droll stories-3-第25节

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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　the

arrival　of　the　Sire　de　Montsoreau　in　the　island；　he　had　touched　no

more　than　a　Jew　touches　bacon。　Thus　occupied；　the　king　and　queen

abandoned　the　care　of　their　kingdom　to　the　other　friend；　who　conducted

the　affairs　of　government；　ruled　the　establishment；　managed　the

finances；　and　looked　to　the　army；　and　all　exceedingly　well；　knowing

where　money　was　to　be　made；　enriching　the　treasury；　and　preparing　all

the　great　enterprises　above　mentioned。



The　state　of　things　lasted　three　years；　some　say　four；　but　the　monks

of　Saint　Benoist　have　not　wormed　out　the　date；　which　remains　obscure；

like　the　reasons　for　the　quarrel　between　the　two　friends。　Probably　the

Venetian　had　the　high　ambition　to　reign　without　any　control　or

dispute；　and　forgot　the　services　which　the　Frenchman　had　rendered　him。

Thus　do　the　men　who　live　in　Courts　behave；　for；　according　to　the

statements　of　the　Messire　Aristotle　in　his　works；　that　which　ages　the

most　rapidly　in　this　world　is　a　kindness；　although　extinguished　love

is　sometimes　very　rancid。　Now；　relying　on　the　perfect　friendship　of

Leufroid；　who　called　him　his　crony；　and　would　have　done　anything　for

him；　the　Venetian　conceived　the　idea　of　getting　rid　of　his　friend　by

revealing　to　the　king　the　mystery　of　his　cuckoldom；　and　showing　him

the　source　of　the　queen's　happiness；　not　doubting　for　a　moment　but

that　he　would　commence　by　depriving　Monsoreau　of　his　head；　according

to　a　practice　common　in　Sicily　under　similar　circumstances。　By　this

means　Pezare　would　have　all　the　money　that　he　and　Gauttier　had

noiselessly　conveyed　to　the　house　of　a　Lombard　of　Genoa；　which　money

was　their　joint　property　on　account　of　their　fraternity。　This

treasure；　increased　on　one　side　by　the　magnificent　presents　made　to

Montsoreau　by　the　queen；　who　had　vast　estates　in　Spain；　and　other；　by

inheritance　in　Italy；　on　the　other；　by　the　king's　gifts　to　his　prime

minister；　to　whom　he　also　gave　certain　rights　over　the　merchants；　and

other　indulgences。　The　treacherous　friend；　having　determined　to　break

his　vow；　took　care　to　conceal　his　intention　from　Gauttier；　because　the

Touranian　was　an　awkward　man　to　tackle。



One　night　that　Pezare　knew　that　the　queen　was　in　bed　with　her　lover；

who　loved　him　as　though　each　night　were　a　wedding　one；　so　skilful　was

she　at　the　business；　the　traitor　promised　the　king　to　let　him　take

evidence　in　the　case；　through　a　hole　he　had　made　in　the　wardrobe　of

the　Spanish　lady；　who　always　pretended　to　be　at　death's　door。　In　order

to　obtain　a　better　view；　Pezare　waited　until　the　sun　had　risen。　The

Spanish　lady；　who　was　fleet　of　foot；　had　a　quick　eye　and　a　sharp　ear；

heard　footsteps；　peeped　out；　and　perceiving　the　king；　followed　by　the

Venetian；　through　a　crossbar　in　the　closet　in　which　she　slept　the

night　that　the　queen　had　her　lover　between　two　sheets；　which　is

certainly　the　best　way　to　have　a　lover。　She　ran　to　warn　the　couple　of

this　betrayal。　But　the　king's　eye　was　already　at　the　cursed　hole；

Leufroid　sawwhat？



That　beautiful　and　divine　lantern　with　burns　so　much　oil　and　lights

the　worlda　lantern　adorned　with　the　most　lovely　baubles；　flaming；

brilliantly；　which　he　thought　more　lovely　than　all　the　others；　because

he　had　lost　sight　of　it　for　so　long　a　time　that　it　appeared　quite　new

to　him；　but　the　size　of　the　hole　prevented　him　seeing　anything　else

except　the　hand　of　a　man；　which　modestly　covered　the　lantern；　and　he

heard　the　voice　of　Montsoreau　saying



〃How's　the　little　treasure；　this　morning？〃　A　playful　expression；　which

lovers　used　jokingly；　because　this　lantern　is　in　all　countries　the　sun

of　love；　and　for　this　the　prettiest　possible　names　are　bestowed　upon

it；　whilst　comparing　it　to　the　loveliest　things　in　nature；　such　as　my

pomegranate；　my　rose；　my　little　shell；　my　hedgehog；　my　gulf　of　love；

my　treasure；　my　master；　my　little　one；　some　even　dared　most

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　qu