There  were  at  Provins  certain  men  who  were  out  of  conceit
with  the  life  of  Paris,  learned  and  modest  men,  living  with


218  .  PIERRETTE

their  books.  Imagine  Eogron's  frame  of  mind  when  he  lis-
tened to  a  supernumerary  judge  named  Desfondrilles,  more
of  an  archaeologist  than  a  lawyer,  saying  to  a  man  of  educa-
tion, old  Monsieur  Martener,  the  doctor's  father,  as  he  pointed
to  the  valley :

"Will  you  tell  me  why  the  idlers  of  all  Europe  flock  to
Spa  rather  than  to  Provins,  when  the  waters  of  Provins  are
acknowledged  to  be  superior  by  the  whole  French  faculty
of  medicine,  and  to  have  eifects  and  an  energy  worthy  of
the  medical  properties  of  our  roses  ?"

"What  do  you  expect?''  replied  the  man  of  the  world,  "it
is  one  of  the  caprices  of  Caprice,  and  just  as  inexplicable.
The  wines  of  Bordeaux  were  unknown  a  hundred  years  ago.
Marechal  Eichelieu,  one  of  the  grandest  figures  of  the  last
century,  the  Alcibiades  of  France,  was  made  governor  of
Guyenne.  His  chest  was  delicate — the  world  knew  why — the
wine  of  the  country  strengthened  and  restored  him  to  health.
