The Serpent

Everybody knew at the beginning of this century Mme. The president of C., One of the most amiable and prettiest women in Dijon, and everybody has seen her caress and hold publicly on her bed the White snake that will make the subject of this anecdote.

"This animal is the best friend I have in the world," she said one day, "to a strange lady who came to see her, and who seemed curious to learn the reasons for the care which this pretty president had for her serpent; I once loved passionately, "continued she," a charming young man, obliged to leave me to go and gather laurels; Independently of our settled commerce, he demanded that, at his own example, at certain agreed times, we should each retire to our solitary places, to occupy ourselves entirely with our tenderness. One day, at five o'clock in the evening, going to shut myself up in a flower-room at the end of my garden to keep my word to him, of course none of the animals of this species could have entered my garden, I suddenly saw At my feet this charming beast, of whom you see me idolatrous. I wanted to escape, the serpent stretched out to meet me, he seemed to ask for mercy, he seemed to swear to me that he was far from wanting to hurt me; I stop, I consider this animal; Seeing me calm, he came nearer, he made a hundred volts at my feet more sharp than the others, I can not help putting my hand on him, he passes delicately his head, I take it, Dares to put it on my knees, he snuggles in and seems to sleep there. A worried trouble seizes me ... Tears flow in spite of me with my eyes and will flood this charming animal ... Awakened by my grief, he considers me ... he moans ... he dares to raise his head near my breast ... he caresses it ... and falls down again ... Oh, just heaven, it is done, I exclaimed, and my lover is dead! I leave this disastrous place, carrying with me this serpent to which a hidden feeling seems to bind me like in spite of me ... Fatals warnings in an unknown voice of which you will interpret as you please the judgments, madam, but eight days later I learn That my lover was slain, at the very hour when the serpent appeared to me; I never wanted to part from this beast, it will leave me only to death; I have since married, but under the express stipulations that I should not be deprived of it.

And in concluding these words, the amiable president seized her serpent, resting it on her breast, and made her do as a spaniel a hundred pretty towers before the lady who questioned her.

O Providence, let your decrees be inexplicable, if this adventure is as true as the whole province of Burgundy assures!