cousin betty-第21章

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〃That　was　that　he　might　leave　you　part　of　his　fortune。〃

〃He　left　me　nothing；　he　made　no　will。〃

〃Indeed！　Poor　little　woman！　The　Marshal　died　suddenly　of　apoplexy。
But；　come；　madame；　hope　for　the　best。　The　State　must　do　something　for
the　daughter　of　one　of　the　Chevalier　Bayards　of　the　Empire。〃

Madame　Marneffe　bowed　gracefully　and　went　off；　as　proud　of　her　success
as　the　Baron　was　of　his。

〃Where　the　devil　has　she　been　so　early？〃　thought　he　watching　the　flow
of　her　skirts；　to　which　she　contrived　to　impart　a　somewhat　exaggerated
grace。　〃She　looks　too　tired　to　have　just　come　from　a　bath；　and　her
husband　is　waiting　for　her。　It　is　strange；　and　puzzles　me　altogether。〃

Madame　Marneffe　having　vanished　within；　the　Baron　wondered　what　his
daughter　was　doing　in　the　shop。　As　he　went　in；　still　staring　at　Madame
Marneffe's　windows；　he　ran　against　a　young　man　with　a　pale　brow　and
sparkling　gray　eyes；　wearing　a　summer　coat　of　black　merino；　coarse
drill　trousers；　and　tan　shoes；　with　gaiters；　rushing　away　headlong；　he
saw　him　run　to　the　house　in　the　Rue　du　Doyenne；　into　which　he　went。

Hortense；　on　going　into　the　shop；　had　at　once　recognized　the　famous
group；　conspicuously　placed　on　a　table　in　the　middle　and　in　front　of
the　door。　Even　without　the　circumstances　to　which　she　owed　her
knowledge　of　this　masterpiece；　it　would　probably　have　struck　her　by
the　peculiar　power　which　we　must　call　the　/brio/the　/go/of　great
works；　and　the　girl　herself　might　in　Italy　have　been　taken　as　a　model
for　the　personification　of　/Brio/。

Not　every　work　by　a　man　of　genius　has　in　the　same　degree　that
brilliancy；　that　glory　which　is　at　once　patent　even　to　the　most
ignoble　beholder。　Thus；　certain　pictures　by　Raphael；　such　as　the
famous　/Transfiguration/；　the　/Madonna　di　Foligno/；　and　the　frescoes
of　the　/Stanze/　in　the　Vatican；　do　not　at　first　captivate　our
admiration；　as　do　the　/Violin…player/　in　the　Sciarra　Palace；　the
portraits　of　the　Doria　family；　and　the　/Vision　of　Ezekiel/　in　the
Pitti　Gallery；　the　/Christ　bearing　His　Cross/　in　the　Borghese
collection；　and　the　/Marriage　of　the　Virgin/　in　the　Brera　at　Milan。
The　/Saint　John　the　Baptist/　of　the　Tribuna；　and　/Saint　Luke　painting
the　Virgin's　portrait/　in　the　Accademia　at　Rome；　have　not　the　charm　of
the　/Portrait　of　Leo　X。/；　and　of　the　/Virgin/　at　Dresden。

And　yet　they　are　all　of　equal　merit。　Nay；　more。　The　/Stanze/；　the
/Transfiguration/；　the　panels；　and　the　three　easel　pictures　in　the
Vatican　are　in　the　highest　degree　perfect　and　sublime。　But　they　demand
a　stress　of　attention；　even　from　the　most　accomplished　beholder；　and
serious　study；　to　be　fully　understood；　while　the　/Violin…player/；　the
/Marriage　of　the　Virgin/；　and　the　/Vision　of　Ezekiel/　go　straight　to
the　heart　through　the　portal　of　sight；　and　make　their　home　there。　It
is　a　pleasure　to　receive　them　thus　without　an　effort；　if　it　is　not　the
highest　phase　of　art；　it　is　the　happiest。　This　fact　proves　that；　in
the　begetting　of　works　of　art；　there　is　as　much　chance　in　the
character　of　the　offspring　as　there　is　in　a　family　of　children；　that
some　will　be　happily　graced；　born　beautiful；　and　costing　their　mothers
little　suffering；　creatures　on　whom　everything　smiles；　and　with　whom
everything　succeeds；　in　short；　genius；　like　love；　has　its　fairer
blossoms。

This　/brio/；　an　Italian　word　which　the　French　have　begun　to　use；　is
characteristic　of　youthful　work。　It　is　the　fruit　of　an　impetus　and
fire　of　early　talentan　impetus　which　is　met　with　again　later　in　some
happy　hours；　but　this　particular　/brio/　no　longer　comes　from　the
artist's　heart；　instead　of　his　flinging　it　into　his　work　as　a　volcano
flings　up　its　fires；　it　comes　to　him　from　outside；　inspired　by
circumstances；　by　love；　or　rivalry；　often　by　hatred；　and　more　often
still　by　the　imperious　need　of　glory　to　be　lived　up　to。

This　group　by　Wenceslas　was　to　his　later　works　what　the　/Marriage　of
the　Virgin/　is　to　the　great　mass　of　Raphael's；　the　first　step　of　a
gifted　artist　taken　with　the　inimitable　grace；　the　eagerness；　and
delightful　overflowingness　of　a　child；　whose　strength　is　concealed
under　the　pink…and…white　flesh　full　of　dimples　which　seem　to　echo　to　a
mother's　laughter。　Prince　Eugene　is　said　to　have　paid　four　hundred
thousand　francs　for　this　picture；　which　would　be　worth　a　million　to
any　nation　that　owned　no　picture　by　Raphael；　but　no　one　would　give
that　sum　for　the　finest　of　the　frescoes；　though　their　value　is　far
greater　as　works　of　art。

Hortense　restrained　her　admiration；　for　she　reflected　on　the　amount　of
her　girlish　savings；　she　assumed　an　air　of　indifference；　and　said　to
the　dealer：

〃What　is　the　price　of　that？〃

〃Fifteen　hundred　francs；〃　replied　the　man；　sending　a　glance　of
intelligence　to　a　young　man　seated　on　a　stool　in　the　corner。

The　young　man　himself　gazed　in　a　stupefaction　at　Monsieur　Hulot's
living　masterpiece。　Hortense；　forewarned；　at　once　identified　him　as
the　artist；　from　the　color　that　flushed　a　face　pale　with　endurance；
she　saw　the　spark　lighted　up　in　his　gray　eyes　by　her　question；　she
looked　on　the　thin；　drawn　features；　like　those　of　a　monk　consumed　by
asceticism；　she　loved　the　red；　well…formed　mouth；　the　delicate　chin；
and　the　Pole's　silky　chestnut　hair。

〃If　it　were　twelve　hundred；〃　said　she；　〃I　would　beg　you　to　send　it　to
me。〃

〃It　is　antique；　mademoiselle；〃　the　dealer　remarked；　thinking；　like　all
his　fraternity；　that；　having　uttered　this　/ne　plus　ultra/　of　bric…a…
brac；　there　was　no　more　to　be　said。

〃Excuse　me；　monsieur；〃　she　replied　very　quietly；　〃it　was　made　this
year；　I　came　expressly　to　beg　you；　if　my　price　is　accepted；　to　send
the　artist　to　see　us；　as　it　might　be　possible　to　procure　him　some
important　commissions。〃

〃And　if　he　is　to　have　the　twelve　hundred　francs；　what　am　I　to
get？　I　am　the　dealer；〃　said　the　man；　with　candid　good…humor。

〃To　be　sure！〃　replied　the　girl；　with　a　slight　curl　of　disdain。

〃Oh！　mademoiselle；　take　it；　I　will　make　terms　with　the　dealer；〃
cried　the　Livonian；　beside　himself。

Fascinated　by　Hortense's　wonderful　beauty　and　the　love　of　art　she
displayed；　he　added：

〃I　am　the　sculptor　of　the　group；　and　for　ten　days　I　have　come　here
three　times　a　day　to　see　if　anybody　would　recognize　its　merit　and
bargain　for　it。　You　are　my　first　admirertake　it！〃

〃Come；　then；　monsieur；　with　the　dealer；　an　hour　hence。Here　is　my
father's　card；〃　replied　Hortense。

Then；　seeing　the　shopkeeper　go　into　a　back　room　to　wrap　the　group　in　a
piece　of　linen　rag；　she　added　in　a　low　voice；　to　the　great
astonishment　of　the　artist；　who　thought　he　must　be　dreaming：

〃For　the　benefit　of　your　future　prospects；　Monsieur　Wenceslas；　do　not
mention　the　name　of　the　purchaser　to　Mademoiselle　Fischer；　for　she　is
our　cousin。〃

The　word　cousin　dazzled　the　artist's　mind；　he　had　a　glimpse　of
Paradise　whence　this　daughter　of　Eve　had　come　to　him。　He　had　dreamed
of　the　beautiful　girl　of　whom　Lisbeth　had　told　him；　as　Hortense　had
dreamed　of　her　cousin's　lover；　and；　as　she　had　entered　the　shop

〃Ah！〃　thought　he；　〃if　she　could　but　be　like　this！〃

The　look　that　passed　between　the　lovers　may　be　imagined；　it　was　a
flame；　for　virtuous　lovers　have　no　hypocrisies。

〃Well；　what　the　deuce　are　you　doing　here？〃　her　father　asked　her。

〃I　have　been　spending　twelve　hundred　francs　that　I　had　saved。　Come。〃
And　she　took　her　father's　arm。

〃Twelve　hundred　francs？〃　he　repeated。

〃To　be　exact；　thirteen　hundred；　you　will　lend　me　the　odd　hundred？〃

〃And　on　what；　in　such　a　place；　could　you　spend　so　much？〃

〃Ah！　that　is　the　question！〃　replied　the　happy　girl。　〃If　I　have　got　a
husband；　he　is　not　dear　at　the　money。〃

〃A　husband！　In　that　shop；　my　child？〃

〃Listen；　dear　little　father；　would　you　forbid　my　marrying　a　great
artist？〃

〃No；　my　dear。　A　great　artist　in　these　days　is　a　prince　without　a　title
he　has　glory　and　fortune；　the　two　chief　social　advantagesnext　to
virtue；〃　he　added；　in　a　smug　tone。

〃Oh；　of　course！〃　said　Hortense。　〃And　what　do　you　think　of　sculpture？〃

〃It　is　very　poor　business；〃　replied　Hulot；　shaking　his　head。　〃It　needs
high　patronage　as　well　as　great　talent；　for　Government　is　the　only
purchaser。　It　is　an　art　with　no　demand　nowadays；　where　there　are　no
princ