sons of the soil-第5章

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numerous　rivulets；　some　of　which　rise　in　Les　Aigues；　falls　at　Ville…

aux…Fayes　into　one　of　the　large　affluents　of　the　Seine。　The

geographical　position　of　the　Avonne；　navigable　for　over　twelve　miles；

had；　ever　since　Jean　Bouvet　invented　rafts；　given　full　money　value　to

the　forests　of　Les　Aigues；　Soulanges；　and　Ronquerolles；　standing　on

the　crest　of　the　hills　between　which　this　charming　river　flows。　The

park　of　Les　Aigues　covers　the　greater　part　of　the　valley；　between　the

river　（bordered　on　both　sides　by　the　forest　called　des　Aigues）　and　the

royal　mail　road；　defined　by　a　line　of　old　elms　in　the　distance　along

the　slopes　of　the　Avonne　mountains；　which　are　in　fact　the　foot…hills

of　that　magnificent　ampitheatre　called　the　Morvan。



However　vulgar　the　comparison　may　be；　the　park；　lying　thus　at　the

bottom　of　the　valley；　is　like　an　enormous　fish　with　its　head　at

Conches　and　its　tail　in　the　village　of　Blangy；　for　it　widens　in　the

middle　to　nearly　three　hundred　acres；　while　towards　Conches　it　counts

less　than　fifty；　and　sixty　at　Blangy。　The　position　of　this　estate；

between　three　villages；　and　only　three　miles　from　the　little　town　of

Soulanges；　from　which　the　descent　is　rapid；　may　perhaps　have　led　to

the　strife　and　caused　the　excesses　which　are　the　chief　interest

attaching　to　the　place。　If；　when　seen　from　the　mail　road　or　from　the

uplands　beyond　Ville…aux…Fayes；　the　paradise　of　Les　Aigues　induces

mere　passing　travellers　to　commit　the　mortal　sin　of　envy；　why　should

the　rich　burghers　of　Soulanges　and　Ville…aux…Fayes　who　had　it　before

their　eyes　and　admired　it　every　day　of　their　lives；　have　been　more

virtuous？



This　last　topographical　detail　was　needed　to　explain　the　site；　also

the　use　of　the　four　gates　by　which　alone　the　park　of　Les　Aigues　was

entered；　for　it　was　completely　surrounded　by　walls；　except　where

nature　had　provided　a　fine　view；　and　at　such　points　sunk　fences　or　ha…

has　had　been　placed。　The　four　gates；　called　the　gate　of　Conches；　the

gate　of　Avonne；　the　gate　of　Blangy；　and　the　gate　of　the　Avenue；　showed

the　styles　of　the　different　periods　at　which　they　were　constructed　so

admirably　that　a　brief　description；　in　the　interest　of　archaeologists；

will　presently　be　given；　as　brief　as　the　one　Blondet　has　already

written　about　the　gate　of　the　Avenue。



After　eight　days　of　strolling　about　with　the　countess；　the　illustrious

editor　of　the　〃Journal　des　Debats〃　knew　by　heart　the　Chinese　kiosk；

the　bridges；　the　isles；　the　hermitage；　the　dairy；　the　ruined　temple；

the　Babylonian　ice…house；　and　all　the　other　delusions　invented　by

landscape　architects　which　some　nine　hundred　acres　of　land　can　be　made

to　serve。　He　now　wished　to　find　the　sources　of　the　Avonne；　which　the

general　and　the　countess　daily　extolled　in　the　evening；　making　plans

to　visit　them　which　were　daily　forgotten　the　next　morning。　Above　Les

Aigues　the　Avonne　really　had　the　appearance　of　an　alpine　torrent。

Sometimes　it　hollowed　a　bed　among　the　rocks；　sometimes　it　went

underground；　on　this　side　the　brooks　came　down　in　cascades；　there　they

flowed　like　the　Loire　on　sandy　shallows　where　rafts　could　not　pass　on

account　of　the　shifting　channels。　Blondet　took　a　short　cut　through　the

labyrinths　of　the　park　to　reach　the　gate　of　Conches。　This　gate　demands

a　few　words；　which　give；　moreover；　certain　historical　details　about

the　property。



The　original　founder　of　Les　Aigues　was　a　younger　son　of　the　Soulanges

family；　enriched　by　marriage；　whose　chief　ambition　was　to　make　his

elder　brother　jealous；a　sentiment；　by　the　bye；　to　which　we　owe　the

fairy…land　of　Isola　Bella　in　the　Lago　Maggiore。　In　the　middle　ages　the

castle　of　Les　Aigues　stood　on　the　banks　of　the　Avonne。　Of　this　old

building　nothing　remains　but　the　gateway；　which　has　a　porch　like　the

entrance　to　a　fortified　town；　flanked　by　two　round　towers　with　conical

roofs。　Above　the　arch　of　the　porch　are　heavy　stone　courses；　now　draped

with　vegetation；　showing　three　large　windows　with　cross…bar　sashes。　A

winding　stairway　in　one　of　the　towers　leads　to　two　chambers；　and　a

kitchen　occupies　the　other　tower。　The　roof　of　the　porch；　of　pointed

shape　like　all　old　timber…work；　is　noticeable　for　two　weathercocks

perched　at　each　end　of　a　ridge…pole　ornamented　with　fantastic　iron…

work。　Many　an　important　place　cannot　boast　of　so　fine　a　town　hall。　On

the　outside　of　this　gateway；　the　keystone　of　the　arch　still　bears　the

arms　of　Soulanges；　preserved　by　the　hardness　of　the　stone　on　which　the

chisel　of　the　artist　carved　them；　as　follows：　Azure；　on　a　pale；

argent；　three　pilgrim's　staff's　sable；　a　fess　bronchant；　gules；

charged　with　four　grosses　patee；　fitched；　or；　with　the　heraldic　form

of　a　shield　awarded　to　younger　sons。　Blondet　deciphered　the　motto；　〃Je

soule　agir；〃one　of　those　puns　that　crusaders　delighted　to　make　upon

their　names；　and　which　brings　to　mind　a　fine　political　maxim；　which；

as　we　shall　see　later；　was　unfortunately　forgotten　by　Montcornet。　The

gate；　which　was　opened　for　Blondet　by　a　very　pretty　girl；　was　of　time…

worn　wood　clamped　with　iron。　The　keeper；　wakened　by　the　creaking　of

the　hinges；　put　his　nose　out　of　the　window　and　showed　himself　in　his

night…shirt。



〃So　our　keepers　sleep　till　this　time　of　day！〃　thought　the　Parisian；

who　thought　himself　very　knowing　in　rural　customs。



After　a　walk　of　about　quarter　of　an　hour；　he　reached　the　sources　of

the　river　above　Conches；　where　his　ravished　eyes　beheld　one　of　those

landscapes　that　ought　to　be　described；　like　the　history　of　France；　in

a　thousand　volumes　or　in　only　one。　We　must　here　content　ourselves　with

two　paragraphs。



A　projecting　rock；　covered　with　dwarf　trees　and　abraded　at　its　base　by

the　Avonne；　to　which　circumstance　it　owes　a　slight　resemblance　to　an

enormous　turtle　lying　across　the　river；　forms　an　arch　through　which

the　eye　takes　in　a　little　sheet　of　water；　clear　as　a　mirror；　where　the

stream　seems　to　sleep　until　it　reaches　in　the　distance　a　series　of

cascades　falling　among　huge　rocks；　where　little　weeping　willows　with

elastic　motion　sway　back　and　forth　to　the　flow　of　waters。



Beyond　these　cascades　is　the　hillside；　rising　sheer；　like　a　Rhine　rock

clothed　with　moss　and　heather；　gullied　like　it；　again；　by　sharp　ridges

of　schist　and　mica　sending　down；　here　and　there；　white　foaming

rivulets　to　which　a　little　meadow；　always　watered　and　always　green；

serves　as　a　cup；　farther　on；　beyond　the　picturesque　chaos　and　in

contrast　to　this　wild；　solitary　nature；　the　gardens　of　Conches　are

seen；　with　the　village　roofs　and　the　clock…tower　and　the　outlying

fields。



There　are　the　two　paragraphs；　but　the　rising　sun；　the　purity　of　the

air；　the　dewy　sheen；　the　melody　of　woods　and　watersimagine　them！



〃Almost　as　charming　as　at　the　Opera；〃　thought　Blondet；　making　his　way

along　the　banks　of　the　unnavigable　portion　of　the　Avonne；　whose

caprices　contrast　with　the　straight　and　deep　and　silent　stream　of　the

lower　river；　flowing　between　the　tall　trees　of　the　forest　of　Les

Aigues。



Blondet　did　not　proceed　far　on　his　morning　walk；　for　he　was　presently

brought　to　a　stand…still　by　the　sight　of　a　peasant；one　of　those　who；

in　this　drama；　are　supernumeraries　so　essential　to　its　action　that　it

may　be　doubted　whether　they　are　not　in　fact　its　leading　actors。



When　the　clever　journalist　reached　a　group　of　rocks　where　the　main

stream　is　imprisoned；　as　it　were；　between　two　portals；　he　saw　a　man

standing　so　motionless　as　to　excite　his　curiosity；　while　the　clothes

and　general　air　of　this　living　statue　greatly　puzzled　him。



The　humble　personage　before　him　was　a　living　presentment　of　the　old

men　dear　to　Charlet's　pencil；　resembling　the　troopers　of　that　Homer　of

soldiery　in　a　strong　frame　able　to　endure　hardship；　and　his　immortal

skirmishers　in　a　fiery；　crimson；　knotted　face；　showing　small　capacity

for　submission。　A　coarse　felt　hat；　the　brim　of　which　was　held　to　the

crown　by　stitches；　protected　a　nearly　bald　head　from　the　weather；

below　it　fell　a　quantity　of　white　hair　which　a　painter　would　gladly

have　paid　four　francs　an　hour　to　copy；a　dazzling　mass　of　snow；　worn

like　that　in　all　the　classical　representations　of　Deity。　It　was　easy

to　guess　from　the　way　in　which　the　cheeks　sank　in；　continuing　the

lines　of　the　mouth；　that　the　toothless　old　fellow　was　more　given　to

the　bottle　than　the　trencher。　His　thin　white　beard　gave　a　threatening

expression　to　his　profile　by　the　stiffness　of　its　short　bristles。　The

eyes；　too　small　for　his　enormous　face；　and　sloping　like　those　of　a

pig；　betrayed　cunning　and　also　laziness；　but　at　this　particular　moment

they　were　gleaming　with　the　intent　look　he　cast　upon　the　river。　The

sole　garments　of　this　curious　figure　were　an　old　blouse；　formerly

blue；　and　trousers　of　the　coarse　burlap　used　in　Paris　to　wrap　bales。

All　city　people　would　have　shuddered　at　the　sight　of　his　broken

sabots；　without　even　a　wisp　of　straw　to　stop　the　cracks；　and　it　is

very　certain　that　the　blouse　and　the　trousers　had　no　money　value　at

all　except　to　a　paper…maker。



As　Blondet　examined　this　rural　Diogenes；　he　admitted　the　possibility

of　a　type　of　peasantry　he　had　seen　in　old　tapestries；　old　pictures；

old　sculptures；　and　which；　up　to　this　time；　had　seemed　to　him

imaginary。　He　resolved　for　the　future　not　to　utterly　condemn　the

school　of　ugliness；　perceiving　a　possibility　that　in　man　beauty　may　be

but　the　flattering　exception；　a　chimera　in　which　the　race　struggles　to

believe。



〃What　can　be　the　ideas；　the　morals；　the　habits；　of　such　a　being？　What

is　he　thinking　of？〃　thought　Blondet；　seized　with　curiosity。　〃Is　he　my

fellow…creature？　We　have　nothing　in　common　but　shape；　and　even

that！〃



He　noticed　in　the　old　man's　limbs　the　peculiar　rigidity　of　the　tissues

of　persons　who　live　in　the　open　air；　accustomed　to　the　inclemencies　of

the　weather　and　to　the　endurance　of　heat　and　cold；hardened　to

everything；　in　short；which　makes　their　leathern　skin　almost　a　hide；

and　their　nerves　an　apparatus　against　physical　pain　almost　as　powerful

as　that　of　the　Russians　or　the　Arabs。



〃Here's　one　of　Cooper's　Red…skins；〃　thought　Blondet；　〃one　needn't　go

to　America　to　study　savages。〃



Though　the　Parisian　was　less　than　ten　paces　off；　the　old　man　did　not

turn　his　head；　but　kept　looking　at　the　opposite　bank　with　a　fixity

which　the　fakirs　of　India　give　to　their　vitrified　eyes　and　their

stiffened　joints。　Compelled　by　the　power　of　a　species　of　magnetism；

more　contagious　than　people　have　any　idea　of；　Blondet　ended　by　gazing

at　the　water　himself。



〃Well；　my　good　man；　what　do　you　see　there？〃　he　asked；　after　the　lapse

of　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　during　which　time　he　saw　nothing　to　justify

this　intent　contemplation。



〃Hush！〃　whispered　the　old　man；　with　a　sign　to　Blondet　not　to　ruffle

the　air　with　his　voice；　〃You　will　frighten　it〃



〃What？〃



〃An　otter；　my　good　gentleman。　If　it　hears　us　it'll　go　quick　under

water。　I'm　certain　it　jumped　there；　see！　see！　ther