sons of the soil-第54节

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for　it　stands　at　the　top　of　the　great　square；　at　the　lower　end　of

which　the　high…road　passes　through　the　town。



This　square；　large　for　the　size　of　the　town；　is　surrounded　by　very

original　buildings；　all　of　different　epochs。　Many；　half…wood；　half…

brick；　with　their　timbers　faced　with　slate；　date　back　to　the　Middle

Ages。　Others；　of　stone；　with　balconies；　show　the　form　of　gable　so　dear

to　our　ancestors；　which　belongs　to　the　twelfth　century。　Several　charm

the　eye　with　those　old　projecting　beams；　carved　with　grotesque　faces；

which　form　the　roof　of　a　sort　of　shed；　and　recall　the　days　when　the

middle　classes　were　exclusively　commercial。　The　finest　house　among

them　was　that　of　the　chief　magistrate　of　former　days；a　house　with　a

sculptured　front　on　a　line　with　the　church；　to　which　it　forms　a　fine

accompaniment。　Sold　as　national　property；　it　was　bought　in　by　the

commune；　which　turned　it　into　a　town…hall　and　court…house；　where

Monsieur　Sarcus　had　presided　ever　since　the　establishment　of　municipal

judges。



This　slight　sketch　will　give　an　idea　of　the　square　of　Soulanges；

adorned　in　the　centre　with　a　charming　fountain　brought　from　Italy　in

1520　by　the　Marechal　de　Soulanges；　which　was　not　unworthy　of　a　great

capital。　An　unfailing　jet　of　water；　coming　from　a　spring　higher　up　the

hill；　was　shed　by　four　Cupids　in　white　marble；　bearing　shells　in　their

arms　and　baskets　of　grapes　upon　their　heads。



Literary　travellers　who　may　pass　this　way　（should　any　such　follow

Emile　Blondet）　might　imagine　the　spot　to　have　inspired　Moliere　and　the

Spanish　drama；　which　held　its　footing　so　long　on　French　boards；

showing　that　comedy　is　native　to　warm　countries　where　so　much　of　life

is　passed　in　the　public　streets。　The　square　of　Soulanges　is　all　the

more　a　reminder　of　that　classic　stage　because　the　two　principal

streets；　opening　just　on　a　line　with　the　fountain；　afford　the　exit　and

entrances　so　necessary　for　the　dramatic　masters　and　valets　whose

business　it　is　either　to　meet　or　to　avoid　each　other。　At　the　corner　of

one　of　these　streets；　called　the　rue　de　la　Fontaine；　shone　the

notarial　escutcheon　of　Maitre　Lupin。　The　houses　of　Messieurs　Sarcus；

Guerbet　the　collector；　Brunet；　Gourdon；　clerk　of　the　court；　and　that

of　his　brother　the　doctor；　also　that　of　old　Monsieur　Gendrin…Vatebled；

the　keeper　of　the　forests　and　streams；all　these　houses；　kept　with

extreme　neatness　by　their　owners；　who　held　firmly　to　the　flattering

surname　of　their　native　town；　stand　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　square

and　form　the　aristocratic　quarter　of　Soulanges。



The　house　of　Madame　Soudryfor　the　powerful　individuality　of

Mademoiselle　Laguerre's　former　waiting…maid　took　the　lead　of　her

husband　in　the　communitywas　modern；　having　been　built　by　a　rich

wine…merchant；　born　in　Soulanges；　who；　after　making　his　money　in

Paris；　returned　there　in　1793　to　buy　wheat　for　his　native　town。　He　was

slain　as　an　〃accapareur；〃　a　monopolist；　by　the　populace；　instigated　by

a　mason；　the　uncle　of　Godain；　with　whom　he　had　had　some　quarrel　about

the　building　of　his　ambitious　house。　The　settlement　of　his　estate；

sharply　contested　by　collateral　heirs；　dragged　slowly　along　until；　in

1798；　Soudry；　who　had　then　returned　to　Soulanges；　was　able　to　buy　the

wine…merchant's　palace　for　three　thousand　francs　in　specie。　He　then

let　it；　in　the　first　instance；　to　the　government　for　the　headquarters

of　the　gendarmerie。　In　1811　Mademoiselle　Cochet；　whom　Soudry　consulted

about　all　his　affairs；　strongly　objected　to　the　renewal　of　the　lease；

making　the　house　uninhabitable；　she　declared；　with　barracks。　The　town

of　Soulanges；　assisted　by　the　department；　then　erected　a　building　for

the　gendarmerie　in　a　street　running　at　right　angles　from　the　town…

hall。　Thereupon　Soudry　cleaned　up　his　house　and　restored　its　primitive

lustre；　not　a　little　dimmed　by　the　stabling　of　horses　and　the

occupancy　of　gendarmes。



The　house；　only　one　story　high；　with　projecting　windows　in　the　roof；

has　a　view　on　three　sides；　one　to　the　square；　another　to　a　lake；　the

third　to　a　garden。　The　fourth　side　looks　on　a　courtyard　which

separates　the　Soudrys　from　the　adjoining　house　occupied　by　a　grocer

named　Wattebled；　a　man　of　the　SECOND…CLASS　society　of　Soulanges；

father　of　the　beautiful　Madame　Plissoud；　of　whom　we　shall　presently

have　occasion　to　speak。



All　little　towns　have　a　renowned　beauty；　just　as　they　have　a　Socquard

and　a　Cafe　de　la　Paix。



It　will　be　apparent　to　every　one　that　the　frontage　of　the　Soudry

mansion　on　the　lake　must　have　a　terraced　garden　confined　by　a　stone

balustrade　which　overlooks　both　the　lake　and　the　main　road。　A　flight

of　steps　leads　down　from　the　terrace　to　the　road；　and　on　it　an　orange…

tree；　a　pomegranate；　a　myrtle；　and　other　ornamental　shrubs　are　placed；

necessitating　a　greenhouse。　On　the　side　toward　the　square　the　house　is

entered　from　a　portico　raised　several　steps　above　the　level　of　the

street。　According　to　the　custom　of　small　towns　the　gate　of　the

courtyard；　used　only　for　the　service　of　the　house　or　for　any　unusual

arrival；　was　seldom　opened。　Visitors；　who　mostly　came　on　foot；　entered

by　the　portico。



The　style　of　the　Hotel　Soudry　is　plain。　The　courses　are　indicated　by

projecting　lines；　the　windows　are　framed　by　mouldings　alternately

broad　and　slender；　like　those　of　the　Gabriel　and　Perronnet　pavilion　in

the　place　Louis　XV。　These　ornaments　in　so　small　a　town　give　a　certain

solid　and　monumental　air　to　the　building　which　has　become　celebrated。



Opposite　to　this　house；　in　another　angle　of　the　square　stands　the

famous　Cafe　de　la　Paix；　the　characteristics　of　which；　together　with

the　fascinations　of　its　Tivoli；　will　require；　somewhat　later；　a　less

succinct　description　than　that　we　have　given　of　the　Soudry　mansion。



Rigou　very　seldom　came　to　Soulanges；　everybody　was　in　the　habit　of

going　to　him；Lupin　and　Gaubertin；　Soudry　and　Gendrin；so　much　were

they　afraid　of　him。　But　we　shall　presently　understand　why　any　educated

man；　such　as　the　ex…Benedictine；　would　have　done　as　Rigou　did；　and

kept　away　from　the　little　town；　after　reading　the　following　sketch　of

the　personages　who　composed　what　was　called　in　those　parts　〃the

leading　society　of　Soulanges。〃



Of　its　principal　figures；　the　most　original；　as　you　have　already

suspected；　was　that　of　Madame　Soudry；　whose　personality；　to　be　duly

rendered；　needs　a　minute　and　careful　brush。



Madame　Soudry；　respectfully　imitating　Mademoiselle　Laguerre；　began　by

allowing　herself　a　〃mere　touch　of　rouge〃；　but　this　delicate　tint　had

changed　through　force　of　habit　to　those　vermilion　patches

picturesquely　described　by　our　ancestors　as　〃carriage…wheels。〃　The

wrinkles　growing　deeper　and　deeper；　it　occurred　to　the　ex…lady's…maid

to　fill　them　up　with　paint。　Her　forehead　becoming　unduly　yellow；　and

the　temples　too　shiny；　she　〃laid　on〃　a　little　white；　and　renewed　the

veins　of　her　youth　with　a　tracery　of　blue。　All　this　color　gave　an

exaggerated　liveliness　to　her　eyes　which　were　already　tricksy　enough；

so　that　the　mask　of　her　face　would　seem　to　a　stranger　even　more　than

fantastic；　though　her　friends　and　acquaintances；　accustomed　to　this

fictitious　brilliancy；　actually　declared　her　handsome。



This　ungainly　creature；　always　decolletee；　showed　a　bosom　and　a　pair

of　shoulders　that　were　whitened　and　polished　by　the　same　process

employed　upon　her　face；　happily；　for　the　sake　of　exhibiting　her

magnificent　laces；　she　partially　veiled　the　charms　of　these　chemical

products。　She　always　wore　the　body　of　her　dress　stiffened　with

whalebone　and　made　in　a　long　point　and　garnished　with　knots　of　ribbon；

even　on　the　point！　Her　petticoats　gave　forth　a　creaking　noise；so

much　did　the　silk　and　the　furbelows　abound。



This　attire；　which　deserves　the　name　of　apparel　（a　word　that　before

long　will　be　inexplicable）；　was；　on　the　evening　in　question；　of　costly

brocade；for　Madame　Soudry　possessed　over　a　hundred　dresses；　each

richer　than　the　others；　the　remains　of　Mademoiselle　Laguerre's

enormous　and　splendid　wardrobe；　made　over　to　fit　Madame　Soudry　in　the

last　fashion　of　the　year　1808。　Her　blond　wig；　frizzed　and　powdered；

sustained　a　superb　cap　with　knots　of　cherry　satin　ribbon　matching

those　on　her　dress。　If　you　will　kindly　imagine　beneath　this　ultra…

coquettish　cap　the　face　of　a　monkey　of　extreme　ugliness；　on　which　a

flat　nose；　fleshless　as　that　of　Death；　is　separated　by　a　strong　hairy

line　from　a　mouth　filled　with　false　teeth；　whence　issue　sounds　like

the　confused　clacking　of　hunting…horns；　you　will　have　some　difficulty

in　understanding　why　the　leading　society　of　Soulanges　（all　the　town；

in　fact）　thought　this　quasi…queen　a　beauty；unless；　indeed；　you

remember　the　succinct　statement　recently　made　〃ex　professo；〃　by　one　of

the　cleverest　women　of　our　time；　on　the　art　of　making　her　sex

beautiful　by　surrounding　accessories。



As　to　accessories；　in　the　first　place；　Madame　Soudry　was　surrounded　by

the　magnificent　gifts　accumulated　by　her　late　mistre