The Queen Pedauque Part 29

HIC JACET

IN SPE BEATAE AETERNITATIS DOMINUS HIERONYMUS COIGNARD

PRESBYTER

QUONDAM IN BELLOVACENSI COLLEGIO ELOQUENTILE MAGISTER ELOQUENTISSIMU SAGIENSIS EPISCOPI BIBLIOTHECARIUS SOLERTISSIMUS ZOZIMI PANOPOLITANI INGENIOSISSIMUS

TRANSLATOR

OPERE TAMEN IMMATURATA MORTE INTERCEPTO PERIIT ENIM c.u.m LUGDUNUM PETERET JUDEA MANU NEFANDISSIMA ID EST A NEPOTE CHRISTI CARNIFIc.u.m IN VIA TRUCIDATUS

ANNO AET. LII

COMITATE FUIT OPTIMA DOCTISSIMO CONVITU INGENIO SUBLIMI FACETIIS JUCUNDUS SENTENTTIS PLENUS DONORUM DEI LAUDATOR TIDE DEVOTISSIMA PER MULTAS TEMPESTATlS CONSTANTER MUNITTJS HUMILITATE SANCTISSIMA ORNATUS SALUTI SUAE MAGIS INTENTUS

QUAM VANO ET FALLACI HOMINUM JUDICIO SIC HONORIBUS MUNDANIS NUNQUAM QUIESITIS SIBI GLORIAM SEMPITERNAM MERUIT

which may be translated:

HERE SLEEPS In the hope of a happy eternity THE REVEREND JEROME COIGNARD Priest

Formerly a very eloquent professor of eloquence At the college of Beauvais Very zealous librarian to the Bishop of Seez Author of a fine translation of Zosimus the Panopolitan Which he unhappily left unfinished When overtaken by his premature death He was stabbed on the road to Lyons In the 52nd year of his age By the very villainous hand of a Jew And thus perished the victim of a descendant of the murderer Of Jesus Christ

He was an agreeable companion Of a learned conversation Of an elevated genius Abounding in cheerful speech and in good maxims And praising G.o.d in his works He preserved amid the storms of life an unshakable faith In his truly Christian humility More attentive to the salvation of his soul Than to the vain and erroneous opinions of men It was by living without honour in this world That he walked towards eternal glory

CHAPTER XXIII

Farewell to Jahel-Dispersal of the Party

Three days after the demise of my good master, M. d'Anquetil decided to continue his journey. The carriage had been repaired. He gave the postboys the order to be ready on the following morning. His company had never been agreeable to me; in the state of sorrow I was in, it became odious. I could not bear the idea of following him and Jahel. I resolved to look for employment at Tournus or at Macon, and to remain hidden till the storm had calmed down sufficiently to enable me to return to Paris, where I was sure to be received with outstretched arms by my dear parents. I imparted my intention to M. d'Anquetil, and excused myself for not accompanying him any farther. He tried to retain me with a gracefulness I was not prepared for, but soon willingly gave me leave to go where I wished. With Jahel the matter was more difficult, but, being naturally reasonable, she accepted the reasons I had for leaving her.

On the night before my departure, while M. d'Anquetil drank and played cards with the barber-surgeon, Jahel and I went to the market place to get a breath of air. It was embalmed by the scent of herbs and full of the song of crickets.

"What a night!" I said to Jahel. "The year cannot produce another like it, and perhaps all my life long I shall never see one so sweet."

The flower-decked village graveyard extended before our eyes its motionless turf, and the moonlight whitened the scattered graves on the dark gra.s.s. The same thought came to both of us to say a last farewell to our friend. The place where he was put to eternal rest was marked by a tear-sprinkled cross planted deep in the mellow earth. The stone whereon the epitaph was to be engraved had not yet been placed. We seated ourselves very close to the grave on the gra.s.s, and there, by an insensible but natural inclination, we fell into one another's arms without fearing to offend by our kisses the memory of a friend whom deep wisdom had rendered indulgent to human weakness.

Suddenly, Jahel whispered in my ear, where her mouth was already placed:

"I see M. d'Anquetil, who, from the top of the wall, looks eagerly towards us."

"Can he see us in this shadow?" I asked.

"He certainly sees my white petticoat," she said; "it's enough, I think, to tempt him to look for more."

I first thought to draw my sword, and was quite decided to defend two existences, which were at this moment still very much mixed. Jahel's calm surprised me, neither her movements nor her voice showed any fear.

"Go," she said to me, "fly, and don't fear for me. It's a surprise I have rather wished for. He began to get tired of me, and this encounter is quite efficacious to reanimate his desires and season his love. Go and leave the alone. The first moment will be hard, for he is of a very violent disposition. He'll strike me, but after, t shall be still dearer to him. Farewell!"

"Alas!" I exclaimed, "did you take me then, Jahel, for Nothing but to sharpen the desires of my rival?"

"I wonder that you also want to quarrel with me. Go, I say!"

"What! leave you like this?"

"It's necessary. Farewell! He must not meet you here, I want to make him jealous, but in a delicate manner. I Farewell! Farewell."

I had hardly gone a few steps between the labyrinth of tombstones when M. d'Anquetil, having come forward to enable him to recognise his mistress, began to shout and to curse loud enough to awaken the village dead. I was anxious to tear Jahel away from his rage; I thought he would kill her. I glided between the tombstones to her a.s.sistance. But after a few minutes, observing them very closely, I saw M. d'Anquetil pulling her out of the cemetery and leading her towards Gaulard's inn with a remainder of fury she was easily capable of calming, alone and without help.

I returned to my room after they had entered theirs I could not sleep the whole of the night, and looking out at daybreak, through an opening in the window curtains I saw them crossing the courtyard apparently the best of friends.

Jahel's departure augmented my sorrow. I stretched myself full length on my stomach on the floor of my room, and with my face in my hands cried until the evening.

CHAPTER XXIV

I am pardoned and return to Paris--Again at the _Queen Pedauque_--I go as a.s.sistant to M. Blaizot--Burning of the Castle of Sablons--Death of Mosaide and of M. d'Asterac.

From now onwards my life loses the interest which events had lent it, and my destiny, having again become in conformity with my character, offers nothing but ordinary occurrences. If I should prolong my memoirs my narrative would very soon become tiresome. I'll bring it to a close with but few words. The Vicar of Vallars gave me a letter of introduction to a wine merchant at Macon, with whom I was employed for a couple of months, after which my father wrote to me that he had arranged my affair and that I was free to return to Paris.

I took coach immediately and travelled with some recruits. My heart beat violently when I again saw the Rue Saint Jacques, the clock of Saint Benoit le Betourne, the signboard of the _Three Virgins_ and the _Saint Catherine_ of M. Blaizot.

My mother cried when she saw me; I also cried, and we embraced and cried together again.

My father came in haste from the _Little Bacchus_ and said with a moving dignity:

"Jacquot, my son, I cannot and will not deny that I Was very angry when I saw the constables enter the _Queen Pedauque_ in search of you, or, in default of you, arresting me. They would not listen to any sort of remonstrance, alleging that I could easily explain myself after being taken to jail. They looked for you on a complaint of M. de la Gueritude.

I conceived a most horrible idea of your disorders. But having been informed by letter that it was a question only of some peccadillo I had no other thought but to see you again. Many a time I consulted the landlord of the _Little Bacchus_ on the means to hush up your affair. He always replied: 'Master Leonard, go to the judge with a big bag full of crown pieces and he will give you back your lad as white as snow.' But crown pieces are scarce with us, and there is neither hen nor goose nor duck who lays golden eggs in my house. At present I hardly get sufficient by my poultry to pay the expenses of the roasting. By good luck, your saintly and worthy mother had the good idea of going to the mother of M. d'Anquetil whom we knew to be busy in favour of her son, who was sought after at the same time as you were, and for the identical affair. I am quite aware, my Jacquot, that you played the man about town in company with a n.o.bleman, and my head is too well placed not to feel the honour which it reflects on our whole family. Mother dressed as if she intended to go to ma.s.s; and Madame d'Anquetil received her with kindness. Thy mother, Jacquot, is a holy woman, but she has not the best of society manners, and at first she talked without aim or reason. She said: 'Madame, at our age, besides G.o.d Almighty nothing remains to us but our children.' That was not the right thing to say to that great lady who still has her gallants."

"Hold your tongue, Leonard," exclaimed my mother. "The behaviour of Madame d'Anquetil is unknown to you, and it appears that I spoke to her in the right way, because she said to me: 'Don't be troubled, Madame Menetrier; I will employ my influence in favour of your son; be sure of my zeal.' And you know, Leonard, that we received before the expiration of two months the a.s.surance that our Jacquot could return unmolested to Paris."

We supped with a good appet.i.te. My father asked me if was my intention to re-enter the service of M. d'Asterac. I replied that after the lamented death of my kind master I did not wish to encounter that cruel Mosaide in the house of a n.o.bleman who paid his servants with fine speeches and nothing else. My father very kindly invited me to turn the spit as in former days.

"Latterly, Jacquot," he said, "I gave the place to Friar Ange, but he did not do as well as Miraut or yourself. Don't you want to take your old place at the corner of the fireside?"

My mother, plain and simple as she was, did not want common-sense and said:

"M. Blaizot, the bookseller of the _Image of Saint Catherine_, is in want of an a.s.sistant. This employment, Jacquot, ought to suit you like a glove. Thy dispositions are sweet, thy manners are good, and that's what's wanted to sell Bibles."

I went at once to M. Blaizot, who took me into his service.