honorine-第11节

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had　arrested　the　Count　on　the　threshold　of　debauchery；　and　how
impossible　it　would　be　ever　to　forget　a　creature　who　really　was　a
flower　to　the　touch；　a　flower　to　the　eye；　a　flower　of　fragrance；　a
heavenly　flower　to　the　soul。　。　。　。　Honorine　inspired　devotion；
chivalrous　devotion；　regardless　of　reward。　A　man　on　seeing　her　must
say　to　himself：

〃　'Think；　and　I　will　divine　your　thought；　speak；　and　I　will　obey。　If
my　life；　sacrificed　in　torments；　can　procure　you　one　day's　happiness；
take　my　life；　I　will　smile　like　a　martyr　at　the　stake；　for　I　shall
offer　that　day　to　God；　as　a　token　to　which　a　father　responds　on
recognizing　a　gift　to　his　child。'　Many　women　study　their　expression；
and　succeed　in　producing　effects　similar　to　those　which　would　have
struck　you　at　first　sight　of　the　Countess；　only；　in　her；　it　was　all
the　outcome　of　a　delightful　nature；　that　inimitable　nature　went　at
once　to　the　heart。　If　I　tell　you　all　this；　it　is　because　her　soul；　her
thoughts；　the　exquisiteness　of　her　heart；　are　all　we　are　concerned
with；　and　you　would　have　blamed　me　if　I　had　not　sketched　them　for　you。

〃I　was　very　near　forgetting　my　part　as　a　half…crazy　lout；　clumsy；　and
by　no　means　chivalrous。

〃　'I　am　told；　madame；　that　you　are　fond　of　flowers？'

〃　'I　am　an　artificial　flower…maker；'　said　she。　'After　growing　flowers；
I　imitate　them；　like　a　mother　who　is　artist　enough　to　have　the
pleasure　of　painting　her　children。　。　。　。　That　is　enough　to　tell　you
that　I　am　poor　and　unable　to　pay　for　the　concession　I　am　anxious　to
obtain　from　you？'

〃　'But　how；'　said　I；　as　grave　as　a　judge；　'can　a　lady　of　such　rank　as
yours　would　seem　to　be；　ply　so　humble　a　calling？　Have　you；　like　me；
good　reasons　for　employing　your　fingers　so　as　to　keep　your　brains　from
working？'

〃　'Let　us　stick　to　the　question　of　the　wall；'　said　she；　with　a　smile。

〃　'Why；　we　have　begun　at　the　foundations；'　said　I。　'Must　not　I　know
which　of　us　ought　to　yield　to　the　other　in　behalf　of　our　suffering；
or；　if　you　choose；　of　our　mania？Oh！　what　a　charming　clump　of
narcissus！　They　are　as　fresh　as　this　spring　morning！'

〃I　assure　you；　she　had　made　for　herself　a　perfect　museum　of　flowers
and　shrubs；　which　none　might　see　but　the　sun；　and　of　which　the
arrangement　had　been　prompted　by　the　genius　of　an　artist；　the　most
heartless　of　landlords　must　have　treated　it　with　respect。　The　masses
of　plants；　arranged　according　to　their　height；　or　in　single　clumps；
were　really　a　joy　to　the　soul。　This　retired　and　solitary　garden
breathed　comforting　scents；　and　suggested　none　but　sweet　thoughts　and
graceful；　nay；　voluptuous　pictures。　On　it　was　set　that　inscrutable
sign…manual；　which　our　true　character　stamps　on　everything；　as　soon　as
nothing　compels　us　to　obey　the　various　hypocrisies；　necessary　as　they
are；　which　Society　insists　on。　I　looked　alternately　at　the　mass　of
narcissus　and　at　the　Countess；　affecting　to　be　far　more　in　love　with
the　flowers　than　with　her；　to　carry　out　my　part。

〃　'So　you　are　very　fond　of　flowers？'　said　she。

〃　'They　are；'　I　replied；　'the　only　beings　that　never　disappoint　our
cares　and　affection。'　And　I　went　on　to　deliver　such　a　diatribe　while
comparing　botany　and　the　world；　that　we　ended　miles　away　from　the
dividing　wall；　and　the　Countess　must　have　supposed　me　to　be　a　wretched
and　wounded　sufferer　worthy　of　her　pity。　However；　at　the　end　of　half
an　hour　my　neighbor　naturally　brought　me　back　to　the　point；　for　women；
when　they　are　not　in　love；　have　all　the　cold　blood　of　an　experienced
attorney。

〃　'If　you　insist　on　my　leaving　the　paling；'　said　I；　'you　will　learn
all　the　secrets　of　gardening　that　I　want　to　hide；　I　am　seeking　to　grow
a　blue　dahlia；　a　blue　rose；　I　am　crazy　for　blue　flowers。　Is　not　blue
the　favorite　color　of　superior　souls？　We　are　neither　of　us　really　at
home；　we　might　as　well　make　a　little　door　of　open　railings　to　unite
our　gardens。　。　。　。　You；　too；　are　fond　of　flowers；　you　will　see　mine；　I
shall　see　yours。　If　you　receive　no　visitors　at　all；　I；　for　my　part；
have　none　but　my　uncle；　the　Cure　of　the　White　Friars。'

〃　'No；'　said　she；　'I　will　give　you　the　right　to　come　into　my　garden；
my　premises　at　any　hour。　Come　and　welcome；　you　will　always　be　admitted
as　a　neighbor　with　whom　I　hope　to　keep　on　good　terms。　But　I　like　my
solitude　too　well　to　burden　it　with　any　loss　of　independence。'

〃　'As　you　please；'　said　I；　and　with　one　leap　I　was　over　the　paling。

〃　'Now；　of　what　use　would　a　door　be？'　said　I；　from　my　own　domain；
turning　round　to　the　Countess；　and　mocking　her　with　a　madman's　gesture
and　grimace。

〃For　a　fortnight　I　seemed　to　take　no　heed　of　my　neighbor。　Towards　the
end　of　May；　one　lovely　evening；　we　happened　both　to　be　out　on　opposite
sides　of　the　paling；　both　walking　slowly。　Having　reached　the　end；　we
could　not　help　exchanging　a　few　civil　words；　she　found　me　in　such　deep
dejection；　lost　in　such　painful　meditations；　that　she　spoke　to　me　of
hopefulness；　in　brief　sentences　that　sounded　like　the　songs　with　which
nurses　lull　their　babies。　I　then　leaped　the　fence；　and　found　myself
for　the　second　time　at　her　side。　The　Countess　led　me　into　the　house；
wishing　to　subdue　my　sadness。　So　at　last　I　had　penetrated　the
sanctuary　where　everything　was　in　harmony　with　the　woman　I　have　tried
to　describe　to　you。

〃Exquisite　simplicity　reigned　there。　The　interior　of　the　little　house
was　just　such　a　dainty　box　as　the　art　of　the　eighteenth　century
devised　for　the　pretty　profligacy　of　a　fine　gentleman。　The　dining…
room；　on　the　ground　floor；　was　painted　in　fresco；　with　garlands　of
flowers；　admirably　and　marvelously　executed。　The　staircase　was
charmingly　decorated　in　monochrome。　The　little　drawing…room；　opposite
the　dining…room；　was　very　much　faded；　but　the　Countess　had　hung　it
with　panels　of　tapestry　of　fanciful　designs；　taken　off　old　screens。　A
bath…room　came　next。　Upstairs　there　was　but　one　bedroom；　with　a
dressing…room；　and　a　library　which　she　used　as　her　workroom。　The
kitchen　was　beneath　in　the　basement　on　which　the　house　was　raised；　for
there　was　a　flight　of　several　steps　outside。　The　balustrade　of　a
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
tab