sons of the soil-第45章

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veins　of　her　youth　with　a　tracery　of　blue。　All　this　color　gave　an

exaggerated　liveliness　to　her　eyes　which　were　already　tricksy　enough；

so　that　the　mask　of　her　face　would　seem　to　a　stranger　even　more　than

fantastic；　though　her　friends　and　acquaintances；　accustomed　to　this

fictitious　brilliancy；　actually　declared　her　handsome。



This　ungainly　creature；　always　decolletee；　showed　a　bosom　and　a　pair

of　shoulders　that　were　whitened　and　polished　by　the　same　process

employed　upon　her　face；　happily；　for　the　sake　of　exhibiting　her

magnificent　laces；　she　partially　veiled　the　charms　of　these　chemical

products。　She　always　wore　the　body　of　her　dress　stiffened　with

whalebone　and　made　in　a　long　point　and　garnished　with　knots　of　ribbon；

even　on　the　point！　Her　petticoats　gave　forth　a　creaking　noise；so

much　did　the　silk　and　the　furbelows　abound。



This　attire；　which　deserves　the　name　of　apparel　（a　word　that　before

long　will　be　inexplicable）；　was；　on　the　evening　in　question；　of　costly

brocade；for　Madame　Soudry　possessed　over　a　hundred　dresses；　each

richer　than　the　others；　the　remains　of　Mademoiselle　Laguerre's

enormous　and　splendid　wardrobe；　made　over　to　fit　Madame　Soudry　in　the

last　fashion　of　the　year　1808。　Her　blond　wig；　frizzed　and　powdered；

sustained　a　superb　cap　with　knots　of　cherry　satin　ribbon　matching

those　on　her　dress。　If　you　will　kindly　imagine　beneath　this　ultra…

coquettish　cap　the　face　of　a　monkey　of　extreme　ugliness；　on　which　a

flat　nose；　fleshless　as　that　of　Death；　is　separated　by　a　strong　hairy

line　from　a　mouth　filled　with　false　teeth；　whence　issue　sounds　like

the　confused　clacking　of　hunting…horns；　you　will　have　some　difficulty

in　understanding　why　the　leading　society　of　Soulanges　（all　the　town；

in　fact）　thought　this　quasi…queen　a　beauty；unless；　indeed；　you

remember　the　succinct　statement　recently　made　〃ex　professo；〃　by　one　of

the　cleverest　women　of　our　time；　on　the　art　of　making　her　sex

beautiful　by　surrounding　accessories。



As　to　accessories；　in　the　first　place；　Madame　Soudry　was　surrounded　by

the　magnificent　gifts　accumulated　by　her　late　mistress；　which　the　ex…

Benedictine　called　〃fructus　belli。〃　Then　she　made　the　most　of　her

ugliness　by　exaggerating　it；　and　by　assuming　that　indescribable　air

and　manner　which　belongs　only　to　Parisian　women；　the　secret　of　which

is　known　even　to　the　most　vulgar　among　them；who　are　always　more　or

less　mimics。　She　laced　tight；　wore　an　enormous　bustle；　also　diamond

earrings；　and　her　fingers　were　covered　with　rings。　At　the　top　of　her

corsage；　between　two　mounds　of　flesh　well　plastered　with　pearl…white；

shone　a　beetle　made　of　topaz　with　a　diamond　head；　the　gift　of　dear

mistress；a　jewel　renowned　throughout　the　department。　Like　the　late

dear　mistress；　she　wore　short　sleeves　and　bare　arms；　and　flirted　an

ivory　fan；　painted　by　Boucher　with　two　little　rose…diamonds　in　the

handle。



When　she　went　out　Madame　Soudry　carried　a　parasol　of　the　true

eighteenth…century　style；　that　is　to　say；　a　tall　cane　at　the　end　of

which　opened　a　green　sun…shade　with　a　green　fringe。　When　she　walked

about　the　terrace　a　stranger　on　the　high…road；　seeing　her　from　afar；

might　have　thought　her　one　of　Watteau's　dames。



In　her　salon；　hung　with　red　damask；　with　curtains　of　the　same　lined

with　silk；　a　fire　on　the　hearth；　a　mantel…shelf　adorned　with　bibelots

of　the　good　time　of　Louis　XV。；　and　bearing　candelabra　in　the　form　of

lilies　upheld　by　Cupidsin　this　salon；　filled　with　furniture　in

gilded　wood　of　the　〃pied　de　biche〃　pattern；　it　is　not　impossible　to

understand　why　the　people　of　Soulanges　called　the　mistress　of　the

house；　〃The　beautiful　Madame　Soulanges。〃　The　mansion　had　actually

become　the　civic　pride　of　this　capital　of　a　canton。



If　the　leading　society　of　the　little　town　believed　in　its　queen；　the

queen　as　surely　believed　in　herself。　By　a　phenomenon　not　in　the　least

rare；　which　the　vanity　of　mothers　and　authors　carries　on　at　all

moments　under　our　very　eyes　in　behalf　of　their　literary　works　or　their

marriageable　daughters；　the　late　Mademoiselle　Cochet　was；　at　the　end

of　seven　years；　so　completely　buried　under　Madame　Soudry；　the

mayoress；　that　she　not　only　did　not　remember　her　past；　but　she

actually　believed　herself　a　well…bred　woman。　She　had　studied　the　airs

and　graces；　the　dulcet　tones；　the　gestures；　the　ways　of　her　mistress；

so　long　that　when　she　found　herself　in　the　midst　of　an　opulence　of　her

own　she　was　able　to　practice　the　natural　insolence　of　it。　She　knew　her

eighteenth　century；　and　the　tales　of　its　great　lords　and　all　their

belongings；　by　heart。　This　back…stairs　erudition　gave　to　her

conversation　a　flavor　of　〃oeil…de…boeuf〃；　her　soubrette　gossip　passed

muster　for　courtly　wit。　Morally；　the　mayoress　was；　if　you　wish　to　say

so；　tinsel；　but　to　savages　paste　diamonds　are　as　good　as　real　ones。



The　woman　found　herself　courted　and　worshipped　by　the　society　in　which

she　lived；　just　as　her　mistress　had　been　worshipped　in　former　days。

She　gave　weekly　dinners；　with　coffee　and　liqueurs　to　those　who　came　in

after　the　dessert。　No　female　head　could　have　resisted　the　exhilarating

force　of　such　continual　adulation。　In　winter　the　warm　salon；　always

well…lighted　with　wax　candles；　was　well…filled　with　the　richest　people

of　Soulanges；　who　paid　for　the　good　liqueurs　and　the　fine　wines　which

came　from　dear　mistress's　cellars；　with　flatteries　to　their　hostess。

These　visitors　and　their　wives　had　a　life…interest；　as　it　were；　in

this　luxury；　which　was　to　them　a　saving　of　lights　and　fuel。　Thus　it

came　to　pass　that　in　a　circuit　of　fifteen　miles　and　even　as　far　as

Ville…aux…Fayes；　every　voice　was　ready　to　declare：　〃Madame　Soudry　does

the　honors　admirably。　She　keeps　open　house；　every　one　enjoys　her

salon；　she　knows　how　to　carry　herself　and　her　fortune；　she　always　says

the　witty　thing；　she　makes　you　laugh。　And　what　splendid　silver！　There

is　not　another　house　like　it　short　of　Paris〃



The　silver　had　been　given　to　Mademoiselle　Laguerre　by　Bouret。　It　was　a

magnificent　service　made　by　the　famous　Germain；　and　Madame　Soudry　had

literally　stolen　it。　At　Mademoiselle　Laguerre's　death　she　merely　took

it　into　her　own　room；　and　the　heirs；　who　knew　nothing　of　the　value　of

their　inheritance；　never　claimed　it。



For　some　time　past　the　twelve　or　fifteen　personages　who　composed　the

leading　society　of　Soulanges　spoke　of　Madame　Soudry　as　the　INTIMATE

FRIEND　of　Mademoiselle　Laguerre；　recoiling　at　the　term　〃waiting…

woman；〃　and　making　believe　that　she　had　sacrificed　herself　to　the

singer　as　her　friend　and　companion。



Strange　yet　true！　all　these　illusions　became　realities；　and　spread

even　to　the　actual　regions　of　the　heart；　Madame　Soudry　reigned

supreme；　in　a　way；　over　her　husband。



The　gendarme；　required　to　love　a　woman　ten　years　older　than　himself

who　kept　the　management　of　her　fortune　in　her　own　hands；　behaved　to

her　in　the　spirit　of　the　ideas　she　had　ended　by　adopting　about　her

beauty。　But　sometimes；　when　persons　envied　him　or　talked　to　him　of　his

happiness；　he　wished　they　were　in　his　place；　for；　to　hide　his

peccadilloes；　he　was　forced　to　take　as　many　precautions　as　the　husband

of　a　young　and　adoring　wife；　and　it　was　not　until　very　recently　that

he　had　been　able　to　introduce　into　the　family　a　pretty　servant…girl。



This　portrait　of　the　Queen　of　Soulanges　may　seem　a　little　grotesque；

but　many　specimens　of　the　same　kind　could　be　found　in　the　provinces　at

that　period；some　more　or　less　noble　in　blood；　others　belonging　to

the　higher　banking…circles；　like　the　widow　of　a　receiver…general　in

Touraine　who　still　puts　slices　of　veal　upon　her　cheeks。　This　portrait；

drawn　from　nature；　would　be　incomplete　without　the　diamonds　in　which

it　is　set；　without　the　surrounding　courtiers；　a　sketch　of　whom　is

necessary；　if　only　to　explain　how　formidable　such　Lilliputians　are；

and　who　are　the　makers　of　public　opinion　in　remote　little　towns。　Let

no　one　mistake　me；　however；　there　are　many　localities　which；　like

Soulanges；　are　neither　hamlets；　villages；　nor　little　towns；　which

have；　nevertheless；　the　characteristics　of　all。　The　inhabitants　are

very　different　from　those　of　the　large　and　busy　and　vicious　provincial

cities。　Country　life　influences　the　manners　and　morals　of　the　smaller

places；　and　this　mixture　of　tints　will　be　found　to　produce　some　truly

original　characters。



The　most　important　personage　after　Madame　Soudry　was　Lupin；　the

notary。　Though　forty…five　springs　had　bloomed　for　Lupin；　he　was　still

fresh　and　rosy；　thanks　to　the　plumpness　which　fills　out　the　skin　of

sedentary　persons；　and　he　still　sang　ballads。　Also；　he　retained　the

elegant　evening　dress　of　society　warblers。　He　looked　almost　Parisian

in　his　carefully…varnished　boots；　his　sulphur…yellow　waistcoats；　his

tight…fitting　coats；　his　handsome　silk　cravats；　his　fashionable

trousers。　His　hair　was　curled　by　the　barber　of　Soulanges　（the　gossip

of　the　town）；　and　he　maintained　the　attitude　of　a　man　〃a　bonne

fortunes〃　by　his　liaison　with　Madame　Sarcus；　wife　of　Sarcus　the　rich；

who　was　to　his　life；　without　too　close　a　comparison；　what　the

campaigns　of　Italy　were　to　Napoleon。　He　alone　of　the　leading　society

of　Soulanges　went　to　Paris；　where　he　was　received　by　the　Soulanges

family。　It　was　enough　to　hear　him　talk　to　imagine　the　supremacy　he

wielded　in　his　capacity　as　dandy　and　judge　of　elegance。　He　passed

judgment　on　all　things　by　the　use　of　three　terms：　〃out　of　date；〃

〃antiquated；〃　〃superannuated。〃＇*＇　A　man；　a　woman；　or　a　piece　of

furniture　might　be　〃out　of　date〃；　next；　by　a　greater　degree　of

imperfection；　〃antiquated〃；　but　as　to　the　last　term；　it　was　the

superlative　of　contempt。　The　first　might　be　remedied；　the　second　was

hopeless；　but　the　third；oh；　better　far　never　to　have　left　the　void

of　nothingness！　As　to　praise；　a　single　word　sufficed　him；　doubly　and

trebly　uttered：　〃Charming！〃　was　the　positive　of　his　admiration。

〃Charming；　charming！〃　made　you　feel　you　were　safe；　but　after

〃Charming；　charming；　charming！〃　the　ladder　might　be　discarded；　for　the

heaven　of　perfection　was　attained。





＇*＇　〃Croute；〃　〃crouton；〃　and　〃croute…au…pot；〃　untranslatable；　and

without　equivalent　in　English。　A　〃croute〃　is　the　slang　term　for　a

man　behind　the　age。Tr。





The　tabellion；he　called　himself　〃tabellion；〃　petty　notary；　and

keeper　of　notes　（making　fun　of　his　calling　in　order　to　seem　above　it）；

the　tabellion　was　on　terms　of　spoken　gallantry　with　Madame　Soudry；

who　had　a　weakness　for　Lupin；　though　he　was　blond　and　wore　spectacles。

Hitherto　the　late　Cochet　had　loved　none　but　dark　men；　with　moustachios

and　hairy　hands；　of　the　Alcides　type。　But　she　made　an　exception　in

favor　of　Lupin　on　account　of　his　elegance；　and；　moreover；　because　she

thought　her　glory　at　Soulanges　was　not　complete　without　an　adorer；

but；　to　Soudry's　despair；　the　queen's　adorers　never　carried　their

adoration　so　far　as　to　threaten　his　rights。



Lupin　had　married　an　heiress　in　wooden　shoes　and