Captain Fracasse | Page 3

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Captain Fracasse by Theophile Gautier

CONTENTS
I. Castle Misery II. The chariot of Thespis III. The Blue Sun Inn IV. An
adventure with brigands V. At the Chateau de Bruyeres VI. A
snow-storm and its consequences VII. Captain Fracasse VIII. The Duke
of Vallombreuse IX. A melee and a duel X. A midnight adventure XI.
The Pont-Neuf XII. The Crowned Radish XIII. A double attack XIV.
Lampourde's delicacy XV. Malartic at work XVI. Vallombreuse XVII.
The amethyst ring XVIII. A family party XIX. Nettles and cobwebs
XX. Chiquita's declaration of love XXI. "Hymen! Oh Hymen!" XXII.
The castle of happiness

CAPTAIN FRACASSE
CHAPTER I.
CASTLE MISERY
Upon the southern slope of one of those barren hills that rise abruptly
here and there in the desolate expanse of the Landes, in South-western

France, stood, in the reign of Louis XIII, a gentleman's residence, such
as abound in Gascony, and which the country people dignify by the
name of chateau.
Two tall towers, with extinguisher tops, mounted guard at the angles of
the mansion, and gave it rather a feudal air. The deep grooves upon its
facade betrayed the former existence of a draw-bridge, rendered
unnecessary now by the filling up of the moat, while the towers were
draped for more than half their height with a most luxuriant growth of
ivy, whose deep, rich green contrasted happily with the ancient gray
walls.
A traveller, seeing from afar the steep pointed roof and lofty towers
standing out against the sky, above the furze and heather that crowned
the hill-top, would have pronounced it a rather imposing chateau--the
residence probably of some provincial magnate; but as he drew near
would have quickly found reason to change his opinion. The road
which led to it from the highway was entirely overgrown with moss
and weeds, save a narrow pathway in the centre, though two deep ruts,
full of water, and inhabited by a numerous family of frogs, bore mute
witness to the fact that carriages had once passed that way.
The roof, of dark red tiles, was disfigured by many large,
leprous-looking, yellow patches, while in some places the decayed
rafters had given way, leaving formidable gaps. The numerous
weather-cocks that surmounted the towers and chimneys were so rusted
that they could no longer budge an inch, and pointed persistently in
various directions. The high dormer windows were partially closed by
old wooden shutters, warped, split, and in every stage of dilapidation;
broken stones filled up the loop-holes and openings in the towers; of
the twelve large windows in the front of the house, eight were boarded
up; the remaining four had small diamond-shaped panes of thick,
greenish glass, fitting so loosely in their leaden frames that they shook
and rattled at every breath of wind; between these windows a great deal
of the stucco had fallen off, leaving the rough wall exposed to view.
Above the grand old entrance door, whose massive stone frame and
lintel retained traces of rich ornamentation, almost obliterated by time

and neglect, was sculptured a coat of arms, now so defaced that the
most accomplished adept in heraldry would not be able to decipher it.
Only one leaf of the great double door was ever opened now, for not
many guests were received or entertained at the chateau in these days
of its decadence. Swallows had built their nests in every available nook
about it, and but for a slender thread of smoke rising spirally from a
chimney at the back of this dismal, half-ruined mansion, the traveller
would have surely believed it to be uninhabited. This was the only sign
of life visible about the whole place, like the little cloud upon the
mirror from the breath of a dying man, which alone gives evidence that
he still lives.
Upon pushing open the practicable leaf of the great worm-eaten door,
which yielded reluctantly, and creaked dolefully as it turned upon its
rusty hinges, the curious visitor entered a sort of portico, more ancient
than the rest of the building, with fine, large columns of bluish granite,
and a lofty vaulted roof. At the point of