a little tour in france-第29节

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ve　mentioned　conveyed　her　whole　company　to　the　wretched　little　Hotel　de　France；　where　it　is　to　be　hoped　that　some　of　them　found　a　lodging。　　For　myself；　I　was　informed　that　the　place　was　crowded　from　cellar　to　attic；　and　that　its　inmates　were　sleeping　three　or　four　in　a　room。　At　Carcassonne　I　should　have　had　a　bad　bed；　but　at　Narbonne；　apparently；　I　was　to　have　no　bed　at　all。　　I　passed　an　hour　or　two　of　flat　suspense；　while　fate　settled　the　question　of　whether　I　should　go　on　to　Perpignan；　return　to　Beziers；　or　still　discover　a　modest　couch　at　Narbonne。　　I　shall　not　have　suffered　in　vain；　however；　if　my　example　serves　to　deter　other　travellers　from　alighting　unannounced　at　that　city　on　a　Wednes…　day　evening。　　The　retreat　to　Beziers；　not　attempted　in　time；　proved　impossible；　and　I　was　assured　that　at　Perpignan；　which　I　should　not　reach　till　midnight；　the　affluence　of　wine…dealers　was　not　less　than　at　Nar…　bonne。　　I　interviewed　every　hostess　in　the　town；　and　got　no　satisfaction　but　distracted　shrugs。　　Finally；　at　an　advanced　hour；　one　of　the　servants　of　the　Hotel　de　France；　where　I　had　attempted　to　dine；　came　to　me　in　triumph　to　proclaim　that　he　had　secured　for　me　a　charming　apartment　in　a　_maison　bourgeoise_。　　I　took　possession　of　it　gratefully；　in　spite　of　its　having　an　entrance　like　a　stable；　and　being　pervaded　by　an　odor　compared　with　which　that　of　a　stable　would　have　been　delicious。　　As　I　have　mentioned；　my　land…　lord　was　a　locksmith；　and　he　had　strange　machines　which　rumbled　and　whirred　in　the　rooms　below　my　own。　　Nevertheless；　I　slept；　and　I　dreamed　of　Car…　cassonne。　　It　was　better　to　do　that　than　to　dream　of　the　Hotel　de　France。

I　was　obliged　to　cultivate　relations　with　the　cuisine　of　this　establishment。　　Nothing　could　have　been　more　_meridional_；　indeed；　both　the　dirty　little　inn　and　Nar…　bonne　at　large　seemed　to　me　to　have　the　infirmities　of　the　south；　without　its　usual　graces。　　Narrow；　noisy；　shabby；　belittered　and　encumbered；　filled　with　clatter　and　chatter；　the　Hotel　de　France　would　have　been　described　in　perfection　by　Alphonse　Daudet。　　For　what　struck　me　above　all　in　it　was　the　note　of　the　Midi；　as　he　has　represented　it；　…　the　sound　of　universal　talk。　The　landlord　sat　at　supper　with　sundry　friends；　in　a　kind　of　glass　cage；　with　a　genial　indifference　to　arriv…　ing　guests；　the　waiters　tumbled　over　the　loose　luggage　in　the　hall；　the　travellers　who　had　been　turned　away　leaned　gloomily　against　door…posts；　and　the　landlady；　surrounded　by　confusion；　unconscious　of　responsibility；　and　animated　only　by　the　spirit　of　conversation；　bandied　high…voiced　compliments　with　the　_voyageurs　de　com…　merce_。　　At　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning　there　was　a　table　d'hote　for　breakfast；　…　a　wonderful　repast；　which　overflowed　into　every　room　and　pervaded　the　whole　establishment。　　I　sat　down　with　a　hundred　hungry　marketers；　fat；　brown；　greasy　men；　with　a　good　deal　of　the　rich　soil　of　Languedoc　adhering　to　their　hands　and　their　boots。　　I　mention　the　latter　articles　because　they　almost　put　them　on　the　table。　　It　was　very　hot；　and　there　were　swarms　of　flies；　the　viands　had　the　strongest　odor；　there　was　in　particular　a　horrible　mix…　ture　known　as　_gras…double_；　a　light　gray；　glutinous；　nauseating　mess；　which　my　companions　devoured　in　large　quantities。　　A　man　opposite　to　me　had　the　dir…　tiest　fingers　I　ever　saw；　a　collection　of　fingers　which　in　England　would　have　excluded　him　from　a　farmers'　ordinary。　　The　conversation　was　mainly　bucolic；　though　a　part　of　it；　I　remember；　at　the　table　at　which　I　sat；　consisted　of　a　discussion　as　to　whether　or　no　the　maid…　servant　were　_sage_；　…　a　discussion　which　went　on　under　the　nose　of　this　young　lady；　as　she　carried　about　the　dreadful　_gras…double_；　and　to　which　she　contributed　the　most　convincing　blushes。　　It　was　thoroughly　_meri…　dional_。

In　going　to　Narbonne　I　had　of　course　counted　upon　Roman　remains；　but　when　I　went　forth　in　search　of　them　I　perceived　that　I　had　hoped　too　fondly。　　There　is　really　nothing　in　the　place　to　speak　of；　that　is；　on　the　day　of　my　visit　there　was　nothing　but　the　market；　which　was　in　complete　possession。　　〃This　intricate；　curious；　but　lifeless　town；〃　Murray　calls　it；　yet　to　me　it　appeared　overflowing　with　life。　　Its　streets　are　mere　crooked；　dirty　lanes；　bordered　with　perfectly　insignifi…　cant　houses；　but　they　were　filled　with　the　same　clatter　and　chatter　that　I　had　found　at　the　hotel。　　The　market　was　held　partly　in　the　little　square　of　the　hotel　de　ville；　a　structure　which　a　flattering　wood…cut　in　the　Guide…Joanne　had　given　me　a　desire　to　behold。　　The　reality　was　not　impressive；　the　old　color　of　the　front　having　been　completely　restored　away。　　Such　interest　as　it　superficially　possesses　it　derives　from　a　fine　mediaeval　tower　which　rises　beside　it；　with　turrets　at　the　angles；　…　always　a　picturesque　thing。　　The　rest　of　the　market　was　held　in　another　_place_；　still　shabbier　than　the　first；　which　lies　beyond　the　canal。　　The　Canal　du　Midi　flows　through　the　town；　and；　spanned　at　this　point　by　a　small　suspension…bridge；　presented　a　cer…　tain　sketchability。　　On　the　further　side　were　the　venders　and　chafferers；　…　old　women　under　awnings　and　big　um…　brellas；　rickety　tables　piled　high　with　fruit；　white　caps　and　brown　faces；　blouses；　sabots；　donkeys。　　Beneath　this　picture　was　another；　…　a　long　row　of　washerwomen；　on　their　knees　on　the　edge　of　the　canal；　pounding　and　wringing　the　dirty　linen　of　Narbonne；　…　no　great　quantity；　to　judge　by　the　costume　of　the　people。　　In…　numerable　rusty　men；　scattered　all　over　the　place；　were　buying　and　selling　wine；　straddling　about　in　pairs；　in　groups；　with　their　hands　in　their　pockets；　and　packed　together　at　the　doors　of　the　cafes。　　They　were　mostly　fat　and　brown　and　unshaven；　they　ground　their　teeth　as　they　talked；　they　were　very　_meridionaux_。

The　only　two　lions　at　Narbonne　are　the　cathedral　and　the　museum；　the　latter　of　which　is　quartered　in　the　hotel　de　ville。　　The　cathedral；　closely　shut　in　by　houses；　and　with　the　west　front　undergoing　repairs；　is　singular　in　two　respects。　　It　consists　exclusively　of　a　choir；　which　is　of　the　end　of　the　thirteenth　century　and　the　beginning　of　the　next；　and　of　great　magnifi…　cence。　　There　is　absolutely　nothing　else。　　This　choir；　of　extraordinary　elevation；　forms　the　whole　church。　　I　sat　there　a　good　while；　there　was　no　other　visitor。　　I　had　taken　a　great　dislike　to　poor　little　Narbonne；　which　struck　me　as　sordid　and　overheated；　and　this　place　seemed　to　extend　to　me；　as　in　the　Middle　Ages；　the　privilege　of　sanctuary。　　It　is　a　very　solemn　corner。　The　other　peculiarity　of　the　cathedral　is　that；　exter…　nally；　it　bristles　with　battlements；　having　anciently　formed　part　of　the　defences　of　the　_archeveche_；　which　is　beside　it　and　which　connects　it　with　the　hotel　de　ville。　　This　combination　of　the　church　and　the　for…　tress　is　very　curious；　and　during　the　Middle　Ages　was　not　without　its　value。　　The　palace　of　the　former　arch…　bishops　of　Narbonne　（the　hotel　de　ville　of　to…day　forms　part　of　it）　was　both　an　asylum　and　an　arsenal　during　the　hideous　wars　by　which　the　Languedoc　was　ravaged　in　the　thirteenth　century。　　The　whole　mass　of　buildings　is　jammed　together　in　a　manner　that　from　certain　points　of　view　makes　it　far　from　apparent　which　feature　is　which。　　The　museum　occupies　several　chambers　at　the　top　of　the　hotel　de　ville；　and　is　not　an　imposing　collection。　　It　was　closed；　but　I　induced　the　portress　to　let　me　in；　…　a　silent；　cadaverous　person；　in　a　black　coif；　like　a　_beguine_；　who　sat　knitting　in　one　of　the　windows　while　I　went　the　rounds。　　The　number　of　Roman　fragments　is　small；　and　their　quality　is　not　the　finest；　I　must　add　that　this　impression　was　hastily　gathered。　　There　is　indeed　a　work　of　art　in　one　of　the　rooms　which　creates　a　presumption　in　favor　of　the　place；　…　the　portrait　（rather　a　good　one）　of　a　citizen　of　Narbonne；　whose　name　I　forget；　who　is　described　as　having　devoted　all　his　time　and　his　intelligence　to　collecting　the　objects　by　which　the。　visitor　is　sur…　rounded。　　This　excellent　man　was　a　connoisseur；　and　the　visitor　is　doubtless　often　an　ignoramus。



XXV。

〃Cette；　with　its　glistening　houses　white；　 　　　Curves　with　the　curving　beach　away　 To　where　the　lighthouse　beacons　bright；　 　　　Far　in　the　bay。〃

That　stanza　of　Matthew　Arnold's；　which　I　hap…　pened　to　remember；　gave　a　certain　importance　to　the　half…hour　I　spent　in　the　buffet　of　the　station　at　Cette　while　I　waited　for　the　train　to　Montpellier。　　I　had　left　Narbonne　in　the　afternoon；　and　by　the　time　I　reached　Cette　the　darkness　had　descended。　　I　therefore　missed　the　sight　of　the　glistening　houses；　and　had　to　console　myself　with　that　of　the　beacon　in　the　bay；　as　well　as　with　a　_bouillon_　of　which　I　partook　at　the　buffet　afore…　said；　for；　since　the　morning；　I　had　not　ventured　to　return　to　the　table　d'hote　at　Narbonne。　　The　Hotel　Nevet；　at　Montpellier；　which　I　reached　an　hour　later；　has　an　ancient　renown　all　over　the　south　of　France；　…　advertises　itself；　I　believe；　as　_le　plus　vaste　du　midi_。　　It　seemed　to　me　the　model　of　a　good　provincial　inn；　a　big　rambling；　creaking　establishment；　with　brown；　labyrinthine　corridors；　a　queer　old　open…air　vestibule；　into　which　the　diligence；　in　the　_bon　temps_；　used　to　penetrate；　and　an　hospitality　more　expressive　than　that　of　the　new　car