登陆注册
4710100000041

第41章

And doubting the inventions, snares, arguments, and artifices familiar to women in these desperate situations, of which they study night and day the variations, by themselves, or between themselves, he departed with this rude and bitter speech. He went instantly to interrogate his servants, presenting to them a face divinely terrible; so all of them replied to him as they would to God the Father on the Judgment Day, when each of us will be called to his account.

None of them knew the serious mischief which was at the bottom of these summary interrogations and crafty interlocutions; but from all that they said, the constable came to the conclusion that no male in his house was in the business, except one of his dogs, whom he found dumb, and to whom he had given the post of watching the gardens; so taking him in his hands, he strangled him with rage. This fact incited him by induction to suppose that the other constable came into his house by the garden, of which the only entrance was a postern opening on to the water side.

It is necessary to explain to those who are ignorant of it, the locality of the Hotel d'Armagnac, which had a notable situation near to the royal houses of St. Pol. On this site has since been built the hotel of Longueville. Then as at the present time, the residence of d'Armagnac had a porch of fine stone in Rue St. Antoine, was fortified at all points, and the high walls by the river side, in face of the Ile du Vaches, in the part where now stands the port of La Greve, were furnished with little towers. The design of these has for a long time been shown at the house of Cardinal Duprat, the king's Chancellor. The constable ransacked his brains, and at the bottom, from his finest stratagems, drew the best, and fitted it so well to the present case, that the gallant would be certain to be taken like a hare in the trap.

"'Sdeath," said he, "my planter of horns is taken, and I have the time now to think how I shall finish him off."

Now this is the order of battle which this grand hairy captain who waged such glorious war against Duke Jean-sans-Peur commanded for the assault of his secret enemy. He took a goodly number of his most loyal and adroit archers, and placed them on the quay tower, ordering them under the heaviest penalties to draw without distinction of persons, except his wife, on those of his household who should attempt to leave the gardens, and to admit therein, either by night or by day, the favoured gentleman. The same was done on the porch side, in the Rue St Antoine.

The retainers, even the chaplain, were ordered not to leave the house under pain of death. Then the guard of the two sides of the hotel having been committed to the soldiers of a company of ordnance, who were ordered to keep a sharp lookout in the side streets, it was certain that the unknown lover to whom the constable was indebted for his pair of horns, would be taken warm, when, knowing nothing, he should come at the accustomed hour of love to insolently plant his standard in the heart of the legitimate appurtenances of the said lord count.

It was a trap into which the most expert man would fall unless he was seriously protected by the fates, as was the good St. Peter by the Saviour when he prevented him going to the bottom of the sea the day when they had a fancy to try if the sea were as solid as terra firma.

The constable had business with the inhabitants of Poissy, and was obliged to be in the saddle after dinner, so that, knowing his intention, the poor Countess Bonne determined at night to invite her young gallant to that charming duel in which she was always the stronger.

While the constable was making round his hotel a girdle of spies and of death, and hiding his people near the postern to seize the gallant as he came out, not knowing where he would spring from, his wife was not amusing herself by threading peas nor seeking black cows in the embers. First, the maid-servant who had been stuck, unstuck herself and dragged herself to her mistress; she told her that her outraged lord knew nothing, and that before giving up the ghost she would comfort her dear mistress by assuring her that she could have perfect confidence in her sister, who was laundress in the hotel, and was willing to let herself be chopped up as small as sausage-meat to please Madame. That she was the most adroit and roguish woman in the neighbourhood, and renowned from the council chamber to the Trahoir cross among the common people, and fertile in invention for the desperate cases of love.

Then, while weeping for the decease of her good chamber woman, the countess sent for the laundress, made her leave her tubs and join her in rummaging the bag of good tricks, wishing to save Savoisy, even at the price of her future salvation.

First of all the two women determined to let him know their lord and master's suspicion, and beg him to be careful.

Now behold the good washerwoman who, carrying her tub like a mule, attempts to leave the hotel. But at the porch she found a man-at-arms who turned a deaf ear to all the blandishments of the wash-tub. Then she resolved, from her great devotion, to take the soldier on his weak side, and she tickled him so with her fondling that he romped very well with her, although he was armour-plated ready for battle; but when the game was over he still refused to let her go into the street and although she tried to get herself a passport sealed by some of the handsomest, believing them more gallant: neither the archers, men-at-arms, nor others, dared open for her the smallest entrance of the house. "You are wicked and ungrateful wretches," said she, "not to render me a like service."

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 死人的来信

    死人的来信

    这封寄到B报社“读者来信部”的怪信,是四月份的事。“读者来信部”是总编室下属的一个部门,专管选登读者来稿和答复查询事宜。这个部门较之社会部和经济部要冷清得多了。部里年长的居多。日常的工作,就是阅读桌上堆积如山的来稿,分门别类转给有关科室,再就是起草文件一类的文案工作。来信少的时候或是公务处理完后的闲暇,也可以到咖啡馆或弹子房里消磨片刻,也决没有别的部门的人会说什么闲话。但是作为一名记者,却也得不到机会发表独家新闻,出头露面。
  • 重生之曼妙医师

    重生之曼妙医师

    她,凌思,中医界的权威,医学界天才。她,苏流瑾,X省军区苏家的大小姐,怯懦自卑的私生女。生母不知去向,生父对她不闻不问,在所有大人的眼中,她是个透明的存在,是同辈小孩欺负嘲笑的对象。一朝梦醒,她成了她,她不是她。在S省,所有人都知道一句话:你可以在玉皇大帝身上戳几个透明的窟窿,但是千万别得罪江家的人。他,江辰逸,S省省委书记最心爱的外孙,财阀江家的少爷,商界的怪才,霸道任性,没有他不能做的,只有他不想坐的。片段一:俊美的男人被五花大绑的绑在床上,脸色潮红,低低喘息。“说,还抽不抽?”恨恨的看着惹火的小女人,终于挫败的垂下眼睛:”在你面前在也不抽了。”…“不是说不抽了吗?”他一脸坦然:“我只答应在你面前不抽。”片段二:裹着浴衣出来,他邪笑着揽她:“是在勾引我吗?”门铃过后,一个小小傻傻的小鬼:“我来找爸爸。”她回过头笑得意味深深:“什么时候造的孽?”片段三:打开门,露出半边脸的男人,在床上和一个女人……脏死了,一甩门走掉。“为什么一直不见我?”“我有洁癖,我不喜欢别人用过的东西。”男人无辜的说:“可是我没有被用过啊!”一拍桌子,“那,那个女人是怎么回事?”某个人泪水连连,“那是我堂哥啊…”《重生之官家娇女》霜瓦流化好友的文哦,希望大家支持!《形婚》伯爵的胡须好友的文,多多支持哦!好友蘑菇殿下的文,希望大家戳几下,谢谢哦!
  • 小子,我是你妈

    小子,我是你妈

    倒霉了二十二年,终于幸运了一回.人生多了二十年的青春?乐啊......还能更加变得美美的.喜啊......可是二十年后呢?不能象现在一样潦倒了.要培养个全才的儿子来养我.IQ要达到250.恩,这个可以.可是这个男孩子好丑啊......将来老婆都成了问题了.算了,再为他收留一个小美女.将来好个他俩配对对.可是...可是...怎麽越来越不对了呢?是他和她,不是他和我啦......不要,我这麽美.......虽然他很有钱啦......8888推荐好友的同类作品.大家可以去看看.不予:<这个奶爸有点酷>http://m.wkkk.net?info/m.wkkk.net紫树叶子:<包养老婆>伊图草希:《『禁』爱》野人乙:<我的天王老公>海源蒙儿:<爱我,请将我禁锢>殷紫[狼爱上羊]冰冰七月:<暴君,邪妃>99999999999999999999999QQ群:54410779(空)24646525(快满)51567756(满)88888888888888888888888欢迎大家来踩新坑<爱奴>带点伤感,带点搞笑.谢谢.
  • 慈禧集权的秘密

    慈禧集权的秘密

    《慈禧集权的秘密》讲述的是慈禧一生在皇宫里执掌政治权利的秘密。
  • 潘神的宝藏

    潘神的宝藏

    阿尔卡丹大陆的雷顿王国背负着一个可怕的诅咒,每隔一百年,当五月的第一天来临,就会有一位公主被恶龙抢走当新娘。第八百年,厄运即将落到“阿尔卡丹最娇艳的玫瑰”玫兰妮公主的身上……
  • 宋词三百首(中华国学经典)

    宋词三百首(中华国学经典)

    中国传统文化博大精深,包罗万象,远不是一本书所能囊括的。本丛书只是选取其中部分内容分门别类进行介绍。我们约请的作者,都是各个领域的专业研究者,每一篇简短的文字背后其实都有多年的积累,他们努力使这些文字深入浅出而严谨准确。与此同时,我们给一些文字选配了图片,使读者形成更加直观的印象。无论您是什么学历,无论您是什么年龄,无论您从事的是什么职业,只要您是中国传统文化的爱好者,您都可以从本书中获得您想要的。
  • 江大烟杆儿

    江大烟杆儿

    逆水闯滩烟杆戳船绊纤绳二十世纪二十年代末,古镇磁器口凭借方便的水上交通,成为嘉陵江下游最大的物资集散地;镇上商贾云集,店铺林立,繁荣异常。这午夏季,嘉陵江洪水暴涨,江面上激流翻滚,浊浪滔天。时值七月初八逢场(集市),方圆几十里的乡民都拥来赶场;古镇四街,人头攒动,摩肩接踵,拥挤不堪;叫卖声,讨价还价声,不绝于耳。直到正午,街市喧哗依然不减。午时过后,金碧正街陈记河水豆花馆,走出两位打着酒嗝的汉子。二人挤出熙熙攘攘的大街,径直来到码头上,踏上停靠在江边的一条柏木稍船。那稍船上装着十几桶洋油,船身压得沉沉的。
  • 胖虎的秘密银行(百万理财教育成长必备)

    胖虎的秘密银行(百万理财教育成长必备)

    这个故事从胖虎和小强两个朋友之间的借贷关系带出银行的角色和功能,让孩子容易理解。但实际上银行的功能相当复杂,加上国际金融业务的演进和发展,一个人的基本生活,几乎不可能和银行完全脱离关系。通常孩子拥有一本自己的存折时,对存钱的行为会觉得更有趣,对数字增减的感觉也会更强烈,一旦孩子对金钱奠定了基本的价值观和管理技巧,银行账户里也确实存到一笔小小的基金时,父母就可以慢慢引导孩子“投资”的观念,毕竟越早开始理财,机会成本的损失愈小,但复利增值的威力却越强大。
  • 柔弱女人老公爱

    柔弱女人老公爱

    许多时候,女人的娇弱,是男人心中浓得化不开的一抹香艳;女人的柔情,更是他们生命里梦寐以求的一场风花雪月。对于男人而言,“柔”就是美的代名词,“弱”就是娇的最好体现。而男人的这种“柔弱”情结,正是来自于历史的赐予,来自于传统的沉淀。男人既然最爱的是“柔弱”女人,那作为现在最是独立自主的都市女性,又怎样才能柔得自然、弱得美丽?又怎样才能在适当的时候施展自己的“柔弱”魅力?又怎样才能成为男人心中那个柔情似水、温柔体贴的最爱?
  • 龙屠神殿

    龙屠神殿

    天纵奇才又怎么样,手握旋环又怎么样?为疆土,你弑杀亲人;为权杖,你戕害我挚爱之人,纵然你是我的亲哥哥,我也要杀你鹰犬,夺你疆土,把你欠我的,连同你的命,一起要回来!万里云霄舒羽翼,一瞬存亡百国惊。谁是谁的宿命,谁荼毒谁,谁误解谁,为什么现实总是不完美,成长的过程却总是阴差阳错……