登陆注册
15459300000087

第87章 CHAPTER XXI(2)

The whole company rose simultaneously. The rich, mellow voice of the Rev. Father de Berey, round and full as the organ of Ste. Marie, commenced the royal anthem composed by Lulli in honor of Louis Quatorze, upon an occasion of his visit to the famous Convent of St.

Cyr, in company with Madame de Maintenon.

The song composed by Madame Brinon was afterwards translated into English, and words and music became, by a singular transposition, the national hymn of the English nation.

"God Save the King!" is no longer heard in France. It was buried with the people's loyalty, fathoms deep under the ruins of the monarchy. But it flourishes still with pristine vigor in New France, that olive branch grafted on the stately tree of the British Empire. The broad chest and flexile lips of Father de Berey rang out the grand old song in tones that filled the stately old hall:

"'Grand Dieu! Sauvez le Roi!

Grand Dieu! Sauvez le Roi!

Sauvez le Roi!

Que toujours glorieux.

Louis Victorieux, Voye ses ennemis Toujours soumis!'"

The company all joined in the chorus, the gentlemen raising their cups, the ladies waving their handkerchiefs, and male and female blending in a storm of applause that made the old walls ring with joy. Songs and speeches followed in quick succession, cutting as with a golden blade the hours of the dessert into quinzaines of varied pleasures.

The custom of the times had reduced speechmaking after dinner to a minimum. The ladies, as Father de Berey wittily remarked, preferred private confession to public preaching; and long speeches, without inlets for reply, were the eighth mortal sin which no lady would forgive.

The Bourgeois, however, felt it incumbent upon himself to express his deep thanks for the honor done his house on this auspicious occasion. And he remarked that the doors of Belmont, so long closed by reason of the absence of Pierre, would hereafter be ever open to welcome all his friends. He had that day made a gift of Belmont, with all its belongings, to Pierre, and he hoped,--the Bourgeois smiled as he said this, but he would not look in a quarter where his words struck home,--he hoped that some one of Quebec's fair daughters would assist Pierre in the menage of his home and enable him to do honor to his housekeeping.

Immense was the applause that followed the short, pithy speech of the Bourgeois. The ladies blushed and praised, the gentlemen cheered and enjoyed in anticipation the renewal of the old hospitalities of Belmont.

"The skies are raining plum cakes!" exclaimed the Chevalier La Corne to his lively companion. "Joy's golden drops are only distilled in the alembic of woman's heart! What think you, Hortense? Which of Quebec's fair daughters will be willing to share Belmont with Pierre?"

"Oh, any of them would!" replied she. "But why did the Bourgeois restrict his choice to the ladies of Quebec, when he knew I came from the Three Rivers?"

"Oh, he was afraid of you, Hortense; you would make Belmont too good for this world! What say you, Father de Berry? Do you ever walk on the cape?"

The friar, in a merry mood, had been edging close to Hortense. "I love, of all things, to air my gray gown on the cape of a breezy afternoon," replied the jovial Recollet, "when the fashionables are all out, and every lady is putting her best foot foremost. It is then I feel sure that Horace is the next best thing to the Homilies:

"'Teretesque suras laudo, et integer ego!'"

The Chevalier La Corne pinched the shrugging shoulder of Hortense as he remarked, "Don't confess to Father de Berey that you promenade on the cape! But I hope Pierre Philibert will soon make his choice!

We are impatient to visit him and give old Provencal the butler a run every day through those dark crypts of his, where lie entombed the choicest vintages of sunny France."

The Chevalier said this waggishly, for the benefit of old Provencal, who stood behind his chair looking half alarmed at the threatened raid upon his well-filled cellars.

"But if Pierre should not commit matrimony," replied Hortense, "what will become of him? and especially what will become of us?"

"We will drink his wine all the same, good fellow that he is! But Pierre had as lief commit suicide as not commit matrimony; and who would not? Look here, Pierre Philibert," continued the old soldier, addressing him, with good-humored freedom. "Matrimony is clearly your duty, Pierre; but I need not tell you so: it is written on your face plain as the way betwen Peronne and St. Quintin,--a good, honest way as ever was trod by shoe leather, and as old as Chinon in Touraine! Try it soon, my boy. Quebec is a sack full of pearls!"

Hortense pulled him mischievously by the coat, so he caught her hand and held it fast in his, while he proceeded: "You put your hand in the sack and take out the first that offers. It will be worth a Jew's ransom! If you are lucky to find the fairest, trust me it will be the identical pearl of great price for which the merchant went and sold all that he had and bought it. Is not that Gospel, Father de Berey? I think I have heard something like that preached from the pulpit of the Recollets?"

"Matter of brimborion, Chevalier! not to be questioned by laymen!

Words of wisdom for my poor brothers of St. Francis, who, after renouncing the world, like to know that they have renounced something worth having! But not to preach a sermon on your parable, Chevalier, I will promise Colonel Philibert that when he has found the pearl of great price,"--Father de Berey, who knew a world of secrets, glanced archly at Amelie as he said this,--"the bells of our monastery shall ring out such a merry peal as they have not rung since fat Brother Le Gros broke his wind, and short Brother Bref stretched himself out half a yard pulling the bell ropes on the wedding of the Dauphin."

同类推荐
  • 禅宗杂毒海

    禅宗杂毒海

    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。
  • 岩幽栖事

    岩幽栖事

    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。
  • On the Decay of the Art of Lying

    On the Decay of the Art of Lying

    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。
  • 健余扎记

    健余扎记

    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。
  • 绕口令集

    绕口令集

    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。
热门推荐
  • 寒门冷香

    寒门冷香

    简介;重生成为十岁农家小萝莉,看着这屋漏粮缺,一家子面黄肌瘦,沈青青只感觉脑子嗡嗡响,贼老天,我不求富贵荣华,最少你也给我一个小康吧。怨念在深,也不得不接受现实。古代生存必杀技,练刺绣,卖花样,顺便制制香,日子好了,银子有了,小康终于临门了。重活一世,她只求岁月静好,现世安稳。天下大定了,那征兵十年没有音讯的爹改头换面的回来了,这下好了,各种魑魅魍魉齐上阵、各路杀机层出不穷?沈青青凤眸微眯,寒光闪烁,极品来一个斗一个,魑魅魍魉来两个杀一双,可斗着斗着,为何身边多了一人。只是这人,哎!倚楼听风雨,淡看人生路的愿望越来越远了。(本文纯属虚构,请勿模仿。)
  • 人生流年

    人生流年

    一切的相识相知相爱,都因缘而起。无论如何,善待自己,不气不馁,不骄不躁。
  • 乐仙记

    乐仙记

    前世,靠着一股子拼劲,她终于让她贫寒的家变得有滋有味,有个稳定的工作、健康的外祖母、温柔的爱人,就是偶尔也会yy,那些公主出身的女子真是上天的宠儿啊,一出身就有那么多选择是何等的幸运!谁曾想竟一语成撮!一场突入其来的车祸,送她来到了这个未知的世界。当她再次睁眼,发现自己拥有了公主的一切,修真大派的出身,金丹期宠女的父母,无可匹敌的美貌,惊人的天道悟性,温柔到骨子的大师兄,可她却念念不忘曾经的家乡、亲人、爱人。万年轮回,魔神重现,传说纷起,诸界变动,整个修真界陷入动乱。那双嗜血深紫的眼睛,那头张扬如血的妖发,那满地的断臂残垣,我倾乐乐发誓,定会扎扎实实的活着,无论前世还是今生,动我亲者不可留!
  • 女帝成长孽缘难断

    女帝成长孽缘难断

    沈平安的世界里一直都是单纯,直到遇到了他……“曾经的我有父母,有朋友,有夫君,有孩子,我以为的幸福不过如此,到头来不过是镜花水月罢了。”“我的一切都被你毁了!你有什么资格让我原谅你!”“拥有了权力就拥有了一切。”自那以后,平安学会了争权夺利“沈平安早就死了,是你亲手杀了她。”
  • 穿越之龙凤呈祥

    穿越之龙凤呈祥

    凤择龙君来何缘凤凰台,台空无凰栖。言凤去已久,无人知归期。君若求凤女,凭吾会吹笛。老叟笑童言,一语成真迹。鸾后无过失,龙主生嫌隙。双龙斗不停,乾坤何所依。南风传紫气,上下求凰女。凤择龙君来,凰兮归故里。技穷难取胜,谎言欺天地。双翼翻高飞,闻笛生疑虑。浮云能蔽日,凤凰气日稀。故人怒难平,良缘路崎岖。终闻昔日曲,凤凰台上忆。始解玲珑局,至此不再泣。反手落一子,内外共夹击。道貌岸然君,玉石俱焚计。苍生同君命,凤凰重情意。但求龙临天,愿骨长埋地。瞒君忘情水,免君悲往昔。峰回路更幽,连环设妙计。龙吟凤鸣曲,绝代凤来仪。独挡恶龙翼,凤舍尽灵犀。此生再无憾,天下永安宁。此举震敌心,痛悔邪离体。龙种本同胞,该疼亲兄弟。愿赴斩龙台,还兄美娇妻。至此见真心,终悟龙珠义。代兄坐帝位,此生倾心力。兄赴昆仑巅,求王母还妻。王母不老心,三试郎君意。龙君舍自尊,红脸破天机。君子不能赢,耍赖好稀奇。娘子亦上瘾,娇凤戏龙旎。郎叹无可忍,龙啸挟凤去。妻竟笑郎迟,早该如此徙。打赌胜王母,字据不忘立。龙不能言语,仰天空叹息。王母除咒诅,郎复俊颜肌。心满意皆足,妻挽郎君臂。龙凤舞九天,从此长相依。欲觅龙凤踪,龙泉寻龙笛。此笛传后世,佑真爱无敌。
  • 姻缘到之牵着红线渡情来

    姻缘到之牵着红线渡情来

    圣诞夜迎来的白胡子不一定是圣诞老人,还有可能是来下凡的月下老人月老。半吊子写手卿念作为唯一能看到神仙的凡人,以一二三四姐及老妈的婚姻幸福为条件,帮月老寻觅真姻缘。可是,怎么连妖魔鬼怪也要管?这个,真心hold不住哇!而且,一旁的月老还在腆着脸“求保护”……
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 这朵花妖有点萌

    这朵花妖有点萌

    安蔷薇面临最大的人生危机!为什么她养的花竟然变成了人,而且还叫她“主人”?就好像,她就是他的整个世界一样。呜呜呜,老天爷,看到他专注的目光,为什么她会忍不住心跳加快?她可不想跟一株植物谈恋爱啊!
  • 幽冥仙缘

    幽冥仙缘

    [冥河畔,彼岸开,小鬼当道,幽灵修仙录!]天之颠,地之极,不过芥子须弥沧海笑,幽冥道,弹指鬼途仙缘!
  • 青春日记——蓝

    青春日记——蓝

    一个是高高在上的海界主宰者,一个是拥有异能的人类少女。他和她,在偶然的交集后,会擦出怎样的火花?这一切,都是后话…………