worldly ways and byways- 第32部分

mounted　to　its　assault。



Their　repulse　was　a　bitter　humiliation　to　the　PARVENUE　Empress；　

whose　resentment　took　the　form　（along　with　many　other　curious　

results）　of　opening　the　present　Boulevard　St。　Germain；　its　line　

being　intentionally　carried　through　the　heart　of　that　quarter；　

teeming　with　historic　〃Hotels〃　of　the　old　aristocracy；　where　

beautiful　constructions　were　mercilessly　torn　down　to　make　way　for　

the　new　avenue。　　The　cajoleries　which　Eugenie　first　tried　and　the　

blows　that　followed　were　alike　unavailing。　　Even　her　worship　of　

Marie　Antoinette；　between　whom　and　herself　she　found　imaginary　

resemblances；　failed　to　warm　the　stony　hearts　of　the　proud　old　

ladies；　to　whom　it　was　as　gall　and　wormwood　to　see　a　nobody　crowned　

in　the　palace　of　their　kings。　　Like　religious　communities；　

persecution　only　drew　this　old　society　more　firmly　together　and　

made　them　stand　by　each　other　in　their　distress。　　When　the　Bois　was　

remodelled　by　Napoleon　and　the　lake　with　its　winding　drive　laid　

out；　the　new　Court　drove　of　an　afternoon　along　this　water　front。　　

That　was　enough　for　the　old　swells！　　They　retired　to　the　remote　

〃Allee　of　the　Acacias；〃　and　solemnly　took　their　airing　away　from　

the　bustle　of　the　new　world；　incidentally　setting　a　fashion　that　

has　held　good　to　this　day；　the　lakeside　being　now　deserted；　and　the　

〃Acacias〃　crowded　of　an　afternoon；　by　all　that　Paris　holds　of　

elegant　and　inelegant。



Where　the　brilliant　Second　Empire　failed；　the　Republic　had　little　

chance　of　success。　　With　each　succeeding　year　the　〃Old　Faubourg〃　

withdrew　more　and　more　into　its　shell；　going　so　far；　after　the　fall　

of　Mac　Mahon；　as　to　change　its　〃season〃　to　the　spring；　so　that　the　

balls　and　FETES　it　gave　should　not　coincide　with　the　〃official〃　

entertainments　during　the　winter。



The　next　people　to　have　a　〃shy〃　at　the　〃Old　Faubourg's〃　Gothic　

battlements　were　the　Jews；　who　were　victorious　in　a　few　light　

skirmishes　and　succeeded　in　capturing　one　or　two　illustrious　

husbands　for　their　daughters。　　The　wily　Israelites；　however；　

discovered　that　titled　sons…in…law　were　expensive　articles　and　

often　turned　out　unsatisfactorily；　so　they　quickly　desisted。　　The　

English；　the　most　practical　of　societies；　have　always　left　the　

Faubourg　alone。　　It　has　been　reserved　for　our　countrywomen　to　lay　

the　most　determined　siege　yet　recorded　to　that　untaken　stronghold。



It　is　a　characteristic　of　the　American　temperament　to　be　unable　to　

see　a　closed　door　without　developing　an　intense　curiosity　to　know　

what　is　behind；　or　to　read　〃No　Admittance　to　the　Public〃　over　an　

entrance　without　immediately　determining　to　get　inside　at　any　

price。　　So　it　is　easy　to　understand　the　attraction　an　hermetically　

sealed　society　would　have　for　our　fair　compatriots。　　Year　after　

year　they　have　flung　themselves　against　its　closed　gateways。　　

Repulsed；　they　have　retired　only　to　form　again　for　the　attack；　but　

are　as　far　away　to…day　from　planting　their　flag　in　that　citadel　as　

when　they　first　began。　　It　does　not　matter　to　them　what　is　inside；　

there　may　be　（as　in　this　case）　only　mouldy　old　halls　and　a　group　of　

people　with　antiquated　ideas　and　ways。　　It　is　enough　for　a　certain　

type　of　woman　to　know　that　she　is　not　wanted　in　an　exclusive　

circle；　to　be　ready　to　die　in　the　attempt　to　get　there。　　This　point　

of　view　reminds　one　of　Mrs。　Snob's　saying　about　a　new　arrival　at　a　

hotel：　〃I　am　sure　she　must　be　'somebody'　for　she　was　so　rude　to　me　

when　I　spoke　to　her；〃　and　her　answer　to　her　daughter　when　the　girl　

said　（on　arriving　at　a　watering…place）　that　she　had　noticed　a　very　

nice　family　〃who　look　as　if　they　wanted　to　know　us；　Mamma：〃



〃Then；　my　dear；〃　replied　Mamma　Snob；　〃they　certainly　are　not　people　

we　want　to　meet！〃



The　men　in　French　society　are　willing　enough　to　make　acquaintance　

with　foreigners。　　You　may　see　the　youth　of　the　Faubourg　dancing　at　

American　balls　in　Paris；　or　running　over　for　occasional　visits　to　

this　country。　　But　when　it　comes　to　taking　their　women…kind　with　

them；　it　is　a　different　matter。　　Americans　who　have　known　well…born　

Frenchmen　at　school　or　college　are　surprised；　on　meeting　them　

later；　to　be　asked　（cordially　enough）　to　dine　EN　GARCON　at　a　

restaurant；　although　their　Parisian　friend　is　married。　　An　

Englishman's　or　American's　first　word　would　be　on　a　like　occasion：



〃Come　and　dine　with　me　to…night。　　I　want　to　introduce　you　to　my　

wife。〃　　Such　an　idea　would　never　cross　a　Frenchman's　mind！



One　American　I　know　is　a　striking　example　of　this。　　He　was　born　in　

Paris；　went　to　school　and　college　there；　and　has　lived　in　that　city　

all　his　life。　　His　sister　married　a　French　nobleman。　　Yet　at　this　

moment；　in　spite　of　his　wealth；　his　charming　American　wife；　and　

many　beautiful　entertainments；　he　has　not　one　warm　French　friend；　

or　the　ENTREE　on　a　footing　of　intimacy　to　a　single　Gallic　house。



There　is　no　analogy　between　the　English　aristocracy　and　the　French　

nobility；　except　that　they　are　both　antiquated　institutions；　the　

English　is　the　more　harmful　on　account　of　its　legislative　power；　

the　French　is　the　more　pretentious。　　The　House　of　Lords　is　the　most　

open　club　in　London；　the　payment　of　an　entrance…fee　in　the　shape　of　

a　check　to　a　party　fund　being　an　all…sufficient　sesame。　　In　France；　

one　must　be　born　in　the　magic　circle。　　The　spirit　of　the　Emigration　

of　1793　is　not　yet　extinct。　　The　nobles　live　in　their　own　world　

（how　expressive　the　word　is；　seeming　to　exclude　all　the　rest　of　

mankind）；　pining　after　an　impossible　RESTAURATION；　alien　to　the　

present　day；　holding　aloof　from　politics　for　fear　of　coming　in　

touch　with　the　masses；　with　whom　they　pride　themselves　on　having　

nothing　in　common。



What　leads　many　people　astray　on　this　subject　is　that　there　has　

formed　around　this　ancient　society　a　circle　composed　of　rich　

〃outsiders；〃　who　have　married　into　good　families；　and　of　eccentric　

members　of　the　latter；　who　from　a　love　of　excitement　or　for　

interested　motives　have　broken　away　from　their　traditions。　　Newly　

arrived　Americans　are　apt　to　mistake　this　〃world〃　for　the　real　

thing。　　Into　this　circle　it　is　not　difficult　for　foreigners　who　are　

rich　and　anxious　to　see　something　of　life　to　gain　admission。　　To　be　

received　by　the　ladies　of　this　outer　circle；　seems　to　our　

compatriots　to　be　an　achievement；　until　they　learn　the　real　

standing　of　their　new　acquaintances。



No　gayer　houses；　however；　exist　than　those　of　the　new　set。　　At　

their　city　or　country　houses；　they　entertain　continually；　and　they　

are　the　people　one　meets　toward　five　o'clock；　on　the　grounds　of　the　

Polo　Club；　in　the　Bois；　at　FETES　given　by　the　Island　Club　of　

Puteaux；　attending　the　race　meetings；　or　dining　at　American　houses。　　

As　far　as　amusement　and　fun　go；　one　might　seek　much　further　and　

fare　worse。



It　is　very；　very　rare　that　foreigners　get　beyond　this　circle。　　

Occasionally　there　is　a　marriage　between　an　American　girl　and　some　

Frenchman　of　high　rank。　　In　these　cases　the　girl　is；　as　it　were；　

swallowed　up。　　Her　family　see　little　of　her；　she　rarely　appears　in　

general　society；　and；　little　by　little；　she　is　lost　to　her　old　

friends　and　relations。　　I　know　of　several　cases　of　this　kind　where　

it　is　to　be　doubted　if　a　dozen　Americans　outside　of　the　girls'　

connections　know　that　such　women　exist。　　The　fall　in　rents　and　land　

values　has　made　the　French　aristocracy　poor；　it　is　only　by　the　

greatest　economy　（and　it　never　entered　into　an　American　mind　to　

conceive　of　such　economy　as　is　practised　among　them）　that　they　

succeed　in　holding　on　to　their　historical　chateaux　or　beautiful　

city　residences；　so　that　pride　plays　a　large　part　in　the　isolation　

in　which　they　live。



The　fact　that　no　titles　are　recognized　officially　by　the　French　

government　（the　most　they　can　obtain　being　a　〃courtesy〃　

recognition）　has　placed　these　people　in　a　singularly　false　

position。　　An　American　girl　who　has　married　a　Duke　is　a　good　deal　

astonished　to　find　that　she　is　legally　only　plain　〃Madame　So　and　

So；〃　that　when　her　husband　does　his　military　service　there　is　no　

trace　of　the　high…sounding　title　to　be　found　in　his　official　

papers。　　Some　years　ago；　a　colonel　was　rebuked　because　he　allowed　

the　Duc　d'Alencon　to　be　addressed　as　〃Monseigneur〃　by　the　other　

officers　of　his　regiment。　　This　ought　to　make　ambitious　papas　

reflect；　when　they　treat　themselves　to　titled　sons…in…law。　　They　

should　at　least　try　and　get　an　article　recognized　by　the　law。



Most　of　what　is　written　here　is　perfectly　well　known　to　resident　

Americans　in　Paris；　and　has　been　the　cause　of　gradually　splitting　

that　once　harmonious　settlement　into　two　perfectly　distinct　camps；　

between　which　no　love　is　lost。　　The　members　of　one；　clinging　to　

their　countrymen's　creed　of　having　the　best　or　nothing；　have　been　

contented　to　live　in　France　and　know　but　few　French　people；　

entertaining　among　themselves　and　marrying　their　daughters　t