droll stories-3-第24节

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the　princes　and　princesses　were　taking　the　air。　Pezare　presented　his

French　friend；　speaking　so　highly　of　his　merits；　and　obtaining　such　a

gracious　reception　for　him；　that　Leufroid　kept　him　to　supper。　The

knight　kept　a　sharp　eye　on　the　Court；　and　noticed　therein　various

curious　little　secret　practices。　If　the　king　was　a　brave　and　handsome

prince；　the　princess　was　a　Spanish　lady　of　high　temperature；　the　most

beautiful　and　most　noble　woman　of　his　Court；　but　inclined　to

melancholy。　Looking　at　her；　the　Touranian　believed　that　she　was

sparingly　embraced　by　the　king；　for　the　law　of　Touraine　is　that　joy　in

the　face　comes　from　joy　elsewhere。　Pezare　pointed　out　to　his　friend

Gauttier　several　ladies　to　whom　Leufroid　was　exceedingly　gracious　and

who　were　exceedingly　jealous　and　fought　for　him　in　a　tournament　of

gallantries　and　wonderful　female　inventions。　From　all　this　Gauttier

concluded　that　the　prince　went　considerably　astray　with　his　court；

although　he　had　the　prettiest　wife　in　the　world；　and　occupied　himself

with　taxing　the　ladies　of　Sicily；　in　order　that　he　might　put　his　horse

in　their　stables；　vary　his　fodder；　and　learn　the　equestrian

capabilities　of　many　lands。　Perceiving　what　a　life　Leufroid　was

leading；　the　Sire　de　Monsoreau；　certain　that　no　one　in　the　Court　had

had　the　heart　to　enlighten　the　queen；　determined　at　one　blow　to　plant

his　halberd　in　the　field　of　the　fair　Spaniard　by　a　master　stroke；　and

this　is　how。　At　supper…time；　in　order　to　show　courtesy　to　the　foreign

knight；　the　king　took　care　to　place　him　near　the　queen；　to　whom　the

gallant　Gauttier　offered　his　arm；　to　take　her　into　the　room；　and

conducted　her　there　hastily；　to　get　ahead　of　those　who　were　following；

in　order　to　whisper；　first　of　all；　a　word　concerning　a　subject　which

always　pleases　the　ladies　in　whatever　condition　they　may　be。　Imagine

what　this　word　was；　and　how　it　went　straight　through　the　stubble　and

weeds　into　the　warm　thicket　of　love。



〃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　t