the countess of saint geran-第4章

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

circumstanceit　produced　no　issue。　　The　countess　could　not　endure　a

barrenness　which　threatened　the　end　of　a　great　name；　the　extinction

of　a　noble　race。　　She　made　vows；　pilgrimages；　she　consulted　doctors

and　quacks；　but　to　no　purpose。



The　Marshal　de　Saint…Geran　died　on　the　Loth　of　December　1632；　having

the　mortification　of　having　seen　no　descending　issue　from　the

marriage　of　his　son。　　The　latter；　now　Count　de　Saint…Geran；　succeeded

his　father　in　the　government　of　the　Bourbonnais；　and　was　named

Chevalier　of　the　King's　Orders。



Meanwhile　the　Marchioness　de　Bouille　quarrelled　with　her　old　husband

the　marquis；　separated　from　him　after　a　scandalous　divorce；　and　came

to　live　at　the　chateau　of　Saint…Geran；　quite　at　ease　as　to　her

brother's　marriage；　seeing　that　in　default　of　heirs　all　his　property

would　revert　to　her。



Such　was　the　state　of　affairs　when　the　Marquis　de　Saint…Maixent

arrived　at　the　chateau。　　He　was　young；　handsome；　very　cunning；　and

very　successful　with　women；　he　even　made　a　conquest　of　the　dowager

Countess　de　Saint…Geran；　who　lived　there　with　her　children。　　He　soon

plainly　saw　that　he　might　easily　enter　into　the　most　intimate

relations　with　the　Marchioness　de　Bouille。



The　Marquis　de　Saint…Maixent's　own　fortune　was　much　impaired　by　his

extravagance　and　by　the　exactions　of　the　law；　or　rather；　in　plain

words；　he　had　lost　it　all。　　The　marchioness　was　heiress　presumptive

to　the　count：　he　calculated　that　she　would　soon　lose　her　own　husband；

in　any　case；　the　life　of　a　septuagenarian　did　not　much　trouble　a　man

like　the　marquis；　he　could　then　prevail　upon　the　marchioness　to　marry

him；　thus　giving　him　the　command　of　the　finest　fortune　in　the

province。



He　set　to　work　to　pay　his　court　to　her；　especially　avoiding　anything

that　could　excite　the　slightest　suspicion。　　It　was；　however；

difficult　to　get　on　good　terms　with　the　marchioness　without　showing

outsiders　what　was　going　on。　　But　the　marchioness；　already

prepossessed　by　the　agreeable　exterior　of　M。　de　Saint…Maixent；　soon

fell　into　his　toils；　and　the　unhappiness　of　her　marriage；　with　the

annoyances　incidental　to　a　scandalous　case　in　the　courts；　left　her

powerless　to　resist　his　schemes。　　Nevertheless；　they　had　but　few

opportunities　of　seeing　one'　another　alone：　the　countess　innocently

took　a　part　in　all　their　conversations；　the　count　often　came　to　take

the　marquis　out　hunting；　the　days　passed　in　family　pursuits。　　M。　de

Saint…Maixent　had　not　so　far　had　an　opportunity　of　saying　what　a

discreet　woman　ought　to　pretend　not　to　hear；　this　intrigue；

notwithstanding　the　marquis's　impatience；　dragged　terribly。



The　countess；　as　has　been　stated；　had　for　twenty　years　never　ceased

to　hope　that　her　prayers　would　procure　for　her　the　grace　of　bearing　a

son　to　her　husband。　　Out　of　sheer　weariness　she　had　given　herself　up

to　all　kinds　of　charlatans；　who　at　that　period　were　well　received　by

people　of　rank。　　On　one　occasion　she　brought　from　Italy　a　sort　of

astrologer；　who　as　nearly　as　possible　poisoned　her　with　a　horrible

nostrum；　and　was　sent　back　to　his　own　country　in　a　hurry；　thanking

his　stars　for　having　escaped　so　cheaply。　　This　procured　Madame　de

Saint…Geran　a　severe　reprimand　from　her　confessor；　and；　as　time　went

on；　she　gradually　accustomed　herself　to　the　painful　conclusion　that

she　would　die　childless；　and　cast　herself　into　the　arms　of　religion。

The　count；　whose　tenderness　for　her　never　failed；　yet　clung　to　the

hope　of　an　heir；　and　made　his　Will　with　this　in　view。　　The

marchioness's　hopes　had　become　certainties；　and　M。　de　Saint…Maixent；

perfectly　tranquil　on　this　head；　thought　only　of　forwarding　his　suit

with　Madame…de　Bouille；　when；　at　the　end　of　the　month　of　November

1640；　the　Count　de　Saint…Geran　was　obliged　to　repair　to　Paris　in

great　haste　on　pressing　duty。



The　countess；　who　could　not　bear　to　be　separated　from　her　husband；

took　the　family　advice　as　to　accompanying　him。　　The　marquis；

delighted　at　an　opportunity　which　left　him　almost　alone　in　the

chateau　with　Madame　de　Bouille；　painted　the　journey　to　Paris　in　the

most　attractive　colours；　and　said　all　he　could　to　decide　her　to　go。

The　marchioness；　for　her　part；　worked　very　quietly　to　the　same　end；

it　was　more　than　was　needed。　　It　was　settled　that　the　countess　should

go　with　M。　de　Saint…Geran。　　She　soon　made　her　preparations；　and　a　few

days　later　they　set　off　on　the　journey　together。



The　marquis　had　no　fears　about　declaring　his　passion；　the　conquest　of

Madame　de　Bouille　gave　him　no　trouble；　he　affected　the　most　violent

love；　and　she　responded　in　the　same　terms。　　All　their　time　was　spent

in　excursions　and　walks　from；　which　the　servants　were　excluded；　the

lovers；　always　together；　passed　whole　days　in　some　retired　part　of

the　park；　or　shut　up　in　their　apartments。　　It　was　impossible　for

these　circumstances　not　to　cause　gossip　among　an　army　of　servants；

against　whom　they　had　to　keep　incessantly　on　their　guard；　and　this

naturally　happened。



The　marchioness　soon　found　herself　obliged　to　make　confidantes　of　the

sisters　Quinet；　her　maids；　she　had　no　difficulty　in　gaining　their

support；　for　the　girls　were　greatly　attached　to　her。　　This　was　the

first　step　of　shame　for　Madame　de　Bouille；　and　the　first　step　of

corruption　for　herself　and　her　paramour；　who　soon　found　themselves

entangled　in　the　blackest　of　plots。　　Moreover；　there　was　at　the

chateau　de　Saint…Geran　a　tall；　spare；　yellow；　stupid　man；　just

intelligent　enough　to　perform；　if　not　to　conceive；　a　bad　action；　who

was　placed　in　authority　over　the　domestics；　he　was　a　common　peasant

whom　the　old　marshal　had　deigned　to　notice；　and　whom　the　count　had　by

degrees　promoted　to　the　service　of　major…domo　on　account　of　his　long

service　in　the　house；　and　because　he　had　seen　him　there　since　he

himself　was　a　child；　he　would　not　take　him　away　as　body　servant；

fearing　that　his　notions　of　service　would　not　do　for　Paris；　and　left

him　to　the　superintendence　of　the　household。　　The　marquis　had　a　quiet

talk　with　this　man；　took　his　measure；　warped　his　mind　as　he　wished；

gave　him　some　money；　and　acquired　him　body　and　soul。　　These　different

agents　undertook　to　stop　the　chatter　of　the　servants'　hall；　and

thenceforward　the　lovers　could　enjoy　free　intercourse。



One　evening；　as　the　Marquis　de　Saint…Maixent　was　at　supper　in　company

with　the　marchioness；　a　loud　knocking　was　heard　at　the　gate　of　the

chateau；　to　which　they　paid　no　great　attention。　　This　was　followed　by

the　appearance　of　a　courier　who　had　come　post　haste　from　Paris；　he

entered　the　courtyard　with　a　letter　from　the　Count　de　Saint…Geran　for

M。　the　marquis；　he　was　announced　and　introduced；　followed　by　nearly

all　the　household。　　The　marquis　asked　the　meaning　of　all　this；　and

dismissed　all　the　following　with　a　wave　of　the　hand；　but　the　courier

explained　that　M。　the　count　desired　that　the　letter　in　his　hands

should　be　read　before　everyone。　　The　marquis　opened　it　without

replying；　glanced　over　it；　and　read　it　out　loud　without　the　slightest

alteration：　the　count　announced　to　his　good　relations　and　to　all　his

household　that　the　countess　had　indicated　positive　symptoms　of

pregnancy；　that　hardly　had　she　arrived　in　Paris　when　she　suffered

from　fainting　fits；　nausea；　retching；　that　she　bore　with　joy　these

premonitory　indications；　which　were　no　longer　a　matter　of　doubt　to

the　physicians；　nor　to　anyone；　that　for　his　part　he　was　overwhelmed

with　joy　at　this　event；　which　was　the　crowning　stroke　to　all　his

wishes；　that　he　desired　the　chateau　to　share　his　satisfaction　by

indulging　in　all　kinds　of　gaieties；　and　that　so　far　as　other　matters

were　concerned　they　could　remain　as　they　were　till　the　return　of

himself　and　the　countess；　which　the　letter　would　precede　only　a　few

days；　as　he　was　going　to　transport　her　in　a　litter　for　greater

safety。　　Then　followed　the　specification　of　certain　sums　of　money　to

be　distributed　among　the　servants。



The　se