the illustrious gaudissart-第5节

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Tourangian　mind；a　mind　polished　and　refined　as　it　should　be　in　a

land　where　the　kings　of　France　long　held　their　court；　ardent；

artistic；　poetic；　voluptuous；　yet　whose　first　impulses　subside

quickly。　The　softness　of　the　atmosphere；　the　beauty　of　the　climate；　a

certain　ease　of　life　and　joviality　of　manners；　smother　before　long　the

sentiment　of　art；　narrow　the　widest　heart；　and　enervate　the　strongest

will。　Transplant　the　Tourangian；　and　his　fine　qualities　develop　and

lead　to　great　results；　as　we　may　see　in　many　spheres　of　action：　look

at　Rabelais　and　Semblancay；　Plantin　the　printer　and　Descartes；

Boucicault；　the　Napoleon　of　his　day；　and　Pinaigrier；　who　painted　most

of　the　colored　glass　in　our　cathedrals；　also　Verville　and　Courier。　But

the　Tourangian；　distinguished　though　he　may　be　in　other　regions；　sits

in　his　own　home　like　an　Indian　on　his　mat　or　a　Turk　on　his　divan。　He

employs　his　wit　in　laughing　at　his　neighbor　and　in　making　merry　all

his　days；　and　when　at　last　he　reaches　the　end　of　his　life；　he　is　still

a　happy　man。　Touraine　is　like　the　Abbaye　of　Theleme；　so　vaunted　in　the

history　of　Gargantua。　There　we　may　find　the　complying　sisterhoods　of

that　famous　tale；　and　there　the　good　cheer　celebrated　by　Rabelais

reigns　in　glory。



As　to　the　do…nothingness　of　that　blessed　land　it　is　sublime　and　well

expressed　in　a　certain　popular　legend：　〃Tourangian；　are　you　hungry；　do


you　want　some　soup？〃　〃Yes。〃　〃Bring　your　porringer。〃　〃Then　I　am　not

hungry。〃　Is　it　to　the　joys　of　the　vineyard　and　the　harmonious

loveliness　of　this　garden　land　of　France；　is　it　to　the　peace　and

tranquillity　of　a　region　where　the　step　of　an　invader　has　never

trodden；　that　we　owe　the　soft　compliance　of　these　unconstrained　and

easy　manners？　To　such　questions　no　answer。　Enter　this　Turkey　of　sunny

France；　and　you　will　stay　there；lazy；　idle；　happy。　You　may　be　as

ambitious　as　Napoleon；　as　poetic　as　Lord　Byron；　and　yet　a　power

unknown；　invisible；　will　compel　you　to　bury　your　poetry　within　your

soul　and　turn　your　projects　into　dreams。



The　illustrious　Gaudissart　was　fated　to　encounter　here　in　Vouvray　one

of　those　indigenous　jesters　whose　jests　are　not　intolerable　solely

because　they　have　reached　the　perfection　of　the　mocking　art。　Right　or

wrong；　the　Tourangians　are　fond　of　inheriting　from　their　parents。

Consequently　the　doctrines　of　Saint…Simon　were　especially　hated　and

villified　among　them。　In　Touraine　hatred　and　villification　take　the

form　of　superb　disdain　and　witty　maliciousness　worthy　of　the　land　of

good　stories　and　practical　jokes；a　spirit　which；　alas！　is　yielding；

day　by　day；　to　that　other　spirit　which　Lord　Byron　has　characterized　as

〃English　cant。〃



For　his　sins；　after　getting　down　at　the　Soleil　d'Or；　an　inn　kept　by　a

former　grenadier　of　the　imperial　guard　named　Mitouflet；　married　to　a

rich　widow；　the　illustrious　traveller；　after　a　brief　consultation　with

the　landlord；　betook　himself　to　the　knave　of　Vouvray；　the　jovial

merry…maker；　the　comic　man　of　the　neighborhood；　compelled　by　fame　and

nature　to　supply　the　town　with　merriment。　This　country　Figaro　was　once

a　dyer；　and　now　possessed　about　seven　or　eight　thousand　francs　a　year；

a　pretty　house　on　the　slope　of　the　hill；　a　plump　little　wife；　and

robust　health。　For　ten　years　he　had　had　nothing　to　do　but　take　care　of

his　wife　and　his　garden；　marry　his　daughter；　play　whist　in　the

evenings；　keep　the　run　of　all　the　gossip　in　the　neighborhood；　meddle

with　the　elections；　squabble　with　the　large　proprietors；　and　order

good　dinners；　or　else　trot　along　the　embankment　to　find　out　what　was

going　on　in　Tours；　torment　the　cure；　and　finally；　by　way　of　dramatic

entertainment；　assist　at　the　sale　of　lands　in　the　neighborhood　of　his

vineyards。　In　short；　he　led　the　true　Tourangian　life；the　life　of　a

little　country…townsman。　He　was；　moreover；　an　important　member　of　the

bourgeoisie；a　leader　among　the　small　proprietors；　all　of　them

envious；　jealous；　delighted　to　catch　up　and　retail　gossip　and

calumnies　against　the　aristocracy；　dragging　things　down　to　their　own

level；　and　at　war　with　all　kinds　of　superiority；　which　they　deposited

with　the　fine　composure　of　ignorance。　Monsieur　Verniersuch　was　the

name　of　this　great　little　manwas　just　finishing　his　breakfast；　with

his　wife　and　daughter　on　either　side　of　him；　when　Gaudissart　entered

the　room　through　a　window　that　looked　out　on　the　Loire　and　the　Cher；

and　lighted　one　of　the　gayest　dining…rooms　of　that　gay　land。



〃Is　this　Monsieur　Vernier　himself？〃　said　the　traveller；　bending　his

vertebral　column　with　such　grace　that　it　seemed　to　be　elastic。



〃Yes；　Monsieur；〃　said　the　mischievous　ex…dyer；　with　a　scrutinizing

look　which　took　in　the　style　of　man　he　had　to　deal　with。



〃I　come；　Monsieur；〃　resumed　Gaudissart；　〃to　solicit　the　aid　of　your

knowledge　and　insight　to　guide　my　efforts　in　this　district；　where

Mitouflet　tells　me　you　have　the　greatest　influence。　Monsieur；　I　am

sent　into　the　provinces　on　an　enterprise　of　the　utmost　importance；

undertaken　by　bankers　who〃



〃Who　mean　to　win　our　tricks；〃　said　Vernier；　long　used　to　the　ways　of

commercial　travellers　and　to　their　periodical　visits。



〃Precisely；〃　replied　Gaudissart；　with　native　impudence。　〃But　with　your

fine　tact；　Monsieur；　you　must　be　aware　that　we　can't　win　tricks　from

people　unless　it　is　their　interest　to　play　at　cards。　I　beg　you　not　to

confound　me　with　the　vulgar　herd　of　travellers　who　succeed　by　humbug

or　importunity。　I　am　no　longer　a　commercial　traveller。　I　was　one；　and

I　glory　in　it；　but　to…day　my　mission　is　of　higher　importance；　and

should　place　me；　in　the　minds　of　superior　people；　among　those　who

devote　themselves　to　the　enlightenment　of　their　country。　The　most

distinguished　bankers　in　Paris　take　part　in　this　affair；　not

fictitiously；　as　in　some　shameful　speculations　which　I　call　rat…traps。

No；　no；　nothing　of　the　kind！　I　should　never　condescendnever！to

hawk　about　such　CATCH…FOOLS。　No；　Monsieur；　the　most　respectable　houses

in　Paris　are　concerned　in　this　enterprise；　and　their　interests

guarantee〃



Hereupon　Gaudissart　drew　forth　his　whole　string　of　phrases；　and

Monsieur　Vernier　let　him　go　the　length　of　his　tether；　listening　with

apparent　interest　which　completely　deceived　him。　But　after　the　word

〃guarantee〃　Vernier　paid　no　further　attention　to　our　traveller's

rhetoric；　and　turned　over　in　his　mind　how　to　play　him　some　malicious

trick　and　deliver　a　land；　justly　considered　half…savage　by　speculators

unable　to　get　a　bite　of　it；　from　the　inroads　of　these　Parisian

caterpillars。



At　the　head　of　an　enchanting　valley；　called　the　Valley　Coquette

because　of　its　windings　and　the　curves　which　return　upon　each　other　at

every　step；　and　seem　more　and　more　lovely　as　we　advance；　whether　we

ascend　or　descend　them；　there　lived；　in　a　little　house　surrounded　by

vineyards；　a　half…insane　man　named　Margaritis。　He　was　of　Italian

origin；　married；　but　childless；　and　his　wife　took　care　of　him　with　a

courage　fully　appreciated　by　the　neighborhood。　Madame　Margaritis　was

undoubtedly　in　real　danger　from　a　man　who；　among　other　fancies；

persisted　in　carrying　about　with　him　two　long…bladed　knives　with　which

he　sometimes　threatened　her。　Who　has　not　seen　the　wonderful　self…

devotion　shown　by　provincials　who　consecrate　their　lives　to　the　care

of　sufferers；　possibly　because　of　the　disgrace　heaped　upon　a

bourgeoise　if　she　allows　her　husband　or　children　to　be　taken　to　a

public　hospital？　Moreover；　who　does　not　know　the　repugnance　which

these　people　feel　to　the　payment　of　the　two　or　three　thousand　francs

required　at　Charenton　or　in　the　private　lunatic　asylums？　If　any　one

had　spoken　to　Madame　Margaritis　of　Doctors　Dubuisson；　Esquirol；

Blanche；　and　others；　she　would　have　preferred；　with　noble　indignation；

to　keep　her　thousands　and　take　care　of　the　〃good…man〃　at　home。



As　the　incomprehensible　whims　of　this　lunatic　are　connected　with　the

current　of　our　story；　we　are　compelled　to　exhibit　the　most　striking　of

them。　Margaritis　went　out　as　soon　as　it　rained；　and　walked　about　bare…

headed　in　his　vineyard。　At　home　he　made　incessant　inquiries　for

newspapers；　to　satisfy　him　his　wife　and　the　maid…servant　used　to　give

him　an　old　journal　called　the　〃Indre…et…Loire；〃　and　for　seven　years　he

had　never　yet　perceived　that　he　was　reading　the　same　number　over　and

over　again。　Perhaps　a　doctor　would　have　observed　with　interest　the

connection　that　evidently　existed　between　the　recurring　and　spasmodic

demands　for　the　newspaper　and　the　atmospheric　variations　of　the

weather。



Usually　when　his　wife　had　company；　which　happened　nearly　every

evening；　for　the　neighbors；　pitying　her　situation；　would　frequently

come　to　play　at　boston　in　her　salon；　Margaritis　remained　silent　in　a

corner　and　never　stirred。　But　the　moment　ten　o'clock　began　to　strike

on　a　clock　which　he　kept　shut　up　in　a　large　oblong　closet；　he　rose　at

the　stroke　with　the　mechanical　precision　of　the　figures　which　are　made

to　move　by　springs　i