the women of the french salons-第24章

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ue　de　Chaillot。

The　young；　brilliant；　and　gifted　comtesse　goes　to　the　convent　to　visit　her　gently　austere　sister…in…law；　and　meets　there　the　Princess　Henrietta　of　England；　than　a　child　of　eleven　years。　　The　attraction　is　mutual　and　ripens　into　a　deep　and　lasting　friendship。　　When　this　graceful　and　light…hearted　girl　becomes　the　Duchesse　d'Orleans；　and　sister…in…law　of　the　king；　she　attaches　her　friend　to　her　court　and　makes　her　the　confidante　of　her　romantic　experiences。　　〃Do　you　not　think；〃　she　said　to　her　one　day；　〃that　if　all　which　has　happened　to　me；　and　the　things　relating　to　it；　were　told　it　would　make　a　fine　story？　　You　write　well；　write；　I　will　furnish　you　good　materials。〃　　The　interesting　memorial；　to　which　madame　herself　contributes　many　pages；　is　interrupted　by　the　mysterious　death　of　the　gay　and　charming　woman　who　had　found　so　sympathetic　and　so　faithful　a　chronicler。　　She　breathed　her　last　sigh　in　the　arms　of　this　friend。　　〃It　is　one　of　those　sorrows　for　which　one　never　consoles　one's　self；　and　which　leave　a　shadow　over　the　rest　of　one's　life；〃　wrote　Mme。　de　La　Fayette。　　She　had　no　heart　to　finish　the　history；　and　added　only　the　few　simple　lines　that　record　the　touching　incidents　which　left　upon　her　so　melancholy　and　lasting　an　impression。　　She　did　not　care　to　remain　longer　at　court；　where　she　was　constantly　reminded　of　her　grief；　and　retired　permanently　from　its　gaieties；　but　in　these　years　of　intimacy　with　one　of　its　central　figures；　she　had　gained　an　insight　into　its　spirit　and　its　intrigues；　which　was　of　inestimable　value　in　the　memoirs　and　romances　of　her　later　years。

The　natural　place　of　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　was　in　a　society　of　more　serious　tone　and　more　lettered　tastes。　　In　her　youth　she　had　been　taken　by　her　mother　to　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　and　she　always　retained　much　of　its　spirit；　without　any　of　its　affectations。　　We　find　her　sometimes　at　the　Samedis；　and　she　belonged　to　the　exclusive　coterie　of　the　Grande　Mademoiselle；　at　the　Luxembourg；　where　her　facile　pen　was　in　demand　for　the　portraits　so　much　in　vogue。　　She　was　also　a　frequent　visitor　in　the　literary　salon　of　Mme。　de　Sable；　at　Port　Royal。　　It　was　here　that　her　friendship　with　La　Rochefoucauld　glided　imperceptibly　into　the　intimacy　which　became　so　important　a　feature　in　her　life。　　This　intimacy　was　naturally　a　matter　of　some　speculation；　but　the　world　made　up　its　mind　of　its　perfectly　irreproachable　character。　　〃It　appears　to　be　only　friendship；〃　writes　Mme。　de　Scudery　to　Bussy…Rabutin；　〃in　short　the　fear　of　God　on　both　sides；　and　perhaps　policy；　have　cut　the　wings　of　love。　　She　is　his　favorite　and　his　first　friend。〃　　〃I　do　not　believe　he　has　ever　been　what　one　calls　in　love；〃　writes　Mme。　de　Sevigne。　　But　this　friendship　was　a　veritable　romance；　without　any　of　the　storms　or　vexations　or　jealousies　of　a　passionate　love。　　〃You　may　imagine　the　sweetness　and　charm　of　an　intercourse　full　of　all　the　friendship　and　confidence　possible　between　two　people　whose　merit　is　not　ordinary；〃　she　says　again；　〃add　to　this　the　circumstance　of　their　bad　health；　which　rendered　them　almost　necessary　to　each　other；　and　gave　them　the　leisure　not　to　be　found　in　other　relations；　to　enjoy　each　other's　good　qualities。　　It　seems　to　me　that　at　court　people　have　no　time　for　affection；　the　whirlpool　which　is　so　stormy　for　others　was　peaceful　for　them；　and　left　ample　time　for　the　pleasures　of　a　friendship　so　delicious。　　I　do　not　believe　that　any　passion　can　surpass　the　strength　of　such　a　tie。〃

In　the　earlier　stages　of　this　intimacy；　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　was　a　little　sensitive　as　to　how　the　world　might　regard　it；　as　may　be　seen　in　a　note　to　Mme。　de　Sable；　in　which　she　asks　her　to　explain　it　to　the　young　Comte　de　Saint…Paul；　a　son　of　Mme。　de　Longueville。

〃I　beg　of　you　to　speak　of　the　matter　in　such　a　way　as　to　put　out　of　his　head　the　idea　that　it　is　anything　serious；〃　she　writes。　　〃I　am　not　sufficiently　sure　what　you　think　of　it　yourself　to　feel　certain　that　you　will　say　the　right　thing；　and　it　may　be　necessary　to　begin　by　convincing　my　embassador。　　However；　I　must　trust　to　your　tact；　which　is　superior　to　ordinary　rules。　　Only　convince　him。　　I　dislike　mortally　that　people　of　his　age　should　imagine　that　I　have　affairs　of　gallantry。　　It　seems　to　them　that　every　one　older　than　themselves　is　a　hundred；　and　they　are　astonished　that　such　should　be　regarded　of　any　account。　　Besides；　he　would　believe　these　things　of　M。　de　La　Rochefoucauld　more　readily　than　of　any　one　else。　　In　fine；　I　do　not　want　him　to　think　anything　about　it　except　that　the　gentleman　is　one　of　my　friends。〃

The　picture　we　have　of　La　Rochefoucauld　from　the　pen　of　Mme。　de　Sevigne　has　small　resemblance　to　the　ideal　that　one　forms　of　the　cynical　author　of　the　Maxims。　　He　had　come　out　of　the　storms　of　the　Fronde　a　sad　and　disappointed　man。　　The　fires　of　his　nature　seem　to　have　burned　out　with　the　passions　of　his　youth；　if　they　had　ever　burned　with　great　intensity。　　〃I　have　seen　love　nowhere　except　in　romances；〃　he　says；　and　even　his　devotion　to　Mme。　de　Longueville　savors　more　of　the　ambitious　courtier　than　of　the　lover。　　His　nature　was　one　that　recoiled　from　all　violent　commotions　of　the　soul。　　The　cold　philosophy　of　the　Maxims　marked　perhaps　the　reaction　of　his　intellect　against　the　disenchanting　experiences　of　his　life。　　In　the　tranquil　atmosphere　of　Mme。　de　Sable　he　found　a　certain　mental　equilibrium；　but　his　character　was　finally　tempered　and　softened　by　the　gentle　influence　of　Mme。　de　La　Fayette；　whose　exquisite　poise　and　delicacy　were　singularly　in　harmony　with　a　nature　that　liked　nothing　in　exaggeration。　　〃I　have　seen　him　weep　with　a　tenderness　that　made　me　adore　him；〃　writes　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　after　the　death　of　his　mother。　　〃The　heart　or　M。　de　La　Rochefoucauld　for　his　family　is　a　thing　incomparable。〃　　When　the　news　came　that　his　favorite　grandson　had　been　killed　in　battle；　she　says　again：　〃I　have　seen　his　heart　laid　bare　in　this　cruel　misfortune；　he　ranks　first　among　all　I　have　ever　known　for　courage；　fortitude；　tenderness；　and　reason；　I　count　for　nothing　his　esprit　and　his　charm。〃　　In　all　the　confidences　of　the　two　women；　La　Rochefoucauld　makes　a　third。　　He　seems　always　to　be　looking　over　the　shoulder　of　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　while　she　writes　to　the　one　who　〃satisfies　his　idea　of　friendship　in　all　its　circumstances　and　dependences〃；　adding　usually　a　message；　a　line　or　a　pretty　compliment　to　Mme。　de　Grignan　that　is　more　amiable　than　sincere；　because　he　knows　it　will　gladden　the　heart　of　her　adoring　mother。

The　side　of　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　which　has　the　most　fascination　for　us　is　this　intimate　life　of　which　Mme。　de　Sevigne　gives　such　charming　glimpses。　　For　a　moment　it　was　her　ambition　to　establish　a　popular　salon；　a　role　for　which　she　had　every　requisite　of　position；　talent；　and　influence。　　〃She　presumed　very　much　upon　her　esprit；〃　says　Gourville；　who　did　not　like　her；　〃and　proposed　to　fill　the　place　of　the　Marquise　de　Sable；　to　whom　all　the　young　people　were　in　the　habit　of　paying　great　deference；　because；　after　she　had　fashioned　them　a　little；　it　was　a　passport　for　entering　the　world；　but　this　plan　did　not　succeed；　as　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　was　not　willing　to　give　her　time　to　a　thing　so　futile。〃　　One　can　readily　understand　that　it　would　not　have　suited　her　tastes　or　her　temperament。　　Besides；　her　health　was　too　delicate；　and　her　moods　were　too　variable。　　〃You　know　how　she　is　weary　sometimes　of　the　same　thing；〃　wrote　Mme。　de　Sevigne。　　But　she　had　her　coterie；　which　was　brilliant　in　quality　if　not　in　numbers。　　The　fine　house　with　its　pretty　garden；　which　may　be　seen　today　opposite　the　Petit　Luxembourg；　was　a　favorite　meeting　place　for　a　distinguished　circle。　　The　central　figure　was　La　Rochefoucauld。　　Every　day　he　came　in　and　seated　himself　in　the　fauteuil　reserved　for　him。　　One　is　reminded　of　the　little　salon　in　the　Abbaye…aux…　Bois；　where　more　than　a　century　later　Chateaubriand　found　the　pleasure　and　the　consolation　of　his　last　days　in　the　society　of　Mme。　Recamier。　　They　talk；　they　write；　they　criticize　each　other；　they　receive　their　friends。　　The　Cardinal　de　Retz　comes　in；　and　they　recall　the　fatal　souvenirs　of　the　Fronde。　　Perhaps　he　thinks　of　the　time　when　he　found　the　young　Mlle。　De　LaVergne　pretty　and　amiable；　and