a little tour in france-第39部分

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h　a　diminutive　postern　…　which　seems　in　proportion　about　as　high　as　the　en…　trance　of　a　rabbit…hutch　…　into　the　lodge　of　the　custo…　dian；　who　introduces　you　to　the　interior　of　the　theatre。　Here　the　mass　of　the　hill　affronts　you；　which　the　in…　genious　Romans　treated　simply　as　the　material　of　their　auditorium。　　They　inserted　their　stone　seats；　in　a　semicircle；　in　the　slope　of　the　lull；　and　planted　their　colossal　wall　opposite　to　it。　　This　wall；　from　the　inside；　is；　if　possible；　even　more　imposing。　　It　formed　the　back　of　the　stage；　the　permanent　scene；　and　its　enormous　face　was　coated　with　marble。　　It　contains　three　doors；　the　middle　one　being　the　highest；　and　having　above　it；　far　aloft；　a　deep　niche；　apparently　intended　for　an　imperial　statue。　　A　few　of　the　benches　remain　on　the　hillside　which；　however；　is　mainly　a　confusion　of　fragments。　　There　is　part　of　a　corridor　built　into　the　hill；　high　up；　and　on　the　crest　are　the　remnants　of　the　demolished　castle。　　The　whole　place　is　a　kind　of　wilderness　of　ruin；　there　are　scarcely　any　details；　the　great　feature　is　the　overtopping　wall。　　This　wall　being　the　back　of　the　scene；　the　space　left　be…　tween　it　and　the　chord　of　the　semicircle　（of　the　audi…　torium）　which　formed　the　proscenium　is　rather　less　than　one　would　have　supposed。　　In　other　words；　the　stage　was　very　shallow；　and　appears　to　have　been　ar…　ranged　for　a　number　of　performers　standing　in　a　line；　like　a　company　of　soldiers。　　There　stands　the　silent　skeleton；　however；　as　impressive　by　what　it　leaves　you　to　guess　and　wonder　about　as　by　what　it　tells　you。　It　has　not　the　sweetness；　the　softness　of　melancholy；　of　the　theatre　at　Arles；　but　it　is　more　extraordinary；　and　one　can　imagine　only　tremendous　tragedies　being　enacted　there；　…

〃Presenting　Thebes'　or　Pelops'　line。〃

At　either　end　of　the　stage；　coming　forward；　is　an　immense　wing；　…　immense　in　height；　I　mean；　as　it　reaches　to　the　top　of　the　scenic　wall；　the　other　dimen…　sions　are　not　remarkable。　　The　division　to　the　right；　as　you　face　the　stage；　is　pointed　out　as　the　green…　room；　its　portentous　attitude　and　the　open　arches　at　the　top　give　it　the　air　of　a　well。　　The　compartment　on　the　left　is　exactly　similar；　save　that　it　opens　into　the　traces　of　other　chambers；　said　to　be　those　of　a　hippodrome　adjacent　to　the　theatre。　　Various　fragments　are　visible　which　refer　themselves　plausibly　to　such　an　establishment；　the　greater　axis　of　the　hippodrome　would　appear　to　have　been　on　a　line　with　the　triumphal　arch。　　This　is　all　I　saw；　and　all　there　was　to　see；　of　Orange；　which　had　a　very　rustic；　bucolic　aspect；　and　where　I　was　not　even　called　upon　to　demand　break…　fast　at　the　hotel。　　The　entrance　of　this　resort　might　have　been　that　of　a　stable　of　the　Roman　days。



XXXVII。

I　have　been　trying　to　remember　whether　I　fasted　all　the　way　to　Macon；　which　I　reached　at　an　advanced　hour　of　the　evening；　and　think　I　must　have　done　so　except　for　the　purchase　of　a　box　of　nougat　at　Monte…　limart　（the　place　is　famous　for　the　manufacture　of　this　confection；　which；　at　the　station；　is　hawked　at　the　windows　of　the　train）　and　for　a　bouillon；　very　much　later；　at　Lyons。　　The　journey　beside　the　Rhone　…　past　Valence；　past　Tournon；　past　Vienne　…　would　have　been　charming；　on　that　luminous　Sunday；　but　for　two　disagreeable　accidents。　　The　express　from　Marseilles；　which　I　took　at　Orange；　was　full　to　over…　flowing；　and　the　only　refuge　I　could　find　was　an　inside　angle　in　a　carriage　laden　with　Germans；　who　had　command　of　the　windows；　which　they　occupied　as　strongly　as　they　have　been　known　to　occupy　other　strategical　positions。　　I　scarcely　know；　however；　why　I　linger　on　this　particular　discomfort；　for　it　was　but　a　single　item　in　a　considerable　list　of　grievances；　…　grievances　dispersed　through　six　weeks　of　constant　railway　travel　in　France。　　I　have　not　touched　upon　them　at　an　earlier　stage　of　this　chronicle；　but　my　re…　serve　is　not　owing　to　any　sweetness　of　association。　This　form　of　locomotion；　in　the　country　of　the　ameni…　ties；　is　attended　with　a　dozen　discomforts；　almost　all　the　conditions　of　the　business　are　detestable。　　They　force　the　sentimental　tourist　again　and　again　to　ask　himself　whether；　in　consideration　of　such　mortal　an…　noyances；　the　game　is　worth　the　candle。　　Fortunately；　a　railway　journey　is　a　good　deal　like　a　sea　voyage；　its　miseries　fade　from　the　mind　as　soon　as　you　arrive。　That　is　why　I　completed；　to　my　great　satisfaction；　my　little　tour　in　France。　　Let　this　small　effusion　of　ill…nature　be　my　first　and　last　tribute　to　the　whole　despotic　_gare_：　the　deadly　_salle　d'attente_；　the　insuffer…　able　delays　over　one's　luggage；　the　porterless　platform；　the　overcrowded　and　illiberal　train。　　How　many　a　time　did　I　permit　myself　the　secret　reflection　that　it　is　in　perfidious　Albion　that　they　order　this　matter　best！　　How　many　a　time　did　the　eager　British　mer…　cenary；　clad　in　velveteen　and　clinging　to　the　door　of　the　carriage　as　it　glides　into　the　station；　revisit　my　invidious　dreams！　　The　paternal　porter　and　the　re…　sponsive　hansom　are　among　the　best　gifts　of　the　Eng…　lish　genius　to　the　world。　　I　hasten　to　add；　faithful　to　my　habit　（so　insufferable　to　some　of　my　friends）　of　ever　and　again　readjusting　the　balance　after　I　have　given　it　an　honest　tip；　that　the　bouillon　at　Lyons；　which　I　spoke　of　above；　was；　though　by　no　means　an　ideal　bouillon；　much　better　than　any　I　could　have　obtained　at　an　English　railway　station。　　After　I　had　imbibed　it；　I　sat　in　the　train　（which　waited　a　long　time　at　Lyons）　and；　by　the　light　of　one　of　the　big　lamps　on　the　platform；　read　all　sorts　of　disagreeable　things　in　certain　radical　newspapers　which　I　had　bought　at　the　book…stall。　　I　gathered　from　these　sheets　that　Lyons　was　in　extreme　commotion。　　The　Rhone　and　the　Saone；　which　form　a　girdle　for　the　splendid　town；　were　almost　in　the　streets；　as　I　could　easily　be…　lieve　from　what　I　had　seen　of　the　country　after　leav…　ing　Orange。　　The　Rhone；　all　the　way　to　Lyons；　had　been　in　all　sorts　of　places　where　it　had　no　business　to　be；　and　matters　were　naturally　not　improved　by　its　confluence　with　the　charming　and　copious　stream　which；　at　Macon；　is　said　once　to　have　given　such　a　happy　opportunity　to　the　egotism　of　the　capital。　　A　visitor　from　Paris　（the　anecdote　is　very　old）；　being　asked　on　the　quay　of　that　city　whether　he　didn't　ad…　mire　the　Saone；　replied　good…naturedly　that　it　was　very　pretty；　but　that　in　Paris　they　spelled　it　with　the　_ei_。　　This　moment　of　general　alarm　at　Lyons　had　been　chosen　by　certain　ingenious　persons　（I　credit　them；　perhaps；　with　too　sure　a　prevision　of　the　rise　of　the　rivers）　for　practising　further　upon　the　appre…　hensions　of　the　public。　　A　bombshell　filled　with　dynamite　had　been　thrown　into　a　cafe；　and　various　votaries　of　the　comparatively　innocuous　_petit　verre_　had　been　wounded　（I　am　not　sure　whether　any　one　had　been　killed）　by　the　irruption。　　Of　course　there　had　been　arrests　and　incarcerations；　and　the　〃Intransi…　geant〃　and　the　〃Rappel〃　were　filled　with　the　echoes　of　the　explosion。　　The　tone　of　these　organs　is　rarely　edifying；　and　it　had　never　been　less　so　than　on　this　occasion。　　I　wondered；　as　I　looked　through　them；　whether　I　was　losing　all　my　radicalism；　and　then　I　wondered　whether；　after　all；　I　had　any　to　lose。　　Even　in　so　long　await　as　that　tiresome　delay　at　Lyons　I　failed　to　settle　the　question；　any　more　than　I　made　up　my　mind　as　to　the　probable　future　of　the　militant　democracy；　or　the　ultimate　form　of　a　civilization　which　should　have　blown　up　everything　else。　　A　few　days　later；　the　waters　went　down　it　Lyons；　but　the　de…　mocracy　has　not　gone　down。

I　remember　vividly　the　remainder　of　that　evening　which　I　spent　at　Macon；　…　remember　it　with　a　chatter…　ing　of　the　teeth。　　I　know　not　what　had　got　into　the　place；　the　temperature；　for　the　last　day　of　October；　was　eccentric　and　incredible。　　These　epithets　may　also　be　applied　to　the　hotel　itself；　…　an　extraordinary　structure；　all　facade；　which　exposes　an　uncovered　rear　to　the　gaze　of　nature。　　There　is　a　demonstrative；　voluble　landlady；　who　is　of　course　part　of　the　facade；　but　everything　behind　her　is　a　trap　for　the　winds；　with　chambers；　corridors；　staircases；　all　exhibited　to　the　sky；　as　if　the　outer　wall　of　the　house　had　been　lifted　off。　　It　would　have　been　delightful　for　Florida；　but　it　didn't　do　for　Burgundy；　even　on　the　eve　of　November　1st；　so　that　I　suffered　absurdly　from　the　rigor　of　a　season　that　had　not　yet　begun。　　There　was　something　in　the　air；　I　felt　it　the　next　day；　even　on　the　sunny　quay　of　the　Saone；　where　in　spite　of　a　fine　southerly　exposure　I　extracted　little　warmth　from　the　reflection　that　Alphonse　de　Lamartine　had　often　trod…　den　the　flags。　　Macon　struck　me；　somehow；　as　suffer…　ing　from　a　chronic　numbness；　and　there　was　nothing　exceptionally　cheerful　in　the　remarkable　extension　of　the　river。　　It　was　no　longer　a　river；　…　it　had　become　a　lake；　and　from　my　window；　in　the　painted　face　of　the　inn；　I　saw　that　the　opposite　bank　had　been　moved　back；　as　it　were；　indefinitely。　　Unfortunately；　the　various　objects　with　which　it　was　furnished　had　not　been　moved　as　well；　the　consequence　of　which　was　an　extraordinary　confusion　in　the　relations　of　thing。　There　were　always　poplars　to　be　seen；　but　the　poplar　had　become　an　aquatic　plant。　　Such　phenomena；　however；　at　Macon　attract　but　little　attention；　as　the　Saone；　at　certain　seasons　of　the　year；　is　nothing　if　not　expansive。　　The　people　are　as　used　to　it　as　they　ap…　peared　to　be　to　the　bronze　statue　of　Lamartine；　which　is　the　principal　monument　of　the　_place_；　and　which；　re…　presenting　the　poet　in　a　frogged　overcoat　and　top…　boots；　improvising　in　a　high　wind；　struck　me　as　even　less　casual　in　its　attitude　than　monumental　sculpture　usually　succeeds　in　being。　　It　is　true　that　in　its　pre…　sent　position　I　thought　better　of　this　work　of　art；　which　is　from　the　hand　of　M。　Falquiere；　than　when　I　had　seen　it　through　the　factitious　medium　of　the　Salon　of　1876。　　I　walked　up　the　hill　where　the　older　part　of　Macon　lies；　in　search　of　the　natal　house　of　the　_amant　d'Elvire_；　the　Petrarch　whose　Vaucluse　was　the　bosom　of　the　public。　　The　Guide…Joanne　quotes　from　〃Les　Confidences〃　a　description　of　the　birthplace　of　the　poet；　whose　treatment　of　the　locality　is　indeed　poetical。　It　tallies　strangely　little　with　the　reality；　either　as　re…　gards　position　or　other