travels with a donkey in the cevennes-第8节

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by　the　blaze。



The　husband　had　begun　life　as　a　muleteer；　and　when　I　came　to　charge　

Modestine　showed　himself　full　of　the　prudence　of　his　art。　　'You　

will　have　to　change　this　package；'　said　he；　'it　ought　to　be　in　two　

parts；　and　then　you　might　have　double　the　weight。'



I　explained　that　I　wanted　no　more　weight；　and　for　no　donkey　

hitherto　created　would　I　cut　my　sleeping…bag　in　two。



'It　fatigues　her；　however；'　said　the　innkeeper；　'it　fatigues　her　

greatly　on　the　march。　　Look。'



Alas；　there　were　her　two　forelegs　no　better　than　raw　beef　on　the　

inside；　and　blood　was　running　from　under　her　tail。　　They　told　me　

when　I　started；　and　I　was　ready　to　believe　it；　that　before　a　few　

days　I　should　come　to　love　Modestine　like　a　dog。　　Three　days　had　

passed；　we　had　shared　some　misadventures；　and　my　heart　was　still　as　

cold　as　a　potato　towards　my　beast　of　burden。　　She　was　pretty　enough　

to　look　at；　but　then　she　had　given　proof　of　dead　stupidity；　

redeemed　indeed　by　patience；　but　aggravated　by　flashes　of　sorry　and　

ill…judged　light…heartedness。　　And　I　own　this　new　discovery　seemed　

another　point　against　her。　　What　the　devil　was　the　good　of　a　she…

ass　if　she　could　not　carry　a　sleeping…bag　and　a　few　necessaries？　　I　

saw　the　end　of　the　fable　rapidly　approaching；　when　I　should　have　to　

carry　Modestine。　　AEsop　was　the　man　to　know　the　world！　　I　assure　

you　I　set　out　with　heavy　thoughts　upon　my　short　day's　march。



It　was　not　only　heavy　thoughts　about　Modestine　that　weighted　me　

upon　the　way；　it　was　a　leaden　business　altogether。　　For　first；　the　

wind　blew　so　rudely　that　I　had　to　hold　on　the　pack　with　one　hand　

from　Cheylard　to　Luc；　and　second；　my　road　lay　through　one　of　the　

most　beggarly　countries　in　the　world。　　It　was　like　the　worst　of　the　

Scottish　Highlands；　only　worse；　cold；　naked；　and　ignoble；　scant　of　

wood；　scant　of　heather；　scant　of　life。　　A　road　and　some　fences　

broke　the　unvarying　waste；　and　the　line　of　the　road　was　marked　by　

upright　pillars；　to　serve　in　time　of　snow。



Why　any　one　should　desire　to　visit　either　Luc　or　Cheylard　is　more　

than　my　much…inventing　spirit　can　suppose。　　For　my　part；　I　travel　

not　to　go　anywhere；　but　to　go。　　I　travel　for　travel's　sake。　　The　

great　affair　is　to　move；　to　feel　the　needs　and　hitches　of　our　life　

more　nearly；　to　come　down　off　this　feather…bed　of　civilisation；　and　

find　the　globe　granite　underfoot　and　strewn　with　cutting　flints。　　

Alas；　as　we　get　up　in　life；　and　are　more　preoccupied　with　our　

affairs；　even　a　holiday　is　a　thing　that　must　be　worked　for。　　To　

hold　a　pack　upon　a　pack…saddle　against　a　gale　out　of　the　freezing　

north　is　no　high　industry；　but　it　is　one　that　serves　to　occupy　and　

compose　the　mind。　　And　when　the　present　is　so　exacting；　who　can　

annoy　himself　about　the　future？



I　came　out　at　length　above　the　Allier。　　A　more　unsightly　prospect　

at　this　season　of　the　year　it　would　be　hard　to　fancy。　　Shelving　

hills　rose　round　it　on　all　sides；　here　dabbled　with　wood　and　

fields；　there　rising　to　peaks　alternately　naked　and　hairy　with　

pines。　　The　colour　throughout　was　black　or　ashen；　and　came　to　a　

point　in　the　ruins　of　the　castle　of　Luc；　which　pricked　up　

impudently　from　below　my　feet；　carrying　on　a　pinnacle　a　tall　white　

statue　of　Our　Lady；　which；　I　heard　with　interest；　weighed　fifty　

quintals；　and　was　to　be　dedicated　on　the　6th　of　October。　　Through　

this　sorry　landscape　trickled　the　Allier　and　a　tributary　of　nearly　

equal　size；　which　came　down　to　join　it　through　a　broad　nude　valley　

in　Vivarais。　　The　weather　had　somewhat　lightened；　and　the　clouds　

massed　in　squadron；　but　the　fierce　wind　still　hunted　them　through　

heaven；　and　cast　great　ungainly　splashes　of　shadow　and　sunlight　

over　the　scene。



Luc　itself　was　a　straggling　double　file　of　houses　wedged　between　

hill　and　river。　　It　had　no　beauty；　nor　was　there　any　notable　

feature；　save　the　old　castle　overhead　with　its　fifty　quintals　of　

brand…new　Madonna。　　But　the　inn　was　clean　and　large。　　The　kitchen；　

with　its　two　box…beds　hung　with　clean　check　curtains；　with　its　wide　

stone　chimney；　its　chimney…shelf　four　yards　long　and　garnished　with　

lanterns　and　religious　statuettes；　its　array　of　chests　and　pair　of　

ticking　clocks；　was　the　very　model　of　what　a　kitchen　ought　to　be；　a　

melodrama　kitchen；　suitable　for　bandits　or　noblemen　in　disguise。　　

Nor　was　the　scene　disgraced　by　the　landlady；　a　handsome；　silent；　

dark　old　woman；　clothed　and　hooded　in　black　like　a　nun。　　Even　the　

public　bedroom　had　a　character　of　its　own；　with　the　long　deal　

tables　and　benches；　where　fifty　might　have　dined；　set　out　as　for　a　

harvest…home；　and　the　three　box…beds　along　the　wall。　　In　one　of　

these；　lying　on　straw　and　covered　with　a　pair　of　table…napkins；　did　

I　do　penance　all　night　long　in　goose…flesh　and　chattering　teeth；　

and　sigh；　from　time　to　time　as　I　awakened；　for　my　sheepskin　sack　

and　the　lee　of　some　great　wood。







OUR　LADY　OF　THE　SNOWS





'I　behold

The　House；　the　Brotherhood　austere　…

And　what　am　I；　that　I　am　here？'



MATTHEW　ARNOLD。





FATHER　APOLLINARIS







NEXT　morning　（Thursday；　20th　September）　I　took　the　road　in　a　new　

order。　　The　sack　was　no　longer　doubled；　but　hung　at　full　length　

across　the　saddle；　a　green　sausage　six　feet　long　with　a　tuft　of　

blue　wool　hanging　out　of　either　end。　　It　was　more　picturesque；　it　

spared　the　donkey；　and；　as　I　began　to　see；　it　would　ensure　

stability；　blow　high；　blow　low。　　But　it　was　not　without　a　pang　that　

I　had　so　decided。　　For　although　I　had　purchased　a　new　cord；　and　

made　all　as　fast　as　I　was　able；　I　was　yet　jealously　uneasy　lest　the　

flaps　should　tumble　out　and　scatter　my　effects　along　the　line　of　

march。



My　way　lay　up　the　bald　valley　of　the　river；　along　the　march　of　

Vivarais　and　Gevaudan。　　The　hills　of　Gevaudan　on　the　right　were　a　

little　more　naked；　if　anything；　than　those　of　Vivarais　upon　the　

left；　and　the　former　had　a　monopoly　of　a　low　dotty　underwood　that　

grew　thickly　in　the　gorges　and　died　out　in　solitary　burrs　upon　the　

shoulders　and　the　summits。　　Black　bricks　of　fir…wood　were　plastered　

here　and　there　upon　both　sides；　and　here　and　there　were　cultivated　

fields。　　A　railway　ran　beside　the　river；　the　only　bit　of　railway　in　

Gevaudan；　although　there　are　many　proposals　afoot　and　surveys　being　

made；　and　even；　as　they　tell　me；　a　station　standing　ready　built　in　

Mende。　　A　year　or　two　hence　and　this　may　be　another　world。　　The　

desert　is　beleaguered。　　Now　may　some　Languedocian　Wordsworth　turn　

the　sonnet　into　PATOIS：　　'Mountains　and　vales　and　floods；　heard　YE　

that　whistle？'



At　a　place　called　La　Bastide　I　was　directed　to　leave　the　river；　and　

follow　a　road　that　mounted　on　the　left　among　the　hills　of　Vivarais；　

the　modern　Ardeche；　for　I　was　now　come　within　a　little　way　of　my　

strange　destination；　the　Trappist　monastery　of　Our　Lady　of　the　

Snows。　　The　sun　came　out　as　I　left　the　shelter　of　a　pine…wood；　and　

I　beheld　suddenly　a　fine　wild　landscape　to　the　south。　　High　rocky　

hills；　as　blue　as　sapphire；　closed　the　view；　and　between　these　lay　

ridge　upon　ridge；　heathery；　craggy；　the　sun　glittering　on　veins　of　

rock；　the　underwood　clambering　in　the　hollows；　as　rude　as　God　made　

them　at　the　first。　　There　was　not　a　sign　of　man's　hand　in　all　the　

prospect；　and　indeed　not　a　trace　of　his　passage；　save　where　

generation　after　generation　had　walked　in　twisted　footpaths；　in　and　

out　among　the　beeches；　and　up　and　down　upon　the　channelled　slopes。　　

The　mists；　which　had　hitherto　beset　me；　were　now　broken　into　

clouds；　and　fled　swiftly　and　shone　brightly　in　the　sun。　　I　drew　a　

long　breath。　　It　was　grateful　to　come；　after　so　long；　upon　a　scene　

of　some　attraction　for　the　human　heart。　　I　own　I　like　definite　form　

in　what　my　eyes　are　to　rest　upon；　and　if　landscapes　were　sold；　like　

the　sheets　of　characters　of　my　boyhood；　one　penny　plain　and　

twopence　coloured；　I　should　go　the　length　of　twopence　every　day　of　

my　life。



But　if　things　had　grown　better　to　the　south；　it　was　still　desolate　

and　inclement　near　at　hand。　　A　spidery　cross　on　every　hill…top　

marked　the　neighbourhood　of　a　religious　house；　and　a　quarter　of　a　

mile　beyond；　the　outlook　southward　opening　out　and　growing　bolder　

with　every　step；　a　white　statue　of　the　Virgin　at　the　corner　of　a　

young　plantation　directed　the　traveller　to　Our　Lady　of　the　Snows。　　

Here；　then；　I　struck　leftward；　and　pursued　my　way；　driving　my　

secular　donkey　before　me；　and　creaking　in　my　secular　boots　and　

gaiters；　towards　the　asylum　of　silence。



I　had　not　gone　very　far　ere　the　wind　brought　to　me　the　clanging　of　

a　bell；　and　somehow；　I　can　scarce　tell　why；　my　heart　sank　within　me　

at　the　sound。　　I　have　rarely　approached　anything　with　more　

unaffected　terror　than　the　monastery　of　Our　Lady　of　the　Snows。　　

This　it　is　to　have　had　a　Protestant　education。　　And　suddenly；　on　

turning　a　corner；　fear　took　hold　on　me　from　head　to　foot　…　slavish；　

superstitious