Luchon

“ Only the great glow of the Jungfrau is missing; but one need not go far, as we shall later see, to view almost its full equal.
"It is not possible to be silent about Luchon," declares the enthusiastic essayist who described so appreciatively the fair valley of Luz, "Luchon is a capital. No other place in the world represents beauty and pleasure in the same degree; no other town is so thoroughly typical of the district over which it presides. One can no more imagine the Pyrenees without Luchon than Luchon without the Pyrenees ”

“ The earth conceals the rocks, the mosses clothe the earth, the rounded undulations of the upheaved soil resemble the tired [496] waves an hour after the tempest. Luchon is not far from the plains; its mountains are the last billows of the subterranean storm which lifted the Pyrenees; distance has diminished their violence, tempered their grandeur, and softened their steeps.
Toward evening we descended into the hollow where the goats were passing. A spring was running there, caught in the hollowed trunks of trees which answered for watering-troughs to the herds. ”

“ The walk has brought us out once more at the corner facing our hotel, and the hour for table-d'hôte strikes elfinly on the ear.
V.
Luchon owes much to one man. This was a certain Intendant of the province and of Bigorre arid Béarn, who lived about the middle of the last century and was the most practical and enterprising governor the region ever had. The Luchonnais honor the name of the Baron d'Étigny. He believed in his Pyrenees; he believed in their future, and set himself to speeding it with all his heart. ”

“ The hospice is situated in a deep basin of mountains open only on the Luchon side. Directly in front of it, high above us, is located the pass referred to,—the Port de Vénasque: the notch in the chain from which the Maladetta is so strikingly revealed. It is itself another noted excursion from Luchon. A great sweep of rocky ridges rises to it, not perpendicular but sharply inclined. There is a savage black pinnacle shooting up on the left, remarkable for its uncompromising cone of rock, its rejection of all the refinements of turf and arbor and even of snow. ”

“ The waters of Luchon are considered specially beneficial for chronic bronchitis, rheumatism (articular and muscular) , vesical catarrh, reopened wounds, fractures, scrofulous and cutaneous affections, and ulcers. In cases where there are complications, nervous excitement, or paralysis, a medical man should always be consulted before venturing to bathe.
There is an iron spring near the Castelvieil, 1-1/2 miles from Luchon.
In the "Etablissement Thermal" the terms range from 60 cents to 4 frs. ”

“ The mountains are very much humanized here, there are plenty of carriage-drives, walks innumerable, well kept up, to reach even great altitudes. But beyond all this Luchon is one of the principal centres of Pyrenean-Alpine climbing, it is the point of departure for bold climbers who go to the Mont Maudit, the loftiest of all the chain, but on Spanish soil" (Ardouin-Dumazet) .
But even easy ascents lead to superb and savage scenery. The Lake of Seculejo is easily reached, and is accessible even in a carriage. ”

“ LA MÈRE BAUCHE.
The Pyreneean valley in which the baths of Vernet are situated is not much known to English, or indeed to any travellers. Tourists in search of good hotels and picturesque beauty combined, do not generally extend their journeys to the Eastern Pyrenees. They rarely get beyond Luchon ”

“ To the mountaineer these almost numberless summits offer attractions of all kinds, from the wooded slope with its broad mule-path, to the ice-wall only to be scaled by the use of the rope and the hatchet. There are ascents which a child almost might attempt in safety, and there are others where the bravest men might well quail.
For the ordinary pedestrian, beautiful walks abound in the vicinity of nearly every Spa, but near St. Sauveur, Luchon, Eaux Chaudes, and Argelès they are, we think, most charming. ”

“ Luchman was quick to observe that the danger was ended, and he glanced around to see who had befriended him.
A stranger stood at his elbow, a large brawny man, dressed like an English sportsman. He wore a short cutaway coat, helmet hat and high cavalry boots; he had a full beard, yellow of color like his hair, and evidently was the possessor of great coolness, presence of mind and activity.
He held his rifle, which he had just discharged, in his hand, and his whole appearance was prepossessing. ”

“ So Luquin must come on the instant Do you hear, Stephanette? The safety of the city depends on it.”
“Be easy, Master Peyrou, although it breaks my heart to know that my poor Luquin is going to run such danger. I love him too much to advise him to be a coward.”
During this rapid conversation between the watchman and her servant, Reine, lost in deep reverie, had descended a few steps of the path which conducted to the platform upon which stood the sentry-box. ”

“ Without interruption they reached a point some three miles from the Jumna, where Luchman made another turn to the left, effecting quite a detour, which led them into a path used by pedestrians and horsemen, but without traces of carts or carriages.
No persons were seen, and no doubt Luchman's move was a wise one. There was cultivated land at intervals, and then they passed through dense groves very tempting in the way of hiding places, for they were in continual dread of meeting enemies. ”

“ Florestan bit his lips with rage.
"Take care, madame!" he cried.
"What, threats! and here, sir?" exclaimed Conrad.
"Pooh, pooh! Conrad, pay no attention," said Madame de Lucenay, taking a lozenge from a sweetmeat box with the utmost composure; "a man of honour ought not and cannot have any future communication with that person. If he likes, I will tell you why."
A tremendous explosion would no doubt have occurred, when the two folding-doors again opened, and the Duc de Lucenay entered, noisily, violently, hurriedly, as was "his usual custom in the afternoon," as well as the forenoon. ”

“ This was Luchman's way of expressing his good will toward the Englishman, who, it cannot be said, was strongly impressed by his words.
"What are your intentions?" asked the latter.
"Sahib, I shall go to Delhi and give up my life in the hope that I may save the missionary and his family."
"And what do you expect me to do?"
The brown face of the native was eclipsed by what seemed a passing cloud of regret, as he answered:
"You must turn back, sahib. At the cantonment of Lucknow, or Cawnpore, or Allahabad you will find friends; you can die with them." ”

“ People.—Although the upper classes in Luchu and Japan closely resemble each other, there are palpable differences between the lower classes, the Luchuans being shorter and better proportioned than the Japanese; having higher foreheads, eyes not so deeply set, faces less flattened, arched and thick eyebrows, better noses, less marked cheek-bones and much greater hairiness. ”

“ The river was quite low, so that little difficulty would have been met in fording (the men carrying the ladies) , but Luchman was lucky enough to come upon a small boat, by means of which he took all over dry shod.
Being now fairly outside the city and with the Jumna rolling between it and them, our friends felt there was hope of escaping the fate of so many of their countrymen. The road leading to Meerut and to Kurnal was crowded with wretched fugitives, and the distant reports of guns and the shouts of the sepoys showed that plunder and massacre were going on in every direction. ”

“ One day, having received a watermelon, he gave Luqman the best part of it, and Luqman devoured it with such apparent relish that his master was tempted to taste it. To his surprise he found it very bitter, and asked Luqman why he had not told him of this. Luqman replied that it was not for him, who lived on his master's bounty, to complain if he now and then received disagreeable things at his hands. Thus, though to outward appearance a slave, Luqman showed himself to be a lord.
Love endures hardships at the hands of the Beloved. ”

“ Again Luchman turned aside from the highway, and again his quick ear caught the sound of hoofs. He thought it more than likely that the mutineers had heard of the party of Feringhees on foot, and were hunting for them. Too much risk had already been run, and the guide resolved to do all he could for those with him, leaving the young men to look out for themselves.
It took but a brief while to reach the jungle, in whose shelter the fugitives once more hoped they were safe. ”

“ Stephanette, indignant, was about to reply to her betrothed, when the whistle of Mlle, des Anbiez called her to that lady’s apartment.
She entered, after having thrown an angry glance at Luquin.
The captain was in the way of repenting of his suspicions when the majordomo Laramée, coming precipitately out of the chamber of Raimond V., said:
“Here you are, Luquin, come quick and help me to carry monseigneur to the commander. He is too weak to walk; we will carry him in his armchair.”
Luquin followed Laramée, and entered the baron’s chamber. ”

“ The Luchuans—even the men—are distinguished in appearance by a top-knot of hair, through which they pass a large pin or skewer of gold, silver, or copper, according to their rank. Formerly corpses, instead of being interred at once, were left to decay either in a provisional grave or in a stream of water, and it was only after three years that the last funeral rites were performed. This custom has happily fallen into disuse. The capital of Luchu is Shuri, whose port is Nafa, called Okinawa by the Japanese. ”

“ The dark face instantly became serious, and the native looked down at the ground, as he softly said,
"God will take care of it, sahib."
"You have a fortune such as few in this world possess; and do you still carry it in your turban?"
Luchman looked around in the faces of his three friends. Satisfied that they were really asleep, he raised with dignity the turban, insinuated his fingers among the downy recesses, and in a twinkling held up the gem between his thumb and forefinger. ”

“ He was an expert pistol shot, and he did not mean to be taken unprepared.
"Where are the palanquin bearers?" asked Avery, as he reached the open door and saw Luchman in the faint light standing in the middle of the room, a sweeping glance having satisfied him that no one else was in the apartment.
"They have gone, sahib," was the answer of Luchman. "If they come back it will be to kill you. They hate you. They hate all the Inglese. They would try to kill me if they knew I was your friend. ”

“ His rancho was about two miles from the store, and our ride thither was about as strange a gallop as I ever took. Lucero was a domador, or horse-tamer, and the beast he rode was quite unbroken and vicious as it could be. Between horse and man a fierce struggle for mastery raged the whole time, the horse rearing, plunging, buck-jumping, and putting into practice every conceivable trick to rid itself of its burden; while Lucero plied whip and spur with tremendous energy and poured out torrents of strange adjectives. ”

“ Lucilla, observing them, smiled.
“You like Monsieur Martin?”
“Everybody likes him; he is so gentle,” said Félise.
“But is that what women look for in a man?” asked Lucilla. “Doesn’t she want some one strong to lean on? Something to appeal to the imagination? Something more panache?”
Félise thought of Lucien Viriot and his cavalry plume and shivered. No. She did not want panache. Martin’s quiet, simple ways, she knew not why, were worth all the clanking of all the sabres in the world put together.
“That depends on temperament, mademoiselle,” said Félise, in French. ”

“ Lukyn.
What finished it?
Vale.
She gave a man a pair of worked slippers three days after our engagement.
Lukyn.
No?
Vale.
Fact. You remember Bristow—Gordon Bristow?
Lukyn.
Perfectly. Best fellow in the world.
Vale.
He wears them.
Lukyn.
Villain! Will you begin with a light wine, or go right on to the champagne?
Vale.
By Jove, it’s broken my heart, old fellow. I’ll go right on to the champagne, please. Lukyn, I shall make you my executor.
Lukyn.
Pooh! You’ll outlive me! Why don’t they bring the supper? My heart has been broken like yours. [Pg 61] It was broken first in Ireland in ’55. ”

“ Late in the afternoon all were thrown into alarm by the appearance of Wana Affghar to make a charge upon the temple. He galloped out at full speed from the edge of the grove, followed by his horde of ruffians, and rushed directly for the entrance way.
Mr. Hildreth and Dr. Avery cocked their guns, and awaited the moment when their aim would be sure. Luchman placed his hand upon his pistol, and stood like a bronze statue, his eyes fixed upon the advancing brigands. The ladies withdrew beyond the reach of any flying bullets. ”

“ Sir Lucien lighted a cigarette.
“I sometimes wonder, Sin Sin Wa,” he said slowly, “what your aim in life can be. Your father was neither a ship’s carpenter nor a shopkeeper. This I know. Your age I do not know and cannot guess, but you are no longer young. You covet wealth. For what purpose, Sin Sin Wa?”
Standing behind the Chinaman, Sir Lucien’s dark face, since he made no effort to hide his feelings, revealed the fact that he attached to this seemingly abstract discussion a greater importance than his tone of voice might have led one to suppose. ”

“ Reine to old Dulceline, without speaking of Stephanette, who gave him a flame-coloured ribbon—flame-coloured ribbons, indeed!” exclaimed Luquin, with indignation. “It is a ribbon woven by the rope-maker that this wretch needs! But what can you do? All the women have their heads turned. And why? Because this vagabond strums, good and bad together, in some sort of fashion, an old guitar, so hoarse that it sounds like the pulleys of my tartan, when they hoist the big sail.”
“Did not the Bohemian arrive at Maison-Forte the day Raimond V. had the recorder chased by a bull?” ”