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sons of the soil-第4章

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and shines and sprouts;the birds; the squirrels; the flowers; the

grass; they know nothing about these things; they cannot explain them;

but they love them; they love them so well that they forget dukes;

marshals; rivalries; financiers; follies; luxuries; their paste jewels

and their real diamonds; their heeled slippers and their rouge;all;

for the sweetness of country life。



I have gathered; my dear fellow; much precious information about the

old age of Mademoiselle Laguerre; for; to tell you the truth; the

after life of such women as Florine; Mariette; Suzanne de Val Noble;

and Tullia has made me; every now and then; extremely inquisitive; as

though I were a child inquiring what had become of the old moons。



In 1790 Mademoiselle Laguerre; alarmed at the turn of public affairs;

came to settle at Les Aigues; bought and given to her by Bouret; who

passed several summers with her at the chateau。 Terrified at the fate

of Madame du Barry; she buried her diamonds。 At that time she was only

fifty…three years of age; and according to her lady's…maid; afterwards

married to a gendarme named Soudry; 〃Madame was more beautiful than

ever。〃 My dear Nathan; Nature has no doubt her private reasons for

treating women of this sort like spoiled children; excesses; instead

of killing them; fatten them; preserve them; renew their youth。 Under

a lymphatic appearance they have nerves which maintain their

marvellous physique; they actually preserve their beauty for reasons

which would make a virtuous woman haggard。 No; upon my word; Nature is

not moral!



Mademoiselle Laguerre lived an irreproachable life at Les Aigues; one

might even call it a saintly one; after her famous adventure;you

remember it? One evening in a paroxysm of despairing love; she fled

from the opera…house in her stage dress; rushed into the country; and

passed the night weeping by the wayside。 (Ah! how they have

calumniated the love of Louis XV。's time!) She was so unused to see

the sunrise; that she hailed it with one of her finest songs。 Her

attitude; quite as much as her tinsel; drew the peasants about her;

amazed at her gestures; her voice; her beauty; they took her for an

angel; and dropped on their knees around her。 If Voltaire had not

existed we might have thought it a new miracle。 I don't know if God

gave her much credit for her tardy virtue; for love after all must be

a sickening thing to a woman as weary of it as a wanton of the old

Opera。 Mademoiselle Laguerre was born in 1740; and her hey…day was in

1760; when Monsieur (I forget his name) was called the 〃ministre de la

guerre;〃 on account of his liaison with her。 She abandoned that name;

which was quite unknown down here; and called herself Madame des

Aigues; as if to merge her identity in the estate; which she delighted

to improve with a taste that was profoundly artistic。 When Bonaparte

became First Consul; she increased her property by the purchase of

church lands; for which she used the proceeds of her diamonds。 As an

Opera divinity never knows how to take care of her money; she

intrusted the management of the estate to a steward; occupying herself

with her flowers and fruits and with the beautifying of the park。



After Mademoiselle was dead and buried at Blangy; the notary of

Soulangesthat little town which lies between Ville…aux…Fayes and

Blangy; the capital of the townshipmade an elaborate inventory; and

sought out the heirs of the singer; who never knew she had any。 Eleven

families of poor laborers living near Amiens; and sleeping in cotton

sheets; awoke one fine morning in golden ones。 The property was sold

at auction。 Les Aigues was bought by Montcornet; who had laid by

enough during his campaigns in Spain and Pomerania to make the

purchase; which cost about eleven hundred thousand francs; including

the furniture。 The general; no doubt; felt the influence of these

luxurious apartments; and I was arguing with the countess only

yesterday that her marriage was a direct result of the purchase of Les

Aigues。



To rightly understand the countess; my dear Nathan; you must know that

the general is a violent man; red as fire; five feet nine inches tall;

round as a tower; with a thick neck and the shoulders of a blacksmith;

which must have amply filled his cuirass。 Montcornet commanded the

cuirassiers at the battle of Essling (called by the Austrians Gross…

Aspern); and came near perishing when that noble corps was driven back

on the Danube。 He managed to cross the river astride a log of wood。

The cuirassiers; finding the bridge down; took the glorious

resolution; at Montcornet's command; to turn and resist the entire

Austrian army; which carried off on the morrow over thirty wagon…loads

of cuirasses。 The Germans invented a name for their enemies on this

occasion which means 〃men of iron。〃'*' Montcornet has the outer man of

a hero of antiquity。 His arms are stout and vigorous; his chest deep

and broad; his head has a leonine aspect; his voice is of those that

can order a charge in the thick of battle; but he has nothing more

than the courage of a daring man; he lacks mind and breadth of view。

Like other generals to whom military common…sense; the natural

boldness of those who spend their lives in danger; and the habit of

command gives an appearance of superiority; Montcornet has an imposing

effect when you first meet him; he seems a Titan; but he contains a

dwarf; like the pasteboard giant who saluted Queen Elizabeth at the

gates of Kenilworth。 Choleric though kind; and full of imperial

hauteur; he has the caustic tongue of a soldier; and is quick at

repartee; but quicker still with a blow。 He may have been superb on a

battle…field; in a household he is simply intolerable。 He knows no

love but barrack love;the love which those clever myth…makers; the

ancients; placed under the patronage of Eros; son of Mars and Venus。

Those delightful chroniclers of the old religions provided themselves

with a dozen different Loves。 Study the fathers and the attributes of

these Loves; and you will discover a complete social nomenclature;

and yet we fancy that we originate things! When the world turns upside

down like an hour…glass; when the seas become continents; Frenchmen

will find canons; steamboats; newspapers; and maps wrapped up in

seaweed at the bottom of what is now our ocean。



'*' I do not; on principle; like foot…notes; and this is the first I

have ever allowed myself。 Its historical interest must be my

excuse; it will prove; moreover; that descriptions of battles

should be something more than the dry particulars of technical

writers; who for the last three thousand years have told us about

left and right wings and centres being broken or driven in; but

never a word about the soldier himself; his sufferings; and his

heroism。 The conscientious care with which I prepared myself to

write the 〃Scenes from Military Life;〃 led me to many a battle…

field once wet with the blood of France and her enemies。 Among

them I went to Wagram。 When I reached the shores of the Danube;

opposite Lobau; I noticed on the bank; which is covered with turf;

certain undulations that reminded me of the furrows in a field of

lucern。 I asked the reason of it; thinking I should hear of some

new method of agriculture: 〃There sleep the cavalry of the

imperial guard;〃 said the peasant who served us as a guide; 〃those

are their graves you see there。〃 The words made me shudder。 Prince

Frederic Schwartzenburg; who translated them; added that the man

had himself driven one of the wagons laden with cuirasses。 By one

of the strange chances of war our guide had served a breakfast to

Napoleon on the morning of the battle of Wagram。 Though poor; he

had kept the double napoleon which the Emperor gave him for his

milk and his eggs。 The curate of Gross…Aspern took us to the

famous cemetery where French and Austrians struggled together

knee…deep in blood; with a courage and obstinacy glorious to each。

There;

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