Gallows Nymph (STORY) Une Belle Diable. Part 1

 

A BEAUTIFUL DEVIL

(Whose head will be smote off soon)

All human activity produces what we call stars,...and great crimes: in their lurid mockery of everything that is good also produces their own vile stars which resplends perversely with their own devilish light. A cursory remembrance would avail us so many infamous heads of so many evil crimes which are listed atop our own very walls. And at last without doubt, now soon the woman of our present story.

For Paris: because the abominable crime of the recent criminal was inextricably riveted to her sinful passions, the food of the whole capital's conversation has now became inseparable from the glaring shades of her fornications. We find a whole capital seized, from its highest to its weakest members, bewitched in their senses by her illusions, and run after it.

As you all have been informed of now: Helene Marie Dubois, alias Madame Du Crete: our extraordinary fornicator within the high walls of For-l'Évêque had been found guilty of plotting against her husband, the father of her children in murder. It is a strange thing, that although no one was unaware of the wicked deeds and life of the criminal, the fact that Monsieur Du Crete's disloyal wife was an attractive woman in the maturity of womanhood, with four small children had caused a lot of thoughtless dizzy people to question the validity of her death sentence. Thus we consider it is our mission to disabuse such bewitched assumptions.

Perhaps it is disheartening to admit that none have criminalized the public interest to such an extent than Madame Du Crete's wicked fornications; which seemed to have enthralled both sexes equally. That the woman in question slipped from mouth to mouth, with electricity that is faster than lightning.

Alas given this deplorable condition~ it now befalls upon us, the morally minded admonitors, to shed our own light on the wicked woman. That owing to our dual convictions to truth and responsibility: so long as the curtain of the woman's beastly life remains lifted up by His Majesty's investigations and remain hoisted up by the myrmidons of the Law we shall endure all of the gruesome dredged up filth for your sake.

After having gathered all the circumstances, we believe that we can awaken our readers a righteous revulsion by publishing this fragment, which contains the known scenes of her shameful life, so that we may, precursory to her well deserved justice- later this Sunday, known the dying monster in full. 

After all, as the grim Latin warns,

Bestia mortua est, venenum adhuc manet

LA FILLE DUBOIS 

This daughter Helene Marie, nee Dubois, had been born to a lineage of beauties. Her mother was said to have been one of the main attractions of the city of Dijon, and was one of the most sought after prizes in marriage. In time she married one of the city's Provosts, the venerable but sickly Monsieur Dubois, who had~ as attested by many laudable letters even today, performed much noteworthy services during the madness of the Frondes for the King and his good name. And although our King survived the ordeal to then assert greater dominion over his wayward realms, the sickly Dubois, still so early in his manhood did not.

Deprived of a worthy father and thus perhaps the only source of honor itself, the young Helene Marie was solely raised by her doting mother, and who we shall render a greater share of the blame for the promiscuousness of the daughter.

Of the young Helene Marie's appearance, in the unanimous opinion of her contemporaries, We find from both young and old; that the young Helene Marie was exceptionally beautiful. And the poets in Dijon did not forget to have written that she was half cherubic of Nordic and half regal of Roman in appearance. She was also at least said to be cultured and witty. 

From an early age, she was introduced to endless vanity and a taste for luxury by her dear mother. The children of dukes could not be cared for with more zeal than she was it during her first years, idolized by all that surrounded her, never remove her from the desires ignited by her senses; and always treated like a spoiled child. Her rewards often came in the form of sweets as well, for we are told her mother doted on her and spent much of her time personally teaching her the Classics and cuisines, every Sunday after mass she took her to the bakery for sweets. 

THE SPOILED DAUGHTER

I am willing to recognize that Madame Du Crete was born with beauty, good qualities in the heart, and bright lights in the spirit. And despite her horrid crimes, we are willing to admit she was a graceful and frail child who leaned her head on her mother's shoulder like a lily tired at dawn from the weight of the dew. But, after having been exposed to such a spoiled childhood of extravagance, ruin found her when Death, or more precisely consumption took away her mother when she was 15.

Such strange contrivances of fate, to note of the wholly different species between the honorable father, and his later debauched daughter. Or of the fact that the selfsame King the father helped so much to rescue, would one day, with fond caresses, share in his bed this naked daughter. Then later still, upon the exposure of this daughter's crimes wholly approve to strike off her head. But we are racing far ahead of ourselves.

Many in Dijon expressed the sadness of having seen the once- great beauty, and mother of young Helene Marie wracked with fits of coughing and reduced to a famished frame of skin and bones. Perhaps most of all by her ripening daughter. Death took away Helen Marie's mother in the same year she became a woman in her own right. After inheriting her parent's respectable savings, the girl left Dijon and the old ancestral ghosts in her attics. Despite retaining a hint of Dijon's bourgogne accent, she would never return.

VENDÔME

Thus she came to live in Vendôme with a friend of her mother's who was not unknown to her. However, despite living under the roof of a respected family of means, such a imprudent girl did not forget a spoiled girl's dreams. Although she had no houses nor living family with her, she still wants to be singularly distinguished. Many wants, wants of costly shoes, ornate jewels around her neck, exclusive balls and dining among the highest peers of quality in the capital. Perhaps to look the part of a proper woman of her age and station, she broached a hasty union with an elderly Count by the name of Du Crete, who worked as a banker, and whose family hailed from Vendôme in centuries past. 

His name was Du Crete. He was twice the age of his fiancee; but his legendarily rich position determined the spoiled girl's sentiments for him. He was a noted banker of town who frequently travelled; and had some noble blood which was borne upon his armiger. Physically, the elderly Du Crete was in almost every respect unremarkable. Except for what he had told much of France's richest circles about his fortunes, or rather misfortunes abroad.

That in the 20 year long siege therein Crete, he was a trusted personal aide to the heroic François de Vendôme, the late and brave Duc de Beaufort who had many times repelled the heathen Ottomans in Crete, and if we recall, had heroically died in 1669's struggles. There the old self- styled crusader Du Crete lost a finger, but despite the evil misfortunes of that ravished island, now under Ottoman scourge, he was able to escape with a vast cache of treasures from that once most Christian and now most defiant of islands. 

Since the Turks permitted a proper retreat of the defeated defenders~ the ill- starred Venetians and the French were still able to flee with much of the ducats and bullions from the island hidden within their troop ships.

Which, he assured all, that he only piously held on to them because he cannot bear those sacred fortunes of the devout natives may~ with providence, one day be given back to those destitute natives. For same keep of these invaluable treasures, he had deposited them in his own bank.

We do not know for what reason the two eventually married, but we were told that in order to offer a gallant display of his manly affection, the gentleman booked a whole fete square in Vendôme where where elaborate fireworks, specifically ordered from Venice, and dyed in the secretive Chinese techniques, were launched and showered in her honor. That for the whole night the whole square was illuminated by the splashes of color which were all in her name. All of the fanfare, all of that night was her claim and she was feted by all who bowed to her as if she was the fairy empress of the spring night. 

We do not presume to speak on behalf of the feminine heart but it was not hard to estimate such impressions on the young girl, who~ we were told had her soft heart was pierced through and nearly swooned with such a display. In the same week the infatuated girl gave her hand to the old charmer and soon took the name of Du Crete. 

The marriage began in tranquility, topped with the birth of two children, a boy and a girl, then another boy. These swift fruits crowned the natural flame of the spouses, but at the end of only four years everything darkened.

The marriage began in tranquility, topped with the birth of two children, a boy and a girl, then another boy. We were told Madame Du Crete mingled with the best within Vendôme due to her wit and most of all, her rare beauty. However, after several years of ease, she began to disapprove of her husband.

CAPRICIOUS BIOLOGY, FROM LOVE TO HATE

For our Monsieur Du Crete, although he had claimed to be the inheritors of Crete's vast unspoiled fortunes, was in reality severely in debt and a confidence man with much debts in his name. That, precursory to his introduction to all of the notables in the city, his family merely owned a small ruined cottage in the countryside. There was and had never been any heroic fortunes of bullion from that once Christian island which shared his name. 

When she had realized that there was never any hoarded wealth to her husband, so died her love for him. But as noted English playwright Shakespeare amply redreseed, "Life is but a shadow, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Is it possible that those who are easily fooled are their own despoilers? We are only asking questions.

In reality the entire story of his connection to the island was but a ploy for him to attract investors who were disposed to Christian causes. That by his wiles, after having secured enough such funds from the most ardent of Christians, Monsieur would then explain that he would depart for Venice, where assuredly he would deposite their good contributions in a most Christian war chest, some to be distributed to the repressed Cretans under Ottoman yoke, some to be donated to the Venetian Doge for galleys of war, and some to furnish a new Crusade for that island. But in reality, all the money were instead deposited in his own account, and whenever he would pretend to depart for fair Venice, he was merely moving to the next town to restart his sad story. Perhaps most of all, his dynasty's last name was not even Du Crete, and Du Crete was merely a name he had purchased from the kingdom's registry to furnish his stories. The story that gave birth to both of their names. 

All the foolish girl had fell for was a story, and some fireworks. To a man who never had the gold her spoiled heart had doubly fell for. So died the wife Du Crete's luxury and expenses. And as the husband was ever short of funds to entice new investors, he declared that he would not tolerate any extravagance from his wife any longer, with his fortune went his wife's love. Not being able to lead a pretty and brilliant life, she came to hate her husband. When his amiable virtues would any  longer suffice, when his purses no longer full for her to waste, her love for him became the most prodigious hate.

A LIFE OF LUST 

Itching to be rid of a husband whom she could no longer thrive of, she became like the devious kindred specie of Madame de Montespan, whose similar ruinous marriage actually led to her to profit upwards through the bed of another. The lust- famished woman could not accept the feelings of hostility against a deaf and destitute husband with whom there will not be prospect or a future. To escape from her familial duties, Du Crete didn’t divorce her husband but instead, abandoned him.

PARIS

Bringing with her her children and all her fortunes to Paris with no more than two handmaids as companions. By some accounts, all of them arrived like bruised peaches inside the engorged cabin of a single horse carriage with their hastily packed luggage. 

At Paris, she lied and introduced herself as a recent widow and survived by the gullible sympathies of strangers, through her witching enchantments soon found her way inside many of Paris's loftiest circles.

How she managed to pay the rents of these series of already inhabited abodes~ since we are not here to speculate~ was anyone's guess. We will however present, that all within these sinful circles readily recalled first seeing the tall and coquettish “Plus beau morceau de Bourgogne”

Her soul destroyed in an hour. The lady, wishing at all costs to satisfy her desires for luxury, soon took on lovers, who provided her with some means.

Even with coins, the debauchee did not quit her fornications. Although already having born four children, each of whom were nine, eight, six and five now. The last of whom we were told was not even born when she left her husband and whom the father had never at least met. She still did not lack of a continent of worshipers and sickeningly, abandoned her wedded body to them to satisfy her shameful passions.

The woman pollutes herself very quickly; With the supposed deprivation of one former husband, instead, the “pretty widow” Madame Du Crete soon found many new replacements among the notable peers of the city who would put a roof over her head. Instead, she became a mistress to several of them, who, in their abominable suggestions also recommended that she make even further use of herself and became a mistress to an even larger expanded clientele, among which are these lover's own multitude of ardent friends. 

At the time, the circle of gentlemen had booked a modest boarding house for her and her little ones. It was several stories, but was privately tucked inside of the already secluded Rue des trois pavillons.

A VENEREAL TEMPLE

“La Maison Vénérienne,” otherwise looked more like a shop or small inn with several stories, with the lower levels appear innocuously like a storefront, attended by one of the handmaidens posing as a receptionist, the second floor was a decorated dim drawing room lit by candle and lamplights, for its windows were permanently obscured with blinds, which, upon admittance, within its eternal lamplight often sat several would be patrons of Madame Du Crete's body.

Likely such a flock of men were supplied with drinks and games, though it should be noted whatever the appearances, those in attendance within that room likely all knew well they would be taking turns sharing the same woman upon the same bed. 

Ruefully, Parisian mistress- despite their cocoon of sins were regularly solicited and even today still reigns in our society, encouraged by the profligate open infidelity of our King. For even the most respected of the gentlemen regarded mistresses vital to his pleasure and release from his home. Since fornication with a mistress had nothing to do with procreation and everything to do with pleasure. 

At a certain interval the Venus in question would reveal herself, alighting from atop of the stairs, and looking more Pagan than a woman of her station, she would not be insensitive to any tributes presented by these “suitors,” and we were told, would respond with good grace and wit as if she was familiar with the customer. Then, upon taking their hands, and with the other brushing upon those stairs railings, she would lead the worshiper up those flights of stairs.