the women of the french salons-第65章

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h　conspicuous　talents　thought　her　capable　of　work　so　exacting。　　Her　qualities　were　those　of　taste　and　a　delicate　imagination　rather　than　of　reason。　　Her　musical　accomplishments　were　always　a　resource。　　She　sang；　played　the　harp　and　piano；　and　we　hear　of　her　during　a　summer　at　Albano　playing　the　organ　at　vespers　and　high　mass。　　She　danced　exquisitely；　and　it　was　her　ravishing　grace　that　suggested　the　shawl　dance　of　〃Corinne〃　to　Mme。　de　Stael　and　of　〃Valerie〃　to　Mme。　de　Krudener。　　One　can　fancy　her；　too；　at　Coppet；　playing　the　role　of　the　angel　to　Mme。　de　Stael's　Hagara　spirit　of　love　and　consolation　to　the　stormy　and　despairing　soul　of　her　friend。

But　her　real　power　lay　in　the　wonderful　harmony　of　her　nature；　in　the　subtle　penetration　that　divined　the　chagrins　and　weaknesses　of　others；　only　to　administer　a　healing　balm；　in　the　delicate　tact　that　put　people　always　on　the　best　terms　with　themselves；　and　gave　the　finest　play　to　whatever　talents　they　possessed。　　Add　to　this　a　quality　of　beauty　which　cannot　be　caught　by　pen　or　pencil；　and　one　can　understand　the　singular　sway　she　held　over　men　and　women　alike。　　Mme。　de　Krudener；　whose　salon　so　curiously　united　fashion　and　piety；　worldliness　and　mysticism；　was　troubled　by　the　distraction　which　the　entrance　of　Mme。　Recamier　was　sure　to　cause；　and　begged　Benjamin　Constant　to　write　and　entreat　her　to　make　herself　as　little　charming　as　possible。　　His　note　is　certainly　unique；　though　it　loses　much　of　its　piquancy　in　translation：

〃I　acquit　myself　with　a　little　embarrassment　of　a　commission　which　Mme。　de　Krudener　has　just　given　me。　　She　begs　you　to　come　as　little　beautiful　as　you　can。　　She　says　that　you　dazzle　all　the　world；　and　that　consequently　every　soul　is　troubled　and　attention　is　impossible。　　You　cannot　lay　aside　your　charms；　but　do　not　add　to　them。〃

In　her　youth　she　dressed　with　great　simplicity　and　was　fond　of　wearing　white　with　pearls；　which　accorded　well　with　the　dazzling　purity　of　her　complexion。

Mme。　Recamier　was　not　without　vanity；　and　this　is　the　reverse　side　of　her　peculiar　gifts。　　She　would　have　been　more　than　mortal　if　she　had　been　quite　unconscious　of　attractions　so　rare　that　even　the　children　in　the　street　paid　tribute　to　them。　　But　one　finds　small　trace　of　the　petty　jealousies　and　exactions　that　are　so　apt　to　accompany　them。　　She　liked　to　please；　she　wished　to　be　loved；　and　this　inevitably　implies　a　shade　of　coquetry　in　a　young　and　beautiful　woman。　　There　is　an　element　of　fascination　in　this　very　coquetry；　with　its　delicate　subtleties　and　its　shifting　tints　of　sentiment。　　That　she　carried　it　too　far　is　no　doubt　true；　that　she　did　so　wittingly　is　not　so　certain。　　Her　victims　were　many；　and　if　they　quietly　subsided　into　friends；　as　they　usually　did；　it　was　after　many　struggles　and　heart　burnings。　　But　if　she　did　not　exercise　her　power　with　invariable　discretion；　it　seems　to　have　been　less　the　result　of　vanity　than　a　lack　of　decision　and　an　amiable　unwillingness　to　give　immediate　pain；　or　to　lose　the　friend　with　the　lover。　　With　all　her　fine　qualities　of　heart　and　soul；　she　had　a　temperament　that　saved　her　from　much　of　the　suffering　she　thoughtlessly　inflicted　upon　others。　　The　many　violent　passions　she　roused　do　not　seem　to　have　disturbed　at　all　her　own　serenity。　　The　delicate　and　chivalrous　nature　of　Mathieu　de　Montmorency；　added　to　his　years；　gave　his　relations　to　her　a　half…paternal　character；　but　that　he　loved　her　always　with　the　profound　tenderness　of　a　loyal　and　steadfast　soul　is　apparent　through　all　the　singularly　disinterested　phases　of　a　friendship　that　ended　only　with　his　life。

Prince　Augustus；　whom　she　met　at　Coppet；　called　up　a　passing　ripple　on　the　surface　of　her　heart；　sufficiently　strong　to　lead　her　to　suggest　a　divorce　to　her　husband；　whose　relations　to　her；　though　always　friendly；　were　only　nominal。　　But　he　appealed　to　her　generosity；　and　she　thought　of　it　no　more。　　Why　she　permitted　her　princely　suitor　to　cherish　so　long　the　illusions　that　time　and　distance　do　not　readily　destroy　is　one　of　the　mysteries　that　are　not　easy　to　solve。　　Perhaps　she　thought　it　more　kind　to　let　absence　wear　out　a　passion　than　to　break　it　too　rudely。　　At　all　events；　he　cherished　no　permanent　bitterness；　and　never　forgot　her。　　At　his　death；　nearly　forty　years　later　he　ordered　her　portrait　by　Gerard　to　be　returned；　but　her　ring　was　buried　with　him。

The　various　phases　of　the　well…known　infatuation　of　Benjamin　Constant；　which　led　him　to　violate　his　political　principles　and　belie　his　own　words　rather　than　take　a　course　that　must　result　in　separation　from　her；　suggest　a　page　of　highly　colored　romance。　　The　letters　of　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse　scarcely　furnish　us　with　a　more　ardent　episode　in　the　literature　of　hopeless　passion。　　The　worshipful　devotion　of　Ampere　and　Ballanche　would　form　a　chapter　no　less　interesting；　though　less　intense　and　stormy。

But　the　name　most　inseparably　connected　with　Mme。　Recamier　is　that　of　Chateaubriand。　　The　friendship　of　an　unquestioned　sort　that　seems　to　have　gone　quite　out　of　the　world；　had　all　the　phases　of　a　more　tender　sentiment；　and　goes　far　towards　disproving　the　charge　of　coldness　that　has　often　been　brought　against　her。　　It　was　begun　after　she　had　reached　the　dreaded　forties；　by　the　death　bed　of　Mme。　de　Stael；　and　lasted　more　than　thirty　years。　　It　seems　to　have　been　the　single　sentiment　that　mastered　her。　　One　may　trace　in　the　letters　of　Chateaubriand　the　restless　undercurrents　of　this　life　that　was　outwardly　so　serene。　　He　writes　to　her　from　Berlin；　from　England；　from　Rome。　　He　confides　to　her　his　ambitions；　tells　her　his　anxieties；　asks　her　counsel　as　to　his　plans；　chides　her　little　jealousies；　and　commends　his　wife　to　her　care　and　attention。　　This　recalls　a　remarkable　side　of　her　relations　with　the　world。　　Women　are　not　apt　to　love　formidable　rivals；　but　the　wives　of　her　friends　apparently　shared　the　admiration　with　which　their　husbands　regarded　her。　　If　they　did　not　love　her；　they　exchanged　friendly　notes；　and　courtesies　that　were　often　more　than　cordial。　　She　consoles　Mme。　de　Montmorency　in　her　sorrow；　and　Mme。　de　Chateaubriand　asks　her　to　cheer　her　husband's　gloomy　moods。　　Indeed；　she　roused　little　of　that　bitter　jealousy　which　is　usually　the　penalty　of　exceptional　beauty　or　exceptional　gifts　of　any　sort。　　The　sharp　tongue　of　Mme。　de　Genlis　lost　its　sting　in　writing　of　her。　　She　idealized　her　as　Athenais；　in　the　novel　of　that　name；　which　has　for　its　background　the　beauties　of　Coppet；　and　vaguely　reproduces　much　of　its　life。　　The　pious　and　austere　Mme。　Swetchine；　whose　prejudices　against　her　were　so　strong　that　for　a　long　time　she　did　not　wish　to　meet　her；　confessed　herself　at　once　a　captive　to　her　〃penetrating　and　indefinable　charm。〃　　Though　she　did　not　always　escape　the　shafts　of　malice；　no　better　tribute　could　be　offered　to　the　graces　of　her　character　than　the　indulgence　with　which　she　was　regarded　by　the　most　severely　judging　of　her　own　sex。

But　she　has　her　days　of　depression。　　Chateaubriand　is　absorbed　in　his　ambitions　and　sometimes　indifferent；　his　antagonistic　attitude　towards　Montmorency；　who　is　far　the　nobler　character　of　the　two；　is　a　source　of　grief　to　her。　　She　tries　in　vain　to　reconcile　her　rival　friends。　　Once　she　feels　compelled　to　tear　herself　from　an　influence　which　is　destroying　her　happiness；　and　goes　to　Italy。　　But　she　carries　within　her　own　heart　the　seeds　of　unrest。　　She　still　follows　the　movements　of　the　man　who　occupies　so　large　a　space　in　her　horizon；　sympathizes　from　afar　with　his　disappointments；　and　cares　for　his　literary　interest；　ordering　from　Tenerani；　a　bas…relief　of　a　scene　from　〃The　Martyrs。〃

After　her　return　her　life　settles　into　more　quiet　channels。　　Chateaubriand；　embittered　by　the　chagrins　of　political　life；　welcomed　her　with　the　old　enthusiasm。　　From　this　time　he　devoted　himself　exclusively　to　letters；　and　sought　his　diversion　in　the　convent…salon　which　has　left　so　wide　a　fame；　and　of　which　he　was　always　the　central　figure。　　The　petted　man　of　genius　was　moody　and　capricious。　　His　colossal　egotism　found　its　best　solace　in　the　gentle　presence　of　the　woman　who　flattered　his　restless　vanity；　anticipated　his　wishes；　studied　his　tastes；　and　watched　every　shadow　that　flitted　across　his　face。　　He　was