droll stories-3-第20章

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〃I　know；　your　majesty；　what　causes　your　paleness　of　face。〃



〃What？〃　said　she。



〃You　are　so　loving　that　the　king　loves　you　night　and　day；　thus　you

abuse　your　advantage；　for　he　will　die　of　love。〃



〃What　should　I　do　to　keep　him　alive？〃　said　the　queen。



〃Forbid　him　to　repeat　at　your　altar　more　than　three　prayers　a　day。〃



〃You　are　joking；　after　the　French　fashion；　Sir　Knight；　seeing　that　the

king's　devotion　to　me　does　not　extend　beyond　a　short　prayer　a　week。〃



〃You　are　deceived；〃　said　Gauttier；　seating　himself　at　the　table。　〃I

can　prove　to　you　that　love　should　go　through　the　whole　mass；　matins；

and　vespers；　with　an　/Ave/　now　and　then；　for　queens　as　for　simple

women；　and　go　through　the　ceremony　every　day；　like　the　monks　in　their

monastery；　with　fervour；　but　for　you　these　litanies　should　never

finish。〃



The　queen　cast　upon　the　knight　a　glance　which　was　far　from　one　of

displeasure；　smiled　at　him；　and　shook　her　head。



〃In　this；〃　said　she；　〃men　are　great　liars。〃



〃I　have　with　me　a　great　truth　which　I　will　show　you　when　you　wish　it。〃

replied　the　knight。　〃I　undertake　to　give　you　queen's　fare；　and　put　you

on　the　high　road　to　joy；　by　this　means　you　will　make　up　for　lost　time；

the　more　so　as　the　king　is　ruined　through　other　women；　while　I　shall

reserve　my　advantage　for　your　service。〃



〃And　if　the　king　learns　of　our　arrangement；　he　will　put　your　head　on　a

level　with　your　feet。〃



〃Even　if　this　misfortune　befell　me　it　after　the　first　night；　I　should

believe　I　had　lived　a　hundred　years；　from　the　joy　therein　received；

for　never　have　I　seen；　after　visiting　all　Courts；　a　princess　fit　to

hold　a　candle　to　your　beauty。　To　be　brief；　if　I　die　not　by　the　sword；

you　will　still　be　the　cause　of　my　death；　for　I　am　resolved　to　spend　my

life　in　your　love；　if　life　will　depart　in　the　place　whence　it　comes。〃



Now　this　queen　had　never　heard　such　words　before；　and　preferred　them

to　the　most　sweetly　sung　mass；　her　pleasure　showed　itself　in　her　face；

which　became　purple；　for　these　words　made　her　blood　boil　within　her

veins；　so　that　the　strings　of　her　lute　were　moved　thereat；　and　struck

a　sweet　note　that　rang　melodiously　in　her　ears；　for　this　lute　fills

with　its　music　the　brain　and　the　body　of　the　ladies；　by　a　sweet

artifice　of　their　resonant　nature。　What　a　shame　to　be　young；

beautiful；　Spanish；　and　queen；　and　yet　neglected。　She　conceived　an

intense　disdain　for　those　of　her　Court　who　had　kept　their　lips　closed

concerning　this　infidelity；　through　fear　of　the　king；　and　determined

to　revenge　herself　with　the　aid　of　this　handsome　Frenchman；　who　cared

so　little　for　life　that　in　his　first　words　he　had　staked　it　in　making

a　proposition　to　a　queen；　which　was　worthy　of　death；　if　she　did　her

duty。　Instead　of　this；　however；　she　pressed　his　foot　with　her　own；　in

a　manner　that　admitted　no　misconception；　and　said　aloud　to　him



〃Sir　Knight；　let　us　change　the　subject；　for　it　is　very　wrong　of　you　to

attack　a　poor　queen　in　her　weak　spot。　Tell　us　the　customs　of　the

ladies　of　the　Court　of　France。〃



Thus　did　the　knight　receive　the　delicate　hint　that　the　business　was

arranged。　Then　he　commenced　to　talk　of　merry　and　pleasant　things；

which　during　supper　kept　the　court；　the　king；　the　queen；　and　all　the

courtiers　in　a　good　humour；　so　much　so　that　when　the　siege　was　raised；

Leufroid　declared　that　he　had　never　laughed　so　much　in　his　life。　Then

they　strolled　about　the　gardens；　which　were　the　most　beautiful　in　the

world；　and　the　queen　made　a　pretext　of　the　chevalier's　sayings　to　walk

beneath　a　grove　of　blossoming　orange　trees；　which　yielded　a　delicious

fragrance。



〃Lovely　and　noble　queen；〃　said　Gauttier；　immediately；　〃I　have　seen　in

all　countries　the　perdition　of　love　have　its　birth　in　these　first

attentions；　which　we　call　courtesy；　if　you　have　confidence　in　me；　let

us　agree；　as　people　of　high　intelligence；　to　love　each　other　without

standing　on　so　much　ceremony；　by　this　means　no　suspicion　will　be

aroused；　our　happiness　will　be　less　dangerous　and　more　lasting。　In

this　fashion　should　queens　conduct　their　amours；　if　they　would　avoid

interference。〃



〃Well　said；〃　said　she。　〃But　as　I　am　new　at　this　business；　I　did　not

know　what　arrangements　to　make。〃



〃Have　you　are　among　your　women　one　in　whom　you　have　perfect

confidence？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　she；　〃I　have　a　maid　who　came　from　Spain　with　me；　who　would

put　herself　on　a　gridiron　for　me　like　St。　Lawrence　did　for　God；　but

she　is　always　poorly。〃



〃That's　good；〃　said　her　companion；　〃because　you　go　to　see　her。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　queen；　〃and　sometimes　at　night。〃



〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Gauttier；　〃I　make　a　vow　to　St。　Rosalie；　patroness　of

Sicily；　to　build　her　a　gold　altar　for　this　fortune。〃



〃O　Jesus！〃　cried　the　queen。　〃I　am　doubly　blessed　in　having　a　lover　so

handsome　and　yet　so　religious。〃



〃Ah；　my　dear；　I　have　two　sweethearts　today；　because　I　have　a　queen　to

love　in　heaven　above；　and　another　one　here　below；　and　luckily　these

loves　cannot　clash　one　with　the　other。〃



This　sweet　speech　so　affected　the　queen；　that　for　nothing　she　would

have　fled　with　this　cunning　Frenchman。



〃The　Virgin　Mary　is　very　powerful　in　heaven；〃　said　the　queen。　〃Love

grant　that　I　may　be　like　her！〃



〃Bah！　they　are　talking　of　the　Virgin　Mary；〃　said　the　king；　who　by

chance　had　come　to　watch　them；　disturbed　by　a　gleam　of　jealousy；　cast

into　his　heart　by　a　Sicilian　courtier；　who　was　furious　at　the　sudden

favour　which　the　Frenchman　had　obtained。



The　queen　and　the　chevalier　laid　their　plans；　and　everything　was

secretly　arranged　to　furnish　the　helmet　of　the　king　with　two　invisible

ornaments。　The　knight　rejoined　the　Court；　made　himself　agreeable　to

everyone；　and　returned　to　the　Palace　of　Pezare；　whom　he　told　that

their　fortunes　were　made；　because　on　the　morrow；　at　night；　he　would

sleep　with　the　queen。　This　swift　success　astonished　the　Venetian；　who；

like　a　good　friend；　went　in　search　of　fine　perfumes；　linen　of　Brabant；

and　precious　garments；　to　which　queens　are　accustomed；　with　all　of

which　he　loaded　his　friend　Gauttier；　in　order　that　the　case　might　be

worthy　the　jewel。



〃Ah；　my　friend；〃　said　he　〃are　you　sure　not　to　falter；　but　to　go

vigorously　to　work；　to　serve　the　queen　bravely；　and　give　her　such　joys

in　her　castle　of　Gallardin　that　she　may　hold　on　for　ever　to　this

master　staff；　like　a　drowning　sailor　to　a　plank？〃



〃As　for　that；　fear　nothing；　dear　Pezare；　because　I　have　the　arrears　of

the　journey；　and　I　will　deal　with　her　as　with　a　simple　servant；

instructing　her　in　the　ways　of　the　ladies　of　Touraine；　who　understand

love　better　than　all　others；　because　they　make　it；　remake　it；　and

unmake　it　to　make　it　again　and　having　remade　it；　still　keep　on　making

it；　and　having　nothing　else　to　do；　have　to　do　that　which　always　wants

doing。　Now　let　us　settle　our　plans。　This　is　how　we　shall　obtain　the

government　of　the　island。　I　shall　hold　the　queen　and　you　the　king；　we

will　play　the　comedy　of　being　great　enemies　before　the　eyes　of　the

courtiers；　in　order　to　divide　them　into　two　parties　under　our　command；

and　yet；　unknown　to　all；　we　will　remain　friends。　By　this　means　we

shall　know　their　plots；　and　will　thwart　them；　you　by　listening　to　my

enemies　and　I　to　yours。　In　the　course　of　a　few　days　we　will　pretend　to

quarrel　in　order　to　strive　one　against　the　other。　This　quarrel　will　be

caused　by　the　favour　in　which　I　will　manage　to　place　you　with　the

king；　through　the　channel　of　the　queen；　and　he　will　give　you　supreme

power；　to　my　injury。〃



On　the　morrow　Gauttier　went　to　the　house　of　the　Spanish　lady；　who

before　the　courtiers　he　recognised　as　having　known　in　Spain；　and　he

remained　there　seven　whole　days。　As　you　can　imagine；　the　Touranian

treated　the　queen　as　a　fondly　loved　woman；　and　showed　her　so　many

terra　incognita　in　love；　French　fashions；　little　tendernesses；　etc。；

that　she　nearly　lost　her　reason　through　it；　and　swore　that　the　French

were　the　only　people　who　thoroughly　understood　love。　You　see　how　the

king　was　punished；　who；　to　keep　her　virtuous；　had　allowed　weeds　to

grow　in　the　grange　of　love。　Their　supernatural　festivities　touched　the

queen　so　strongly　that　she　made　a　vow　of　eternal　love　to　Montsoreau；

who　had　awakened　her；　by　revealing　to　her　the　joys　of　the　proceeding。

It　was　arranged　that　the　Spanish　lady　should　take　care　always　to　be

ill；　and　that　the　only　man　to　whom　the　lovers　would　confide　their

secret　should　be　the　court　physician；　who　was　much　attached　to　the

queen。　By　chance　this　physician　had　in　his　glottis；　chords　exactly

similar　to　those　of　Gauttier；　so　that　by　a　freak　of　nature　they　had

the　same　voice；　which　much　astonished　the　queen。　The　physician　swore

on　his　life　faithfully　to　serve　the　pretty　couple；　for　he　deplored　the

sad　desertion　of　this　beautiful　women；　and　was　delighted　to　know　she

would　be　served　as　a　queen　should　bea　rare　thing。



A　month　elapsed　and　everything　was　going　on　to　the　satisfaction　of　the

two　friends；　who　worked　the　plans　laid　by　the　queen；　in　order　to　get

the　government　of　Sicily　into　the　hands　of　Pezare；　to　the　detriment　of

Montsoreau；　whom　the　king　loved　for　his　great　wisdom；　but　the　queen

would　not　consent　to　have　him；　because　he　was　so　ungallant。　Leufroid

dismissed　the　Duke　of　Cataneo；　his　principal　follower；　and　put　the

Chevalier　Pezare　in　his　place。　The　Venetian　took　no　notice　of　his

friend　the　Frenchmen。　Then　Gauttier　burst　out；　declaimed　loudly

against　the　treachery　and　abused　friendship　of　his　former　comrade；　and

instantly　earned　the　devotion　of　Cataneo　and　his　friends；　with　whom　he

made　a　compact　to　overthrow　Pezare。　Directly　he　was　in　office　the

Venetian；　who　was　a　shrewd　man；　and　well　suited　to　govern　states；

which　was　the　usual　employment　of　Venetian　gentlemen；　worked　wonders

in　Sicily；　repaired　the　ports；　brought　merchants　there　by　the

fertility　of　his　inventions　and　by　granting　them　facilities；　put　bread

into　the　mouths　of　hundreds　of　poor　people；　drew　thither　artisans　of

all　trades；　because　fetes　were　always　being　held；　and　also　the　idle

and　rich　from　all　quarters；　even　from　the　East。　Thus　harvests；　the

products　of　the　earth；　and　other　commodities；　were　plentiful；　and

galleys　came　from　Asia；　the　which　made　the　king　much　envied；　and　the

happiest　king　in　the　Christian　world；　because　through　these　things　his

Court　was　the　most　renowned　in　the　countries　of　Europe。　This　fine

political　aspect　was　the　result　of　the　perfect　agreement　of　the　two

men　who　thoroughly　understood　each　other。　The　one　looked　after　the

pleasures；　and　was　himself　the　delight　of　the　queen；　whose　face　was

always　bright　and　gay；　because　she　was　served　according　to　the　method

of　Touraine；　and　became　animated　through　excessive　happiness；　and　he

also　took　care　to　keep　the　king　amused；　finding　him　every　day　new

mistresses；　and　casting　him　into　a　whirl　of　dissipation。　The　king　was

much　astonished　at　the　good　temper　of　the　queen；　whom；　since　t