droll stories-3-第29章

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heretically　to　say；　my　god！　If　you　don't　believe　it；　ask　your　friends。



At　this　moment　the　lady　let　him　understand　by　a　gesture　that　the　king

was　there。



〃Can　he　hear？〃　said　the　queen。



〃Yes。〃



〃Can　he　see？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Who　brought　him？〃



〃Pezare。〃



〃Fetch　the　physician；　and　get　Gauttier　into　his　own　room。〃　said　the

queen。



In　less　time　than　it　takes　a　beggar　to　say　〃God　bless　you；　sir！〃　the

queen　had　swathed　the　lantern　in　linen　and　paint；　so　that　you　would

have　thought　it　a　hideous　wound　in　a　state　of　grievous　inflammation。

When　the　king；　enraged　by　what　he　overheard；　burst　open　the　door；　he

found　the　queen　lying　on　the　bed　exactly　as　he　has　seen　her　through

the　hole；　and　the　physician；　examining　the　lantern　swathed　in

bandages；　and　saying；　〃How　it　is　the　little　treasure；　this　morning？〃

in　exactly　the　same　voice　as　the　king　had　heard。　A　jocular　and

cheerful　expression；　because　physicians　and　surgeons　use　cheerful

words　with　ladies　and　treat　this　sweet　flower　with　flowery　phrases。

This　sight　made　the　king　look　as　foolish　as　a　fox　caught　in　a　trap。

The　queen　sprang　up；　reddening　with　shame；　and　asking　what　man　dared

to　intrude　upon　her　privacy　at　such　a　moment；　but　perceiving　the　king；

she　said　to　him　as　follows：



〃Ah！　my　lord；　you　have　discovered　that　which　I　have　endeavoured　to

conceal　from　you：　that　I　am　so　badly　treated　by　you　that　I　am

afflicted　with　a　burning　ailment；　of　which　my　dignity　would　not　allow

me　to　complain；　but　which　needs　secret　dressing　in　order　to　assuage

the　influence　of　the　vital　forces。　To　save　my　honour　and　your　own；　I

am　compelled　to　come　to　my　good　Lady　Miraflor；　who　consoles　me　in　my

troubles。〃



Then　the　physician　commenced　to　treat　Leufroid　to　an　oration；

interlarded　with　Latin　quotations　and　precious　grains　from

Hippocrates；　Galen；　the　School　of　Salerno；　and　others；　in　which　he

showed　him　how　necessary　to　women　was　the　proper　cultivation　of　the

field　of　Venus；　and　that　there　was　great　danger　of　death　to　queens　of

Spanish　temperament；　whose　blood　was　excessively　amorous。　He　delivered

himself　of　his　arguments　with　great　solemnity　of　feature；　voice；　and

manner；　in　order　to　give　the　Sire　de　Montsoreau　time　to　get　to　bed。

Then　the　queen　took　the　same　text　to　preach　the　king　a　sermon　as　long

as　his　arm；　and　requested　the　loan　of　that　limb；　that　the　king　might

conduct　her　to　her　apartment　instead　of　the　poor　invalid；　who　usually

did　so　in　order　to　avoid　calumny。　When　they　were　in　the　gallery　where

the　Sire　de　Montsoreau　resided；　the　queen　said　jokingly；　〃You　should

play　a　good　trick　on　this　Frenchman；　who　I　would　wager　is　with　some

lady；　and　not　in　his　own　room。　All　the　ladies　of　Court　are　in　love

with　him；　and　there　will　be　mischief　some　day　through　him。　If　you　had

taken　my　advice　he　would　not　be　in　Sicily　now。〃



Leufroid　went　suddenly　into　Gauttier's　room；　whom　he　found　in　a　deep

sleep；　and　snoring　like　a　monk　in　Church。　The　queen　returned　with　the

king；　whom　she　took　to　her　apartments；　and　whispered　to　one　of　the

guards　to　send　to　her　the　lord　whose　place　Pezare　occupied。　Then；

while　she　fondled　the　king；　taking　breakfast　with　him；　she　took　the

lord　directly　he　came；　into　an　adjoining　room。



〃Erect　a　gallows　on　the　bastion；〃　said　she；　〃then　seize　the　knight

Pezare；　and　manage　so　that　he　is　hanged　instantly；　without　giving　time

to　write　or　say　a　single　word　on　any　subject　whatsoever。　Such　is　our

good　pleasure　and　supreme　command。〃



Cataneo　made　no　remark。　While　Pezare　was　thinking　to　himself　that　his

friend　Gauttier　would　soon　be　minus　his　head；　the　Duke　Cataneo　came　to

seize　and　lead　him　on　to　bastion；　from　which　he　could　see　at　the

queen's　window　the　Sire　de　Montsoreau　in　company　with　the　king；　the

queen；　and　the　courtiers；　and　came　to　the　conclusion　that　he　who

looked　after　the　queen　had　a　better　chance　in　everything　than　he　who

looked　after　the　king。



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　queen　to　her　spouse；　leading　him　to　the　window；

〃behold　a　traitor；　who　was　endeavouring　to　deprive　you　of　that　which

you　hold　dearest　in　the　world；　and　I　will　give　you　the　proofs　when　you

have　the　leisure　to　study　them。〃



Montsoreau；　seeing　the　preparations　for　the　final　ceremony；　threw

himself　at　the　king's　feet；　to　obtain　the　pardon　of　him　who　was　his

mortal　enemy；　at　which　the　king　was　much　moved。



〃Sire　de　Monsoreau；〃　said　the　queen；　turning　towards　him　with　an　angry

look；　〃are　you　so　bold　as　to　oppose　our　will　and　pleasure？〃



〃You　are　a　noble　knight；〃　said　the　king；　〃but　you　do　not　know　how

bitter　this　Venetian　was　against　you。〃



Pezare　was　delicately　strangled　between　the　head　and　the　shoulders；

for　the　queen　revealed　his　treacheries　to　the　king；　proving　to　him；　by

the　declaration　of　a　Lombard　of　the　town；　the　enormous　sums　which

Pezare　had　in　the　bank　of　Genoa；　the　whole　of　which　were　given　up　to

Montsoreau。



This　noble　and　lovely　queen　died；　as　related　in　the　history　of　Sicily；

that　is；　in　consequence　of　a　heavy　labour；　during　which　she　gave　birth

to　a　son；　who　was　a　man　as　great　in　himself　as　he　was　unfortunate　in

his　undertakings。　The　king　believed　the　physician's　statement；　that

the　said　termination　to　this　accouchement　was　caused　by　the　too　chaste

life　the　queen　had　led；　and　believing　himself　responsible　for　it；　he

founded　the　Church　of　the　Madonna；　which　is　one　of　the　finest　in　the

town　of　Palermo。　The　Sire　de　Monsoreau；　who　was　a　witness　of　the

king's　remorse；　told　him　that　when　a　king　got　his　wife　from　Spain；　he

ought　to　know　that　this　queen　would　require　more　attention　than　any

other；　because　the　Spanish　ladies　were　so　lively　that　they　equalled

ten　ordinary　women；　and　that　if　he　wished　a　wife　for　show　only；　he

should　get　her　from　the　north　of　Germany；　where　the　women　are　as　cold

as　ice。　The　good　knight　came　back　to　Touraine　laden　with　wealth；　and

lived　there　many　years；　but　never　mentioned　his　adventures　in　Sicily。

He　returned　there　to　aid　the　king's　son　in　his　principal　attempt

against　Naples；　and　left　Italy　when　this　sweet　prince　was　wounded；　as

is　related　in　the　Chronicle。



Besides　the　high　moralities　contained　in　the　title　of　this　tale；　where

it　is　said　that　fortune；　being　female；　is　always　on　the　side　of　the

ladies；　and　that　men　are　quite　right　to　serve　them　well；　it　shows　us

that　silence　is　the　better　part　of　wisdom。　Nevertheless；　the　monkish

author　of　this　narrative　seems　to　draw　this　other　no　less　learned

moral　therefrom；　that　interest　which　makes　so　many　friendships；　breaks

them　also。　But　from　these　three　versions　you　can　choose　the　one　that

best　accords　with　your　judgment　and　your　momentary　requirement。







CONCERNING　A　POOR　MAN　WHO　WAS　CALLED　LE　VIEUX　PAR…CHEMINS



The　old　chronicler　who　furnished　the　hemp　to　weave　the　present　story；

is　said　to　have　lived　at　the　time　when　the　affair　occurred　in　the　City

of　Rouen。



In　the　environs　of　this　fair　town；　where　at　the　time　dwelt　Duke

Richard；　an　old　man　used　to　beg；　whose　name　was　Tryballot；　but　to　whom

was　given　the　nickname　of　Le　Vieux　par…Chemins；　or　the　Old　Man　of　the

Roads；　not　because　he　was　yellow　and　dry　as　vellum；　but　because　he　was

always　in　the　high…ways　and　by…waysup　hill　and　down　daleslept　with

the　sky　for　his　counterpane；　and　went　about　in　rags　and　tatters。

Notwithstanding　this；　he　was　very　popular　in　the　duchy；　where　everyone

had　grown　used　to　him；　so　much　so　that　if　the　month　went　by　without

anyone　seeing　his　cup　held　towards　them；　people　would　say；　〃Where　is

the　old　man？〃　and　the　usual　answer　was；　〃On　the　roads。〃



This　said　man　had　had　for　a　father　a　Tryballot；　who　was　in　his

lifetime　a　skilled　artisan；　so　economical　and　careful；　that　he　left

considerable　wealth　to　his　son。



But　the　young　lad　soon　frittered　it　away；　for　he　was　the　very　opposite

of　the　old　fellow；　who；　returning　from　the　fields　to　his　house；　picked

up；　now　here；　now　there；　many　a　little　stick　of　wood　left　right　and

left；　saying；　c