第 12 节
作者:冰点沸点      更新:2021-05-04 17:31      字数:9322
  accustomed; because in them lies the strength and is found all the
  dull carnality of matter; while; on the contrary; in woman is a subtle
  spirit and a scintillation of perfumed flame that lights up paradise
  and dazzles the male。 This is the reason that certain women govern
  their husbands; because mind is the master of matter。
  (At this the ladies began to laugh; as did also the king)。
  〃I will not be silent;〃 said the lady of Cande (said the abbot;
  continuing his tale); 〃I have been too grossly outraged。 This; then;
  is the reward of the wealth that I brought you; and of my virtuous
  conduct! Did I ever refuse to obey you even during Lent; and on fast
  days? Am I so cold as to freeze the sun? Do you think that I embrace
  by force; from duty; or pure kindness of heart! Am I too hallowed for
  you to touch? Am I a holy shrine? Was there need of a papal brief to
  kiss me? God's truth! have you had so much of me that you are tired?
  Am I not to your taste? Do charming wenches know more than ladies? Ha!
  perhaps it is so; since she has let you work in the field without
  sowing。 Teach me the business; I will practice it with those whom I
  take into my service; for it is settled that I am free。 That is as we
  should be。 Your society was wearisome; and the little pleasure I
  derived from it cost me too dear。 Thank God! I am quit of you and your
  whims; because I intend to retire to a monastery。〃 。 。 。 She meant to
  say a convent; but this avenging monk had perverted her tongue。
  〃And I shall be more comfortable in this monastery with my daughter;
  than in this place of abominable wickedness。 You can inherit from your
  wench。 Ha; ha! The fine lady of Cande! Look at her!〃
  〃What is the matter?〃 said Amador; appearing suddenly upon the scene。
  〃The matter is; my father;〃 replied she; 〃that my wrongs cry aloud for
  vengeance。 To begin with; I shall have this trollop thrown into the
  river; sewn up in a sack; for having diverted the seed of the House of
  Cande from its proper channel。 It will be saving the hangman a job。
  For the rest I will〃
  〃Abandon your anger; my daughter;〃 said the monk。 〃It is commanded us
  by the Church to forgive those who trespass against us; if we would
  find favour in the side of Heaven; because you pardon those who also
  pardon others。 God avenges himself eternally on those who have avenged
  themselves; but keeps in His paradise those who have pardoned。 From
  that comes the jubilee; which is a day of great rejoicing; because all
  debts and offences are forgiven。 Thus it is a source of happiness to
  pardon。 Pardon! Pardon! To pardon is a most holy work。 Pardon
  Monseigneur de Cande; who will bless you for your gracious clemency;
  and will henceforth love you much; This forgiveness will restore to
  you the flower of youth; and believe; my dear sweet young lady; that
  forgiveness is in certain cases the best means of vengeance。 Pardon
  your maid…servant; who will pray heaven for you。 Thus God; supplicated
  by all; will have you in His keeping; and will bless you with male
  lineage for this pardon。〃
  Thus saying; the monk took the hand of the sire; placed it in that of
  the lady; and added
  〃Go and talk over the pardon。〃
  And then he whispered into the husband's ears this sage advice
  〃My lord; use your best argument; and you will silence her with it;
  because a woman's mouth it is only full of words when she is empty
  elsewhere。 Argue continually; and thus you will always have the upper
  hand of your wife。〃
  〃By the body of the Jupiter! There's good in this monk after all;〃
  said the seigneur; as he went out。
  As soon as Amador found himself alone with Perrotte he spoke to her;
  as follows
  〃You are to blame; my dear; for having wished to torment a poor
  servant of God; therefore are you now the object of celestial wrath;
  which will fall upon you。 To whatever place you fly it will always
  follow you; will seize upon you in every limb; even after your death;
  and will cook you like a pasty in the oven of hell; where you will
  simmer eternally; and every day you will receive seven hundred
  thousand million lashes of the whip; for the one I received through
  you。〃
  〃Ah! holy Father;〃 said the wench; casting herself at the monk's feet;
  〃you alone can save me; for in your gown I should be sheltered from
  the anger of God。〃
  Saying this; she raised the robe to place herself beneath it; and
  exclaimed
  〃By my faith! monks are better than knights。〃
  〃By the sulphur of the devil! You are not acquainted with the monks?〃
  〃No;〃 said Perrotte。
  〃And you don't know the service that monks sing without saying a
  word?〃
  〃No。〃
  Thereupon the monk went through this said service for her; as it is
  sung on great feast days; with all the grand effects used in
  monasteries; the psalms well chanted in f major; the flaming tapers;
  and the choristers; and explained to her the /Introit/; and also the
  /ite missa est/; and departed; leaving her so sanctified that the
  wrath of heaven would have great difficulty in discovering any portion
  of the girl that was not thoroughly monasticated。
  By his orders; Perrotte conducted him to Mademoiselle de Cande; the
  lord's sister; to whom he went in order to learn if it was her desire
  to confess to him; because monks came so rarely to the castle。 The
  lady was delighted; as would any good Christian have been; at such a
  chance of clearing out her conscience。 Amador requested her to show
  him her conscience; and she having allowed him to see that which he
  considered the conscience of old maids; he found it in a bad state;
  and told her that the sins of women were accomplished there; that to
  be for the future without sin it was necessary to have the conscience
  corked up by a monk's indulgence。 The poor ignorant lady having
  replied that she did not know where these indulgences were to be had;
  the monk informed her that he had a relic with him which enabled him
  to grant one; that nothing was more indulgent than this relic; because
  without saying a word it produced infinite pleasures; which is the
  true; eternal and primary character of an indulgence。 The poor lady
  was so pleased with this relic; the virtue of which she tried in
  various ways; that her brain became muddled; and she had so much faith
  in it that she indulged as devoutly in indulgences as the Lady of
  Cande had indulged in vengeances。 This business of confession woke up
  the younger Demoiselle de Cande; who came to watch the proceedings。
  You may imagine that the monk had hoped for this occurrence; since his
  mouth had watered at the sight of this fair blossom; whom he also
  confessed; because the elder lady could not hinder him from bestowing
  upon the younger one; who wished it; what remained of the indulgences。
  But; remember; this pleasure was due to him for the trouble he had
  taken。 The morning having dawned; the pigs having eaten their tripe;
  and the cats having become disenchanted with love; and having watered
  all the places rubbed with herbs; Amador went to rest himself in his
  bed; which Perrotte had put straight again。 Every one slept; thanks to
  the monk; so long; that no one in the castle was up before noon; which
  was the dinner hour。 The servants all believed the monk to be a devil
  who had carried off the cats; the pigs; and also their masters。 In
  spite of these ideas however; every one was in the room at meal time。
  〃Come; my father;〃 said the chatelaine; giving her arm to the monk;
  whom she put at her side in the baron's chair; to the great
  astonishment of the attendants; because the Sire of Cande said not a
  word。 〃Page; give some of this to Father Amador;〃 said madame。
  〃Father Amador has need of so and so;〃 said the Demoiselle de Cande。
  〃Fill up Father Amador's goblet;〃 said the sire。
  〃Father Amador has no bread;〃 said the little lady。
  〃What do you require; Father Amador?〃 said Perrotte。
  It was Father Amador here; and Father Amador there。 He was regaled
  like a little maiden on her wedding night。
  〃Eat; father;〃 said madame; 〃you made such a bad meal yesterday。〃
  〃Drink; father;〃 said the sire。 〃you are; s'blood! the finest monk I
  have ever set eyes on。〃
  〃Father Amador is a handsome monk;〃 said Perrotte。
  〃An indulgent monk;〃 said the demoiselle。
  〃A beneficent monk;〃 said the little one。
  〃A great monk;〃 said the lady。
  〃A monk who well deserves his name;〃 said the clerk of the castle。
  Amador munched and chewed; tried all the dishes; lapped up the
  hypocras; licked his chops; sneezed; blew himself out; strutted and
  stamped about like a bull in a field。 The others regarded him with
  great fear; believing him to be a magician。 Dinner over; the Lady of
  Cande; the demoiselle; and the little one; besought the Sire of Cande
  with a thousand fine arguments; to terminate the litigation。 A great
  deal was said to him by madame; who pointed out to him how useful a
  monk was in a castle; b