droll stories-3-第24章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



leads　to　the　cathedral　of　Tours　as　said　bridge　is　distant　from

Marmoustier；　since　the　bridge　is　in　the　centre　of　the　embankment

between　Portillon　and　Marmoustier。　Do　you　thoroughly　understand？



Yes？　Good！　Now　the　maid　had　there　her　washhouse；　from　which　she　ran　to

the　Loire　with　her　washing　in　a　second　and　took　the　ferry…boat　to　get

to　St。　Martin；　which　was　on　the　other　side　of　the　river；　for　she　had

to　deliver　the　greater　part　of　her　work　in　Chateauneuf　and　other

places。



About　Midsummer　day；　seven　years　before　marrying　old　Taschereau；　she

had　just　reached　the　right　age　to　be　loved；　without　making　a　choice

from　any　of　the　lads　who　pursued　her　with　their　intentions。　Although

there　used　to　come　to　the　bench　under　her　window　the　son　of　Rabelais；

who　had　seven　boats　on　the　Loire；　Jehan's　eldest；　Marchandeau　the

tailor；　and　Peccard　the　ecclesiastical　goldsmith；　she　made　fun　of　them

all；　because　she　wished　to　be　taken　to　church　before　burthening

herself　with　a　man；　which　proves　that　she　was　an　honest　woman　until

she　was　wheedled　out　of　her　virtue。　She　was　one　of　those　girls　who

take　great　care　not　to　be　contaminated；　but　who；　if　by　chance　they　get

deceived；　let　things　take　their　course；　thinking　that　for　one　stain　or

for　fifty　a　good　polishing　up　is　necessary。　These　characters　demand

our　indulgence。



A　young　noble　of　the　court　perceived　her　one　day　when　she　was　crossing

the　water　in　the　glare　of　the　noonday　sun；　which　lit　up　her　ample

charms；　and　seeing　her；　asked　who　she　was。　An　old　man；　who　was　working

on　the　banks；　told　him　she　was　called　the　Pretty　Maid　of　Portillon；　a

laundress；　celebrated　for　her　merry　ways　and　her　virtue。　This　young

lord；　besides　ruffles　to　starch；　had　many　precious　draperies　and

things；　he　resolved　to　give　the　custom　of　his　house　to　this　girl；　whom

he　stopped　on　the　road。　He　was　thanked　by　her　and　heartily；　because　he

was　the　Sire　du　Fou；　the　king's　chamberlain。　This　encounter　made　her

so　joyful　that　her　mouth　was　full　of　his　name。　She　talked　about　it　a

great　deal　to　the　people　of　St。　Martin；　and　when　she　got　back　to　the

washhouse　was　still　full　of　it；　and　on　the　morrow　at　her　work　her

tongue　went　nineteen　to　the　dozen；　and　all　on　the　same　subject；　so

that　as　much　was　said　concerning　my　Lord　du　Fou　in　Portillon　as　of　God

in　a　sermon；　that　is；　a　great　deal　too　much。



〃If　she　works　like　that　in　cold　water；　what　will　she　do　in　warm？〃　said

an　old　washerwoman。　〃She　wants　du　Fou；　he'll　give　her　du　Fou！〃



The　first　time　this　giddy　wench；　with　her　head　full　of　Monsieur　du

Fou；　had　to　deliver　the　linen　at　his　hotel；　the　chamberlain　wished　to

see　her；　and　was　very　profuse　in　praises　and　compliments　concerning

her　charms；　and　wound　up　by　telling　her　that　she　was　not　at　all　silly

to　be　beautiful；　and　therefore　he　would　give　her　more　than　she

expected。　The　deed　followed　the　word；　for　the　moment　his　people　were

out　of　the　room；　he　began　to　caress　the　maid；　who　thinking　he　was

about　to　take　out　the　money　from　his　purse；　dared　not　look　at　the

purse；　but　said；　like　a　girl　ashamed　to　take　her　wages



〃It　will　be　for　the　first　time。〃



〃It　will　be　soon；〃　said　he。



Some　people　say　that　he　had　great　difficulty　in　forcing　her　to　accept

what　he　offered　her；　and　hardly　forced　her　at　all；　others　that　he

forced　her　badly；　because　she　came　out　like　an　army　flagging　on　the

route；　crying　and　groaning；　and　came　to　the　judge。　It　happened　that

the　judge　was　out。　La　Portillone　awaited　his　return　in　his　room；

weeping　and　saying　to　the　servant　that　she　had　been　robbed；　because

Monseigneur　du　Fou　had　given　her　nothing　but　his　mischief；　whilst　a

canon　of　the　Chapter　used　to　give　her　large　sums　for　that　which　M。　du

Fou　wanted　for　nothing。　If　she　loved　a　man　she　would　think　it　wise　to

do　things　for　him　for　nothing；　because　it　would　be　a　pleasure　to　her；

but　the　chamberlain　had　treated　her　roughly；　and　not　kindly　and

gently；　as　he　should　have　done；　and　that　therefore　he　owed　her　the

thousand　crowns　of　the　canon。　Then　the　judge　came　in；　saw　the　wench；

and　wished　to　kiss　her；　but　she　put　herself　on　guard；　and　said　she　had

come　to　make　a　complaint。　The　judge　replied　that　certainly　she　could

have　the　offender　hanged　if　she　liked；　because　he　was　most　anxious　to

serve　her。　The　injured　maiden　replied　that　she　did　not　wish　the　death

of　her　man；　but　that　he　should　pay　her　a　thousand　gold　crowns；　because

she　had　been　robbed　against　her　will。



〃Ha！　ha！〃　said　the　judge；　〃what　he　took　was　worth　more　than　that。〃



〃For　the　thousand　crowns　I'll　cry　quits；　because　I　shall　be　able　to

live　without　washing。〃



〃He　who　has　robbed　you；　is　he　well　off？〃



〃Oh　yes。〃



〃Then　he　shall　pay　dearly　for　it。　Who　is　it？〃



〃Monseigneur　du　Fou。〃



〃Oh；　that　alters　the　case；〃　said　the　judge。



〃But　justice？〃　said　she。



〃I　said　the　case；　not　the　justice　of　it；〃　replied　the　judge。　〃I　must

know　how　the　affair　occurred。〃



Then　the　girl　related　naively　how　she　was　arranging　the　young　lord's

ruffles　in　his　wardrobe；　when　he　began　to　play　with　her　skirt；　and　she

turned　round　saying



〃Go　on　with　you！〃



〃You　have　no　case；〃　said　the　judge；　〃for　by　that　speech　he　thought

that　you　gave　him　leave　to　go　on。　Ha！　ha！〃



Then　she　declared　that　she　had　defended　herself；　weeping　and　crying

out；　and　that　that　constitutes　an　assault。



〃A　wench's　antics　to　incite　him；〃　said　the　judge。



Finally；　La　Portillone　declared　that　against　her　will　she　had　been

taken　round　the　waist　and　thrown；　although　she　had　kicked　and　cried

and　struggled；　but　that　seeing　no　help　at　hand；　she　had　lost　courage。



〃Good！　good！〃　said　the　judge。　〃Did　you　take　pleasure　in　the　affair？〃



〃No；〃　said　she。　〃My　anguish　can　only　be　paid　for　with　a　thousand

crowns。〃



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　judge；　〃I　cannot　receive　your　complaint；　because　I

believe　no　girl　could　be　thus　treated　against　her　will。〃



〃Hi！　hi！　hi！　Ask　your　servant；〃　said　the　little　laundress；　sobbing；

〃and　hear　what　she'll　tell　you。〃



The　servant　affirmed　that　there　were　pleasant　assaults　and　unpleasant

ones；　that　if　La　Portillone　had　received　neither　amusement　nor　money；

either　one　or　the　other　was　due　to　her。　This　wise　counsel　threw　the

judge　into　a　state　of　great　perplexity。



〃Jacqueline；〃　said　he；　〃before　I　sup　I'll　get　to　the　bottom　of　this。

Now　go　and　fetch　my　needle　and　the　red　thread　that　I　sew　the　law　paper


bags　with。〃



Jacqueline　came　back　with　a　big　needle；　pierced　with　a　pretty　little

hole；　and　a　big　red　thread；　such　as　the　judges　use。　Then　she　remained

standing　to　see　the　question　decided；　very　much　disturbed；　as　was　also

the　complainant　at　these　mysterious　preparations。



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　judge；　〃I　am　going　to　hold　the　bodkin；　of　which

the　eye　is　sufficiently　large；　to　put　this　thread　into　it　without

trouble。　If　you　do　put　it　in；　I　will　take　up　your　case；　and　will　make

Monseigneur　offer　you　a　compromise。〃



〃What's　that？〃　said　she。　〃I　will　not　allow　it。〃



〃It　is　a　word　used　in　justice　to　signify　an　agreement。〃



〃A　compromise　is　then　agreeable　with　justice？〃　said　La　Portillone。



〃My　dear；　this　violence　has　also　opened　your　mind。　Are　you　ready？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　she。



The　waggish　judge　gave　the　poor　nymph　fair　play；　holding　the　eye

steady　for　her；　but　when　she　wished　to　slip　in　the　thread　that　she　had

twisted　to　make　straight；　he　moved　a　little；　and　the　thread　went　on

the　other　side。　She　suspected　the　judge's　argument；　wetted　the　thread；

stretched　it；　and　came　back　again。　The　judge　moved；　twisted　about；　and

wriggled　like　a　bashful　maiden；　still　this　cursed　thread　would　not

enter。　The　girl　kept　trying　at　the　eye；　and　the　judge　kept　fidgeting。

The　marriage　of　the　thread　could　not　be　consummated；　the　bodkin

remained　virgin；　and　the　servant　began　to　laugh；　saying　to　La

Portillone　that　she　knew　better　how　to　endure　than　to　perform。　Then

the　roguish　judge　laughed　too；　and　the　fair　Portillone　cried　for　he