sons of the soil-第6章

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and　the　alternating　harmony　of　toil　and　pleasure；eternal　symbol　of

human　life。



When　a　Parisian　has　recovered　his　powers　of　sleeping；　shaken　off　the

fatigues　of　his　journey；　and　accustomed　himself　to　country　habits；　the

hardest　period　of　the　day　（if　he　wears　thin　boots　and　is　neither　a

sportsman　nor　an　agriculturalist）　is　the　early　morning。　Between　the

hours　of　waking　and　breakfasting；　the　women　of　the　family　are　sleeping

or　dressing；　and　therefore　unapproachable；　the　master　of　the　house　is

out　and　about　on　his　own　affairs；　a　Parisian　is　therefore　compelled　to

be　alone　from　eight　to　eleven　o'clock；　the　hour　chosen　in　all　country…

houses　for　breakfast。　Now；　having　got　what　amusement　he　can　out　of

carefully　dressing　himself；　he　has　soon　exhausted　that　resource。　Then；

perhaps；　he　has　brought　with　him　some　work；　which　he　finds　it

impossible　to　do；　and　which　goes　back　untouched；　after　he　sees　the

difficulties　of　doing　it；　into　his　valise；　a　writer　is　then　obliged　to

wander　about　the　park　and　gape　at　nothing　or　count　the　big　trees。　The

easier　the　life；　the　more　irksome　such　occupations　are；unless；

indeed；　one　belongs　to　the　sect　of　shaking　quakers　or　to　the　honorable

guild　of　carpenters　or　taxidermists。　If　one　really　had；　like　the

owners　of　estates；　to　live　in　the　country；　it　would　be　well　to　supply

one's　self　with　a　geological；　mineralogical；　entomological；　or

botanical　hobby；　but　a　sensible　man　doesn't　give　himself　a　vice　merely

to　kill　time　for　a　fortnight。　The　noblest　estate；　and　the　finest

chateaux　soon　pall　on　those　who　possess　nothing　but　the　sight　of　them。

The　beauties　of　nature　seem　rather　squalid　compared　to　the

representation　of　them　at　the　opera。　Paris；　by　retrospection；　shines

from　all　its　facets。　Unless　some　particular　interest　attaches　us；　as

it　did　in　Blondet's　case；　to　scenes　honored　by　the　steps　and　lighted

by　the　eyes　of　a　certain　person；　one　would　envy　the　birds　their　wings

and　long　to　get　back　to　the　endless；　exciting　scenes　of　Paris　and　its

harrowing　strifes。



The　long　letter　of　the　young　journalist　must　make　most　intelligent

minds　suppose　that　he　had　reached；　morally　and　physically；　that

particular　phase　of　satisfied　passions　and　comfortable　happiness　which

certain　winged　creatures　fed　in　Strasbourg　so　perfectly　represent

when；　with　their　heads　sunk　behind　their　protruding　gizzards；　they

neither　see　nor　wish　to　see　the　most　appetizing　food。　So；　when　the

formidable　letter　was　finished；　the　writer　felt　the　need　of　getting

away　from　the　gardens　of　Armida　and　doing　something　to　enliven　the

deadly　void　of　the　morning　hours；　for　the　hours　between　breakfast　and

dinner　belonged　to　the　mistress　of　the　house；　who　knew　very　well　how

to　make　them　pass　quickly。　To　keep；　as　Madame　de　Montcornet　did；　a　man

of　talent　in　the　country　without　ever　seeing　on　his　face　the　false

smile　of　satiety；　or　detecting　the　yawn　of　a　weariness　that　cannot　be

concealed；　is　a　great　triumph　for　a　woman。　The　affection　which　is

equal　to　such　a　test　certainly　ought　to　be　eternal。　It　is　to　be

wondered　at　that　women　do　not　oftener　employ　it　to　judge　of　their

lovers；　a　fool；　an　egoist；　or　a　petty　nature　could　never　stand　it。

Philip　the　Second　himself；　the　Alexander　of　dissimulation；　would　have

told　his　secrets　if　condemned　to　a　month's　tete…a…tete　in　the　country。

Perhaps　this　is　why　kings　seek　to　live　in　perpetual　motion；　and　allow

no　one　to　see　them　more　than　fifteen　minutes　at　a　time。



Notwithstanding　that　he　had　received　the　delicate　attentions　of　one　of

the　most　charming　women　in　Paris；　Emile　Blondet　was　able　to　feel　once

more　the　long　forgotten　delights　of　a　truant　schoolboy；　and　on　the

morning　of　the　day　after　his　letter　was　written　he　had　himself　called

by　Francois；　the　head　valet；　who　was　specially　appointed　to　wait　on

him；　for　the　purpose　of　exploring　the　valley　of　the　Avonne。



The　Avonne　is　a　little　river　which；　being　swollen　above　Conches　by

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　chamber