The vineyard began immediately behind the laurels that enclosed the
house, and at a little distance, where the mountain began to lift from
the narrow plateau, stood the farmer's stone cottage, with the stables
and the wine-vaults under the same roof. Mademoiselle gave us grapes
from her vines at dinner, and the walnut-trees seemed public property,
though I think one was not allowed to knock the nuts off, but was only
free of the windfalls. A little later they were all gathered, and on a
certain night the girls and the young men of the village have the custom
to meet and make a frolic of cracking them, as they used in husking corn
with us. Then the oil is pressed out, and the commune apportions each
family its share, according to the amount of nuts contributed. This nut
oil imparts a sentiment to salad which the olive cannot give, and
mushrooms pickled in it become the most delicious and indigestible of
all imaginable morsels. I have had dreams from those pickled mushrooms
which, if I could write them out, would make my fortune as a romantic
novelist.
The Swiss breakfast was our old friend the Italian breakfast, with
butter and Gruyère cheese added to the milk and coffee. We dined at one
o'clock, and at six or seven we supped upon a meal that had left off
soup and added tea, in order to differ from the dinner. For all this,
with our rooms, we paid what we should have paid at a New Hampshire
farm-house; that is, a dollar a day each.
But the air was such as we could not have got in New Hampshire for twice
the money. It restored one completely every twenty-four hours, and it
not only stimulated but supported one throughout the day. Our own air is
quite as exciting, but after stirring one up, it leaves him to take the
consequences, whereas that faithful Swiss air stood by and helped out
the enterprise. I rose fresh from my forenoon's writing and eager to
walk; I walked all afternoon, and came in perfectly fresh to supper. One
can't speak too well of the Swiss air, whatever one says of the Swiss
sun.
[Illustration: _Post-office, Villeneuve_]