登陆注册
15713700000011

第11章

The countess, in her profound lethargy, gave birth, without being aware of it, to a boy, who thus fell on his entry into the world into the hands of his enemies, his mother powerless to defend him by her cries and tears. The door was half opened, and a man who was waiting outside brought in; this was the major-domo Baulieu.

The midwife, pretending to afford the first necessary cares to the child, had taken it into a corner. Baulieu watched her movements, and springing upon her, pinioned her arms. The wretched woman dug her nails into the child's head. He snatched it from her, but the poor infant for long bore the marks of her claws.

Possibly the Marchioness de Bouille could not nerve herself to the commission of so great a crime; but it seems more probable that the steward prevented the destruction of the child under the orders of M. de Saint-Maixent. The theory is that the marquis, mistrustful of the promise made him by Madame de Bouille to marry him after the death of her husband, desired to keep the child to oblige her to keep her word, under threats of getting him acknowledged, if she proved faithless to him. No other adequate reason can be conjectured to determine a man of his character to take such great care of his victim.

Baulieu swaddled the child immediately, put it in a basket, hid it under his cloak, and went with his prey to find the marquis; they conferred together for some time, after which the house steward passed by a postern gate into the moat, thence to a terrace by which he reached a bridge leading into the park. This park had twelve gates, and he had the keys of all. He mounted a blood horse which he had left waiting behind a wall, and started off at full gallop. The same day he passed through the village of Escherolles, a league distant from Saint-Geran, where he stopped at the house of a nurse, wife of a glove-maker named Claude. This peasant woman gave her breast to the child; but the steward, not daring to stay in a village so near Saint-Geran, crossed the river Allier at the port de la Chaise, and calling at the house of a man named Boucaud, the good wife suckled the child for the second time; he then continued his journey in the direction of Auvergne.

The heat was excessive, his horse was done up, the child seemed uneasy. A carrier's cart passed him going to Riom; it was owned by a certain Paul Boithion of the town of Aigueperce, a common carrier on the road. Baulieu went alongside to put the child in the cart, which he entered himself, carrying the infant on his knees. The horse followed, fastened by the bridle to the back of the cart.

In the conversation which he held with this man, Baulieu said that he should not take so much care of the child did it not belong to the most noble house in the Bourbonnais. They reached the village of Che at midday. The mistress of the house where he put up, who was nursing an infant, consented to give some of her milk to the child.

The poor creature was covered with blood; she warmed some water, stripped off its swaddling linen, washed it from head to foot, and swathed it up again more neatly.

The carrier then took them to Riom. When they got there, Baulieu got rid of him by giving a false meeting-place for their departure; left in the direction of the abbey of Lavoine, and reached the village of Descoutoux, in the mountains, between Lavoine and Thiers. The Marchioness de Bouille had a chateau there where she occasionally spent some time.

The child was nursed at Descoutoux by Gabrielle Moini, who was paid a month in advance; but she only kept it a week or so, because they refused to tell her the father and mother and to refer her to a place where she might send reports of her charge. This woman having made these reasons public, no nurse could be found to take charge of the child, which was removed from the village of Descoutoux. The persons who removed it took the highroad to Burgundy, crossing a densely wooded country, and here they lost their way.

The above particulars were subsequently proved by the nurses, the carrier, and others who made legal depositions. They are stated at length here, as they proved very important in the great lawsuit. The compilers of the case, into which we search for information, have however omitted to tell us how the absence of the major-domo was accounted for at the castle; probably the far-sighted marquis had got an excuse ready.

The countess's state of drowsiness continued till daybreak. She woke bathed in blood, completely exhausted, but yet with a sensation of comfort which convinced her that she had been delivered from her burden. Her first words were about her child; she wished to see it, kiss it; she asked where it was. The midwife coolly told her, whilst the girls who were by were filled with amazement at her audacity, that she had not been confined at all. The countess maintained the contrary, and as she grew very excited, the midwife strove to calm her, assuring her that in any case her delivery could not be long protracted, and that, judging from all the indications of the night, she would give birth to a boy. This promise comforted the count and the countess dowager, but failed to satisfy the countess, who insisted that a child had been born.

The same day a scullery-maid met a woman going to the water's edge in the castle moat, with a parcel in her arms. She recognised the midwife, and asked what she was carrying and where she was going so early. The latter replied that she was very inquisitive, and that it was nothing at all; but the girl, laughingly pretending to be angry at this answer, pulled open one of the ends of the parcel before the midwife had time to stop her, and exposed to view some linen soaked in blood.

"Madame has been confined, then?" she said to the matron.

"No," replied she briskly," she has not."The girl was unconvinced, and said, "How do you mean that she has not, when madame the marchioness, who was there, says she has? The matron in great confusion replied, "She must have a very long tongue, if she said so."The girl's evidence was later found most important.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 制物师:毒妃的后宫

    制物师:毒妃的后宫

    曾经的杀手加职业总裁,最后居然会因为自已的贪心而被自己的师弟给杀害了。不过如今穿越成了将军府了的小姐,而且这副身体还很诡异的与自已的灵魂给融合了,不过,这也没什么压力!这次就当做是新的开始吧!没了奶奶的寄托,把一切都丢给了自已的亲生妹妹。现在,努力做回自己,恶搞这个世界吧!努力崛起!咦!这世界怎么可以没有美食的存在?咦!这是什么鬼!你怎么可以抢我的东西!no,no,no,小美男,你这是不对的!不要用你那水汪汪的大眼看着偶,偶会有罪恶感的(才怪)!当越走越远,这时……某个女人回头看着一群虎视眈眈的男人,oh,No,作死作过头了,心里闪过一个念头,快跑!!!群号码:399683433。
  • 心珠

    心珠

    蔚蓝之星,一个武灵至上,武技荣耀的武道世界龙易,七年一剑,灵力背道而驰,当五段暴跌零段倔强心性,名动少年,武灵步步巅峰,武技打一路天空涅槃佛珠,天外僧老,灵师未知品阶,神技惊一方武界少年狂,僧老邪,心珠一体,苍穹变,神魔乱,强势逆天
  • 金闺之京城名灸

    金闺之京城名灸

    她靠针灸名扬京城,原只是为了生计,却没想到引来了意想不到的麻烦,更发现了自己和姐姐身后的秘密……※※※※※※※※※※※※※※每天21:00更新,请多多关照!
  • 天帝战记

    天帝战记

    在成为天帝的道路上,注定着任重道远,注定着一将功成万骨枯!身为天朝太子的他又能如何演绎出一段属于他的传奇呢?
  • 画灵劫

    画灵劫

    身在现代却身世迷离,孤生来到异世,创建苍灵阁,统一九州大陆,原来她是万年前的一个神,为了救人下凡历劫,十万年后一切又从新来过。。。
  • 白痴王妃

    白痴王妃

    讲述一个女人不得爱情而自杀,在古代重生的故事。故事曲折迂回,精彩不容错过。
  • Ghostcentury

    Ghostcentury

    一个是机甲部队退役的王牌机师···一架是宇宙创始之初时汇集了所有宇宙能人的结晶、被称之为‘神魔’的机甲!一个宅了五年,一个尘封亿万年!当人类走向宇宙,谱写Ghostcentury!
  • 中国现代文学作品选(下)

    中国现代文学作品选(下)

    本书拟分上下两册,上册是有关中国现代小说的精选,下册是有关中国现代诗歌、散文、戏剧戏曲和电影脚本的精选。书中有一些作品是在类似作品选中初次选录,比如近代言情小说,现代戏曲,现代电影剧本等,这些作品的选录一方面反映了当前学术发展的新进程,增强了本书的时代感,另一方面也在细微处透露了编选者的学术追求。
  • 大清往事

    大清往事

    花容月实是二十一世纪的游魂,自立倔强,却又难逃小女人的软弱、多情,造成性格上既做不了彻底的现代女性,又做不了彻底的大清小女人。康熙朝与四阿哥分分合合,爱恨交加,那么君临天下的四阿哥跟女主会有怎样的结果呢?请大家继续关注!
  • 青春是被美少女环绕的修罗场

    青春是被美少女环绕的修罗场

    青春,还真是一个让孩子们憧憬,让大人们缅怀的岁月。