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know　how　the　affair　occurred。〃



Then　the　girl　related　naively　how　she　was　arranging　the　young　lord's

ruffles　in　his　wardrobe；　when　he　began　to　play　with　her　skirt；　and　she

turned　round　saying



〃Go　on　with　you！〃



〃You　have　no　case；〃　said　the　judge；　〃for　by　that　speech　he　thought

that　you　gave　him　leave　to　go　on。　Ha！　ha！〃



Then　she　declared　that　she　had　defended　herself；　weeping　and　crying

out；　and　that　that　constitutes　an　assault。



〃A　wench's　antics　to　incite　him；〃　said　the　judge。



Finally；　La　Portillone　declared　that　against　her　will　she　had　been

taken　round　the　waist　and　thrown；　although　she　had　kicked　and　cried

and　struggled；　but　that　seeing　no　help　at　hand；　she　had　lost　courage。



〃Good！　good！〃　said　the　judge。　〃Did　you　take　pleasure　in　the　affair？〃



〃No；〃　said　she。　〃My　anguish　can　only　be　paid　for　with　a　thousand

crowns。〃



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　judge；　〃I　cannot　receive　your　complaint；　because　I

believe　no　girl　could　be　thus　treated　against　her　will。〃



〃Hi！　hi！　hi！　Ask　your　servant；〃　said　the　little　laundress；　sobbing；

〃and　hear　what　she'll　tell　you。〃



The　servant　affirmed　that　there　were　pleasant　assaults　and　unpleasant

ones；　that　if　La　Portillone　had　received　neither　amusement　nor　money；

either　one　or　the　other　was　due　to　her。　This　wise　counsel　threw　the

judge　into　a　state　of　great　perplexity。



〃Jacqueline；〃　said　he；　〃before　I　sup　I'll　get　to　the　bottom　of　this。

Now　go　and　fetch　my　needle　and　the　red　thread　that　I　sew　the　law　paper


bags　with。〃



Jacqueline　came　back　with　a　big　needle；　pierced　with　a　pretty　little

hole；　and　a　big　red　thread；　such　as　the　judges　use。　Then　she　remained

standing　to　see　the　question　decided；　very　much　disturbed；　as　was　also

the　complainant　at　these　mysterious　preparations。



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　judge；　〃I　am　going　to　hold　the　bodkin；　of　which

the　eye　is　sufficiently　large；　to　put　this　thread　into　it　without

trouble。　If　you　do　put　it　in；　I　will　take　up　your　case；　and　will　make

Monseigneur　offer　you　a　compromise。〃



〃What's　that？〃　said　she。　〃I　will　not　allow　it。〃



〃It　is　a　word　used　in　justice　to　signify　an　agreement。〃



〃A　compromise　is　then　agreeable　with　justice？〃　said　La　Portillone。



〃My　dear；　this　violence　has　also　opened　your　mind。　Are　you　ready？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　she。



The　waggish　judge　gave　the　poor　nymph　fair　play；　holding　the　eye

steady　for　her；　but　when　she　wished　to　slip　in　the　thread　that　she　had

twisted　to　make　straight；　he　moved　a　little；　and　the　thread　went　on

the　other　side。　She　suspected　the　judge's　argument；　wetted　the　thread；

stretched　it；　and　came　back　again。　The　judge　moved；　twisted　about；　and

wriggled　like　a　bashful　maiden；　still　this　cursed　thread　would　not

enter。　The　girl　kept　trying　at　the　eye；　and　the　judge　kept　fidgeting。

The　marriage　of　the　thread　could　not　be　consummated；　the　bodkin

remained　virgin；　and　the　servant　began　to　laugh；　saying　to　La

Portillone　that　she　knew　better　how　to　endure　than　to　perform。　Then

the　roguish　judge　laughed　too；　and　the　fair　Portillone　cried　for　her

golden　crowns。



〃If　you　don't　keep　still；〃　cried　she；　losing　patience；　〃if　you　keep

moving　about　I　shall　never　be　able　to　put　the　thread　in。〃



〃Then；　my　dear；　if　you　had　done　the　same；　Monseigneur　would　have　been

unsuccessful　too。　Think；　too；　how　easy　is　the　one　affair；　and　how

difficult　the　other。〃



The　pretty　wench；　who　declared　she　had　been　forced；　remained

thoughtful；　and　sought　to　find　a　means　to　convince　the　judge　by

showing　how　she　had　been　compelled　to　yield；　since　the　honour　of　all

poor　girls　liable　to　violence　was　at　stake。



〃Monseigneur；　in　order　that　the　bet　made　the　fair；　I　must　do　exactly

as　the　young　lord　did。　If　I　had　only　had　to　move　I　should　be　moving

still；　but　he　went　through　other　performances。〃



〃Let　us　hear　them；〃　replied　the　judge。



Then　La　Portillone　straightens　the　thread；　and　rubs　it　in　the　wax　of

the　candle；　to　make　it　firm　and　straight；　then　she　looked　towards　the

eye　of　the　bodkin；　held　by　the　judge；　slipping　always　to　the　right　or

to　the　left。　Then　she　began　making　endearing　little　speeches；　such　as；

〃Ah；　the　pretty　little　bodkin！　What　a　pretty　mark　to　aim　at！　Never　did

I　see　such　a　little　jewel！　What　a　pretty　little　eye！　Let　me　put　this

little　thread　into　it！　Ah；　you　will　hurt　my　poor　thread；　my　nice

little　thread！　Keep　still！　Come；　my　love　of　a　judge；　judge　of　my　love！

Won't　the　thread　go　nicely　into　this　iron　gate；　which　makes　good　use

of　the　thread；　for　it　comes　out　very　much　out　of　order？〃　Then　she

burst　out　laughing；　for　she　was　better　up　in　this　game　than　the　judge；

who　laughed　too；　so　saucy　and　comical　and　arch　was　she；　pushing　the

thread　backwards　and　forwards。　She　kept　the　poor　judge　with　the　case

in　his　hand　until　seven　o'clock；　keeping　on　fidgeting　and　moving　about

like　a　schoolboy　let　loose；　but　as　La　Portillone　kept　on　trying　to　put

the　thread　in；　he　could　not　help　it。　As；　however；　his　joint　was

burning；　and　his　wrist　was　tired；　he　was　obliged　to　rest　himself　for　a

minute　on　the　side　of　the　table；　then　very　dexterously　the　fair　maid

of　Portillon　slipped　the　thread　in；　saying



〃That's　how　the　thing　occurred。〃



〃But　my　joint　was　burning。〃



〃So　was　mine；〃　said　she。



The　judge；　convinced；　told　La　Portillone　that　he　would　speak　to

Monseigneur　du　Fou；　and　would　himself　carry　the　affair　through；　since

it　was　certain　the　young　lord　had　embraced　her　against　her　will；　but

that　for　valid　reasons　he　would　keep　the　affair　dark。　On　the　morrow

the　judge　went　to　the　Court　and　saw　Monseigneur　du　Fou；　to　whom　he

recounted　the　young　woman's　complaint；　and　how　she　had　set　forth　her

case。　This　complaint　lodged　in　court；　tickled　the　king　immensely。

Young　du　Fou　having　said　that　there　was　some　truth　in　it；　the　king

asked　if　he　had　had　much　difficulty；　and　as　he　replied；　innocently；

〃No；〃　the　king　declared　the　girl　was　quite　worth　a　hundred　gold

crowns；　and　the　chamberlain　gave　them　to　the　judge；　in　order　not　to　be

taxed　with　stinginess；　and　said　the　starch　would　be　a　good　income　to

La　Portillone。　The　judge　came　back　to　La　Portillone；　and　said；

smiling；　that　he　had　raised　a　hundred　gold　crowns　for　her。　But　if　she

desired　the　balance　of　the　thousand；　there　were　at　that　moment　in　the

king's　apartments　certain　lords　who；　knowing　the　case；　had　offered　to

make　up　the　sum　for　her；　with　her　consent。　The　little　hussy　did　not

refuse　this　offer；　saying；　that　in　order　to　do　no　more　washing　in　the

future　she　did　not　mind　doing　a　little　hard　work　now。　She　gratefully

acknowledged　the　trouble　the　good　judge　had　taken；　and　gained　her

thousand　crowns　in　a　month。　From　this　came　the　falsehoods　and　jokes

concerning　her；　because　out　of　these　ten　lords　jealousy　made　a

hundred；　whilst；　differently　from　young　men；　La　Portillone　settled

down　to　a　virtuous　life　directly　she　had　her　thousand　crowns。　Even　a

Duke；　who　would　have　counted　out　five　hundred　crowns；　would　have　found

this　girl　rebellious；　which　proves　she　was　niggardly　with　her

property。　It　is　true　that　the　king　caused　her　to　be　sent　for　to　his

retreat　of　Rue　Quinquangrogne；　on　the　mall　of　Chardonneret；　found　her

extremely　pretty；　exceedingly　affectionate；　enjoyed　her　society；　and

forbade　the　sergeants　to　interfere　with　her　in　any　way　whatever。

Seeing　she　was　so　beautiful；　Nicole　Beaupertuys；　the　king's　mistress；

gave　her　a　hundred　gold　crowns　to　go　to　Orleans；　in　order　to　see　if

the　colour　of　the　Loire　was　the　same　there　as　at　Portillon。　She　went

there；　and　the　more　willingly　because　she　did　not　care　very　much　for

the　king。　When　the　good　man　came　who　confessed　the　king　in　his　last

hours；　and　was　afterwards　canonised；　La　Portillone　went　to　him　to

polish　up　her　conscience；　did　penance；　and　founded　a　bed　in　the　leper…

house　of　St。　Lazare…aux…Tours。　Many　ladies　whom　you　know　have　been

assaulted　by　more　than　two　lords；　and　have　founded　no　other　beds　than

those　in　their　own　houses。　It　is　as　well　to　relate　this　fact；　in　order

to　cleanse　the　reputation　of　this　honest　girl；　who　herself　once　washed

dirty　things；　and　who　afterwards　became　famous　for　her　clever　tricks

and　her　wit。　She　gave　a　proof　of　her　merit　in　marrying　Taschereau；　who

she　cuckolded　right　merrily；　as　has　been　related　in　the　story　of　The

Reproach。　This　proves　to　us　most　satisfactorily　that　with　strength　and

patience　justice　itself　can　be　violated。







IN　WHICH　IT　IS　DEMONSTRATED　THAT　FORTUNE　IS　ALWAYS　FEMININE



During　the　time　when　knights　courteously　offered　to　each　other　both

help　and　assistance　in　seeking　their　fortune；　it　happened　that　in

Sicilywhich；　as　you　are　probably　aware；　is　an　island　situated　in　the

corner　of　the　Mediterranean　Sea；　and　formerly　celebratedone　knight

met　in　a　wood　another　knight；　who　had　the　appearance　of　a　Frenchman。

Presumably；　this　Frenchman　was　by　some　chance　stripped　of　everything；

and　was　so　wretchedly　attired　that　but　for　his　princely　air　he　might

have　been