the countess of saint geran- 第7部分

and　springing　upon　her；　pinioned　her　arms。　　The　wretched　woman　dug

her　nails　into　the　child's　head。　　He　snatched　it　from　her；　but　the

poor　infant　for　long　bore　the　marks　of　her　claws。



Possibly　the　Marchioness　de　Bouille　could　not　nerve　herself　to　the

commission　of　so　great　a　crime；　but　it　seems　more　probable　that　the

steward　prevented　the　destruction　of　the　child　under　the　orders　of

M。　de　Saint…Maixent。　　The　theory　is　that　the　marquis；　mistrustful　of

the　promise　made　him　by　Madame　de　Bouille　to　marry　him　after　the

death　of　her　husband；　desired　to　keep　the　child　to　oblige　her　to　keep

her　word；　under　threats　of　getting　him　acknowledged；　if　she　proved

faithless　to　him。　　No　other　adequate　reason　can　be　conjectured　to

determine　a　man　of　his　character　to　take　such　great　care　of　his

victim。



Baulieu　swaddled　the　child　immediately；　put　it　in　a　basket；　hid　it

under　his　cloak；　and　went　with　his　prey　to　find　the　marquis；　they

conferred　together　for　some　time；　after　which　the　house　steward

passed　by　a　postern　gate　into　the　moat；　thence　to　a　terrace　by　which

he　reached　a　bridge　leading　into　the　park。　　This　park　had　twelve

gates；　and　he　had　the　keys　of　all。　　He　mounted　a　blood　horse　which　he

had　left　waiting　behind　a　wall；　and　started　off　at　full　gallop。　　The

same　day　he　passed　through　the　village　of　Escherolles；　a　league

distant　from　Saint…Geran；　where　he　stopped　at　the　house　of　a　nurse；

wife　of　a　glove…maker　named　Claude。　　This　peasant　woman　gave　her

breast　to　the　child；　but　the　steward；　not　daring　to　stay　in　a　village

so　near　Saint…Geran；　crossed　the　river　Allier　at　the　port　de　la

Chaise；　and　calling　at　the　house　of　a　man　named　Boucaud；　the　good

wife　suckled　the　child　for　the　second　time；　he　then　continued　his

journey　in　the　direction　of　Auvergne。



The　heat　was　excessive；　his　horse　was　done　up；　the　child　seemed

uneasy。　　A　carrier's　cart　passed　him　going　to　Riom；　it　was　owned　by　a

certain　Paul　Boithion　of　the　town　of　Aigueperce；　a　common　carrier　on

the　road。　　Baulieu　went　alongside　to　put　the　child　in　the　cart；　which

he　entered　himself；　carrying　the　infant　on　his　knees。　　The　horse

followed；　fastened　by　the　bridle　to　the　back　of　the　cart。



In　the　conversation　which　he　held　with　this　man；　Baulieu　said　that　he

should　not　take　so　much　care　of　the　child　did　it　not　belong　to　the

most　noble　house　in　the　Bourbonnais。　　They　reached　the　village　of　Che

at　midday。　　The　mistress　of　the　house　where　he　put　up；　who　was

nursing　an　infant；　consented　to　give　some　of　her　milk　to　the　child。

The　poor　creature　was　covered　with　blood；　she　warmed　some　water；

stripped　off　its　swaddling　linen；　washed　it　from　head　to　foot；　and

swathed　it　up　again　more　neatly。



The　carrier　then　took　them　to　Riom。　　When　they　got　there；　Baulieu　got

rid　of　him　by　giving　a　false　meeting…place　for　their　departure；　left

in　the　direction　of　the　abbey　of　Lavoine；　and　reached　the　village　of

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