Part 29 (2/2)
She had a daughter whoht this request excessive; I grantedcouple would have succeeded amply with their business, since ue; but I was not slow in learning that cruel discord had already penetrated to their household, and that Adrien, in spite of his adopted country, had remained at heart Italian Jealous without motive, and almost without love, he tormented with his suspicions, his reproaches, and his harshness, an attentive and industrious young wife, who loved hi him of it Fro a The little Olivier, as pretty as one can be, easily secured the hoentleht up woman should do Adrien disapproved these manners,--too French, in his opinion One day he dared to say to his wife, and that before witnesses: ”Because you have belonged to Madahts that she has?” And with that he administered a blow to her
This indecency was reported to ht to do with Adrien I had hiny, where I happened to be at the time
”Monsieur the Venetian drummer,” I said to him, with the hauteur which it was necessary to oppose to his audacity, ”Monsieur le Marechal de Vivonne, who is always too good, saved your life without knowing you I gave you to the King, i that I knew you Now I am undeceived, and I knoithout the least possibility of doubt, that beneath the appearance of a good heart you hide the ungrateful and insolent rogue
The King needs persons more discreet, less violent, and ; Mada to her service You depend for the future on nobody but Madame de Montespan, and it is her alone that you are bound to obey Your service in her house has co, and, before ood and all I have known on all occasions how to pardon slight offences; there are some that a person of my rank could not excuse; yours is of that nurate! Disappear, I command you!”
At these words he tried to throw himself at my feet ”Go, wretched fellow!” I cried to him; and, at my voice, my lackeys ran up and drove him from the room and from the chateau
Almost always these bad-natured folks have cowardly souls Adrien, his head in a whirl, presented hi his look somewhat sinister, refused to receive hi less of a physiogno to allow hiht but how to hareance, ran and set fire to my two storehouses, and, to put a crown on his rancour, went and hanged hi, a sick-nurse, having perceived the fla herself heard Public help arrived; the fire was ht everywhere for the Italian, whoainst his corpse
What a scene! What an affliction! The co had his room opened, on a small bureau a letter was found which he had been at the pains of writing, and in which he accused me of his despair and death
The people of Paris have been at all tiance and credulity itself They looked upon this young villain as a y to hionde
It is precisely on account of this elegy that I have cared to set down this cruel anecdote My readers, to whom I have just narrated the facts with entire frankness, can see well that, instead of having merited reproaches, I should only have received praise for my restraint and moderation
It is, assuredly, most painful to have to suffer the abuse of those for e have never done aught; but the outrages of those e have succoured, maintained, and favoured are insupportable injuries
CHAPTER III
The Equipage at Full Speed--The Poor Vine-grower--Sensibility of Madaht to Crush a Man Who Will Not Get Out of the Way--What One Sees--What They Tell You--All Ends at the Opera--One Can Be Moved to Tears and Yet Like Chocolate
Another event with a tragical issue, and one to which I contributed even less, served to feed and foster that hatred, uards always so persistently towards the favourites of kings or fortune
Naturally quick and i the roads My postilions,in such fashi+on that no equipage is everone day the declivity of the Coeur-Volant, between Saint Germain and Marly The Marquises de Maintenon and d'Hudicourt were in e with M le Duc du Maine, so far as I can re at the pace which I have just told, andthe way, as is custorower, laden with sticks, chose this ile enough to escape my six horses The cries of my people were useless The imprudent fellow took his own course, and my postilions, in spite of their efforts with the reins, could not prevent the over his body; the wheels followed the horses; the poor man was cut in pieces
At the lamentations of the country folk and the horrified passers-by, we stopped Madaht, and when she perceived the unfortunate vine-grower disfigured with his wounds, she clasped her hands and fell to weeping The Marquise d'Hudicourt, as always simplicity itself, followed her friend's exaroans and sorrowful exclamations My coachman blamed the postilions, the postilions the h she were the mistress, bade them be silent, and dared to say to theed to me, I would soon settle you” At these words all the spectators applauded, and cried: ”Vive Madame de Maintenon!”
Irritated at what I had just heard, I putto these sentiet in, mesdames; are you deterain, after having left my purse with the poor relations of the dead man; and as far as Ruel, which was our destination, I was compelled to listen to their complaints and litanies
”Admit, madame,” I declared to Madame de Maintenon, ”that any person except myself could and would detest you for the harm you have done htly and the rustic very positively My equipage did not conalled from their horses”
”Madame,” she replied, ”you have not seen, as I did, those eyes of the unhappy man forced violently fro heart, froht has moved and broken my own heart I was, as I am still, quite beside et discretion in one's speech and the proprieties I had no intention of giving you pain; I a done so But as for your coachmen I loathe them, and, since you undertake their defence, I shall not for the future show e”