the countess of saint geran-第9节

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with　the　grocer　Raguenet；　and　could　get　no　more　from　the　principals；

she　determined　to　get　rid　of　it。



Her　gossips　used　to　tell　this　woman　that　she　cared　but　little　for　her

eldest　son；　because　she　was　very　confident　of　the　second　one　making

his　fortune；　and　that　if　she　were　obliged　to　give　up　one　of　them；　she

had　better　keep　the　younger；　who　was　a　beautiful　boy。　　To　this　she

would　reply　that　the　matter　did　not　depend　upon　her；　that　the　boy's

godfather　was　an　uncle　in　good　circumstances；　who　would　not　charge

himself　with　any　other　child。　　She　often　mentioned　this　uncle；　her

brother…in…law；　she　said；　who　was　major…domo　in　a　great　house。



One　morning；　the　hall　porter　at　the　hotel　de　Saint…Geran　came　to

Baulieu　and　told　him　that　a　woman　carrying　a　child　was　asking　for　him

at　the　wicket　gate；　this　Baulieu　was；　in　fact；　the　brother　of　the

fencing　master；　and　godfather　to　Pigoreau's　second　son。　　It　is　now

supposed　that　he　was　the　unknown　person　who　had　placed　the　child　of

quality　with　her；　and　who　used　to　go　and　see　him　at　his　nurse's。　　La

Pigoreau　gave　him　a　long　account　of　her　situation。　　The　major…domo

took　the　child　with　some　emotion；　and　told　la　Pigoreau　to　wait　his

answer　a　short　distance　off；　in　a　place　which　he　pointed　out。



Baulieu's　wife　made　a　great　outcry　at　the　first　proposal　of　an

increase　of　family；　but　he　succeeded　in　pacifying　her　by　pointing　out

the　necessities　of　his　sister…in…law；　and　how　easy　and　inexpensive　it

was　to　do　this　good　work　in　such　a　house　as　the　count's。　　He　went　to

his　master　and　mistress　to　ask　permission　to　bring　up　this　child　in

their　hotel；　a　kind　of　feeling　entered　into　the　charge　he　was

undertaking　which　in　some　measure　lessened　the　weight　on　his

conscience。



The　count　and　countess　at　first　opposed　this　project；　telling　him

that　having　already　five　children　he　ought　not　to　burden　himself　with

any　more；　but　he　petitioned　so　earnestly　that　he　obtained　what　he

wanted。　　The　countess　wished　to　see　it；　and　as　she　was　about　to　start

for　Moulins　she　ordered　it　to　be　put　in　her　women's　coach；　when　it

was　shown　her；　she　cried　out；　〃What　a　lovely　child！〃　　The　boy　was

fair；　with　large　blue　eyes　and　very　regular　features；　She　gave　him　a

hundred　caresses；　which　the　child　returned　very　prettily。　　She　at

once　took　a　great　fancy　to　him；　and　said　to　Baulieu；　〃I　shall　not　put

him　in　my　women's　coach；　I　shall　put　him　in　my　own。〃



After　they　arrived　at　the　chateau　of　Saint…Geran；　her　affection　for

Henri；　the　name　retained　by　the　child；　increased　day　by　day。　　She

often　contemplated　him　with　sadness；　then　embraced　him　with

tenderness；　and　kept　him　long　on　her　bosom。　　The　count　shared　this

affection　for　the　supposed　nephew　of　Baulieu；　who　was　adopted；　so　to

speak；　and　brought　up　like　a　child　of　quality。



The　Marquis　de　Saint…Maixent　and　Madame　de　Bouille　had　not　married；

although　the　old　Marquis　de　Bouille　had　long　been　dead。　　It　appeared

that　they　had　given　up　this　scheme。　　The　marchioness　no　doubt　felt

scruples　about　it；　and　the　marquis　was　deterred　from　marriage　by　his

profligate　habits。　　It　is　moreover　supposed　that　other　engagements

and　heavy　bribes　compensated　the　loss　he　derived　from　the

marchioness's　breach　of　faith。



He　was　a　man　about　town　at　that　period；　and　was　making　love　to　the

demoiselle　Jacqueline　de　la　Garde；　he　had　succeeded　in　gaining　her

affections；　and　brought　matters　to　such　a　point　that　she　no　longer

refused　her　favours　except　on　the　grounds　of　her　pregnancy　and　the

danger　of　an　indiscretion。　　The　marquis　then　offered　to　introduce　to

her　a　matron　who　could　deliver　women　without　the　pangs　of　labour；　and

who　had　a　very　successful　practice。　　The　same　Jacqueline　de　la　Garde

further　gave　evidence　at　the　trial　that　M。　de　Saint…Maixent　had　often

boasted；　as　of　a　scientific　intrigue；　of　having　spirited　away　the　son

of　a　governor　of　a　province　and　grandson　of　a　marshal　of　France；　that

he　spoke　of　the　Marchioness　de　Bouille；　said　that　he　had　made　her

rich；　and　that　it　was　to　him　she　owed　her　great　wealth；　and　further；

that　one　day　having　taken　her　to　a　pretty　country　seat　which　belonged

to　him；　she　praised　its　beauty；　saying　〃c'etait　un　beau　lieu〃；　he

replied　by　a　pun　on　a　man's　name；　saying　that　he　knew　another　Baulieu

who　had　enabled　him　to　make　a　fortune　of　five　hundred　thousand

crowns。　　He　also　said　to　Jadelon；　sieur　de　la　Barbesange；　when

posting　with　him　from　Paris；　that　the　Countess　de　Saint…Geran　had

been　delivered　of　a　son　who　was　in　his　power。



The　marquis　had　not　seen　Madame　de　Bouille　for　a　long　time；　a　common

danger　reunited　them。　　They　had　both　learned　with　terror　the　presence

of　Henri　at　the　hotel　de　Saint…Geran。　　They　consulted　about　this；　the

marquis　undertook　to　cut　the　danger　short。　　However；　he　dared　put　in

practice　nothing　overtly　against　the　child；　a　matter　still　more

difficult　just　then；　inasmuch　as　some　particulars　of　his

discreditable　adventures　had　leaked　out；　and　the　Saint…Geran　family

received　him　more　than　coldly。



Baulieu；　who　witnessed　every　day　the　tenderness　of　the　count　and

countess　for　the　boy　Henri；　had　been　a　hundred　times　on　the　point　of

giving　himself　up　and　confessing　everything。　He　was　torn　to　pieces

with　remorse。　　Remarks　escaped　him　which　he　thought　he　might　make

without　ulterior　consequences；　seeing　the　lapse　of　time；　but　they

were　noted　and　commented　on。　　Sometimes　he　would　say　that　he　held　in

his　hand　the　life　and　honour　of　Madame　the　Marchioness　de　Bouille；

sometimes　that　the　count　and　countess　had　more　reasons　than　they　knew

of　for　loving　Henri。　　One　day　he　put　a　case　of　conscience　to　a

confessor；　thus：　〃Whether　a　man　who　had　been　concerned　in　the

abduction　of　a　child　could　not　satisfy　his　conscience　by　restoring

him　to　his　father　and　mother　without　telling　them　who　he　was？〃　　What

answer　the　confessor　made　is　not　known；　but　apparently　it　was　not

what　the　major…domo　wanted。　　He　replied　to　a　magistrate　of　Moulins；

who　congratulated　him　on　having　a　nephew　whom　his　masters

overburdened　with　kind　treatment；　that　they　ought　to　love　him；　since

he　was　nearly　related　to　them。



These　remarks　were　noticed　by　others　than　those　principally

concerned。　　One　day　a　wine　merchant　came　to　propose　to　Baulieu　the

purchase　of　a　pipe　of　Spanish　wine；　of　which　he　gave　him　a　sample

bottle；　in　the　evening　he　was　taken　violently　ill。　　They　carried　him

to　bed；　where　he　writhed；　uttering　horrible　cries。　　One　sole　thought

possessed　him　when　his　sufferings　left　him　a　lucid　interval；　and　in

his　agony　he　repeated　over　and　over　again　that　he　wished　to　implore

pardon　from　the　count　and　countess　for　a　great　injury　which　he　had

done　them。　　The　people　round　about　him　told　him　that　was　a　trifle；

and　that　he　ought　not　to　let　it　embitter　his　last　moments；　but　he

begged　so　piteously　that　he　got　them　to　promise　that　they　should　be

sent　for。



The　count　thought　it　was　some　trifling　irregularity；　some

misappropriation　in　the　house　accounts；　and　fearing　to　hasten　the

death　of　the　sufferer　by　the　shame　of　the　confession　of　a　fault；　he

sent　word　that　he　heartily　forgave　him；　that　he　might　die　tranquil；

and　refused　to　see　him。　　Baulieu　expired；　taking　his　secret　with　him。

This　happened　in　1648。



The　child　was　then　seven　years　old。　　His　charming　manners　grew　with

his　age；　and　the　count　and　countess　felt　their　love　for　him　increase。

They　caused　him　to　be　taught　dancing　and　fencing；　put　him　into

breeches　and　hose；　and　a　page's　suit　of　their　livery；　in　which

capacity　he　served　them。　　The　marquis　turned　his　attack　to　this

quarter。　　He　was　doubtless　preparing　some　plot　as　criminal　as　the

preceding；　when　justice　overtook　him　for　some　other　great　crimes　of

which　he　had　been　guilty。　　He　was　arrested　one　day　in　the　street　when

conversing　with　one　of　the　Saint…Geran　footmen；　and　taken　to　the

Conciergerie　of　the　Palace　of　Justice。



Whether　owing　to　these　occurrences；　or　to　grounds　for　suspicion

before　mentioned；　certain　reports　spread　in　the　Bourbonnais　embodying

some　of　the　real　facts；　portions　of　them　reached　the　ears　of　the

count　and　countess；　but　they　had　only　the　effect　of　renewing　their

grief　without　furnishing　a　clue　to　the　truth。



Meanwhile；　the　count　went　to　take　the　waters　at　Vichy。　　The　countess

and　Madame　de　Bouille　followed　him；　and　there　they　chanced　to

encounter　Louise　Goillard；　the　midwife。　　This　woman　renewed　her

acquaintance　with　the　house；　and　in　particular　often　visited　the

Marchioness　de　Bouille。　　One　day　the　countess；　unexpectedly　entering

the　marchioness's　room；　found　them　both　conversing　in　an　undertone。

They　stopped　talking　immediately；　and　appeared　disconcerted。



The　countess　noticed　this　without　attaching　any　importance　to　it；　and

asked　the　subject　of　their　conversation。



〃Oh；　nothing；〃　said　the　marchioness。



〃But　what　is　it？〃　insisted　the　countess；　seeing　that　she　blushed。



The　marchioness；　no　longer　able　to　evade　the　question；　and　feeling