登陆注册
5386600000059

第59章 THE NIGHT OF WITCHCRAFT(7)

The police set a trap for Marie Bosse, and she betrayed herself.

Later, under torture, she betrayed La Vigoureux. La Vigoureux betrayed others, and these others again.

The arrest of Marie Bosse was like knocking down the first of a row of ninepins, but none could have suspected that the last of these stood in the royal apartments.

On the day before she was to repair to Saint-Germain, La Voisin, betrayed in her turn, received a surprise visit from the police -who, of course, had no knowledge of the regicide their action was thwarting - and she was carried off to the Chatelet. Put to the question, she revealed a great deal; but her terror of the horrible punishment reserved for regicides prevented her to the day of her death at the stake - in February of 1680 from saying a word of her association with Madame de Montespan.

But there were others whom she betrayed under torture, and whose arrest followed quickly upon her own, who had not her strength of character. Among these were La Filastre and the magician Lesage.

When it was found that these two corroborated each other in the incredible things which they related, the Chambre Ardente took fright. La Reynie, who presided over it, laid the matter before the King, and the King, horror-stricken by the discovery of the revolting practices in which the mother of his children had been engaged, suspended the sittings of the Chambre Ardente, and commanded that no further proceedings should be taken against Lesage and La Filastre, and none initiated against Romani, Bertrand, the Abbe Guibourg, and the scores of other poisoners and magicians who had been arrested, and who were acquainted with Madame de Montespan's unholy traffic.

But it was not out of any desire to spare Madame de Montespan that the King proceeded in this manner; he was concerned only to spare himself and his royal dignity. He feared above all things the scandal and ridicule which must touch him as a result of publicity, and because he feared it so much, he could impose no punishment upon Madame de Montespan.

This he made known to her at the interview between them procured by his minister Louvois, at about the time that the sittings of the Chambre Ardente were suspended.

To this interview that proud, domineering woman came in dread, and in tears and humility for once. The King's bearing was cold and hard. Cold and hard were the words in which he declared the extent of his knowledge of her infamy, words which revealed the loathing and disgust this knowledge brought him. If at first she was terror-stricken, crushed under the indictment, yet she was never of a temper to bear reproaches long. Under his scorn her anger kindled and her humility was sloughed.

"What then?" she cried at last, eyes aflash through lingering tears.

"Is the blame all mine? If all this is true, it is no less true that I was driven to it by my love for you and the despair to which your heartlessness and infidelity reduced me. To you," she continued, gathering force at every word, "I sacrificed everything - my honour, a noble husband who loved me, all that a woman prizes.

And what did you give me in exchange? Your cruel fickleness exposed me to the low mockery of the lick-spittles of your Court. Do you wonder that I went mad, and that in my madness I sacrificed what shreds of self-respect you had left me? And now it seems I have lost all but life. Take that, too, if it be your pleasure. Heaven knows it has little value left for me! But remember that in striking me you strike the mother of your children - the legitimate children of France. Remember that!"He remembered it. Indeed, he was never in danger of forgetting it;for she might have added that he would be striking also at himself and at that royal dignity which was his religion. And so that all scandalous comment might be avoided she was actually allowed to remain at Court, although no longer in her first-floor apartments;and it was not until ten years later that she departed to withdraw to the community of Saint Joseph.

But even in her disgrace this woman, secretly convicted among other abominations of attempting to procure the poisoning of the King and of her rival, enjoyed an annual pension of 1,200.000 livres; whilst none dared proceed against those who shared her guilt - not even the infamous Guibourg, the poisoners Romani and Bertrand, and La Filastre - nor yet against some scores of associates of these, who were known to live by sorcery and poisonings, and who might be privy to the part played by Madame de Montespan in that horrible night of magic at the Chateau de Villebousin.

The hot blast of revolution was needed to sweep France clean.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 每个世界属下都在打脸

    每个世界属下都在打脸

    每次穿越都穿成男主的手下,辅佐男主权倾天下,不辅佐归辅佐,凭什么她最后要死得这么惨,这让她这个星际女暴龙怎么咽得下这口气,她就算要死也要让所有人都痛苦。
  • 时间大门

    时间大门

    《时间大门》整个故事以主人公吴非的一场“一天25小时”实验展开,自由职业者吴非因经常听身边的人埋怨时间不够用,某个周末去书店看书之后受书本内容启发,决定设计“一天25小时”实验,人为地把一天24小时延长至25小时,尝试通过调整时间来重构生活规律。实验开始后,他经历了昼夜颠倒、经历了时间错位,甚至发现了24小时世界和25小时世界两个平行世界,而且自己能通过电梯往来于这两个世界。他通过在这两个世界的时间差来之间来回穿越的方法,帮助身边的朋友度过各种难关,最后也帮助自己见到了已故奶奶的最后一面。该故事有着一个唯心的外壳,但包含着一个唯物的内核,通过各种生活故事,讲述了时间、人与客观存在之间的关系。
  • 豪门盛宠:冷情总裁的出逃妻

    豪门盛宠:冷情总裁的出逃妻

    新书:《四城名少①总裁作茧自缚》http://m.wkkk.net/a/1080750/,求收藏~~认识了他,她才知道什么叫做绝望——她,落小凡,三个月前闪电般嫁入亚洲最大珠宝集团唯一的继承人,墨吟风。但,这一切却只是噩梦的开始——“墨吟风,我们已经离婚了!”“离婚?落小凡,你这辈子妄想!除非我死”他收缩五指,眼睁睁的看着她脸色渐变惨白“或者,你死——”“我不要穿这件。”落小凡抗议。这是什么衣服啊,墨吟风什么品位啊,帮她准备的舞会的礼服像个修女服一样,穿过去,还不丢死人。“家里只有这件,不穿的话就光着过去。”抗议无效,落小凡看着他一张冰山脸,也不敢在吭声。穿上礼服以后,落小凡真是郁闷无比,别人都希望老婆漂漂亮亮,给他们锦上添花,墨吟风每次带她出去,都把她打扮的像个土冒一样。墨吟风看着落小凡这一身包的严严实实的衣服,却是无比满意。笑话,他墨吟风的老婆其他男人想看一眼,连窗子都没有。墨吟风的办公室——墨吟风:“把下午的行程全部取消。”特秘:“可是下午有一个重要的合同要签。”墨吟风头也不抬,面无表情:“推迟”特秘点点头,大boss向来雷厉风行,他说推迟定是有更重要的事情。特秘一本正经“那么,boss,可不可以说一下原因,董事会那边我好有个交代”墨吟风终于抬头,嘴角微勾:“老婆要逛街。”特秘:“……”
  • 审计学(第三版)

    审计学(第三版)

    本书按新的会计、审计准则体系的要求,全面阐述了审计的基本理论和知识,重点阐述了注册会计师的审计程序、审计测试和审计报告编制的相关知识和技能,重视风险导向在审计实务中的运用。
  • 一世书香

    一世书香

    贱民姚肆不堪忍受嗜血权贵的压迫,走上求学科考之路以图改写被欺凌的命运,无权无势还是女儿身的她,成为权贵眼中的笑柄,然世道再乱,不过人心,你有张良计我有过墙梯,进书院耍权贵破阴谋识诡计,她只一心爬出泥潭,然后对这个病态的乱世发起攻击。
  • 两次死后世界的真实游历:一名美国死而复活者的非凡亲历

    两次死后世界的真实游历:一名美国死而复活者的非凡亲历

    贝姬·伊蒂是美国印第安人,在美国南达科他州的罗兹巴德种族区长大,著名律师。她31岁时突然病故于美国一所医院,不过只是短暂死亡。令人震惊和迷惑不解的是,她在这短暂的假死期间曾游历过死后世界,这是她在死后世界梦幻般的特殊旅行。书中描述了当事人贝姬·伊蒂亲临死后世界游历的全过程和真实写照。
  • 佛说大金色孔雀王咒经

    佛说大金色孔雀王咒经

    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。
  • 中国古代圣人传

    中国古代圣人传

    中华文明史上曾产生过许多杰出的圣贤哲人,其作为、其思想、其成就一直对后世有着重大影响,不仅为华夏各民族所尊崇,而且在世界文明史上亦有重要地位。组编《中国古代圣人传》一书,旨在为进一步传播、交流、弘扬华夏文明做贡献。
  • 一个梦一个家

    一个梦一个家

    本文以沈阳市和平区为例,通过家的故事、社区里的“家味道”、色彩纷呈的家文化、弃管小区又逢春……来弘扬家教家风,树立家国情怀。
  • 先婚后爱之独宠世子妃

    先婚后爱之独宠世子妃

    十八岁在21世纪是早恋的年纪,在古代却已经是大龄剩女了。叶冬阳只是个小老百姓却忽然有一天被皇上赐婚给了安阳王府的世子爷。原以为这是场彼此将就的婚姻,却不想双方都动了真心。“祖母想抱重孙!”“王府需要小世子!”“……”明明说好各过各的,他却不答应了。叶冬阳无奈,他不守承诺在先,那她也没必要恪守约定了。什么公主、乔家小姐、尚书府小姐……有她在一日任何人都别想觊觎她的夫君!公主声泪俱下地说:“我喜欢言哥哥,哪怕做妾我也愿意!”叶冬阳脸色硬如铁,摇头,语气坚决道:“我不愿意,有我在一日,世子爷的后院只能有我一人!”公主哭得昏天黑地跑去告御状,皇上一边听着公主控诉叶冬阳的种种不是,一边提笔写了道圣旨让人送去了安阳王府。圣旨云:“安阳王府世子妃叶冬阳端庄贤淑,蕙质兰心,世子当一心一意待之!”世子爷看着圣旨失笑不已,看到叶冬阳进来,忙收敛了一脸的笑意,语气悲伤地叹息:“圣旨压身,看来这辈子是没机会三妻四妾了!”叶冬阳笑笑道:“你若想,我去请皇上收回成命?”世子爷忙道:“别,圣旨岂能朝令夕改,皇上政务繁忙,咱们还是别去烦他了。”(一对一,简介无能请看正文)