the ways of men-第26节

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hey　have　been　passed　by　and　ignored；　　which　is　a　pity；　for　amid　the　ruin　of　many　hopes　and　ambitions　　they　have　remained　true　to　their　caste　and　handed　down　from　　generation　to　generation　the　secret　of　that　gracious　urbanity　　and　tact　which　distinguished　the　Gallic　noblewoman　in　the　last　　century　from　the　rest　of　her　kind　and　made　her　so　deft　in　the　　difficult　art　of　pleasing　…　and　being　pleased。

Within　the　last　few　years　there　have；　however；　been　signs　of　a　　change。　　Young　members　of　historic　houses　show　an　amusing　　inclination　to　escape　from　their　austere　surroundings　and　　resume　the　place　their　grandparents　abdicated。　　If　it　is　　impossible　to　rule　as　formerly；　they　at　any　rate　intend　to　get　　some　fun　out　of　existence。

This　joyous　movement　to　the　front　is　being　made　by　the　young　　matrons　enlisted　under　the　〃Seven　little　duchesses'〃　banner。　　　Oddly　enough；　a　baker's　half…dozen　of　ducal　coronets　are　worn　　at　this　moment；　in　France；　by　small　and　sprightly　women；　who　　have　shaken　the　dust　of　centuries　from　those　ornaments　and　　sport　them　with　a　decidedly　modern　air！

It　is　the　members　of　this　clique　who；　in　Paris　during　the　　spring；　at　their　chateaux　in　the　summer　and　autumn；　and　on　the　　Riviera　after　Christmas；　lead　the　amusements　and　strike　the　　key　for　the　modern　French　world。

No　one　of　these　light…hearted　ladies　takes　any　particular　　precedence　over　the　others。　　All　are　young；　and　some　are　　wonderfully　nice　to　look　at。　　The　Duchesse　d'Uzes　is；　perhaps；　　the　handsomest；　good　looks　being　an　inheritance　from　her　　mother；　the　beautiful　and　wayward　Duchesse　de　Chaulme。

There　is　a　vivid　grace　about　the　daughter；　an　intense　vitality　　that　suggests　some　beautiful　being　of　the　forest。　　As　she　　moves　and　speaks　one　almost　expects　to　hear　the　quick　breath　　coming　and　going　through　her　quivering　nostrils；　and　see　foam　　on　her　full　lips。　　Her　mother's　tragic　death　has　thrown　a　　glamor　of　romance　around　the　daughter's　life　that　heightens　　the　witchery　of　her　beauty。

Next　in　good　looks　comes　an　American；　the　Duchesse　de　la　　Rochefoucauld；　although　marriage　（which；　as　de　Maupassant　　remarked；　is　rarely　becoming）　has　not　been　propitious　to　that　　gentle　lady。　　By　rights　she　should　have　been　mentioned　first；　　as　her　husband　outranks；　not　only　all　the　men　of　his　age；　but　　also　his　cousin；　the　old　Duc　de　la　Rochefoucauld…Doudeauville；　　to　whom；　however；　a　sort　of　brevet　rank　is　accorded　on　account　　of　his　years；　his　wealth；　and　the　high　rank　of　his　two　wives。　　　It　might　almost　be　asserted　that　our　fair　compatriot　wears　the　　oldest　coronet　in　France。　　She　certainly　is　mistress　of　three　　of　the　finest　chateaux　in　that　country；　among　which　is　　Miromail；　where　the　family　live；　and　Liancourt；　a　superb　　Renaissance　structure；　a　delight　to　the　artist's　soul。

The　young　Duchesse　de　Brissac　runs　her　two　comrades　close　as　　regards　looks。　　Brissac　is　the　son　of　Mme。　de　Tredern；　whom　　Newporters　will　remember　two　years　ago；　when　she　enjoyed　some　　weeks　of　our　summer　season。　　Their　chateau　was　built　by　the　　Brissac　of　Henri　IV。's　time　and　is　one　of　the　few　that　escaped　　uninjured　through　the　Revolution；　its　vast　stone　corridors　and　　massive　oak　ceilings；　its　moat　and　battlements；　standing　to…　day　unimpaired　amid　a　group　of　chateaux　including　Chaumont；　　Rochecotte；　Azay…le…Rideau；　Usse；　Chenonceau；　within　〃dining〃　　distance　of　each　other；　that　form　a　centre　of　gayety　next　in　　importance　to　Paris　and　Cannes。　　In　the　autumn　these　spacious　　castles　are　filled　with　joyous　bands　and　their　ample　stables　　with　horses。　　A　couple　of　years　ago；　when　the　king　of　Portugal　　and　his　suite　were　entertained　at　Chaumont　for　a　week　of　stag…　hunting；　over　three　hundred　people；　servants；　and　guests；　　slept　under　its　roof；　and　two　hundred　horses　were　housed　in　　its　stables。

The　Duc　de　Luynes　and　his　wife；　who　was　Mlle。　de　Crussol　　（daughter　of　the　brilliant　Duchesse　d'Uzes　of　Boulanger　fame）；　　live　at　Dampierre；　another　interesting　pile　filled　with　rare　　pictures；　bric…a…brac；　and　statuary；　first　among　which　is　Jean　　Goujon's　life…sized　statue　（in　silver）　of　Louis　XIII。；　　presented　by　that　monarch　to　his　favorite；　the　founder　of　the　　house。　　This　gem　of　the　Renaissance　stands　in　an　octagonal　　chamber　hung　in　dark　velvet；　unique　among　statues。　　It　has　　been　shown　but　once　in　public；　at　the　Loan　Exhibition　in　1872；　　when　the　patriotic　nobility　lent　their　treasures　to　collect　a　　fund　for　the　Alsace…Lorraine　exiles。

The　Duchesse　de　Noailles；　NEE　Mlle。　de　Luynes；　is　another　of　　this　coterie　and　one　of　the　few　French　noblewomen　who　has　　travelled。　　Many　Americans　will　remember　the　visit　she　made　　here　with　her　mother　some　years　ago；　and　the　effect　her　　girlish　grace　produced　at　that　time。　　The　de　Noailles'　chateau　　of　Maintenon　is　an　inheritance　from　Louis　XIV。's　prudish　　favorite；　who　founded　and　enriched　the　de　Noailles　family。　　　The　Duc　and　Duchesse　d'Uzes　live　near　by　at　Bonnelle　with　the　　old　Duc　de　Doudeauville；　her　grandfather；　who　is　also　the　　grandfather　of　Mme。　de　Noailles；　these　two　ladies　being　　descended　each　from　a　wife　of　the　old　duke；　the　former　from　　the　Princesse　de　Polignac　and　the　latter　from　the　Princesse　de　　Ligne。

The　Duchesse　de　Bisaccia；　NEE　Princesse　Radziwill；　and　the　　Duchesse　d'Harcourt；　who　complete　the　circle　of　seven；　also　　live　in　this　vicinity；　where　another　group　of　historic　　residences；　including　Eclimont　and　Rambouillet；　the　summer　　home　of　the　president；　rivals　in　gayety　and　hospitality　the　　chateaux　of　the　Loire。

No　coterie　in　England　or　in　this　country　corresponds　at　all　to　　this　French　community。　　Much　as　they　love　to　amuse　themselves；　　the　idea　of　meeting　any　but　their　own　set　has　never　passed　　through　their　well…dressed　heads。　　They　differ　from　their　　parents　in　that　they　have　broken　away　from　many　antiquated　　habits。　　Their　houses　are　no　longer　lay　hermitages；　and　their　　opera　boxes　are　regularly　filled；　but　no　foreigner　is　ever　　received；　no　ambitious　parvenu　accepted　among　them。　　Ostracism　　here　means　not　a　ten　years'　exile；　but　lifelong　banishment。

The　contrast　is　strong　between　this　rigor　and　the　enthusiasm　　with　which　wealthy　new…comers　are　welcomed　into　London　society　　or　by　our　own　upper　crust；　so　full　of　unpalatable　pieces　of　　dough。　　This　exclusiveness　of　the　titled　French　reminds　me　…　　incongruously　enough　…　of　a　certain　arrangement　of　graves　in　a　　Lenox　cemetery；　where　the　members　of　an　old　New　England　family　　lie　buried　in　a　circle　with　their　feet　toward　its　centre。　　　When　I　asked；　many　years　ago；　the　reason　for　this　arrangement；　　a　wit　of　that　day　…　a　daughter；　by　the　bye；　of　Mrs。　Stowe　…　　replied；　〃So　that　when　they　rise　at　the　Last　Day　only　members　　of　their　own　family　may　face　them！〃

One　is　struck　by　another　peculiarity　of　these　French　men　and　　women　…　their　astonishing　proficiency　in　LES　ARTS　D'AGREMENT。　　　Every　Frenchwoman　of　any　pretensions　to　fashion　backs　her　　beauty　and　grace　with　some　art　in　which　she　is　sure　to　be　　proficient。　　The　dowager　Duchesse　d'Uzes　is　a　sculptor　of　　mark；　and　when　during　the　autumn　Mme。　de　Tredern　gives　opera　　at　Brissac；　she　finds　little　difficulty　in　recruiting　her　　troupe　from　among　the　youths　and　maidens　under　her　roof　whose　　musical　education　has　been　thorough　enough　to　enable　them　to　　sing　difficult　music　in　public。

Love　of　the　fine　arts　is　felt　in　their　conversation；　in　the　　arrangement　and　decoration　of　their　homes；　and　in　the　interest　　that　an　exhibition　of　pictures　or　old　furniture　will　excite。　　　Few　of　these　people　but　are　HABITUES　of　the　Hotel　Drouot　and　　conversant　with　the　value　and　authenticity　of　the　works　of　art　　daily　sold　there。　　Such　elements　combine　to　form　an　atmosphere　　that　does　not　exist　in　any　other　country；　and　lends　an　　interest　to　society　in　France　which　it　is　far　from　possessing　　elsewhere。

There　is　but　one　way　that　an　outsider　can　enter　this　Gallic　　paradise。　　By　marrying　into　it！　　Two　of　the　seven　ladies　in　　question　lack　the　quarterings　of　the　rest。　　Miss　Mitchell　was　　only　a　charming　American　girl；　and　the　mother　of　the　Princesse　　Radziwill　was　Mlle。　Blanc　of　Monte　Carlo。　　However；　as　in　most　　religions　there　are　ceremonies　that　purify；　so　in　this　case　　the　sacrament　of　marriage　is　supposed　to　have　reconstructed　　these　wives　and　made　them　genealogically　whole。

There　is　something　incongruous　to　most　people　in　the　idea　of　a　　young　girl　hardly　out　of　the　schoolroom　bearing　a　ponderous　　title。　　The　pomp　and　circumstance　that　surround　historic　names　　connect　them　（through　our　reading）　with　stately　matrons　　playing　the　〃heavy　female〃　roles　in　life's　drama；　much　as　Lady　　Macbeth's　name　evokes　the　idea　of　a　raw…boned　mother…in…law　　sort　of　person；　the　reverse　of　attractive；　and　quite　the　last　　woman　in　the　world　to　egg　her　husband　on　to　a　crime　…　unless　　it　were　wife　murder！

Names　like　de　Chevreuse；　or　de　la　Rochefoucauld；　seem　　appropriate　only　to　the　warlike　amazons　of　the　Fronde；　or　　corpulent　kill…joys　in　powder　and　court　trains　of　the　Mme。　　Etiquette　school；　it　comes　as　a　shock；　on　being　presented　to　a　　group　of　girlish　figures　in　the　latest　cut　of　golfing　skirts；　　who　are　chattering　odds　on　the　Grand　Prix　in　faultless　　English；　to　realize　that　these　light…hearted　GAMINES　are　the　　present　owners　of　sonorous　titles。　　One　shudders