sons of the soil-第5章

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famous　cemetery　where　French　and　Austrians　struggled　together

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

There；　while　explaining　that　a　marble　tablet　（to　which　our

attention　had　been　attracted；　and　on　which　were　inscribed　the

names　of　the　owner　of　Gross…Aspern；　who　had　been　killed　on　the

third　day）　was　the　sole　compensation　ever　given　to　the　family；　he

said；　in　a　tone　of　deep　sadness：　〃It　was　a　time　of　great　misery；

and　of　great　hopes；　but　now　are　the　days　of　forgetfulness。〃　The

saying　seemed　to　me　sublime　in　its　simplicity；　but　when　I　came　to

reflect　upon　the　matter；　I　felt　there　was　some　justification　for

the　apparent　ingratitude　of　the　House　of　Austria。　Neither　nations

nor　kings　are　wealthy　enough　to　reward　all　the　devotions　to　which

these　tragic　struggles　give　rise。　Let　those　who　serve　a　cause　with

a　secret　expectation　of　recompense；　set　a　price　upon　their　blood

and　become　mercenaries。　Those　who　wield　either　sword　or　pen　for

their　country's　good　ought　to　think　of　nothing　but　of　DOING　THEIR

BEST；　as　our　fathers　used　to　say；　and　expect　nothing；　not　even

glory；　except　as　a　happy　accident。



It　was　in　rushing　to　retake　this　famous　cemetery　for　the　third

time　that　Massena；　wounded　and　carried　in　the　box　of　a　cabriolet；

made　this　splendid　harangue　to　his　soldiers：　〃What！　you　rascally

curs；　who　have　only　five　sous　a　day　while　I　have　forty　thousand；

do　you　let　me　go　ahead　of　you？〃　All　the　world　knows　the　order

which　the　Emperor　sent　to　his　lieutenant　by　M。　de　Sainte…Croix；

who　swam　the　Danube　three　times：　〃Die　or　retake　the　village；　it　is

a　question　of　saving　the　army；　the　bridges　are　destroyed。〃



The　Author。





Now；　I　must　tell　you　that　the　Comtesse　de　Montcornet　is　a　fragile；

timid；　delicate　little　woman。　What　do　you　think　of　such　a　marriage　as

that？　To　those　who　know　society　such　things　are　common　enough；　a　well…

assorted　marriage　is　the　exception。　Nevertheless；　I　have　come　to　see

how　it　is　that　this　slender　little　creature　handles　her　bobbins　in　a

way　to　lead　this　heavy；　solid；　stolid　general　precisely　as　he　himself

used　to　lead　his　cuirassiers。



If　Montcornet　begins　to　bluster　before　his　Virginie；　Madame　lays　a

finger　on　her　lips　and　he　is　silent。　He　smokes　his　pipes　and　his

cigars　in　a　kiosk　fifty　feet　from　the　chateau；　and　airs　himself　before

he　returns　to　the　house。　Proud　of　his　subjection；　he　turns　to　her；

like　a　bear　drunk　on　grapes；　and　says；　when　anything　is　proposed；　〃If

Madame　approves。〃　When　he　comes　to　his　wife's　room；　with　that　heavy

step　which　makes　the　tiles　creak　as　though　they　were　boards；　and　she；

not　wanting　him；　calls　out：　〃Don't　come　in！〃　he　performs　a　military

volte…face　and　says　humbly：　〃You　will　let　me　know　when　I　can　see　you？〃

in　the　very　tones　with　which　he　shouted　to　his　cuirassiers　on　the

banks　of　the　Danube：　〃Men；　we　must　die；　and　die　well；　since　there's

nothing　else　we　can　do！〃　I　have　heard　him　say；　speaking　of　his　wife；

〃Not　only　do　I　love　her；　but　I　venerate　her。〃　When　he　flies　into　a

passion　which　defies　all　restraint　and　bursts　all　bonds；　the　little

woman　retires　into　her　own　room　and　leaves　him　to　shout。　But　four　or

five　hours　later　she　will　say：　〃Don't　get　into　a　passion；　my　dear；　you

might　break　a　blood…vessel；　and　besides；　you　hurt　me。〃　Then　the　lion

of　Essling　retreats　out　of　sight　to　wipe　his　eyes。　Sometimes　he　comes

into　the　salon　when　she　and　I　are　talking；　and　if　she　says：　〃Don't

disturb　us；　he　is　reading　to　me；〃　he　leaves　us　without　a　word。



It　is　only　strong　men；　choleric　and　powerful；　thunder…bolts　of　war；

diplomats　with　olympian　heads；　or　men　of　genius；　who　can　show　this

utter　confidence；　this　generous　devotion　to　weakness；　this　constant

protection；　this　love　without　jealousy；　this　easy　good　humor　with　a

woman。　Good　heavens！　I　place　the　science　of　the　countess's　management

of　her　husband　as　far　above　the　peevish；　arid　virtues　as　the　satin　of

a　causeuse　is　superior　to　the　Utrecht　velvet　of　a　dirty　bourgeois

sofa。



My　dear　fellow；　I　have　spent　six　days　in　this　delightful　country…

house；　and　I　never　tire　of　admiring　the　beauties　of　the　park；

surrounded　by　forests　where　pretty　wood…paths　lead　beside　the　brooks。

Nature　and　its　silence；　these　tranquil　pleasures；　this　placid　life　to

which　she　woos　me；all　attract。　Ah！　here　is　true　literature；　no　fault

of　style　among　the　meadows。　Happiness　forgets　all　things　here；even

the　Debats！　It　has　rained　all　the　morning；　while　the　countess　slept

and　Montcornet　tramped　over　his　domain；　I　have　compelled　myself　to

keep　my　rash；　imprudent　promise　to　write　to　you。



Until　now；　though　I　was　born　at　Alencon；　of　an　old　judge　and　a

prefect；　so　they　say；　and　though　I　know　something　of　agriculture；　I

supposed　the　tale　of　estates　bringing　in　four　or　five　thousand　francs

a　month　to　be　a　fable。　Money；　to　me；　meant　a　couple　of　dreadful

things；work　and　a　publisher；　journalism　and　politics。　When　shall　we

poor　fellows　come　upon　a　land　where　gold　springs　up　with　the　grass？

That　is　what　I　desire　for　you　and　for　me　and　the　rest　of　us　in　the

name　of　the　theatre；　and　of　the　press；　and　of　book…making！　Amen！



Will　Florine　be　jealous　of　the　late　Mademoiselle　Laguerre？　Our　modern

Bourets　have　no　French　nobles　now　to　show　them　how　to　live；　they　hire

one　opera…box　among　three　of　them；　they　subscribe　for　their　pleasures；

they　no　longer　cut　down　magnificently　bound　quartos　to　match　the

octavos　in　their　library；　in　fact；　they　scarcely　buy　even　stitched

paper　books。　What　is　to　become　of　us？





Adieu；　continue　to　care　for

Your　Blondet。





If　this　letter；　dashed　off　by　the　idlest　pen　of　the　century；　had　not

by　some　lucky　chance　been　preserved；　it　would　have　been　almost

impossible　to　describe　Les　Aigues；　and　without　this　description　the

history　of　the　horrible　events　that　occurred　there　would　certainly　be

less　interesting。



After　that　remark　some　persons　will　expect　to　see　the　flashing　of　the

cuirass　of　the　former　colonel　of　the　guard；　and　the　raging　of　his

anger　as　he　falls　like　a　waterspout　upon　his　little　wife；　so　that　the

end　of　this　present　history　may　be　like　the　end　of　all　modern　dramas；

a　tragedy　of　the　bed…chamber。　Perhaps　the　fatal　scene　will　take

place　in　that　charming　room　with　the　blue　monochromes；　where　beautiful

ideal　birds　are　painted　on　the　ceilings　and　the　shutters；　where

Chinese　monsters　laugh　with　open　jaws　on　the　mantle…shelf；　and

dragons；　green　and　gold；　twist　their　tails　in　curious　convolutions

around　rich　vases；　and　Japanese　fantasy　embroiders　its　designs　of　many

colors；　where　sofas　and　reclining…chairs　and　consoles　and　what…nots

invite　to　that　contemplative　idleness　which　forbids　all　action。



No；　the　drama　here　to　be　developed　is　not　one　of　private　life；　it

concerns　things　higher；　or　lower。　Expect　no　scenes　of　passion；　the

truth　of　this　history　is　only　too　dramatic。　And　remember；　the

historian　should　never　forget　that　his　mission　is　to　do　justice　to

all；　the　poor　and　the　prosperous　are　equals　before　his　pen；　to　him　the

peasant　appears　in　the　grandeur　of　his　misery；　and　the　rich　in　the

pettiness　of　his　folly。　Moreover；　the　rich　man　has　passions；　the

peasant　only　wants。　The　peasant　is　therefore　doubly　poor；　and　if；

politically；　his　aggressions　must　be　pitilessly　repressed；　to　the　eyes

of　humanity　and　religion　he　is　sacred。







CHAPTER　II



A　BUCOLIC　OVERLOOKED　BY　VIRGIL



When　a　Parisian　drops　into　the　country　he　is　cut　off　from　all　his

usual　habits；　and　soon　feels　the　dragging　hours；　no　matter　how

attentive　his　friends　may　be　to　him。　Therefore；　because　it　is　so

impossible　to　prolong　in　a　tete…a…tete　conversations　that　are　soon

exhausted；　the　master　and　mistress　of　a　country…house　are　apt　to　say；

calmly；　〃You　will　be　terribly　bored　here。〃　It　is　true　that　to

understand　the　delights　of　country　life　one　must　have　something　to　do；

some　interests　in　it；　one　must　know　the　nature　of　the　work　to　be　done；

and　the　alternating　harmony　of　toil