droll stories-3-第16节

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notes　tried；　the　lad　turned　his　head　towards　her；　in　order　that　they

might　sing　together。　〃Ah！　sweet　coz　you　have　a　wonderful　glance　in

your　eye；　you　move　I　know　not　what　in　my　heart。〃



〃Ah！　cousin；〃　replied　the　false　Sylvia；　〃that　it　is　which　has　been　my

ruin。　A　sweet　milord　of　the　land　across　the　sea　told　me　so　often　that

I　had　fine　eyes；　and　kissed　them　so　well；　that　I　yielded；　so　much

pleasure　did　I　feel　in　letting　them　be　kissed。〃



〃Cousin；　does　love　then；　commence　in　the　eyes？〃



〃In　them　is　the　forge　of　Cupid's　bolts；　my　dear　Bertha；〃　said　the

lover；　casting　fire　and　flame　at　her。



〃Let　us　go　on　with　our　singing。〃



They　then　sang；　by　Jehan's　desire；　a　lay　of　Christine　de　Pisan；　every

word　of　which　breathed　love。



〃Ah！　cousin；　what　a　deep　and　powerful　voice　you　have。　It　seems　to

pierce　me。〃



〃Where？〃　said　the　impudent　Sylvia。



〃There；〃　replied　Bertha；　touching　her　little　diaphragm；　where　the

sounds　of　love　are　understood　better　than　by　the　ears；　but　the

diaphragm　lies　nearer　the　heart；　and　that　which　is　undoubtedly　the

first　brain；　the　second　heart；　and　the　third　ear　of　the　ladies。　I　say

this；　with　all　respect　and　with　all　honour；　for　physical　reasons　and

for　no　others。



〃Let　us　leave　off　singing；〃　said　Bertha；　〃it　has　too　great　an　effect

upon　me。　Come　to　the　window；　we　can　do　needlework　until　the　evening。〃



〃Ah！　dear　cousin　of　my　soul；　I　don't　know　how　to　hold　the　needle　in　my

fingers；　having　been　accustomed；　to　my　perdition　to　do　something　else

with　them。〃



〃Eh！　what　did　you　do　then　all　day　long？〃



〃Ah！　I　yielded　to　the　current　of　love；　which　makes　days　seem　Instants；

months　seem　days；　and　years　months；　and　if　it　could　last；　would　gulp

down　eternity　like　a　strawberry；　seeing　that　it　is　all　youth　and

fragrance；　sweetness　and　endless　joy。〃



Then　the　youth　dropped　his　beautiful　eyelids　over　his　eyes；　and

remained　as　melancholy　as　a　poor　lady　who　has　been　abandoned　by　her

lover；　who　weeps　for　him；　wishes　to　kiss　him；　and　would　pardon　his

perfidy；　if　he　would　but　seek　once　again　the　sweet　path　to　his　once…

loved　fold。



〃Cousin；　does　love　blossom　in　the　married　state？〃



〃Oh　no；〃　said　Sylvia；　〃because　in　the　married　state　everything　is

duty；　but　in　love　everything　is　done　in　perfect　freedom　of　heart。　This

difference　communicates　an　indescribable　soft　balm　to　those　caresses

which　are　the　flowers　of　love。〃



〃Cousin；　let　us　change　the　conversation；　it　affects　me　more　than　did

the　music。〃



She　called　hastily　to　a　servant　to　bring　her　boy　to　her；　who　came；　and

when　Sylvia　saw　him；　she　exclaimed



〃Ah！　the　little　dear；　he　is　as　beautiful　as　love。〃



Then　she　kissed　him　heartily　upon　the　forehead。



〃Come；　my　little　one；〃　said　the　mother；　as　the　child　clambered　into

her　lap。　〃Thou　art　thy　mother's　blessing；　her　unclouded　joy；　the

delight　of　her　every　hour；　her　crown；　her　jewel；　her　own　pure　pearl；

her　spotless　soul；　her　treasure；　her　morning　and　evening　star；　her

only　flame；　and　her　heart's　darling。　Give　me　thy　hands；　that　I　may　eat

them；　give　me　thine　ears；　that　I　may　bite　them；　give　me　thy　head；　that

I　may　kiss　thy　curls。　Be　happy　sweet　flower　of　my　body；　that　I　may　be

happy　too。〃



〃Ah！　cousin；〃　said　Sylvia；　〃you　are　speaking　the　language　of　love　to

him。〃



〃Love　is　a　child　then？〃



〃Yes；　cousin；　therefore　the　heathen　always　portrayed　him　as　a　little

boy。〃



And　with　many　other　remarks　fertile　in　the　imagery　of　love；　the　two

pretty　cousins　amused　themselves　until　supper　time；　playing　with　the

child。



〃Would　you　like　to　have　another？〃　whispered　Jehan；　at　an　opportune

moment；　into　his　cousin's　ear；　which　he　touched　with　his　warm　lips。



〃Ah！　Sylvia！　for　that　I　would　ensure　a　hundred　years　of　purgatory；　if

it　would　only　please　God　to　give　me　that　joy。　But　in　spite　of　the

work；　labour；　and　industry　of　my　spouse；　which　causes　me　much　pain；　my

waist　does　not　vary　in　size。　Alas！　It　is　nothing　to　have　but　one

child。　If　I　hear　the　sound　of　a　cry　in　the　castle；　my　heart　beats

ready　to　burst。　I　fear　man　and　beast　alike　for　this　innocent　darling；

I　dread　volts；　passes；　and　manual　exercises；　in　fact；　I　dread

everything。　I　live　not　in　myself；　but　in　him　alone。　And；　alas！　I　like

to　endure　these　miseries；　because　when　I　fidget；　and　tremble；　it　is　a

sign　that　my　offspring　is　safe　and　sound。　To　be　brieffor　I　am　never

weary　of　talking　on　this　subjectI　believe　that　my　breath　is　in　him；

and　not　in　myself。〃



With　these　words　she　hugged　him　to　her　breasts；　as　only　mothers　know

how　to　hug　children；　with　a　spiritual　force　that　is　felt　only　in　their

hearts。　If　you　doubt　this；　watch　a　cat　carrying　her　kittens　in　her

mouth；　not　one　of　them　gives　a　single　mew。　The　youthful　gallant；　who

had　certain　fears　about　watering　this　fair；　unfertile　plain；　was

reassured　by　this　speech。　He　thought　then　that　it　would　only　be

following　the　commandments　of　God　to　win　this　saint　to　love；　and　he

thought　right。　At　night　Bertha　asked　her　cousinaccording　to　the　old

custom；　to　which　the　ladies　of　our　day　objectto　keep　her　company　in

her　big　seigneurial　bed。　To　which　request　Sylvia　repliedin　order　to

keep　up　the　role　of　a　well…born　maidenthat　nothing　would　give　her

greater　pleasure。　The　curfew　rang；　and　found　the　two　cousins　in　a

chamber　richly　ornamented　with　carpeting；　fringes；　and　royal

tapestries；　and　Bertha　began　gracefully　to　disarray　herself；　assisted

by　her　women。　You　can　imagine　that　her　companion　modestly　declined

their　services；　and　told　her　cousin；　with　a　little　blush；　that　she　was

accustomed　to　undress　herself　ever　since　she　had　lost　the　services　of

her　dearly　beloved；　who　had　put　her　out　of　conceit　with　feminine

fingers　by　his　gentle　ways；　that　these　preparations　brought　back　the

pretty　speeches　he　used　to　make；　and　his　merry　pranks　while　playing

the　lady's…maid；　and　that　to　her　injury；　the　memory　of　all　these

things　brought　the　water　into　her　mouth。



This　discourse　considerably　astonished　the　lady　Bertha；　who　let　her

cousin　say　her　prayers；　and　make　other　preparations　for　the　night

beneath　the　curtains　of　the　bed；　into　which　my　lord；　inflamed　with

desire；　soon　tumbled；　happy　at　being　able　to　catch　an　occasional

glimpse　of　the　wondrous　charms　of　the　chatelaine；　which　were　in　no　way

injured。　Bertha；　believing　herself　to　be　with　an　experienced　girl；　did

not　omit　any　of　the　usual　practices；　she　washed　her　feet；　not　minding

whether　she　raised　them　little　or　much；　exposed　her　delicate　little

shoulders；　and　did　as　all　the　ladies　do　when　they　are　retiring　to

rest。　At　last　she　came　to　bed；　and　settled　herself　comfortably　in　it；

kissing　her　cousin　on　the　lips；　which　she　found　remarkably　warm。



〃Are　you　unwell；　Sylvia；　that　you　burn　so？〃　said　she。



〃I　always　burn　like　that　when　I　go　to　bed；〃　replied　her　companion；

〃because　at　that　time　there　comes　back　to　my　memory　the　pretty　little

tricks　that　he　invented　to　please　me；　and　which　make　me　burn　still

more。〃



〃Ah！　cousin；　tell　me　all　about　this　he。　Tell　all　the　sweets　of　love　to

me；　who　live　beneath　the　shadow　of　a　hoary　head；　of　which　the　snows

keep　me　from　such　warm　feelings。　Tell　me　all；　you　are　cured。　It　will

be　a　good　warning　to　me；　and　then　your　misfortunes　will　have　been　a

salutary　lesson　to　two　poor　weak　women。〃



〃I　do　not　know　I　ought　to　obey　you；　sweet　cousin；〃　said　the　youth。



〃Tell　me；　why　not？〃



〃Ah！　deeds　are　better　than　words；〃　said　the　false　maiden；　heaving　a

deep　sigh　as　the　/ut/　of　an　organ。　〃But　I　am　afraid　that　this　milord

has　encumbered　me　with　so　much　joy　that　you　may　get　a　little　of　it；

which　would　be　enough　to　give　you　a　daughter；　since　the　power　of

engendering　is　weakened　in　me。〃



〃But；〃　said　Bertha；　〃between　us；　would　it　be　a　sin？〃



〃It　would　be；　on　the　contrary；　a　joy　both　here　and　in　heaven；　the

angels　would　shed　their　fragrance　around　you；　and　make　sweet　music　in

your　ears。〃



〃Tell　me　quickly；　then；〃　said　Bertha。



〃Well；　then；　this　is　how　my　dear　lord　made　my　heart　rejoice。〃



With　these　words　Jehan　took　Bertha　in　his　arms；　and　strained　her

hungering　to　his　heart；　for　in　the　soft　light　of　the　lamp；　and　clothed

with　the　spotless　linen；　she　was　in　this　tempting　bed；　like　the　pretty

petals　of　a　lily　at　the　bottom　of　the　virgin　calyx。



〃When　he　held　me　as　I　hold　thee　he　said　to　me；　with　a　voice　far

sweeter　than　mine；　'Ah；　Bertha；　thou　art　my　eternal　love；　my　priceless

treasure；　my　joy　by　day　and　my　joy　by　night；　thou　art　fairer　than　the

day　is　day；　there　is　naught　so　pretty　as　thou　art。　I　love　thee　more

than　God；　and　would　endure　a　thousand　deaths　for　the　happiness　I　ask

of　thee！'　Then　he　would　kiss　me；　not　after　the　manner　of　husbands；

which　is　rough；　but　in　a　peculiar　dove…like　fashion。〃



To　show　her　there　and　then　how　much　better　was　the　method　of　lovers；

he　sucked　all　the　honey　from　Bertha's　lips；　and　taught　her　how；　with

her　pretty　tongue；　small　and　rosy　as　that　of