droll stories-3- 第30部分

Beaumont；　which　established　him　as　governor　of　the　whole　province；　and

put　him　on　an　excellent　footing　at　court。　But　this　was　the　cause　of　a

great　wound　in　Madame's　heart；　because　a　wretch；　jealous　of　this

unclouded　happiness；　asked　her；　playfully；　if　Beaumont　had　ever　spoken

to　her　of　his　first　love；　Mademoiselle　de　Montmorency；　who　at　that

time　was　twenty…two　years　of　age；　as　she　was　sixteen　at　the　time　the

marriage　took　place　in　Romethe　which　young　lady　loved　l'Ile　Adam　so

much　that　she　remained　a　maiden；　would　listen　to　no　proposals　of

marriage；　and　was　dying　of　a　broken　heart；　unable　to　banish　her

perfidious　lover　from　her　remembrance　and　was　desirous　of　entering　the

convent　of　Chelles。　Madame　Imperia；　during　the　six　years　of　her

marriage；　had　never　heard　this　name；　and　was　sure　from　this　fact　that

she　was　indeed　beloved。　You　can　imagine　that　this　time　had　been　passed

as　a　single　day；　that　both　believed　that　they　had　only　been　married

the　evening　before；　and　that　each　night　was　as　a　wedding　night；　and

that　if　business　took　the　knight　out　of　doors；　he　was　quite

melancholy；　being　unwilling　ever　to　have　her　out　of　his　sight；　and　she

was　the　same　with　him。



The　king；　who　was　very　partial　to　the　viscount；　also　made　a　remark　to

him　which　stung　him　to　the　quick；　when　he　said；　〃You　have　no

children？〃



To　which　Beaumont　replied；　with　the　face　of　a　man　whose　raw　place　you

have　touched　with　your　finger；　〃Monsiegneur；　my　brother　has；　thus　our

line　is　safe。〃



Now　it　happened　that　his　brother's　two　children　died　suddenlyone

from　a　fall　from　his　horse　at　a　tournament　and　the　other　from　illness。

Monsieur　l'Ile　Adam　the　elder　was　so　stricken　with　grief　at　these　two

deaths　that　he　expired　soon　after；　so　much　did　he　love　his　two　sons。

By　this　means　the　manor　of　Beaumont；　the　property　at　Carenelle；　St。

Martin；　Nointel；　and　the　surrounding　domains；　were　reunited　to　the

manor　of　l'Ile　Adam；　and　the　neighbouring　forests；　and　the　cadet

became　the　head　of　the　house。　At　this　time　Madame　was　forty…five；　and

was　still　fit　to　bear　children；　but　alas！　she　conceived　not。　As　soon

as　she　saw　the　lineage　of　l'Ile　Adam　destroyed；　she　was　anxious　to

obtain　offspring。



Now；　as　during　the　seven　years　which　had　elapsed　she　had　never　once

had　the　slightest　hint　of　pregnancy；　she　believed；　according　to　the

statement　of　a　clever　physician　whom　she　sent　for　from　Paris；　that

this　barrenness　proceeded　from　the　fact；　that　both　she　and　her

husband；　always　more　lovers　than　spouses；　allowed　pleasure　to

interfere　with　business；　and　by　this　means　engendering　was　prevented。

Then　she　endeavoured　to　restrain　her　impetuosity；　and　to　take　things

coolly；　because　the　physician　had　explained　to　her　that　in　a　state　of

nature　animals　never　failed　to　breed；　because　the　females　employed

none　of　those　artifices；　tricks；　and　hanky…pankies　with　which　women

accommodate　the　olives　of　Poissy；　and　for　this　reason　they　thoroughly

deserved　the　title　of　beasts。　She　promised　him　no　longer　to　play　with

such　a　serious　affair；　and　to　forget　all　the　ingenious　devices　in

which　she　had　been　so　fertile。　But；　alas！　although　she　kept　as　quiet

as　that　German　woman　who　lay　so　still　that　her　husband　embraced　her　to

death；　and　then　went；　poor　baron；　to　obtain　absolution　from　the　pope；

who　delivered　his　celebrated　brief；　in　which　he　requested　the　ladies

of　Franconia　to　be　a　little　more　lively；　and　prevent　a　repetition　of

such　a　crime。　Madame　de　l'Ile　Adam　did　not　conceive；　and　fell　into　a

state　of　great　melancholy。



Then　she　began　to　notice　how　thoughtful　had　become　her　husband；　l'Ile

Adam；　whom　she　watched　when　he　thought　she　was　not　looking；　and　who

wept　that　he　had　no　fruit　of　his　great　love。　Soon　this　pair　mingled

their　tears；　for　everything　was　common　to　the　two　in　this　fine

household；　and　as　they　never　left　the　other；　the　thought　of　the　one

was　necessarily　the　thought　of　the　other。　When　Madame　beheld　a　poor

person's　child　she　nearly　died　of　grief；　and　it　took　her　a　whole　day

to　recover。　Seeing　this　great　sorrow；　l'Ile　Adam　ordered　all　children

to　be　kept　out　of　his　wife's　sight；　and　said　soothing　things　to　her；

such　as　that　children　often　turned　out　badly；　to　which　she　replied；

that　a　child　made　by　those　who　loved　so　passionately　would　be　the

finest　child　in　the　world。　He　told　her　that　her　sons　might　perish；

like　those　of　his　poor　brother；　to　which　she　replied；　that　she　would

not　let　them　stir　further　from　her　petticoats　than　a　hen　allows　her

chickens。　In　fact；　she　had　an　answer　for　everything。



Madame　caused　a　woman　to　be　sent　for　who　dealt　in　magic；　and　who　was

supposed　to　be　learned　in　these　mysteries；　who　told　her　that　she　had

often　seen　women　unable　to　conceive　in　spite　of　every　effort；　but　yet

they　had　succeeded　by　studying　the　manners　and　customs　of　animals。

Madame　took　the　beasts　of　the　fields　for　her　preceptors；　but　she　did

not　increase　in　size；　her　flesh　still　remained　firm　and　white　as

marble。　She　returned　to　the　physical　science　of　the　master　doctors　of

Paris；　and　sent　for　a　celebrated　Arabian　physician；　who　had　just

arrived　in　France　with　a　new　science。　Then　this　savant；　brought　up　in

the　school　of　one　Sieur　Averroes；　entered　into　certain　medical

details；　and　declared　that　the　loose　life　she　had　formerly　led　had　for

ever　ruined　her　chance　of　obtaining　offspring。　The　physical　reasons

which　he　assigned　were　so　contrary　to　the　teaching　of　the　holy　books

which　establish　the　majesty　of　man；　made　in　the　image　of　his　creator；

and　so　contrary　to　the　system　upheld　by　sound　sense　and　good　doctrine；

that　the　doctors　of　Paris　laughed　them　to　scorn。　The　Arabian　physician

left　the　school　where　his　master；　the　Sieur　Averroes；　was　unknown。



The　doctors　told　Madame；　who　had　come　to　Paris；　that　she　was　to　keep

on　as　usual；　since　she　had　had　during　her　gay　life　the　lovely

Theodora；　by　the　cardinal　of　Ragusa；　and　that　the　right　of　having

children　remained　with　women　as　long　as　their　blood　circulated；　and

all　that　she　had　to　do　was　to　multiply　the　chances　of　conception。　This

advice　appeared　to　her　so　good　that　she　multiplied　her　victories；　but

it　was　only　multiplying　her　defeats；　since　she　obtained　the　flowers　of

love　without　its　fruits。



The　poor　afflicted　woman　wrote　then　to　the　pope；　who　loved　her　much；

and　told　him　of　her　sorrows。　The　good　pope　replied　to　her　with　a

gracious　homily；　written　with　his　own　hand；　in　which　he　told　her　that

when　human　science　and　things　terrestrial　had　failed；　we　should　turn

to　Heaven　and　implore　the　grace　of　God。　Then　she　determined　to　go　with

naked　feet；　accompanied　by　her　husband；　to　Notre　Dame　de　Liesse；

celebrated　for　her　intervention　in　similar　cases；　and　made　a　vow　to

build　a　magnificent　cathedral　in　gratitude　for　the　child。　But　she

bruised　and　injured　her　pretty　feet；　and　conceived　nothing　but　a

violent　grief；　which　was　so　great　that　some　of　her　lovely　tresses　fell

off　and　some　turned　white。



At　last　the　faculty　of　making　children　was　taken　from　her；　which

brought　on　the　vapours　consequent　upon　hypochondria；　and　caused　her

skin　to　turn　yellow。　She　was　then　forty…nine　years　of　age；　and　lived

in　her　castle　of　l'Ile　Adam；　where　she　grew　as　thin　as　a　leper　in　a

lazar…house。　The　poor　creature　was　all　the　more　wretched　because　l'Ile

Adam　was　still　amorous；　and　as　good　as　gold　to　her；　who　failed　in　her

duty；　because　she　had　formerly　been　too　free　with　the　men；　and　was

now；　according　to　her　own　disdainful　remark；　only　a　cauldron　to　cook

chitterlings。



〃Ha！〃　said　she；　one　evening　when　these　thoughts　were　tormenting　her。

〃In　spite　of　the　Church；　in　spite　of　the　king；　in　spite　of　everything；

Madame　de　l'Ile　Adam　is　still　the　wicked　Imperia！〃



She　fell　into　a　violent　passion　when　she　saw　this　handsome　gentleman

have　everything　a　man　can　desire；　great　wealth；　royal　favour；

unequalled　love；　matchless　wife；　pleasure　such　as　none　other　could

produce；　and　yet　fail　in　that　which　is　dearest　to　the　head　of　the

housenamely；　lineage。　With　this　idea　in　her　head；　she　wished　to　die；

thinking　how　good　and　noble　he　had　been　to　her；　and　how　much　she

failed　in　her　duty　in　not　giving　him　children；　and　in　being

henceforward　unable　to　do　so。　She　hid　her　sorrow　in　the　secret

recesses　of　her　heart；　and　conceived　a　devotion　worthy　her　great　love。

To　put　into　practice　this　heroic　design　she　became　still　more　amorous；

took　extreme　care　of　her　charms；　and　made　use　of　learned　precepts　to

maintain　her　bodily　perfection；　which　threw　out　an　incredible　lustre。



About　this　time　the　Sieur　de　Montmorency　conquered　the　repulsion　his

daughter　entertained　for　marriage；　and　her　alliance　with　one　Sieur　de

Chatillon　was　much　talked　about。　Madame　Imperia；　who　lived　only　three

leagues　distant　from　Montmorency；　one　day　sent　her　husband　out　hunting

in　the　forests；　and　set　out　towards　the　castle　where　the　young　lady

lived。　Arrived　in　the　grounds　she　walked　about　there；　telling　a

servant　to　inform　her　mistress　that　a　lady　had　a　most　important

communication　to　make　to　her；　and　that　she　had　come　to　request　an

audience。　Much　interested　by　the　account　which　she　received　by　the

beauty；　courtesy；　and　manners　of　the　unknown　lady；　Mademoiselle　de

Montmorency　went　in　great　haste　into　the　gardens；　and　there　met　her

rival；　whom　she　did　not　know。



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　poor　woman；　weeping　to　find　the　young　maiden　as

beautiful　as　herself；　〃I　know　that　they　are　trying　to　force　you　into　a

marriage　with　Monsieur　de　Chatillon；　although　you　still　love　Monsieur

de　l'Ile　Adam。　Have　confidence　in　the　prophecy　that　I　here　make　you；

that　he　whom　you　have　loved；　and　who　only　was　false　to　you　through　a

snare　into　which　an　angel　might　have　fallen；　will　be　free　from　the

burden　of　his　old　wife　before　the　leaves　fall。　Thus　the　constancy　of

your　love　will　have　its　crown　of　flowers。　Now　have　the　courage　to

refuse　this　marriage　they　are　arranging　for　you；　and　you　may　yet　clasp

your　first　and