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;