sons of the soil-第7章

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with　vegetation；　showing　three　large　windows　with　cross…bar　sashes。　A

winding　stairway　in　one　of　the　towers　leads　to　two　chambers；　and　a

kitchen　occupies　the　other　tower。　The　roof　of　the　porch；　of　pointed

shape　like　all　old　timber…work；　is　noticeable　for　two　weathercocks

perched　at　each　end　of　a　ridge…pole　ornamented　with　fantastic　iron…

work。　Many　an　important　place　cannot　boast　of　so　fine　a　town　hall。　On

the　outside　of　this　gateway；　the　keystone　of　the　arch　still　bears　the

arms　of　Soulanges；　preserved　by　the　hardness　of　the　stone　on　which　the

chisel　of　the　artist　carved　them；　as　follows：　Azure；　on　a　pale；

argent；　three　pilgrim's　staff's　sable；　a　fess　bronchant；　gules；

charged　with　four　grosses　patee；　fitched；　or；　with　the　heraldic　form

of　a　shield　awarded　to　younger　sons。　Blondet　deciphered　the　motto；　〃Je

soule　agir；〃one　of　those　puns　that　crusaders　delighted　to　make　upon

their　names；　and　which　brings　to　mind　a　fine　political　maxim；　which；

as　we　shall　see　later；　was　unfortunately　forgotten　by　Montcornet。　The

gate；　which　was　opened　for　Blondet　by　a　very　pretty　girl；　was　of　time…

worn　wood　clamped　with　iron。　The　keeper；　wakened　by　the　creaking　of

the　hinges；　put　his　nose　out　of　the　window　and　showed　himself　in　his

night…shirt。



〃So　our　keepers　sleep　till　this　time　of　day！〃　thought　the　Parisian；

who　thought　himself　very　knowing　in　rural　customs。



After　a　walk　of　about　quarter　of　an　hour；　he　reached　the　sources　of

the　river　above　Conches；　where　his　ravished　eyes　beheld　one　of　those

landscapes　that　ought　to　be　described；　like　the　history　of　France；　in

a　thousand　volumes　or　in　only　one。　We　must　here　content　ourselves　with

two　paragraphs。



A　projecting　rock；　covered　with　dwarf　trees　and　abraded　at　its　base　by

the　Avonne；　to　which　circumstance　it　owes　a　slight　resemblance　to　an

enormous　turtle　lying　across　the　river；　forms　an　arch　through　which

the　eye　takes　in　a　little　sheet　of　water；　clear　as　a　mirror；　where　the

stream　seems　to　sleep　until　it　reaches　in　the　distance　a　series　of

cascades　falling　among　huge　rocks；　where　little　weeping　willows　with

elastic　motion　sway　back　and　forth　to　the　flow　of　waters。



Beyond　these　cascades　is　the　hillside；　rising　sheer；　like　a　Rhine　rock

clothed　with　moss　and　heather；　gullied　like　it；　again；　by　sharp　ridges

of　schist　and　mica　sending　down；　here　and　there；　white　foaming

rivulets　to　which　a　little　meadow；　always　watered　and　always　green；

serves　as　a　cup；　farther　on；　beyond　the　picturesque　chaos　and　in

contrast　to　this　wild；　solitary　nature；　the　gardens　of　Conches　are

seen；　with　the　village　roofs　and　the　clock…tower　and　the　outlying

fields。



There　are　the　two　paragraphs；　but　the　rising　sun；　the　purity　of　the

air；　the　dewy　sheen；　the　melody　of　woods　and　watersimagine　them！



〃Almost　as　charming　as　at　the　Opera；〃　thought　Blondet；　making　his　way

along　the　banks　of　the　unnavigable　portion　of　the　Avonne；　whose

caprices　contrast　with　the　straight　and　deep　and　silent　stream　of　the

lower　river；　flowing　between　the　tall　trees　of　the　forest　of　Les

Aigues。



Blondet　did　not　proceed　far　on　his　morning　walk；　for　he　was　presently

brought　to　a　stand…still　by　the　sight　of　a　peasant；one　of　those　who；

in　this　drama；　are　supernumeraries　so　essential　to　its　action　that　it

may　be　doubted　whether　they　are　not　in　fact　its　leading　actors。



When　the　clever　journalist　reached　a　group　of　rocks　where　the　main

stream　is　imprisoned；　as　it　were；　between　two　portals；　he　saw　a　man

standing　so　motionless　as　to　excite　his　curiosity；　while　the　clothes

and　general　air　of　this　living　statue　greatly　puzzled　him。



The　humble　personage　before　him　was　a　living　presentment　of　the　old

men　dear　to　Charlet's　pencil；　resembling　the　troopers　of　that　Homer　of

soldiery　in　a　strong　frame　able　to　endure　hardship；　and　his　immortal

skirmishers　in　a　fiery；　crimson；　knotted　face；　showing　small　capacity

for　submission。　A　coarse　felt　hat；　the　brim　of　which　was　held　to　the

crown　by　stitches；　protected　a　nearly　bald　head　from　the　weather；

below　it　fell　a　quantity　of　white　hair　which　a　painter　would　gladly

have　paid　four　francs　an　hour　to　copy；a　dazzling　mass　of　snow；　worn

like　that　in　all　the　classical　representations　of　Deity。　It　was　easy

to　guess　from　the　way　in　which　the　cheeks　sank　in；　continuing　the

lines　of　the　mouth；　that　the　toothless　old　fellow　was　more　given　to

the　bottle　than　the　trencher。　His　thin　white　beard　gave　a　threatening

expression　to　his　profile　by　the　stiffness　of　its　short　bristles。　The

eyes；　too　small　for　his　enormous　face；　and　sloping　like　those　of　a

pig；　betrayed　cunning　and　also　laziness；　but　at　this　particular　moment

they　were　gleaming　with　the　intent　look　he　cast　upon　the　river。　The

sole　garments　of　this　curious　figure　were　an　old　blouse；　formerly

blue；　and　trousers　of　the　coarse　burlap　used　in　Paris　to　wrap　bales。

All　city　people　would　have　shuddered　at　the　sight　of　his　broken

sabots；　without　even　a　wisp　of　straw　to　stop　the　cracks；　and　it　is

very　certain　that　the　blouse　and　the　trousers　had　no　money　value　at

all　except　to　a　paper…maker。



As　Blondet　examined　this　rural　Diogenes；　he　admitted　the　possibility

of　a　type　of　peasantry　he　had　seen　in　old　tapestries；　old　pictures；

old　sculptures；　and　which；　up　to　this　time；　had　seemed　to　him

imaginary。　He　resolved　for　the　future　not　to　utterly　condemn　the

school　of　ugliness；　perceiving　a　possibility　that　in　man　beauty　may　be

but　the　flattering　exception；　a　chimera　in　which　the　race　struggles　to

believe。



〃What　can　be　the　ideas；　the　morals；　the　habits；　of　such　a　being？　What

is　he　thinking　of？〃　thought　Blondet；　seized　with　curiosity。　〃Is　he　my

fellow…creature？　We　have　nothing　in　common　but　shape；　and　even

that！〃



He　noticed　in　the　old　man's　limbs　the　peculiar　rigidity　of　the　tissues

of　persons　who　live　in　the　open　air；　accustomed　to　the　inclemencies　of

the　weather　and　to　the　endurance　of　heat　and　cold；hardened　to

everything；　in　short；which　makes　their　leathern　skin　almost　a　hide；

and　their　nerves　an　apparatus　against　physical　pain　almost　as　powerful

as　that　of　the　Russians　or　the　Arabs。



〃Here's　one　of　Cooper's　Red…skins；〃　thought　Blondet；　〃one　needn't　go

to　America　to　study　savages。〃



Though　the　Parisian　was　less　than　ten　paces　off；　the　old　man　did　not

turn　his　head；　but　kept　looking　at　the　opposite　bank　with　a　fixity

which　the　fakirs　of　India　give　to　their　vitrified　eyes　and　their

stiffened　joints。　Compelled　by　the　power　of　a　species　of　magnetism；

more　contagious　than　people　have　any　idea　of；　Blondet　ended　by　gazing

at　the　water　himself。



〃Well；　my　good　man；　what　do　you　see　there？〃　he　asked；　after　the　lapse

of　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　during　which　time　he　saw　nothing　to　justify

this　intent　contemplation。



〃Hush！〃　whispered　the　old　man；　with　a　sign　to　Blondet　not　to　ruffle

the　air　with　his　voice；　〃You　will　frighten　it〃



〃What？〃



〃An　otter；　my　good　gentleman。　If　it　hears　us　it'll　go　quick　under

water。　I'm　certain　it　jumped　there；　see！　see！　there；　where　the　water

bubbles！　Ha！　it　sees　a　fish；　it　is　after　that！　But　my　boy　will　grab　it

as　it　comes　back。　The　otter；　don't　you　know；　is　very　rare；　it　is

scientific　game；　and　good　eating；　too。　I　get　ten　francs　for　every　one

I　carry　to　Les　Aigues；　for　the　lady　fasts　Fridays；　and　to…morrow　is

Friday。　Years　agone　the　deceased　madame　used　to　pay　me　twenty　francs；

and　gave　me　the　skin　to　boot！　Mouche；〃　he　called；　in　a　low　voice；

〃watch　it！〃



Blondet　now　perceived　on　the　other　side　of　the　river　two　bright　eyes；

like　those　of　a　cat；　beneath　a　tuft　of　alders；　then　he　saw　the　tanned

forehead　and　tangled　hair　of　a　boy　about　ten　years　of　age；　who　was

lying　on　his　stomach　and　making　signs　towards　the　otter　to　let　his

master　know　he　kept　it　well　in　sight。　Blondet；　completely　mastered　by

the　eagerness　of　the　old　man　and　boy；　allowed　the　demon　of　the　chase

to　get　the　better　of　him；that　demon　with　the　double　claws　of　hope

and　curiosity；　who　carries　yo