massimilla doni-第19节

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doors；　when　he　began　to　bray；　to　coo；　mew；　squeal；　gargle；　bellow；
thunder；　bark；　shriek；　even　produce　sounds　which　could　only　be
described　as　a　hoarse　rattle；in　short；　go　through　an
incomprehensible　farce；　while　his　face　was　transfigured　with　rapturous
expression　like　that　of　a　martyr；　as　painted　by　Zurbaran　or　Murillo；
Titian　or　Raphael。　The　general　shout　of　laughter　changed　to　almost
tragical　gravity　when　they　saw　that　Genovese　was　in　utter　earnest。　La
Tinti　understood　that　her　companion　was　in　love　with　her；　and　had
spoken　the　truth　on　the　stage；　the　land　of　falsehood。

〃/Poverino！/〃　she　murmured；　stroking　the　Prince's　hand　under　the
table。

〃By　all　that　is　holy！〃　cried　Capraja；　〃will　you　tell　me　what　score　you
are　reading　at　this　momentmurdering　Rossini？　Pray　inform　us　what　you
are　thinking　about；　what　demon　is　struggling　in　your　throat。〃

〃A　demon！〃　cried　Genovese；　〃say　rather　the　god　of　music。　My　eyes；　like
those　of　Saint…Cecilia；　can　see　angels；　who；　pointing　with　their
fingers；　guide　me　along　the　lines　of　the　score　which　is　written　in
notes　of　fire；　and　I　am　trying　to　keep　up　with　them。　PER　DIO！　do　you
not　understand？　The　feeling　that　inspires　me　has　passed　into　my　being；
it　fills　my　heart　and　my　lungs；　my　soul　and　throat　have　but　one　life。

〃Have　you　never；　in　a　dream；　listened　to　the　most　glorious　strains；
the　ideas　of　unknown　composers　who　have　made　use　of　pure　sound　as
nature　has　hidden　it　in　all　things；sound　which　we　call　forth；　more
or　less　perfectly；　by　the　instruments　we　employ　to　produce　masses　of
various　color；　but　which　in　those　dream…concerts　are　heard　free　from
the　imperfections　of　the　performers　who　cannot　be　all　feeling；　all
soul？　And　I；　I　give　you　that　perfection；　and　you　abuse　me！

〃You　are　as　mad　at　the　pit　of　the　/Fenice/；　who　hissed　me！　I　scorned
the　vulgar　crowd　for　not　being　able　to　mount　with　me　to　the　heights
whence　we　reign　over　art；　and　I　appeal　to　men　of　mark；　to　a　Frenchman
Why；　he　is　gone！〃

〃Half　an　hour　ago；〃　said　Vendramin。

〃That　is　a　pity。　He；　perhaps；　would　have　understood　me；　since
Italians；　lovers　of　art；　do　not〃

〃On　you　go！〃　said　Capraja；　with　a　smile；　and　tapping　lightly　on　the
tenor's　head。　〃Ride　off　on　the　divine　Ariosto's　hippogriff；　hunt　down
your　radiant　chimera；　musical　visionary　as　you　are！〃

In　point　of　fact；　all　the　others；　believing　that　Genovese　was　drunk；
let　him　talk　without　listening　to　him。　Capraja　alone　had　understood
the　case　put　by　the　French　physician。



While　the　wine　of　Cyprus　was　loosening　every　tongue；　and　each　one　was
prancing　on　his　favorite　hobby；　the　doctor；　in　a　gondola；　was　waiting
for　the　Duchess；　having　sent　her　a　note　written　by　Vendramin。
Massimilla　appeared　in　her　night　wrapper；　so　much　had　she　been　alarmed
by　the　tone　of　the　Prince's　farewell；　and　so　startled　by　the　hopes
held　out　by　the　letter。

〃Madame；〃　said　the　Frenchman；　as　he　placed　her　in　a　seat　and　desired
the　gondoliers　to　start；　〃at　this　moment　Prince　Emilio's　life　is　in
danger；　and　you　alone　can　save　him。〃

〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　she　asked。

〃Ah！　Can　you　resign　yourself　to　play　a　degrading　partin　spite　of　the
noblest　face　to　be　seen　in　Italy？　Can　you　drop　from　the　blue　sky　where
you　dwell；　into　the　bed　of　a　courtesan？　In　short；　can　you；　an　angel　of
refinement；　of　pure　and　spotless　beauty；　condescend　to　imagine　what
the　love　must　be　of　a　Tintiin　her　room；　and　so　effectually　as　to
deceive　the　ardor　of　Emilio；　who　is　indeed　too　drunk　to　be　very　clear…
sighted？〃

〃Is　that　all？〃　said　she；　with　a　smile　that　betrayed　to　the　Frenchman　a
side　he　had　not　as　yet　perceived　of　the　delightful　nature　of　an
Italian　woman　in　love。　〃I　will　out…do　la　Tinti；　if　need　be；　to　save　my
friend's　life。〃

〃And　you　will　thus　fuse　into　one　two　kinds　of　love；　which　he　sees　as
distinctdivided　by　a　mountain　of　poetic　fancy；　that　will　melt　away
like　the　snow　on　a　glacier　under　the　beams　of　the　midsummer　sun。〃

〃I　shall　be　eternally　your　debtor；〃　said　the　Duchess；　gravely。

When　the　French　doctor　returned　to　the　gallery；　where　the　orgy　had　by
this　time　assumed　the　stamp　of　Venetian　frenzy；　he　had　a　look　of
satisfaction　which　the　Prince；　absorbed　by　la　Tinti；　failed　to
observe；　he　was　promising　himself　a　repetition　of　the　intoxicating
delights　he　had　known。　La　Tinti；　a　true　Sicilian；　was　floating　on　the
tide　of　a　fantastic　passion　on　the　point　of　being　gratified。

The　doctor　whispered　a　few　words　to　Vendramin；　and　la　Tinti　was
uneasy。

〃What　are　you　plotting？〃　she　inquired　of　the　Prince's　friend。

〃Are　you　kind…hearted？〃　said　the　doctor　in　her　ear；　with　the　sternness
of　an　operator。

The　words　pierced　to　her　comprehension　like　a　dagger…thrust　to　her
heart。

〃It　is　to　save　Emilio's　life；〃　added　Vendramin。

〃Come　here；〃　said　the　doctor　to　Clarina。

The　hapless　singer　rose　and　went　to　the　other　end　of　the　table　where；
between　Vendramin　and　the　Frenchman；　she　looked　like　a　criminal
between　the　confessor　and　the　executioner。

She　struggled　for　a　long　time；　but　yielded　at　last　for　love　of　Emilio。

The　doctor's　last　words　were：

〃And　you　must　cure　Genovese！〃

She　spoke　a　word　to　the　tenor　as　she　went　round　the　table。　She
returned　to　the　Prince；　put　her　arm　round　his　neck　and　kissed　his　hair
with　an　expression　of　despair　which　struck　Vendramin　and　the
Frenchman；　the　only　two　who　had　their　wits　about　them；　then　she
vanished　into　her　room。　Emilio；　seeing　Genovese　leave　the　table；　while
Cataneo　and　Capraja　were　absorbed　in　a　long　musical　discussion；　stole
to　the　door　of　the　bedroom；　lifted　the　curtain；　and　slipped　in；　like
an　eel　into　the　mud。

〃But　you　see；　Cataneo；〃　said　Capraja；　〃you　have　exacted　the　last　drop
of　physical　enjoyment；　and　there　you　are；　hanging　on　a　wire　like　a
cardboard　harlequin；　patterned　with　scars；　and　never　moving　unless　the
string　is　pulled　of　a　perfect　unison。〃

〃And　you；　Capraja；　who　have　squeezed　ideas　dry；　are　not　you　in　the
same　predicament？　Do　you　not　live　riding　the　hobby　of　a　/cadenza/？〃

〃I？　I　possess　the　whole　world！〃　cried　Capraja；　with　a　sovereign
gesture　of　his　hand。

〃And　I　have　devoured　it！〃　replied　the　Duke。

They　observed　that　the　physician　and　Vendramin　were　gone；　and　that
they　were　alone。



Next　morning；　after　a　night　of　perfect　happiness；　the　Prince's　sleep
was　disturbed　by　a　dream。　He　felt　on　his　heart　the　trickle　of　pearls；
dropped　there　by　an　angel；　he　woke；　and　found　himself　bathed　in　the
tears　of　Massimilla　Doni。　He　was　lying　in　her　arms；　and　she　gazed　at
him　as　he　slept。

That　evening；　at　the　/Fenice/；though　la　Tinti　had　not　allowed　him　to
rise　till　two　in　the　afternoon；　which　is　said　to　be　very　bad　for　a
tenor　voice；Genovese　sang　divinely　in　his　part　in　/Semiramide/。　He
was　recalled　with　la　Tinti；　fresh　crowns　were　given；　the　pit　was　wild
with　delight；　the　tenor　no　longer　attempted　to　charm　the　prima　donna
by　angelic　methods。

Vendramin　was　the　only　person　whom　the　doctor　could　not　cure。　Love　for
a　country　that　has　ceased　to　be　is　a　love　beyond　curing。　The　young
Venetian；　by　dint　of　living　in　his　thirteenth　century　republic；　and　in
the　arms　of　that　pernicious　courtesan　called　opium；　when　he　found
himself　in　the　work…a…day　world　to　which　reaction　brought　him；
succumbed；　pitied　and　regretted　by　his　friends。

No；　how　shall　the　end　of　this　adventure　be　toldfor　it　is　too
disastrously　domestic。　A　word　will　be　enough　for　the　worshipers　of　the
ideal。

The　Duchess　was　expecting　an　infant。

The　Peris；　the　naiads；　the　fairies；　the　sylphs　of　ancient　legend；　the
Muses　of　Greece；　the　Marble　Virgins　of　the　Certosa　at　Pavia；　the　Day
and　Night　of　Michael　Angelo；　the　little　Angels　which　Bellini　was　the
first　to　put　at　the　foot　of　his　Church　pictures；　and　which　Raphael
painted　so　divinely　in　his　Virgin　with　the　Donor；　and　the　Madonna　who
shivers　at　Dresden；　the　lovely　Maidens　by　Orcagna　in　the　Church　of
San…Michele；　at　Florence；　the　celestial　choir　round　the　tomb　in　Saint…
Sebaldus；　at　Nuremberg；　the　Virgins　of　the　Duomo；　at　Milan；　the　whole
population　of　a　hundred　Gothic　Cathedrals；　all　the　race　of　beings　who
burst　their　mould　to　visit　you；　great　imaginative　artistsall　these
angelic　and　disembodied　maidens　gathered　round　Massimilla's　bed；　and
wept！



PARIS；　May　25th；　1839。








End