sons of the soil-第62节

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Vermut　doesn't　hamper　me　in　the　least；but　he　has　never　been　ill　yet。

As　for　Madame　de　Montcornet；　just　see　how　she　walks　about　the　woods

and　the　hermitage　with　that　journalist　whom　she　brought　from　Paris　at

her　own　expense；　and　how　she　pets　him　under　the　very　eyes　of　the

general！〃



〃At　her　own　expense！〃　cried　Madame　Soudry。　〃Are　you　sure？　If　we　could

only　get　proof　of　it；　what　a　fine　subject　for　an　anonymous　letter　to

the　general！〃



〃The　general！〃　cried　Madame　Vermut；　〃he　won't　interfere　with　things；

he　plays　his　part。〃



〃What　part；　my　dear？〃　asked　Madame　Soudry。



〃Oh！　the　paternal　part。〃



〃If　poor　little　Pigeron　had　had　the　wisdom　to　play　it；　instead　of

harassing　his　wife；　he'd　be　alive　now；〃　said　the　poet。



Madame　Soudry　leaned　over　to　her　neighbor；　Monsieur　Guerbet；　and　made

one　of　those　apish　grimaces　which　she　had　inherited　from　dear

mistress；　together　with　her　silver；　by　right　of　conquest；　and　twisting

her　face　into　a　series　of　them　she　made　him　look　at　Madame　Vermut；　who

was　coquetting　with　the　author　of　〃The　Cup…and…Ball。〃



〃What　shocking　style　that　woman　has！　what　talk；　what　manners！〃　she

said。　〃I　really　don't　think　I　can　admit　her　any　longer　into　OUR

SOCIETY；especially；〃　she　added；　〃when　Monsieur　Gourdon；　the　poet；　is

present。〃



〃There's　social　morality！〃　said　the　abbe；　who　had　heard　and　observed

all　without　saying　a　word。



After　this　epigram；　or　rather；　this　satire　on　the　company；　so　true　and

so　concise　that　it　hit　every　one；　the　usual　game　of　boston　was

proposed。



Is　not　this　a　picture　of　life　as　it　is　at　all　stages　of　what　we　agree

to　call　society？　Change　the　style；　and　you　will　find　that　nothing　more

and　nothing　less　is　said　in　the　gilded　salons　of　Paris。







CHAPTER　III



THE　CAFE　DE　LA　PAIX



It　was　about　seven　o'clock　when　Rigou　drove　by　the　Cafe　de　la　Paix。

The　setting　sun；　slanting　its　beams　across　the　little　town；　was

diffusing　its　ruddy　tints；　and　the　clear　mirror　of　the　lake　contrasted

with　the　flashing　of　the　resplendent　window…panes；　which　originated

the　strangest　and　most　improbable　colors。



The　deep　schemer；　who　had　grown　pensive　as　he　revolved　his　plots；　let

his　horse　proceed　so　slowly　that　in　passing　the　Cafe　de　la　Paix　he

heard　his　own　name　banded　about　in　one　of　those　noisy　disputes　which；

according　to　the　Abbe　Taupin；　made　the　name　of　the　establishment　a

gain…saying　of　its　customary　condition。



For　a　clear　understanding　of　the　following　scene　we　must　explain　the

topography　of　this　region　of　plenty　and　of　misrule；　which　began　with

the　cafe　on　the　square；　and　ended　on　the　country　road　with　the　famous

Tivoli　where　the　conspirators　proposed　to　entrap　the　general。　The

ground…floor　of　the　cafe；　which　stood　at　the　angle　of　the　square　and

the　road；　and　was　built　in　the　style　of　Rigou's　house；　had　three

windows　on　the　road　and　two　on　the　square；　the　latter　being　separated

by　a　glass　door　through　which　the　house　was　entered。　The　cafe　had；

moreover；　a　double　door　which　opened　on　a　side　alley　that　separated　it

from　the　neighboring　house　（that　of　Vallet　the　Soulanges　mercer）；

which　led　to　an　inside　courtyard。



The　house；　which　was　painted　wholly　in　yellow；　except　the　blinds；

which　were　green；　is　one　of　the　few　houses　in　the　little　town　which

has　two　stories　and　an　attic。　And　this　is　why：　Before　the　astonishing

rise　in　the　prosperity　of　Ville…aux…Fayes　the　first　floor　of　this

house；　which　had　four　chambers；　each　containing　a　bed　and　the　meagre

furniture　thought　necessary　to　justify　the　term　〃furnished　lodgings；〃

was　let　to　strangers　who　were　obliged　to　come　to　Soulanges　on　matters

connected　with　the　courts；　or　to　visitors　who　did　not　sleep　at　the

chateau；　but　for　the　last　twenty…five　years　these　rooms　had　had　no

other　occupants　than　the　mountebanks；　the　merchants；　the　vendors　of

quack　medicines　who　came　to　the　fair；　or　else　commercial　travellers。

During　the　fair…time　they　were　let　for　four　francs　a　day；　and　brought

Socquard　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　francs；　not　to　speak　of　the

profits　on　the　consumption　of　food　which　the　guests　took　in　his　cafe。



The　front　of　the　house　on　the　square　was　adorned　with　painted　signs；

on　the　spaces　that　separated　the　windows　from　the　glass　door　billiard…

cues　were　represented；　lovingly　tied　together　with　ribbons；　and　above

these　bows　were　depicted　smoking　bowls　of　punch；　the　bowls　being　in

the　form　of　Greek　vases。　The　words　〃Cafe　de　la　Paix〃　were　over　the

door；　brilliantly　painted　in　yellow　on　a　green　ground；　at　each　end　of

which　rose　pyramids　of　tricolored　billiard…balls。　The　window…sashes；

painted　green；　had　small　panes　of　the　commonest　glass。



A　dozen　arbor…vitae；　which　ought　to　be　called　cafe…trees；　stood　to　the

left　and　right　in　pots；　and　presented　their　usual　pretensions　and

sickly　appearance。　Awnings；　with　which　shopkeepers　of　the　large　cities

protect　their　windows　from　the　head　of　the　sun；　were　as　yet　an　unknown

luxury　in　Soulanges。　The　beneficent　liquids　in　the　bottles　which　stood

on　boards　just　behind　the　window…panes　went　through　a　periodic

cooking。　When　the　sun　concentrated　its　rays　through　the　lenticular

knobs　in　the　glass　it　boiled　the　Madeira；　the　syrups；　the　liqueurs；

the　preserved　plums；　and　the　cherry…brandy　set　out　for　show；　for　the

heat　was　so　great　that　Aglae；　her　father；　and　the　waiter　were　forced

to　sit　outside　on　benches　poorly　shaded　by　the　wilted　shrubs；which

Mademoiselle　kept　alive　with　water　that　was　almost　hot。　All　three；

father；　daughter；　and　servant；　might　be　seen　at　certain　hours　of　the

day　stretched　out　there；　fast　asleep；　like　domestic　animals。



In　1804；　the　period　when　〃Paul　and　Virginia〃　was　the　rage；　the　inside

of　the　cafe　was　hung　with　a　paper　which　represented　the　chief　scenes

of　that　romance。　There　could　be　seen　Negroes　gathering　the　coffee…

crop；　though　coffee　was　seldom　seen　in　the　establishment；　not　twenty

cups　of　that　beverage　being　served　in　the　month。　Colonial　products

were　of　so　little　account　in　the　consumption　of　the　place　that　if　a

stranger　had　asked　for　a　cup　of　chocolate　Socquard　would　have　been

hard　put　to　it　to　serve　him。　Still；　he　would　have　done　so　with　a

nauseous　brown　broth　made　from　tablets　in　which　there　were　more　flour；

crushed　almonds；　and　brown　sugar　than　pure　sugar　and　cacao；

concoctions　which　were　sold　at　two　sous　a　cake　by　village　grocers；　and

manufactured　for　the　purpose　of　ruining　the　sale　of　the　Spanish

commodity。



As　for　coffee；　Pere　Socquard　simply　boiled　it　in　a　utensil　known　to

all　such　households　as　the　〃big　brown　pot〃；　he　let　the　dregs　（that

were　half　chicory）　settle；　and　served　the　decoction；　with　a　coolness

worthy　of　a　Parisian　waiter；　in　a　china　cup　which；　if　flung　to　the

ground；　would　not　have　cracked。



At　this　period　the　sacred　respect　felt　for　sugar　under　the　Emperor　was

not　yet　dispelled　in　the　town　of　Soulanges；　and　Aglae　Socquard　boldly

served　three　bits　of　it　of　the　size　of　hazel…nuts　to　a　foreign

merchant　who　had　rashly　asked　for　the　literary　beverage。



The　wall　decoration　of　the　cafe；　relieved　by　mirrors　in　gilt　frames

and　brackets　on　which　the　hats　were　hung；　had　not　been　changed　since

the　days　when　all　Soulanges　came　to　admire　the　romantic　paper；　also　a

counter　painted　like　mahogany　with　a　Saint…Anne　marble　top；　on　which

shone　vessels　of　plated　metal　and　lamps　with　double…burners；　which

were；　rumor　said；　given　to　the　beautiful　Madame　Socquard　by　Gaubertin。

A　sticky　coating　of　dirt　covered　everything；　like　that　found　on　old

pictures　put　away　and　long　forgotten　in　a　garret。　The　tables　painted

to　resemble　marble；　the　benches　covered　in　red　Utrecht　velvet；　the

hanging　glass　lamp　full　of　oil；　which　fed　two　lights；　fastened　by　a

chain　to　the　ceiling　and　adorned　with　glass　pendants；　were　the

beginning　of　the　celebrity　of　the　then　Cafe　de　la　Guerre。



There；　from　1802　to　1804；　all　the　bourgeois　of　Soulanges　played　at

dominoes　and　a　game　of　cards　called　〃brelan；〃　drank　tiny　glasses　of

liqueur　or　boiled　wine；　and　ate　brandied　fruits　and　biscuits；　for　the

dearness　of　colonial　products　had　banished　coffee；　sugar；　and

chocolate。　Punch　was　a　great　luxury；　so　was　〃bavaroise。〃　These

infusions　were　made　with　a　sugary　substance　resembling　molasses；　the

name　of　which　is　now　lost；　but　which；　at　the　time；　made　the　fortune　of

its　inventor。



These　succinct　details　will　recall　to　the　memory　of　all　travellers

many　others　that　are　analogous；　and　those　persons　who　have　never　left

Paris　can　imagine　the　ceiling　blackened　with　smoke　and　the　mirrors

specked　with　millions　of　spots；　showing　in　what　freedom　and

independence　the　whole　order　of　diptera　lived　in　the　Cafe　de　la　Paix。



The　beautiful　Madame　Socquard；　whose　gallant　adventures　surpassed

those　of　the　mistress　of　the　Grand…I…Vert；　sat　there；　enthroned；

dressed　in　the　last　fashion。　She　affected　the　style　of　a　sultana；　and

wore　a　turban。　Sultanas；　under　the　Empire；　enjoyed　a　vogue　equal　to

t