登陆注册
4606300000152

第152章

Towards the middle of November, the soldier who acted as my servant was attacked with inflammation of the chest; I gave notice of it to the captain of his company, and he was carried to the hospital. On the fourth day I was told that he would not recover, and that he had received the last sacraments; in the evening I happened to be at his captain's when the priest who had attended him came to announce his death, and to deliver a small parcel which the dying man had entrusted to him to be given up to his captain only after his death.

The parcel contained a brass seal engraved with ducal arms, a certificate of baptism, and a sheet of paper covered with writing in French. Captain Camporese, who only spoke Italian, begged me to translate the paper, the contents of which were as follows:

"My will is that this paper, which I have written and signed with my own hand, shall be delivered to my captain only after I have breathed my last: until then, my confessor shall not make any use of it, for I

entrust it to his hands only under the seal of confession. I entreat my captain to have me buried in a vault from which my body can be exhumed in case the duke, my father, should request its exhumation.

I entreat him likewise to forward my certificate of baptism, the seal with the armorial bearings of my family, and a legal certificate of my birth to the French ambassador in Venice, who will send the whole to the duke, my father, my rights of primogeniture belonging, after my demise, to the prince, my brother. In faith of which I have signed and sealed these presents: Francois VI. Charles Philippe Louis Foucaud, Prince de la Rochefoucault."

The certificate of baptism, delivered at St. Sulpice gave the same names, and the title of the father was Francois V. The name of the mother was Gabrielle du Plessis.

As I was concluding my translation I could not help bursting into loud laughter; but the foolish captain, who thought my mirth out of place, hurried out to render an account of the affair to the proveditore-generale, and I went to the coffee-house, not doubting for one moment that his excellency would laugh at the captain, and that the post-mortem buffoonery would greatly amuse the whole of Corfu.

I had known in Rome, at Cardinal Acquaviva's, the Abbe de Liancourt, great-grandson of Charles, whose sister, Gabrielle du Plessis, had been the wife of Francois V., but that dated from the beginning of the last century. I had made a copy from the records of the cardinal of the account of certain circumstances which the Abbe de Liancourt wanted to communicate to the court of Spain, and in which there were a great many particulars respecting the house of Du Plessis. I

thought at the same time that the singular imposture of La Valeur (such was the name by which my soldier generally went) was absurd and without a motive, since it was to be known only after his death, and could not therefore prove of any advantage to him.

Half an hour afterwards, as I was opening a fresh pack of cards, the Adjutant Sanzonio came in, and told the important news in the most serious manner. He had just come from the office of the proveditore, where Captain Camporese had run in the utmost hurry to deposit in the hands of his excellency the seal and the papers of the deceased prince. His excellency had immediately issued his orders for the burial of the prince in a vault with all the honours due to his exalted rank. Another half hour passed, and M. Minolto, adjutant of the proveditore-generale, came to inform me that his excellency wanted to see me. I passed the cards to Major Maroli, and went to his excellency's house. I found him at supper with several ladies, three or four naval commanders, Madame F----, and M. D----

R-----.

"So, your servant was a prince!" said the old general to me.

"Your excellency, I never would have suspected it, and even now that he is dead I do not believe it."

"Why? He is dead, but he was not insane. You have seen his armorial bearings, his certificate of baptism, as well as what he wrote with his own hand. When a man is so near death, he does not fancy practical jokes."

"If your excellency is satisfied of the truth of the story, my duty is to remain silent."

"The story cannot be anything but true, and your doubts surprise me."

"I doubt, monsignor, because I happen to have positive information respecting the families of La Rochefoucault and Du Plessis. Besides, I have seen too much of the man. He was not a madman, but he certainly was an extravagant jester. I have never seen him write, and he has told me himself a score of times that he had never learned."

"The paper he has written proves the contrary. His arms have the ducal bearings; but perhaps you are not aware that M. de la Rochefoucault is a duke and peer of the French realm?"

"I beg your eminence's pardon; I know all about it; I know even more, for I know that Francois VI. married a daughter of the house of Vivonne."

"You know nothing."

When I heard this remark, as foolish as it was rude, I resolved on remaining silent, and it was with some pleasure that I observed the joy felt by all the male guests at what they thought an insult and a blow to my vanity. An officer remarked that the deceased was a fine man, a witty man, and had shewn wonderful cleverness in keeping up his assumed character so well that no one ever had the faintest suspicion of what he really was. A lady said that, if she had known him, she would have been certain to find him out. Another flatterer, belonging to that mean, contemptible race always to be found near the great and wealthy of the earth, assured us that the late prince had always shewn himself cheerful, amiable, obliging, devoid of haughtiness towards his comrades, and that he used to sing beautifully. "He was only twenty-five years of age," said Madame Sagredo, looking me full in the face, "and if he was endowed with all those qualities, you must have discovered them."

"I can only give you, madam, a true likeness of the man, such as I

同类推荐
  • 产鉴

    产鉴

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 文殊师利菩萨根本大教王经金翅鸟王品

    文殊师利菩萨根本大教王经金翅鸟王品

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 岭南摭怪

    岭南摭怪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说息诤因缘经

    佛说息诤因缘经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Henry V

    Henry V

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 秦汉三国皇帝传

    秦汉三国皇帝传

    本书主要撰写了秦朝从秦始皇(公元前247年)嗣秦王位起至三国吴灭亡(公元280年)止,共500多年的历史故事。以单列皇帝(正统)写其全传的形式,全方位介绍了自秦始皇至三国的37位皇帝的生平事迹,采取了相对按时间顺序又进行了分门别类的写法,《秦汉三国皇帝传》涵盖了政治、经济、文化、军事、民情等方面的故事。以正史为依据,既全面具体又通俗易懂,是一本详细叙史的好书。
  • 近峰纪略

    近峰纪略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 诡秘之主

    诡秘之主

    蒸汽与机械的浪潮中,谁能触及非凡?历史和黑暗的迷雾里,又是谁在耳语?我从诡秘中醒来,睁眼看见这个世界:枪械,大炮,巨舰,飞空艇,差分机;魔药,占卜,诅咒,倒吊人,封印物……光明依旧照耀,神秘从未远离,这是一段“愚者”的传说。
  • 归来之继承家业

    归来之继承家业

    回归后想当个普通人,没想到却有一大摊子家业要继承。最关键的是,还没我原来挣得多!
  • 浪荡公子和平胸妹

    浪荡公子和平胸妹

    不管你的条件有多差,总会有个人在爱你;不管你的条件有多好,也总有个人不爱你……
  • 箭荡乾坤

    箭荡乾坤

    这是一个弓和箭的世界,弓箭手,弓箭士,弓箭师,弓箭王,神箭手,神箭士,神箭师,神箭王,箭圣,箭神。看主角如何用气功和箭气功在这个世界闯出一片天地。最后,主角以自身的力量划开空间回到了地球。『流火·Fallen』
  • 独宠王爷之妃本狡诈

    独宠王爷之妃本狡诈

    本文1V1,男女主身心干净,女主宠夫,宠得无法无天,要亲亲不会给摸摸,要女儿不会给儿子!亲们请放心大胆的跳坑吧。*慕倾北,武安侯府嫡女,假的。父母宠爱?姐妹情深?情深不悔?通通都是假的。只有慕倾北爱云澈是真的。*云澈,齐国帝君胞姐长公主独子,生有惊鸿之貌,仙人之姿。父不详?痴傻?这都是骗人的。只有云澈最终爱上慕倾北不是骗人的。*百花宴上,帝君玩心大起,由众府嫡女抓阄,抓到哪个男人,便嫁给哪个男人,原本不该出现在字条上的痴傻云王竟然被慕倾北抓到了。众女皆是庆幸,还好不是自己抓到那个看起来正常却是傻子的云王。慕倾北更是庆幸,还好之前布置了一番,终于能嫁给他了。君无戏言,于是慕倾北在自我欢喜,别人同情的目光下嫁给了痴傻云王。*前世被养父母背弃换取活命的机会,被丈夫亲手做成人彘,被妹妹亲手杀死,最后还踩着她的尸体登上了后宫第一人的位置。重活一世,慕倾北只想好好守着她爱了两辈子的男人,无奈,前世不要脸的人,今生依旧无耻,为了保住好不容易算计来的夫君,慕倾北只好勉为其难的去收取前世被欠下的人命债了。养父母伪善?没关系,假面具用火烧一烧就掉了。妹妹蛇蝎心肠?那正好,送你一条毒蛇,和你正相配。八皇子紧追不舍,要娶侯府嫡女?不好意思啊,她是假的,不过她会把真的嫡女送上床的,虽然是披着人皮的毒蛇。竟然还有人不要命胆敢调戏云王?呵呵不好意思了,送你一个前世让你爱的痛彻心扉又死活得不到的男人,望君慢慢享用。慕倾北人前狡诈如狐,人后温柔如水。(P:人后特指亲亲夫君云澈。)须知爱一个人就要成为那个人的唯一,慕倾北为了成为云澈的唯一,拼了命的将云澈宠坏,这样没人能受的了天下第一美男的坏脾气,慕倾北自然就成了云澈的唯一。*【洗澡篇】某夜,只穿亵裤的傻王爷,和穿戴整齐的某王妃,以及一大桶冒着热气的洗澡水。“你自己脱,还是我给你脱?”某王妃软言好语。傻王爷瞪眼,护着下身,骂道:“流氓,你自己没有,为什么要看我的?”某王妃从善如流,开始宽衣解带,“那我也给你看好了,这样你也变流氓了。”傻王这回真傻了。【亲吻篇】某王妃看着伸出舌头,像个小狗一样在她嘴唇上舔来舔去的某王爷,有些摸不着头脑,“你在做什么?”某王头也不抬,模模糊糊回道:“亲你。”“谁告诉你这是亲吻?”
  • 我是老枪

    我是老枪

    我握此枪,必杀敌酋?心存信念,谁与争锋?一杆枪、一个人、一座城市、一场战争闭关抄经,心如止水,出门杀贼,辣手无情!陈建波的作品,一直以情节曲折诡谲,人物层次丰富,有很强的可读性著称。因此,他拥有庞大而坚定的读者群,作品的影视改编率非常高。这部“献礼中国人民抗战胜利70周年”的长篇小说《我是老枪》,在延续他以往创作风格的基础上,更加强了对人物性格多面性的塑造,以现代的手法和理念,讲述了抗战时期一个传奇的人物、一段传奇的故事。不雷人,不言情,不偶像,除了好看,还是好看。
  • 洞真太上上皇民籍定真玉箓

    洞真太上上皇民籍定真玉箓

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 紫微郎花事

    紫微郎花事

    京中有二丑,王爷与我。那年紫薇花开,诗会上,我们初会某烂泥塘边。数日后,再会暴雨倾盆的街上。二见投缘。义兄说,王爷是打着灯笼也找不着的好王爷,君子端方,不知会便宜哪家闺女。近来,听说皇上要为王爷赐婚,我心下略感油煎:想我顾眉君,脱了官袍抹了疤,亦是眉清目秀良家女,不知王爷他可曾留意否?