She wore the graceful3 and picturesque4 costume of the girls of Provence: a brown petticoat and red waist, with wide basques and tight sleeves. Her little felt hat left visible the beautiful nape of her neck and long tresses of black hair rolled under a scarlet5 silk net.
Orphan6 and foster-sister to Mlle. Reine des Anbiez, Stephanette served her in the duties of a companion, and was treated more as a friend than a servant.
Stephanette’s heart was good, true, and grateful, her conduct irreproachable7. Her only fault was a mischievous village coquetry, which was the despair of the fishers and captains of small craft in the gulf8 of La Ciotat, nor will we except from the number of these interesting victims her betrothed9, Captain Luquin Trinquetaille, captain of the polacre, Holy Terror to the Moors10, by the Grace of God,—a long and significant appellation11, inscribed12 at full length on the stern of Captain Trinque-taille’s boat.
Gallantly13 armed with six swivel-guns, it was the business of the polacre to escort vessels15 from La Ciotat which, forced by their commerce to have free intercourse16 with the coasts of Italy, dreaded17 the attacks of pirates.
Stephanette shared the veneration18 that the watchman on the cape19 of l’Aigle inspired among the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. She trembled as she approached him with downcast eyes.
“May God keep you, my child!” said Peyrou, affectionately, for he loved her as he loved all who belonged to the family of his old captain, the Commander des Anbiez.
“May St. Magnus and St. Elzear aid you, Master Peyrou!” replied Stephanette, with her most beautiful curtsey.
“Thank you for your good wishes, Stephanette. How are monseigneur and Mlle. Reine, your young and beautiful mistress? Has she recovered from her fright of the other day?”
“Yes, Master Peyrou; mademoiselle is better, although she is still quite pale. But was ever such a miscreant20 seen? To dare kiss mademoiselle! and that, too, in the presence of monseigneur and her betrothed! But people say these Muscovites are barbarians21. They are more savage22 and more of Antichrist than the Turks themselves, are they not, Master Peyrou? They will be damned twice in a doubly hot fire.”
Without replying to Stephanette’s theological argument, the watchman said to her: “Does not monseigneur resent this breach23 of good manners?”
“He! Why, Master Peyrou, as true as Rosseline is a saint in Paradise, the same day that monseigneur came so near falling into the chasm24 of Ollioules, he supped as merrily as if he had just returned from a patronal feast. Indeed, it is so,—and he drank two cups of Spanish wine to the health of the young miscreant! And would you believe it, Master Peyrou, he is never tired of boasting of the courage and agility25 of the Muscovite! Yes, he said: ‘Manjour! instead of stealing the pin and kiss like a thief, why did he not ask for them,—my daughter Reine would have given him a kiss, and with a good heart too!’ And ever since that day monseigneur is constantly saying, ‘Really, these Muscovites are strange companions.’ But for all that, M. Honorat de Berrol turns red with indignation whenever he hears this impudent26 fellow, who stole a kiss from his betrothed, mentioned. And another strange thing, Master Peyrou, is that monseigneur is not willing to get rid of that wicked little horse, Mistraon, that has been the cause of all the mischief27; he rides it in preference to any other. Now say, Master Peyrou, don’t you think that is tempting28 Providence29?”
“Have these strangers departed from Marseilles?” asked the watchman, without replying to Stephanette.
“Yes, Master Peyrou, they say they have taken the route to Languedoc, after having made a visit to the Marshal of Vitry. They say, too, that this wicked duke is quite worthy30 of being acquainted with such rascals31. Ah, if monseigneur had his way, the marshal would not be governor of Provence very long. The baron32 cannot hear him mentioned without flying into a passion,—such a passion! you have no idea of it, Master Peyrou.” “Yes, my child, I have seen the baron, at the time of the revolt of the Cascabeoux, act as his father did at the time of the revolt of the Razats, under Henry III., and again at the time of the rebellion of the Gascons against the Duke d’Epemon, under the last reign33. Yes, yes; I know that Raimond V. hates his enemies as much as he loves his friends.”
“You are right, Master Peyrou, and monseigneur’s anger against the governor has increased since this recorder of the admiralty of Toulon, Master Isnard, who they say is so wicked, has been visiting the castles of the diocese by order of his Eminence34, the cardinal35. Monseigneur says these visits are an outrage36 upon the nobility, and that the Marshal of Vitry is a scoundrel. Between us, I am of the same opinion, since he protects shameless Muscovites who have the insolence37 to kiss young girls when they are not expecting it.”
“My opinion is, Stephanette, that you are very severe upon young men who kiss young girls,” said the old man with mock gravity, “which proves that you are naturally ferocious,—but what do you want of me?”
“Master Peyrou,” said the girl, with an air of embarrassment38, “I want to know if the weather promises a good passage to Nice, and if one could leave this port with safety.”
“You wish, then, to go to Nice, my child?”
“No, not I exactly, but a brave and honest sailor who—who—”
“Ah, I understand, I understand,” said the watchman, interrupting Stephanette’s stammering39; “you mean young Bernard, patron of the tartan, the Sacred Balm.”
“No, no, Master Peyrou, I assure you I do not mean him,” said the girl, turning as red as a cherry.
“Come, come, you need not blush like that,” and the watchman added, in a lower tone: “Was the beautiful bouquet40 of green thyme, that he tied three days ago to your window bar with rose coloured ribbon, to your taste?”
“A bouquet of green thyme! What bouquet are you talking about, Master Peyrou?”
The watchman held up a threatening finger to Stephanette and said: “What! last Thursday, at daybreak, did not the patron Bernard carry a bouquet to your window?”
“Wait,—let me see, Master Peyrou,” said the young girl, with an air of recalling something to her memory; “was it then yesterday that, in opening my casement41, I found something like a bundle of dried herbs?”
“Stephanette, Stephanette! you cannot deceive the old watchman. Listen; patron Bernard had hardly descended42, when you came and untied43 the rose coloured ribbon, and put the bouquet in a pretty terra-cotta vase, and you have watered it every morning; yesterday was the only day you neglected it, and it has withered—”
The young girl stared at the watchman in utter amazement45. This revelation seemed like sorcery.
The old man looked at her with a mischievous expression, and continued:
“So it is not the patron Bernard who is going to Nice?”
“No, Master Peyrou.” “Then it must be the pilot Terzarol.”
“The pilot Terzarol!” cried Stephanette, clasping her hands, “may Our Lady help me, if I know anything about this pilot going to sea.”
“Well, well, my child, I was mistaken about Bernard, for it is true that you have allowed his bouquet to wither44, but I am not mistaken about Terzarol, because yesterday, from the height of the castle turret46, you passed more than two hours looking at the bold pilot throwing nets.” “I, Master Peyrou, I?”
“Your very self, Stephanette, and at each cast of the net, Terzarol waved his cap in triumph, and you waved your handkerchief in congratulation; he ought to have made a good haul, so enthusiastically did he labour,—you come then to ask me if Terzarol will have a good voyage to Nice?”
This time Stephanette began to feel afraid, as she realised how much the watchman knew.
“Ah, my faith, Master Peyrou, you know everything!” cried she, innocently.
The old man smiled, shook his head, and replied in the words of the Provencal proverb, “Experienco passo scienco,—experience passes science.”
The poor child, fearing that the watchman’s marvellous discoveries concerning her innocent coquetry might give him a bad opinion of her, cried, with tears in her eyes, as she clasped her hands:
“Ah, Master Peyrou, I am an honest girl!”
“I know it, my child,” said the watchman, pressing her hand affectionately. “I know that you are worthy of the protection and affection which your noble and kind mistress shows you. It is only girlish mischief and love of fun which tempts47 you to turn the heads of these young men, and make poor Luquin Trinquetaille jealous, Luquin, who loves you so much and so faithfully. But listen, Stephanette, you know the proverb of the vinedressers in our valleys: Paou vignose ben tengudos,—have few vines and cultivate them well. Instead of scattering48 your coquetries, concentrate all your charms upon your betrothed, who will prove a good and honest husband for you,—that would be far better,—and then, you see, my child, these young men are quick, inflammable, and courageous49; self-love comes in, rivalry50 exasperates51, a combat follows, blood flows, and then—” “Ah, Master Peyrou, then I should die of despair. All of this is folly52. I was wrong, I admit, to amuse myself with the admiring glances of Bernard and Terzarol, for I love Luquin and he loves me; we are going to be married the same day as Mlle, and M. Honorat de Berrol,—the baron desires it. Really, Master Peyrou, you, who find out everything, ought to know that I think of nobody but Luquin. It is about his voyage that I have come to consult you. Master Talebard-Talebardon, consul53 of La Ciotat, is about to send to Nice three tartans laden54 with merchandise. He has made a bargain with Luquin to escort them; do you think, Master Peyrou, the passage will be good? Can he put to sea with safety? Is there no pirate in sight? Oh, if a corsair is in sight, or a storm threatens, he will not depart!”
“Oh, so, so, my child, do you think you have so much influence over this bold artilleryman? You are mistaken, I think. What! keep him in port when there is danger in going out? You might as well try to anchor a ship with a thread from your distaff.”
“Oh, be quiet, Master Peyrou,” said Stephanette, regaining55 her composure; “to keep Luquin near me, I need not tell him of winds or tempests or of pirates. I will only tell him that I will give Bernard a ribbon to put on his lance at the next tilting-match, or that I will ask the pilot Terzarol for a good place at one of the windows of his mother’s house, that I may go with Dulceline, the housekeeper56 at Maison-Forte, to see the wrestling and leaping over the cross-bar in La Ciotat; then, I swear to you, Master Peyrou, Luquin will not go out of the gulf, not if the consul, Talebard-Talebardon, covered the deck of his polacre with pieces of silver.”
“Ah, what a cunning gipsy you are!” said the old man, smiling. “I would never have thought of such tricks. Alas57, alas! Buou viel fa rego drecho,—the old ox makes a straight furrow58. But come, now, Stephanette, make yourself easy; you need not rob your waist of a ribbon for Bernard nor ask for a window at the Terzarol house: the wind blows from the west, and if it does not change at sunset, and if Martin-Bouffo, the deep grotto59 of roaring waters in the gulf, says nothing tomorrow at daybreak Luquin will be able to go out of the gulf and sail for Nice without fear; as to the passage, I will answer for that; as to the pirates, I am going to give you a charm that is sure in its effect, if not to confuse them entirely60, at least to prevent their carrying off the Holy Terror to the Moors, by the Grace of God.”
“Ah, how thankful I will be, Master Peyrou!” said the young girl, as she assisted him to rise, for he walked with considerable pain.
The old man went into his cabin, took a little bag covered with cabalistic signs and gave it to Stephanette, instructing her to order Luquin to conform scrupulously61 to the directions he would find in it.
“How good you are, Master Peyrou! How shall I reward—”
“By promising62 me, my child, henceforth to allow Bernard’s bouquets63 to dry on the bars of your window,—then, believe me, there will be no more of them, because a bouquet that is watered makes many others grow. Ah! and you must promise me, too, not to encourage pilot Terzarol’s fishing, because to please you he would destroy all the fish in the bay, and he would finish by being called before the overseer fishers, and I would be obliged to condemn64 him. By the way, how goes on the discussion between monseigneur and the consuls65, on the right of fishing in the cove,—does Raimond V. still keep his seines there?”
“Yes, Master Peyrou, and he will not take them away; he says that the right of fishing there belongs to him up to the rocks of Castrembaou, and that he will not yield that right to anybody.”
“Listen, Stephanette: your mistress has her father’s ear; do you persuade her to counsel him to arrange it amicably66 with the consuls: that will be the best for all parties.”
“Yes, Master Peyrou, make yourself easy about it, I will mention it to Mlle. Reine.”
“Very well, my child,—good-bye, and above all, no more coquetry,—do you promise me that?”
“Yes, Master Peyrou, only—only—”
“Well, say it”
“Only, you see, Master Peyrou, I would not like to make Bernard and Terzarol despair entirely,—not on my own account, Our Lady, no, but on account of Luquin, because I must have some means of keeping him in port, in case of great danger, you see, Master Peyrou,—and for that purpose, jealousy67 is worth more than all the anchors of his ship.”
“That is right,” said the watchman, with a significant smile, “you must think of Luquin above all things.”
The young girl dropped her eyes and smiled, then said: “Ah, I was about to forget, Master Peyrou, to ask you if you thought that monsieur, the commander, and the Reverend Father Elzear would arrive here for the Christmas holidays, as the baron hopes. He is so anxious to see his two brothers again—do you know that Christmas has been twice celebrated68 at Maison-Forte without them?”
At the mention of the commander, the face of the watchman took on an expression of profound melancholy69.
“If God grants my most earnest prayers, my child, they will both come, but, alas, Father Elzear has gone to redeem70 captives in Algiers, as a worthy and courageous brother of mercy, and the faith of those Barbary people is perfidious71!”
“Yes, Master Peyrou, as Father Elzear learned by experience when he was kept in the convict-prison among slaves for one year! At his age, too, to suffer so much!”
“And without a murmur,—without losing his adorable saintliness—”
“Speaking of them, Master Peyrou, why is the commander’s galley72, instead of being white and gold like the gallant14 galleys73 of the king, and of monseigneur, the Duke of Guise74, always painted in black like a coffin75? Why are its sails and masts black? Really, nothing looks more solemn, and his sailors and his soldiers, they look as hard and severe as Spanish monks76; and then the commander himself looks so sad. I never saw a smile on his pale face but once, and that was when he arrived at Maison-Forte and embraced monseigneur and my mistress. Yet, my God, what a melancholy smile! Is it not strange, Master Peyrou, and all the more so because Luquin told me, the other day, that when he was artilleryman on board La Guisarde, the admiral’s galley, in the waters of the Levant, many a time he has seen the commanders and captains of Malta at Naples, and notwithstanding the severity of their order, they were as merry as other officers.”
The watchman for some moments seemed as if he no longer heard the girl; his head had fallen upon his breast, he was lost in profound meditation77, and when Stephanette bade him farewell, he responded only by an affectionate gesture of the hand. Some time after the departure of the young girl, he went into his cabin, opened the carved ebony box he found there, sprung the secret lock of a double bottom, and took out of it a little casket chased with silver; an embassed Maltese cross ornamented78 its cover.
For a long time he gazed at this casket with sorrowful attention; the sight of it seemed to awaken79 the most bitter memories. Then, assuring himself that this mysterious trust was still intact, he shut the doors of the ebony chest and, like a dreamer, returned to his seat at the door of his cabin.
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1
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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irreproachable
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| adj.不可指责的，无过失的 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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betrothed
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| n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
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moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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appellation
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| n.名称，称呼 | |
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inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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veneration
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| n.尊敬，崇拜 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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miscreant
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| n.恶棍 | |
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barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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stammering
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 ) | |
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bouquet
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| n.花束，酒香 | |
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casement
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| n.竖铰链窗；窗扉 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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untied
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| 松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决 | |
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wither
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| vt.使凋谢，使衰退，(用眼神气势等)使畏缩；vi.枯萎，衰退，消亡 | |
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45
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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turret
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| n.塔楼，角塔 | |
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47
tempts
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| v.引诱或怂恿（某人）干不正当的事( tempt的第三人称单数 )；使想要 | |
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48
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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49
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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50
rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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51
exasperates
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| n.激怒，触怒( exasperate的名词复数 )v.激怒，触怒( exasperate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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52
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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consul
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| n.领事；执政官 | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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55
regaining
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| 复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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56
housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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57
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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furrow
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| n.沟；垄沟；轨迹；车辙；皱纹 | |
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grotto
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| n.洞穴 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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61
scrupulously
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| adv.一丝不苟地；小心翼翼地，多顾虑地 | |
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62
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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63
bouquets
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| n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 )；（酒的）芳香 | |
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64
condemn
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| vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑 | |
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65
consuls
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| 领事( consul的名词复数 )； （古罗马共和国时期）执政官 （古罗马共和国及其军队的最高首长，同时共有两位，每年选举一次） | |
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66
amicably
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| adv.友善地 | |
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67
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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68
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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69
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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70
redeem
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| v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等） | |
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71
perfidious
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| adj.不忠的，背信弃义的 | |
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72
galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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73
galleys
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| n.平底大船，战舰( galley的名词复数 )；（船上或航空器上的）厨房 | |
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74
guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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75
coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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76
monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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77
meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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78
ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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79
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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