a little tour in france-第15部分
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of the short； fat； untidy scholar dragging himself _a plat ventre_ across his room； from one pile of books to the other。 The house in which these singular gym… nastics took place； and which is now the headquarters of the gendarmerie； is one of the most picturesque at Bourges。 Dilapidated and discolored； it has a charm… ing Renaissance front。 A high wall separates it from the street； and on this wall； which is divided by a large open gateway； are perched two overhanging turrets。 The open gateway admits you to the court； beyond which the melancholy mansion erects itself； decorated also with turrets； with fine old windows； and with a beautiful tone of faded red brick and rusty stone。 It is a charming encounter for a provincial by… street； one of those accidents in the hope of which the traveller with a propensity for sketching （whether on a little paper block or on the tablets of his brain） decides to turn a corner at a venture。 A brawny gen… darme； in his shirt…sleeves； was polishing his boots in the court； an ancient； knotted vine； forlorn of its clusters； hung itself over a doorway； and dropped its shadow on the rough grain of the wall。 The place was very sketchable。 I am sorry to say； however； that it was almost the only 〃bit。〃 Various other curious old houses are supposed to exist at Bourges； and I wandered vaguely about in search of them。 But I had little success； and I ended by becoming sceptical。 Bourges is a _ville de province_ in the full force of the term； especially as applied invidiously。 The streets； narrow； tortuous； and dirty； have very wide cobble… stones； the houses for the most part are shabby； with… out local color。 The look of things is neither modern nor antique； … a kind of mediocrity of middle age。 There is an enormous number of blank walls； … walls of gardens； of courts； of private houses … that avert themselves from the street； as if in natural chagrin at there being so little to see。 Round about is a dull； flat； featureless country； on which the magnificent cathedral looks down。 There is a peculiar dulness and ugliness in a French town of this type； which； I must immediately add； is not the most frequent one。 In Italy； everything has a charm； a color； a grace； even desolation and _ennui_。 In England a cathedral city may be sleepy； but it is pretty sure to be mellow。 In the course of six weeks spent _en province_； however； I saw few places that had not more expression than Bourges。
I went back to the cathedral； that； after all； was a feature。 Then I returned to my hotel； where it was time to dine； and sat down； as usual； with the _commis… voyageurs_； who cut their bread on their thumb and partook of every course； and after this repast I re… paired for a while to the cafe； which occupied a part of the basement of the inn and opened into its court。 This cafe was a friendly； homely； sociable spot； where it seemed the habit of the master of the establishment to _tutoyer_ his customers； and the practice of the cus… tomers to _tutoyer_ the waiter。 Under these circum… stances the waiter of course felt justified in sitting down at the same table with a gentleman who had come in and asked him for writing materials。 He served this gentleman with a horrible little portfolio； covered with shiny black cloth and accompanied with two sheets of thin paper； three wafers； and one of those instruments of torture which pass in France for pens； … these being the utensils invariably evoked by such a request； and then； finding himself at leisure； he placed himself opposite and began to write a letter of his own。 This trifling incident reminded me afresh that France is a democratic country。 I think I re… ceived an admonition to the same effect from the free； familiar way in which the game of whist was going on just behind me。 It was attended with a great deal of noisy pleasantry； flavored every now and then with a dash of irritation。 There was a young man of whom I made a note； he was such a beautiful specimen of his class。 Sometimes he was very facetious； chatter… ing； joking； punning； showing off； then； as the game went on and he lost； and had to pay the _consomma… tion_； he dropped his amiability； slanged his partner； declared he wouldn't play any more； and went away in a fury。 Nothing could be more perfect or more amusing than the contrast。 The manner of the whole affair was such as； I apprehend； one would not have seen among our English…speaking people； both the jauntiness of the first phase and the petulance of the second。 To hold the balance straight； however； I may remark that if the men were all fearful 〃cads；〃 they were； with their cigarettes and their inconsistency； less heavy； less brutal； than our dear English…speaking cad； just as the bright little cafe where a robust mater… familias； doling out sugar and darning a stocking； sat in her place under the mirror behind the _comptoir_； was a much more civilized spot than a British public… house； or a 〃commercial room；〃 with pipes and whiskey； or even than an American saloon。
XIII。
It is very certain that when I left Tours for Le Mans it was a journey and not an excursion； for I had no intention of coming back。 The question； in… deed； was to get away； … no easy matter in France； in the early days of October； when the whole _jeunesse_ of the country is going back to school。 It is accom… panied； apparently； with parents and grandparents； and it fills the trains with little pale…faced _lyceens_； who gaze out of the windows with a longing； lingering air； not unnatural on the part of small members of a race in which life is intense； who are about to be restored to those big educative barracks that do such violence to our American appreciation of the oppor… tunities of boyhood。 The train stopped every five minutes； but； fortunately； the country was charming； … hilly and bosky； eminently good…humored； and dotted here and there with a smart little chateau。 The old capital of the province of the Maine； which has given its name to a great American State； is a fairly interest… ing town； but I confess that I found in it less than I expected to admire。 My expectations had doubtless been my own fault； there is no particular reason why Le Mans should fascinate。 It stands upon a hill； indeed； … a much better hill than the gentle swell of Bourges。 This hill； however； is not steep in all direc… tions； from the railway； as I arrived； it was not even perceptible。 Since I am making comparisons； I may remark that； on the other hand； the Boule d'Or at Le Mans is an appreciably better inn than the Boule d'Or at Bourges。 It looks out upon a small market…place which has a certain amount of character and seems to be slipping down the slope on which it lies； though it has in the middle an ugly _halle_； or circular market… house； to keep it in position。 At Le Mans； as at Bourges； my first business was with the cathedral； to which； I lost no time in directing my steps。 It suf… fered by juxta…position to the great church I had seen a few days before； yet it has some noble features。 It stands on the edge of the eminence of the town； which falls straight away on two sides of it； and makes a striking mass； bristling behind； as you see it from below； with rather small but singularly numerous flying buttresses。 On my way to it I happened to walk through the one street which contains a few ancient and curious houses； … a very crooked and untidy lane； of really mediaeval aspect； honored with the denomina… tion of the Grand' Rue。 Here is the house of Queen Berengaria； … an absurd name； as the building is of a date some three hundred years later than the wife of Richard Coeur de Lion； who has a sepulchral monu… ment in the south aisle of the cathedral。 The structure in question … very sketchable； if the sketcher could get far enough away from it … is an elaborate little dusky facade； overhanging the street； ornamented with panels of stone； which are covered with delicate Renaissance sculpture。 A fat old woman； standing in the door of a small grocer's shop next to it； … a most gracious old woman； with a bristling moustache and a charming manner； … told me what the house was； and also in… dicated to me a rotten…looking brown wooden mansion； in the same street； nearer the cathedral； as the Maison Scarron。 The author of the 〃Roman Comique；〃 and of a thousand facetious verses； enjoyed for some years； in the early part of his life； a benefice in the cathedral of Le Mans； which gave him a right to reside in one of the canonical houses。 He was rather an odd canon； but his history is a combination of oddities。 He wooed the comic muse from the arm…chair of a cripple； and in the same position … he was unable even to go down on his knees … prosecuted that other suit which made him the first husband of a lady of whom Louis XIV。 was to be the second。 There was little of comedy in the future Madame de Maintenon； though； after all； there was doubtless as much as there need have been in the wife of a poor man who was moved to compose for his tomb such an epitaph as this； which I quote from the 〃Biographie Universelle〃：…
〃Celui qui cy maintenant dort； Fit plus de pitie que d'envie； Et souffrit mille fois la mort； Avant que de perdre la vie。 Passant； ne fais icy de bruit； Et garde bien qu'il ne s'eveille； Car voicy la premiere nuit； Que le Pauvre Scarron sommeille。〃
There is rather a quiet； satisfactory _place_ in front of the cathedral； with some good 〃bits〃 in it； notably a turret at the angle of one of the towers； and a very fine； steep…roofed dwelling； behind low walls； which it overlooks； with a tall iron gate。 This house has two or three little pointed towers； a big； black； precipitous roof； and a general air of having had a history。 There are houses which are scenes； and there are houses which are only houses。 The trouble with the domestic architecture of the United States is that it is not scenic； thank Heaven！ and the good fortune of an old structure like the turreted mansion on the hillside of Le Mans is that it is not simply a house。 It is a per… son； as it were； as well。 It would be well； indeed； if it might have communicated a little of its personality to the front of the cathedral； which has none of its own。 Shabby； rusty； unfinished； this front h
