droll stories-3-第5章

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the　silversmiths；　to　fashion　two　images　of　pure　silver；　with　the　best

workmanship　I　am　able　to　perform。　One　shall　be　a　statue　of　Madame　the

Virgin；　to　this　end；　to　thank　her　for　the　liberty　of　my　dear　wife；　and

the　other　for　my　said　patron；　if　I　am　successful　in　my　undertaking　to

liberate　the　bondswoman　Tiennette　here　present；　and　for　which　I　rely

upon　his　assistance。　Moreover；　I　swear　by　my　eternal　salvation；　to

persevere　with　courage　in　this　affair；　to　spend　therein　all　I　process；

and　only　to　quit　it　with　my　life。　God　has　heard　me；〃　said　he。　〃And

you；　little　one；〃　he　added；　turning　towards　the　maid。



〃Ha！　monseigneur；　look！　My　cow　is　running　about　the　fields；〃　cried

she；　sobbing　at　the　good　man's　knees。　〃I　will　love　you　all　my　life；

but　withdraw　your　vow。〃



〃Let　us　to　look　after　the　cow；〃　said　the　silversmith；　raising　her；

without　daring　yet　to　kiss　her；　although　the　maid　was　well　disposed　to

it。



〃Yes；〃　said　she；　〃for　I　shall　be　beaten。〃



And　behold　now　the　silversmith；　scampering　after　the　cursed　cow；　who

gave　no　heed　to　their　amours；　she　was　taken　by　the　horns；　and　held　in

the　grip　of　the　Touranian；　who　for　a　trifle　would　have　thrown　her　in

the　air；　like　a　straw。



〃Adieu；　my　sweet　one！　If　you　go　into　the　town；　come　to　my　house；　over

against　St　Leu's　Church。　I　am　called　Master　Anseau；　and　am　silversmith

to　the　King　of　France；　at　the　sign　of　St。　Eloi。　Make　me　a　promise　to

be　in　this　field　the　next　Lord's…Day；　fail　not　to　come；　even　should　it

rain　halberds。〃



〃Yes；　dear　Sir。　For　this　I　would　leap　the　walls；　and；　in　gratitude；

would　I　be　yours　without　mischief；　and　cause　you　no　sorrow；　at　the

price　of　my　everlasting　future。　Awaiting　the　happy　moment；　I　will　pray

God　for　you　with　all　my　heart。〃



And　then　she　remained　standing　like　a　stone　saint；　moving　not；　until

she　could　see　the　good　citizen　no　longer；　and　he　went　away　with

lagging　steps；　turning　from　time　to　time　further　to　gaze　upon　her。　And

when　he　was　far　off；　and　out　of　her　sight；　she　stayed　on；　until

nightfall；　lost　in　meditation；　knowing　not　if　she　had　dreamed　that

which　had　happened　to　her。　Then　she　went　back　to　the　house；　where　she

was　beaten　for　staying　out；　but　felt　not　the　blows。　The　good

silversmith　could　neither　eat　nor　drink；　but　closed　his　workshop；

possessed　of　this　girl；　thinking　of　nothing　but　this　girl；　seeing

everywhere　the　girl；　everything　to　him　being　to　possess　this　girl。　Now

when　the　morrow　was　come；　he　went　with　great　apprehension　towards　the

abbey　to　speak　to　the　lord　abbot。　On　the　road；　however；　he　suddenly

thought　of　putting　himself　under　the　protection　of　one　of　the　king's

people；　and　with　this　idea　returned　to　the　court；　which　was　then　held

in　the　town。　Being　esteemed　by　all　for　his　prudence；　and　loved　for　his

little　works　and　kindnesses；　the　king's　chamberlainfor　whom　he　had

once　made；　for　a　present　to　a　lady　of　the　court；　a　golden　casket　set

with　precious　stones　and　unique　of　its　kindpromised　him　assistance；

had　a　horse　saddled　for　himself；　and　a　hack　for　the　silversmith；　with

whom　he　set　out　for　the　abbey；　and　asked　to　see　the　abbot；　who　was

Monseigneur　Hugon　de　Sennecterre；　aged　ninety…three。　Being　come　into

the　room　with　the　silversmith；　waiting　nervously　to　receive　his

sentence；　the　chamberlain　begged　the　abbot　to　sell　him　in　advance　a

thing　which　was　easy　for　him　to　sell；　and　which　would　be　pleasant　to

him。



To　which　the　abbot　replied；　looking　at　the　chamberlain



〃That　the　canons　inhibited　and　forbade　him　thus　to　engage　his　word。〃



〃Behold；　my　dear　father；〃　said　the　chamberlain；　〃the　jeweller　of　the

Court　who　has　conceived　a　great　love　for　a　bondswoman　belonging　to

your　abbey；　and　I　request　you；　in　consideration　of　my　obliging　you　in

any　such　desire　as　you　may　wish　to　see　accomplished；　to　emancipate

this　maid。〃



〃Which　is　she？〃　asked　the　abbot　of　the　citizen。



〃Her　name　is　Tiennette；〃　answered　the　silversmith；　timidly。



〃Ho！　ho！〃　said　the　good　old　Hugon；　smiling。　〃The　angler　has　caught　us

a　good　fish！　This　is　a　grave　business；　and　I　know　not　how　to　decide　by

myself。〃



〃I　know；　my　father；　what　those　words　mean；〃　said　that　chamberlain；

knitting　his　brows。



〃Fine　sir；〃　said　the　abbot；　〃know　you　what　this　maid　is　worth？〃



The　abbot　ordered　Tiennette　to　be　fetched；　telling　his　clerk　to　dress

her　in　her　finest　clothes；　and　to　make　her　look　as　nice　as　possible。



〃Your　love　is　in　danger；〃　said　that　chamberlain　to　the　silversmith；

pulling　him　on　one　side。　〃Dismiss　this　fantasy。　You　can　meet　anywhere；

even　at　Court；　with　women　of　wealth；　young　and　pretty；　who　would

willingly　marry　you。　For　this；　if　need　be；　the　king　would　assist　you

by　giving　you　some　title；　which　in　course　of　time　would　enable　you　to

found　a　good　family。　Are　you　sufficiently　well　furnished　with　crowns

to　become　the　founder　of　a　noble　line？〃



〃I　know　not；　monseigneur；〃　replied　Anseau。　〃I　have　put　money　by。〃



〃Then　see　if　you　cannot　buy　the　manumission　of　this　maid。　I　know　the

monks。　With　them　money　does　everything。〃



〃Monseigneur；〃　said　the　silversmith　to　the　abbot；　coming　towards　him；

〃you　have　the　charge　and　office　representing　here　below　the　goodness

of　God；　who　is　often　clement　towards　us；　and　has　infinite　treasures　of

mercy　for　our　sorrows。　Now；　I　will　remember　you　each　evening　and　each

morning　in　my　prayers；　and　never　forget　that　I　received　my　happiness

at　your　hands；　if　you　aid　me　to　gain　this　maid　in　lawful　wedlock；

without　keeping　in　servitude　the　children　born　of　this　union。　And　for

this　I　will　make　you　a　receptacle　for　the　Holy　Eucharist；　so

elaborate；　so　rich　with　gold；　precious　stones　and　winged　angels；　that

no　other　shall　be　like　it　in　all　Christendom。　It　shall　remain　unique；

it　shall　dazzle　your　eyesight；　and　shall　be　so　far　the　glory　of　your

altar；　that　the　people　of　the　towns　and　foreign　nobles　shall　rush　to

it；　so　magnificent　shall　it　be。〃



〃My　son；〃　replied　the　abbot　〃have　you　lost　your　senses？　If　you　are　so

resolved　to　have　this　wench　for　a　legal　wife；　your　goods　and　your

person　belong　to　the　Chapter　of　the　abbey。〃



〃Yes；　monseigneur；　I　am　passionately　in　love　with　this　girl；　and　more

touched　with　her　misery　and　her　Christian　heart　than　even　with　her

perfections；　but　I　am；〃　said　he；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　〃still　more

astonished　at　your　harshness；　and　I　say　it　although　I　know　that　my

fate　is　in　your　hands。　Yes；　monseigneur；　I　know　the　law；　and　if　my

goods　fall　to　your　domain；　if　I　become　a　bondsman；　if　I　lose　my　house

and　my　citizenship；　I　will　still　keep　that　engine；　gained　by　my

labours　and　my　studies；　on　which　lies　there；〃　cried　he；　striking　his

forehead　〃in　a　place　of　which　no　one；　save　God；　can　be　lord　but

myself。　And　your　whole　abbey　could　not　pay　for　the　special　creations

which　proceed　therefrom。　You　may　have　my　body；　my　wife；　my　children；

but　nothing　shall　get　you　my　engine；　nay；　not　even　torture；　seeing

that　I　am　stronger　than　iron　is　hard；　and　more　patient　than　sorrow　is

great。〃



So　saying；　the　silversmith；　enraged　by　the　calmness　of　the　abbot；　who

seemed　resolved　to　acquire　for　the　abbey　the　good　man's　doubloons；

brought　down　his　fist　upon　an　oaken　chair　and　shivered　it　into

fragments；　for　it　split　as　under　the　blow　of　a　mace。



〃Behold；　monseigneur；　what　kind　of　servant　you　will　have；　and　of　an

artificer　of　things　divine　you　will　make　a　mere　cart…horse。〃



〃My　son；〃　replied　the　abbot；　〃you　have　wrongfully　broken　my　chair；　and

lightly　judged　my　mind。　This　wench　belongs　to　the　abbey　and　not　to　me。

I　am　the　faithful　servant　of　the　rights　and　customs　of　this　glorious

monastery；　although　I　might　grant　this　woman　license　to　bear　free

children；　I　am　responsible　for　this　to　God　and　to　the　abbey。　Now；

since　there　was　here　an　altar；　bondsmen　and　monks；　/id　est/；　from　time

immemorial；　there　has　never　occurred　the　case　of　a　citizen　becoming

the　property　of　the　abbey　by　marriage　with　a　bondswoman。　Now；

therefore；　is　there　need　t