Flowers, Swords and France

Looking at the endless flow of the Loire River and the rows of small sailing boats on the river, admiring the spectacular scenery under the sunset, although the sun has completely disappeared behind the mountains, gathering its majestic light into the darkness, but no one is there anymore As they spoke, the three people felt an indescribable excitement.

"My friends, since you can help me without giving up, then I can and should give you what I can give. Whether it is a manor, money, official position... or anything else... "He waved his hand and stopped Albert and Lucien who seemed to want to say something. "I know you will definitely say something. It’s not for these things that you stand with me, and I know that you don’t particularly care about this kind of thing, but even so, I should do this - I know that rare treasures cannot repay true loyalty, but if they are even precious If you don’t want to share anything with me, then who am I to say that I value my friendship with you?”

Then, he smiled helplessly, "Besides, as I said just now, the world is unpredictable. Only by holding together can we stand firm in the torrent and keep everything we have captured. ...The higher your achievements, the more likely I am to benefit from it, although the Bonaparte family seems to be able now...So, don't be too busy to be impressed. In fact, I am doing it for myself. " "Then, for the sake of others and for ourselves, let us unite and fight together." Until the end, Albert spoke out what the three of them were thinking.

then. The three people no longer lingered, turned around and walked back. At the moment they left, the last ray of sunlight before night disappeared, and the entire world gradually disappeared into darkness.

……………………

When they returned to the place where the army was stationed before, because they were a little tired and promised to write a detailed report for Charles, Lucien returned to the military camp they had prepared locally to rest.

But Charles and Albert were not so relaxed. As officials, and more importantly as nobles, they also have to attend some banquets of celebrities - although not everyone has to visit them once. But they must pay a visit to the most prestigious families in the city, otherwise it would be an extremely serious discourtesy and could almost be regarded as a typical example of how selfish, depraved and arrogant these Parisians really are.

And the Marquis de Lignelle was one of the people they had to go to. His face was straight, but stiff and cold, and his temples were already gray. Although the words are polite, there is not much warmth. It seems that he is afraid that others will not see that he entertains these guests just out of etiquette and how much honor he has given them. Perhaps due to the education he received since childhood, his speech and behavior always contain some words used in the old times. As if not doing this is not enough to show his noble family status.

The Marquis's unemotional greeting made Charles and Albert quickly understand each other's attitude: "With a surname like yours, you can barely enter my living room, but please don't get carried away and show off your Parisian prestige." meaning, so I couldn't help but look at each other and smile.

"Thank you for your hospitality, sir." Charles replied with a smile, "But we are just here to visit after official duties, so we can't disturb you too much..."

Then Charles and Albert began to talk politely to the marquis.

Although his aristocratic lineage is unknown for dozens of miles away, in the province this nobleman is considered unquestionable and is a leading figure in the city's small upper class. He enjoys a great reputation and He seems to be regarded as a smart person because of this.

Like most of these local aristocrats, he did not recognize the new aristocracy that emerged in the 19th century, so he had the utmost respect for the old aristocrats who came before him. Although he pretended to be reserved and indifferent on the surface, he was still a little worried about whether he could satisfy these two young people with more prominent surnames.

Because of this, the Marquis was secretly relieved to see Charles and Albert talking so easily. As a result, his tone towards them became more gentle.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two of them walked into the Marquis's living room.

Like almost all local nobles, the decoration of the living room is very simple, and it has become a bit old due to lack of timely repairs. The living room is paneled with gray wainscoting, and several family portraits hang on the walls. The floor of the living room is paved with large white square tiles, and there is a large dining table in the middle, which is already filled with all kinds of country game. In the far corner of the living room, there were several card tables, obviously for guests to play whist in their spare time.

Perhaps because the Marquis was very satisfied with his first inspection, the Marquise entertained them personally. The lady looked much younger than her husband, apparently because she had no shortage of flatterers. For the same reason, he spoke with a loud voice and a decisive tone. It was obvious that he was already accustomed to speaking at home.

In every respect this noble couple, both ignorant of contemporary luxury, retained the costumes now worn only on the stage, although embellished with some lace of the style of a few years ago. Needless to say, the tableware on the dining table and the furniture next to it are all old-fashioned, but they actually look very harmonious against the couple.

There were already some guests in the living room. Although their family status was obviously not as superior as that of the Marquis's family, they were all very airy, and the ladies also had the same air, as if they were wearing shawls. Wearing a soft hat means dressing up in finery. In fact, they buy two hats a year. But they all have to go through repeated calculations, and they are usually brought back from Paris by asking someone to bring them back - how could they be invited to the living room by such an ancient and conservative nobleman, how could they not be such a group of people?

This ancient pomp blends well with the frugal customs of the provinces. In short, these are aristocratic elders, but they do not have the right to levy land transfer taxes, there is no legally stipulated hereditary property for the eldest son, and they do not have groups of hounds and baroque clothes with ribbons. They were smug. They were loyal to the princes whom they had only seen from afar - and those princes who had now been driven out of the country did not even know of their existence.

"I never thought that I would be able to see so many antiques at once today, Charles. It makes me feel like I have returned to the lovely eighteenth century again!" While dealing with the entertainment of the nobles present with a smile, Albert couldn't help biting Charles' ear.

"What can we do? We should face reality." Charles shrugged and replied in a low voice. Two young people used the ability to hide their feelings that they had developed since childhood. He concealed his impatience and contempt for this group of nobles very well.

That's right. This is France in this era. Although it has become a modern country, although science and civilization are developing at an unimaginable speed, the so-called development and progress are only concentrated in Paris and a few big cities. In the provinces and countryside far away from Paris, everything is still there. As usual, not much different from the same two centuries ago. Even the frenzy of the Revolutionary era has not left much trace here, and everything has been enclosed in the mediocre and unchanging countryside. And these people don't feel sorry for it. Their immutable judgments on worldly affairs formed a traditional discipline, and no one could even think of adding a little new spirit to it. These conformists. Their lives revolve in circles of habit.

"I'm so glad I got rid of this kind of life!" After dealing with another boring greeting from another lady, Albert finally complained in a low voice, "I can't even imagine what I would be like now if I stayed in my hometown. What has it become!"

The reason why Albert is so favored is not without reason - in the conversation just now, these ladies used their unique cleverness to weigh the two young men thoroughly with only a few oblique words. .

Charles de Treville holds a very high position in the government agencies of the capital, and is said to have a large fortune, but he has a fiancée...ah, what a pity.

Albert de Foua Grail, who also had a rather distinguished surname and was a lower-ranking government official, was unmarried. What's more important is that, according to Mr. de Treville's introduction, this young man also has a large amount of property at his disposal. His annual salary from the government alone is about 30,000 francs... Ah, it's perfect! It is difficult to find such an ideal son-in-law in the whole of France!

So, in just a few minutes, Albert became the person who took special care of the ladies with unmarried daughters, and almost became the busiest person at the entire banquet. The wives asked him various questions diligently, while recommending their daughters without any trace, while criticizing other families, trying their best to make people believe that she was an exception in this circle - in just one or two hours, all kinds of things happened. The revelation of true feelings out of self-interest made Albert miserable.

In this circle, all kinds of calculations replace emotions, politeness is just an obligation, and even the simplest opinions contain hurtful elements. In this small social world, everything in life is very harmonious and monotonous. Everything is clear. The status of the nobility and the value of the land are clearly marked. Everyone knows a lot about other people's affairs. They talk about each other in detail, and use talking about each other as a pastime in the monotonous life. Some people find this kind of provincial rural life simple, and some people find it suffocating. But as long as you stay here for a while, you will get used to this kind of idle and careless days, and get used to this kind of mind-depressing air, and To take it for granted, and to regard the radical, almost daily changing life of Paris as a sin of perversion.

It was not until the end of the dinner that Albert was freed from the unspeakable embarrassment and distress just now.

However, due to the necessity of etiquette, they could not take leave of this family yet. Because it was the custom in the provinces for everyone to play a few rounds of cards after dinner, in any case, they had to play a few rounds of whist like the other guests before they could say goodbye and leave without being criticized.

"Charles. Why did you suddenly and deliberately tell them so much about me? Just to make yourself feel more relaxed?" While the servants were clearing the table, Albert couldn't help complaining to Charles, " This is really troublesome for me. It’s really a headache to watch these ladies quarreling with smiles on their faces!”…

"My friend, what's wrong with that? Isn't dealing with women your specialty?" Charles smiled and replied, "Besides, what's wrong with listening to them? You are already this age, it's time to find yourself a wife, right? I think the girls here are pretty good. They have been taken care of by their parents since childhood. There are also priests who instill in them the duty of obedience, unlike the lawless girls in Paris..."

"I don't care about this kind of thing myself, why do you worry so much?" Albert complained with some dissatisfaction, "Also. Find yourself a shallow-minded wife like the one just now. Even if you are loyal, what's the point? If I just treat it as a romantic encounter and run away after being hooked, it will be even worse. In this kind of rural area, where everyone knows each other well and the folk customs are conservative, the problem of girls losing their virginity is much more serious than other places! I'm not worried about the problem of girls, I'm worried about what to do if their fathers and brothers come to challenge me? That's very troublesome... Do you think I haven't suffered such a loss?"

"Oh, you actually thought of this?" Charles suddenly had some admiration for Albert.

As expected of someone who has been hanging out with women for years. He can actually weigh things so clearly.

"Okay, okay, my friend. It seems that I didn't think it through... But it doesn't matter, I won't be annoyed for long." He patted Albert's shoulder apologetically. "We are just here to be polite, and we don't plan to stay here for long. To be honest, I feel uncomfortable staying with these people."

After that, the two walked to the card table and sat down, and started playing cards with these guests.

Although the two young men sat at the card table with a leisurely mood at the beginning, and even had a feeling of "Let's teach you stupid villagers!", they soon became serious again-because their opponents were too skilled in playing cards.

To be fair, their skills were not bad. Charles had also been trained in the social scene in Paris, and Albert could even be said to be an old gambler, but they soon found that the opponent's skills were even better than theirs.

It seems that these little country nobles who have been gathering together to eat and play cards for decades have already mastered superb card-playing skills without realizing it, and can even play tacitly and exquisitely without any expression.

——Did these people add their intellectual talents to the card game? After losing several rounds in a row, the two young men couldn't help but curse in their hearts.

Soon, Charles and Albert, whose self-confidence was frustrated, began to play cards seriously. Although the stakes were not high-in the provinces, losing hundreds of francs in one night was already a big news-but the kind of winning and losing that young people often have still made them unwilling to accept this kind of failure. Inadvertently, the clock began to move towards the late night, and neither of the two young men remembered that they originally planned to play a few rounds and leave, but still sat at the card table and fought with those opponents whose faces were no longer so hateful.

According to the custom in the countryside, during the intervals between card games, the servants kept bringing apple wine and various fruit cakes as snacks. At the same time, everyone chatted non-stop, and occasionally exchanged opponents at different card tables.

This kind of chat would of course often turn to political topics. At first, Charles was worried that he would be asked about his political stance, but he soon discovered that these rural nobles' love for the orthodox monarch was absolutely limited to verbal. They might have had various ambitions and experiences, but after experiencing countless years of rural life and breathing enough of this mediocre air, they have long been accustomed to this kind of life of leisurely passing the days in their own manors. They are more concerned about a felling or their own brewed apple wine than the monarchy.

Charles and Albert both served under Louis Bonaparte? But after all, they are still named de Treville and de Foa-Grail, and after all, they still have a large amount of family wealth. Isn't that enough? ——Charles read such a sentence from the expressions of the people.

Hey, actually this group of people is not bad... Charles suddenly thought so, and then he took out a card and threw it out.

The original text is in the six # 9 @book/bar!

Just as he was immersed in this card game, the whispers of the ladies next to him suddenly reached his ears.

"Has Miss de-Nodelien come? When did it happen?"

"She has been here for a long time. She said she came to the manor to spend the summer, but she has never shown up." A lady next to her answered, "These nobles in the capital are really too much. They don't even come to visit us..."

There was some hidden indignation in her words, as if she felt that it was a great disrespect for the other party not to come to visit her.

"That's right, I don't know what to be proud of? Back then, it was not a place like us to run to Versailles, but now you look down on people!" Her words resonated with a crowd, and soon someone echoed, "If she doesn't come, then she won't come, and we will never go to see her. Let's see who is more uncomfortable."

"I met Duke de Nordelien and we talked before! He was obviously a good man, how could he have such a daughter?" Another lady complained while secretly showing off that she knew a great nobleman in the past - although they may have just exchanged a few words in a public place and forgotten it the moment they turned around. "Although this is not a big place, it is really unreasonable to come here without saying hello."

"The old duke died two years ago, and the current Duke de Norderien is his son," the arrogant and sharp voice of the marquise seemed to ring in his ears, "So, the old lady should be considered the sister of the Duke de Norderien..."

The marquise's voice was very long, as if she was showing off how many nobles she knew, "I'm afraid that's why no one can discipline her now, so she is so unreasonable... Oh, what a pity."

"I heard that the de Norderien family is in trouble now?" Out of some hidden jealousy, the topic turned to the criticism of de Norderien, "The old duke is dead, and the seat in the House of Lords is gone..."

"Humph..." All the ridicule was condensed in this answer.

However, Charles could no longer listen to anything else.

The cards in his hand fell on the table, but he didn't notice it.

"Mr. de Treville?" A noble looked at him with some confusion.

As if awakened, Charles suddenly shuddered.

He stood up, not caring about his sudden movement, which made him the focus of many people's attention.

He walked straight to the ladies who were chatting in the corner, and then saluted skillfully and gracefully in their doubtful eyes.

Then, he raised his head, still with that overly perfect smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, ladies, I interrupted your pleasant conversation, but... please forgive me, because I have a reason. If I heard it correctly, you seem to be talking about a lady named De-Nodelien?"

The ladies' faces turned ugly in an instant, and they looked at each other for a few times.

In any case, it is always bad to chew someone's tongue behind their back, especially chewing the tongue of a duke's daughter.

"I'm sorry, sir, you may have heard it wrong." The Marquise spoke with an expression of "you are not qualified to come and ask for punishment."

"Madam, I have no intention of defending anyone, or I just want to know one thing..." Charles suddenly raised his head, and besides smiling, there was an amazing pressure in his eyes, "Where is that lady now?"

Flustered by Charles's stare, the Marquise couldn't help but take a step back, but finally she calmed down.

"A few miles southwest, a small manor called Zeger, Mr. de Treville." She emphasized the last name to remind the other party how rude he was just now.

"Thank you, madam." Charles bowed deeply again.