"My little dove," said the Count, severity in his tone, "if you are looking for dupes, improve your style; neither my friend nor I ever sacrifice at your sex's impure¹ temple; if it is money you are begging, look for people who are fond of good works, we never perform any of that description.... But, wretch², out with it: did you see what passed between Monsieur and me?"

 

"I saw you conversing³ together upon the sward," I replied, "nothing more, Monsieur, I assure you."

 

"I should like to believe it," said the Count, "for your own good; were I to imagine you had seen anything else, never would you emerge alive from where we are.... Jasmin, it is early, we have time to hear the girl's adventures, and afterward⁴ we will see what's to be done with her."

 

The young men sit down, they order me to sit near them, and thereupon very ingenuously⁵ I make them acquainted with all the woes⁶ that have afflicted⁷ me from the day of my birth.

 

"Well, Jasmin," said Monsieur de Bressac as soon as I had finished, "for once let us be just: the equitable⁸ Themis has doomed⁹ this creature, let us not suffer the Goddess' designs to be thwarted¹⁰ so cruelly: let us expose the delinquent¹¹ to the death penalty she has incurred¹²: this little murder, far from being a crime, will merely take its place as a reparation in the moral scheme; since sometimes we have the misfortune to disturb that order, let us at least courageously¹³ make amends¹⁴ when the occasion arises...."

 

And the cruel men, having laid hands upon me, dragged me toward the wood, laughing at my tears and screams.

 

"We'll tie each of her members to a tree we need four trees placed in a rectangle," said Bressac, tearing off my clothes.

 

Then by means of their cravats¹⁵, their handkerchiefs, their braces¹⁶, they make cords wherewith I am tied instantly, in keeping with their plan, that is to say in the cruelest and most painful position imaginable. I cannot express to you what I suffered; it seemed they were rending¹⁷ me limb from limb and that my belly¹⁸, facing downward and strained to the utmost, was about to split at any moment; sweat drenched¹⁹ my forehead, I no longer existed save through the violence of pain; had it ceased to compress my nerves, a mortal anguish²⁰ would surely have seized me: the villains²¹ were amused by my posture²², they considered me and applauded.

 

"Well, that's enough," Bressac said at last, "for the time being she may get off with a fright.

 

"Therese," he continued as he untied²³ my hands and commanded me to dress myself, "show a little judgment²⁴ and come along with us; if you attach yourself to me you shall never have reason to regret it. My aunt requires a second maid; I am going to present you to her and, upon the basis of your story, undertake to interest her in you; I shall make myself answerable for your conduct; but should you abuse my kindness, were you to betray my confidence, or were you not to submit yourself to my intentions, behold²⁵ these four trees, Therese, behold the plot of earth they encompass²⁶: it might serve you for a sepulcher²⁷: bear it in mind that this dreadful place is no more than a league's distance from the chateau²⁸ to which I am going to lead you and that, upon the least provocation²⁹, I will bring you back here at once."

 

I forgot my sufferings instantly, I embraced the Count's knees, tears streaming down my cheeks, I swore to behave myself well; but quite as insensible to my joy as to my pain,

 

"Let us be off," said Bressac, "your actions will speak for you, they alone will govern your fate."

 

We advance; Jasmin and his master exchange whispered remarks; I follow them humbly³⁰, without saying a word. In less than an hour we arrive at Madame la Marquise de Bressac's chateau, whose magnificence and the multitude of servants it contains make me see that whatever the post I must hold in the house, it will surely be more advantageous³¹ to me than that of drudge³² to Monsieur du Harpin. I am made to wait in an office where Jasmin most obligingly offers me everything conducive³³ to my comfort. The young Count seeks out his aunt, acquaints her with what he has done, and a half-hour later himself comes to introduce me to the Marquise.

 

Madame de Bressac was a woman of forty-six years, still very beautiful, and who seemed highly respectable and sensible, although into her principles and remarks somewhat of austerity had entrance; for two years she had been the widow of the young Count's uncle, who had married her without any fortune beyond the fine name he brought with him. All the riches Monsieur de Bressac was able to hope for depended upon this aunt; what had come down to him from his father barely gave him the wherewithal to buy his pleasures: to which income Madame de Bressac joined a considerable allowance, but that scarcely sufficed; nothing is so expensive as the delights to which the Count was addicted³⁴; perhaps they are purchased at a cheaper rate than others, but they far more rapidly multiply. Fifty thousand crowns was the Marquise's revenue, and young Monsieur de Bressac was its sole heir. All efforts to induce him to find a profession or an occupation had failed; he could not adapt himself to whatever diverted his attentions from libertinage³⁵. The Marquise passed three months of the year's twelve in the country; the rest of the time she lived in Paris; and these three months which she required her nephew to spend with her, were a kind of torture for a man who hated his aunt and considered as wasted every moment he passed outside the city which was the home of his pleasures.#p#分页标题#e#

 

The young Count bade me relate to the Marquise the matter with which I had just made him acquainted, and as soon as I was done:

 

"Your candor³⁶ and naivete," Madame de Bressac said to me, "do not permit me to think you untruthful. I will inquire after no other information save what will authorise me to believe you are really the daughter of the man you indicate; if it is so, then I knew your father, and that will be one more reason to take an interest in you. As for the du Harpin affair, I will assume responsibility for settling it with two visits paid to the Chancellor³⁷; he has been my friend for ages. In all the world there is no man of greater integrity; we have but to prove your innocence³⁸ to him: all the charges leveled against you will crumble³⁹ and be withdrawn⁴⁰. But consider well, Therese: what I promise you now will not be yours save at the price of flawless conduct; thus, you see that the effects of the gratitude⁴¹ I require will always redound⁴² to your profit." I cast myself at the Marquise's feet, assured her she would be contented⁴³ with me; with great kindness she raised me up and upon the spot gave me the post of second chambermaid in her service.

 

At the end of three days, the information Madame de Bressac had sought from Paris arrived; it corresponded with what I desired; the Marquise praised me for having in no wise imposed upon her, and every thought of unhappiness vanished from my mind, to be replaced by nothing but hope for the sweetest consolations⁴⁴ it was permitted me to expect; but it did not consort⁴⁵ with the designs of Heaven that the poor Therese should ever be happy, and if fortuitously there were born unto her some few moments of calm, it was only to render more bitter those of distress⁴⁶ that were to succeed them.

 

We were no sooner arrived in Paris than Madame de Bressac hastened to work in my behalf: the first president judge wished to see me, he heard with interest the tale of my misfortunes; du Harpin's calumnies⁴⁷ were recognized, but it was in vain they undertook to punish him; having made a great success of trafficking in counterfeit⁴⁸ banknotes, whereby he ruined three or four families, and whence he amassed⁴⁹ nearly two millions, he had just removed to England; as regarded the burning of the Palace prisons, they were convinced that although I had profited from the event, I was in no way to blame for causing it and the case against me was dropped, the officiating magistrates⁵⁰ being agreed, so I was assured, that there was no need to employ further formalities; I asked no questions, I was content to learn what I was told, and you will see shortly whether I was mistaken.

 

You may readily imagine that as a consequence of what she did for me, I became very fond of Madame de Bressac; had she not shown me every kindness as well, had not such steps as those she had taken obligated me forever to this precious protectress? However, it was by no means the young Count's intention that I become so intimately attached to his aunt.... But this seems the moment for a portrait of the monster.

 

Monsieur de Bressac had the charms of youth and the most attractive countenance⁵¹ too; if there were some defects in his figure or his features, it was because they had a rather too pronounced tendency toward that nonchalance⁵², that softness which properly belongs only to women; it seemed that, in lending him the attributes of the feminine sex, Nature had introduced its tastes into him as well.... Yet what a soul lurked⁵³ behind those effeminate graces! All the vices⁵⁴ which characterize the villain's genius were to be encountered in his: never had wickedness, vindictiveness⁵⁵, cruelty, atheism⁵⁶, debauchery, contempt for all duties and principally those out of which Nature is said to fashion our delights, never had all these qualities been carried to such an extreme. In the midst of all his faults predominated another: Monsieur de Bressac detested⁵⁷ his aunt. The Marquise did everything conceivable to restore her nephew to the paths of virtue⁵⁸; perhaps she put too much rigorousness into her attempts; the result, however, was that the Count, further inflamed⁵⁹ by that very rigor's effects, only the more impetuously gave himself up to his predilections⁶⁰ and the poor Marquise gained nothing from her persecutions but his redoubled hate.

 

"Do not imagine," the Count would often tell me, "that it is of her own accord my aunt acts in all that concerns you, Therese; believe me, were it not for my constant badgering she would quickly forget what she has promised to do for you. She would have you feel indebted to her, but all she has done is owing exclusively to me; yes, Therese, exactly, it is to me alone you are beholden, and the thanks I expect from you should appear the more disinterested⁶¹, for although you've a pretty face, it is not, and you know it very well, after your favors I aspire⁶²; no, Therese, the services I await from you are of a radically⁶³ different sort, and when you are well convinced of what I have accomplished⁶⁴ in behalf of your tranquillity⁶⁵, I hope I will find what I think I have the right to expect from your spirit."#p#分页标题#e#

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