a little tour in france-第23章

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；　and　when；　in　1355；　Edward　the　Black　Prince　marched　into　it；　the　inhabitants　had　opened　the　gates　to　the　conqueror　before　whom　all　Languedoc　was　prostrate。　　I　am　not　one　of　those　who；　as　I　said　just　now；　have　a　head　for　such　things；　and　having　extracted　these　few　facts　had　made　all　the　use　of　M。　Viollet…le…Duc's；　pamphlet　of　which　I　was　cap…　able。

I　have　mentioned　that　my　obliging　friend　the　_amoureux…fou_　handed　me　over　to　the　door…keeper　of　the　citadel。　　I　should　add　that　I　was　at　first　committed　to　the　wife　of　this　functionary；　a　stout　peasant…woman；　who　took　a　key　down　from　a　nail；　conducted　me　to　a　postern　door；　and　ushered　me　into　the　presence　of　her　husband。　　Having　just　begun　his　rounds　with　a　party　of　four　persons；　he　was　not　many　steps　in　advance。　　I　added　myself　perforce　to　this　party；　which　was　not　brilliantly　composed；　except　that　two　of　its　members　were　gendarmes　in　full　toggery；　who　announced　in　the　course　of　our　tour　that　they　had　been　stationed　for　a　year　at　Carcassonne；　and　had　never　before　had　the　curiosity　to　come　up　to　the　Cite。　　There　was　something　brilliant；　certainly；　in　that。　　The　_gardien_　was　an　extra…　ordinarily　typical　little　Frenchman；　who　struck　me　even　more　forcibly　than　the　wonders　of　the　inner　enceinte；　and　as　I　am　bound　to　assume；　at　whatever　cost　to　my　literary　vanity；　that　there　is　not　the　slightest　danger　of　his　reading　these　remarks；　I　may　treat　him　as　public　property。　　With　his　diminutive　stature　and　his　per…　pendicular　spirit；　his　flushed　face；　expressive　protuber…　ant　eyes；　high　peremptory　voice；　extreme　volubility；　lucidity；　and　neatness　of　utterance；　he　reminded　me　of　the　gentry　who　figure　in　the　revolutions　of　his　native　land。　　If　he　was　not　a　fierce　little　Jacobin；　he　ought　to　have　been；　for　I　am　sure　there　were　many　men　of　his　pattern　on　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety。　　He　knew　absolutely　what　he　was　about；　understood　the　place　thoroughly；　and　constantly　reminded　his　audience　of　what　he　himself　had　done　in　the　way　of　excavations　and　reparations。　　He　described　himself　as　the　brother　of　the　architect　of　the　work　actually　going　forward　（that　which　has　been　done　since　the　death　of　M。　Viol…　let…le…Duc；　I　suppose　he　meant）；　and　this　fact　was　more　illustrative　than　all　the　others。　　It　reminded　me；　as　one　is　reminded　at　every　turn；　of　the　democratic　con…　ditions　of　French　life：　a　man　of　the　people；　with　a　wife　_en　bonnet_；　extremely　intelligent；　full　of　special　knowledge；　and　yet　remaining　essentially　of　the　people；　and　showing　his　intelligence　with　a　kind　of　ferocity；　of　defiance。　　Such　a　personage　helps　one　to　under…　stand　the　red　radicalism　of　France；　the　revolutions；　the　barricades；　the　sinister　passion　for　theories。　　（I　do　not；　of　course；　take　upon　myself　to　say　that　the　indi…　vidual　I　describe　…　who　can　know　nothing　of　the　liberties　I　am　taking　with　him　…　is　actually　devoted　to　these　ideals；　I　only　mean　that　many　such　devotees　must　have　his　qualities。）　　In　just　the　_nuance_　that　I　have　tried　to　indicate　here；　it　is　a　terrible　pattern　of　man。　　Permeated　in　a　high　degree　by　civilization；　it　is　yet　untouched　by　the　desire　which　one　finds　in　the　Englishman；　in　proportion　as　he　rises　in　the　world；　to　approximate　to　the　figure　of　the　gentleman。　　On　the　other　hand；　a　_nettete_；　a　faculty　of　exposition；　such　as　the　English　gentleman　is　rarely　either　blessed　or　cursed　with。

This　brilliant；　this　suggestive　warden　of　Carcas…　sonne　marched　us　about　for　an　hour；　haranguing；　ex…　plaining；　illustrating；　as　he　went；　it　was　a　complete　little　lecture；　such　as　might　have　been　delivered　at　the　Lowell　Institute；　on　the　manger　in　which　a　first…　rate　_place　forte_　used　to　be　attacked　and　defended　Our　peregrinations　made　it　very　clear　that　Carcassone　was　impregnable；　it　is　impossible　to　imagine；　without　having　seen　them；　such　refinements　of　immurement；　such　ingenuities　of　resistance。　　We　passed　along　the　battlements　and　_chemins　de　ronde_；　ascended　and　de…　scended　towers；　crawled　under　arches；　peered　out　of　loop…holes；　lowered　ourselves　into　dungeons；　halted　in　all　sorts　of　tight　places；　while　the　purpose　of　some…　thing　or　other　was　described　to　us。　　It　was　very　curious；　very　interesting；　above　all；　it　was　very　pic…　torial；　and　involved　perpetual　peeps　into　the　little　crooked；　crumbling；　sunny；　grassy；　empty　Cite。　　In　places；　as　you　stand　upon　it；　the　great　towered　and　embattled　enceinte　produces　an　illusion；　it　looks　as　if　it　were　still　equipped　and　defended。　　One　vivid　challenge；　at　any　rate；　it　flings　down　before　you；　it　calls　upon　you　to　make　up　your　mind　on　the　matter　of　restoration。　　For　myself；　I　have　no　hesitation；　I　prefer　in　every　case　the　ruined；　however　ruined；　to　the　reconstructed；　however　splendid。　　What　is　left　is　more　precious　than　what　is　added：　the　one　is　history；　the　other　is　fiction；　and　I　like　the　former　the　better　of　the　two；　…　it　is　so　much　more　romantic。　　One　is　posi…　tive；　so　far　as　it　goes；　the　other　fills　up　the　void　with　things　more　dead　than　the　void　itself；　inasmuch　as　they　have　never　had　life。　　After　that　I　am　free　to　say　that　the　restoration　of　Carcassonne　is　a　splendid　achievement。　　The　little　custodian　dismissed　us　at　last；　after　having；　as　usual；　inducted　us　into　the　inevi…　table　repository　of　photographs。　　These　photographs　are　a　great　nuisance；　all　over　the　Midi。　　They　are　exceedingly　bad；　for　the　most　part；　and　the　worst　…　those　in　the　form　of　the　hideous　little　_album…pano…　rama_　…　are　thrust　upon　you　at　every　turn。　　They　are　a　kind　of　tax　that　you　must　pay；　the　best　way　is　to　pay　to　be　let　off。　　It　was　not　to　be　denied　that　there　was　a　relief　in　separating　from　our　accomplished　guide；　whose　manner　of　imparting　information　re…　minded　me　of　the　energetic　process　by　which　I　have　seen　mineral　waters　bottled。　　All　this　while　the　after…　noon　had　grown　more　lovely；　the　sunset　had　deepened；　the　horizon　of　hills　grown　purple；　the　mass　of　the　Canigou　became　more　delicate；　yet　more　distinct。　　The　day　had　so　far　faded　that　the　interior　of　the　little　cathedral　was　wrapped　in　twilight；　into　which　the　glowing　windows　projected　something　of　their　color。　This　church　has　high　beauty　and　value；　but　I　will　spare　the　reader　a　presentation　of　details　which　I　my…　self　had　no　opportunity　to　master。　　It　consists　of　a　romanesque　nave；　of　the　end　of　the　eleventh　century；　and　a　Gothic　choir　and　transepts　of　the　beginning　of　the　fourteenth；　and；　shut　up　in　its　citadel　like　a　precious　casket　in　a　cabinet；　it　seems　…　or　seemed　at　that　hour　…　to　have　a　sort　of　double　sanctity。　　After　leaving　it　and　passing　out　of　the　two　circles　of　walls；　I　treated　myself；　in　the　most　infatuated　manner；　to　another　walk　round　the　Cite。　　It　is　certainly　this　general　impression　that　is　most　striking；　…　the　impression　from　outside；　where　the　whole　place　detaches　itself　at　once　from　the　landscape。　　In　the　warm　southern　dusk　it　looked　more　than　ever　like　a　city　in　a　fairy…tale。　　To　make　the　thing　perfect；　a　white　young　moon；　in　its　first　quarter；　came　out　and　hung　just　over　the　dark　sil…　houette。　　It　was　hard　to　come　away；　…　to　incommode　one's　self　for　anything　so　vulgar　as　a　railway…train；　I　would　gladly　have　spent　the　evening　in　revolving　round　the　walls　of　Carcassonne。　　But　I　had　in　a　measure　engaged　to　proceed　to　Narborme；　and　there　was　a　certain　magic　that　name　which　gave　me　strength；　…　Narbonne；　the　richest　city　in　Roman　Gaul。



XXIV。

At　Narbonne　I　took　up　my　abode　at　the　house　of　a　_serrurier　mecanicien_；　and　was　very　thankful　for　the　accommodation。　　It　was　my　misfortune　to　arrive　at　this　ancient　city　late　at　night；　on　the　eve　of　market…　day；　and　market…day　at　Narbonne　is　a　very　serious　affair。　　The　inns；　on　this　occasion；　are　stuffed　with　wine…dealers；　for　the　country　roundabout；　dedicated　almost　exclusively　to　Bacchus；　has　hitherto　escaped　the　phylloxera。　　This　deadly　enemy　of　the　grape　is　encamped　over　the　Midi　in　a　hundred　places；　blighted　vineyards　and　ruined　proprietors　being　quite　the　order　of　the　day。　　The　signs　of　distress　are　more　frequent　as　you　advance　into　Provence；　many　of　the　vines　being　laid　under　water；　in　the　hope　of　washing　the　plague　away。　　There　are　healthy　regions　still；　however；　and　the　vintners　find　plenty　to　do　at　Narbonne。　　The　traffic　in　wine　appeared　to　be　the　sole　thought　of　the　Narbonnais；　every　one　I　spoke　to　had　something　to　say　about　the　harvest　of　gold　that　bloomed　under　its　influence。　　〃C'est　inoui；　monsieur；　l'argent　qu'il　y　a　dans　ce　pays。　　Des　gens　a　qui　la　vente　de　leur　vin　rapporte　jusqu'a　500；000　francs　par　an。〃　　That　little　speech；　addressed　to　me　by　a　gentleman　at　the　inn；　gives　the　note　of　these　revelations。　　It　must　be　said　that　there　was　little　in　the　appearance　either　of　the　town　or　of　its　population　to　suggest　the　possession　of　such　treasures。　　Narbonne　is　a　_sale　petite　ville_　in　all　the　force　of　the　term；　and　my　first　impression　on　ar…　riving　there　was　an　extreme　regret　that　I　had　not　remained　for　the　night　at　the　lovely　Carcassonne。　　My　journey　from　that　delectable　spot　lasted　a　couple　of　hours；　and　was　performed　in　darkness；　…　a　darkness　not　so　dense；　however；　but　that　I　was　able　to　make　out；　as　we　passed　it；　the　great　figure　of　Beziers；　whose　ancient　roofs　and　towers；　clustered　on　a　goodly　hill…　top；　looked　as　fantastic　as　you　please。　　I　know　not　what　appearance　Beziers　may　present　by　day；　but　by　night　it　has　quite　the　grand　air。　　On　issuing　from　the　station　at　Narbonne；　I　found　that　the　only　vehicle　in　waiting　was　a　kind　of　bastard　tramcar；　a　thing　shaped　as　if　it　had　been　meant　to　go　upon　rails；　that　is；　equipped　with　small　wheels；　placed　beneath　it；　and　with　a　platform　at　either　end；　but　destined　to　rattle　over　the　stones　like　the　most　vulgar　of　omnibuses。　To　complete　the　oddity　of　this　conveyance；　it　was　under　the　supervision；　not　of　a　conductor；　but　of　a　conductress。　　A　fair　young　woman；　with　a　pouch　sus…　pended　from　her　girdle；　had　command　of　the　platform；　and　as　soon　as　the　car　was　full　she　jolted　us　into　the　town　through　clouds　of　the　thickest　dust　I　ever　have　swallowed。　　I　have　had　occasion　to　speak　of　the　activity　of　women　in　France；　…　of　the　way　they　are　always　in　the　ascendant；　and　here　was　a　signal　example　of　their　general　utility。　　The　young　lady　I　have　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　t