Having thus got the better of one enemy, Urbain turned on the others, and showed himself more indefatigable5 in the pursuit of justice than they had been in the pursuit of vengeance6. The decision of the archbishop had given him a right to a sum of money for compensation, and interest thereon, as well as to the restitution7 of the revenues of his livings, and there being some demur8 made, he announced publicly that he intended to exact this reparation to the uttermost farthing, and set about collecting all the evidence which was necessary for the success of a new lawsuit9 for libel and forgery10 which he intended to begin. It was in vain that his friends assured him that the vindication11 of his innocence12 had been complete and brilliant, it was in vain that they tried to convince him of the danger of driving the vanquished14 to despair, Urbain replied that he was ready to endure all the persecutions which his enemies might succeed in inflicting15 on him, but as long as he felt that he had right upon his side he was incapable16 of drawing back.
Grandier’s adversaries17 soon became conscious of the storm which was gathering18 above their heads, and feeling that the struggle between themselves and this man would be one of life or death, Mignon, Barot, Meunier, Duthibaut, and Menuau met Trinquant at the village of Pindadane, in a house belonging to the latter, in order to consult about the dangers which threatened them. Mignon had, however, already begun to weave the threads of a new intrigue19, which he explained in full to the others; they lent a favourable20 ear, and his plan was adopted. We shall see it unfold itself by degrees, for it is the basis of our narrative21.
We have already said that Mignon was the director of the convent of Ursulines at Loudun: Now the Ursuline order was quite modern, for the historic controversies22 to which the slightest mention of the martyrdom of St. Ursula and her eleven thousand virgins23 gave rise, had long hindered the foundation of an order in the saint’s honour. However, in 1560 Madame Angele de Bresse established such an order in Italy, with the same rules as the Augustinian order. This gained the approbation24 of Pope Gregory XIII in 1572. In 1614, Madeleine Lhuillier, with the approval of Pope Paul V, introduced this order into France, by founding a convent at Paris, whence it rapidly spread over the whole kingdom, so-that in 1626, only six years before the time when the events just related took place, a sisterhood was founded in the little town of Loudun.
Although this community at first consisted entirely25 of ladies of good family, daughters of nobles, officers, judges, and the better class of citizens, and numbered amongst its founders26 Jeanne de Belfield, daughter of the late Marquis of Cose, and relative of M. de Laubardemont, Mademoiselle de Fazili, cousin of the cardinal-duke, two ladies of the house of Barbenis de Nogaret, Madame de Lamothe, daughter of the Marquis Lamothe-Barace of Anjou, and Madame d’Escoubleau de Sourdis, of the same family as the Archbishop of Bordeaux, yet as these nuns27 had almost all entered the convent because of their want of fortune, the community found itself at the time of its establishment richer in blood than in money, and was obliged instead of building to purchase a private house. The owner of this house was a certain Moussaut du Frene, whose brother was a priest. This brother, therefore, naturally became the first director of these godly women. Less than a year after his appointment he died, and the directorship became vacant.
The Ursulines had bought the house in which they lived much below its normal value, for it was regarded as a haunted house by all the town. The landlord had rightly thought that there was no better way of getting rid of the ghosts than to confront them with a religious sisterhood, the members of which, passing their days in fasting and prayer, would be hardly likely to have their nights disturbed by bad spirits; and in truth, during the year which they had already passed in the house, no ghost had ever put in an appearance—a fact which had greatly increased the reputation of the nuns for sanctity.
When their director died, it so happened that the boarders took advantage of the occasion to indulge in some diversion at the expense of the older nuns, who were held in general detestation by the youth of the establishment on account of the rigour with which they enforced the rules of the order. Their plan was to raise once more those spirits which had been, as everyone supposed, permanently28 relegated29 to outer darkness. So noises began to be heard on the roof of the house, which resolved themselves into cries and groans30; then growing bolder, the spirits entered the attics31 and garrets, announcing their presence by clanking of chains; at last they became so familiar that they invaded the dormitories, where they dragged the sheets off the sisters and abstracted their clothes.
Great was the terror in the convent, and great the talk in the town, so that the mother superior called her wisest, nuns around her and asked them what, in their opinion, would be the best course to take in the delicate circumstances in which they found themselves. Without a dissentient voice, the conclusion arrived at was, that the late director should be immediately replaced by a man still holier than he, if such a man could be found, and whether because he possessed32 a reputation for sanctity, or for some other reason, their choice fell on Urbain Grandier. When the offer of the post was brought to him, he answered that he was already responsible for two important charges, and that he therefore had not enough time to watch over the snow-white flock which they wished to entrust33 to him, as a good shepherd should, and he recommended the lady superior to seek out another more worthy34 and less occupied than himself.
This answer, as may be supposed, wounded the self-esteem of the sisters: they next turned their eyes towards Mignon, priest and canon of the collegiate church of Sainte-Croix, and he, although he felt deeply hurt that they had not thought first of him, accepted the position eagerly; but the recollection that Grandier had been preferred before himself kept awake in, him one of those bitter hatreds35 which time, instead of soothing36, intensifies37. From the foregoing narrative the reader can see to what this hate led.
As soon as the new director was appointed, the mother superior confided38 to him the kind of foes39 which he would be expected to vanquish13. Instead of comforting her by the assurance that no ghosts existing, it could not be ghosts who ran riot in the house, Mignon saw that by pretending to lay these phantoms40 he could acquire the reputation for holiness he so much desired. So he answered that the Holy Scriptures41 recognised the existence of ghosts by relating how the witch of Endor had made the shade of Samuel appear to Saul. He went on to say that the ritual of the Church possessed means of driving away all evil spirits, no matter how persistent42 they were, provided that he who undertook the task were pure in thought and deed, and that he hoped soon, by the help of God, to rid the convent of its nocturnal visitants, whereupon as a preparation for their expulsion he ordered a three days’ fast, to be followed by a general confession43.
It does not require any great cleverness to understand how easily Mignon arrived at the truth by questioning the young penitents44 as they came before him. The boarders who had played at being ghosts confessed their folly45, saying that they had been helped by a young novice46 of sixteen years of age, named Marie Aubin. She acknowledged that this was true; it was she who used to get up in the middle of the night, and open the dormitory door, which her more timid room-mates locked most carefully from within every night, before going to bed—a fact which greatly increased their terror when, despite their precautions, the ghosts still got in. Under pretext47 of not exposing them to the anger of the superior, whose suspicions would be sure to be awakened48 if the apparitions49 were to disappear immediately after the general confession, Mignon directed them to renew their nightly frolics from time to time, but at longer and longer intervals50. He then sought an interview with the superior, and assured her that he had found the minds of all those under her charge so chaste51 and pure that he felt sure through his earnest prayers he would soon clear the convent of the spirits which now pervaded52 it.
Everything happened as the director had foretold53, and the reputation for sanctity of the holy man, who by watching and praying had delivered the worthy Ursulines from their ghostly assailants, increased enormously in the town of Loudun.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
arrogant
|
|
| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
demonstration
|
|
| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
zeal
|
|
| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
proceedings
|
|
| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
indefatigable
|
|
| adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
vengeance
|
|
| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
restitution
|
|
| n.赔偿；恢复原状 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
demur
|
|
| v．表示异议，反对 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
lawsuit
|
|
| n.诉讼，控诉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
forgery
|
|
| n.伪造的文件等，赝品，伪造（行为） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
vindication
|
|
| n.洗冤，证实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
innocence
|
|
| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
vanquish
|
|
| v.征服，战胜；克服；抑制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
vanquished
|
|
| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
inflicting
|
|
| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
incapable
|
|
| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
adversaries
|
|
| n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
intrigue
|
|
| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
favourable
|
|
| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
narrative
|
|
| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
controversies
|
|
| 争论 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
virgins
|
|
| 处女，童男( virgin的名词复数 )； 童贞玛利亚（耶稣之母） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
approbation
|
|
| n.称赞；认可 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
founders
|
|
| n.创始人( founder的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
nuns
|
|
| n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
permanently
|
|
| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
relegated
|
|
| v.使降级( relegate的过去式和过去分词 )；使降职；转移；把…归类 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
groans
|
|
| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
attics
|
|
| n. 阁楼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
possessed
|
|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
entrust
|
|
| v.信赖，信托，交托 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
worthy
|
|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
hatreds
|
|
| n.仇恨，憎恶( hatred的名词复数 )；厌恶的事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
soothing
|
|
| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
intensifies
|
|
| n.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的名词复数 )v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
confided
|
|
| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
foes
|
|
| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
phantoms
|
|
| n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
scriptures
|
|
| 经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
persistent
|
|
| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
confession
|
|
| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
penitents
|
|
| n.后悔者( penitent的名词复数 )；忏悔者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
45
folly
|
|
| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
novice
|
|
| adj.新手的，生手的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
pretext
|
|
| n.借口，托词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
awakened
|
|
| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
apparitions
|
|
| n.特异景象( apparition的名词复数 )；幽灵；鬼；（特异景象等的）出现 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
intervals
|
|
| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
chaste
|
|
| adj.贞洁的；有道德的；善良的；简朴的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
pervaded
|
|
| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
foretold
|
|
| v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |