sons of the soil-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



church　lands；　for　which　she　used　the　proceeds　of　her　diamonds。　As　an

Opera　divinity　never　knows　how　to　take　care　of　her　money；　she

intrusted　the　management　of　the　estate　to　a　steward；　occupying　herself

with　her　flowers　and　fruits　and　with　the　beautifying　of　the　park。



After　Mademoiselle　was　dead　and　buried　at　Blangy；　the　notary　of

Soulangesthat　little　town　which　lies　between　Ville…aux…Fayes　and

Blangy；　the　capital　of　the　townshipmade　an　elaborate　inventory；　and

sought　out　the　heirs　of　the　singer；　who　never　knew　she　had　any。　Eleven

families　of　poor　laborers　living　near　Amiens；　and　sleeping　in　cotton

sheets；　awoke　one　fine　morning　in　golden　ones。　The　property　was　sold

at　auction。　Les　Aigues　was　bought　by　Montcornet；　who　had　laid　by

enough　during　his　campaigns　in　Spain　and　Pomerania　to　make　the

purchase；　which　cost　about　eleven　hundred　thousand　francs；　including

the　furniture。　The　general；　no　doubt；　felt　the　influence　of　these

luxurious　apartments；　and　I　was　arguing　with　the　countess　only

yesterday　that　her　marriage　was　a　direct　result　of　the　purchase　of　Les

Aigues。



To　rightly　understand　the　countess；　my　dear　Nathan；　you　must　know　that

the　general　is　a　violent　man；　red　as　fire；　five　feet　nine　inches　tall；

round　as　a　tower；　with　a　thick　neck　and　the　shoulders　of　a　blacksmith；

which　must　have　amply　filled　his　cuirass。　Montcornet　commanded　the

cuirassiers　at　the　battle　of　Essling　（called　by　the　Austrians　Gross…

Aspern）；　and　came　near　perishing　when　that　noble　corps　was　driven　back

on　the　Danube。　He　managed　to　cross　the　river　astride　a　log　of　wood。

The　cuirassiers；　finding　the　bridge　down；　took　the　glorious

resolution；　at　Montcornet's　command；　to　turn　and　resist　the　entire

Austrian　army；　which　carried　off　on　the　morrow　over　thirty　wagon…loads

of　cuirasses。　The　Germans　invented　a　name　for　their　enemies　on　this

occasion　which　means　〃men　of　iron。〃＇*＇　Montcornet　has　the　outer　man　of

a　hero　of　antiquity。　His　arms　are　stout　and　vigorous；　his　chest　deep

and　broad；　his　head　has　a　leonine　aspect；　his　voice　is　of　those　that

can　order　a　charge　in　the　thick　of　battle；　but　he　has　nothing　more

than　the　courage　of　a　daring　man；　he　lacks　mind　and　breadth　of　view。

Like　other　generals　to　whom　military　common…sense；　the　natural

boldness　of　those　who　spend　their　lives　in　danger；　and　the　habit　of

command　gives　an　appearance　of　superiority；　Montcornet　has　an　imposing

effect　when　you　first　meet　him；　he　seems　a　Titan；　but　he　contains　a

dwarf；　like　the　pasteboard　giant　who　saluted　Queen　Elizabeth　at　the

gates　of　Kenilworth。　Choleric　though　kind；　and　full　of　imperial

hauteur；　he　has　the　caustic　tongue　of　a　soldier；　and　is　quick　at

repartee；　but　quicker　still　with　a　blow。　He　may　have　been　superb　on　a

battle…field；　in　a　household　he　is　simply　intolerable。　He　knows　no

love　but　barrack　love；the　love　which　those　clever　myth…makers；　the

ancients；　placed　under　the　patronage　of　Eros；　son　of　Mars　and　Venus。

Those　delightful　chroniclers　of　the　old　religions　provided　themselves

with　a　dozen　different　Loves。　Study　the　fathers　and　the　attributes　of

these　Loves；　and　you　will　discover　a　complete　social　nomenclature；

and　yet　we　fancy　that　we　originate　things！　When　the　world　turns　upside

down　like　an　hour…glass；　when　the　seas　become　continents；　Frenchmen

will　find　canons；　steamboats；　newspapers；　and　maps　wrapped　up　in

seaweed　at　the　bottom　of　what　is　now　our　ocean。



＇*＇　I　do　not；　on　principle；　like　foot…notes；　and　this　is　the　first　I

have　ever　allowed　myself。　Its　historical　interest　must　be　my

excuse；　it　will　prove；　moreover；　that　descriptions　of　battles

should　be　something　more　than　the　dry　particulars　of　technical

writers；　who　for　the　last　three　thousand　years　have　told　us　about

left　and　right　wings　and　centres　being　broken　or　driven　in；　but

never　a　word　about　the　soldier　himself；　his　sufferings；　and　his

heroism。　The　conscientious　care　with　which　I　prepared　myself　to

write　the　〃Scenes　from　Military　Life；〃　led　me　to　many　a　battle…

field　once　wet　with　the　blood　of　France　and　her　enemies。　Among

them　I　went　to　Wagram。　When　I　reached　the　shores　of　the　Danube；

opposite　Lobau；　I　noticed　on　the　bank；　which　is　covered　with　turf；

certain　undulations　that　reminded　me　of　the　furrows　in　a　field　of

lucern。　I　asked　the　reason　of　it；　thinking　I　should　hear　of　some

new　method　of　agriculture：　〃There　sleep　the　cavalry　of　the

imperial　guard；〃　said　the　peasant　who　served　us　as　a　guide；　〃those

are　their　graves　you　see　there。〃　The　words　made　me　shudder。　Prince

Frederic　Schwartzenburg；　who　translated　them；　added　that　the　man

had　himself　driven　one　of　the　wagons　laden　with　cuirasses。　By　one

of　the　strange　chances　of　war　our　guide　had　served　a　breakfast　to

Napoleon　on　the　morning　of　the　battle　of　Wagram。　Though　poor；　he

had　kept　the　double　napoleon　which　the　Emperor　gave　him　for　his

milk　and　his　eggs。　The　curate　of　Gross…Aspern　took　us　to　the

famous　cemetery　where　French　and　Austrians　struggled　together

knee…deep　in　blood；　with　a　courage　and　obstinacy　glorious　to　each。

There；　while　explaining　that　a　marble　tablet　（to　which　our

attention　had　been　attracted；　and　on　which　were　inscribed　the

names　of　the　owner　of　Gross…Aspern；　who　had　been　killed　on　the

third　day）　was　the　sole　compensation　ever　given　to　the　family；　he

said；　in　a　tone　of　deep　sadness：　〃It　was　a　time　of　great　misery；

and　of　great　hopes；　but　now　are　the　days　of　forgetfulness。〃　The

saying　seemed　to　me　sublime　in　its　simplicity；　but　when　I　came　to

reflect　upon　the　matter；　I　felt　there　was　some　justification　for

the　apparent　ingratitude　of　the　House　of　Austria。　Neither　nations

nor　kings　are　wealthy　enough　to　reward　all　the　devotions　to　which

these　tragic　struggles　give　rise。　Let　those　who　serve　a　cause　with

a　secret　expectation　of　recompense；　set　a　price　upon　their　blood

and　become　mercenaries。　Those　who　wield　either　sword　or　pen　for

their　country's　good　ought　to　think　of　nothing　but　of　DOING　THEIR

BEST；　as　our　fathers　used　to　say；　and　expect　nothing；　not　even

glory；　except　as　a　happy　accident。



It　was　in　rushing　to　retake　this　famous　cemetery　for　the　third

time　that　Massena；　wounded　and　carried　in　the　box　of　a　cabriolet；

made　this　splendid　harangue　to　his　soldiers：　〃What！　you　rascally

curs；　who　have　only　five　sous　a　day　while　I　have　forty　thousand；

do　you　let　me　go　ahead　of　you？〃　All　the　world　knows　the　order

which　the　Emperor　sent　to　his　lieutenant　by　M。　de　Sainte…Croix；

who　swam　the　Danube　three　times：　〃Die　or　retake　the　village；　it　is

a　question　of　saving　the　army；　the　bridges　are　destroyed。〃



The　Author。





Now；　I　must　tell　you　that　the　Comtesse　de　Montcornet　is　a　fragile；

timid；　delicate　little　woman。　What　do　you　think　of　such　a　marriage　as

that？　To　those　who　know　society　such　things　are　common　enough；　a　well…

assorted　marriage　is　the　exception。　Nevertheless；　I　have　come　to　see

how　it　is　that　this　slender　little　creature　handles　her　bobbins　in　a

way　to　lead　this　heavy；　solid；　stolid　general　precisely　as　he　himself

used　to　lead　his　cuirassiers。



If　Montcornet　begins　to　bluster　before　his　Virginie；　Madame　lays　a

finger　on　her　lips　and　he　is　silent。　He　smokes　his　pipes　and　his

cigars　in　a　kiosk　fifty　feet　from　the　chateau；　and　airs　himself　before

he　returns　to　the　house。　Proud　of　his　subjection；　he　turns　to　her；

like　a　bear　drunk　on　grapes；　and　says；　when　anything　is　proposed；　〃If

Madame　approves。〃　When　he　comes　to　his　wife's　room；　with　that　heavy

step　which　makes　the　tiles　creak　as　though　they　were　boards；　and　she；

not　wanting　him；　calls　out：　〃Don't　come　in！〃　he　performs　a　military

volte…face　and　says　humbly：　〃You　will　let　me　know　when　I　can　see　you？〃

in　the　very　tones　with　which　he　shouted　to　his　cuirassiers　on　the

banks　of　the　Danube：　〃Men；　we　must　die；　and　die　well；　since　there's

nothing　else　we　can　do！〃　I　have　heard　him　say；　speaking　of　his　wife；

〃Not　only　do　I　love　her；　but　I　venerate　her。〃　When　he　flies　into　a

passion　which　defies　all　restraint　and　bursts　all　bonds；　the　little

woman　retires　into　her　own　room　and　leaves　him　to　shout。　But　four　or

five　hours　later　she　will　say：　〃Don't　get　into　a　passion；　my　dear；　you

might　break　a　blood…vessel；　and　besides；　you　hurt　me。〃　Then　the　lion

of　Essling　retreats　out　of　sight　to　wipe　his　eyes。　Sometimes　he　comes

into　the　salon　when　she　and　I　are　talking；　and　if　she　says：　〃Don't

disturb　us；　he　is　reading　to　me；〃　he　leaves　us　without　a　word。



It　is　only　strong　men；　choleric　and　powerful；　thunder…bolts　of　war；

diplomats　with　olympian　heads；　or　men　of　genius；　who　can　show　this

utter　confidence；　this　generous　devotion　to　weakness；　this　constant

protection；　this　love　without　jealousy；　this　easy　good　humor　with　a

woman。　Good　heavens！　I　place　the　science　of　the　countess's　management

of　her　husband　as　far　above　the　peevish；　arid　virtues　as　the　satin　of

a　causeuse　is　superior　to　the　Utrecht　velvet　of　a　dirty　bourgeois

sofa。



My　dear　fellow；　I　have　spent　six　days　in　this　delightful　cou