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One of his poorest stories is called "Memoirs of the Cellarage," or, as the French translation has it, "L'Esprit Souterrain." The two parts of the story contain two curious types of women.
DD. Doorways. E. Modern entrance. FF. Store chambers. G. Large chamber. H. Slot for stabbing assailants. A typical souterrain refuge is that of the Chateau de Fayrolle, not far from Riberac on the Dordogne. It was accidentally discovered when the proprietor was levelling for terraces and gardens. A glance at the plan will save a description. A refuge at S. Gauderic has been explored.
Then he mounted from the souterrain to the garden and, replacing the trap-door as it was before, busied himself in conducting water to the trees till the last of the day, when the gardener came back and said to him, "O my son, rejoice at the good tidings of a speedy return to thy native land: the merchants are ready equipped for the voyage and the ship in three days' time will set sail for the City of Ebony, which is the first of the cities of the Moslems, and after making it, thou must travel by land a six months' march till thou come to the Islands of Khalidan, the dominions of King Shahriman."
She comes to his rescue, and her clairvoyance enables her to see his future prosperity. Having fled from the king, Ma'aruf discovers a magic "souterrain" and a talismanic seal ring, by the aid of which he attains incalculable wealth. Exclaims his friend the merchant when Ma'aruf returns as a magnifico, "Thou hast played off this trick and it hath prospered to thy hand, O Shaykh of Imposters!
Then he called out, "Where is the souterrain guardianess? , and in came the old woman to whom he said, "Dost know me again, ill omened hag?" "No my lord," she replied, and he said, "I am the owner of the five hundred gold pieces, whose house thou enteredst to make the ablution and to pray, and whom thou didst snare hither and betray."
Noli, Albenga, Oneglia, Monaco, Nice, Antibes, Frejus, Aix, Marseilles, Avignon, Nismes, Montpellier, Frontignan, Sette, Agde, and along the canal of Languedoc, by Beziers, Narbonne, Carcassonne, Castelnaudari, through the Souterrain of St. Feriol, and back by Castelnaudari, to Toulouse; thence to Montauban, and down the Garonne by Langon to Bordeaux.
They positively lick the dust before their persecutors. They run to "kiss the rod." It is this type of person who, like the hero in that story in "L'Esprit Souterrain," deliberately rushes into embarrassing situations; into situations and among people where he will look a fool in order to avenge himself upon the spectators of his "folly" by going deeper and deeper into it.
So he rose, and as the slave walked on before him he drew the sword from under his clothes and smote him with it, making head fly from body. Then he dragged the corpse by the feet to the souterrain and called out, "Where is the salt wench?" Up came the girl carrying the tray of salt and, seeing my brother sword in hand, turned to fly; but he followed her and struck off her head.
Although this souterrain refuge is curious, yet it does not present some of the peculiarities noticeable in others that is to say, elaborate preparations for defence, by contriving pitfalls for the enemy and means of assailing him in flank and rear. The usual artifice for protection was this.
Le Travail des Femmes au XIX. Siècle, par Paul Leroy-Beaulieu. L'Ouvrière, p. 158. Le Travail des Femmes aux XIX. Siècle. Annuaire de la Bourse du Travail. Rapport sur l'Enquête faite au nom de l'Académie Royale de Médecine de Belgique, par la commission chargée d'étudier la question de l'emploi des femmes dans les travaux souterrain des mines, Bruxelles, 1868.
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