droll stories-3-第14章

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angels　would　shed　their　fragrance　around　you；　and　make　sweet　music　in

your　ears。〃



〃Tell　me　quickly；　then；〃　said　Bertha。



〃Well；　then；　this　is　how　my　dear　lord　made　my　heart　rejoice。〃



With　these　words　Jehan　took　Bertha　in　his　arms；　and　strained　her

hungering　to　his　heart；　for　in　the　soft　light　of　the　lamp；　and　clothed

with　the　spotless　linen；　she　was　in　this　tempting　bed；　like　the　pretty

petals　of　a　lily　at　the　bottom　of　the　virgin　calyx。



〃When　he　held　me　as　I　hold　thee　he　said　to　me；　with　a　voice　far

sweeter　than　mine；　'Ah；　Bertha；　thou　art　my　eternal　love；　my　priceless

treasure；　my　joy　by　day　and　my　joy　by　night；　thou　art　fairer　than　the

day　is　day；　there　is　naught　so　pretty　as　thou　art。　I　love　thee　more

than　God；　and　would　endure　a　thousand　deaths　for　the　happiness　I　ask

of　thee！'　Then　he　would　kiss　me；　not　after　the　manner　of　husbands；

which　is　rough；　but　in　a　peculiar　dove…like　fashion。〃



To　show　her　there　and　then　how　much　better　was　the　method　of　lovers；

he　sucked　all　the　honey　from　Bertha's　lips；　and　taught　her　how；　with

her　pretty　tongue；　small　and　rosy　as　that　of　a　cat；　she　could　speak　to

the　heart　without　saying　a　single　word；　and　becoming　exhausted　at　this

game；　Jehan　spread　the　fire　of　his　kisses　from　the　mouth　to　the　neck；

from　the　neck　to　the　sweetest　forms　that　ever　a　woman　gave　a　child　to

slake　its　thirst　upon。　And　whoever　had　been　in　his　place　would　have

thought　himself　a　wicked　man　not　to　imitate　him。



〃Ah！〃　said　Bertha；　fast　bound　in　love　without　knowing　it；　〃this　is

better。　I　must　take　care　to　tell　Imbert　about　it。〃



〃Are　you　in　your　proper　senses；　cousin？　Say　nothing　about　it　to　your

old　husband。　How　could　he　make　his　hands　pleasant　like　mine？　They　are

as　hard　as　washerwoman's　beetles；　and　his　piebald　beard　would　hardly

please　this　centre　of　bliss；　that　rose　in　which　lies　our　wealth；　our

substance；　our　loves；　and　our　fortune。　Do　you　know　that　it　is　a　living

flower；　which　should　be　fondled　thus；　and　not　used　like　a　trombone；　or

as　if　it　were　a　catapult　of　war？　Now　this　was　the　gentle　way　of　my

beloved　Englishman。〃



Thus　saying；　the　handsome　youth　comported　himself　so　bravely　in　the

battle　that　victory　crowned　his　efforts；　and　poor　innocent　Bertha

exclaimed



〃Ah！　cousin；　the　angels　are　come！　but　so　beautiful　is　the　music；　that

I　hear　nothing　else；　and　so　flaming　are　their　luminous　rays；　that　my

eyes　are　closing。〃



And；　indeed；　she　fainted　under　the　burden　of　those　joys　of　love　which

burst　forth　in　her　like　the　highest　notes　of　the　organ；　which

glistened　like　the　most　magnificent　aurora；　which　flowed　in　her　veins

like　the　finest　musk；　and　loosened　the　liens　of　her　life　in　giving　her

a　child　of　love；　who　made　a　great　deal　of　confusion　in　taking　up　his

quarters。　Finally；　Bertha　imagined　herself　to　be　in　Paradise；　so　happy

did　she　feel；　and　woke　from　this　beautiful　dream　in　the　arms　of　Jehan；

exclaiming



〃Ah！　who　would　not　have　been　married　in　England！〃



〃My　sweet　mistress；〃　said　Jehan；　whose　ecstasy　was　sooner　over；　〃you

are　married　to　me　in　France；　where　things　are　managed　still　better；

for　I　am　a　man　who　would　give　a　thousand　lives　for　you　if　he　had

them。〃



Poor　Bertha　gave　a　shriek　so　sharp　that　it　pierced　the　walls；　and

leapt　out　of　bed　like　a　mountebank　of　the　plains　of　Egypt　would　have

done。　She　fell　upon　her　knees　before　her　/Prie…Dieu/；　joined　her

hands；　and　wept　more　pearls　than　ever　Mary　Magdalene　wore。



〃Ah！　I　am　dead〃　she　cried；　〃I　am　deceived　by　a　devil　who　has　taken　the

face　of　an　angel。　I　am　lost；　I　am　the　mother　for　certain　of　a

beautiful　child；　without　being　more　guilty　than　you；　Madame　the

Virgin。　Implore　the　pardon　of　God　for　me；　if　I　have　not　that　of　men

upon　earth；　or　let　me　die；　so　that　I　may　not　blush　before　my　lord　and

master。〃



Hearing　that　she　said　nothing　against　him；　Jehan　rose；　quite　aghast　to

see　Bertha　take　this　charming　dance　for　two　so　to　heart。　But　the

moment　she　heard　her　Gabriel　moving　she　sprang　quickly　to　her　feet；

regarded　him　with　a　tearful　face；　and　her　eye　illumined　with　a　holy

anger；　which　made　her　more　lovely　to　look　upon；　exclaimed



〃If　you　advance　a　single　step　towards　me；　I　will　make　one　towards

death！〃



And　she　took　her　stiletto　in　her　hand。



So　heartrending　was　the　tragic　spectacle　of　her　grief　that　Jehan

answered　her



〃It　is　not　for　thee　but　for　me　to　die；　my　dear；　beautiful　mistress；

more　dearly　loved　than　will　ever　woman　be　again　upon　this　earth。〃



〃If　you　had　truly　loved　me　you　would　not　have　killed　me　as　you　have；

for　I　will　die　sooner　than　be　reproached　by　my　husband。〃



〃Will　you　die？〃　said　he。



〃Assuredly；〃　said　she。



〃Now；　if　I　am　here　pierced　with　a　thousand　blows；　you　will　have　your

husband's　pardon；　to　whom　you　will　say　that　if　your　innocence　was

surprised；　you　have　avenged　his　honour　by　killing　the　man　who　had

deceived　you；　and　it　will　be　the　greatest　happiness　that　could　ever

befall　me　to　die　for　you；　the　moment　you　refuse　to　live　for　me。〃



Hearing　this　tender　discourse　spoken　with　tears；　Bertha　dropped　the

dagger；　Jehan　sprang　upon　it；　and　thrust　it　into　his　breast；　saying



〃Such　happiness　can　be　paid　for　but　with　death。〃



And　fell　stiff　and　stark。



Bertha；　terrified；　called　aloud　for　her　maid。　The　servant　came；　and

terribly　alarmed　to　see　a　wounded　man　in　Madame's　chamber；　and　Madame

holding　him　up；　crying　and　saying；　〃What　have　you　done；　my　love？〃

because　she　believed　he　was　dead；　and　remembered　her　vanished　joys；

and　thought　how　beautiful　Jehan　must　be；　since　everyone；　even　Imbert；

believed　him　to　be　a　girl。　In　her　sorrow　she　confessed　all　to　her

maid；　sobbing　and　crying　out；　〃that　it　was　quite　enough　to　have　upon

her　mind　the　life　of　a　child　without　having　the　death　of　a　man　as

well。〃　Hearing　this　the　poor　lover　tried　to　open　his　eyes；　and　only

succeeded　in　showing　a　little　bit　of　the　white　of　them。



〃Ha！　Madame；　don't　cry　out；〃　said　the　servant；　〃let　us　keep　our　senses

together　and　save　this　pretty　knight。　I　will　go　and　seek　La　Fallotte；

in　order　not　to　let　any　physician　or　surgeon　into　the　secret；　and　as

she　is　a　sorceress　she　will；　to　please　Madame；　perform　the　miracle　of

healing　this　wound　so　not　a　trace　of　it　shall　remain。



〃Run！〃　replied　Bertha。　〃I　will　love　you；　and　will　pay　you　well　for

this　assistance。〃



But　before　anything　else　was　done　the　lady　and　her　maid　agreed　to　be

silent　about　this　adventure；　and　hide　Jehan　from　every　eye。　Then　the

servant　went　out　into　the　night　to　seek　La　Fallotte；　and　was

accompanied　by　her　mistress　as　far　as　the　postern；　because　the　guard

could　not　raise　the　portcullis　without　Bertha's　special　order。　Bertha

found　on　going　back　that　her　lover　had　fainted；　for　the　blood　was

flowing　from　the　wound。　At　the　sight　she　drank　a　little　of　his　blood；

thinking　that　Jehan　had　shed　it　for　her。　Affected　by　this　great　love

and　by　the　danger；　she　kissed　this　pretty　varlet　of　pleasure　on　the

face；　bound　up　his　wound；　bathing　it　with　her　tears；　beseeching　him

not　to　die；　and　exclaiming　that　if　he　would　live　she　would　love　him

with　all　her　heart。　You　can　imagine　that　the　chatelaine　became　still

more　enamoured　while　observing　what　a　difference　there　was　between　a

young　knight　like　Jehan；　white；　downy；　and　agreeable；　and　an　old

fellow　like　Imbert；　bristly；　yellow；　and　wrinkled。　This　difference

brought　back　to　her　memory　that　which　she　had　found　in　the　pleasure　of

love。　Moved　by　this　souvenir；　her　kisses　became　so　warm　that　Jehan

came　back　to　his　senses；　his　look　improved；　and　he　could　see　Bertha；

from　whom　in　a　feeble　voice　he　asked　forgiveness。　But　Bertha　forbade

him　to　speak　until　La　Fallotte　had　arrived。　Then　both　of　them　consumed

the　time　by　loving　each　other　with　their　eyes；　since　in　those　of

Bertha　there　was　nothing　but　compassion；　and　on　these　occasions　pity

is　akin　to　love。



La　Fallotte　was　a　hunchback；　vehemently　suspected　of　dealings　in

necromancy；　and　of　riding　to　nocturnal　orgies　on　a　broomstick；

according　to　the　custom　of　witches。　Certain　persons　had　seen　her

putting　the　harness　on　her　broom　in　the　stable；　which；　as　everyone

knows　is　on　the　housetops。　To　tell　the　truth；　she　possessed　certain

medical　secrets；　and　was　of　such　great　service　to　ladies　in　certain

things；　and　to　the　nobles；　that　she　lived　in　perfect　tranquillity；

without　giving　up　the　ghost　on　a　pile　of　fagots；　but　on　a　feather　bed；

for　she　had　made　a　hatful　of　money；　although　the　physicians　tormented

her　by　declaring　that　she　sold　poisons；　which　was　certainly　true；　as

will　be　shown　in　the　sequel。　The　servant　and　La　Fallotte　came　on　the

same　ass；　making　such　haste　that　they　arrived　at　the　castle　before　the

day　had　fully　dawned。



The　old　hunchback　exclaimed；　as　she　entered　the　chamber；　〃Now　then；　my

children；　what　is　the　matter？〃



This　was　her　manner；　which　was　familiar　with　great　people；　who

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　beg