the countess of saint geran-第4节

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people　of　rank。　　On　one　occasion　she　brought　from　Italy　a　sort　of

astrologer；　who　as　nearly　as　possible　poisoned　her　with　a　horrible

nostrum；　and　was　sent　back　to　his　own　country　in　a　hurry；　thanking

his　stars　for　having　escaped　so　cheaply。　　This　procured　Madame　de

Saint…Geran　a　severe　reprimand　from　her　confessor；　and；　as　time　went

on；　she　gradually　accustomed　herself　to　the　painful　conclusion　that

she　would　die　childless；　and　cast　herself　into　the　arms　of　religion。

The　count；　whose　tenderness　for　her　never　failed；　yet　clung　to　the

hope　of　an　heir；　and　made　his　Will　with　this　in　view。　　The

marchioness's　hopes　had　become　certainties；　and　M。　de　Saint…Maixent；

perfectly　tranquil　on　this　head；　thought　only　of　forwarding　his　suit

with　Madame…de　Bouille；　when；　at　the　end　of　the　month　of　November

1640；　the　Count　de　Saint…Geran　was　obliged　to　repair　to　Paris　in

great　haste　on　pressing　duty。



The　countess；　who　could　not　bear　to　be　separated　from　her　husband；

took　the　family　advice　as　to　accompanying　him。　　The　marquis；

delighted　at　an　opportunity　which　left　him　almost　alone　in　the

chateau　with　Madame　de　Bouille；　painted　the　journey　to　Paris　in　the

most　attractive　colours；　and　said　all　he　could　to　decide　her　to　go。

The　marchioness；　for　her　part；　worked　very　quietly　to　the　same　end；

it　was　more　than　was　needed。　　It　was　settled　that　the　countess　should

go　with　M。　de　Saint…Geran。　　She　soon　made　her　preparations；　and　a　few

days　later　they　set　off　on　the　journey　together。



The　marquis　had　no　fears　about　declaring　his　passion；　the　conquest　of

Madame　de　Bouille　gave　him　no　trouble；　he　affected　the　most　violent

love；　and　she　responded　in　the　same　terms。　　All　their　time　was　spent

in　excursions　and　walks　from；　which　the　servants　were　excluded；　the

lovers；　always　together；　passed　whole　days　in　some　retired　part　of

the　park；　or　shut　up　in　their　apartments。　　It　was　impossible　for

these　circumstances　not　to　cause　gossip　among　an　army　of　servants；

against　whom　they　had　to　keep　incessantly　on　their　guard；　and　this

naturally　happened。



The　marchioness　soon　found　herself　obliged　to　make　confidantes　of　the

sisters　Quinet；　her　maids；　she　had　no　difficulty　in　gaining　their

support；　for　the　girls　were　greatly　attached　to　her。　　This　was　the

first　step　of　shame　for　Madame　de　Bouille；　and　the　first　step　of

corruption　for　herself　and　her　paramour；　who　soon　found　themselves

entangled　in　the　blackest　of　plots。　　Moreover；　there　was　at　the

chateau　de　Saint…Geran　a　tall；　spare；　yellow；　stupid　man；　just

intelligent　enough　to　perform；　if　not　to　conceive；　a　bad　action；　who

was　placed　in　authority　over　the　domestics；　he　was　a　common　peasant

whom　the　old　marshal　had　deigned　to　notice；　and　whom　the　count　had　by

degrees　promoted　to　the　service　of　major…domo　on　account　of　his　long

service　in　the　house；　and　because　he　had　seen　him　there　since　he

himself　was　a　child；　he　would　not　take　him　away　as　body　servant；

fearing　that　his　notions　of　service　would　not　do　for　Paris；　and　left

him　to　the　superintendence　of　the　household。　　The　marquis　had　a　quiet

talk　with　this　man；　took　his　measure；　warped　his　mind　as　he　wished；

gave　him　some　money；　and　acquired　him　body　and　soul。　　These　different

agents　undertook　to　stop　the　chatter　of　the　servants'　hall；　and

thenceforward　the　lovers　could　enjoy　free　intercourse。



One　evening；　as　the　Marquis　de　Saint…Maixent　was　at　supper　in　company

with　the　marchioness；　a　loud　knocking　was　heard　at　the　gate　of　the

chateau；　to　which　they　paid　no　great　attention。　　This　was　followed　by

the　appearance　of　a　courier　who　had　come　post　haste　from　Paris；　he

entered　the　courtyard　with　a　letter　from　the　Count　de　Saint…Geran　for

M。　the　marquis；　he　was　announced　and　introduced；　followed　by　nearly

all　the　household。　　The　marquis　asked　the　meaning　of　all　this；　and

dismissed　all　the　following　with　a　wave　of　the　hand；　but　the　courier

explained　that　M。　the　count　desired　that　the　letter　in　his　hands

should　be　read　before　everyone。　　The　marquis　opened　it　without

replying；　glanced　over　it；　and　read　it　out　loud　without　the　slightest

alteration：　the　count　announced　to　his　good　relations　and　to　all　his

household　that　the　countess　had　indicated　positive　symptoms　of

pregnancy；　that　hardly　had　she　arrived　in　Paris　when　she　suffered

from　fainting　fits；　nausea；　retching；　that　she　bore　with　joy　these

premonitory　indications；　which　were　no　longer　a　matter　of　doubt　to

the　physicians；　nor　to　anyone；　that　for　his　part　he　was　overwhelmed

with　joy　at　this　event；　which　was　the　crowning　stroke　to　all　his

wishes；　that　he　desired　the　chateau　to　share　his　satisfaction　by

indulging　in　all　kinds　of　gaieties；　and　that　so　far　as　other　matters

were　concerned　they　could　remain　as　they　were　till　the　return　of

himself　and　the　countess；　which　the　letter　would　precede　only　a　few

days；　as　he　was　going　to　transport　her　in　a　litter　for　greater

safety。　　Then　followed　the　specification　of　certain　sums　of　money　to

be　distributed　among　the　servants。



The　servants　uttered　cries　of　joy；　the　marquis　and　marchioness

exchanged　a　look；　but　a　very　troublous　one；　they；　however；　restrained

themselves　so　far　as　to　simulate　a　great　satisfaction；　and　the

marquis　brought　himself　to　congratulate　the　servants　on　their

attachment　to　their　master　and　mistress。　　After　this　they　were　left

alone；　looking　very　serious；　while　crackers　exploded　and　violins

resounded　under　the　windows。　　For　some　time　they　preserved　silence；

the　first　thought　which　occurred　to　both　being　that　the　count　and

countess　had　allowed　themselves　to　be　deceived　by　trifling　symptoms；

that　people　had　wished　to　flatter　their　hopes；　that　it　was　impossible

for　a　constitution　to　change　so　suddenly　after　twenty　years；　and　that

it　was　a　case　of　simulative　pregnancy。　　This　opinion　gaining　strength

in　their　minds　made　them　somewhat　calmer。



The　next　day　they　took　a　walk　side　by　side　in　a　solitary　path　in　the

park　and　discussed　the　chances　of　their　situation。　　M。　de

Saint…Maixent　brought　before　the　marchioness　the　enormous　injury

which　this　event　would　bring　them。　　He　then　said　that　even　supposing

the　news　to　be　true；　there　were　many　rocks　ahead　to　be　weathered

before　the　succession　could　be　pronounced　secure。



〃The　child　may　die；〃　he　said　at　last。



And　he　uttered　some　sinister　expressions　on　the　slight　damage　caused

by　the　loss　of　a　puny　creature　without　mind；　interest；　or

consequence；　nothing；　he　said；　but　a　bit　of　ill…organised　matter；

which　only　came　into　the　world　to　ruin　so　considerable　a　person　as

the　marchioness。



〃But　what　is　the　use　of　tormenting　ourselves？〃　he　went　on

impatiently；　〃the　countess　is　not　pregnant；　nor　can　she　be。〃



A　gardener　working　near　them　overheard　this　part　of　the　conversation；

but　as　they　walked　away　from　him　he　could　not　hear　any　more。



A　few　days　later；　some　outriders；　sent　before　him　by　the　count；

entered　the　chateau；　saying　that　their　master　and　mistress　were　close

at　hand。　　In　fact；　they　were　promptly　followed　by　brakes　and

travelling…carriages；　and　at　length　the　countess's　litter　was

descried；　which　M。　de　Saint…Geran；　on　horse　back；　had　never　lost

sight　of　during　the　journey。　　It　was　a　triumphal　reception：　all　the

peasants　had　left　their　work；　and　filled　the　air　with　shouts　of

welcome；　the　servants　ran　to　meet　their　mistress；　the　ancient

retainers　wept　for　joy　at　seeing　the　count　so　happy　and　in　the　hope

that　his　noble　qualities　might　be　perpetuated　in　his　heir。　　The

marquis　and　Madame　de　Bouille　did　their　best　to　tune　up　to　the　pitch

of　this　hilarity。



The　dowager　countess；　who　had　arrived　at　the　chateau　the　same　day；

unable　to　convince　herself　as　to　this　news；　had　the　pleasure　of

satisfying　her　self　respecting　it。　　The　count　and　countess　were　much

beloved　in　the　Bourbonnais　province；　this　event　caused　therein　a

general　satisfaction；　particularly　in　the　numerous　houses　attached　to

them　by　consanguinity。　　Within　a　few　days　of　their　return；　more　than

twenty　ladies　of　quality　flocked　to　visit　them　in　great　haste；　to

show　the　great　interest　they　took　in　this　pregnancy。　　All　these

ladies；　on　one　occasion　or　another；　convinced　themselves　as　to　its

genuineness；　and　many　of　them；　carrying　the　subject　still　further；　in

a　joking　manner　which　pleased　the　countess；　dubbed　themselves

prophetesses；　and　predicted　the　birth　of　a　boy。　　The　usual　symptoms

incidental　to　the　situation　left　no　room　for　doubt：　the　country

physicians　were　all　agreed。　The　count　kept　one　of　these　physicians　in

the　chateau　for　two　months；　and　spoke　to　the　Marquis　of　Saint…

Maixent　of　his　intention　of　procuring　a　good　mid…wife；　on　the　same

terms。　　Finally；　the　dowager　countess；　who　was　to　be　sponsor；　ordered

at　a　great　expense　a　magnificent　store　of　baby　linen；　which　she

desired　to　present　at　the　birth。



The　marchioness　devoured　her　rage；　and　among　the　persons　who　went

beside　themselves　with　joy　not　one　remarked　the　disappointment　which

overspre