worldly ways and byways-第26章

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It　always　amuses　me　when　I　ask　a　friend　if　she　is　going　abroad　in　

the　spring；　to　have　her　say　〃Hush！〃　with　a　frightened　glance　

towards　the　door。



〃I　am；　but　I　do　not　want　the　servants　to　know；　or　the　horrid　things　

would　leave　me！〃



Poor；　simple　lady！　　They　knew　it　before　you　did；　and　had　discussed　

the　whole　matter　over　their　〃tea〃　while　it　was　an　almost　unuttered　

thought　in　your　mind。　　If　they　have　not　already　given　you　notice；　

it　is　because；　on　the　whole　your　house　suits　them　well　enough　for　

the　present；　while　they　look　about。　　Do　not　worry　your　simple　soul；　

trying　to　keep　anything　from　them。　　They　know　the　amount　of　your　

last　dressmaker's　bill；　and　the　row　your　husband　made　over　it。　　

They　know　how　much　you　would　have　liked　young　〃Croesus〃　for　your　

daughter；　and　the　little　tricks　you　played　to　bring　that　marriage　

about。　　They　know　why　you　are　no　longer　asked　to　dine　at　Mrs。　

Swell's；　which　is　more　than　you　know　yourself。　　Mrs。　Swell　

explained　the　matter　to　a　few　friends　over　her　lunch…table　

recently；　and　the　butler　told　your　maid　that　same　evening；　who　was　

laughing　at　the　story　as　she　put　on　your　slippers！



Before　we　blame　them　too　much；　however；　let　us　remember　that　they　

have　it　in　their　power　to　make　great　trouble　if　they　choose。　　And　

considering　the　little　that　is　made　in　this　way；　we　must　conclude　

that；　on　the　whole；　they　are　better　than　we　give　them　credit　for　

being；　and　fill　a　trying　situation　with　much　good　humor　and　

kindliness。　　The　lady　who　is　astonished　that　they　take　so　little　

interest　in　her；　will　perhaps　feel　differently　if　she　reflects　how　

little　trouble　she　has　given　herself　to　find　out　their　anxieties　

and　griefs；　their　temptations　and　heart…burnings；　their　material　

situation；　whom　they　support　with　their　slowly　earned　wages；　what　

claims　they　have　on　them　from　outside。　　If　she　will　also　reflect　on　

the　number　of　days　in　a　year　when　she　is　〃not　herself；〃　when　

headaches　or　disappointments　ruffle　her　charming　temper；　she　may　

come　to　the　conclusion　that　it　is　too　much　to　expect　all　the　

virtues　for　twenty　dollars　a　month。



A　little　more　human　interest；　my　good　friends；　a　little　more　

indulgence；　and　you　will　not　risk　finding　yourself　in　the　position　

of　the　lady　who　wrote　me　that　last　summer　she　had　been　obliged　to　

keep　open　house　for　〃'Cook'　tourists！〃









CHAPTER　22　…　An　English　Invasion　of　the　Riviera





WHEN　sixty　years　ago　Lord　Brougham；　EN　ROUTE　for　Italy；　was　thrown　

from　his　travelling　berline　and　his　leg　was　broken；　near　the　

Italian　hamlet　of　Cannes；　the　Riviera　was　as　unknown　to　the　polite　

world　as　the　centre　of　China。　　The　GRAND　TOUR　which　every　young　

aristocrat　made　with　his　tutor；　on　coming　of　age；　only　included　

crossing　from　France　into　Italy　by　the　Alps。　　It　was　the　occurrence　

of　an　unusually　severe　winter　in　Switzerland　that　turned　Brougham　

aside　into　the　longer　and　less　travelled　route　VIA　the　Corniche；　

the　marvellous　Roman　road　at　that　time　fallen　into　oblivion；　and　

little　used　even　by　the　local　peasantry。



During　the　tedious　weeks　while　his　leg　was　mending；　Lord　Brougham　

amused　himself　by　exploring　the　surrounding　country　in　his　

carriage；　and　was　quick　to　realize　the　advantages　of　the　climate；　

and　appreciate　the　marvellous　beauty　of　that　coast。　　Before　the　

broken　member　was　whole　again；　he　had　bought　a　tract　of　land　and　

begun　a　villa。　　Small　seed；　to　furnish　such　a　harvest！　　To　the　

traveller　of　to…day　the　Riviera　offers　an　almost　unbroken　chain　of　

beautiful　residences　from　Marseilles　to　Genoa。



A　Briton　willingly　follows　where　a　lord　leads；　and　Cannes　became　

the　centre　of　English　fashion；　a　position　it　holds　to…day　in　spite　

of　many　attractive　rivals；　and　the　defection　of　Victoria　who　comes　

now　to　Cimiez；　back　of　Nice；　being　unwilling　to　visit　Cannes　since　

the　sudden　death　there　of　the　Duke　of　Albany。　　A　statue　of　Lord　

Brougham；　the　〃discoverer〃　of　the　littoral；　has　been　erected　in　the　

sunny　little　square　at　Cannes；　and　the　English　have　in　many　other　

ways；　stamped　the　city　for　their　own。



No　other　race　carry　their　individuality　with　them　as　they　do。　　They　

can　live　years　in　a　country　and　assimilate　none　of　its　customs；　on　

the　contrary；　imposing　habits　of　their　own。　　It　is　just　this　that　

makes　them　such　wonderful　colonizers；　and　explains　why　you　will　

find　little　groups　of　English　people　drinking　ale　and　playing　golf　

in　the　shade　of　the　Pyramids　or　near　the　frozen　slopes　of　

Foosiyama。　　The　real　inwardness　of　it　is　that　they　are　a　dull　race；　

and；　like　dull　people　despise　all　that　they　do　not　understand。　　To　

differ　from　them　is　to　be　in　the　wrong。　　They　cannot　argue　with　

you；　they　simply　know；　and　that　ends　the　matter。



I　had　a　discussion　recently　with　a　Briton　on　the　pronunciation　of　a　

word。　　As　there　is　no　〃Institute；〃　as　in　France；　to　settle　matters　

of　this　kind；　I　maintained　that　we　Americans　had　as　much　authority　

for　our　pronunciation　of　this　particular　word　as　the　English。　　The　

answer　was　characteristic。



〃I　know　I　am　right；〃　said　my　Island　friend；　〃because　that　is　the　

way　I　pronounce　it！〃



Walking　along　the　principal　streets　of　Cannes　to…day；　you　might　

imagine　yourself　（except　for　the　climate）　at　Cowes　or　Brighton；　so　

British　are　the　shops　and　the　crowd　that　passes　them。　　Every　

restaurant　advertises　〃afternoon　tea〃　and　Bass's　ale；　and　every　

other　sign　bears　a　London　name。　　This　little　matter　of　tea　is　

particularly　characteristic　of　the　way　the　English　have　imposed　a　

taste　of　their　own　on　a　rebellious　nation。　　Nothing　is　further　from　

the　French　taste　than　tea…drinking；　and　yet　a　Parisian　lady　will　

now　invite　you　gravely　to　〃five　o'clocker〃　with　her；　although　I　can　

remember　when　that　beverage　was　abhorred　by　the　French　as　a　

medicine；　if　you　had　asked　a　Frenchman　to　take　a　cup　of　tea；　he　

would　have　answered：



〃Why？　　I　am　not　ill！〃



Even　Paris　（that　supreme　and　undisputed　arbiter　of　taste）　has　

submitted　to　English　influence；　tailor…made　dresses　and　low…heeled　

shoes　have　become　as　〃good　form〃　in　France　as　in　London。　　The　last　

two　Presidents　of　the　French　Republic　have　taken　the　oath　of　office　

dressed　in　frock…coats　instead　of　the　dress　clothes　to　which　French　

officials　formerly　clung　as　to　the　sacraments。



The　municipalities　of　the　little　Southern　cities　were　quick　to　

seize　their　golden　opportunity；　and　everything　was　done　to　detain　

the　rich　English　wandering　down　towards　Italy。　　Millions　were　spent　

in　transforming　their　cramped；　dirty；　little　towns。　　Wide　

boulevards　bordered　with　palm　and　eucalyptus　spread　their　sunny　

lines　in　all　directions；　being　baptized　PROMENADE　DES　ANGLAIS　or　

BOULEVARD　VICTORIA；　in　artful　flattery。　　The　narrow　mountain　roads　

were　widened；　casinos　and　theatres　built　and　carnival　FETES　

organized；　the　cities　offering　〃cups〃　for　yacht…　or　horse…races；　

and　giving　grounds　for　tennis　and　golf　clubs。　　Clever　Southern　

people！　　The　money　returned　to　them　a　hundredfold；　and　they　lived　

to　see　their　wild　coast　become　the　chosen　residence　of　the　

wealthiest　aristocracy　in　Europe；　and　the　rocky　hillsides　blossom　

into　terrace　above　terrace　of　villa　gardens；　where　palm　and　rose　

and　geranium　vie　with　the　olive　and　the　mimosa　to　shade　the　white　

villas　from　the　sun。　　To…day；　no　little　town　on　the　coast　is　

without　its　English　chapel；　British　club；　tennis　ground；　and　golf　

links。　　On　a　fair　day　at　Monte　Carlo；　Nice；　or　Cannes；　the　

prevailing　conversation　is　in　English；　and　the　handsome；　well…

dressed　sons　of　Albion　lounge　along　beside　their　astonishing　

womankind　as　thoroughly　at　home　as　on　Bond　Street。



Those　wonderful　English　women　are　the　source　of　unending　marvel　and　

amusement　to　the　French。　　They　can　never　understand　them；　and　small　

wonder；　for　with　the　exception　of　the　small　〃set〃　that　surrounds　

the　Prince　of　Wales；　who　are　dressed　in　the　Parisian　fashion；　all　

English　women