honorine-第13章

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balcony　in　garlands　a　la　Pompadour　concealed　the　roof；　only　the　lead
cornices　were　visible。　In　this　retreat　one　was　a　hundred　leagues　from
Paris。

〃But　for　the　bitter　smile　which　occasionally　played　on　the　beautiful
red　lips　of　this　pale　woman；　it　would　have　been　possible　to　believe
that　this　violet　buried　in　her　thicket　of　flowers　was　happy。　In　a　few
days　we　had　reached　a　certain　degree　of　intimacy；　the　result　of　our
close　neighborhood　and　of　the　Countess'　conviction　that　I　was
indifferent　to　women。　A　look　would　have　spoilt　all；　and　I　never
allowed　a　thought　of　her　to　be　seen　in　my　eyes。　Honorine　chose　to
regard　me　as　an　old　friend。　Her　manner　to　me　was　the　outcome　of　a　kind
of　pity。　Her　looks；　her　voice；　her　words；　all　showed　that　she　was　a
hundred　miles　away　from　the　coquettish　airs　which　the　strictest　virtue
might　have　allowed　under　such　circumstances。　She　soon　gave　me　the
right　to　go　into　the　pretty　workshop　where　she　made　her　flowers；　a
retreat　full　of　books　and　curiosities；　as　smart　as　a　boudoir　where
elegance　emphasized　the　vulgarity　of　the　tools　of　her　trade。　The
Countess　had　in　the　course　of　time　poetized；　as　I　may　say；　a　thing
which　is　at　the　antipodes　to　poetrya　manufacture。

〃Perhaps　of　all　the　work　a　woman　can　do；　the　making　of　artificial
flowers　is　that　of　which　the　details　allow　her　to　display　most　grace。
For　coloring　prints　she　must　sit　bent　over　a　table　and　devote　herself；
with　some　attention；　to　this　half　painting。　Embroidering　tapestry；　as
diligently　as　a　woman　must　who　is　to　earn　her　living　by　it；　entails
consumption　or　curvature　of　the　spine。　Engraving　music　is　one　of　the
most　laborious；　by　the　care；　the　minute　exactitude；　and　the
intelligence　it　demands。　Sewing　and　white　embroidery　do　not　earn
thirty　sous　a　day。　But　the　making　of　flowers　and　light　articles　of
wear　necessitates　a　variety　of　movements；　gestures；　ideas　even；　which
do　not　take　a　pretty　woman　out　of　her　sphere；　she　is　still　herself；
she　may　chat；　laugh；　sing；　or　think。

〃There　was　certainly　a　feeling　for　art　in　the　way　in　which　the
Countess　arranged　on　a　long　deal　table　the　myriad…colored　petals　which
were　used　in　composing　the　flowers　she　was　to　produce。　The　saucers　of
color　were　of　white　china；　and　always　clean；　arranged　in　such　order
that　the　eye　could　at　once　see　the　required　shade　in　the　scale　of
tints。　Thus　the　aristocratic　artist　saved　time。　A　pretty　little
cabinet　with　a　hundred　tiny　drawers；　of　ebony　inlaid　with　ivory；
contained　the　little　steel　moulds　in　which　she　shaped　the　leaves　and
some　forms　of　petals。　A　fine　Japanese　bowl　held　the　paste；　which　was
never　allowed　to　turn　sour；　and　it　had　a　fitted　cover　with　a　hinge　so
easy　that　she　could　lift　it　with　a　finger…tip。　The　wire；　of　iron　and
brass；　lurked　in　a　little　drawer　of　the　table　before　her。

〃Under　her　eyes；　in　a　Venetian　glass；　shaped　like　a　flower…cup　on　its
stem；　was　the　living　model　she　strove　to　imitate。　She　had　a　passion
for　achievement；　she　attempted　the　most　difficult　things；　close
racemes；　the　tiniest　corollas；　heaths；　nectaries　of　the　most
variegated　hues。　Her　hands；　as　swift　as　her　thoughts；　went　from　the
table　to　the　flower　she　was　making；　as　those　of　an　accomplished
pianist　fly　over　the　keys。　Her　fingers　seemed　to　be　fairies；　to　use
Perrault's　expression；　so　infinite　were　the　different　actions　of
twisting；　fitting；　and　pressure　needed　for　the　work；　all　hidden　under
grace　of　movement；　while　she　adapted　each　motion　to　the　result　with
the　lucidity　of　instinct。

〃I　could　not　tire　of　admiring　her　as　she　shaped　a　flower　from　the
materials　sorted　before　her；　padding　the　wire　stem　and　adjusting　the
leaves。　She　displayed　the　genius　of　a　painter　in　her　bold　attempts；
she　copied　faded　flowers　and　yellowing　leaves；　she　struggled　even　with
wildflowers；　the　most　artless　of　all；　and　the　most　elaborate　in　their
simplicity。

〃　'This　art；'　she　would　say；　'is　in　its　infancy。　If　the　women　of　Paris
had　a　little　of　the　genius　which　the　slavery　of　the　harem　brings　out
in　Oriental　women；　they　would　lend　a　complete　language　of　flowers　to
the　wreaths　they　wear　on　their　head。　To　please　my　own　taste　as　an
artist　I　have　made　drooping　flowers　with　leaves　of　the　hue　of
Florentine　bronze；　such　as　are　found　before　or　after　the　winter。　Would
not　such　a　crown　on　the　head　of　a　young　woman　whose　life　is　a　failure
have　a　certain　poetical　fitness？　How　many　things　a　woman　might　express
by　her　head…dress！　Are　there　not　flowers　for　drunken　Bacchantes；
flowers　for　gloomy　and　stern　bigots；　pensive　flowers　for　women　who　are
bored？　Botany；　I　believe；　may　be　made　to　express　every　sensation　and
thought　of　the　soul；　even　the　most　subtle。'

〃She　would　employ　me　to　stamp　out　the　leaves；　cut　up　material；　and
prepare　wires　for　the　stems。　My　affected　desire　for　occupation　made　me
soon　skilful。　We　talked　as　we　worked。　When　I　had　nothing　to　do；　I　read
new　books　to　her；　for　I　had　my　part　to　keep　up　as　a　man　weary　of　life；
worn　out　with　griefs；　gloomy；　sceptical；　and　soured。　My　person　led　to
adorable　banter　as　to　my　purely　physical　resemblancewith　the
exception　of　his　club　footto　Lord　Byron。　It　was　tacitly　acknowledged
that　her　own　troubles；　as　to　which　she　kept　the　most　profound　silence；
far　outweighed　mine；　though　the　causes　I　assigned　for　my　misanthropy
might　have　satisfied　Young　or　Job。

〃I　will　say　nothing　of　the　feelings　of　shame　which　tormented　me　as　I
inflicted　on　my　heart；　like　the　beggars　in　the　street；　false　wounds　to
excite　the　compassion　of　that　enchanting　woman。　I　soon　appreciated　the
extent　of　my　devotedness　by　learning　to　estimate　the　baseness　of　a
spy。　The　expressions　of　sympathy　bestowed　on　me　would　have　comforted
the　greatest　grief。　This　charming　creature；　weaned　from　the　world；　and
for　so　many　years　alone；　having；　besides　love；　treasures　of　kindliness
to　bestow；　offered　these　to　me　with　childlike　effusiveness　and　such
compassion　as　would　inevitably　have　filled　with　bitterness　any
profligate　who　should　have　fallen　in　love　with　her；　for；　alas；　it　was
all　charity；　all　sheer　pity。　Her　renunciation　of　love；　her　dread　of
what　is　called　happiness　for　women；　she　proclaimed　with　equal
vehemence　and　candor。　These　happy　days　proved　to　me　that　a　woman's
friendship　is　far　superior　to　her　love。

〃I　suffered　the　revelations　of　my　sorrows　to　be　dragged　from　me　with
as　many　grimaces　as　a　young　lady　allows　herself　before　sitting　down　to
the　piano；　so　conscious　are　they　of　the　annoyance　that　will　follow。　As
you　may　imagine；　the　necessity　for　overcoming　my　dislike　to　speak　had
induced　the　Countess　to　strengthen　the　bonds　of　our　intimacy；　but　she
found　in　me　so　exact　a　counterpart　of　her　own　antipathy　to　love；　that
I　fancied　she　was　well　content　with　the　chance　which　had　brought　to
her　desert　island　a　sort　of　Man　Friday。　Solitude　was　perhaps　beginning
to　weigh　on　her。　At　the　same　time；　there　was　nothing　of　the　coquette
in　her；　nothing　survived　of　the　woman；　she　did　not　feel　that　she　had　a
heart；　she　told　me；　excepting　in　the　ideal　world　where　she　found
refuge。　I　involuntarily　compared　these　two　liveshers　and　the
Count's：his；　all　activity；　agitation；　and　emotion；　hers；　all
inaction；　quiescence；　and　stagnation。　The　woman　and　the　man　were
admirably　obedient　to　their　nature。　My　misanthropy　allowed　me　to　utter
cynical　sallies　against　men　and　women　both；　and　I　indulged　in　them；
hoping　to　bring　Honorine　to　the　confidential　point；　but　she　was　not　to
be　caught　in　any　trap；　and　I　began　to　understand　that　mulish　obstinacy
which　is　commoner　among　women　than　is　generally　supposed。

〃　'The　Orientals　are　right；'　I　said　to　her　one　evening；　'when　they
shut　you　up　and　regard　you　merely　as　the　playthings　of　their　pleasure。
Europe　has　been　well　punished　for　having　admitted　you　to　form　an
element　of　society　and　for　accepting　you　on　an　equal　footing。　In　my
opinion；　woman　is　the　most　dishonorable　and　cowardly　being　to　be
found。　Nay；　and　that　is　where　her　charm　lies。　Where　would　be　the
pleasure　of　hunting　a　tame　thing？　When　once　a　woman　has　inspired　a
man's　passion；　she　is　to　him　for　ever　sacred；　in　his　eyes　she　is
hedged　round　by　an　imprescriptible　prerogative。　In　men　gratitude　for
past　delights　is　eternal。　Though　he　sho