a　state　of　rebellion；　in　order　to　render　such　service　to　Bastarnay
  that　he　would　receive　from　them　more　than　life　itself。
  Now　the　heat　of　the　sedition　was；　as　everyone　knows；　in　the
  neighbourhood　of　Angouleme；　and　of　Bordeaux　in　Guienne；　and　other
  parts　of　the　kingdom；　where　great　battles　and　severe　conflicts　between
  the　rebels　and　the　royal　armies　was　likely　to　take　place。　The
  principal　one　which　finished　the　war　was　given　between　Ruffec　and
  Angouleme；　where　all　the　prisoners　taken　were　tried　and　hanged。　This
  battle；　commanded　by　old　Bastarnay；　took　place　in　the　month　of
  November；　seven　months　after　the　poisoning　of　Jehan。　Now　the　Baron
  knew　that　his　head　had　been　strongly　recommended　as　one　to　be　cut　off；
  he　being　the　right　hand　of　Monsiegneur　Louis。　Directly　his　men　began
  to　fall　back；　the　old　fellow　found　himself　surrounded　by　six　men
  determined　to　seize　him。　Then　he　understood　that　they　wished　to　take
  him　alive；　in　order　to　proceed　against　his　house；　ruin　his　name；　and
  confiscate　his　property。　The　poor　sire　preferred　rather　to　die　and
  save　his　family；　and　present　the　domains　to　his　son。　He　defended
  himself　like　the　brave　old　lion　that　he　was。　In　spite　of　their　number；
  these　said　soldiers；　seeing　three　of　their　comrades　fall；　were　obliged
  to　attack　Bastarnay　at　the　risk　of　killing　him；　and　threw　themselves
  together　upon　him；　after　having　laid　low　two　of　his　equerries　and　a
  page。
  In　this　extreme　danger　an　esquire　wearing　the　arms　of　Rohan；　fell　upon
  the　assailants　like　a　thunderbolt；　and　killed　two　of　them；　crying；
  〃God　save　the　Bastarnays！〃　The　third　man…at…arms；　who　had　already
  seized　old　Bastarnay；　was　so　hard　pressed　by　this　squire；　that　he　was
  obliged　to　leave　the　elder　and　turn　against　the　younger；　to　whom　he
  gave　a　thrust　with　his　dagger　through　a　flaw　in　his　armour。　Bastarnay
  was　too　good　a　comrade　to　fly　without　assisting　the　liberator　of　his
  house；　who　was　badly　wounded。　With　a　blow　of　his　mace　he　killed　the
  man…at…arms；　seized　the　squire；　lifted　him　on　to　his　horse；　and　gained
  the　open；　accompanied　by　a　guide；　who　led　him　to　the　castle　of　Roche…
  Foucauld；　which　he　entered　by　night；　and　found　in　the　great　room
  Bertha　de　Rohan；　who　had　arranged　this　retreat　for　him。　But　on
  removing　the　helmet　of　his　rescuer；　he　recognised　the　son　of　Jehan；
  who　expired　upon　the　table；　as　by　a　final　effort　he　kissed　his　mother；
  and　saying　in　a　loud　voice　to　her
  〃Mother；　we　have　paid　the　debt　we　owed　him！〃
  Hearing　these　words；　the　mother　clasped　the　body　of　her　loved　child　to
  her　heart；　and　separated　from　him　never　again；　for　she　died　of　grief；
  without　hearing　or　heeding　the　pardon　and　repentance　of　Bastarnay。
  The　strange　calamity　hastened　the　last　day　of　the　poor　old　man；　who
  did　not　live　to　see　the　coronation　of　King　Louis　the　Eleventh。　He
  founded　a　daily　mass　in　the　Church　of　Roche…Foucauld；　where　in　the
  same　grave　he　placed　mother　and　son；　with　a　large　tombstone；　upon
  which　their　lives　are　much　honoured　in　the　Latin　language。
  The　morals　which　any　one　can　deduce　from　this　history　are　the　most
  profitable　for　the　conduct　of　life；　since　this　shows　how　gentlemen
  should　be　courteous　with　the　dearly　beloveds　of　their　wives。　Further；
  it　teaches　us　that　all　children　are　blessings　sent　by　God　Himself；　and
  over　them　fathers；　whether　true　or　false；　have　no　right　of　murder；　as
  was　formerly　the　case　at　Rome；　owing　to　a　heathen　and　abominable　law；
  which　ill　became　that　Christianity　which　makes　us　all　sons　of　God。
  HOW　THE　PRETTY　MAID　OF　PORTILLON　CONVINCED　HER　JUDGE
  The　Maid　of　Portillon；　who　became　as　everyone　knows；　La　Tascherette；
  was；　before　she　became　a　dyer；　a　laundress　at　the　said　place　of
  Portillon；　from　which　she　took　her　name。　If　any　there　be　who　do　not
  know　Tours；　it　may　be　as　well　to　state　that　Portillon　is　down　the
  Loire；　on　the　same　side　as　St。　Cyr；　about　as　far　from　the　bridge　which
  leads　to　the　cathedral　of　Tours　as　said　bridge　is　distant　from
  Marmoustier；　since　the　bridge　is　in　the　centre　of　the　embankment
  between　Portillon　and　Marmoustier。　Do　you　thoroughly　understand？
  Yes？　Good！　Now　the　maid　had　there　her　washhouse；　from　which　she　ran　to
  the　Loire　with　her　washing　in　a　second　and　took　the　ferry…boat　to　get
  to　St。　Martin；　which　was　on　the　other　side　of　the　river；　for　she　had
  to　deliver　the　greater　part　of　her　work　in　Chateauneuf　and　other
  places。
  About　Midsummer　day；　seven　years　before　marrying　old　Taschereau；　she
  had　just　reached　the　right　age　to　be　loved；　without　making　a　choice
  from　any　of　the　lads　who　pursued　her　with　their　intentions。　Although
  there　used　to　come　to　the　bench　under　her　window　the　son　of　Rabelais；
  who　had　seven　boats　on　the　Loire；　Jehan's　eldest；　Marchandeau　the
  tailor；　and　Peccard　the　ecclesiastical　goldsmith；　she　made　fun　of　them
  all；　because　she　wished　to　be　taken　to　church　before　burthening
  herself　with　a　man；　which　proves　that　she　was　an　honest　woman　until
  she　was　wheedled　out　of　her　virtue。　She　was　one　of　those　girls　who
  take　great　care　not　to　be　contaminated；　but　who；　if　by　chance　they　get
  deceived；　let　things　take　their　course；　thinking　that　for　one　stain　or
  for　fifty　a　good　polishing　up　is　necessary。　These　characters　demand
  our　indulgence。
  A　young　noble　of　the　court　perceived　her　one　day　when　she　was　crossing
  the　water　in　the　glare　of　the　noonday　sun；　which　lit　up　her　ample
  charms；　and　seeing　her；　asked　who　she　was。　An　old　man；　who　was　working
  on　the　banks；　told　him　she　was　called　the　Pretty　Maid　of　Portillon；　a
  laundress；　celebrated　for　her　merry　ways　and　her　virtue。　This　young
  lord；　besides　ruffles　to　starch；　had　many　precious　draperies　and
  things；　he　resolved　to　give　the　custom　of　his　house　to　this　girl；　whom
  he　stopped　on　the　road。　He　was　thanked　by　her　and　heartily；　because　he
  was　the　Sire　du　Fou；　the　king's　chamberlain。　This　encounter　made　her
  so　joyful　that　her　mouth　was　full　of　his　name。　She　talked　about　it　a
  great　deal　to　the　people　of　St。　Martin；　and　when　she　got　back　to　the
  washhouse　was　still　full　of　it；　and　on　the　morrow　at　her　work　her
  tongue　went　nineteen　to　the　dozen；　and　all　on　the　same　subject；　so
  that　as　much　was　said　concerning　my　Lord　du　Fou　in　Portillon　as　of　God
  in　a　sermon；　that　is；　a　great　deal　too　much。
  〃If　she　works　like　that　in　cold　water；　what　will　she　do　in　warm？〃　said
  an　old　washerwoman。　〃She　wants　du　Fou；　he'll　give　her　du　Fou！〃
  The　first　time　this　giddy　wench；　with　her　head　full　of　Monsieur　du
  Fou；　had　to　deliver　the　linen　at　his　hotel；　the　chamberlain　wished　to
  see　her；　and　was　very　profuse　in　praises　and　compliments　concerning
  her　charms；　and　wound　up　by　telling　her　that　she　was　not　at　all　silly
  to　be　beautiful；　and　therefore　he　would　give　her　more　than　she
  expected。　The　deed　followed　the　word；　for　the　moment　his　people　were
  out　of　the　room；　he　began　to　caress　the　maid；　who　thinking　he　was
  about　to　take　out　the　money　from　his　purse；　dared　not　look　at　the
  purse；　but　said；　like　a　girl　ashamed　to　take　her　wages
  〃It　will　be　for　the　first　time。〃
  〃It　will　be　soon；〃　said　he。
  Some　people　say　that　he　had　great　difficulty　in　forcing　her　to　accept
  what　he　offered　her；　and　hardly　forced　her　at　all；　others　that　he
  forced　her　badly；　because　she　came　out　like　an　army　flagging　on　the
  route；　crying　and　groaning；　and　came　to　the　judge。　It　happened　that
  the　judge　was　out。　La　Portillone　awaited　his　return　in　his　room；
  weeping　and　saying　to　the　servant　that　she　had　been　robbed；　because
  Monseigneur　du　Fou　had　given　her　nothing　but　his　mischief；　whilst　a
  canon　of　the　Chapter　used　to　give　her　large　sums　for　that　which　M。　du
  Fou　wanted　for　nothing。　If　she　loved　a　man　she　would　think　it　wise　to
  do　things　for　him　for　nothing；　because　it　would　be　a　pleasure　to　her；
  but　the　chamberlain　had　treated　her　roughly；　and　not　kindly　and
  gently；　as　he　should　have　done；　and　that　therefore　he　owed　her　the
  thousand　crowns　of　the　canon。　Then　the　judge　came　in；　saw　the　wench；
  and　wished　to　kiss　her；　but　she　put　herself　on　guard；　and　said　she　had
  come　to　make　a　complaint。　The　judge　replied　that　certainly　she　could
  have　the　offender　hanged　if　she　liked；　because　he　was　most　anxious　to
  serve　her。　The　injured　maiden　replied　that　she　did　not　wish　the　death
  of　her　man；　but　that　he　should　pay　her　a　thousand　gold　crowns；　because
  she　had　been　robbed　against　her　will。
  〃Ha！　ha！〃　said　the　judge；　〃what　he　took　was　worth　more　than　that。〃
  〃For　the　thousand　crowns　I'll　cry　quits；　because　I　shall　be　able　to
  live　without　washing。〃
  〃He　who　has　robbed　you；　is　he　well　off？〃
  〃Oh　yes。〃
  〃Then　he　shall　pay　dearly　for　it。　Who　is　it？〃
  〃Monseigneur　du　Fou。〃
  〃Oh；　that　alters　the　case；〃　said　the　judge。
  〃But　justice？〃　said　she。
  〃I　said　the　case；　not　the　justice　of　it；〃　replied　the　judge。　〃I　must
  know　how　the　affair　occurred。〃
  Then　the　girl　related　naively　how　she　was　arranging　the　young　lord's
  ruffles　in　his　wardrobe；　when　he　bega