Iamcommissionedtoentreatyouracceptanceofthe
accompanyingcasket；itisthegiftofonewhosefavorsarenever
refused；youwilleasilyguess，towhomIallude，andIdoubtnot
bringyourselftoconformtotheusualcustom。“
Thejewelssentwereapairofear-ringsandanofemeralds
encircledwithdiamonds。
Thekingwasdesirousofbestowingupon
madamedeBearnthisparticularmarkofhisrecollectionofher
servicestowardsme，butitdidnotallaytheindignationwith
whichsheexpressedhersenseofmybitteringratitude，asshe
termedit，astho’herinterestedcooperationhadnotbeen
sufficientlyrepaid。
Nevertheless，sheforboretocometoa
decidedquarrelwithme，butsatisfiedherselfwithloadingme
witheveryreproachinprivate，whilstshewrotetothankmefor
allthefavorsIhadbestoweduponher，andentreatedIwouldkeep
herremembrancealiveinthemindofmyroyalprotector。
AstherewasnothingoffensiveinthestyleoftheletterI
showedittotheking；whenhecametothepartwheremadamede
Bearnrecommendedherselftohiskindrecollection，andexpressed
herdesiretobepermittedtothrowherselfoncemoreathisfeet，
“Heavenpreserveme，“criedhe，“fromreceivingthismarkofthe
lady’srespect。
No，no，sheisbadenoughatadistance；Ishould
beboredtodeathwereshesoneartomeasshepraysfor。
Thank
Godwehavegotridofher，andnowtrusttoyourownguidance；
trythepowersofyourownwingstobearyouinsafety，Ifeel
persuadedyouwillneverbeataloss。“
AboutthistimetheprincedeSoubise，anxioustoevincethathe
nolongerretainedanyfeelingsofcoolnesstowardsme，requested
hismistress，madamedel’Hopital，tocalluponme。
Thislady，
withoutbeingaregularbeauty，wasyetveryattractive。
Shewas
pastthemeridianofhercharms，butwhatshewantedinyouth
sheamplycompensatedforbythevivacityandbrilliancyofher
conversation，aswellasthefreedomofherideas，whichmade
hertheidolofalltheoldlibertinesofthecourt。
Theprince
deSoubisewasgreatlyattachedtoher，andpreferredherin
reality，tomademoiselleGuimard，whomheonlyretainedforform’s
sake，andbecausehethoughtitsuitabletohisdignitytohave
anoperadancerinhispay；thisnoblemanasyouwillfindhad
rathersingularideasofthedutiesattachedtohisstation。
Madamedel’Hopitalhadhadavastnumberofgallantadventures，
whichshewasveryfondofrelating。
Ishallmentiontwoofthe
mostamusing，whichwillservetoconveyanideaoftheskilfulness
andreadywitwithwhichsheextricatedherselffromthemost
embarrassingcircumstances。
Ayoungman，whoseloveshepermitted，whosenamewasthechevalier
deCressy，wasobliged，inordertovisither，toscaleaterrace
uponwhichawindowopened，whichconductedtothesleeping-room
ofhismistress。
Hewasgenerallyaccompaniedbyhisvalet，a
good-lookingyouth，who，dislikingastateofidleness，had
contrivedtoinsinuatehimselfintothegoodgracesofthelady’s
maid。
Thevalet，duringhismaster’sstaywithmadame，had
likewiseascendedtheterrace，andpenetrated，bytheaidofanother
window，intothechamberwherereposedtheobjectofhistender
love。
Allthiswasaccomplishedwithaslittlenoiseaspossible，
inordertopreventthemischanceofawakeningthemarquisde
l’Hopital，whowasquietlyasleepinanadjoiningroom。
Oneclearmoonlightnight，attheveryinstantwhenM。deCressy
wasabouttostepoutofthewindow，inordertoreturntohisown
apartment，aterriblecrashofbrokenglasswasheard。
The
terrifiedchevaliersoughttheaidofhisladder，butithad
disappeared。
Notknowingwhattodo，thechevalierreturnedto
madamedel’Hopital，who，seizedwithterror，hadonlyjusttime
toconcealhiminherchamber，whenthemarquisopenedhiswindow
toascertainthecauseofallthisconfusion。
Inaninstantthe
alarmspread，andheadswerepoppedoutofthedifferentwindows
ofthecastle，eachvieingwiththeotherinvociferating“Thieves！
thieves！
murder！
fire！“
Theunfortunateauthorofallthisdisturbancewastheunlucky
valet；who，inhisovereagernesstoreachhisDulcinea，had
attemptedtoclimbhisladdersonimbly，thatitfelldown，and，
strikingagainstthewindowsofaroomnearwhichhehadfixed
it，hadbrokenseveralpanesofglass。
Thepoorvaletnever
stoppedtoreplacetheladder；but，terrifiedaswellashurtby
hisrapiddescent，scrambledoffaswellashecould，abandoning
hismasterinhispresentcriticalsituation。
Theladderthrowndowninthecourtyardwasabundantproofthat
someaudaciousattempthadbeenmadeuponthelivesandsafety
oftheinhabitantsofthecastle；andthegeneraldetermination
wastocatchthethieves:for，itwaspresumed，asnooutletfor
theirescapewasdiscernible，thattheymustbeconcealedwithin
itswalls。
Theservants，withtheirmasterattheirhead，were
speedilyassembledforthepurpose，whentheabsenceofthe
chevalierdeCressywasobserved。
Wherecouldhebe？
wasthe
generalwonder。
Wasitpossiblethat，amidsttheuniversal
uproarwithwhichthecastlehadresounded，hehadsleptso
soundlyastobeyetunconsciousofallthisbustle？
An
over-officiousfriendwasuponthepointofgoingtohischamber，
toascertainthecauseofhisabsentinghimselfatsuchamoment，
whenmadamedel’Hopitalsenttorequestherhusbandwouldcome
toherimmediately。
“Sir，“saidshe，whentheywerealone，“the
disturbancewhichhasthusbrokenourrestisnottheworkof
thieves，butoriginatesintheshamelesslicentiousnessofaman
unworthyofhisnameandtherankheoccupies。
Thechevalierde
Cressy，forgetfulofhisbeingyourguest，andofrespectingthe
honorofallbeneathyourroof，hasdaredtocarryonabase
intriguewithmywoman，inwhoseapartmentyouwillfindhimat
thisveryminute。
Aconductsoprofligateandinsultingfillsme
withanindignationwhichIthinkthatyou，sir，afterwhatyou
haveheard，cannotbutpartake。“
Themarquisdel’Hopital，whodidnotseethethinginthesame
seriouslight，soughttoappeasethevirtuousindignationofhis
lady，andwenthimselftoreleasethechevalierfromhisplaceof
concealment；leadinghimthro’hisownapartmenttojointhe
crowdofarmedservants，who，asmaybesupposed，wereunableto
detectthesupposedinvadersoftheirrepose。
Onthefollowingmorningthechevalierasagreedupon，wrotea
penitentiallettertomadame，entreatingherpardonforhis
improperattentionstoherservant，whomsheaffectedtodismiss
witheverymarkofgravestdispleasure。
TheweepingAbigail
threwherselfatthefeetofhermistress:andthecompassionate
marquisbeforewhomthescenewasenacted，touchedwithpity，
imploredhisladytoreceivetheafflictedandpenitentJavotte
oncemoreintoherservice。
Thiswasatlengthgrantedtohis
solicitations；andJavottereceivedahundredlouisastheprice
ofhersilence，andfounditsufficientcompensationforthebad
opinionthemarquisentertainedofhervirtue。
Thesecondtrickthemarchionessplayedherhusbandwasnot
lessamusing。
ThechevalierdeCressyandherselfcouldnotmeetsofrequently
asbothdesired；andwhilstsufferingunderthevoidoccasioned
byhisabsence，chancethrewinherwayayoungrelativeofher
husband’s，ayouthofabouteighteen，asbeautifulasLove，and
asdaringasthatgod。
Theyweretheninthecountryduringthe
finedaysofsummer，andbothtimeandplacewerefavorableto
theprosecutionoftheirgrowingpassion。
Onedaymadamede
l’Hopitalandhercousinweresaunteringabouttheparkheedless
oftheapproachingdinner-hour，andequallydeaftothesoundof
thedinner-bell，whichrungitsaccustomedpealinvainforthem
whoseearswereoccupiedinlisteningtosweetersounds。
At
lengththemasterofthehouse，alarmedattheprotractedabsence
ofhiswifeandfriend，wenthimself，attendedbymanyguests
assembledathishouse，insearchofthestrayones；theservants
likewisereceivedorderstodispersethemselvesoverthegrounds
indifferentdirections；andmadamedel’Hopitalandhercompanion
wereonlyarousedtoarecollectionoftheflightoftimeby
hearingtheirnamesloudlyshoutedbyadozendifferentvoices。
Fortunatelytheywerejustintimetoseparateinoppositepaths，
andthustoenterthecastlewithoutanysuspicionbeingexcited
oftheirhavingbeensorecentlyineachother’scompany。
The
marquisangrilyremonstratedwithhisladyforhavingobliged
himtosendinsearchofher，andsheexcusedherselfbyprotesting
thatshehadnotheardthedinner-bell。
Themarquisreplied，that
thethingwasimpossible；andaftersomeangrydiscussionthe
matterrestedthere。
Afewdaysafterthisthemarchioness，withherhusbandand
cousin，wereramblingoverthegrounds，whentheyfoundthemselves
attheentranceofahermitage，wheremadamedel’Hopitalhad
toldthemarquisshehadsatdowntorestherselfonthedayof
herfailingtoattendthedinner-hour。
M。del’Hopitalresumed
thedispute，byprotestingthatfromthissituationthedinner-bell
mighteasilybeheard:theladycontinuedfirminprotestingit
couldnot，till，atlast，feigningextremeanger，sheexclaimed。
“Wellthen，sir，sinceyourefusetobelieveassertion，go
yourselfandringthebellasloudlyasyouplease，yourcousin
willremainherewithme，anddetermineifitbepossibleto
distinguishthesoundfromhere。“
Thefoolofamarquissetoffintheheightofhiszealtoconvince
hiswife，and，arrivingattheturretwherethebellwasplaced，
beganringingitwithallhismightandmain，leavingthelovers
theundisturbedopportunitytheywerenotslowintakingadvantage
of。
Whenthemarquishadceasedhischimes，thelovingpairwent
tomeethim。
“Well，mygoodcousin，“inquiredhe，astheyapproached，“which
ofuswasright？
Couldyouhearitornot？“
“Yourself，mostassuredly，“repliedtheyoungman，notwithouta
slightblush。
“Icanassureyouthatbothmadameandmyself
heardthebellthewholetimeyouwereringingit。“
“There，Itoldyouso；Itoldyouso“；criedthedelightedhusband，
triumphantlyrubbinghishands。
Ithoughtwhenthislivelyandpiquantadventurewasrelatedto
me，thatitwaswellworthyofbeingimmortalizedbythepenof
aLaFontaine。