登陆注册
5240200000125

第125章 CHAPTER XXIV.(1)

The Casket of M. de Lauzun.--His Historical Gallery.--He Makes Some Nuns.

--M. de Lauzun in the Lottery.--The Loser Wins.--Queen out of Pique.--Letter from the Queen of Portugal.--The Ingratitude of M. de Lauzun.

Twice during the captivity of M. de Lauzun the Queen of Portugal had charged her ambassador to carry to the King that young sovereign's solicitations in favour of the disgraced gentleman. Each time the negotiators had been answered with vague and ambiguous words; with those promises which potentates are not chary of, even between themselves, and which we poor mortals of the second rank call Court holy water. These exertions of the Court of Lisbon were speedily discovered, and it then became known how many women of high degree M. de Peguilain had the honour of fluttering. The officer of D'Artagnan, who had the task of seizing his papers when he was arrested to be taken to Pignerol, was obliged, in the course of his duty, to open a rather large casket, where he found the portraits of more than sixty women, of whom the greater number lived almost in the odour of sanctity. There were descriptive or biographical notes upon all these heroines, and correspondence to match. His Majesty had cognisance of it, and forbade the publication of the names. But the Marquis d'Artagnan and his subordinate officer committed some almost inevitable indiscretions, and all these ladies found their names public property. Several of them, who were either widows or young ladies, retired into convents, not daring to show their faces in the light of day.

The Queen of Portugal, before this scandal, had passionately loved the Marquis de Lauzun. She was then called Mademoiselle d'Aumale, and her sister who was soon afterwards Duchess of Savoy was called at Paris Mademoiselle de Nemours. These two princesses, after having exchanged confidences and confessions, were astonished and grieved to find themselves antagonists and rivals. Happily they had a saving wit, both of them, and made a treaty of peace, by which it was recognised and agreed that, since their patrimony was small, it should be neither divided nor drawn upon, in order that it might make of M. de Lauzun, when he came to marry, a rich man and a great lord. The two rivals, in the excess of their love, stipulated that this indivisible inheritance should be drawn for by lot, that the victorious number should have M. de Lauzun thrown in, and that the losing number should go and bury herself in a convent.

Mademoiselle d'Aumale--that is to say, the pretty blonde--won M. de Lauzun; but he, being bizarre in his tastes, and who only had a fancy for the brunette (the less charming of the two), went and besought the King to refuse his consent.

Mademoiselle d'Aumale thought of dying of grief and pique, and, as a consequence of her despair, listened to the proposals of the King of Portugal, and consented to take a crown.

同类推荐
  • 佛性论

    佛性论

    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。
  • The Sleeping-Car

    The Sleeping-Car

    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。
  • 明伦汇编官常典贤裔部

    明伦汇编官常典贤裔部

    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。
  • 梼杌萃编

    梼杌萃编

    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。
  • 太上灵宝升玄内教经中和品述议疏

    太上灵宝升玄内教经中和品述议疏

    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
  • 快穿系统:病娇男神太病娇

    快穿系统:病娇男神太病娇

    【双洁1v1】【全文免费】【男主是同一个】【女主双人格,后期为鹿朝】各式各样系统带你飞,带你打脸啪啪啪徒儿阮墨:师傅师傅,你不是说了喜欢我吗?那你就得……永远在我身边哦~暮离渊:既然要死,那便一起死,既然不能在一起,那便一起死……班长大人:我的媳妇儿我宠着~谁都别想对我媳妇儿起歪心思,小心剜了你的眼睛~黑化哥哥:怎么?又不听话?那就接受惩罚吧……孤若酒拖着下巴,敲着桌子,男神们需要她,她的男神也还在远方等着她来到他身旁你最终还是会回到我身旁的。
  • 中华人民共和国人民警察警衔条例

    中华人民共和国人民警察警衔条例

    为加强法制宣传,迅速普及法律知识,服务于我国民主法制建设,多年来,中国民主法制出版社根据全国人大常委会每年定期审议通过、修订的法律,全品种、大规模的出版了全国人民代表大会常务委员会公报版的系列法律单行本。该套法律单行本经过最高立法机关即全国人民代表大会常务委员会的权威审定,法条内容准确无误,文本格式规范合理,多年来受到了社会各界广泛关注与好评。
  • 豪门暖婚:总裁的契约娇妻

    豪门暖婚:总裁的契约娇妻

    高档KTV的豪华包间内,浓郁酒精味道弥散在整个房间的空气中,带着些许奢靡。真皮的长沙发……
  • 遺山先生新樂府

    遺山先生新樂府

    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。
  • 新股民炒股必备的10大兵器

    新股民炒股必备的10大兵器

    本书共分为10章,每章介绍一种技术指标,包括K线图、均线、成交量、PSY指标、MACD指标、KDJ指标、OBV指标、RSI指标、BOLL指标和DMI指标。每章内容又分为三部分:某项技术指标的原理和意义,该指标买入信号及实战案例,该指标卖出信号及实战案例。读者既可以按照本书编写顺序阅读,也可以根据自己的兴趣或经验进行选择性阅读。
  • 世界军事百科之古代战争

    世界军事百科之古代战争

    军事是一个国家和民族强大和稳定的象征,在国家生活中具有举足轻重的作用。国家兴亡,匹夫有责,全面而系统地掌握军事知识,是我们每一个人光荣的责任和义务,也是我们进行国防教育的主要内容。
  • 绝天狂帝

    绝天狂帝

    “听说公子一语成丹,挥手成阵,降龙伏魔弹指间,毁天灭地仅一剑。这是真的吗?”“是!那不过是我,平生一些寻常的事迹而已。”绝世神皇叶天,被好兄弟暗算陨落,千年后,王者归来,觉醒无上武魂,一路高歌,笑傲诸天万界。
  • 尘埃落定(茅盾文学奖获奖作品)

    尘埃落定(茅盾文学奖获奖作品)

    第五届茅盾文学奖获奖作品,已改编为同名电视剧,由李解、范冰冰、刘威、宋佳主演。一个声势显赫的康巴藏族土司,在酒后和汉族太太生了一个傻瓜儿子。这个人人都认定的傻子与现实生活格格不入,却有着超时代的预感和举止,成为土司制度兴衰的见证人。小说故事精彩曲折动人,以饱含激情的笔墨,超然物外的审视目光,展现了浓郁的民族风情和土司制度的浪漫神秘。
  • 丑妃十三岁:拐个邪王来种田

    丑妃十三岁:拐个邪王来种田

    现代考古学家赵落落,穿越到一个不知名的大陆,变成一个黑不溜秋,瘦不拉几的小村姑,人穷貌丑好地没有。这些还是次要的,主要的是:一睁开眼睛看到的美男竟然赖上她,蹭吃蹭喝蹭身体。当姐的东西是免费的呐!老天哪!降下天雷劈死这闹腾的妖孽吧!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 我家小姐很凶悍

    我家小姐很凶悍

    当异能特工唐云卿穿越到与其同名的废材小姐身上时;从此,人们口中的废物小姐锋芒尽现,横行天下