the deputy of arcis-第33章

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I　fancied　I　saw　the　claw　of　a　cat　preparing　to　play　with　its　mouse；　so　I　answered；　coldly：

〃Artists；　I　am　told；　are　often　indiscreet　in　their　curiosity。〃

I　put　a　well…marked　stiffness　into　my　manner　which　completed　the　meaning　of　the　words。　I　could　not　see　that　it　baffled　him。

〃I　hope；〃　he　replied；　〃that　my　question　is　not　of　that　kind。　I　only　desire　to　ask　if　you　have　a　sister。〃

〃No；　monsieur；〃　I　replied；　〃I　have　no　sisternone；　at　least；　that　I　know　of；〃　I　added；　jestingly。

〃I　thought　it　not　unlikely；　however；〃　continued　Monsieur　Dorlange；　in　the　most　natural　manner　possible；　〃for　the　family　in　which　I　have　met　a　lady　bearing　the　strongest　resemblance　to　you　is　surrounded　by　a　certain　mysterious　atmosphere　which　renders　all　suppositions　possible。〃

〃Is　there　any　indiscretion　in　asking　the　name　of　that　family？〃

〃Not　the　least；　they　are　people　whom　you　must　have　known　in　Paris　in　1829…1830。　They　lived　in　great　state　and　gave　fine　parties。　I　myself　met　them　in　Italy。〃

〃But　their　name？〃　I　said。

〃De　Lanty；〃　he　replied；　without　embarrassment　or　hesitation。

And；　in　fact；　my　dear　Madame　de　Camps；　a　family　of　that　name　did　live　in　Paris　about　that　time；　and　you　probably　remember；　as　I　do；　that　many　strange　stories　were　told　about　them。　As　Monsieur　Dorlange　answered　my　question　he　turned　back　towards　his　veiled　statue。

〃The　sister　whom　you　have　not；　madame；〃　he　said　to　me　abruptly；　〃I　shall　permit　myself　to　give　you；　and　I　venture　to　hope　that　you　will　see　a　certain　family　likeness　in　her。〃

So　saying；　he　removed　the　cloth　that　concealed　his　work；　and　there　/I/　stood；　under　the　form　of　a　saint；　with　a　halo　round　my　head。　Could　I　be　angry　at　the　liberty　thus　taken？

My　husband　and　Nais　gave　a　cry　of　admiration　at　the　wonderful　likeness　they　had　before　their　eyes。　As　for　Monsieur　Dorlange；　he　at　once　explained　the　cause　of　his　scenic　effect。

〃This　statue；〃　he　said；　〃is　a　Saint…Ursula；　ordered　by　a　convent　in　the　provinces。　Under　circumstances　which　it　would　take　too　long　to　relate；　the　type　of　this　saint；　the　person　whom　I　mentioned　just　now；　was　firmly　fixed　in　my　memory。　I　should　vainly　have　attempted　to　create　by　my　imagination　another　type　for　that　saint；　it　could　not　have　been　so　completely　the　expression　of　my　thought。　I　therefore　began　to　model　this　figure　which　you　see　from　memory；　then　one　day；　madame；　at　Saint…Thomas　d'Aquin；　I　saw　you；　and　I　had　the　superstition　to　believe　that　you　were　sent　to　me　by　Providence。　After　that；　I　worked　from　you　only；　and　as　I　did　not　feel　at　liberty　to　ask　you　to　come　to　my　studio；　the　best　I　could　do　was　to　study　you　when　we　met；　and　I　multiplied　my　chances　of　doing　so。　I　carefully　avoided　knowing　your　name　and　social　position；　for　I　feared　to　bring　you　down　from　the　ideal　and　materialize　you。〃

〃Oh！　I　have　often　seen　you　following　us；〃　said　Nais；　with　her　clever　little　air。

How　little　we　know　children；　and　their　turn　for　observation！　As　for　my　husband；　it　seemed　to　me　that　he　ought　to　have　pricked　up　his　ears　at　this　tale　of　the　daring　manner　in　which　his　wife　had　been　used　as　a　model。　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　is　certainly　no　fool；　in　all　social　matters　he　has　the　highest　sense　of　conventional　propriety；　and　as　for　jealousy；　I　think　if　I　gave　him　the　slightest　occasion　he　would　show　himself　ridiculously　jealous。　But　now；　the　sight　of　his　〃beautiful　Renee；〃　as　he　calls　me；　done　into　white　marble　in　the　form　of　a　saint；　had　evidently　cast　him　into　a　state　of　admiring　ecstasy。　He；　with　Nais；　were　taking　an　inventory　to　prove　the　fidelity　of　the　likeness　yes；　it　was　really　my　attitude；　really　my　eyes；　really　my　mouth；　really　those　two　little　dimples　in　my　cheeks！

I　felt　it　my　duty　to　take　up　the　role　that　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　laid　aside；　so　I　said；　very　gravely；　to　the　presuming　artist：

〃Do　you　not　think；　monsieur；　that　to　appropriate　without　permission；　ornot　to　mince　my　wordssteal　a　person's　likeness；　may　seem　a　very　strange　proceeding？〃

〃For　that　reason；　madame；〃　he　replied；　in　a　respectful　tone；　〃I　was　fully　determined　to　abide　by　your　wishes　in　the　matter。　Although　my　statue　is　fated　to　be　buried　in　the　oratory　of　a　distant　convent；　I　should　not　have　sent　it　to　its　destination　without　obtaining　your　permission　to　do　so。　I　could　have　known　your　name　whenever　I　wished；　I　already　knew　your　address；　and　I　intended；　when　the　time　came；　to　confess　the　liberty　I　had　taken；　and　ask　you　to　visit　my　studio。　I　should　then　have　said　what　I　say　now：　if　the　likeness　displeases　you　I　can；　with　a　few　strokes　of　my　chisel；　so　change　it　as　to　make　it　unrecognizable。〃

My　husband；　who　apparently　thought　the　likeness　not　sufficiently　close；　turned；　at　this　moment；　to　Monsieur　Dorlange；　and　said；　with　a　delighted　air：

〃Do　you　not　think；　monsieur；　that　Madame　de　l'Estorade's　nose　is　rather　more　delicate　than　you　have　made　it？〃

All　this　/unexpectedness/　so　upset　me　that　I　felt　unfitted　to　intervene　on　behalf　of　Monsieur　Marie…Gaston；　and　I　should；　I　believe；　have　pleaded　his　cause　very　ill　if　Monsieur　Dorlange　had　not　stopped　me　at　the　first　words　I　said　about　it。

〃I　know；　madame；〃　he　said；　〃all　that　you　can　possibly　tell　me　about　my　unfaithful　friend。　I　do　not　forgive；　but　I　forget　my　wrong。　Things　having　so　come　about　that　I　have　nearly　lost　my　life　for　his　sake；　it　would　certainly　be　very　illogical　to　keep　a　grudge　against　him。　Still；　as　regards　that　mausoleum　at　Ville　d'Avray；　nothing　would　induce　me　to　undertake　it。　I　have　already　mentioned　to　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　one　hindrance　that　is　daily　growing　more　imperative；　but　besides　that；　I　think　it　a　great　pity　that　Marie…Gaston　should　thus　ruminate　on　his　grief；　and　I　have　written　to　tell　him　so。　He　ought　to　be　more　of　a　man；　and　find　in　study　and　in　work　the　consolations　we　can　always　find　there。〃

The　object　of　our　visit　being　thus　disposed　of；　I　saw　no　hope　of　getting　to　the　bottom　of　the　other　mystery　it　had　opened；　so　I　rose　to　take　leave；　and　as　I　did　so　Monsieur　Dorlange　said　to　me：

〃May　I　hope　that　you　will　not　exact　the　injury　I　spoke　of　to　my　statue？〃

〃It　is　for　my　husband　and　not　for　me　to　reply　to　that　question；〃　I　said；　〃however；　we　can　talk　of　it　later；　for　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　hopes　that　you　will　give　us　the　honor　of　a　visit。〃

Monsieur　bowed　in　respectful　acquiescence；　and　we　came　away；I；　in　great　ill…humor；　I　was　angry　with　Nais；　and　also　with　my　husband；　and　felt　much　inclined　to　make　him　a　scene；　which　he　would　certainly　not　have　understood。

Now　what　do　you　think　of　all　this？　Is　the　man　a　clever　swindler；　who　invented　that　fable　for　some　purpose；　or　is　he　really　an　artist；　who　took　me　in　all　simplicity　of　soul　for　the　living　realization　of　his　idea？　That　is　what　I　intend　to　find　out　in　the　course　of　a　few　days；　for　now　I　am　committed　to　your　programme；　and　to…morrow　Monsieur　and　Madame　de　l'Estorade　will　have　the　honor　of　inviting　Monsieur　Dorlange　to　dinner。



VII

THE　COMTESSE　DE　L'ESTORADE　TO　MADAME　OCTAVE　DE　CAMPS

Paris；　March；　1839。

My　dear　friend；Monsieur　Dorlange　dined　with　us　yesterday。　My　intention　was　to　invite　him　alone　to　a　formal　family　dinner；　so　as　to　have　him　more　completely　under　my　eye；　and　put　him　to　the　question　at　my　ease。　But　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　to　whom　I　had　not　explained　my　charitable　motives；　showed　me　that　such　an　invitation　might　wound　the　sensibilities　of　our　guest；　it　might　seem　to　him　that　the　Comte　de　l'Estorade　thought　the　sculptor　Dorlange　unfitted　for　the　society　of　his　friends。

〃We　can't；〃　said　my　husband　gaily；　〃treat　him　like　the　sons　of　our　farmers　who　come　here　with　the　epaulet　of　a　lieutenant　on　their　shoulder；　and　whom　we　invite　with　closed　doors　because　we　can't　send　them　to　the　servants'　hall。〃

We　therefore　invited　to　meet　him　Monsieur　Joseph　Bridau；　the　painter；　the　Chevalier　d'Espard；　Monsieur　and　Madame　de　la　Bastie　（formerly；　you　remember；　Mademoiselle　Modeste　Mignon）　and　the　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles。　When　my　husband　invited　the　latter；　he　asked　him　if　he　had　any　objection　to　meeting　the　adversary　of　the　Duc　de　Rhetore。

〃So　far　from　objecting；〃　replied　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles；　〃I　am　glad　of　the　opportunity　to　meet　a　man　of　talent；　who　in　the　affair　you　speak　of　behaved　admirably。〃　And　he　added；　after