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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

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