the countess of saint geran-第14部分

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to　get　evidence　before　the　judge　of　Torcy；　nothing　was　left　undone　to

elicit　the　whole　truth；　he　also　obtained　a　warrant　through　which　he

obtained　more　information；　and　published　a　monitory。　　The　elder　of

the　Quinet　girls　on　this　told　the　Marquis　de　Canillac　that　the　count

was　searching　at　a　distance　for　things　very　near　him。　　The　truth

shone　out　with　great　lustre　through　these　new　facts　which　gushed　from

all　this　fresh　information。　　The　child；　exhibited　in　the　presence　of

a　legal　commissary　to　the　nurses　and　witnesses　of　Torcy；　was

identified；　as　much　by　the　scars　left　by　the　midwife's　nails　on　his

head；　as　by　his　fair　hair　and　blue　eyes。　　This　ineffaceable　vestige

of　the　woman's　cruelty　was　the　principal　proof；　the　witnesses

testified　that　la　Pigoreau；　when　she　visited　this　child　with　a　man

who　appeared　to　be　of　condition；　always　asserted　that　he　was　the　son

of　a　great　nobleman　who　had　been　entrusted　to　her　care；　and　that　she

hoped　he　would　make　her　fortune　and　that　of　those　who　had　reared　him。



The　child's　godfather；　Paul　Marmiou；　a　common　labourer；　the　grocer

Raguenet；　who　had　charge　of　the　two　thousand　livres；　the　servant　of

la　Pigoreau；　who　had　heard　her　say　that　the　count　was　obliged　to　take

this　child；　the　witnesses　who　proved　that　la　Pigoreau　had　told　them

that　the　child　was　too　well　born　to　wear　a　page's　livery；　all

furnished　convincing　proofs；　but　others　were　forthcoming。



It　was　at　la　Pigoreau's　that　the　Marquis　de　Saint…Maixent；　living

then　at　the　hotel　de　Saint…Geran；　went　to　see　the　child；　kept　in　her

house　as　if　it　were　hers；　Prudent　Berger；　the　marquis's　page；

perfectly　well　remembered　la　Pigoreau；　and　also　the　child；　whom　he

had　seen　at　her　house　and　whose　history　the　marquis　had　related　to

him。　　Finally；　many　other　witnesses　heard　in　the　course　of　the　case；

both　before　the　three　chambers　of　nobles；　clergy；　and　the　tiers　etat；

and　before　the　judges　of　Torcy；　Cusset；　and　other　local　magistrates；

made　the　facts　so　clear　and　conclusive　in　favour　of　the　legitimacy　of

the　young　count；　that　it　was　impossible　to　avoid　impeaching　the

guilty　parties。　　The　count　ordered　the　summons　in　person　of　la

Pigoreau；　who　had　not　been　compromised　in　the　original　preliminary

proceedings。　　This　drastic　measure　threw　the　intriguing　woman　on　her

beam　ends；　but　she　strove　hard　to　right　herself。



The　widowed　Duchess　de　Ventadour；　daughter　by　her　mother's　second

marriage　of　the　Countess　dowager　of　Saint…Geran；　and　half…sister　of

the　count；　and　the　Countess　de　Lude；　daughter　of　the　Marchioness　de

Bouille；　from　whom　the　young　count　carried　away　the　Saint…Geran

inheritance；　were　very　warm　in　the　matter；　and　spoke　of　disputing　the

judgment。　　La　Pigoreau　went　to　see　them；　and　joined　in　concert　with

them。



Then　commenced　this　famous　lawsuit；　which　long　occupied　all　France；

and　is　parallel　in　some　respects；　but　not　in　the　time　occupied　in　the

hearing；　to　the　case　heard　by　Solomon；　in　which　one　child　was　claimed

by　two　mothers。



The　Marquis　de　Saint…Maixent　and　Madame　de　Bouille　being　dead；　were

naturally　no　parties　to　the　suit；　which　was　fought　against　the

Saint…Geran　family　by　la　Pigoreau　and　Mesdames　du　Lude　and　de

Ventadour。　　These　ladies　no　doubt　acted　in　good　faith；　at　first　at

any　rate；　in　refusing　to　believe　the　crime；　for　if　they　had

originally　known　the　truth　it　is　incredible　that　they　could　have

fought　the　case　so　long　aid　so　obstinately。



They　first　of　all　went　to　the　aid　of　the　midwife；　who　had　fallen　sick

in　prison；　they　then　consulted　together；　and　resolved　as　follows：



That　the　accused　should　appeal　against　criminal　proceedings；



That　la　Pigoreau　should　lodge　a　civil　petition　against　the　judgments

which　ordered　her　arrest　and　the　confronting　of　witnesses；



That　they　should　appeal　against　the　abuse　of　obtaining　and　publishing

monitories；　and　lodge　an　interpleader　against　the　sentence　of　the

judge　of　first　instruction；　who　had　condemned　the　matron　to　capital

punishment；



And　that　finally；　to　carry　the　war　into　the　enemy's　camp；　la　Pigoreau

should　impugn　the　maternity　of　the　countess；　claiming　the　child　as

her　own；　and　that　the　ladies　should　depose　that　the　countess's

accouchement　was　an　imposture　invented　to　cause　it　to　be　supposed

that　she　had　given　birth　to　a　child。



For　more　safety　and　apparent　absence　of　collusion　Mesdames　du　Lude

and　de　Ventadour　pretended　to　have　no　communication　with　la　Pigoreau。



About　this　time　the　midwife　died　in　prison；　from　an　illness　which

vexation　and　remorse　had　aggravated。　　After　her　death；　her　son

Guillemin　confessed　that　she　had　often　told　him　that　the　countess　had

given　birth　to　a　son　whom　Baulieu　had　carried　off；　and　that　the　child

entrusted　to　Baulieu　at　the　chateau　Saint…Geran　was　the　same　as　the

one　recovered；　the　youth　added　that　he　had　concealed　this　fact　so

long　as　it　might　injure　his　mother；　and　he　further　stated　that　the

ladies　de　Ventadour　and　du　Lude　had　helped　her　in　prison　with　money

and　adviceanother　strong　piece　of　presumptive　evidence。



The　petitions　of　the　accused　and　the　interpleadings　of　Mesdames　du

Lude　and　de　Ventadour　were　discussed　in　seven　hearings；　before　three

courts　convened。　　The　suit　proceeded　with　all　the　languor　and

chicanery　of　the　period。



After　long　and　specious　arguments；　the　attorney　general　Bijnon　gave

his　decision　in　favour　of　the　Count　and　Countess　of　Saint…Geran；

concluding　thus：



〃The　court　rejects　the　civil　appeal　of　la　Pigoreau；　and　all　the

opposition　and　appeals　of　the　appellants　and　the　defendants；　condemns

them　to　fine　and　in　costs；　and　seeing　that　the　charges　against　la

Pigoreau　were　of　a　serious　nature；　and　that　a　personal　summons　had

been　decreed　against　her；　orders　her　committal；　recommending　her　to

the　indulgence　of　the　court。〃



By　a　judgment　given　in　a　sitting　at　the　Tournelle　by　M。　de　Mesmes；　on

the　18th　of　August　1657；　the　appellant　ladies'　and　the　defendants'

opposition　was　rejected　with　fine　and　costs。　　La　Pigoreau　was

forbidden　to　leave　the　city　and　suburbs　of　Paris　under　penalty　of

summary　conviction。　　The　judgment　in　the　case　followed　the　rejection

of　the　appeal。



This　reverse　at　first　extinguished　the　litigation　of　Mesdames　du　Lude

and　de　Ventadour；　but　it　soon　revived　more　briskly　than　ever。　　These

ladies；　who　had　taken　la　Pigoreau　in　their　coach　to　all　the　hearings；

prompted　her；　in　order　to　procrastinate；　to　file　a　fresh　petition；　in

which　she　demanded　the　confrontment　of　all　the　witnesses　to　the

pregnancy；　and　the　confinement。　　On　hearing　this　petition；　the　court

gave　on　the　28th　of　August　1658　a　decree　ordering　the　confrontment；

but　on　condition　that　for　three　days　previously　la　Pigoreau　should

deliver　herself　a　prisoner　in　the　Conciergerie。



This　judgment；　the　consequences　of　which　greatly　alarmed　la　Pigoreau；

produced　such　an　effect　upon　her　that；　after　having　weighed　the

interest　she　had　in　the　suit；　which　she　would　lose　by　flight；　against

the　danger　to　her