droll stories-3-第35章

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with　infinite　tenderness；　and　who　was　the　daughter　of　Monsieur　de

Montmorency；　a　lord　whose　domains　bordered　upon　those　of　the　house　of

l'Ile　Adam。　To　this　penniless　cadet　the　king　had　given　certain

missions　to　the　duchy　of　Milan；　of　which　he　had　acquitted　himself　so

well　that　he　was　sent　to　Rome　to　advance　the　negotiations　concerning

which　historians　have　written　so　much　in　their　books。　Now　if　he　had

nothing　of　his　own；　poor　little　l'Ile　Adam　relied　upon　so　good　a

beginning。　He　was　slightly　built；　but　upright　as　a　column；　dark；　with

black；　glistening　eyes；　and　a　man　not　easily　taken　in；　but　concealing

his　finesse；　he　had　the　air　of　an　innocent　child；　which　made　him

gentle　and　amiable　as　a　laughing　maiden。　Directly　this　gentleman

joined　her　circle；　and　her　eyes　had　rested　upon　him；　Madame　Imperia

felt　herself　bitten　by　a　strong　desire；　which　stretched　the　harp

strings　of　her　nature；　and　produced　therefrom　a　sound　she　had　not

heard　for　many　a　day。　She　was　seized　with　such　a　vertigo　of　true　love

at　the　sight　of　this　freshness　of　youth；　that　but　for　her　imperial

dignity　she　would　have　kissed　the　good　cheeks　which　shone　like　little

apples。



Now　take　note　of　this；　that　so　called　modest　women；　and　ladies　whose

skirts　bear　their　armorial　bearings；　are　thoroughly　ignorant　of　the

nature　of　man；　because　they　keep　to　one　alone；　like　the　Queen　of

France　who　believed　all　men　had　ulcers　in　the　nose　because　the　king

had；　but　a　great　courtesan；　like　Madame　Imperia；　knew　man　to　his　core；

because　she　had　handled　a　great　many。　In　her　retreat；　everyone　came

out　in　his　true　colours；　and　concealed　nothing；　thinking　to　himself

that　he　would　not　be　long　with　her。　Having　often　deplored　this

subjection；　sometimes　she　would　remark　that　she　suffered　from　pleasure

more　than　she　suffered　from　pain。　There　was　the　dark　shadow　of　her

life。　You　may　be　sure　that　a　lover　was　often　compelled　to　part　with　a

nice　little　heap　of　crowns　in　order　to　pass　the　night　with　her；　and

was　reduced　to　desperation　by　a　refusal。　Now　for　her　it　was　a　joyful

thing　to　feel　a　youthful　desire；　like　that　she　had　for　the　little

priest；　whose　story　commences　this　collection；　but　because　she　was

older　than　in　those　merry　days；　love　was　more　fully　established　in

her；　and　she　soon　perceived　that　it　was　of　a　fiery　nature　when　it

began　to　make　itself　felt；　indeed；　she　suffered　in　her　skin　like　a　cat

that　is　being　scorched；　and　so　much　so　that　she　had　an　intense　longing

to　spring　upon　this　gentleman；　and　bear　him　in　triumph　to　her　nest；　as

a　kite　does　its　prey；　but　with　great　difficulty　she　restrained

herself。　When　he　came　and　bowed　to　her；　she　threw　back　her　head；　and

assumed　a　most　dignified　attitude；　as　do　those　who　have　a　love

infatuation　in　their　hearts。　The　gravity　of　her　demeanour　to　the　young

ambassador　caused　many　to　think　that　she　had　work　in　store　for　him；

equivocating　on　the　word；　after　the　custom　of　the　time。



L'Ile　Adam；　knowing　himself　to　be　dearly　loved　by　his　mistress；

troubled　himself　but　little　about　Madame　Imperia；　grave　or　gay；　and

frisked　about　like　a　goat　let　loose。　The　courtesan；　terribly　annoyed

at　this；　changed　her　tone；　from　being　sulky　became　gay　and　lively；

came　to　him；　softened　her　voice；　sharpened　her　glance；　gracefully

inclined　her　head；　rubbed　against　him　with　her　sleeve；　and　called　him

Monsiegneur；　embraced　him　with　the　loving　words；　trifled　with　his

hand；　and　finished　by　smiling　at　him　most　affably。　He；　not　imagining

that　so　unprofitable　a　lover　would　suit　her；　for　he　was　as　poor　as　a

church　mouse；　and　did　not　know　that　his　beauty　was　the　equal　in　her

eyes　to　all　the　treasures　of　the　world；　was　not　taken　in　her　trap；　but

continued　to　ride　the　high　horse　with　his　hand　on　his　hips。　This

disdain　of　her　passion　irritated　Madame　to　the　heart；　which　by　this

spark　was　set　in　flame。　If　you　doubt　this；　it　is　because　you　know

nothing　of　the　profession　of　the　Madame　Imperia；　who　by　reason　of　it

might　be　compared　to　a　chimney；　in　which　a　great　number　of　fires　have

been　lighted；　which　had　filled　it　with　soot；　in　this　state　a　match　was

sufficient　to　burn　everything　there；　where　a　hundred　fagots　has　smoked

comfortably。　She　burned　within　from　top　to　toe　in　a　horrible　manner；

and　could　not　be　extinguished　save　with　the　water　of　love。　The　cadet

of　l'Ile　Adam　left　the　room　without　noticing　this　ardour。



Madame；　disconsolate　at　his　departure；　lost　her　senses　from　her　head

to　her　feet；　and　so　thoroughly　that　she　sent　a　messenger　to　him　on　the

galleries；　begging　him　to　pass　the　night　with　her。　On　no　other

occasion　of　her　life　had　she　had　this　cowardice；　either　for　king；

pope；　or　emperor；　since　the　high　price　of　her　favours　came　from　the

bondage　in　which　she　held　her　admirers；　whom　the　more　she　humbled　the

more　she　raised　herself。　The　disdainful　hero　of　this　history　was

informed　by　the　head　chamber…women；　who　was　a　clever　jade；　that　in　all

probability　a　great　treat　awaited　him；　for　most　certainly　Madame　would

regale　him　with　her　most　delicate　inventions　of　love。　L'Ile　Adam

returned　to　the　salons；　delighted　at　this　lucky　chance。　Directly　the

envoy　of　France　reappeared；　as　everyone　had　seen　Imperia　turn　pale　at

his　departure；　the　general　joy　knew　no　bounds；　because　everyone　was

delighted　to　see　her　return　to　her　old　life　of　love。　An　English

cardinal；　who　had　drained　more　than　one　big…bellied　flagon；　and　wished

to　taste　Imperia；　went　to　l'Ile　Adam　and　whispered　to　him；　〃Hold　her

fast；　so　that　she　shall　never　again　escape　us。〃



The　story　of　this　remark　was　told　to　the　pope　at　his　levee；　and　caused

him　to　remark；　/Laetamini；　gentes；　quoniam　surrexit　Dominus/。　A

quotation　which　the　old　cardinals　abominated　as　a　profanation　of

sacred　texts。　Seeing　which；　the　pope　reprimanded　them　severely；　and

took　occasion　to　lecture　them；　telling　them　that　if　they　were　good

Christians　they　were　bad　politicians。　Indeed；　he　relied　upon　the　fair

Imperia　to　reclaim　the　emperor；　and　with　this　idea　he　syringed　her

well　with　flattery。



The　lights　of　the　palace　being　extinguished；　the　golden　flagons　on　the

floor；　and　the　servants　drunk　and　stretched　about　on　the　carpets；

Madame　entered　her　bedchamber；　leading　by　the　hand　her　dear　lover…

elect；　and　she　was　well　pleased；　and　has　since　confessed　that　so

strongly　was　she　bitten　with　love；　she　could　hardly　restrain　herself

from　rolling　at　his　feet　like　a　beast　of　the　field；　begging　him　to

crush　her　beneath　him　if　he　could。　L'Ile　Adam　slipped　off　his

garments；　and　tumbled　into　bed　as　if　he　were　in　his　own　house。　Seeing

which；　Madame　hastened　her　preparations；　and　sprang　into　her　lover's

arms　with　a　frenzy　that　astonished　her　women；　who　knew　her　to　be

ordinarily　one　of　the　most　modest　of　women　on　these　occasions。　The

astonishment　became　general　throughout　the　country；　for　the　pair

remained　in　bed　for　nine　days；　eating；　drinking；　and　embracing　in　a

marvellous　and　most　masterly　manner。　Madame　told　her　women　that　at

last　she　had　placed　her　hand　on　a　phoenix　of　love；　since　he　revived

from　every　attack。　Nothing　was　talked　of　in　Rome　and　Italy　but　the

victory　that　had　been　gained　over　Imperia；　who　had　boasted　that　she

would　yield　to　no　man；　and　spat　upon　all　of　them；　even　the　dukes。　As

to　the　aforesaid　margraves　and　burgraves；　she　gave　them　the　tail　of

her　dress　to　hold；　and　said　that　if　she　did　not　tread　them　under　foot；

they　would　trample　upon　her。　Madame　confessed　to　her　servants　that；

differently　to　all　other　men　she　had　had　to　put　up　with；　the　more　she

fondled　this　child　of　love；　the　more　she　desired　to　do　so；　and　that

she　would　never　be　able　to　part　with　him；　nor　his　splendid　eyes；　which

blinded　her；　nor　his　branch　of　coral；　that　she　always　hungered　after。

She　further　declared　that　if　such　were　his　desire；　she　would　let　him

suck　her　blood；　eat　her　breastswhich　were　the　most　lovely　in　the

worldand　cut　her　tresses；　of　which　she　had　only　given　a　single　one

to　the　Emperor　of　the　Romans；　who　kept　it　in　his　breast；　l