burlesques-第13章

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battlemented　walls　spread　down　the　mountain　to　the　Loire；　and　were

defended　by　thousands　of　steel…clad　serving…men。　　Four　hundred

knights　and　six　times　as　many　archers　fought　round　the　banner　of

Barbazure　at　Bouvines；　Malplaquet；　and　Azincour。　　For　his　services

at　Fontenoy　against　the　English；　the　heroic　Charles　Martel

appointed　the　fourteenth　Baron　Hereditary　Grand　Bootjack　of　the

kingdom　of　France；　and　for　wealth；　and　for　splendor；　and　for　skill

and　fame　in　war；　Raoul；　the　twenty…eighth　Baron；　was　in　no…wise

inferior　to　his　noble　ancestors。



That　the　Baron　Raoul　levied　toll　upon　the　river　and　mail　upon　the

shore；　that　he　now　and　then　ransomed　a　burgher；　plundered　a

neighbor；　or　drew　the　fangs　of　a　Jew；　that　he　burned　an　enemy's

castle　with　the　wife　and　children　within；these　were　points　for

which　the　country　knew　and　respected　the　stout　Baron。　　When　he

returned　from　victory；　he　was　sure　to　endow　the　Church　with　a　part

of　his　spoil；　so　that　when　he　went　forth　to　battle　he　was　always

accompanied　by　her　blessing。　　Thus　lived　the　Baron　Raoul；　the　pride

of　the　country　in　which　he　dwelt；　an　ornament　to　the　Court；　the

Church；　and　his　neighbors。



But　in　the　midst　of　all　his　power　and　splendor　there　was　a　domestic

grief　which　deeply　afflicted　the　princely　Barbazure。　　His　lovely

ladies　died　one　after　the　other。　　No　sooner　was　he　married　than　he

was　a　widower；　in　the　course　of　eighteen　years　no　less　than　nine

bereavements　had　befallen　the　chieftain。　　So　true　it　is；　that　if

fortune　is　a　parasite；　grief　is　a　republican；　and　visits　the　hall

of　the　great　and　wealthy　as　it　does　the　humbler　tenements　of　the

poor。



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〃Leave　off　deploring　thy　faithless；　gad…about　lover；〃　said　the　Lady

of　Chacabacque　to　her　daughter；　the　lovely　Fatima；　〃and　think　how

the　noble　Barbazure　loves　thee！　　Of　all　the　damsels　at　the　ball

last　night；　he　had　eyes　for　thee　and　thy　cousin　only。〃



〃I　am　sure　my　cousin　hath　no　good　looks　to　be　proud　of！〃　the

admirable　Fatima　exclaimed；　bridling　up。　　〃Not　that　I　care　for　my

Lord　of　Barbazure's　looks。　　MY　heart；　dearest　mother；　is　with　him

who　is　far　away！〃



〃He　danced　with　thee　four　galliards；　nine　quadrilles；　and　twenty…

three　corantoes；　I　think；　child；〃　the　mother　said；　eluding　her

daughter's　remark。



〃Twenty…five；〃　said　lovely　Fatima；　casting　her　beautiful　eyes　to

the　ground。　　〃Heigh…ho！　but　Romane　danced　them　very　well！〃



〃He　had　not　the　court　air；〃　the　mother　suggested。



〃I　don't　wish　to　deny　the　beauty　of　the　Lord　of　Burbazure's

dancing；　mamma；〃　Fatima　replied。　　〃For　a　short；　lusty　man；　'tis

wondrous　how　active　he　is；　and　in　dignity　the　King's　Grace　himself

could　not　surpass　him。〃



〃You　were　the　noblest　couple　in　the　room；　love；〃　the　lady　cried。



〃That　pea…green　doublet；　slashed　with　orange…tawny；　those　ostrich

plumes；　blue；　red；　and　yellow；　those　party…colored　hose　and　pink

shoon；　became　the　noble　baron　wondrous　well；〃　Fatima　acknowledged。

〃It　must　be　confessed　that；　though　middle…aged；　he　hath　all　the

agility　of　youth。　　But　alas；　madam！　　The　noble　baron　hath　had　nine

wives　already。〃



〃And　your　cousin　would　give　her　eyes　to　become　the　tenth；〃　the

mother　replied。



〃My　cousin　give　her　eyes！〃　Fatima　exclaimed。　　〃It's　not　much；　I'm

sure；　for　she　squints　abominably。〃　　And　thus　the　ladies　prattled；

as　they　rode　home　at　night　after　the　great　ball　at　the　house　of　the

Baron　of　Barbazure。



The　gentle　reader；　who　has　overheard　their　talk；　will　understand

the　doubts　which　pervaded　the　mind　of　the　lovely　Fatima；　and　the

well…nurtured　English　maiden　will　participate　in　the　divided

feelings　which　rent　her　bosom。　　'Tis　true；　that　on　his　departure

for　the　holy　wars；　Romane　and　Fatima　were　plighted　to　each　other；

but　the　folly　of　long　engagements　is　proverbial；　and　though　for

many　months　the　faithful　and　affectionate　girl　had　looked　in　vain

for　news　from　him；　her　admirable　parents　had　long　spoken　with

repugnance　of　a　match　which　must　bring　inevitable　poverty　to　both

parties。　　They　had　suffered；　'tis　true；　the　engagement　to　subside；

hostile　as　they　ever　were　to　it；　but　when　on　the　death　of　the　ninth

lady　of　Barbazure；　the　noble　baron　remarked　Fatima　at　the　funeral；

and　rode　home　with　her　after　the　ceremony；　her　prudent　parents　saw

how　much　wiser；　better；　happier　for　their　child　it　would　be　to　have

for　life　a　partner　like　the　baron；　than　to　wait　the　doubtful　return

of　the　penniless　wanderer　to　whom　she　was　plighted。



Ah！　how　beautiful　and　pure　a　being！　how　regardless　of　self！　how

true　to　duty！　how　obedient　to　parental　command；　is　that　earthly

angel；　a　well…bred　woman　of　genteel　family！　　Instead　of　indulging

in　splenetic　refusals　or　vain　regrets　for　her　absent　lover；　the

exemplary　Fatima　at　once　signified　to　her　excellent　parents　her

willingness　to　obey　their　orders；　though　she　had　sorrows　（and　she

declared　them　to　be　tremendous）；　the　admirable　being　disguised　them

so　well；　that　none　knew　they　oppressed　her。　　She　said　she　would　try

to　forget　former　ties；　and　（so　strong　in　her　mind　was　DUTY　above

every　other　feeling！so　strong　may　it　be　in　every　British　maiden！）

the　lovely　girl　kept　her　promise。　　〃My　former　engagements；〃　she

said；　packing　up　Romane's　letters　and　presents；　（which；　as　the　good

knight　was　mortal　poor；　were　in　sooth　of　no　great　price）〃my

former　engagements　I　look　upon　as　childish　follies；my　affections

are　fixed　where　my　dear　parents　graft　themon　the　noble；　the

princely；　the　polite　Barbazure。　　'Tis　true　he　is　not　comely　in

feature；　but　the　chaste　and　well…bred　female　knows　how　to　despise

the　fleeting　charms　of　form。　　'Tis　true　he　is　old；　but　can　woman　be

better　employed　than　in　tending　her　aged　and　sickly　companion？

That　he　has　been　married　is　likewise　certainbut　ah；　my　mother！

who　knows　not　that　he　must　be　a　good　and　tender　husband；　who；　nine

times　wedded；　owns　that；　he　cannot　be　happy　without　another

partner？〃



It　was　with　these　admirable　sentiments　the　lovely　Fatima　proposed

obedience　to　her　parents'　will；　and　consented　to　receive　the

magnificent　marriage…gift　presented　to　her　by　her　gallant

bridegroom。





III。





The　old　Countess　of　Chacabacque　had　made　a　score　of　vain　attempts

to　see　her　hapless　daughter。　　Ever；　when　she　came；　the　porters

grinned　at　her　savagely　through　the　grating　of　the　portcullis　of

the　vast　embattled　gate　of　the　Castle　of　Barbazure；　and　rudely　bade

her　begone。　　〃The　Lady　of　Barbazure　sees　nobody　but　her　confessor；

and　keeps　her　chamber；〃　was　the　invariable　reply　of　the　dogged

functionaries　to　the　entreaties　of　the　agonized　mother。　　And　at

length；　so　furious　was　he　at　her　perpetual　calls　at　his　gate；　that

the　angry　Lord　of　Barbazure　himself；　who　chanced　to　be　at　the

postern；　armed　a　cross…bow；　and　let　fly　an　arblast　at　the　crupper

of　the　lady's　palfrey；　whereon　she　fled　finally；　screaming；　and　in

terror。　　〃I　will　aim　at　the　rider　next　time！〃　howled　the　ferocious

baron；　〃and　not　at　the　horse！〃　　And　those　who　knew　his　savage

nature　and　his　unrivalled　skill　as　a　bowman；　knew　that　he　would

neither　break　his　knightly　promise　nor　miss　his　aim。



Since　the　fatal　day　when　the　Grand　Duke　of　Burgundy　gave　his　famous

passage　of　arms　at　Nantes；　and　all　the　nobles　of　France　were

present　at　the　joustings；　it　was　remarked　that　the　Barbazure's

heart　was　changed　towards　his　gentle　and　virtuous　lady。



For　the　three　first　days　of　that　famous　festival；　the　redoubted

Baron　of　Barbazure　had　kept　the　field　against　all　the　knights　who

entered。　　His　lance　bore　everything　down　before　it。　　The　most

famous　champions　of　Europe；　assembled　at　these　joustings；　had

dropped；　one　by　one；　before　this　tremendous　warrior。　　The　prize　of

the　tourney　was　destined　to　be　his；　and　he　was　to　be　proclaimed

bravest　of　the　brave；　as　his　lady　was　the　fairest　of　the　fair。



On　the　third　day；　however；　as　the　sun　was　declining　over　the

Vosges；　and　the　shadows　were