the countess of saint geran-第3章

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in　blood；　which；　added　to　the　disorder　of　his　clothes　and　the　dust

with　which　he　was　covered；　gave　him　a　most　suspicious　aspect。



〃I　know；〃　said　he。　　〃I　and　my　servant　have　been　separated　in　a

scuffle　with　some　drunken　Germans；　it's　only　a　tipsy　spree；　and

whether　I　have　got　scratched；　or　whether　in　collaring　one　of　these

fellows　I　have　drawn　some　of　his　blood；　it　all　arises　from　the　row。

I　don't　think　I　am　hurt　a　bit。〃　　So　saying；　he　pretended　to　feel　all

over　his　body。



〃All　the　same；〃　he　continued；　〃I　should　not　be　sorry　to　have　a　wash；

besides；　I　am　dying　with　thirst　and　heat；　and　my　horse　is　in　no

better　case。　　Do　you　know　where　I　can　rest　and　refresh　myself？〃



The　peasant　offered　to　guide　him　to　his　own　house；　only　a　few　yards

off。　　His　wife　and　children；　who　were　working；　respectfully　stood

aside；　and　went　to　collect　what　was　wantedwine；　water；　fruit；　and　a

large　piece　of　black　bread。　　The　marquis　sponged　his　coat；　drank　a

glass　of　wine；　and　called　the　people　of　the　house；　whom　he　questioned

in　an　indifferent　manner。　　He　once　more　informed　himself　of　the

different　roads　leading　into　the　Bourbonnais　province；　where　he　was

going　to　visit　a　relative；　of　the　villages；　cross　roads；　distances；

and　finally　he　spoke　of　the　country；　the　harvest；　and　asked　what　news

there　was。



The　peasant　replied；　with　regard　to　this；　that　it　was　surprising　to

hear　of　disturbances　on　the　highway　at　this　moment；　when　it　was

patrolled　by　detachments　of　mounted　police；　who　had　just　made　an

important　capture。



〃Who　is　that？〃　asked　the　marquis。



〃Oh；〃　said　the　peasant；　〃a　nobleman　who　has　done　a　lot　of　mischief　in

the　country。〃



〃What！　a　nobleman　in　the　hands　of　justice？〃



〃Just　so；　and　he　stands　a　good　chance　of　losing　his　head。〃



〃Do　they　say　what　he　has　done？〃



〃Shocking　things；　horrid　things；　everything　he　shouldn't　do。　　All　the

province　is　exasperated　with　him。〃



〃Do　you　know　him？〃



〃No；　but　we　all　have　his　description。〃



As　this　news　was　not　encouraging；　the　marquis；　after　a　few　more

questions；　saw　to　his　horse；　patted　him；　threw　some　more　money　to　the

peasant；　and　disappeared　in　the　direction　pointed　out。



The　provost　proceeded　half　a　league　farther　along　the　road；　but

coming　to　the　conclusion　that　pursuit　was　useless；　he　sent　one　of　his

men　to　headquarters；　to　warn　all　the　points　of　exit　from　the

province；　and　himself　returned　with　his　troop　to　the　place　whence　he

had　started　in　the　morning。　　The　marquis　had　relatives　in　the

neighbourhood；　and　it　was　quite　possible　that　he　might　seek　shelter

with　some　of　them。　　All　the　village　ran　to　meet　the　horsemen；　who

were　obliged　to　confess　that　they　had　been　duped　by　the　handsome

prisoner。　　Different　views　were　expressed　on　the　event；　which　gave

rise　to　much　talking。　　The　provost　entered　the　inn；　banging　his　fist

on　the　furniture；　and　blaming　everybody　for　the　misfortune　which　had

happened　to　him。　　The　daughter　of　the　house；　at　first　a　prey　to　the

most　grievous　anxiety；　had　great　difficulty　in　concealing　her　joy。



The　provost　spread　his　papers　over　the　table；　as　if　to　nurse　his

ill…temper。



〃The　biggest　rascal　in　the　world！〃　he　cried；　〃I　ought　to　have

suspected　him。〃



〃What　a　handsome　man　he　was！〃　said　the　hostess。



〃A　consummate　rascal！　　Do　you　know　who　he　is？　　He　is　the　Marquis　de

Saint…Maixent！〃



〃The　Marquis　de　Saint…Maixent！〃all　cried　with　horror。



〃Yes；　the　very　man；〃　replied　the　provost；　〃the　Marquis　de

Saint…Maixent；　accused；　and　indeed　convicted；　of　coining　and　magic。〃



〃Ah！〃



〃Convicted　of　incest。〃



〃O　my　God！〃



〃Convicted　of　having　strangled　his　wife　to　marry　another；　whose

husband　he　had　first　stabbed。〃



〃Heaven　help　us！〃　All　crossed　themselves。



〃Yes；　good　people；〃　continued　the　furious　provost；　〃this　is　the　nice

boy　who　has　just　escaped　the　king's　justice！〃



The　host's　daughter　left　the　room；　for　she　felt　she　was　going　to

faint。



〃But；〃　said　the　host；　〃is　there　no　hope　of　catching　him　again？〃



〃Not　the　slightest；　if　he　has　taken　the　road　to　the　Bourbonnais；　for

I　believe　there　are　in　that　province　noblemen　belonging　to　his　family

who　will　not　allow　him　to　be　rearrested。〃



The　fugitive　was；　indeed；　no　other　than　the　Marquis　de　Saint…Maixent；

accused　of　all　the　enormous　crimes　detailed　by　the　provost；　who　by

his　audacious　flight　opened　for　himself　an　active　part　in　the　strange

story　which　it　remains　to　relate。



It　came　to　pass；　a　fortnight　after　these　events；　that　a　mounted

gentleman　rang　at　the　wicket　gate　of　the　chateau　de　Saint…Geran；　at

the　gates　of　Moulins。　　It　was　late；　and　the　servants　were　in　no　hurry

to　open。　　The　stranger　again　pulled　the　bell　in　a　masterful　manner；

and　at　length　perceived　a　man　running　from　the　bottom　of　the　avenue。

The　servant　peered　through　the　wicket；　and　making　out　in　the　twilight

a　very　ill…appointed　traveller；　with　a　crushed　hat；　dusty　clothes；

and　no　sword；　asked　him　what　he　wanted；　receiving　a　blunt　reply　that

the　stranger　wished　to　see　the　Count　de　Saint…Geran　without　any

further　loss　of　time。　　The　servant　replied　that　this　was　impossible；

the　other　got　into　a　passion。



〃Who　are　you？〃　asked　the　man　in　livery。



〃You　are　a　very　ceremonious　fellow！〃　cried　the　horseman。　〃Go　and　tell

M。　de　Saint…Geran　that　his　relative；　the　Marquis　de　Saint…Maixent；

wishes　to　see　him　at　once。〃



The　servant　made　humble　apologies；　and　opened　the　wicket　gate。　　He

then　walked　before　the　marquis；　called　other　servants；　who　came　to

help　him　to　dismount；　and　ran　to　give　his　name　in　the　count's

apartments。　　The　latter　was　about　to　sit　down　to　supper　when　his

relative　was　announced；　he　immediately　went　to　receive　the　marquis；

embraced　him　again　and　again；　and　gave　him　the　most　friendly　and

gracious　reception　possible。　He　wished　then　to　take　him　into　the

dining…room　to　present　him　to　all　the　family；　but　the　marquis　called

his　attention　to　the　disorder　of　his　dress；　and　begged　for　a　few

minutes'　conversation。　　The　count　took　him　into　his　dressing…room；

and　had　him　dressed　from　head　to　foot　in　his　own　clothes；　whilst　they

talked。　　The　marquis　then　narrated　a　made…up　story　to　M。　de

Saint…Geran　relative　to　the　accusation　brought　against　him。　　This

greatly　impressed　his　relative；　and　gave　him　a　secure　footing　in　the

chateau。　　When　he　had　finished　dressing；　he　followed　the　count；　who

presented　him　to　the　countess　and　the　rest　of　the　family。



It　will　now　be　in　place　to　state　who　the　inmates　of　the　chateau　were；

and　to　relate　some　previous　occurrences　to　explain　subsequent　ones。



The　Marshal　de　Saint…Geran；　of　the　illustrious　house　of　Guiche；　and

governor　of　the　Bourbonnais；　had　married；　for　his　first　wife；　Anne　de

Tournon；　by　whom　he　had　one　son；　Claude　de　la　Guiche；　and　one

daughter；　who　married　the　Marquis　de　Bouille。　　His　wife　dying；　he

married　again　with　Suzanne　des　Epaules；　who　had　also　been　previously

married；　being　the　widow　of　the　Count　de　Longaunay；　by　whom　she　had

Suzanne　de　Longaunay。



The　marshal　and　his　wife；　Suzanne　des　Epauies；　for　the　mutual　benefit

of　their　children　by　first　nuptials；　determined　to　marry　them；　thus

sealing　their　own　union　with　a　double　tie。　　Claude　de　Guiche；　the

marshal's　son；　married　Suzanne　de　Longaunay。



This　alliance　was　much　to　the　distaste　of　the　Marchioness　de　Bouille；

the　marshal's　daughter；　who　found　herself　separated　from　her

stepmother；　and　married　to　a　man　who；　it　was　said；　gave　her　great

cause　for　complaint；　the　greatest　being　his　threescore　years　and　ten。



The　contract　of　marriage　between　Claude　de　la　Guiche　and　Suzanne　de

Longaunay　was　executed　at　Rouen　on　the　17th　of　February　1619；　but　the


tender　age　of　the　bridegroom；　who　was　then　but　eighteen；　was　the

cause　of　his　taking　a　tour　in　Italy；　whence　he　returned　after　two

years。　　The　marriage　was　a　very　happy　one　but　for　one

circumstanceit　produced　no　issue。　　The　countess　could　not　endure　a

bar