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192
The House in Good Taste
·
Elsie De Wolfe
173
Our
villa
adjoins
the
Park
proper.
In
our
deeds
to
the
two
acres
there
is
a
clause
which
reserves
a
right-of-way
for
the
King!
The
deed
is
worded
like
the
old
lease
that
dates
back
to
1750,
and
so
one
day
we
may
have
to
give
a
King
a
right-of-way
through
our
garden,
if
France
becomes
a
monarchy
again.
Anyone
who
knows
French
people
at
all
knows
how
dearly
they
cherish
the
dream
of
a
monarchy.
One
of
the
small
houses
we
found
on
our
small
estate
had
once
been
a
part
of
the
hameau
of
Marie
Antoinette.
We
have
had
this
little
house
rebuilt
and
connected
with
the
villa,
and
now
use
it
as
a
guest
house.
It
is
very
charming,
with
its
walls
covered
with
lattices
and
ivy.
Villa
Trianon,
like
most
French
houses,
is
built
directly
on
the
street,
leaving
all
the
space
possible
for
the
garden.
The
façade
of
the
villa
is
very
simple,
it
reminds
you
of
the
square
houses
of
the
American
Colonial
period,
except
that
there
is
no
"front
porch,"
as
is
inevitable
with
us
in
America.
The
entrance
gate
and
the
stone
wall
that
surround
the
place
give
an
interest
that
our
detached
and
hastily
built
American
houses
lack.
The
wall
is
really
a
continuation
of
the
façade
of
the
villa,
and
is
surmounted
by
a
black
iron
railing.
Vines
and
flowers
that
have
flourished
and
died
and
flourished
again
for
over
a
century
climb
over
the
wall
and
through
the
graceful
railing,
and
give
our
home
an
air
of
permanence
that
is
very
satisfying.
After
all,
that
is
the
secret
of
Europe's
fascination
for
us
Americans--the
ever-present
suggestion
of
permanence.
We
feel
that
houses
and
gardens
were
planned
and
built
for
centuries,
not
for
the
passing
pleasure
of
one
brief
lifetime.
We
people
them
with
ghosts
that
please
us,
and
make
histories
for
them
that
are
always
romantic
and
full
of
happiness.
The
survival
of
an
old
house
and
its
garden
through
centuries
of
use
and
misuse
is
always
an
impressive
and
dramatic
discovery
to
us:
it
gives
us
courage
to
add
our
little
bit
to
the
ultimate
beauty
and
history,
it
gives
us
excuse
to
dream
of
the
fortunate
people
who
will
follow
us
in
other
centuries,
and
who
will,
in
turn,
bless
us
for
our
part
in
the
remaking
of
one
old
house
and
garden.
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