the countess of saint geran-第8节

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Descoutoux；　in　the　mountains；　between　Lavoine　and　Thiers。　　The

Marchioness　de　Bouille　had　a　chateau　there　where　she　occasionally

spent　some　time。



The　child　was　nursed　at　Descoutoux　by　Gabrielle　Moini；　who　was　paid　a

month　in　advance；　but　she　only　kept　it　a　week　or　so；　because　they

refused　to　tell　her　the　father　and　mother　and　to　refer　her　to　a　place

where　she　might　send　reports　of　her　charge。　　This　woman　having　made

these　reasons　public；　no　nurse　could　be　found　to　take　charge　of　the

child；　which　was　removed　from　the　village　of　Descoutoux。　　The　persons

who　removed　it　took　the　highroad　to　Burgundy；　crossing　a　densely

wooded　country；　and　here　they　lost　their　way。



The　above　particulars　were　subsequently　proved　by　the　nurses；　the

carrier；　and　others　who　made　legal　depositions。　　They　are　stated　at

length　here；　as　they　proved　very　important　in　the　great　lawsuit。　　The

compilers　of　the　case；　into　which　we　search　for　information；　have

however　omitted　to　tell　us　how　the　absence　of　the　major…domo　was

accounted　for　at　the　castle；　probably　the　far…sighted　marquis　had　got

an　excuse　ready。



The　countess's　state　of　drowsiness　continued　till　daybreak。　　She　woke

bathed　in　blood；　completely　exhausted；　but　yet　with　a　sensation　of

comfort　which　convinced　her　that　she　had　been　delivered　from　her

burden。　　Her　first　words　were　about　her　child；　she　wished　to　see　it；

kiss　it；　she　asked　where　it　was。　　The　midwife　coolly　told　her；　whilst

the　girls　who　were　by　were　filled　with　amazement　at　her　audacity；

that　she　had　not　been　confined　at　all。　　The　countess　maintained　the

contrary；　and　as　she　grew　very　excited；　the　midwife　strove　to　calm

her；　assuring　her　that　in　any　case　her　delivery　could　not　be　long

protracted；　and　that；　judging　from　all　the　indications　of　the　night；

she　would　give　birth　to　a　boy。　　This　promise　comforted　the　count　and

the　countess　dowager；　but　failed　to　satisfy　the　countess；　who

insisted　that　a　child　had　been　born。



The　same　day　a　scullery…maid　met　a　woman　going　to　the　water's　edge　in

the　castle　moat；　with　a　parcel　in　her　arms。　　She　recognised　the

midwife；　and　asked　what　she　was　carrying　and　where　she　was　going　so

early。　　The　latter　replied　that　she　was　very　inquisitive；　and　that　it

was　nothing　at　all；　but　the　girl；　laughingly　pretending　to　be　angry

at　this　answer；　pulled　open　one　of　the　ends　of　the　parcel　before　the

midwife　had　time　to　stop　her；　and　exposed　to　view　some　linen　soaked

in　blood。



〃Madame　has　been　confined；　then？〃　she　said　to　the　matron。



〃No；〃　replied　she　briskly；〃　she　has　not。〃



The　girl　was　unconvinced；　and　said；　〃How　do　you　mean　that　she　has

not；　when　madame　the　marchioness；　who　was　there；　says　she　has？　　The

matron　in　great　confusion　replied；　〃She　must　have　a　very　long　tongue；

if　she　said　so。〃



The　girl's　evidence　was　later　found　most　important。



The　countess's　uneasiness　made　her　worse　the　next　day。　　She　implored

with　sighs　and　tears　at　least　to　be　told　what　had　become　of　her

child；　steadily　maintaining　that　she　was　not　mistaken　when　she

assured　them　that　she　had　given　birth　to　one。　　The　midwife　with　great

effrontery　told　her　that　the　new　moon　was　unfavourable　to　childbirth；

and　that　she　must　wait　for　the　wane；　when　it　would　be　easier　as

matters　were　already　prepared。



Invalids'　fancies　do　not　obtain　much　credence；　still；　the　persistence

of　the　countess　would　have　convinced　everyone　in　the　long　run；　had

not　the　dowager　said　that　she　remembered　at　the　end　of　the　ninth

month　of　one　of　her　own　pregnancies　she　had　all　the　premonitory

symptoms　of　lying　in；　but　they　proved　false；　and　in　fact　the

accouchement　took　place　three　months　later。



This　piece　of　news　inspired　great　confidence。　　The　marquis　and　Madame

de　Bouille　did　all　in　their　power　to　confirm　it；　but　the　countess

obstinately　refused　to　listen　to　it；　and　her　passionate　transports　of

grief　gave　rise　to　the　greatest　anxiety。　　The　midwife；　who　knew　not

how　to　gain　time；　and　was　losing　all　hope　in　face　of　the　countess's

persistence；　was　almost　frightened　out　of　her　wits；　she　entered　into

medical　details；　and　finally　said　that　some　violent　exercise　must　be

taken　to　induce　labour。　　The　countess；　still　unconvinced；　refused　to

obey　this　order；　but　the　count；　the　dowager；　and　all　the　family

entreated　her　so　earnestly　that　she　gave　way。



They　put　her　in　a　close　carriage；　and　drove　her　a　whole　day　over

ploughed　fields；　by　the　roughest　and　hardest　roads。　　She　was　so

shaken　that　she　lost　the　power　of　breathing；　it　required　all　the

strength　of　her　constitution　to　support　this　barbarous　treatment　in

the　delicate　condition　of　a　lady　so　recently　confined。　　They　put　her

to　bed　again　after　this　cruel　drive；　and　seeing　that　nobody　took　her

view；　she　threw　herself　into　the　arms　of　Providence；　and　consoled

herself　by　religion；　the　midwife　administered　violent　remedies　to

deprive　her　of　milk；　she　got　over　all　these　attempts　to　murder　her；

and　slowly　got　better。



Time；　which　heals　the　deepest　affliction；　gradually　soothed　that　of

the　countess；　her　grief　nevertheless　burst　out　periodically　on　the

slightest　cause；　but　eventually　it　died　out；　till　the　following

events　rekindled　it。



There　had　been　in　Paris　a　fencing…master　who　used　to　boast　that　he

had　a　brother　in　the　service　of　a　great　house。　　This　fencing…master

had　married　a　certain　Marie　Pigoreau；　daughter　of　an　actor。　　He　had

recently　died　in　poor　circumstances；　leaving　her　a　widow　with　two

children。　　This　woman　Pigoreau　did　not　enjoy　the　best　of　characters；

and　no　one　knew　how　she　made　a　living；　when　all　at　once；　after　some

short　absences　from　home　and　visit　from　a　man　who　came　in　the

evening；　his　face　muffled　in　his　cloak；　she　launched　out　into　a　more

expensive　style　of　living；　the　neighbours　saw　in　her　house　costly

clothes；　fine　swaddling…clothes；　and　at　last　it　became　known　that　she

was　nursing　a　strange　child。



About　the　same　time　it　also　transpired　that　she　had　a　deposit　of　two

thousand　livres　in　the　hands　of　a　grocer　in　the　quarter；　named

Raguenet；　some　days　later；　as　the　child's　baptism　had　doubtless　been

put　off　for　fear　of　betraying　his　origin；　Pigoreau　had　him　christened

at　St。　Jean　en　Greve。　　She　did　not　invite　any　of　the　neighbours　to

the　function；　and　gave　parents'　names　of　her　own　choosing　at　the

church。　　For　godfather　she　selected　the　parish　sexton；　named　Paul

Marmiou；　who　gave　the　child　the　name　of　Bernard。　　La　Pigoreau

remained　in　a　confessional　during　the　ceremony；　and　gave　the　man　ten

sou。　　The　godmother　was　Jeanne　Chevalier；　a　poor　woman　of　the　parish。



The　entry　in　the　register　was　as　follows：…



　　　　　〃On　the　seventh　day　of　March　one　thousand　six　hundred　and

　　　　　forty…two　was　baptized　Bernard；　son　of　。　　。　　。　　and　。　　。　　。　　his

　　　　　godfather　being　Paul　Marmiou；　day　labourer　and　servant　of　this

　　　　　parish；　and　his　godmother　Jeanne　Chevalier；　widow　of　Pierre

　　　　　Thibou。〃



A　few　days　afterwards　la　Pigoreau　put　out　the　child　to　nurse　in　the

village　of　Torcy　en　Brie；　with　a　woman　who　had　been　her　godmother；

whose　husband　was　called　Paillard。　　She　gave　out　that　it　was　a　child

of　quality　which　had　been　entrusted　to　her；　and　that　she　should　not

hesitate；　if　such　a　thing　were　necessary；　to　save　its　life　by　the

loss　of　one　of　her　own　children。　　The　nurse　did　not　keep　it　long；

because　she　fell　ill；　la　Pigoreau　went　to　fetch　the　child　away；

lamenting　this　accident；　and　further　saying　that　she　regretted　it　all

the　more；　as　the　nurse　would　have　earned　enough　to　make　her

comfortable　for　the　rest　of　her　life。　　She　put　the　infant　out　again

in　the　same　village；　with　the　widow　of　a　peasant　named　Marc　Peguin。

The　monthly　wage　was　regularly　paid；　and　the　child　brought　up　as　one

of　rank。　　La　Pigoreau　further　told　the　woman　that　it　was　the　son　of　a

great　nobleman；　and　would　later　make　the　fortunes　of　those　who　served

him。　　An　elderly　man；　whom　the　people　supposed　to　be　the　child's

father；　but　who　Pigoreau　assured　them　was　her　brother…in…law；　often

came　to　see　him。



When　the　child　was　eighteen　months　old；　la　Pigoreau　took　him　away　and

weaned　him。　　Of　the　two　by　her　husband　the　elder　was　called　Antoine；

the　second　would　have　been　called　Henri　if　he　had　lived；　but　he　was

born　on　the　9th　of　August　1639；　after　the　death　of　his　father；　who

was　killed　in　June　of　the　same　year；　and　died　shortly　after　his

birth。　　La　Pigoreau　thought　fit　to　give　the　name　and　condition　of

this　second　son　to　the　stranger；　and　thus　bury　for　ever　the　secret　of

his　birth。　　With　this　end　in　view；　she　left　the　quarter　where　she

lived；　and　removed　to　conceal　herself　in　another　parish　where　she　was

not　known。　　The　child　was　brought　up　under　the　name　and　style　of

Henri；　second　son　of　la　Pigoreau；　till　he　was　two　and　a　half　years　of

age；　but　at　this　time；　whether　she　was　not　engaged　to　keep　it　any

longer；　or　whether　she　had　spent　the　two　thousand　livres　deposited

with　the　grocer　Raguenet；　and　could　get　no　more　from