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14 - Chateau and Country Life in France by Mary King Waddington · Chateau and Country Life in France

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  Speaker 1: Section fourteen of Chateau and country Life in France. This
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  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
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  Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Lucy Kempton. Chateau and country
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  Speaker 1: Life in France by Mary King Waddington, Chapter seven, A
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  Speaker 1: Racine celebration Marie s yor Orc, April twentieth, eighteen ninety nine.
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  Speaker 1: I could scarcely believe I was in our quiet little
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  Speaker 1: town of La Ferte Milon to day such a transformation,
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  Speaker 1: flags flying draperies at all the windows, garlands of green
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  Speaker 1: and flowers across the streets, and a fine triumphal arch,
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  Speaker 1: all greens and flowers arranged about the center of the
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  Speaker 1: grande rue, many people standing about, looking on and making suggestions.
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  Speaker 1: Altogether an are de fete, which is most unusual in
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  Speaker 1: these leepy little streets, where nothing ever passes except at
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  Speaker 1: four o'clock, when the three schools come out and clatter
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  Speaker 1: down the street. The Ecole Maternelle comes first, the good
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  Speaker 1: meer cecil bringing up the rear of the procession, holding
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  Speaker 1: the smallest children, babies three and four years old, by
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  Speaker 1: the hand, three or four more clinging to her skirts
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  Speaker 1: and guiding them across the perilous passage of the bridge
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  Speaker 1: over the canal. It is a pretty view from the bridge.
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  Speaker 1: The canal, really the River Urk Canalize, which has preserved
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  Speaker 1: its current and hasn't the dead sluggish look of most canals,
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  Speaker 1: runs alongside of the maye, a large green place with grass,
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  Speaker 1: big trees, a broad walk down the center, and benches
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  Speaker 1: under the trees. It is a sort of promenade for
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  Speaker 1: the inhabitants and also serves as a village green where
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  Speaker 1: all the fairs, shows and markets are held. The opposite
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  Speaker 1: bank is bordered by quaint old houses with round towers
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  Speaker 1: and gardens full of bright flowers. Running down to the
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  Speaker 1: water's edge. There is one curious old Columbia which has
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  Speaker 1: been there for centuries. Near the bridge, there is a
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  Speaker 1: lavoir where there are always women washing. They are all
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  Speaker 1: there to day, but much distracted, wildly interested in all
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  Speaker 1: that is going on, and the unwonted stir in the streets,
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  Speaker 1: chattering hard and giving their opinions as to the decoration
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  Speaker 1: of the arch, which is evidently a source of great
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  Speaker 1: pride to the town. On a bright sunny day, when
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  Speaker 1: the red roofs and flowers are reflected in the water,
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  Speaker 1: and it is not too cold, their work doesn't seem
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  Speaker 1: very hard. But on a winter afternoon, when they have
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  Speaker 1: to break the ice sometimes and a biting wind is
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  Speaker 1: blowing down the canal, it is pitiable to see the
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  Speaker 1: poor things, thinly clad, shivering and damp, their hands and
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  Speaker 1: arms red and chapped with cold. On the other side
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  Speaker 1: of the bridge, the canal wanders peacefully along through endless
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  Speaker 1: green meadows bordered with poplars, to Marol, a little village
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  Speaker 1: where there is the first day clues on the way
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  Speaker 1: to Paris. We had been talking vaguely all winter of
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  Speaker 1: doing something at La Ferte Milon to Fete, the bissontenaire
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  Speaker 1: of Racine. They were making preparations at Paris, also at
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  Speaker 1: Poor Royal, and it seemed hard to do nothing in
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  Speaker 1: his native place. His statue in the Grand Rus is
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  Speaker 1: one of the glories of Laferte. Jean Racine was born
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  Speaker 1: in Laferte in sixteen thirty nine. He lost both father
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  Speaker 1: and mother young and was brought up by his grandparents.
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  Speaker 1: He was sent first to school at Beauvais. Later, while
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  Speaker 1: still quite a youth to poor Royal. His stay there
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  Speaker 1: influenced considerably his character and his writings, and though he
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  Speaker 1: separated himself entirely from the solitaire during the years of
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  Speaker 1: his brilliant career as poet and courtier, there remained always
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  Speaker 1: in his heart a latent tenderness for the quiet, green
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  Speaker 1: valley of the Chevreuse, where he had passed all his
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  Speaker 1: years of adolescence, listening to the goods and imbibing their
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  Speaker 1: doctrines of the necessity of divine grace to complete the character.
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  Speaker 1: His masters were horrified and distressed when his talent developed
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  Speaker 1: into plays, which brought him into contact with actors and
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  Speaker 1: actresses and made him an habitue of a frivolous court.
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  Speaker 1: There is a pretty letter from one of his aunts,
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  Speaker 1: Religiers de pot Royal, begging him to keep away from
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  Speaker 1: de fra contascient abominab and to return to a Christian life.
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  Speaker 1: His career was rapid and brilliant. He was named to
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  Speaker 1: the Academie Francaise in sixteen seventy three, and when he
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  Speaker 1: retired from the theater, was a welcome and honored guest
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  Speaker 1: at the most brilliant court of the world. He was
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  Speaker 1: made private historian to the king and accompanied him on
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  Speaker 1: various campaigns. There are amusing mentions of the poet's historians.
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  Speaker 1: Boileaux was also royal historian in the writings of their
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  Speaker 1: contemporaries Les Messieurs du sublime. Embarrassed with their military accouterments
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  Speaker 1: and much fatigued by the unwonted exercise and long days
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  Speaker 1: on horseback, the king showed Racine every favor. He was
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  Speaker 1: lodged at Versailles and at Marlis, and was called upon
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  Speaker 1: to amuse and distract the monarch when the cares of
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  Speaker 1: state and increasing years made all diversions pall upon him.
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  Speaker 1: He saw the decline and disgrace of Madame de montespin
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  Speaker 1: the marvelous good fortune of Madame de Mantinean. His famous
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  Speaker 1: tragedies of Esteire and Attalie were written at Madame de
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  Speaker 1: Mantinal's request for her special institution of Saint Cyr, and
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  Speaker 1: the performances were honored by the presence of the King.
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  Speaker 1: Racine himself directed the rehearsals, and the music was composed
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  Speaker 1: by Jean Baptiste Moreau, organist of Saint Cyr. The youthful
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  Speaker 1: actresses showed wonderful aptitude in interpreting the passionate, tender verses
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  Speaker 1: of the poet. Young imaginations worked, and jealousies and rivalries
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  Speaker 1: ran high. After a certain number of representations, Madame de
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  Speaker 1: Maintenon was obliged to suspend the performances in public with
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  Speaker 1: costumes and music. The plays were only given in private
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  Speaker 1: the Maison de Saint Cyr, the young scholars playing in
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  Speaker 1: the dress of the establishment. He made his peace with
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  Speaker 1: Poor Royal before he died. He submitted fedre to his
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  Speaker 1: former masters and had the satisfaction of being received again
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  Speaker 1: by the Grand Arnau footnote. Le grande Arnau Antoine one
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  Speaker 1: of the first and most influential of the celebrated Solitaires
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  Speaker 1: who established themselves at Poor Royal, and one of the
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  Speaker 1: founders of the famous sect of Janesonists, whose controversies with
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  Speaker 1: Jesuits convulsed the whole religious world in France during the
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  Speaker 1: years sixteen sixty two to sixteen sixty eight. He was
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  Speaker 1: followed in his retreat by his mother after the husband's death,
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  Speaker 1: his brother and four sisters, one of whom became the
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  Speaker 1: Mayor Angelique, Abbess of Poor Royal, who had been deeply
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  Speaker 1: offended by his ingratitude and his criticisms and ridicule of
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  Speaker 1: many of his early friends and protectors, he asked to
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  Speaker 1: be buried there, and his body remained until the destruction
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  Speaker 1: and devastation of poor Royal, when it was removed to
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  Speaker 1: Paris and placed in the church of Saint Etienne des Mont.
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  Speaker 1: He returned many times to La Ferte Milon, and the
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  Speaker 1: great poet and private historian of the Rois Oules must
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  Speaker 1: often have climbed the steep little street that leads to
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  Speaker 1: the ruins and thought of the changes since the little
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  Speaker 1: boy lay on the grass at the foot of the
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  Speaker 1: great walls, dreaming golden dreams of the future, which for
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  Speaker 1: him was so brilliantly realized. In a small country town
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  Speaker 1: one is slow to adopt new ideas, slower still to
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  Speaker 1: carry them out. But the Mayor and Curee were both
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  Speaker 1: most anxious to do something in the birthplace of the poet,
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  Speaker 1: and that was the general feeling in the department. After
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  Speaker 1: many discussion, we finally arrived at a solution, or at
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  Speaker 1: least we decided what we wanted. A special service in
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  Speaker 1: the fine old church of Notre Dame, which stands beautifully
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  Speaker 1: on the hill close to the Ruins, a representation of
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  Speaker 1: the Comedie Francais, and of course a banquet at the
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  Speaker 1: Sauvage with all the official world senators, prefe academician, a
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  Speaker 1: band of music, a torch like procession and as many
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  Speaker 1: distinguished visitors as we could get hold of. Funds, of course,
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  Speaker 1: were a necessary item, but all the countryside contributed largely,
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  Speaker 1: and we knew that the artists would give their services gratis.
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  Speaker 1: We arranged a breakfast at my house in Paris with
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  Speaker 1: the Monsieur Casimir Perier, late President of the Republic, who
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  Speaker 1: was always ready to lend his influence for anything that
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  Speaker 1: interests the people and teaches them something of their great men,
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  Speaker 1: and Monsieur Claretti, Directeur of the Comedie Francaise, a most cultivated,
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  Speaker 1: charming man. He is generally are the cherry of letting
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  Speaker 1: his ponsionaire play on Provence, but this really was an
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  Speaker 1: occasion to break through his rules, and he was quite
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  Speaker 1: ready to help us in every way. We had also
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  Speaker 1: Monsieur Seblin, Senator of the Anses, and the Abbe Marochel
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  Speaker 1: Curee of La Ferte Milon. We had wanted one of
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  Speaker 1: the administrators of the Cheman de fer Dunor to arrange
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  Speaker 1: about a free transport for the actors, but there seemed
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  Speaker 1: some trouble about getting hold of the right man, and
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  Speaker 1: Seblin promised to see about that. The Abbe Marichel and
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  Speaker 1: I were very ambitious for the theatrical part of the
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  Speaker 1: entertainment and had views of estere with the costumes and
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  Speaker 1: choruses of Moreaux, but Monsieur Clarti said that would be impossible.
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  Speaker 1: It was difficult enough to arrange in Paris with all
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  Speaker 1: the singers, instruments and costumes at hand, and would be
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  Speaker 1: impossible in the country with our modest resources. I think
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  Speaker 1: the idea of a tent on a village green rather
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  Speaker 1: frightened him, and he didn't quite see the elite of
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  Speaker 1: his company playing in such a cardre. No decorps and
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  Speaker 1: probably very bad acoustics. However, Sebline reassured him he knew
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  Speaker 1: the tent and its capabilities, having seen it figure on
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  Speaker 1: various occasions. Commisser Ricol Bonquete de pompiers at Village Fetes
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  Speaker 1: generally and said it could be arranged quite well. We
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  Speaker 1: discussed many programs, but finally accepted whatever Monsieur Clerty would
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  Speaker 1: give an act of Les plais d'ere and two or
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  Speaker 1: three of Berenice with Madame Bartais, who is charming in
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  Speaker 1: that role. The Abbe me Rochelle undertook the music in
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  Speaker 1: his church, and I was sure he would succeed in
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  Speaker 1: having some of the choruses of Esther. His heart was
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  Speaker 1: quite set on it. Once he had settled our program,
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  Speaker 1: the conversation drifted away from the purely local talk and
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  Speaker 1: was brilliant enough. All the men were clever and good talkers,
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  Speaker 1: and all well up in Racine his career and the
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  Speaker 1: various phases of his work. From the classics, we got
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  Speaker 1: into modern plays and poets, and there, of course the
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  Speaker 1: differences of opinion were wide. But I think the general
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  Speaker 1: public people in the upper galleries like better when they
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  Speaker 1: go to the Francais to see a classic piece Roman
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  Speaker 1: emperors and soldiers and vestal virgins and barbarians in chains,
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  Speaker 1: and to listen to their long tirades. The modern light comedy,
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  Speaker 1: even when it treats of the vital subjects of the day,
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  Speaker 1: seems less in its place in these old walls. I
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  Speaker 1: quite understand. One couldn't see Britannicus mithredat nor the Cid
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  Speaker 1: every evening. Footnote Britannicus, I remember so well our cousin
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  Speaker 1: Artur's description of his holidays spent at his grandmother's chateau.
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  Speaker 1: Every evening they read aloud some classical piece. When he
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  Speaker 1: had read Britannicus twice, the second time to appreciate more
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  Speaker 1: fully the beauties which were likely passed over at first,
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  Speaker 1: he rebelled, had a migrain or a sore throat, something
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  Speaker 1: which prevented his appearing in the drawing room after dinner,
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  Speaker 1: and he and his cousins attired themselves in sheets and
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  Speaker 1: stood on the corner of the wall, where the diligence
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  Speaker 1: made a sharp turn, frightening the driver and his horses
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  Speaker 1: out of their wits. We came down here several times
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  Speaker 1: to see how things were getting on, and always found
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  Speaker 1: the little town quite feverishly animated. We had succeeded in
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  Speaker 1: getting the band of the regiment stationed at Sooissan. I
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  Speaker 1: wrote to the colonel, who said he would send it
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  Speaker 1: with pleasure, but that he couldn't on his own authority.
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  Speaker 1: An application must be made to the Minister de la giere.
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  Speaker 1: There is always so much red tape. In France, one
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  Speaker 1: writes and receives so many letters about anything one wants
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  Speaker 1: to do. A Christmas tree in the schoolhouse, a distribution
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  Speaker 1: of soup for the poor and old, a turn in
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  Speaker 1: a road to be rounded, et cetera. However, the permission
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  Speaker 1: was graciously accorded for the band. The mayor's idea was
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  Speaker 1: to station it on the may where quantities of people
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  Speaker 1: would congregate who couldn't get into the church or the tent.
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  Speaker 1: We went one day to have tea with the Abbe
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  Speaker 1: Marichell in his nice old presbyterire, the salon opening out
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  Speaker 1: on to a large old fashioned garden with fine trees
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  Speaker 1: and a view of the church towers in the distance.
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  Speaker 1: He was quite pleased with all that he had arranged
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  Speaker 1: for his church service. One of his friends, Abbe Vignon,
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  Speaker 1: a most interesting man and eloquent preacher, promised to deliver
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  Speaker 1: a lecture on racine from the pulpit, and Monsieur Valsan Dandie,
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  Speaker 1: the distinguished composer and leader of the Modern School of Music,
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  Speaker 1: undertook the music, with Madame Jean Monnet as singer. He
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  Speaker 1: himself presiding at the organ. I tried to persuade the
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  Speaker 1: proprietors of all the chateau in the neighborhood to come,
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  Speaker 1: but I can't say I had much success. Some had gout,
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  Speaker 1: some had mourning. I don't remember if any one had
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  Speaker 1: married a wife and therefore couldn't come. However, we shall
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  Speaker 1: fill our own house and give breakfast and dinner to
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  Speaker 1: any one who will come. To day. We have been
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  Speaker 1: wandering about on the green near the ruins, trying to
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  Speaker 1: find some place where we can give our friends tea.
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  Speaker 1: The service in the church will certainly be long, and
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  Speaker 1: before the theatrical performance begins, we should like to arrange
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  Speaker 1: a little goute but where it is too far to
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  Speaker 1: go back to our house, and the Sauvage, our usual resort,
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  Speaker 1: will be packed on that day and quite off its head,
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  Speaker 1: as they have two banquets morning and evening. The Cafe
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  Speaker 1: de Rouen, a dirty little place just under the great
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  Speaker 1: walls of the chateau, didn't look inviting, but there was
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  Speaker 1: literally nothing else. So we interviewed the proprietor, went into
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  Speaker 1: the big room downstairs, which was perfectly impossible, reeking with
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  Speaker 1: smoke and smelling of cheap liquor. But he told us
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  Speaker 1: he had a tree belle sal upstairs, where we should
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  Speaker 1: be quite alone. We climbed up a dark, rickety little
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  Speaker 1: turning staircase and found ourselves in quite a good room,
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  Speaker 1: with three large windows on the green, the walls covered
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  Speaker 1: with pictures from the cheap illustrated papers, and on the
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  Speaker 1: whole not too dors We have taken it for the afternoon.
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  Speaker 1: Told the patron we would come tomorrow, put up tables
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  Speaker 1: and make as many preparations as we could for the
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  Speaker 1: great day. He was very anxious to furnish something some
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  Speaker 1: van dupay, but we told him all we wanted was fire,
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  Speaker 1: plenty of hot water, and a good scrubbing of floor
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  Speaker 1: and windows. It is enchanting this afternoon. We are taking
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  Speaker 1: advantage of the fine weather to drive about the country
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  Speaker 1: and show our friends some of our big farms and
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  Speaker 1: quaint little villages. They look exactly as they did a
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  Speaker 1: hundred years ago when the Cossacks were here. As they
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  Speaker 1: say in the country, some of the inns have still
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  Speaker 1: kept their old fashioned signs and names. Near Mai, on
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  Speaker 1: the road to mow Bossuet's fine old cathedral town, there
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  Speaker 1: is a nice old square red brick house Leberg duveaux
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  Speaker 1: Queitet the inn of the sucking calf, which certainly indicates
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  Speaker 1: that this is great farming country. There are quantities of
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  Speaker 1: big white oxen cows and horses in the fields, but
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  Speaker 1: the roads are solitary. One never meets anything except on
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  Speaker 1: market day. The Florian who live in Senne Marn, which
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  Speaker 1: is thickly populated, villages and chateau close together, were much
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  Speaker 1: struck with the loneliness and great stretches of wood and plain.
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  Speaker 1: We are praying for fine weather, as rain would be disastrous.
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  Speaker 1: The main street looks really charming. The green arch is
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  Speaker 1: nearly finished, and at night, when everything is illuminated, will
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  Speaker 1: be most effective. Twenty second It rained yesterday afternoon and
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  Speaker 1: all night. Not light April showers, but a good, steady downpour.
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: Francis and Contes de Gonteau arrived from Paris in his
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: little open automobile. Such a limp draggled female as emerged
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: from the little carriage I never saw. They had some
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  Speaker 1: sharp showers pan breakdowns too, and she says she pushed
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  Speaker 1: the carriage up all the hills. She didn't seem either
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  Speaker 1: tired or cross, and looked quite bright and rest did
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  Speaker 1: when she reappeared at dinner. Various friends arrived this morning
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  Speaker 1: and we have been in La Ferte all the afternoon.
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: The draperies and festoons of flowers don't look any the
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: worse for the heavy rain, and at least it is
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  Speaker 1: over and we shall probably have sun to morrow. The
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: tent is up on the green and looks fairly large.
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: I don't think anyone will see anything except in the
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: first eight or ten rows of chairs, but it seems
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  Speaker 1: they will all hear. The stage was being arranged, and
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: much to our amusement, they told us the empire chairs
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: and tables had been lent by the Abbe Marochelle. He
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: is a collexionneur and has some handsome furniture. We inspected
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: our tea room, which didn't look too bad. Our men
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: were there with tables, china, et cetera. And when it
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: is all arranged, we shall have quite a respectable bouffet.
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: The landlord was very anxious to decorate the tables with greens,
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: flags and perhaps a bust of Racine with a crown
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  Speaker 1: of laurels, but we told him it would be better
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  Speaker 1: not to complicate things. The view was lovely today from
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  Speaker 1: the top of the hill, the ruins looking enormous standing
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  Speaker 1: out against the bright blue sky, and soft and pink
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: at the top, where the outline was irregular, and the
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  Speaker 1: walls crumbling a little. We had some difficulty in collecting
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  Speaker 1: our party, and finally discovered Francis Contes de Gonteu and
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: Cristiani having chocolate and cakes in the back parlor of
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: the grocer's shop. Nothing like equality on these occasions. Who
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: was telling them all the little gossip of the town
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  Speaker 1: and naming the radicals who wouldn't go to the church.
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: We had a pleasant evening with music and baraque, which
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: is not very fatiguing as a mental exercise. I tried
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: to send all the party to bed early and have
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: come upstairs myself, but I still hear the click of
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: the billiard balls and sounds of merriment downstairs. It is
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  Speaker 1: a splendid, starlight night, the sky quite blue over the pines.
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: I think we shall have beautiful weather for ourfette. I
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: have very vague ideas as to how many people we
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: shall have for breakfast and dinner to morrow, but the
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: office is warned. I hope we sha'n't starve. April twenty fourth, Monday,
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: we had a beautiful and most successful day yesterday. All
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  Speaker 1: the household was stirring fairly early, as we had to
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  Speaker 1: get ourselves in to La Ferte before twelve o'clock. We
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: started in all sorts of conveyances, train, carriage, faiturette, and
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: found the Grand Rooux full of people. The official breakfast
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: was over, also the visit to the Marie, where there
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: are a few souvenirs of the poet, his picture, act
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: in naissance, footnote, birth certificate and signature. The procession was
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: just forming to climb up the steep little street that
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: leads to the church, so we took a short cut,
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: still steeper, and waited outside the doors to see them arrive.
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: It was a pretty sight to see the cortege wind
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: up the path, the Bishop of Sooissan and several other
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: ecclesiastics in their robes, black coated officials, some uniforms, the
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: whole escorted by groups of children running alongside, and a
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: fair sprinkling of women in light dresses with flowers on
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: their hats making patches of color. The church was crowded,
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: one didn't remark the absence of certain esprit four who
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: gloried in remaining outside and the service was most interesting.
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: The lecture, or rather eloge de Racine, was beautifully given
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: by the Abbe Vigno. It was not very easy for
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: a priest to pronounce from the pulpit a eulogium on
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: the poet and dramatic author who had strayed so far
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: from the paths of grace and the early teachings of
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: poor royal where the petty Racine had been looked upon
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: as a model pupil destined to rise high in the
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: ecclesiastical world. But the orator made us see, through the
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: somber tragedies of Fade, Britannicus and others, the fine nature
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: of the poet, who understood so humanly the passions that
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: tempt and warped the soul, and showed a spirit of
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: tolerance very remarkable in those days. Dwelt less upon the
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: courtier spoke more of the Christian of his last days.
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: He certainly lent to the charm of the poet the
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: beauty of his voice, for it was impossible to hear
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: anything more perfect than the intonation and diction of the speaker.
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: There was a short address from Monseigneur de ramacour Bishop
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: of Sooissan, a stately figure seated on the episcopal throne
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: in the chancel. The music was quite beautiful. We had
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: the famous Champeur de Saint Gervais and part of the
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: Cheur Ded'steer composed by Morreaux and sung in splendid style
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: by Madame Jean Monnet Monsieur vaisant Dandie accompanying on the organ.
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: The simple sixteenth century champ sung by the Saint Gervais
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: Choir sounded splendidly in the fine old cathedral. The tones
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: seemed fuller and richer than in their Paris church. We
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: went out a little before the end to see what
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: was going on on the green. It was still quite
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: a clime from the church, and all the people of
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: the upper town had turned out to see the sight.
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: It is quite a distinct population from the lower town.
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: They are all canal hands and mostly a very bad lot.
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: The men generally drink, not enough to be really intoxicated,
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: one rarely sees that in France, but enough to make
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: them quarrelsome, and the women almost all slatternly and idle.
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: They were standing at their doors, babies in their arms,
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: and troops of dirty, ragged, pretty little children playing on
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: the road and accompanying us to the green begging for umpetsous.
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: We saw the cortege winding down again, the robes and
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: banners of the clergy making a great effect, and we
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: heard in the distance the strains of the military band
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: stationed on the may echoes of the Marseilles and the
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: Pale l Avictoire, making a curious contrast to the old
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: world music we had just been listening to in the church.
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: Our party scattered. A little Francis went down to the
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: station with his otto to get the duc and Duchesse
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: d'l Bufera, who had promised to come for the commedie
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: and dinner. They are neighbors and have a beautiful place
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: not very far off Montebert, in the heart of the
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: Ville Coteret forest. He is a descendant of Sauchet, one
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: of Napoleon's marshals, and they have a fine picture of
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: the marshal in uniform and various souvenirs of the Emperor.
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: Francis had some difficulty in making his way through the
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: Grande Rue, which was packed with people very unwilling to
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: let any vehicle pass. However, they had a certain curiosity
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: about the little carriage, which is the first one to
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: appear in this part of the country, where one sees
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: only farmers gigs on two high wheels, or ratapissiere, a
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: covered carriage for one horse. However, as every one knew him,
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: they were good natured enough and let him pass, but
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: he could not get any further than the foot of
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: the street, too steep for any carriage to venture. It
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: was a pretty sight as we got to the place,
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: quantities of people walking about, many evident strangers seeing the
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: ruins for the first time. There was a band of
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: schoolboys about tea with a priest. Much excited. They wanted
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: to go in the tent and get good places, but
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: were afraid of missing something outside, and were making little
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: excursions in every direction, evidently rather worrying their director. The tent,
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: fairly large, looked small under the shadow of the great walls.
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: We looked in and found a good many people already
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: in their places, and saw that the first two or
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: three rows of red armchairs were being kept for the quality.
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: One of the sites was our two tall men standing
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: at the door of the rather dirty, dilapidated Cafe de Rouene,
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: piloting our friends past. The groups of workmen smoking and
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: drinking in the porch, and up the dark, rickety staircase.
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: I don't think anyone would have had the courage to
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: go up if Henrietta hadn't led the way. Once up,
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: the effect of our banqueting hall was not bad. The
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: servants had made it look very well, with china and
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: silver brought from the house. Also three or four fresh
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: pictures taken from the illustrated papers to cover those which
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: which already existed and which looked rather the worse for
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: smoke and damp. We were actually obliged to cover General
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: Boulangeais and his famous black charger with a Bois de
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: Boulogne le Matine, with carriages, riders, bicycles, pretty women and
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: children strolling about. The view from the windows was charming,
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: and it was amusing to watch all the people toiling
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: up the path. We recognized many friends and made frantic
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: signs to them to come and have tea. We had
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: about three quarters of an hour before the commedie began,
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: and when we got to the tent it was crowded.
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: All the dignitaries, Bishop, prefe, Senator, Deputy. He didn't object
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: to the theatrical performance Monsieur Rousay, academicien Monsieur Rougon, director
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: de Beauzar, sitting in the front row in their red
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: armchairs and making quite as much of a show for
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: the villagers as the actors. The performance began with the
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: third act of Les plaisd'eurg, played with extreme ra ordinary
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: entran There were roars of laughter all through the sal
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: or tent, none more amused than the band of schoolboys,
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: and their youthful enjoyment was quite contagious. People turned to
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: look at them, and it was evident that if they
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: didn't see, they heard, as they never missed a point,
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: probably knew it all by heart. Then came a recitation
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: by Mademoiselle Moreno, who looked and spoke like a tragic muse,
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: the remorse and suffering of fad the end of the performance.
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: The two last acts of Bernice was enchanting. Madame Barteil
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: looked charming in her floating blue draperies and was the
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: incarnation of the resigned, poetic, loving woman. Poor Mounet was
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: a grand, somber, passionate Titus, torn between his love for
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: the beautiful queen and his duty as a Roman to
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: choose only one of his own people to share his
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: throne and honors. The Roman Senate was an all powerful body,
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: and a woman's love too slight a thing to oppose
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: to it. Bartel was charming all through, either in her
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: long plan to her confidante, where one felt that in
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: spite of her repeated assurances of her lover's tenderness, there
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: was always the doubt of the emperor's faith, or in
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: her interviews with Titus, reproaching him and adoring him with
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: all the magic of her voice and smile. It was
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: a triumph for them both and their splendid talent. With
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: no decors, no room, no scenic illusions of any kind,
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: they held their audience enthralled. No one minded the heat,
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: nor the crowd, nor the uncomfortable seats, and all were
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: sorry when the well known lines said by Madame Bartais
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: in her beautiful, clear pathetic voice Servant toutois, the example
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: a lleuniverse de la mare, la plutentre e la pleu
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: malarse dnte cuiscarde listoi du l'orse brought to a close
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: the fierce struggle between love and ambition. As soon as
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: it was over, I went with Cebline to Compli the actors.
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: We found Barteis not in her dressing room, but standing outside,
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: still in her costume, very busy photographing Mounet, superb as
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: a Roman emperor. He was posing most impatiently, watching the
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: sun slowly sinking behind the ruins, as he wanted to
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: photograph Bernice before the light failed and the time was short.
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: They were surrounded by an admiring crowd, the children much
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: interested in the beautiful lady with the stars all over
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: her dress. We waited a few moments and had a
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: little talk with them. They said the fete had interested
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: them very much, and they were very glad to have come.
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: They were rather taken aback at first when they saw
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: the tent, the low, small stage, and the very elementary scenery.
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: Were afraid the want of space would bother them, but
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: they soon felt that they held their audience and that
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: their voices carried perfectly. They were rather hurried, as they
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: were all taking the train back to Paris, except Barteis,
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: who had promised to stay for the banquet. I had
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: half hoped she would come to me, but of course
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: I was obliged to waive my claim when I saw
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: how much the prefe and the official world held to
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: having her. When I heard afterwards that she had had
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: the seat of honor next to the bishop, I was
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: glad I hadn't insisted, as she certainly doesn't often have
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: the opportunity of sitting next to a bishop. It seems
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: he was delighted with her. We loitered about some little time,
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: talking to all our friends. The view from the terrace
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: was beautiful. Directly at our feet the little town, which
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: is literally two streets forming a long cross, the Grand Rieux,
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: a streak of light and color, filled with people moving about,
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: and the air alive with laughter and music. Just beyond
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: the long stretches of green pasture lands cut every now
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: and then by narrow lanes with apple trees and hawthorn
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: in flower, and the canal winding along between the green
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: walls of poplars, the whole hemmed in by the dark
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: blue line of the villers Cotteret Forest, which makes a
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: grand sweep on the horizon. It was lovely driving back
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: to Marais toward the bright sunset clouds. We had a
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: gay dinner and evening. I never dared ask where the
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: various men dressed who came to dinner. The house is
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: not very large, and every room was occupied, but as
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: they all appeared most correctly attired. I suppose there are
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: resources in the way of Langerie and fau Mois which
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: are available at such times, and Francis's Valet de champbre
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: is so accustomed to having more people than the house
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: can hold that he probably took his precautions. Francis started
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: off for the banquet at the Sauvage in his waturette,
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: but that long suffering vehicle, having made hundreds of kilometre
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: these last days, came to grief at the foot of
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: La Montaigne de Maroil, and he was towed back by
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: a friendly carter and arrived much disgusted. When we were
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: half through dinner, we heard all the details of the
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: dinner from the Abbe ma Rochelle. Certainly the banqueting hall
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: of the Sauvage will not soon again see such a
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: brilliant assembly. Madame Bartis was the queen of the fete
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: and sat between the bishop and the Brefe. There were
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: some pretty speeches from Monsieur Enreussay, Monsieur Rujean, and of
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: course the toast of the President, accompanied by the Marseilles
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: The departure to the train was most amusing all the swells,
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: including Bartis walking in the Cortege, escorted by a torchlight
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: procession and surrounded by the entire population of La Ferte.
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: The Grand Rux was illuminated from one end to the
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: other red Bengal lights, throwing out splendidly the grand Old
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: Chateau and the towers of Notre Dame. End of Section fourteen.