a little tour in france-第27章

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To　say　that　I　found　any　traces　of　the　siege　would　be　to　misrepresent　the　taste　for　vivid　whitewash　by　which　La　Rochelle　is　distinguished　to…day。　　The　only　trace　is　the　dent　in　the　marble　top　of　the　table　on　which；　in　the　_hotel　de　ville_；　Jean　Guiton；　the　mayor　of　the　city；　brought　down　his　dagger　with　an　oath；　when　in　1628　the　vessels　and　regiments　of　Richelieu　closed　about　it　on　sea　and　land。　　This　terrible　functionary　was　the　soul　of　the　resistance；　he　held　out　from　February　to　October；　in　the　midst　of　pestilence　and　famine。　　The　whole　episode　has　a　brilliant　place　among　the　sieges　of　history；　it　has　been　related　a　hundred　times；　and　I　may　only　glance　at　it　and　pass。　I　limit　my　ambition；　in　these　light　pages；　to　speaking　of　those　things　of　which　I　have　personally　received　an　impression；　and　I　have　no　such　impression　of　the　defence　of　La　Rochelle。　　The　hotel　de　ville　is　a　pretty　little　building；　in　the　style　of　the　Renaissance　of　Francis　I。；　but　it　has　left　much　of　its　interest　in　the　hands　of　the　restorers。　　It　has　been　〃done　up〃　without　mercy；　its　natural　place　would　be　at　Rochelle　the　New。　　A　sort　of　battlemented　curtain；　flanked　with　turrets；　divides　it　from　the　street　and　contains　a　low　door　（a　low　door　in　a　high　wall　is　always　felicitous）；　which　admits　you　to　an　inner　court；　where　you　discover　the　face　of　the　building。　　It　has　statues　set　into　it；　and　is　raised　upon　a　very　low　and　very　deep　arcade。　　The　principal　function　of　the　deferential　old　portress　who　conducts　you　over　the　place　is　to　call　your　attention　to　the　indented　table　of　Jean　Guiton；　but　she　shows　you　other　objects　of　interest　besides。　The　interior　is　absolutely　new　and　extremely　sump…　tuous；　abounding　in　tapestries；　upholstery；　morocco；　velvet；　satin。　　This　is　especially　the　case　with　a　really　beautiful　_grande　salle_；　where；　surrdunded　with　the　most　expensive　upholstery；　the　mayor　holds　his　official　receptions。　　（So　at　least；　said　my　worthy　portress。）　The　mayors　of　La　Rochelle　appear　to　have　changed　a　good　deal　since　the　days　of　the　grim　Guiton；　but　these　evidences　of　municipal　splendor　are　interesting　for　the　light　they　throw　on　French　manners。　　Imagine　the　mayor　of　an　English　or　an　American　town　of　twenty　thousand　inhabitants　holding　magisterial　soirees　in　the　town…hall！　　The　said　_grande　salle_；　which　is　un…　changed　in　form　and　its　larger　features；　is；　I　believe；　the　room　in　which　the　Rochelais　debated　as　to　whether　they　should　shut　themselves　up；　and　decided　in　the　affirmative。　　The　table　and　chair　of　Jean　Guiton　have　been　restored；　Iike　everything　else；　and　are　very　elegant　and　coquettish　pieces　of　furniture；　…　incongruous　relics　of　a　season　of　starvation　and　blood。　　I　believe　that　Protestantism　is　somewhat　shrunken　to…day　at　La　Rochelle；　and　has　taken　refuge　mainly　in。　the　_haute　societe_　and　in　a　single　place　of　worship。　　There　was　nothing　particular　to　remind　me　of　its　supposed　austerity　as；　after　leaving　the　hotel　de　ville；　I　walked　along　the　empty　portions　and　cut　out　of　the　Tour　de　l'Horloge；　which　I　have　already　mentioned。　　If　I　stopped　and　looked　up　at　this　venerable　monument；　it　was　not　to　ascertain　the　hour；　for　I　foresaw　that　I　should　have　more　time　at　La　Rochelle　than　I　knew　what　to　do　with；　but　because　its　high；　gray；　weather…beaten　face　was　an　obvious　subject　for　a　sketch。　The　little　port；　which　has　two　basins；　and　is　ac…　cessible　only　to　vessels　of　light　tonnage；　had　a　certain　gayety　and　as　much　local　color　as　you　please。　　Fisher　folk　of　pictuesque　type　were　strolling　about；　most　of　them　Bretons；　several　of　the　men　with　handsome；　simple　faces；　not　at　all　brutal；　and　with　a　splendid　brownness；　…　the　golden…brown　color；　on　cheek　and　beard；　that　you　see　on　an　old　Venetian　sail。　　It　was　a　squally；　showery　day；　with　sudden　drizzles　of　sun…　shine；　rows　of　rich…toned　fishing…smacks　were　drawn　up　along　the　quays。　　The　harbor　is　effective　to　the　eye　by　reason　of　three　battered　old　towers　which；　at　different　points；　overhang　it　and　look　infinitely　weather…　washed　and　sea…silvered。　　The　most　striking　of　these；　the　Tour　de　la　Lanterne；　is　a　big　gray　mass；　of　the　fifteenth　century；　flanked　with　turrets　and　crowned　with　a　Gothic　steeple。　　I　found　it　was　called　by　the　people　of　the　place　the　Tour　des　Quatre　Sergents；　though　I　know　not　what　connection　it　has　with　the　touching　history　of　the　four　young　sergeants　of　the　garrison　of　La　Rochelle；　who　were　arrested　in　1821　as　conspirators　against　the　Government　of　the　Bour…　bons；　and　executed；　amid　general　indignation；　in　Paris　in　the　following　year。　　The　quaint　little　walk；　with　its　label　of　Rue　sur　les　Murs；　to　which　one　ascends　from　beside　the　Grosse　Horloge；　leads　to　this　curious　Tour　de　la　Lanterne　and　passes　under　it。　　This　walk　has　the　top　of　the　old　town…wall；　toward　the　sea；　for　a　parapet　on　one　side；　and　is　bordered　on　the　other　with　decent　but　irregular　little　tenements　of　fishermen；　where　brown　old　women；　whose　caps　are　as　white　as　if　they　were　painted；　seem　chiefly　in　possession。　　In　this　direction　there　is　a　very　pretty　stretch　of　shore；　out　of　the　town；　through　the　fortifications　（which　are　Vauban's；　by　the　way）；　through；　also；　a　diminutive　public　garden　or　straggling　shrubbery；　which　edges　the　water　and　carries　its　stunted　verdure　as　far　as　a　big　Etablissernent　des　Bains。　　It　was　too　late　in　the　year　to　bathe；　and　the　Etablissement　had　the　bank…　rupt　aspect　which　belongs　to　such　places　out　of　the　season；　so　I　turned　my　back　upon　it；　and　gained；　by　a　circuit　in　the　course　of　which　there　were　sundry　water…side　items　to　observe；　the　other　side　of　the　cheery　little　port；　where　there　is　a　long　breakwater　and　a　still　longer　sea…wall；　on　which　I　walked　awhile；　to　inhale　the　strong；　salt　breath　of　the　Bay　of　Biscay。　La　Rochelle　serves；　in　the　months　of　July　and　August；　as　a　_station　de　bains_　for　a　modest　provincial　society；　and；　putting　aside　the　question　of　inns；　it　must　be　charming　on　summer　afternoons。



XVII。

It　is　an　injustice　to　Poitiers　to　approach　her　by　night；　as　I　did　some　three　hours　after　leaving　La　Rochelle；　for　what　Poitiers　has　of　best；　as　they　would　say　at　Poitiers；　is　the　appearance　she　presents　to　the　arriving　stranger　who　puts　his　head　out　of　the　window　of　the　train。　　I　gazed　into　the　gloom　from　such　an　aperture　before　we　got　into　the　station；　for　I　re…　membered　the　impression　received　on　another　occa…　sion；　but　I　saw　nothing　save　the　universal　night；　spotted　here　and　there　with　an　ugly　railway　lamp。　It　was　only　as　I　departed；　the　following　day；　that　I　assured　myself　that　Poitiers　still　makes　something　of　the　figure　she　ought　on　the　summit　of　her　consider…　able　bill。　　I　have　a　kindness　for　any　little　group　of　towers；　any　cluster　of　roofs　and　chimneys；　that　lift　themselves　from　an　eminence　over　which　a　long　road　ascends　in　zigzags；　such　a　picture　creates　for　the　mo…　ment　a　presumption　that　you　are　in　Italy；　and　even　leads　you　to　believe　that　if　you　mount　the　winding　road　you　will　come　to　an　old　town…wall；　an　expanse　of　creviced　brownness；　and　pass　under　a　gateway　sur…　mounted　by　the　arms　of　a　mediaeval　despot。　　Why　I　should　find　it　a　pleasure；　in　France；　to　imagine　my…　self　in　Italy；　is　more　than　I　can　say；　the　illusion　has　never　lasted　long　enough　to　be　analyzed。　　From　t