the women of the french salons-第51章

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ue；　and　understood　the　value　of　discreet　silence。　　〃She　rendered　the　marble　sensible；　and　made　matter　talk；〃　said　Guibert。　　Versatile　and　suggestive　herself；　she　knew　how　to　draw　out　the　best　thoughts　of　others。　　Her　swift　insight　caught　the　weak　points　of　her　friends；　and　her　gracious　adaptation　had　all　the　fascination　of　a　subtle　flattery。　　Sad　as　her　experience　had　been；　she　had　nevertheless　been　drawn　into　the　world　most　congenial　to　her　tastes。　　〃Ah；　how　I　dislike　not　to　love　that　which　is　excellent；〃　she　wrote　later。　　〃How　difficult　I　have　become！　　But　is　it　my　fault？　　Consider　the　education　I　have　received　with　Mme。　du　Deffand。　　President　Henault；　Abbe　Bon；　the　Archbishop　of　Toulouse；　the　Archbishop　of　Aix；　Turgot；　d'Alembert；　Abbe　de　Boismontthese　are　the　men　who　have　taught　me　to　speak；　to　think；　and　who　have　deigned　to　count　me　for　something。〃

It　was　men　like　these　who　thronged　her　own　salon；　together　with　such　women　as　the　Duchesse　d'Anville；　friend　of　the　economists；　the　Duchesse　de　Chatillon　whom　she　loved　so　passionately；　and　others　well…known　in　the　world　of　fashion　and　letters。　　But　its　tone　was　more　philosophical　than　that　of　Mme。　du　Deffand。　　Though　far　from　democratic　by　taste　or　temperament；　she　was　so　from　conviction。　　The　griefs　and　humiliations　of　her　life　had　left　her　peculiarly　open　to　the　new　social　and　political　theories　which　were　agitating　France。　　She　liked　free　discussion；　and　her　own　large　intelligence；　added　to　her　talent　for　calling　out　and　giving　point　to　the　ideas　of　others；　went　far　towards　making　the　cosmopolitan　circle　over　which　she　presided　one　of　the　most　potent　forces　of　the　time。　　Her　influence　may　be　traced　in　the　work　of　the　encyclopedists；　in　which　she　was　associated；　and　which　she　did　more　than　any　other　woman　to　aid　and　encourage。　　As　a　power　in　the　making　of　reputations　and　in　the　election　of　members　to　the　Academy　she　shared　with　Mme。　Geoffrin　the　honor　of　being　a　legitimate　successor　of　Mme。　de　Lambert。　　Chastellux　owed　his　admission　largely　to　her；　and　on　her　deathbed　she　secured　that　of　La　Harpe。

But　the　side　of　her　character　which　strikes　us　most　forcibly　at　this　distance　of　time　is　the　emotional。　　The　personal　charm　which　is　always　so　large　a　factor　in　social　success　is　of　too　subtle　a　quality　to　be　caught　in　words。　　The　most　vivid　portrait　leaves　a　divine　something　to　be　supplied　by　the　imagination；　and　the　fascination　of　eloquence　is　gone　with　the　flash　of　the　eye；　the　modulation　of　the　voice；　or　some　fleeting　grace　of　manner。　　But　passion　writes　itself　out　in　indelible　characters；　especially　when　it　is　a　rare　and　spontaneous　overflow　from　the　heart　of　a　man　or　woman　of　genius；　whose　emotions　readily　crystallize　into　form。

Her　friendship　for　d'Alembert；　loyal　and　devoted　as　it　was；　seems　to　have　been　without　illusions。　　It　is　true　she　had　cast　aside　every　other　consideration　to　nurse　him　through　a　dangerous　illness；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　able　to　be　removed；　he　had　taken　an　apartment　in　the　house　where　she　lived；　which　he　retained　until　her　death。　　But　he　was　not　rich；　and　marriage　was　not　to　be　thought　of。　　On　this　point　we　have　his　own　testimony。　　〃The　one　to　whom　they　marry　me　in　the　gazettes　is　indeed　a　person　respectable　in　character；　and　fitted　by　the　sweetness　and　charm　of　her　society　to　render　a　husband　happy；〃　he　writes　to　Voltaire；　〃but　she　is　worthy　of　an　establishment　better　than　mine；　and　there　is　between　us　neither　marriage　nor　love；　but　mutual　esteem；　and　all　the　sweetness　of　friendship。　　I　live　actually　in　the　same　house　with　her；　where　there　are　besides　ten　other　tenants；　this　is　what　has　given　rise　to　the　rumor。〃　　His　devotion　through　so　many　years；　and　his　profound　grief　at　her　loss；　as　well　as　his　subsequent　words；　leave　some　doubt　as　to　the　tranquillity　of　his　heart；　but　the　sentiments　of　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse　seem　never　to　have　passed　the　calm　measure　of　an　exalted　and　sympathetic　friendship。　　It　was　remarked　that　he　lost　much　of　his　prestige；　and　that　his　society　which　had　been　so　brilliant；　became　infinitely　more　miscellaneous　and　infinitely　less　agreeable　after　the　death　of　the　friend　whose　tact　and　finesse　had　so　well　served　his　ambition。

Not　long　after　leaving　Mme。　du　Deffand　she　met　the　Marquis　de　Mora；　a　son　of　the　Spanish　ambassador；　who　became　a　constant　habitue　of　her　salon。　　Of　distinguished　family　and　large　fortune；　brilliant；　courtly；　popular；　and　only　twenty…four；　he　captivated　at　once　the　fiery　heart　of　this　attractive　woman　of　thirty…five。　　It　seems　to　have　been　a　mutual　passion；　as　during　one　brief　absence　of　ten　days　he　wrote　her　twenty…two　letters。　　But　his　family　became　alarmed　and　made　his　delicate　health　a　pretext　for　recalling　him　to　Spain。　　Her　grief　at　the　separation　enlisted　the　sympathy　of　d'Alembert。　　At　her　request　he　procured　from　his　physician　a　statement　that　the　climate　of　Madrid　would　prove　fatal　to　M。　de　Mora；　whose　health　had　steadily　failed　since　his　return　home；　and　that　if　his　friends　wished　to　save　him　they　must　lose　no　time　in　sending　him　back　to　Paris。　　The　young　man　was　permitted　to　leave　at　once；　but　he　died　en　route　at　Bordeaux。

In　the　meantime　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　sad　and　inconsolable；　had　met　M。　Guibert；　a　man　of　great　versatility　and　many　accomplishments；　whose　genius　seems　to　have　borne　no　adequate　fruit。　　We　hear　of　him　later　through　the　passing　enthusiasm　of　Mme。　de　Stael；　who　in　her　youth；　made　a　pen…portrait　of　him；　sufficiently　flattering　to　account　in　some　degree　for　the　singular　passion　of　which　he　became　the　object。　　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse　was　forty。　　He　was　twenty…nine；　had　competed　for　the　Academie　Francaise；　written　a　work　on　military　science；　also　a　national　tragedy　which　was　still　unpublished。　　She　was　dazzled　by　his　brilliancy；　and　when　she　fathomed　his　shallow　nature；　as　she　finally　did；　it　was　too　late　to　disentangle　her　heart。　　He　was　a　man　of　gallantry；　and　was　flattered　by　the　preference　of　a　woman　much　in　vogue；　who　had　powerful　friends；　influence　at　the　Academy；　and　the　ability　to　advance　his　interest　in　many　ways。　　He　clearly　condescended　to　be　loved；　but　his　own　professions　have　little　of　the　true　ring。

Distracted　by　this　new　passion　on　one　side；　and　by　remorse　for　her　disloyalty　to　the　old　one；　on　the　other；　the　health　of　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　naturally　delicate　and　already　undermined；　began　to　succumb　to　the　hidden　struggle。　　The　death　of　M。　de　Mora　solved　one　problem；　the　other　remained。　　Mr。　Guibert　wished　to　advance　his　fortune　by　a　brilliant　marriage　without　losing　the　friend　who　might　still　be　of　service　to　him。　　She　sat　in　judgment　upon　her　own　fate；　counseled　him；　aided　him　in　his　choice；　even　praised　the　woman　who　became　his　wife；　hoping　still；　perhaps；　for　some　repose　in　that　exaltation　of　friendship　which　is　often　the　last　consolation　of　passionate　souls。　　But　she　was　on　a　path　that　led　to　no　haven　of　peace。　　There　was　only　a　blank　wall　before　her；　and　the　lightning　impulses　of　her　own　heart　were　forced　back　to　shatter　her　frail　life。　　The　world　was　ignorant　of　this　fresh　experience；　and；　believing　her　crushed　by　the　death　of　M。　de　Mora；　sympathized　with　her　sorrow　and　praised　her　fidelity。　　She　tried　to　sustain　a　double　rolesmiles　and　gaiety　for　her　friends；　tears　and　agony　for　the　long　hours　of　solitude。　　The　tension　was　too　much　for　her。　　She　died　shortly　afterwards　at　the　age　of　forty…three。　　〃If　to　think；　to　love；　and　to　suffer　is　that　which　constitutes　life；　she　lived　in　these　few　years　many　ages；〃　said　one　who　knew　her　well。

It　was　not　until　many　years　later；　when　those　most　interested　were　gone；　that　the　letters　to　Guibert；　which　form　her　chief　title　to　fame；　were　collected；　and；　curiously　enough；　by　his　widow。　　Then　for　the　first　time　the　true　drama　of　her　life　was　unveiled。　　It　is　impossible　in　a　few　extracts　to　convey　an　adequate　idea　of　the　passion　and　devotion　that　runs　through　these　letters。　　They　touch　the　entire　gamut　of　emotion；　from　the　tender　melancholy　of　a　lonely　soul；　the　inexpressible　sweetness　of　self…　forgetful　love；　to　the　tragic　notes　or　agony　and　despair。　　There　are　many　brilliant　passages　in　them；　many　flashes　of　profound　thought；　many　vivid　traits　of　the　people　about　her；　but　they　are；　before　all；　the　record　of　a　soul　that　is　rapi