a little tour in france-第35节
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e…pines。 Above this is the grassy platform of the castle； enclosed on one side only （toward the river） by a large fragment of wall and a very massive dungeon。 There are benches placed in the lee of the wall； and others on the edge of the platform； where one may enjoy a view； beyond the river； of certain peeled and scorched undulations。 A sweet desolation； an everlasting peace； seemed to hang in the air。 A very old man （a fragment； like the castle itself） emerged from some crumbling corner to do me the honors； … a very gentle； obsequious； tottering； toothless； grateful old man。 He beguiled me into an ascent of the solitary tower； from which you may look down on the big sallow river and glance at diminished Tarascon； and the barefaced； bald…headed hills behind it。 It may appear that I insist too much upon the nudity of the Provencal horiion； … too much； considering that I have spoken of the prospect from the heights of Beaucaire as lovely。 But it is an exquisite bareness； it seems to exist for the purpose of allowing one to follow the de… licate lines of the hills； and touch with the eyes； as it were； the smallest inflections of the landscape。 It makes the whole thing seem wonderfully bright and pure。
Beaucaire used to be the scene of a famous fair； the great fair of the south of France。 It has gone the way of most fairs； even in France； where these delight… ful exhibitions hold their own much better than might be supposed。 It is still held in the month of July； but the bourgeoises of Tarascon send to the Magasin du Louvre for their smart dresses； and the principal glory of the scene is its long tradition。 Even now； however； it ought to be the prettiest of all fairs； for it takes place in a charming wood which lies just beneath the castle； beside the Rhone。 The booths； the barracks； the platforms of the mountebanks； the bright…colored crowd； diffused through this midsummer shade； and spotted here and there with the rich Provencal sun… shine must be of the most pictorial effect。 It is highly probable； too； that it offers a large collection of pretty faces； for even in the few hours that I spent at Tarascon I discovered symptoms of the purity of feature for which the women of the _pays d'Arles_ are renowned。 The Arlesian head…dress； was visible in the streets； and this delightful coiffure is so associated with a charming facial oval； a dark mild eye； a straight Greek nose； and a mouth worthy of all the rest； that it conveys a presumption of beauty which gives the wearer time either to escape or to please you。 I have read somewhere； however； that Tarascon is supposed to produce handsome men； as Arles is known to deal in handsome women。 It may be that I should have found the Tarasconnais very fine fellows； if I had en… countered enough specimens to justify an induction。 But there were very few males in the streets； and the place presented no appearance of activity。 Here and there the black coif of an old woman or of a young girl was framed by a low doorway； but for the rest； as I have said； Tarascon was mostly involved in a siesta。 There was not a creature in the little church of Saint Martha； which I made a point of visiting before I re… turned to the station； and which； with its fine Romanesque sideportal and its pointed and crocketed Gothic spire； is as curious as it need be； in view of its tradition。 It stands in a quiet corner where the grass grows between the small cobble…stones； and you pass beneath a deep archway to reach it。 The tradition relates that Saint Martha tamed with her own hands； and attached to her girdle； a dreadful dragon； who was known as the Tarasque； and is reported to have given his name to the city on whose site （amid the rocks which form the base of the chateau） he had his cavern。 The dragon； perhaps； is the symbol of a ravening paganism； dis… pelled by the eloquence of a sweet evangelist。 The bones of the interesting saint； at all events； were found； in the eleventh century； in a cave beneath the spot on which her altar now stands。 I know not what had be… come of the bones of the dragon。
XXX。
There are two shabby old inns at Arles； which compete closely for your custom。 I mean by this that if you elect to go to the Hotel du Forum； the Hotel du Nord； which is placed exactly beside it （at a right angle） watches your arrival with ill…concealed dis… approval； and if you take the chances of its neighbor； the Hotel du Forum seems to glare at you invidiously from all its windows and doors。 I forget which of these establishments I selected； whichever it was； I wished very much that； it had been the other。 The two stand together on the Place des Hommes； a little public square of Arles； which somehow quite misses its effect。 As a city； indeed； Arles quite misses its effect in every way； and if it is a charming place； as I think it is； I can hardly tell the reason why。 The straight…nosed Arlesiennes account for it in some degree； and the remainder may be charged to the ruins of the arena and the theatre。 Beyond this； I remember with affection the ill…proportioned little Place des Hommes； not at all monumental； and given over to puddles and to shabby cafes。 I recall with tenderness the tortuous and featureless streets； which looked like the streets of a village； and were paved with villanous little sharp stones； making all exercise penitential。 Consecrated by association is even a tiresome walk that I took the evening I arrived； with the purpose of obtaining a view of the Rhone。 I had been to Arles before； years ago； and it seemed to me that I remembered finding on the banks of the stream some sort of picture。 I think that on the evening of which I speak there was a watery moon； which it seemed to me would light up the past as well as the present。 But I found no pic… ture； and I scarcely found the Rhone at all。 I lost my way； and there was not a creature in the streets to whom I could appeal。 Nothing could be more pro… vincial than the situation of Arles at ten o'clock at night。 At last I arrived at a kind of embankment； where I could see the great mud…colored stream slip… ping along in the soundless darkness。 It had come on to rain； I know not what had happened to the moon； and the whole place was anything but gay。 It was not what I had looked for； what I had looked for was in the irrecoverable past。 I groped my way back to the inn over the infernal _cailloux_； feeling like a dis… comfited Dogberry。 I remember now that this hotel was the one （whichever that may be） which has the fragment of a Gallo…Roman portico inserted into one of its angles。 I had chosen it for the sake of this ex… ceptional ornament。 It was damp and dark； and the floors felt gritty to the feet； it was an establishment at which the dreadful _gras…double_ might have appeared at the table d'hote； as it had done at Narbonne。 Never… theless； I was glad to get back to it； and nevertheless； too； … and this is the moral of my simple anecdote； … my pointless little walk （I don't speak of the pave… ment） suffuses itself； as I look back upon it； with a romantic tone。 And in relation to the inn； I suppose I had better mention that I am well aware of the in… consistency of a person who dislikes the modern cara… vansary； and yet grumbles when he finds a hotel of the superannuated sort。 One ought to choose； it would seem； and make the best of either alternative。 The two old taverns at Arles are quite unimproved； such as they must have been in the infancy of the modern world； when Stendhal passed that way； and the lum… bering diligence deposited him in the Place des Hommes； such in every detail they are to…day。 _Vieilles auberges de France_； one ought to enjoy their gritty floors and greasy window…panes。 Let it be put on re… cord； therefore； that I have been； I won't say less com… fortable； but at least less happy； at better inns。
To be really historic； I should have mentioned that before going to look for the Rhone I had spent part of the evening on the opposite side of the little place； and that I indulged in this recreation for two definite reasons。 One of these was that I had an opportunity of conversing at a cafe with an attractive young Eng… lishman； whom I had met in the afternoon at Tarascon； and more remotely； in other years； in London； the other was that there sat enthroned behind the counter a splendid mature Arlesienne； whom my companion and I agreed that it was a rare privilege to contem… plate。 There is no rule of good manners or morals which makes it improper； at a cafe； to fix one's eyes upon the _dame de comptoir_； the lady is； in the nature of things； a part of your _consommation_。 We were there… fore feee to admire without restriction the handsomest person I had ever seen give change for a five…franc piece。 She was a large quiet woman； who would never see forty again； of an intensely feminine type； yet wonderfully rich and robust； and full of a certain phy… sical nobleness。 Though she was not really old； she was antique； and she was very grave； even a little sad。 She had the dignity of a Roman empress； and she handled coppers as if they had been stamped with the head of Caesar。 I have seen washerwomen in the Trastevere who were perhaps as handsome as she； but even the head…dress of th
