sons of the soil-第61章

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slain　as　an　〃accapareur；〃　a　monopolist；　by　the　populace；　instigated　by

a　mason；　the　uncle　of　Godain；　with　whom　he　had　had　some　quarrel　about

the　building　of　his　ambitious　house。　The　settlement　of　his　estate；

sharply　contested　by　collateral　heirs；　dragged　slowly　along　until；　in

1798；　Soudry；　who　had　then　returned　to　Soulanges；　was　able　to　buy　the

wine…merchant's　palace　for　three　thousand　francs　in　specie。　He　then

let　it；　in　the　first　instance；　to　the　government　for　the　headquarters

of　the　gendarmerie。　In　1811　Mademoiselle　Cochet；　whom　Soudry　consulted

about　all　his　affairs；　strongly　objected　to　the　renewal　of　the　lease；

making　the　house　uninhabitable；　she　declared；　with　barracks。　The　town

of　Soulanges；　assisted　by　the　department；　then　erected　a　building　for

the　gendarmerie　in　a　street　running　at　right　angles　from　the　town…

hall。　Thereupon　Soudry　cleaned　up　his　house　and　restored　its　primitive

lustre；　not　a　little　dimmed　by　the　stabling　of　horses　and　the

occupancy　of　gendarmes。



The　house；　only　one　story　high；　with　projecting　windows　in　the　roof；

has　a　view　on　three　sides；　one　to　the　square；　another　to　a　lake；　the

third　to　a　garden。　The　fourth　side　looks　on　a　courtyard　which

separates　the　Soudrys　from　the　adjoining　house　occupied　by　a　grocer

named　Wattebled；　a　man　of　the　SECOND…CLASS　society　of　Soulanges；

father　of　the　beautiful　Madame　Plissoud；　of　whom　we　shall　presently

have　occasion　to　speak。



All　little　towns　have　a　renowned　beauty；　just　as　they　have　a　Socquard

and　a　Cafe　de　la　Paix。



It　will　be　apparent　to　every　one　that　the　frontage　of　the　Soudry

mansion　on　the　lake　must　have　a　terraced　garden　confined　by　a　stone

balustrade　which　overlooks　both　the　lake　and　the　main　road。　A　flight

of　steps　leads　down　from　the　terrace　to　the　road；　and　on　it　an　orange…

tree；　a　pomegranate；　a　myrtle；　and　other　ornamental　shrubs　are　placed；

necessitating　a　greenhouse。　On　the　side　toward　the　square　the　house　is

entered　from　a　portico　raised　several　steps　above　the　level　of　the

street。　According　to　the　custom　of　small　towns　the　gate　of　the

courtyard；　used　only　for　the　service　of　the　house　or　for　any　unusual

arrival；　was　seldom　opened。　Visitors；　who　mostly　came　on　foot；　entered

by　the　portico。



The　style　of　the　Hotel　Soudry　is　plain。　The　courses　are　indicated　by

projecting　lines；　the　windows　are　framed　by　mouldings　alternately

broad　and　slender；　like　those　of　the　Gabriel　and　Perronnet　pavilion　in

the　place　Louis　XV。　These　ornaments　in　so　small　a　town　give　a　certain

solid　and　monumental　air　to　the　building　which　has　become　celebrated。



Opposite　to　this　house；　in　another　angle　of　the　square　stands　the

famous　Cafe　de　la　Paix；　the　characteristics　of　which；　together　with

the　fascinations　of　its　Tivoli；　will　require；　somewhat　later；　a　less

succinct　description　than　that　we　have　given　of　the　Soudry　mansion。



Rigou　very　seldom　came　to　Soulanges；　everybody　was　in　the　habit　of

going　to　him；Lupin　and　Gaubertin；　Soudry　and　Gendrin；so　much　were

they　afraid　of　him。　But　we　shall　presently　understand　why　any　educated

man；　such　as　the　ex…Benedictine；　would　have　done　as　Rigou　did；　and

kept　away　from　the　little　town；　after　reading　the　following　sketch　of

the　personages　who　composed　what　was　called　in　those　parts　〃the

leading　society　of　Soulanges。〃



Of　its　principal　figures；　the　most　original；　as　you　have　already

suspected；　was　that　of　Madame　Soudry；　whose　personality；　to　be　duly

rendered；　needs　a　minute　and　careful　brush。



Madame　Soudry；　respectfully　imitating　Mademoiselle　Laguerre；　began　by

allowing　herself　a　〃mere　touch　of　rouge〃；　but　this　delicate　tint　had

changed　through　force　of　habit　to　those　vermilion　patches

picturesquely　described　by　our　ancestors　as　〃carriage…wheels。〃　The

wrinkles　growing　deeper　and　deeper；　it　occurred　to　the　ex…lady's…maid

to　fill　them　up　with　paint。　Her　forehead　becoming　unduly　yellow；　and

the　temples　too　shiny；　she　〃laid　on〃　a　little　white；　and　renewed　the

veins　of　her　youth　with　a　tracery　of　blue。　All　this　color　gave　an

exaggerated　liveliness　to　her　eyes　which　were　already　tricksy　enough；

so　that　the　mask　of　her　face　would　seem　to　a　stranger　even　more　than

fantastic；　though　her　friends　and　acquaintances；　accustomed　to　this

fictitious　brilliancy；　actually　declared　her　handsome。



This　ungainly　creature；　always　decolletee；　showed　a　bosom　and　a　pair

of　shoulders　that　were　whitened　and　polished　by　the　same　process

employed　upon　her　face；　happily；　for　the　sake　of　exhibiting　her

magnificent　laces；　she　partially　veiled　the　charms　of　these　chemical

products。　She　always　wore　the　body　of　her　dress　stiffened　with

whalebone　and　made　in　a　long　point　and　garnished　with　knots　of　ribbon；

even　on　the　point！　Her　petticoats　gave　forth　a　creaking　noise；so

much　did　the　silk　and　the　furbelows　abound。



This　attire；　which　deserves　the　name　of　apparel　（a　word　that　before

long　will　be　inexplicable）；　was；　on　the　evening　in　question；　of　costly

brocade；for　Madame　Soudry　possessed　over　a　hundred　dresses；　each

richer　than　the　others；　the　remains　of　Mademoiselle　Laguerre's

enormous　and　splendid　wardrobe；　made　over　to　fit　Madame　Soudry　in　the

last　fashion　of　the　year　1808。　Her　blond　wig；　frizzed　and　powdered；

sustained　a　superb　cap　with　knots　of　cherry　satin　ribbon　matching

those　on　her　dress。　If　you　will　kindly　imagine　beneath　this　ultra…

coquettish　cap　the　face　of　a　monkey　of　extreme　ugliness；　on　which　a

flat　nose；　fleshless　as　that　of　Death；　is　separated　by　a　strong　hairy

line　from　a　mouth　filled　with　false　teeth；　whence　issue　sounds　like

the　confused　clacking　of　hunting…horns；　you　will　have　some　difficulty

in　understanding　why　the　leading　society　of　Soulanges　（all　the　town；

in　fact）　thought　this　quasi…queen　a　beauty；unless；　indeed；　you

remember　the　succinct　statement　recently　made　〃ex　professo；〃　by　one　of

the　cleverest　women　of　our　time；　on　the　art　of　making　her　sex

beautiful　by　surrounding　accessories。



As　to　accessories；　in　the　first　place；　Madame　Soudry　was　surrounded　by

the　magnificent　gifts　accumulated　by　her　late　mistress；　which　the　ex…

Benedictine　called　〃fructus　belli。〃　Then　she　made　the　most　of　her

ugliness　by　exaggerating　it；　and　by　assuming　that　indescribable　air

and　manner　which　belongs　only　to　Parisian　women；　the　secret　of　which

is　known　even　to　the　most　vulgar　among　them；who　are　always　more　or

less　mimics。　She　laced　tight；　wore　an　enormous　bustle；　also　diamond

earrings；　and　her　fingers　were　covered　with　rings。　At　the　top　of　her

corsage；　between　two　mounds　of　flesh　well　plastered　with　pearl…white；

shone　a　beetle　made　of　topaz　with　a　diamond　head；　the　gift　of　dear

mistress；a　jewel　renowned　throughout　the　department。　Like　the　late

dear　mistress；　she　wore　short　sleeves　and　bare　arms；　and　flirted　an

ivory　fan；　painted　by　Boucher　with　two　little　rose…diamonds　in　the

handle。



When　she　went　out　Madame　Soudry　carried　a　parasol　of　the　true

eighteenth…century　style；　that　is　to　say；　a　tall　cane　at　the　end　of

which　opened　a　green　sun…shade　with　a　green　fringe。　When　she　walked

about　the　terrace　a　stranger　on　the　high…road；　seeing　her　from　afar；

might　have　thought　her　one　of　Watteau's　dames。



In　her　salon；　hung　with　red　damask；　with　curtains　of　the　same　lined

with　silk；　a　fire　on　the　hearth；　a　mantel…shelf　adorned　with　bibelots

of　the　good　time　of　Louis　XV。；　and　bearing　candelabra　in　the　form　of

lilies　upheld　by　Cupidsin　this　salon；　filled　with　furniture　in

gilded　wood　of　the　〃pied　de　biche〃　pattern；　it　is　not　impossible　to

understand　why　the　people　of　Soulanges　called　the　mistress　of　the

house；　〃The　beautiful　Madame　Soulanges。〃　The　mansion　had　actually

become　the　civic　pride　of　this　capital　of　a　canton。



If　the　leading　society　of　the　little　town　believed　in　its　queen；　the

queen　as　surely　believed　in　herself。　By　a　phenomenon　not　in　the　least

rare；　which　the　vanity　of　mothers　and　authors　carries　on　at　all

moments　under　our　very　eyes　in　behalf　of　their　literary　works　or　their