the princess de montpensier-第2节

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attitude　to　suitors　and　above　all　to　the　duty　he　owed　to　the
confidence　and　friendship　of　the　Prince　her　husband。　The　Comte
was　overwhelmed　by　shame　and　distress。　She　tried　to　console　him
by　assuring　him　that　she　would　forget　entirely　what　he　had　just
said　to　her　and　would　always　look　on　him　as　her　best　friend；
assurances　which　were　small　consolation　to　the　Comte　as　one　might
imagine。　He　felt　the　disdain　which　was　implicit　in　all　that　the
Princess　had　said；　and　seeing　her　the　next　day　with　her　customary
untroubled　looks　redoubled　his　misery。

The　Princess　continued　to　show　him　the　same　goodwill　as　before
and　even　discussed　her　former　attachment　to　the　Duc　de　Guise；
saying　that　she　was　pleased　that　his　increasing　fame　showed　that
he　was　worthy　of　the　affection　she　had　once　had　for　him。　These
demonstrations　of　confidence；　which　were　once　so　dear　to　the
Comte；　he　now　found　insupportable；　but　he　did　not　dare　say　as
much　to　the　Princess；　though　he　did　sometimes　remind　her　of　what
he　had　so　rashly　confessed　to　her。

After　an　absence　of　two　years；　peace　having　been　declared；　the
Prince　de　Montpensier　returned　to　his　wife；　his　renown　enhanced
by　his　behaviour　at　the　siege　of　Paris　and　the　battle　of
St。Denis。　He　was　surprised　to　find　the　beauty　of　the　Princess
blooming　in　such　perfection；　and　being　of　a　naturally　jealous
disposition　he　was　a　little　put　out　of　humour　by　the　realisation
that　this　beauty　would　be　displayed　to　others　beside　himself。　He
was　delighted　to　see　once　more　the　Comte；　for　whom　his　affection
was　in　no　way　diminished。　He　asked　him　for　confidential　details
about　his　wife's　character　and　temperament；　for　she　was　almost　a
stranger　to　him　because　of　the　little　time　during　which　they　had
lived　together。　The　Comte；　with　the　utmost　sincerity；　as　if　he
himself　were　not　enamoured；　told　the　Prince　everything　he　knew
about　the　Princess　which　would　encourage　her　husband's　love　of
her；　and　he　also　suggested　to　Madame　de　Montpensier　all　the
measures　she　might　take　to　win　the　heart　and　respect　of　her
spouse。　The　Comte's　devotion　led　him　to　think　of　nothing　but　what
would　increase　the　happiness　and　well…being　of　the　Princess　and
to　forget　without　difficulty　the　interest　which　lovers　usually
have　in　stirring　up　trouble　between　the　objects　of　their
affection　and　their　marital　partners。

The　peace　was　only　shortlived。　War　soon　broke　out　again　by　reason
of　a　plot　by　the　King　to　arrest　the　Prince　de　Condee　and　Admiral
Chatillon　at　Noyers。　As　a　result　of　the　military　preparations　the
Prince　de　Montpensier　was　forced　to　leave　his　wife　and　report　for
duty。　Chabannes；　who　had　been　restored　to　the　Queen's　favour；
went　with　him。　It　was　not　without　much　sorrow　that　he　left　the
Princess；　while　she；　for　her　part；　was　distressed　to　think　of　the
perils　to　which　the　war　might　expose　her　husband。

The　leaders　of　the　Huguenots　retired　to　La　Rochelle。　They　held
Poitou　and　Saintongne；　the　war　flared　up　again　and　the　King
assembled　all　his　troops。　His　brother；　the　Duc　d'Anjou；　who　later
became　Henri　III；　distinguished　himself　by　his　deeds　in　various
actions；　amongst　others　the　battle　of　Jarnac；　in　which　the　Prince
de　Condee　was　killed。　It　was　during　this　fighting　that　the　Duc　de
Guise　began　to　play　a　more　important　part　and　to　display　some　of
the　great　qualities　which　had　been　expected　of　him。　The　Prince　de
Montpensier；　who　hated　him；　not　only　as　a　personal　enemy　but　as
an　enemy　of　his　family；　the　Bourbons；　took　no　pleasure　in　his
successes　nor　in　the　friendliness　shown　toward　him　by　the　Duc
d'Anjou。

After　the　two　armies　had　tired　themselves　out　in　a　series　of
minor　actions；　by　common　consent　they　were　stood　down　for　a　time。
The　Duc　d'Anjou　stayed　at　Loches　to　restore　to　order　all　the
places　which　had　been　attacked。　The　Duc　de　Guise　stayed　with　him
and　the　Prince　de　Montpensier；　accompanied　by　the　Comte　de
Chabannes；　went　back　to　Champigny；　which　was　not　far　away。

The　Duc　d'Anjou　frequently　went　to　inspect　places　where
fortifications　were　being　constructed。　One　day　when　he　was
returning　to　Loches　by　a　route　which　his　staff　did　not　know　well；
the　Duc　de　Guise；　who　claimed　to　know　the　way；　went　to　the　head
of　the　party　to　act　as　guide；　but　after　a　time　he　became　lost　and
arrived　at　the　bank　of　a　small　river　which　he　did　not　recognise。
The　Duc　d'Anjou　had　a　few　words　to　say　to　him　for　leading　them
astray；　but　while　they　were　held　up　there　they　saw　a　little　boat
floating　on　the　river；　in　whichthe　river　not　being　very　wide
they　could　see　the　figures　of　three　or　four　women；　one　of　whom；
very　pretty　and　sumptuously　dressed；　was　watching　with　interest
the　activities　of　two　men　who　were　fishing　nearby。

This　spectacle　created　something　of　a　sensation　amongst　the
Princes　and　their　suite。　It　seemed　to　them　like　an　episode　from　a
romance。　Some　declared　that　it　was　fate　that　had　led　the　Duc　de
Guise　to　bring　them　there　to　see　this　lovely　lady；　and　that　they
should　now　pay　court　to　her。　The　Duc　d'Anjou　maintained　that　it
was　he　who　should　be　her　suitor。

To　push　the　matter　a　bit　further；　they　made　one　of　the　horsemen
go　into　the　river　as　far　as　he　could　and　shout　to　the　lady　that
it　was　the　Duc　d'Anjou　who　wished　to　cross　to　the　other　bank　and
who　begged　the　lady　to　take　him　in　her　boat。　The　lady；　who　was　of
course　the　Princess　de　Montpensier；　hearing　that　it　was　the　Duc
d'Anjou；　and　having　no　doubt　when　she　saw　the　size　of　his　suite
that　it　was　indeed　him；　took　her　boat　over　to　the　bank　where　he
was。　His　fine　figure　made　him　easily　distinguishable　from　the
others；　she；　however；　distinguished　even　more　easily　the　figure
of　the　Duc　de　Guise。　This　sight　disturbed　her　and　caused　her　to
blush　a　little　which　made　her　seem　to　the　Princes　to　have　an
almost　supernatural　beauty。

The　Duc　de　Guise　recognised　her　immediately　in　spite　of　the
changes　which　had　taken　place　in　her　appearance　in　the　three
years　since　he　had　last　seen　her。　He　told　the　Duc　d'Anjou　who　she
was　and　the　Duc　was　at　first　embarrassed　at　the　liberty　he　had
taken；　but　then；　struck　by　the　Princess's　beauty；　he　decided　to
venture　a　little　further；　and　after　a　thousand　excuses　and　a
thousand　compliments　he　invented　a　serious　matter　which　required
his　presence　on　the　opposite　bank；　and　accepted　the　offer　which
she　made　of　a　passage　in　her　boat。　He　got　in；　accompanied　only　by
the　Duc　de　Guise；　giving　orders　to　his　suite　to　cross　the　river
elsewhere　and　to　join　him　at　Champigny；　which　Madame　de
Montpensier　told　him　was　not　more　than　two　leagues　from　there。

As　soon　as　they　were　in　the　boat　the　Duc　d'Anjou　asked　to　what
they　owed　this　so　pleasant　encounter。　Madame　de　Montpensier
replied　that　　having　left　Champigny　with　the　Prince　her　husband
with　the　intention　of　following　the　hunt；　she　had　become　tired
and　having　reached　the　river　bank　she　had　gone　out　in　the　boat　to
watch　the　landing　of　a　salmon　which　had　been　caught　in　a　net。　The
Duc　de　Guise　did　not　take　part　in　this　conversation；　but　he　was
conscious　of　the　re…awakening　of　all　the　emotions　which　the
Princess　had　once　aroused　in　him；　and　thought　to　himself　that　he
would　have　difficulty　in　escaping　from　this　meeting　without
falling　once　more　under　her　spell。

They　arrived　shortly　at　the　bank　where　they　found　the　Princess's
horses　and　her　attendants　who　had　been　waiting　for　her。　The　two
noblemen　helped　her　onto　her　horse　where　she　sat　with　the
greatest　elegance。　During　their　journey　back　to　Champigny　they
talked　agreeably　about　a　number　of　subjects　and　her　companions
were　no　less　charmed　by　her　conversation　than　they　had　been　by
her　beauty。　They　offered　her　a　number　of　compliments　to　which　she
replied　with　becoming　modesty；　but　a　little　more　coolly　to　those
from　M。de　Guise；　for　she　wished　to　maintain　a　distance　which
would　prevent　him　from　founding　any　expectations　on　the　feelings
she　had　once　had　towards　him。

When　they　arrived　at　the　outer　courtyard　of　Champigny　they
encountered　the　Prince　de　Montpensier；　who　had　just　returned　from
the　hunt。　He　was　greatly　astonished　to　see　two　men　in　the　company
of　his　wife；　and　he　was　even　more　astonished　when；　on　coming
closer；　he　saw　that　these　were　the　Duc　d'Anjou　and　the　Duc　de
Guise。　The　hatred　which　he　bore　for　the　latter；　combined　with　his
naturally　jealous　disposition　made　him　find　the　sight　of　these
two　Princes　with　his　wife；　without　knowing　how　they　came　to　be
there　or　why　they　had　come　to　his　house；　so　disagreeable　that　he
was　unable　to　conceal　his　annoyance。　He；　however；　adroitly　put
this　down　to　a　fear　that　he　could　not　receive　so　mighty　a　Prince
as　the　King's　brother　in　a　style　befitting　his　rank。　The　Comte　de
Chabannes　was　even　more　upset　at　seeing　the　Duc　de　Guise　and
Madame　de　Montpensier　together　than　was　her　husband；　it　seemed　to
him　a　most　evil　chance　which　had　brought　the　two　of　them　together
again；　an　augury　which　foretold　disturbing　sequels　to　follow　this
new　beginning。

In　the　evening　Madame　de　Montpensier　acted　as　hostess　with　the
same　grace　with　which　she　did　everything。　In　fact　she　pleased　her
guests　a　little　too　much。　The　Duc　d'Anjou　who　was　very　handsome
and　very　much　a　ladies　man；　could　not　see　a　prize　so　much　worth
winning　without　wishing　ardentl