the women of the french salons-第42章

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le　heart；　she　is　old；　she　is　well；　she　wishes　to　preserve　her　health　and　her　tranquillity。　　As　soon　as　she　learns　that　I　am　happy　she　will　love　me　to　folly。〃

But　her　generosity　was　exceptional。　　〃Donner　et　pardonner〃　was　her　device。　　Many　anecdotes　are　related　of　her　charitable　temper。　　She　had　ordered　two　marble　vases　of　Bouchardon。　　One　was　broken　before　reaching　her。　　Learning　that　the　man　who　broke　it　would　lose　his　place　if　it　were　known；　and　that　he　had　a　family　of　four　children；　she　immediately　sent　word　to　the　atelier　that　the　sculptor　was　not　to　be　told　of　the　loss；　adding　a　gift　of　twelve　francs　to　console　the　culprit　for　his　fright。　　She　often　surprised　her　impecunious　friends　with　the　present　of　some　bit　of　furniture　she　thought　they　needed；　or　an　annuity　delicately　bestowed。　〃I　have　assigned　to　you　fifteen　thousand　francs；〃　she　said　one　day　to　the　Abbe　Morellet；　〃do　not　speak　of　it　and　do　not　thank　me。〃　　〃Economy　is　the　source　of　independence　and　liberty〃　was　one　of　her　mottoes；　and　she　denied　herself　the　luxuries　of　life　that　she　might　have　more　to　spend　in　charities。　　But　she　never　permitted　any　one　to　compromise　her；　and　often　withheld　her　approbation　where　she　was　free　with　her　purse。　　To　do　all　the　good　possible　and　to　respect　all　the　convenances　were　her　cardinal　principles。　　Marmontel　was　sent　to　the　Bastille　under　circumstances　that　were　rather　creditable　than　otherwise；　but　it　was　a　false　note；　and　she　was　never　quite　the　same　to　him　afterwards。　　She　wept　at　her　own　injustice；　schemed　for　his　election　to　the　Academy；　and　scolded　him　for　his　lack　of　diplomacy；　but　the　little　cloud　was　there。　　When　the　Sorbonne　censured　his　Belisarius　her　friendship　could　no　longer　bear　the　strain；　and；　though　still　received　at　her　dinners；　he　ceased　to　live　in　her　house。

Her　dominant　passion　seems　to　have　been　love　of　consideration；　if　a　calm　and　serene；　but　steadily　persistent；　purpose　can　be　called　a　passion。　　No　trained　diplomatist　ever　understood　better　the　world　with　which　he　had　to　deal；　or　managed　more　adroitly　to　avoid　small　antagonisms。　　It　was　her　maxim　not　to　create　jealousy　by　praising　people；　nor　irritation　by　defending　them。　　If　she　wished　to　say　a　kind　word；　she　dwelt　upon　good　qualities　that　were　not　contested。　　She　prided　herself　upon　ruling　her　life　by　reason。　　Sainte…Beuve　calls　her　the　Fontenelle　of　women；　but　it　was　Fontenelle　tempered　with　a　heart。

This　〃foster…mother　of　philosophers〃　evidently　wished　to　make　sure　of　her　own　safety；　however　matters　might　turn　out　in　the　next　world。　　She　had　a　devotional　vein；　went　to　mass　privately；　had　a　seat　at　the　Church　of　the　Capucins；　and　an　apartment　for　retreat　in　a　convent。　　During　her　last　illness　the　Marquise　de　la　Ferte…Imbault；　who　did　not　love　her　mother's　freethinking　friends；　excluded　them；　and　sent　for　a　confessor。　　Mme。　Geoffrin　submitted　amiably；　and　said；　smiling；　〃My　daughter　is　like　Godfrey　of　Bouillon；　she　wishes　to　defend　my　tomb　against　the　infidels。〃

Into　the　composition　of　her　salon　she　brought　the　talent　of　an　artist。　　We　have　a　glimpse　of　her　in　1748　through　a　letter　from　Montesquieu。　　She　was　then　about　fifty；　and　had　gathered　about　her　a　more　or　less　distinguished　company；　which　was　enlarged　after　the　death　of　Mme。　de　Tencin；　in　the　following　year。　　She　gave　dinners　twice　a　weekone　on　Monday　for　artists；　among　whom　were　Vanloo；　Vernet；　and　Boucher；　and　one　on　Wednesday　for　men　of　letters。　　As　she　believed　that　women　were　apt　to　distract　the　conversation；　only　one　was　usually　invited　to　dine　with　them。　　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　the　intellectual　peer　and　friend　of　these　men；　sat　opposite　her；　and　aided　in　conducting　the　conversation　into　agreeable　channels。　　The　talent　of　Mme。　Geoffrin　seems　to　have　consisted　in　telling　a　story　well；　in　a　profound　knowledge　of　people；　ready　tact；　and　the　happy　art　of　putting　every　one　at　ease。　　She　did　not　like　heated　discussions　nor　a　too　pronounced　expression　of　opinion。　　〃She　was　willing　that　the　philosophers　should　remodel　the　world；〃　says　one　of　her　critics；　〃on　condition　that　the　kingdom　of　Diderot　should　come　without　disorder　or　confusion。〃　　But　though　she　liked　and　admired　this　very　free　and　eloquent　Diderot；　he　was　too　bold　and　outspoken　to　have　a　place　at　her　table。　　Helvetius；　too；　fell　into　disfavor　after　the　censure　which　his　atheistic　DE　L'esprit　brought　upon　him；　and　Baron　d'Holbach　was　too　apt　to　overstep　the　limits　at　which　the　hostess　interfered　with　her　inevitable　〃Voila　qui　est　bien。〃　　Indeed；　she　assumed　the　privilege　of　her　years　to　scold　her　guests　if　they　interfered　with　the　general　harmony　or　forgot　any　of　the　amenities。　　But　her　scoldings　were　very　graciously　received　as　a　slight　penalty　for　her　favor；　and　more　or　less　a　measure　of　her　friendship。　　She　graded　her　courtesies　with　fine　discrimination；　and　her　friends　found　the　reflection　of　their　success　or　failure　in　her　manner　of　receiving　them。　　Her　keen；　practical　mind　pierced　every　illusion　with　merciless　precision。　　She　defined　a　popular　abbe　who　posed　for　a　bel　esprit；　as　a　〃fool　rubbed　all　over　with　wit。〃　　Rulhiere　had　read　in　her　salon　a　work　on　Russia；　which　she　feared　might　compromise　him；　and　she　offered　him　a　large　sum　of　money　to　throw　it　into　the　fire。　　The　author　was　indignant　at　such　a　reflection　upon　his　courage　and　honor；　and　grew　warmly　eloquent　upon　the　subject。　　She　listened　until　he　had　finished；　then　said　quietly；　〃How　much　more　do　you　want；　M。　Rulhiere？〃

The　serene　poise　of　a　character　without　enthusiasms　and　without　illusions　is　very　well　illustrated　by　a　letter　to　Mme。　Necker。　　After　playfully　charging　her　with　being　always　infatuated；　never　cool　and　reserved；　she　continues：

〃Do　you　know；　my　pretty　one；　that　your　exaggerated　praises　confound　me；　instead　of　pleasing　and　flattering　me？　　I　am　always　afraid　that　your　giddiness　will　evaporate。　　You　will　then　judge　me　to　be　so　different　from　your　preconceived　opinion　that　you　will　punish　me　for　your　own　mistake；　and　allow　me　no　merit　at　all。　　I　have　my　virtues　and　my　good　qualities；　but　I　have　also　many　faults。　　Of　these　I　am　perfectly　well　aware；　and　every　day　I　try　to　correct　them。

〃My　dear　friend；　I　beg　of　you　to　lessen　your　excessive　admiration。　　I　assure　you　that　you　humiliate　me；　and　that　is　certainly　not　your　intention。　　The　angels　think　very　little　about　me；　and　I　do　not　trouble　myself　about　them。　　Their　praise　or　their　blame　is　indifferent　to　me；　for　I　shall　not　come　in　their　way；　but　what　I　do　desire　is　that　you　should　love　me；　and　that　you　should　take　me　as　you　find　me。〃

Again　she　assumes　her　position　of　mentor　and　writes：　〃How　is　it　possible　not　to　answer　the　kind　and　charming　letter　I　have　received　from　you？　But　still　I　reply　only　to　tell　you　that　it　made　me　a　little　angry。　　I　see　that　it　is　impossible　to　change　anything　in　your　uneasy；　restless；　and　at　the　same　time　weak　character。〃

Horace　Walpole；　who　met　her　during　his　first　visit　to　Paris；　and　before　his　intimacy　with　Mme。　du　Deffand　had　colored　his　opinions；　has　left　a　valuable　pen…portrait　of　Mme。　Geoffrin。　　In　a　letter　to　Gray；　in　1766；　he　writes：

〃Mme。　Geoffrin；　of　whom　you　have　heard　much；　is　an　extraordinary　woman；　with　more　common　sense　than　I　almost　ever　met　with；　great　quickness　in　discovering　characters；　penetrating　and　going　to　the　bottom　of　them；　and　a　pencil　that　never　fails　in　a　likeness；　seldom　a　favorable　one。　　She　exacts　and　preserves；　spite　of　her　birth　and　their　nonsensical　prejudices　about　nobility；　great　court　and　attention。　　This　she　acquires　by　a　thousand　little　arts　and　offices　of　friendship；　and　by　a　freedom　and　severity　which　seem　to　be　her　sole　end　for　drawing　a　concourse　to　her。　　She　has　little　taste　and　less　knowledge；　but　protects　artisans　and　authors；　and　courts　a　few　people　to　have　the　credit　of　serving　her　dependents。　　In　short；　she　is　an　epitome　of　empire；　subsisting　by　rewards　and　punishments。〃

Later；　when　he　was　less　disinterested；　perhaps；　he　writes　to　another　friend：　〃Mme。　du　Deffand　hates　the　philosophers；　so　you　must　give　them　up　to　her。　　She　and　Mme。　Geoffrin　are　no　friends；　so　if　you　go　thither；　don't　tell　her　of　itIndeed　you　would　be　sick　of　that　house　whither　all　the　pretended　beaux　esprits　and　false　savants　go；　and　where　they　are