The Reception of the Chiefs of the League.
The time for the great reception drew near. Paris, nearly as tumultuous as the evening before, had sent towards the Louvre its deputation of leaguers, its bodies of workmen, its sheriffs, its militia1, and its constantly-increasing masses of spectators.
The king, on his throne in the great hall, was surrounded by his officers, his friends, his courtiers, and his family, waiting for all the corporations to defile2 before him, when M. de Monsoreau entered abruptly3.
“Look, Henriquet,” said Chicot, who was standing4 near the king.
“At what?”
“At your chief huntsman; pardieu, he is well worth it. See how pale and dirty he is!”
Henri made a sign to M. de Monsoreau, who approached.
“How is it that you are at the Louvre, monsieur? I thought you at Vincennes.”
“Sire, the stag was turned off at seven o’clock this morning, but when noon came, and I had no news, I feared that some misfortune had happened to your majesty5, and I returned.”
“Really!”
“Sire, if I have done wrong, attribute it to an excess of devotion.”
“Yes, monsieur, and I appreciate it.”
“Now,” said the count, hesitatingly, “if your majesty wishes me to return to Vincennes, as I am reassured6 ——”
“No, no, stay; this chase was a fancy which came into our head, and which went as it came; do not go away, I want near me devoted7 subjects, and you have just classed yourself as such.”
Monsoreau bowed, and said, “Where does your majesty wish me to remain?”
“Will you give him to me for half an hour?” said Chicot to the king, in a low voice.
“What for?”
“To torment8 him a little. You owe me some compensation for obliging me to be present at this tiresome9 ceremony.”
“Well, take him.”
“Where does your majesty wish me to stand?” again asked M. de Monsoreau.
“Where you like; go behind my armchair, that is where I put my friends.”
“Come here,” said Chicot, making room for M. de Monsoreau, “come and get the scent10 of these fellows. Here is game which can be tracked without a hound. Here are the shoemakers who pass, or rather, who have passed; then here are the tanners. Mort de ma vie! if you lose their scent, I will take away your place.”
M. de Monsoreau listened mechanically; he seemed preoccupied11, and looked around him anxiously.
“Do you know what your chief huntsman is hunting for now?” said Chicot, in an undertone, to the king.
“No.”
“Your brother.”
“The game is not in sight.”
“Just ask him where his countess is.”
“What for?”
“Just ask.”
“M. le Comte,” said Henri, “what have you done with Madame de Monsoreau? I do not see her here.”
The count started, but replied, “Sire, she is ill, the air of Paris did not agree with her; so having obtained leave from the queen, she set out last night, with her father, for Méridor.”
“Paris is not good for women in her situation,” said Chicot.
Monsoreau grew pale and looked furiously at him.
“This poor countess!” continued Chicot, “she will die of ennui12 by the way.”
“I said that she traveled with her father.”
“A father is very respectable, I allow, but not very amusing; and if she had only that worthy13 baron14 to amuse her it would be sad; but luckily ——”
“What!” cried the count.
“What?”
“What do you mean by ‘luckily’?”
“Ah, it was an ellipsis15 I used.”
The count shrugged16 his shoulders.
“Oh, but it was. Ask Henri, who is a man of letters.”
“Yes,” said the king; “but what did your adverb mean?”
“What adverb?”
“‘Luckily.’”
“‘Luckily’ means luckily. Luckily, then, there exist some of our friends, and very amusing ones, who, if they meet the countess, will amuse her, and as they are going the same way, it is probable they will. Oh, I see them from here; do you not, Henri; you, who are a man of imagination? There they go, on a good road, well mounted, and saying sweet things to Madame la Comtesse, which she likes very much, dear lady.”
M. de Monsoreau was furious, but he could not show it before the king; so he said as mildly as he could, “What, have you friends traveling to Anjou?”
“Good; pretend to be mysterious.”
“I swear to you ——”
“Oh! you know they are there, although I saw you just now seeking for them mechanically among the crowd.”
“You saw me?”
“Yes, you, the palest of all chief huntsmen, past, present, and future, from Nimrod to M. d’Aulefort, your predecessor17.”
“M. Chicot!”
“The palest, I repeat.”
“Monsieur, will you return to the friends of whom you spoke18, and be so good as to name them, if your super-abundant imagination will let you.”
“Seek, monsieur. Morbleu, it is your occupation to hunt out animals, witness the unlucky stag whom you deranged19 this morning, and who thought it very unkind of you. Seek.”
The eyes of M. de Monsoreau wandered anxiously again.
“What!” cried he, seeing a vacant place by the king, “not the Duc d’Anjou?”
“Taint20! Taint! the beast is found.”
“He is gone today.”
“He is gone today, but it is possible that he set out last night. When did your brother disappear, Henri?”
“Last night.”
“The duke gone!” murmured Monsoreau, paler than ever.
“I do not say he is gone, I say only that he disappeared last night, and that his best friends do not know where he is,” said the king.
“Oh!” cried the count, “if I thought so ——”
“Well; what should you do? Besides, what harm if he does talk nonsense to Madame de Monsoreau? He is the gallant21 of the family, you know.”
“I am lost!” murmured the count, trying to go away. But Chicot detained him.
“Keep still; mordieu! you shake the king’s chair. Mort de ma vie, your wife will be quite happy with the prince to talk to, and M. Aurilly to play the lute22 to her.” Monsoreau trembled with anger.
“Quietly, monsieur,” continued Chicot; “hide your joy, here is the business beginning; you should not show your feelings so openly; listen to the discourse23 of the king.”
M. de Monsoreau was forced to keep quiet. M. de Guise24 entered and knelt before the king, not without throwing an uneasy glance of surprise on the vacant seat of M. d’Anjou. The king rose, and the heralds25 commanded silence.
收听单词发音 |
1
militia
|
|
| n.民兵，民兵组织 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
defile
|
|
| v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
abruptly
|
|
| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
majesty
|
|
| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
reassured
|
|
| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
devoted
|
|
| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
torment
|
|
| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
tiresome
|
|
| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
scent
|
|
| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
preoccupied
|
|
| adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
ennui
|
|
| n.怠倦，无聊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
worthy
|
|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
baron
|
|
| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
ellipsis
|
|
| n.省略符号，省略(语法结构上的) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
shrugged
|
|
| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
predecessor
|
|
| n.前辈，前任 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
spoke
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
deranged
|
|
| adj.疯狂的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
taint
|
|
| n.污点；感染；腐坏；v.使感染；污染 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
gallant
|
|
| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
lute
|
|
| n.琵琶，鲁特琴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
discourse
|
|
| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
guise
|
|
| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
heralds
|
|
| n.使者( herald的名词复数 )；预报者；预兆；传令官v.预示( herald的第三人称单数 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |