droll stories-3-第20章

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appeared　very　small　to　her。　She　put　on　her　spectacles；　and　carefully

examined　the　wound；　saying



〃This　is　fine　blood；　my　dear；　you　have　tasted　it。　That's　all　right；　he

has　bled　externally。〃



Then　she　washed　the　wound　with　a　fine　sponge；　under　the　nose　of　the

lady　and　the　servant；　who　held　their　breath。　To　be　brief；　Fallotte

gave　it　as　her　medical　opinion；　that　the　youth　would　not　die　from　this

blow；　〃although；〃　said　she；　looking　at　his　hand；　〃he　will　come　to　a

violent　end　through　this　night's　deed。〃



This　decree　of　chiromancy　frightened　considerably　both　Bertha　and　the

maid。　Fallotte　prescribed　certain　remedies；　and　promised　to　come　again

the　following　night。　Indeed；　she　tended　the　wound　for　a　whole

fortnight；　coming　secretly　at　night…time。　The　people　about　the　castle

were　told　by　the　servants　that　their　young　lady；　Sylvia　de　Rohan；　was

in　danger　of　death；　through　a　swelling　of　the　stomach；　which　must

remain　a　mystery　for　the　honour　of　Madame；　who　was　her　cousin。　Each

one　was　satisfied　with　this　story；　of　which　his　mouth　was　so　full　that

he　told　it　to　his　fellows。



The　good　people　believe　that　it　was　the　malady　which　was　fraught　with

danger；　but　it　was　not！　it　was　the　convalescence；　for　the　stronger

Jehan　grew；　the　weaker　Bertha　became；　and　so　weak　that　she　allowed

herself　to　drift　into　that　Paradise　the　gates　of　which　Jehan　had

opened　for　her。　To　be　brief；　she　loved　him　more　and　more。　But　in　the

midst　of　her　happiness；　always　mingled　with　apprehension　at　the

menacing　words　of　Fallotte；　and　tormented　by　her　great　religion；　she

was　in　great　fear　of　her　husband；　Imbert；　to　whom　she　was　compelled　to

write　that　he　had　given　her　a　child；　who　would　be　ready　to　delight　him

on　his　return。　Poor　Bertha　avoided　her　lover；　Jehan；　during　the　day　on

which　she　wrote　the　lying　letter；　over　which　she　soaked　her

handkerchief　with　tears。　Finding　himself　avoided　（for　they　had

previously　left　each　other　no　more　than　fire　leaves　the　wood　it　has

bitten）　Jehan　believed　that　she　was　beginning　to　hate　him；　and

straightway　he　cried　too。　In　the　evening　Bertha；　touched　by　his　tears；

which　had　left　their　mark　upon　his　eyes；　although　he　had　well　dried

them；　told　him　the　cause　of　her　sorrow；　mingling　therewith　her

confessions　of　her　terrors　for　the　future；　pointing　out　to　him　how

much　they　were　both　to　blame；　and　discoursing　so　beautifully　to　him；

gave　utterance　to　such　Christian　sentences；　ornamented　with　holy　tears

and　contrite　prayers；　that　Jehan　was　touched　to　the　quick　by　the

sincerity　of　his　mistress。　This　love　innocently　united　to　repentance；

this　nobility　in　sin；　this　mixture　of　weakness　and　strength；　would；　as

the　old　authors　say；　have　changed　the　nature　of　a　tiger；　melting　it　to

pity。　You　will　not　be　astonished　then；　that　Jehan　was　compelled　to

pledge　his　word　as　a　knight…bachelor；　to　obey　her　in　what　ever　she

should　command　him；　to　save　her　in　this　world　and　in　the　next。

Delighted　at　this　confidence　in　her；　and　this　goodness　of　heart；

Bertha　cast　herself　at　Jehan's　feet；　and　kissing　them；　exclaimed



〃Oh！　my　love；　whom　I　am　compelled　to　love；　although　it　is　a　mortal　sin

to　do　so；　thou　who　art　so　good；　so　gentle　to　thy　poor　Bertha；　if　thou

wouldst　have　her　always　think　of　thee　with　pleasure；　and　stop　the

torrent　of　her　tears；　whose　source　is　so　pretty　and　so　pleasant　（here；

to　show　him　that　it　was　so；　she　let　him　steal　a　kiss）Jehan；　if　thou

wouldst　that　the　memory　of　our　celestial　joys；　angel　music；　and　the

fragrance　of　love　should　be　a　consolation　to　me　in　my　loneliness

rather　than　a　torment；　do　that　which　the　Virgin　commanded　me　to　order

thee　in　a　dream；　in　which　I　was　beseeching　her　to　direct　me　in　the

present　case；　for　I　had　asked　her　to　come　to　me；　and　she　had　come。

Then　I　told　her　the　horrible　anguish　I　should　endure；　trembling　for

this　little　one；　whose　movements　I　already　feel；　and　for　the　real

father；　who　would　be　at　the　mercy　of　the　other；　and　might　expiate　his

paternity　by　a　violent　death；　since　it　is　possible　that　La　Fallotte

saw　clearly　into　his　future　life。　Then　the　beautiful　Virgin　told　me；

smiling；　that　the　Church　offered　its　forgiveness　for　our　faults　if　we

followed　her　commandments；　that　it　was　necessary　to　save　one's　self

from　the　pains　of　hell；　by　reforming　before　Heaven　became　angry。　Then

with　her　finger　she　showed　me　a　Jehan　like　thee；　but　dressed　as　thou

shouldst　be；　and　as　thou　wilt　be；　if　thou　does　but　love　thy　Bertha

with　a　love　eternal。〃



Jehan　assured　her　of　his　perfect　obedience；　and　raised　her；　seating

her　on　his　knee；　and　kissing　her。　The　unhappy　Bertha　told　him　then

that　this　garment　was　a　monk's　frock；　and　trembling　besought　him

almost　fearing　a　refusalto　enter　the　Church；　and　retire　to

Marmoustier；　beyond　Tours；　pledging　him　her　word　that　she　would　grant

him　a　last　night；　after　which　she　would　be　neither　for　him　nor　for

anyone　else　in　the　world　again。　And　each　year；　as　a　reward　for　this；

she　would　let　him　come　to　her　one　day；　in　order　that　he　might　see　the

child。　Jehan；　bound　by　his　oath；　promised　to　obey　his　mistress；　saying

that　by　this　means　he　would　be　faithful　to　her；　and　would　experience

no　joys　of　love　but　those　tasted　in　her　divine　embrace；　and　would　live

upon　the　dear　remembrance　of　them。　Hearing　these　sweet　words；　Bertha

declared　to　him　that；　however　great　might　have　been　her　sin；　and

whatever　God　reserved　for　her；　this　happiness　would　enable　her　to

support　it；　since　she　believed　she　had　not　fallen　through　a　man；　but

through　an　angel。



Then　they　returned　to　the　nest　which　contained　their　love　but　only　to

bid　a　final　adieu　to　all　their　lovely　flowers。　There　can　be　but　little

doubt　that　Seigneur　Cupid　had　something　to　do　with　this　festival；　for

no　woman　ever　experienced　such　joy　in　any　part　of　the　world　before；

and　no　man　ever　took　as　much。　The　especial　property　of　true　love　is　a

certain　harmony；　which　brings　it　about　that　the　more　one　gives；　the

more　the　other　receives；　and　vice…versa；　as　in　certain　cases　in

mathematics；　where　things　are　multiplied　by　themselves　without　end。

This　problem　can　only　be　explained　to　unscientific　people；　by　asking

them　to　look　into　their　Venetian　glasses；　in　which　are　to　be　seen

thousands　of　faces　produced　by　one　alone。　Thus；　in　the　heart　of　two

lovers；　the　roses　of　pleasure　multiply　within　them　in　a　manner　which

causes　them　to　be　astonished　that　so　much　joy　can　be　contained；

without　anything　bursting。　Bertha　and　Jehan　would　have　wished　in　this

night　to　have　finished　their　days；　and　thought；　from　the　excessive

languor　which　flowed　in　their　veins；　that　love　had　resolved　to　bear

them　away　on　his　wings　with　the　kiss　of　death；　but　they　held　out　in

spite　of　these　numerous　multiplications。



On　the　morrow；　as　the　return　of　Monsieur　Imbert　de　Bastarnay　was　close

at　hand；　the　lady　Sylvia　was　compelled　to　depart。　The　poor　girl　left

her　cousin；　covering　her　with　tears　and　with　kisses；　it　was　always　her

last；　but　the　last　lasted　till　evening。　Then　he　was　compelled　to　leave

her；　and　he　did　leave　her　although　the　blood　of　his　heart　congealed；

like　the　fallen　wax　of　a　Paschal　candle。　According　to　his　promise；　he

wended　his　way　towards　Marmoustier；　which　he　entered　towards　the

eleventh　hour　of　the　day；　and　was　placed　among　the　novices。

Monseigneur　de　Bastarnay　was　informed　that　Sylvia　had　returned　to　the

Lord　which　is　the　signification　of　le　Seigneur　in　the　English

language；　and　therefore　in　this　Bertha　did　not　lie。



The　joy　of　her　husband；　when　he　saw　Bertha　without　her　waistbandshe

could　not　wear　it；　so　much　had　she　increased　in　sizecommenced　the

martyrdom　of　this　poor　woman；　who　did　not　know　how　to　deceive；　and

who；　at　each　false　word；　went　to　her　Prie…Dieu；　wept　her　blood　away

from　her　eyes　in　tears；　burst　into　prayers；　and　recommended　herself　to

the　graces　of　Messieurs　the　Saints　in　paradise。　It　happened　that　she

cried　so　loudly　to　God　that　He　heard　her；　because　He　hears　everything；

He　hears　the　stones　that　roll　ben