsewhere。　Pezare　pointed　out　to　his　friend

Gauttier　several　ladies　to　whom　Leufroid　was　exceedingly　gracious　and

who　were　exceedingly　jealous　and　fought　for　him　in　a　tournament　of

gallantries　and　wonderful　female　inventions。　From　all　this　Gauttier

concluded　that　the　prince　went　considerably　astray　with　his　court；

although　he　had　the　prettiest　wife　in　the　world；　and　occupied　himself

with　taxing　the　ladies　of　Sicily；　in　order　that　he　might　put　his　horse

in　their