a little tour in france-第19章
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off； then； as the game went on and he lost； and had to pay the _consomma… tion_； he dropped his amiability； slanged his partner； declared he wouldn't play any more； and went away in a fury。 Nothing could be more perfect or more amusing than the contrast。 The manner of the whole affair was such as； I apprehend； one would not have seen among our English…speaking people； both the jauntiness of the first phase and the petulance of the second。 To hold the balance straight； however； I may remark that if the men were all fearful 〃cads；〃 they were； with their cigarettes and their inconsistency； less heavy； less brutal； than our dear English…speaking cad； just as the bright little cafe where a robust mater… familias； doling out sugar and darning a stocking； sat in her place under the mirror behind the _comptoir_； was a much more civilized spot than a British public… house； or a 〃commercial room；〃 with pipes and whiskey； or even than an American saloon。
XIII。
It is very certain that when I left Tours for Le Mans it was a journey and not an excursion； for I had no intention of coming back。 The question； in… deed； was to get away； … no easy matter in France； in the early days of October； when the whole _jeunesse_ of the country is going back to school。 It is accom… panied； apparently； with parents and grandparents； and it fills the trains with little pale…faced _lyceens_； who gaze out of the windows with a longing； lingering air； not unnatural on the part of small members of a race in which life is intense； who are about to be restored to those big educative barracks that do such violence to our American appreciation of the oppor… tunities of boyhood。 The train stopped every five minutes； but； fortunately； the country was charming； … hilly and bosky； eminently good…humored； and dotted here and there with a smart little chateau。 The old capital of the province of the Maine； which has given its name to a great American State； is a fairly interest… ing town； but I confess that I found in it less than I expected to admire。 My expectations had doubtless been my own fault； there is no particular reason why Le Mans should fascinate。 It stands upon a hill； indeed； … a much better hill than the gentle swell of Bourges。 This hill； however； is not steep in all direc… tions； from the railway； as I arrived； it was not even perceptible。 Since I am making comparisons； I may remark that； on the other hand； the Boule d'Or at Le Mans is an appreciably better inn than the Boule d'Or at Bourges。 It looks out upon a small market…place which has a certain amount of character and seems to be slipping down the slope on which it lies； though it has in the middle an ugly _halle_； or circular market… house； to keep it in position。 At Le Mans； as at Bourges； my first business was with the cathedral； to which； I lost no time in directing my steps。 It suf… fered by juxta…position to the great church I had seen a few days before； yet it has some noble features。 It stands on the edge of the eminence of the town； which falls straight away on two sides of it； and makes a striking mass； bristling behind； as you see it from below； with rather small but singularly numerous flying buttresses。 On my way to it I happened to walk through the one street which contains a few ancient and curious houses； … a very crooked and untidy lane； of really mediaeval aspect； honored with the denomina… tion of the Grand' Rue。 Here is the house of Queen Berengaria； … an absurd name； as the building is of a date some three hundred years later than the wife of Richard Coeur de Lion； who has a sepulchral monu… ment in the south aisle of the cathedral。 The structure in question … very sketchable； if the sketcher could get far enough away from it … is an elaborate little dusky facade； overhanging the street； ornamented with panels of stone； which are covered with delicate Renaissance sculpture。 A fat old woman； standing in the door of a small grocer's shop next to it； … a most gracious old woman； with a bristling moustache and a charming manner； … told me what the house was； and also in… dicated to me a rotten…looking brown wooden mansion； in the same street； nearer the cathedral； as the Maison Scarron。 The author of the 〃Roman Comique；〃 and of a thousand facetious verses； enjoyed for some years； in the early part of his life； a benefice in the cathedral of Le Mans； which gave him a right to reside in one of the canonical houses。 He was rather an odd canon； but his history is a combination of oddities。 He wooed the comic muse from the arm…chair of a cripple； and in the same position … he was unable even to go down on his knees … prosecuted that other suit which made him the first husband of a lady of whom Louis XIV。 was to be the second。 There was little of comedy in the future Madame de Maintenon； though； after all； there was doubtless as much as there need have been in the wife of a poor man who was moved to compose for his tomb such an epitaph as this； which I quote from the 〃Biographie Universelle〃：…
〃Celui qui cy maintenant dort； Fit plus de pitie que d'envie； Et souffrit mille fois la mort； Avant que de perdre la vie。 Passant； ne fais icy de bruit； Et garde bien qu'il ne s'eveille； Car voicy la premiere nuit； Que le Pauvre Scarron sommeille。〃
There is rather a quiet； satisfactory _place_ in front of the cathedral； with some good 〃bits〃 in it； notably a turret at the angle of one of the towers； and a very fine； steep…roofed dwelling； behind low walls； which it overlooks； with a tall iron gate。 This house has two or three little pointed towers； a big； black； precipitous roof； and a general air of having had a history。 There are houses which are scenes； and there are houses which are only houses。 The trouble with the domestic architecture of the United States is that it is not scenic； thank Heaven！ and the good fortune of an old structure like the turreted mansion on the hillside of Le Mans is that it is not simply a house。 It is a per… son； as it were； as well。 It would be well； indeed； if it might have communicated a little of its personality to the front of the cathedral； which has none of its own。 Shabby； rusty； unfinished； this front has a romanesque portal； but nothing in the way of a tower。 One sees from without； at a glance； the peculiarity of the church； … the disparity between the romanesque nave； which is small and of the twelfth century； and the immense and splendid transepts and choir； of a period a hundred years later。 Outside； this end of the church rises far above the nave； which looks merely like a long porch leading to it； with a small and curious romanesque porch in its own south flank。 The transepts； shallow but very lofty； display to the spectators in the _place_ the reach of their two clere…story windows； which occupy； above； the whole expanse of the wall。 The south transept terminates in a sort of tower； which is the only one of which the cathedral can boast。 Within； the effect of the choir is superb； it is a church in it… self； with the nave simply for a point of view。 As I stood there； I read in my Murray that it has the stamp of the date of the perfection of pointed Gothic； and I found nothing to object to the remark。 It suffers little by confrontation with Bourges； and； taken in itself； seems to me quite as fine。 A passage of double aisles surrounds it； with the arches that divide them sup… ported on very thick round columns； not clustered。 There are twelve chapels in this passage； and a charm… ing little lady chapel； filled with gorgeous old glass。 The sustained height of this almost detached choir is very noble； its lightness and grace； its soaring sym… metry； carry the eye up to places in the air from which it is slow to descend。 Like Tours； like Chartres； like Bourges （apparently like all the French cathedrals； and unlike several English ones） Le Mans is rich in splendid glass。 The beautiful upper windows of the choir make； far aloft； a sort of gallery of pictures； blooming with vivid color。 It is the south transept that contains the formless image … a clumsy stone woman lying on her back … which purports to represent Queen Berengaria aforesaid。
The view of the cathedral from the rear is； as usual； very f
