cambridge pieces-第3部分

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caleche　jolts　a　little；　and　the　horse　is　decidedly　shabby；　both　qua
horse　and　qua　harness；　but　our　moustaches　are　growing；　and　our
general　appearance　is　in　keeping。　　The　wine　was　very　pleasant　at
Grenoble；　and　we　have　a　pound　of　ripe　cherries　between　us；　so；　on
the　whole；　we　would　not　change　with　his　Royal　Highness　Prince　Albert
or　all　the　Royal　Family；　and　jolt　on　through　the　long　straight
poplar　avenue　that　colonnades　the　road　above　the　level　swamp　and
beneath　the　hills；　and　turning　a　sharp　angle　enter　Vizille；　a
wretched　place；　only　memorable　because　from　this　point　we　begin
definitely；　though　slowly；　to　enter　the　hills　and　ascend　by　the　side
of　the　Romanche　through　the　valley；　which　that　river　either　made　or
foundwho　knows　or　cares？　　But　we　do　know　very　well　that　we　are
driving　up　a　very　exquisitely　beautiful　valley；　that　the　Romanche
takes　longer　leaps　from　rock　to　rock　than　she　did；　that　the　hills
have　closed　in　upon　us；　that　we　see　more　snow　each　time　the　valley
opens；　that　the　villages　get　scantier；　and　that　at　last　a　great
giant　iceberg　walls　up　the　way　in　front；　and　we　feast　our　eyes　on
the　long…desired　sight　till　after　that　the　setting　sun　has　tinged　it
purple　（a　sure　sign　of　a　fine　day）；　its　ghastly　pallor　shows　us　that
the　night　is　upon　us。　　It　is　cold；　and　we　are　not　sorry　at　half…past
nine　to　find　ourselves　at　Bourg　d'Oisans；　where　there　is　a　very　fair
inn　kept　by　one　Martin；　we　get　a　comfortable　supper　of　eggs　and　go
to　bed　fairly　tired。

This　we　must　remind　the　reader　is　Thursday　night；　on　Tuesday　morning
we　left　London；　spent　one　day　in　Paris；　and　are　now　sleeping　among
the　Alps；　sharpish　work；　but　very　satisfactory；　and　a　prelude　to
better　things　by　and　by。　　The　next　day　we　made　rather　a　mistake；
instead　of　going　straight　on　to　Briancon　we　went　up　a　valley　towards
Mont　Pelvoux　（a　mountain　nearly　14；000　feet　high）；　intending　to
cross　a　high　pass　above　La　Berarde　down　to　Briancon；　but　when　we　got
to　St。　Christophe　we　were　told　the　pass　would　not　be　open　till
August；　so　returned　and　slept　a　second　night　at　Bourg　d'Oisans。　　The
valley；　however；　was　all　that　could　be　desired；　mingled　sun　and
shadow；　tumbling　river；　rich　wood；　and　mountain　pastures；　precipices
all　around；　and　snow…clad　summits　continually　unfolding　themselves；
Murray　is　right　in　calling　the　valley　above　Venosc　a　scene　of　savage
sterility。　　At　Venosc；　in　the　poorest　of　hostelries　was　a　tuneless
cracked　old　instrument；　half　piano；　half　harpsichordhow　it　ever
found　its　way　there　we　were　at　a　loss　to　conceiveand　an　irrelevant
clock　that　struck　seven　times　by　fits　and　starts　at　its　own
convenience　during　our　one　o'clock　dinner；　we　returned　to　Bourg
d'Oisans　at　seven；　and　were　in　bed　by　nine。

Saturday；　June　13。

Having　found　that　a　conveyance　to　Briancon　was　beyond　our　finances；
and　that　they　would　not　take　us　any　distance　at　a　reasonable　charge；
we　determined　to　walk　the　whole　fifty　miles　in　the　day；　and　half…way
down　the　mountains；　sauntering　listlessly　accordingly　left　Bourg
d'Oisans　at　a　few　minutes　before　five　in　the　morning。　　The　clouds
were　floating　over　the　uplands；　but　they　soon　began　to　rise；　and
before　seven　o'clock　the　sky　was　cloudless；　along　the　road　were
passing　hundreds　of　people　（though　it　was　only　five　in　the　morning）
in　detachments　of　from　two　to　nine；　with　cattle；　sheep；　pigs；　and
goats；　picturesque　enough　but　miserably　lean　and　gaunt：　　we　leave
them　to　proceed　to　the　fair；　and　after　a　three　miles'　level　walk
through　a　straight　poplar　avenue；　commence　ascending　far　above　the
Romanche；　all　day　long　we　slowly　ascend；　stopping　occasionally　to
refresh　ourselves　with　vin　ordinaire　and　water；　but　making　steady
way　in　the　main；　though　heavily　weighted　and　under　a　broiling　sun；
at　one　we　reach　La　Grave；　which　is　opposite　the　Mont　de　Lans；　a　most
superb　mountain。　　The　whole　scene　equal　to　anything　in　Switzerland；
as　far　as　the　mountains　go。　　The　Mont　de　Lans　is　opposite　the
windows；　seeming　little　more　than　a　stone's　throw　off；　and　causing
my　companion　（whose　name　I　will；　with　his　permission；　Italianise
into　that　of　the　famous　composer　Giuseppe　Verdi）　to　think　it　a　mere
nothing　to　mount　to　the　top　of　those　sugared　pinnacles　which　he　will
not　believe　are　many　miles　distant　in　reality。　　After　dinner　we
trudge　on；　the　scenery　constantly　improving；　the　snow　drawing　down
to　us；　and　the　Romanche　dwindling　hourly；　we　reach　the　top　of　the
Col　du　Lautaret；　which　Murray　must　describe；　I　can　only　say　that　it
is　first…class　scenery。　　The　flowers　are　splendid；　acres　and　acres
of　wild　narcissus；　the　Alpine　cowslip；　gentians；　large　purple　and
yellow　anemones；　soldanellas；　and　the　whole　kith　and　kin　of　the　high
Alpine　pasture　flowers；　great　banks　of　snow　lie　on　each　side　of　the
road；　and　probably　will　continue　to　do　so　till　the　middle　of　July；
while　all　around　are　glaciers　and　precipices　innumerable。

We　only　got　as　far　as　Monetier　after　all；　for；　reaching　that　town　at
half…past　eight；　and　finding　that　Briancon　was　still　eight　miles
further　on；　we　preferred　resting　there　at　the　miserable　but　cheap
and　honest　Hotel　de　l'Europe；　had　we　gone　on　a　little　farther　we
should　have　found　a　much　better　one；　but　we　were　tired　with　our
forty…two　miles'　walk；　and；　after　a　hasty　supper　and　a　quiet　pipe；
over　which　we　watch　the　last　twilight　on　the　Alps　above　Briancon；　we
turn　in　very　tired　but　very　much　charmed。

Sunday　morning　was　the　clearest　and　freshest　morning　that　ever
tourists　could　wish　for；　the　grass　crisply　frozen　（for　we　are　some
three　or　four　thousand　feet　above　the　sea）；　the　glaciers　descending
to　a　level　but　little　higher　than　the　road；　a　fine　range　of　Alps　in
front　over　Briancon；　and　the　road　winding　down　past　a　new　river　（for
we　have　long　lost　the　Romanche）　towards　the　town；　which　is　some　six
or　seven　miles　distant。

It　was　a　fetethe　Fete　du　bon　Dieu；　celebrated　annually　on　this　day
throughout　all　this　part　of　the　country；　in　all　the　villages　there
were　little　shrines　erected；　adorned　with　strings　of　blue
corncockle；　narcissus　heads；　and　poppies；　bunches　of　green；　pink；
and　white　calico；　moss　and　fir…tree　branches；　and　in　the　midst　of
these　tastefully　arranged　bowers　was　an　image　of　the　Virgin　and　her
Son；　with　whatever　other　saints　the　place　was　possessed　of。

At　Briancon；　which　we　reached　（in　a　trap）　at　eight　o'clock；　these
demonstrations　were　more　imposing；　but　less　pleasing；　the　soldiers；
too；　were　being　drilled　and　exercised；　and　the　whole　scene　was　one
of　the　greatest　animation；　such　as　Frenchmen　know　how　to　exhibit　on
the　morning　of　a　gala　day。

Leaving　our　trap　at　Briancon　and　making　a　hasty　breakfast　at　the
Hotel　de　la　Paix；　we　walked　up　a　very　lonely　valley　towards
Cervieres。　　I　dare　not　say　how　many　hours　we　wended　our　way　up　the
brawling　torrent　without　meeting　a　soul　or　seeing　a　human
habitation；　it　was　fearfully　hot　too；　and　we　longed　for　vin
ordinaire；　Cervieres　seemed　as　though　it　never　would　comestill　the
same　rugged　precipices；　snow…clad　heights；　brawling　torrent；　and
stony　road；　butterflies　beautiful　and　innumerable；　flowers　to　match；
sky　cloudless。　　At　last　we　are　there；　through　the　town；　or　rather
village；　the　river　rushes　furiously；　the　dismantled　houses　and
gaping　walls　affording　palpable　traces　of　the　fearful　inundations　of
the　previous　year；　not　a　house　near　the　river　was　sound；　many　quite
uninhabitable；　and　more　such　as　I　am　sure　few　of　us　would　like　to
inhabit。　　However；　it　is　Cervieres　such　as　it　is；　and　we　hope　for
our　vin　ordinaire；　but；　alas！not　a　human　being；　man；　woman　or
child；　is　to　be　seen；　the　houses　are　all　closed；　the　noonday　quiet
holds　the　hill　with　a　vengeance；　unbroken；　save　by　the　ceaseless
roar　of　the　river。

While　we　were　pondering　what　this　loneliness　could　mean；　and
wherefore　we　were　unable　to　make　an　entrance　even　into　the　little
auberge　that　professed　to　loger　a　pied　et　a　cheval；　a　kind　of　low
wail　or　chaunt　began　to　make　itself　heard　from　the　other　side　of　the
river；　wild　and　strange；　yet　full　of　a　music　of　its　own；　it　took　my
friend　and　myself　so　much　by　surprise　that　we　almost　thought　for　the
moment　that　we　had　trespassed　on　to　the　forbidden　ground　of　some
fairy　people　who　lived　alone　here；　high　amid　the　sequestered　valleys
where　mortal　steps　were　rare；　but　on　going　to　the　corner　of　the
street　we　were　undeceived　indeed；　but　most　pleasurably　surprised　by
the　pretty　spectacle　that　presented　itself。

For　from　the　church　opposite　first　were　pouring　forth　a　string　of
young　girls　clad　in　their　Sunday's　best；　then　followed　the　youths；
as　in　duty　bound；　then　came　a　few　monks　or　friars　or　some　such　folk；
carrying　the　Virgin；　then　the　men　of　the　place；　then　the　women　and
lesser　children；　all　singing　after　their　own　rough　fashion；　the
effect　was　electrical；　for　in　a　few　minutes　the　procession　reached
us；　and　dispersing　itself　far　and　wide；　filled　the　town　with　as　much
life　as　it　had　before　been　lonely。　　It　was　like　a　sudden
introduction　of　the　whole　company　on　to　the　theatre　after　the　stage
has　been　left　empty　for　a　minute；　and　to　us　was　doubly　welcome　as
affording　us　some　hope　of　our　wine。

〃Vous　etes　Piedmontais；　monsieur；〃　said　one　to　me。　　I　denied　the
accusation。　　〃Alors　vous　etes　Allemands。〃　　I　again　denied　and　said
we　were　English；　whereon　they　opened　their　eyes　wide　and　said；
〃Anglais；mais　c'est　une　autre　chose；〃　and　seemed　much　pleased；　for
the　alliance　was　then　still　in　full　favour。　　It　caused　them　a　little
disappointment　that　we　were　Protestants；　but　they　were　pleased　at
being　able　to　tell　us　that　there　was　a　Protestant　minister　higher　up
the　valley　which　we　said　would　〃do　us　a　great　deal　of　pleasure。〃

The　vin　ordinaire　was　execrablethey　only；　however；　charged　us　nine
sous　for　it；　and　on　our　giving　half　a　franc　and　thinking　ourselves
exceedingly　stingy　for　not　giving　a　whole　one；　they　shouted　out
〃Voila　les　Anglais；　voila　la　generosite　des　Anglais；〃　with　evident
sincerity。　　I　thought　to　myself　that　the　less　we　English　corrupted
the　primitive　simplicity　of　these　good　folks　the　better；　it　was
really　refreshing　to　find　several　people　protesting　about　one's
generosity　for　having　paid　a　halfpenny　more　for　a　bottle　of　wine
than　was　expected；　at　Monetier　we　a