The Final Pages of La Victoire d'Angélique
The above is a copy of the final two pages of as published by Świat Książki in the Polish version of 'Zwycięstwo Angeliki' (La Victoire d'Angélique).
Below is my personal translation of how I understand the pages to read. This is neither a sanctioned nor authorised translation just my belief that it is a reasonable rendering of the final two pages of this saga available to the public today. It is also to reinforce the view that where 'J'ai Lu' refer to the 'dernier aventure' they do mean the latest adventure as the conclusion, as can be seen, still leaves many questions unanswered. Despite the frustration it might cause, I hope you enjoy this little 'pastiche.'
The Translation of the Final Pages
Page 652
‘Did you see your father?’
Cantor faced his mother with a puzzled look. He did not know that his father, Count Peyrac, had returned to France. Their ships must have passed as they crossed the ocean.
Angélique realised that although she could not foresee the immediate future she was sure of one thing, and that was that they could share hours exchanging absorbing news. They had so much to tell each other.
They didn't waste any time. Their life experiences would not fade away. Wapassou would become a rich repository of their memories and experiences, a treasure trove of their happiness.
Today she was going to face her new life, with Honorine at her side and her three children, standing firm in the ashes of the burnt out fort each clutching a freshly picked bouquet of the first of the spring flowers.
She visualised a choice of several scenarios. Their immediate future was forefront in her mind. She decided they must make their way south. They must take immediate advantage of the thaw that had set in and make an effort to reach their mines to see how their ‘people’ had fared and if they had survived the harsh winter.
She wasn’t interested in the material wealth, but felt she could not bear any further human losses.
Those innocents who fell prey to the ignoble Ambroisine. She didn’t want any more sacrifices. She insisted on that. There were to be no further sacrifices! The would find the Jonas’, Malaprade, their children, the Walloons and the English settlers, the Swiss and the Spanish …..
Happiness would return. They would have a drink, clink their glasses, raising toasts to everyone’s health. And after this reunion in Gouldsboro they would board a beautiful ship and head back towards Europe. Nothing would stop them, not the strongest gales or hurricanes until they had reached the sanctity of their merciful kings realm and been reunited with faithful friends and family and received the kings pardon, blessing and restitution of rank and honours. Angélique saw herself rushing into her husbands loving arms and promising herself that they would never again be parted.
Page 653
And what of Honorine? She embraced the child and lifted her so that they were face to face. She peered closely at her.
She was threatened with sightlessness, yet it was not too late to save the sight at this stage. But first of all she had to attend to the pockmarked and scarred eyelids left by the horrendous illness (smallpox) and would then attend to the weakened vision. And the skin, marked, scarred and encrusted – that young skin would take longer to heal. Or perhaps not. It all depended on the medicines she could obtain and her skill in ensuring the best care for her daughter. Of one thing she was certain, she was going to obliterate the signs of unhappiness and combat the ill-fate that had dogged her beloved daughter since the time of her birth.
The world did not lack for miraculous places and events, healing hands, cures, holy rivers, sacred streams blessed with God’s gift of healing, places where His might is apparent …..
‘I’ll go everywhere my beloved daughter, even if I have to circumnavigate the world several times, I will save you!’
She hugged her with all her strength.
‘There won’t be any more sacrifices! Of that I am certain! I feel it! We’ll find everyone, we’ll rescue all our missing friends! And you will be beautiful! And you will be happy!‘
“In truth, surely, the heavens owe me that much!” she thought pensively.
Note: I wanted to show how appalling is the feeling by Angélique towards Ambroisine and the Polish word used to describe her was perfect but difficult to translate - I chose 'ignoble' (which may seem to some to be a litttle old-fashioned) because the thesaurus tells me the following are alternate meanings and she (Ambroisine) fits the bill on all of them! :
84 words for "ignoble": abhorrent, abject, abominable, base, base-minded, baseborn, beastly, beggarly, below contempt, beneath contempt, coarse, common, contemptible, crude, derogatory, despicable, detestable, discreditable, disgusting, dishonorable, disreputable, execrable, fetid, forbidding, foul, fulsome, gross, hateful, heinous, homely, humble, ignominious, infamous, inferior, inglorious, loathsome, low, low-minded, lowborn, lowly, malodorous, mean, mephitic, miasmal, miasmic, modest, nasty, nauseating, noisome, notorious, noxious, objectionable, obnoxious, obscene, odious, offensive, ordinary, peasant, plain, plebeian, poor, popular, rebarbative, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, scrubby, scurvy, seamy, servile, shady, sickening, simple, sordid, sorry, stinking, unpraiseworthy, unrespectable, unsavory, unwashed, vile, vulgar, wretched.
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