ine　at　Basle；　but　under　a　sun　the　Rhine　has　never　known。　Saint…Romans　is　opposite　on　the　other　side　of　the　river；　and；　in　spite　of　the　brevity　of　the　vision；　the　headlong　rush　of　the　train；　which　seems　trying　to　throw　itself　madly　into　the　Rhone　at　each　turning；　the　castle　is　so　large；　so　well　situated　on　the　neighbouring　hill；　that　it　seems　to　follow　the　crazy　race　of　the　train；　and　stamps　on　your　mind　forever　the　memory　of　its　terraces；　its　balustrades；　its　Italian　architecture；　two　low　stories　surmounted　by　a　colonnaded　gallery　and　flanked　by　two　slate…roofed　pavilions　dominating　the　great　slopes　where　the　water　of　the　cascades　rebounds；　the　network　of　gravel　walks；　the　perspective　of　long　hedges；　terminated　by　some　white　statue　which　stands　out　against　the　blue　sky　as　on　the　luminous　ground　of　a　stained…glass　window。　Quite　at　the　top；　in　the　middle　of　the　vast　lawns　whose　green　turf　shines　ironically　under　the　scorching　sun；　a　gigantic　cedar　uplifts　its　crested　foliage；　enveloped　in　black　and　floating　shadowsan　exotic　silhouette；　upright　before　this　former　dwelling　of　some　Louis　XIV　farmer　of　revenue；　which　makes　one　think　of　a　great　negro　carrying　the　sunshade　of　a　gentleman　of　the　court。
  From　Valence　to　Marseilles；　throughout　all　the　Valley　of　the　Rhone；　Saint…Romans　of　Bellaignes　is　famous　as　an　enchanted　palace；　and；　indeed；　in　that　country　burnt　up　by　the　fiery　wind；　this　oasis　of　greenness　and　beautiful　rushing　water　is　a　true　fairy…land。
  〃When　I　am　rich；　mamma；〃　Jansoulet　used　to　say；　as　quite　a　small　boy；　to　his　mother　whom　he　adored；　〃I　shall　give　you　Saint…Romans　of　Bellaignes。〃　And　as　the　life　of　the　man　seemed　the　fulfilment　of　a　story　from　the　Arabian　Nights；　as　all　his　wishes　came　true；　even　the　most　disproportionate；　as　his　maddest　chimeras　came　to　lie　down　before　him；　to　lick　his　hands　like　familiar　and　obedient　spaniels；　he　had　bought　Saint…Romans　to　offer　it；　newly　furnished　and　grandiosely　restored；　to　his　mother。　Although　it　was　ten　years　since　then；　the　dear　old　woman　was　not　yet　used　to　her　splendid　establishment。　〃It　is　the　palace　of　Queen　Jeanne　that　you　have　given　me；　my　dear　Bernard；〃　she　wrote　to　her　son。　〃I　shall　never　live　there。〃　She　never　did　live　there；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　having　stayed　at　the　steward's　house；　an　isolated　building　of　modern　construction；　situated　quite　at　the　other　end　of　the　grounds；　so　as　to　overlook　the　outbuildings　and　the　farm；　the　sheepfolds　and　the　oil…mills；　with　their　rural　horizon　of　stacks；　olive…trees　and　vines；　extending　over　the　plain　as　far　as　one　could　see。　In　the　great　castle　she　would　have　imagined　herself　a　prisoner　in　one　of　those　enchanted　dwellings　where　sleep　seizes　you　in　the　midst　of　your　happiness　and　does　not　let　you　go　for　a　hundred　years。　Here；　at　least；　the　peasant…womanwho　had　never　been　able　to　accustom　herself　to　this　colossal　fortune；　come　too　late；　from　too　far；　and　like　a　thunder…clapfelt　herself　linked　to　reality　by　the　coming　and　going　of　the　work…people；　the　letting…out　and　taking…in　of　the　cattle；　their　slow　movement　to　the　drinking　pond；　all　that　pastoral　life　which　woke　her　by　the　familiar　call　of　the　cocks　and　the　sharp　cries　of　the　peacocks；　and　brought　her　down　the　corkscrew　staircase　of　the　pavilion　before　dawn。　She　looked　upon　herself　only　as　the　trustee　of　this　magnificent　estate；　which　she　was　taking　care　of　for　her　son；　and　wished　to　give　back　to　him　in　perfect　condition　on　the　day　when；　rich　enough　and　tired　of　living　with　the　Turks；　he　would　come；　according　to　his　promise；　to　live　with　her　beneath　the　shade　of　Saint…Romans。
  Then；　too；　what　universal　and　indefatigable　supervision！　Through　the　mists　of　early　morning　the　farm…servants　heard　her　rough　and　husky　voice：　〃Olivier；　Peyrol；　Audibert。　Come　on！　It　is　four　o'clock。〃　Then　she　would　hasten　to　the　immense　kitchen；　where　the　maids；　heavy　with　sleep；　were　heating　the　porridge　over　the　crackling；　new…lit　fire。　They　gave　her　a　little　dish　of　red　Marseilles…ware　full　of　boiled　chestnutsfrugal　breakfast　of　bygone　times；　which　nothing　would　have　induced　her　to　change。　At　once　she　was　off；　hurrying　with　great　strides；　her　large　silver　keyring　at　her　belt；　whence　jingled　all　her　keys；　her　plate　in　her　hand；　balanced　by　the　distaff　which　she　held；　in　working　order；　under　her　arm；　for　she　spun　all　day　long；　and　did　not　stop　even　to　eat　her　chestnuts。　On　the　way；　a　glance　at　the　stables；　still　dark；　where　the　animals　were　moving　duly；　at　the　stifling　pens　with　their　rows　of　impatient　and　outstretched　muzzles；　and　the　first　glimmers　of　light　creeping　over　the　layers　of　stones　that　supported　the　embankment　of　the　park；　lit　up　the　figure　of　the　old　woman；　running　in　the　dew；　with　the　lightness　of　a　girl；　despite　her　seventy　yearsverifying　exactly　each　morning　all　the　wealth　of　the　domain；　anxious　to　make　sure　that　the　night　had　not　taken　away　the　statues　and　the　vases；　uprooted　the　hundred…year…old　quincunx；　dried　up　the　springs　which　filtered　into　their　resounding　basins。　Then　the　full　sunlight　of　midday；　humming　and　vibrating；　showed　still；　on　the　sand　of　an　alley；　against　the　white　wall　of　a　terrace；　the　long　figure　of　the　old　woman；　elegant　and　straight　as　her　spindle；　picking　up　bits　of　dead　wood；　breaking　off　some　uneven　branch　of　a　shrub；　careless　of　the　shock　it　caused　her　and　the　sweat　which　broke　out　over　her　skin。　Towards　this　hour　another　figure　was　to　be　seen　in　the　park　alsoless　active；　less　noisy；　dragging　rather　than　walking；　leaning　against　the　walls　and　railingsa　poor　round…shouldered　being；　shaky　and　stiff；　a　figure　from　which　life　seemed　to　have　gone　out；　never　speaking；　when　he　was　tired　giving　a　little　plaintive　cry　towards　the　servant；　who　was　always　near；　who　helped　him　to　sit　down；　to　crouch　upon　some　step；　where　he　would　stay　for　hours；　motionless；　mute；　his　mouth　hanging；　his　eyes　blinking；　hushed　by　the　strident　monotony　of　the　grasshopper's　crya　blotch　of　humanity　in　the　splendid　horizon。
  This；　this　was　the　first…born；　Bernard's　brother；　the　darling　child　of　his　father　and　mother；　the　glorious　hope　of　the　nail…maker's　family。　Slaves；　like　so　many　others　in　the　Midi；　to　the　superstition　of　the　rights　of　primogeniture；　they　had　made　every　possible　sacrifice　to　send　to　Paris　their　fine；　ambitious　lad；　who　set　out　assured　of　success；　the　admiration　of　all　the　young　women　of　the　town；　and　Paris；　after　having　for　six　years；　beaten；　twisted；　and　squeezed　in　its　great　vat　the　brilliant　southern　stripling；　after　having　burnt　him　with　all　its　vitriol；　rolled　him　in　all　its　mud；　finished　by　sending　him　back　in　this　state　of　wreckage；　stupefied　and　paralyzedkilling　his　father　with　sorrow；　and　forcing　his　mother　to　sell　her　all；　and　live　as　a　sort　of　char…woman　in　the　better…class　houses　of　her　own　country…side。　Lucky　it　was　that　just　then；　when　this　broken　piece　of　humanity；　discharged　from　all　the　hospitals　of　Paris；　was　sent　back　by　public　charity　to　Bourg…Saint…Andeol；　Bernardhe　whom　they　called　Cadet；　as　in　these　southern　families；　half　Arab　as　they　are；　the　eldest　always　takes　the　family　name；　and　the　last…comer　that　of　CadetBernard　was　at　Tunis　making　his　fortune；　and　sending　home　money　regularly。　But　what　pain　it　was　for　the　poor　mother　to　owe　everything；　even　the　life；　the　comfort　of　the　sad　invalid；　to　the　robust　and　courageous　boy　whom　his　father　and　she　had　loved　without　any　tenderness；　who；　since　he　was　five　years　old；　they　had　treated　as　a　〃hand；〃　because　he　was　very　strong；　woolly…headed；　and　ugly；　and　even　then　knew　better　than　any　one　in　the　house　how　to　deal　in　old　nails。　Ah！　how　she　longed　to　have　him　near　her；　her　Cadet；　to　make　some　return　to　him　for　all　the　good　he　did；　to　pay　at　last　the　debt　of　love　and　motherly　tenderness　that　she　owed　him！
  But；　you　see；　these　princely　fortunes　have　the　burdens；　the　wearinesses　of　royal　lives。　This　poor　mother；　in　her　dazzling　surroundings；　was　very　like　a　real　queen：　familiar　with　long　exiles；　cruel　separations；　and　the　trials　which　detract　from　greatness；　one　of　her　sons　forever　stupefied；　the　other　far　away；　seldom　writing；　absorbed　in　his　business；　saying；　〃I　will　come；〃　and　never　coming。　She　had　only　seen　him　once　in　twelve　years；　and　then　in　the　whirl　of　a　visit　of　the　Bey　to　Saint…Romansa　rush　of　horses　and　carriages；　of　fireworks；　and　of　banquets。　He　had　gone　in　the　suite　of　his　monarch；　having　scarcely　time　to　say　good…bye　to　his　old　mother；　to　whom　there　remained　of　this　great　joy　only　a　few　pictures　in　the　illustrated　papers；　showing　Bernard　Jansoulet　arriving　at　the　castle　with　Ahmed；　and　presenting　his　mother。　Is　it　not　thus　that　kings　and　queens　have　their　family　feelings　exploited　in　the　journals？　There　was　also　a　cedar　of　Lebanon；　brought　from　the　other　end　of　the　world；　a　regular　mountain　of　a　tree；　whose　transport　had　been　as　difficult　and　as　costly　as　that　of　Cleopatra's　needle；　and　whose　erection　as　a　souvenir　of　the　royal　visit　by　dint　of　men；　money；　and　teams　had　shaken　the　very　foundations。　But　this　time；　at　least；　knowing　him　to　be　in　France　for　several　monthsperhaps　for　goodshe　hoped　to　have　her　Bernard　to　herself。　And　now　he　returned　to　her；　one　fine　evening；　enveloped　in　the　same　triumphant　glory；　in　the　same　official　display；　surrounded　by　a　crowd　of　counts；　of　marquises；　of　fine　g