a bundle of letters-第3部分

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place；　where　we　have　been　for　about　a　week。　　I　was　sure；　before　we

came；　that　it　would　prove　to　be　an　establishment　of　the　LOWEST

DESCRIPTION；　but　I　must　say　that；　in　this　respect；　I　am　agreeably

disappointed。　　The　French　are　so　clever　that　they　know　even　how　to

manage　a　place　of　this　kind。　　Of　course　it　is　very　disagreeable　to

live　with　strangers；　but　as；　after　all；　if　I　were　not　staying　with

Madame　de　Maisonrouge　I　should　not　be　living　in　the　Faubourg　St。

Germain；　I　don't　know　that　from　the　point　of　view　of　exclusiveness　it

is　any　great　loss　to　be　here。



Our　rooms　are　very　prettily　arranged；　and　the　table　is　remarkably

good。　　Mamma　thinks　the　whole　thingthe　place　and　the　people；　the

manners　and　customsvery　amusing；　but　mamma　is　very　easily　amused。

As　for　me；　you　know；　all　that　I　ask　is　to　be　let　alone；　and　not　to

have　people's　society　forced　upon　me。　　I　have　never　wanted　for

society　of　my　own　choosing；　and；　so　long　as　I　retain　possession　of　my

faculties；　I　don't　suppose　I　ever　shall。　　As　I　said；　however；　the

place　is　very　well　managed；　and　I　succeed　in　doing　as　I　please；

which；　you　know；　is　my　most　cherished　pursuit。　　Madame　de　Maisonrouge

has　a　great　deal　of　tactmuch　more　than　poor　father。　　She　is　what

they　call　here　a　belle　femme；　which　means　that　she　is　a　tall；　ugly

woman；　with　style。　　She　dresses　very　well；　and　has　a　great　deal　of

talk；　but；　though　she　is　a　very　good　imitation　of　a　lady；　I　never　see

her　behind　the　dinner…table；　in　the　evening；　smiling　and　bowing；　as

the　people　come　in；　and　looking　all　the　while　at　the　dishes　and　the

servants；　without　thinking　of　a　dame　de　comptoir　blooming　in　a　corner

of　a　shop　or　a　restaurant。　　I　am　sure　that；　in　spite　of　her　fine

name；　she　was　once　a　dame　de　comptoir。　　I　am　also　sure　that；　in　spite

of　her　smiles　and　the　pretty　things　she　says　to　every　one；　she　hates

us　all；　and　would　like　to　murder　us。　　She　is　a　hard；　clever

Frenchwoman；　who　would　like　to　amuse　herself　and　enjoy　her　Paris；　and

she　must　be　bored　to　death　at　passing　all　her　time　in　the　midst　of

stupid　English　people　who　mumble　broken　French　at　her。　　Some　day　she

will　poison　the　soup　or　the　vin　rouge；　but　I　hope　that　will　not　be

until　after　mother　and　I　shall　have　left　her。　　She　has　two　daughters；

who；　except　that　one　is　decidedly　pretty；　are　meagre　imitations　of

herself。



The　〃family；〃　for　the　rest；　consists　altogether　of　our　beloved

compatriots；　and　of　still　more　beloved　Englanders。　　There　is　an

Englishman　here；　with　his　sister；　and　they　seem　to　be　rather　nice

people。　　He　is　remarkably　handsome；　but　excessively　affected　and

patronising；　especially　to　us　Americans；　and　I　hope　to　have　a　chance

of　biting　his　head　off　before　long。　　The　sister　is　very　pretty；　and；

apparently；　very　nice；　but；　in　costume；　she　is　Britannia　incarnate。

There　is　a　very　pleasant　little　Frenchmanwhen　they　are　nice　they

are　charmingand　a　German　doctor；　a　big　blonde　man；　who　looks　like　a

great　white　bull；　and　two　Americans；　besides　mother　and　me。　　One　of

them　is　a　young　man　from　Boston；an　aesthetic　young　man；　who　talks

about　its　being　〃a　real　Corot　day；〃　etc。；　and　a　young　womana　girl；

a　female；　I　don't　know　what　to　call　herfrom　Vermont；　or　Minnesota；

or　some　such　place。　　This　young　woman　is　the　most　extraordinary

specimen　of　artless　Yankeeism　that　I　ever　encountered；　she　is　really

too　horrible。　　I　have　been　three　times　to　Clementine　about　your

underskirt；　etc。







CHAPTER　IV







FROM　LOUIS　LEVERETT；　IN　PARIS；　TO　HARVARD　TREMONT；　IN　BOSTON。



September　25th。



My　dear　HarvardI　have　carried　out　my　plan；　of　which　I　gave　you　a

hint　in　my　last；　and　I　only　regret　that　I　should　not　have　done　it

before。　　It　is　human　nature；　after　all；　that　is　the　most　interesting

thing　in　the　world；　and　it　only　reveals　itself　to　the　truly　earnest

seeker。　　There　is　a　want　of　earnestness　in　that　life　of　hotels　and

railroad　trains；　which　so　many　of　our　countrymen　are　content　to　lead

in　this　strange　Old　World；　and　I　was　distressed　to　find　how　far　I；

myself；　had　been　led　along　the　dusty；　beaten　track。　　I　had；　however；

constantly　wanted　to　turn　aside　into　more　unfrequented　ways；　to

plunge　beneath　the　surface　and　see　what　I　should　discover。　　But　the

opportunity　had　always　been　missing；　somehow；　I　never　meet　those

opportunities　that　we　hear　about　and　read　aboutthe　things　that

happen　to　people　in　novels　and　biographies。　　And　yet　I　am　always　on

the　watch　to　take　advantage　of　any　opening　that　may　present　itself；　I

am　always　looking　out　for　experiences；　for　sensationsI　might　almost

say　for　adventures。



The　great　thing　is　to　LIVE；　you　knowto　feel；　to　be　conscious　of

one's　possibilities；　not　to　pass　through　life　mechanically　and

insensibly；　like　a　letter　through　the　post…office。　　There　are　times；

my　dear　Harvard；　when　I　feel　as　if　I　were　really　capable　of

everythingcapable　de　tout；　as　they　say　hereof　the　greatest

excesses　as　well　as　the　greatest　heroism。　　Oh；　to　be　able　to　say　that

one　has　livedqu'on　a　vecu；　as　they　say　herethat　idea　exercises　an

indefinable　attraction　for　me。　　You　will；　perhaps；　reply；　it　is　easy

to　say　it；　but　the　thing　is　to　make　people　believe　you！　　And；　then；　I

don't　want　any　second…hand；　spurious　sensations；　I　want　the　knowledge

that　leaves　a　tracethat　leaves　strange　scars　and　stains　and

reveries　behind　it！　　But　I　am　afraid　I　shock　you；　perhaps　even

frighten　you。



If　you　repeat　my　remarks　to　any　of　the　West　Cedar　Street　circle；　be

sure　you　tone　them　down　as　your　discretion　will　suggest。　　For

yourself；　you　will　know　that　I　have　always　had　an　intense　desire　to

see　something　of　REAL　FRENCH　LIFE。　　You　are　acquainted　with　my　great

sympathy　with　the　French；　with　my　natural　tendency　to　enter　into　the

French　way　of　looking　at　life。　　I　sympathise　with　the　artistic


temperament；　I　remember　you　used　sometimes　to　hint　to　me　that　you

thought　my　own　temperament　too　artistic。　　I　don't　think　that　in

Boston　there　is　any　real　sympathy　with　the　artistic　temperament；　we

tend　to　make　everything　a　matter　of　right　and　wrong。　　And　in　Boston

one　can't　LIVEon　ne　peut　pas　vivre；　as　they　say　here。　　I　don't　mean

one　can't　residefor　a　great　many　people　manage　that；　but　one　can't

live　aestheticallyI　may　almost　venture　to　say；　sensuously。　　This　is

why　I　have　always　been　so　much　drawn　to　the　French；　who　are　so

aesthetic；　so　sensuous。　　I　am　so　sorry　that　Theophile　Gautier　has

passed　away；　I　should　have　liked　so　much　to　go　and　see　him；　and　tell

him　all　that　I　owe　him。　　He　was　living　when　I　was　here　before；　but；

you　know；　at　that　time　I　was　travelling　with　the　Johnsons；　who　are

not　aesthetic；　and　who　used　to　make　me　feel　rather　ashamed　of　my

artistic　temperament。　　If　I　had　gone　to　see　the　great　apostle　of

beauty；　I　should　have　had　to　go　clandestinelyen　cachette；　as　they

say　here；　and　that　is　not　my　nature；　I　like　to　do　everything　frankly；

freely；　naivement；　au　grand　jour。　　That　is　the　great　thingto　be

free；　to　be　frank；　to　be　naif。　　Doesn't　Matthew　Arnold　say　that

somewhereor　is　it　Swinburne；　or　Pater？



When　I　was　with　the　Johnsons　everything　was　superficial；　and；　as

regards　life；　everything　was　brought　down　to　the　question　of　right

and　wrong。　　They　were　too　didactic；　art　should　never　be　didactic；　and

what　is　life　but　an　art？　　Pater　has　said　that　so　well；　somewhere。

With　the　Johnsons　I　am　afraid　I　lost　many　opportunities；　the　tone　was

gray　and　cottony；　I　might　almost　say　woolly。　　But　now；　as　I　tell　you；

I　have　determined　to　take　right　hold　for　myself；　to　look　right　into

European　life；　and　judge　it　without　Johnsonian　prejudices。　　I　have

taken　up　my　residence　in　a　French　family；　in　a　real　Parisian　house。

You　see　I　have　the　courage　of　my　opinions；　I　don't　shrink　from

carrying　out　my　theory　that　the　great　thing　is　to　LIVE。



You　know　I　have　always　been　intensely　interested　in　Balzac；　who　never

shrank　from　the　reality；　and　whose　almost　LURID　pictures　of　Parisian

life　have　often　haunted　me　in　my　wanderings　through　the　old　wicked…

looking　streets　on　the　other　side　of　the　river。　　I　am　only　sorry　that

my　new　friendsmy　French　familydo　not　live　in　the　old　cityau

coeur　du　vieux　Paris；　as　they　say　here。　　They　live　only　in　the

Boulevard　Haussman；　which　is　less　picturesque；　but　in　spite　of　this

they　have　a　great　deal　of　the　Balzac　tone。　　Madame　de　Maisonrouge

belongs　to　one　of　the　oldest　and　proudest　families　in　France；　but　she

has　had　reverses　which　have　compelled　her　to　open　an　establishment　in

which　a　limited　number　of　travellers；　who　are　weary　of　the　beaten

track；　who　have　the　sense　of　local　colourshe　explains　it　herself；

she　expresses　it　so　wellin　short；　to　open　a　sort　of　boarding…house。

I　don't　see　why　I　should　not；　after　all；　use　that　expression；　for　it

is　the　correlative　of　the　term　pension　bourgeoise；　employed　by　Balzac

in　the　Pere　Goriot。　　Do　you　remember　the　pension　bourgeoise　of　Madame

Vauquer　nee　de　Conflans？　　But　this　establishment　is　not　at　all　like

that：　　and　indeed　it　is　not　at　all　bourgeois；　there　is　something

distinguished；　something　aristocratic；　about　it。　　The　Pension　Vauquer

was　dark；　brown；　sordid；　graisseuse；　but　this　is　in　quite　a　different

tone；　with　high；　clear；　lightly…draped　windows；　tender；　subtle；

almost　morbid；　colours；　and　furniture　in　elegant；　studied；　reed…like

lines。　　Madame　de　Maisonrouge　reminds　me　of　Madame　Hulotdo　you

remember　〃la　belle　Madame　Hulot？〃in　Les　Barents　Pauvres。　　She　has　a

great　charm；　a　little　artificial；　a　little　fatigued；　with　a　little

suggestion　of　hidden　things　in　her　life；　but　I　have　always　been

sensitive　to　the　charm　of　fatigue；　of　duplicity。



I　am　rather　disappointed；　I　confess；　in　the　society　I　find　here；　it

is　not　so　local；　so　characteristic；　as　I　could　have　desired。　　Indeed；

to　tell　the　truth；　it　is　not　local　at　all；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　it

is　cosmopolitan；　and　there　is　a　great　advantage　in　that。　　We　are

French；　we　are　English；　we　are　American；　we　are　German；　and；　I

believe；