the women of the french salons-第50章

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eless；　that　her　powerful　intellect　bent　before　it　like　a　reed　before　a　storm。　　She　died　of　that　unsuspected　passion；　and　years　afterwards　these　letters　found　the　light　and　told　the　tale。

The　contrast　between　the　two　women　so　closely　linked　together　is　complete。　　Mme。　du　Deffand　belonged　to　the　age　of　Voltaire　by　every　fiber　of　her　hard　and　cynical　nature。　　What　she　called　love　was　a　fire　of　the　intellect　which　consumed　without　warming。　　It　was　a　violent　and　fierce　prejudice　in　favor　of　those　who　reflected　something　of　herself。　　The　tenderness　of　self…sacrifice　was　not　there。　　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse　was　of　the　later　era　of　Rousseau；　the　era　of　exaggerated　feeling；　of　emotional　delirium；　of　romantic　dreams；　the　era　whose　heroine　was　the　loving　and　sentimental　〃Julie；〃　for　whose　portrait　she　might　have　sat；　with　a　shade　or　so　less　of　intellect　and　brilliancy。　　But　it　was　more　than　a　romantic　dream　that　shadowed　and　shortened　the　life　of　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse。　　She　had　a　veritable　heart　of　flame；　that　consumed　not　only　itself　but　its　frail　tenement　as　well。

Julie…Jeanne…Eleonore　de　Lespinasse；　who　was　born　at　Lyons　in　1732；　had　a　birthright　of　sorrow。　　Her　mother；　the　Comtesse　d'Albon；　could　not　acknowledge　this　fugitive　and　nameless　daughter；　but　after　the　death　of　her　husband　she　received　her　on　an　inferior　footing；　had　her　carefully　educated；　and　secretly　gave　her　love　and　care。　　Left　alone　and　without　resources　at　fifteen；　Julie　was　taken；　as　governess　and　companion；　into　the　family　of　a　sister　who　was　the　wife　of　Mme。　du　Deffand's　brother。　　Here　the　marquise　met　her　on　one　of　her　visits　and　heard　the　story　of　her　sorrows。　　Tearful；　sad；　and　worn　out　by　humiliations；　the　young　girl　had　decided　to　enter　a　convent。　　〃There　is　no　misfortune　that　I　have　not　experienced；〃　she　wrote　to　Guibert　many　years　afterwards。　　〃Some　day；　my　friend；　I　will　relate　to　you　things　not　to　be　found　in　the　romances　of　Prevost　nor　of　Richardson　。　。　。　　I　ought　naturally　to　devote　myself　to　hating；　I　have　well　fulfilled　my　destiny；　I　have　loved　much　and　hated　very　little。　　Mon　Dieu；　my　friend；　I　am　a　hundred　years　old。〃　　Mme。　du　Deffand　was　struck　with　her　talent　and　a　certain　indefinable　fascination　of　manner　which　afterwards　became　so　potent。　　〃You　have　gaiety；〃　she　wrote　to　her；　〃you　are　capable　of　sentiment；　with　these　qualities　you　will　be　charming　so　long　as　you　are　natural　and　without　pretension。〃　　After　a　negotiation　of　some　months；　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse　went　to　Paris　to　live　with　her　new　friend。　　The　history　of　this　affair　has　been　already　related。

Parisian　society　was　divided　into　two　factions　on　the　merits　of　the　quarrelthose　who　censured　the　ingratitude　of　the　younger　woman；　and　those　who　accused　the　marquise　of　cruelty　and　injustice。　　But　many　of　the　oldest　friends　of　the　latter　aided　her　rival。　　The　Marechale　de　Luxembourg　furnished　her　apartments　in　the　Rue　de　Belle…Chasse。　　The　Duc　de　Choiseul　procured　her　a　pension；　and　Mme。　Geoffrin　gave　her　an　annuity。　　She　carried　with　her　a　strong　following　of　eminent　men　from　the　salon　of　Mme。　du　Deffand；　among　whom　was　d'Alembert；　who　remained　faithful　and　devoted　to　the　end。　　It　is　said　that　President　Henault　even　offered　to　marry　her；　but　how；　under　these　circumstances；　he　managed　to　continue　in　the　good　graces　of　his　lifelong　friend；　the　unforgiving　marquise；　does　not　appear。　　A　letter　which　he　wrote　to　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse　throws　a　direct　light　upon　her　character；　after　making　due　allowance　for　the　exaggeration　of　French　gallantry。

〃You　are　cosmopolitan；　you　adapt　yourself　to　all　situations。　　The　world　pleases　you；　you　love　solitude。　　Society　amuses　you；　but　it　does　not　seduce　you。　　Your　heart　does　not　give　itself　easily。　　Strong　passions　are　necessary　to　you；　and　it　is　better　so；　for　they　will　not　return　often。　　Nature；　in　placing　you　in　an　ordinary　position；　has　given　you　something　to　relieve　it。　　Your　soul　is　noble　and　elevated；　and　you　will　never　remain　in　a　crowd。　　It　is　the　same　with　your　person。　　It　is　distinguished　and　attracts　attention；　without　being　beautiful。　　There　is　something　piquante　about　you　。　。　。　　You　have　two　things　which　do　not　often　go　together：　you　are　sweet　and　strong；　your　gaiety　adorns　you　and　relaxes　your　nerves；　which　are　too　tense　。　。　。　　You　are　extremely　refined；　you　have　divined　the　world。〃

The　age　of　portraits　was　not　quite　passed；　and　the　privilege　of　seeing　one's　self　in　the　eyes　of　one's　friends　was　still　accorded；　a　fact　to　which　we　owe　many　striking　if　sometimes　rather　highly　colored　pictures。　　A　few　words　from　d'Alembert　are　of　twofold　interest。　　He　writes　some　years　later：

〃The　regard　one　has　for　you　does　not　depend　alone　upon　your　external　charms；　it　depends；　above　all；　upon　your　intellect　and　your　character。　　That　which　distinguishes　you　in　society　is　the　art　of　saying　to　every　one　the　fitting　word　and　that　art　is　very　simple　with　you；　it　consists　in　never　speaking　of　yourself　to　others；　and　much　of　themselves。　　It　is　an　infallible　means　of　pleasing；　thus　you　please　every　one；　though　it　happens　that　all　the　world　pleases　you；　you　know　even　how　to　avoid　repelling　those　who　are　least　agreeable。〃

This　epitome　of　the　art　of　pleasing　may　be　commended　for　its　wisdom；　aside　from　the　very　delightful　picture　it　gives　of　an　amiable　and　attractive　woman。　　Again　he　writes：

〃The　excellence　of　your　tone　would　not　be　a　distinction　for　one　reared　in　a　court；　and　speaking　only　the　language　she　has　learned。　　In　you　it　is　a　merit　very　real　and　very　rare。　　You　have　brought　it　from　the　seclusion　of　a　province；　where　you　met　no　one　who　could　teach　you。　　You　were；　in　this　regard；　as　perfect　the　day　after　your　arrival　at　Paris　as　you　are　today。　　You　found　yourself；　from　the　first；　as　free；　as　little　out　of　place　in　the　most　brilliant　and　most　critical　society　as　if　you　had　passed　your　life　there；　you　have　felt　its　usages　before　knowing　them；　which　implies　a　justness　and　fineness　of　tact　very　unusual；　an　exquisite　knowledge　of　les　convenances。〃

It　was　her　innate　tact　and　social　instinct；　combined　with　rare　gifts　of　intellect　and　great　conversational　charm；　that　gave　this　woman　without　name；　beauty；　or　fortune　so　exceptional　a　position；　and　her　salon　so　distinguished　a　place　among　the　brilliant　centers　of　Paris。　　As　she　was　not　rich　and　could　not　give　costly　dinners；　she　saw　her　friends　daily　from　five　to　nine；　in　the　interval　between　other　engagements。　　This　society　was　her　chief　interest；　and　she　rarely　went　out。　　〃If　she　made　an　exception　to　this　rule；　all　Paris　was　apprised　of　it　in　advance；〃　says　Grimm。　　The　most　illustrious　men　of　the　State；　the　Church；　the　Court；　and　the　Army；　as　well　as　celebrated　foreigners　and　men　of　letters；　were　sure　to　be　found　there。　　〃Nowhere　was　conversation　more　lively；　more　brilliant；　or　better　regulated；〃　writes　Marmontel。　。　。　　〃It　was　not　with　fashionable　nonsense　and　vanity　that　every　day　during　four　hours；　without　languor　or　pause；　she　knew　how　to　make　herself　interesting　to　a　circle　of　sensible　people。〃　　Caraccioli　went　from　her　salon　one　evening　to　sup　with　Mme。　du　Deffand。　　〃He　was　intoxicated　with　all　the　fine　works　he　had　heard　read　there；〃　writes　the　latter。　　〃There　was　a　eulogy　of　one　named　Fontaine　by　M。　de　Condorcet。　　There　were　translations　of　Theocritus；　tales；　fables　by　I　know　not　whom。　　And　then　some　eulogies　of　Helvetius；　an　extreme　admiration　of　the　esprit　and　the　talents　of　the　age；　in　fine；　enough　to　make　one　stop　the　ears。　　All　these　judgments　false　and　in　the　worst　taste。〃　　A　hint　of　the　rivalry　between　the　former　friends　is　given　in　a　letter　from　Horace　Walpole。　　〃There　is　at　Paris；〃　he　writes；　〃a　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　a　pretended　bel　esprit；　who　was　formerly　a　humble　companion　of　Mme。　du　Deffand；　and　betrayed　her　and　used　her　very　ill。　　I　beg　of　you　not　to　let　any　one　carry　you　thither。　　I　dwell　upon　this　because　she　has　some　enemies　so　spiteful　as　to　try　to　carry　off　all　the　English　to　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse。〃

But　this　〃pretended　bel　esprit〃　had　socially　the　touch　of　genius。　　Her　ardent；　impulsive　nature　lent　to　her　conversation　a　rare　eloquence　that　inspired　her　listeners；　though　she　never　drifted　into　monologue；　and　understood　the　value　of　discreet　silence。　　〃She　rendered　the　marble　sensible；　and　made　matte