Though Doctor Rouget had taught his son to
regard Agathe in the light of a stranger, it was certainly a somewhat
extraordinary thing that for thirty years a brother should have given
no signs of life to a sister. Such a silence was evidently caused by
peculiar circumstances, and any other sister and nephew than Agathe
and Joseph would long ago have inquired into them. There is, moreover,
a certain connection between the condition of the city of Issoudun and
the interests of the Bridau family, which can only be seen as the
story goes on.
CHAPTER VII
Issoudun, be it said without offence to Paris, is one of the oldest
cities in France. In spite of the historical assumption which makes
the emperor Probus the Noah of the Gauls, Caesar speaks of the
excellent wine of Champ-Fort ("de Campo Forti") still one of the best
vintages of Issoudun. Rigord writes of this city in language which
leaves no doubt as to its great population and its immense commerce.
But these testimonies both assign a much lesser age to the city than
its ancient antiquity demands. In fact, the excavations lately
undertaken by a learned archaeologist of the place, Monsieur Armand
Peremet, have brought to light, under the celebrated tower of
Issoudun, a basilica of the fifth century, probably the only one in
France. This church preserves, in its very materials, the sign-manual
of an anterior civilization; for its stones came from a Roman temple
which stood on the same site.
Pages:
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142