at the sign of the cat and racket-第4节

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the　family　habits　and　principles。

As　to　their　usual　life；　one　remark　will　sufficiently　paint　it。　Madame
Guillaume　required　her　daughters　to　be　dressed　very　early　in　the
morning；　to　come　down　every　day　at　the　same　hour；　and　she　ordered
their　employments　with　monastic　regularity。　Augustine；　however；　had
been　gifted　by　chance　with　a　spirit　lofty　enough　to　feel　the　emptiness
of　such　a　life。　Her　blue　eyes　would　sometimes　be　raised　as　if　to
pierce　the　depths　of　that　gloomy　staircase　and　those　damp　store…rooms。
After　sounding　the　profound　cloistral　silence；　she　seemed　to　be
listening　to　remote；　inarticulate　revelations　of　the　life　of　passion；
which　accounts　feelings　as　of　higher　value　than　things。　And　at　such
moments　her　cheek　would　flush；　her　idle　hands　would　lay　the　muslin
sewing　on　the　polished　oak　counter；　and　presently　her　mother　would　say
in　a　voice；　of　which　even　the　softest　tones　were　sour；　〃Augustine；　my
treasure；　what　are　you　thinking　about？〃　It　is　possible　that　two
romances　discovered　by　Augustine　in　the　cupboard　of　a　cook　Madame
Guillaume　had　lately　discharged/Hippolyte　Comte　de　Douglas/　and　/Le
Comte　de　Comminges/may　have　contributed　to　develop　the　ideas　of　the
young　girl；　who　had　devoured　them　in　secret；　during　the　long　nights　of
the　past　winter。

And　so　Augustine's　expression　of　vague　longing；　her　gentle　voice；　her
jasmine　skin；　and　her　blue　eyes　had　lighted　in　poor　Lebas'　soul　a
flame　as　ardent　as　it　was　reverent。　From　an　easily　understood　caprice；
Augustine　felt　no　affection　for　the　orphan；　perhaps　she　did　not　know
that　he　loved　her。　On　the　other　hand；　the　senior　apprentice；　with　his
long　legs；　his　chestnut　hair；　his　big　hands　and　powerful　frame；　had
found　a　secret　admirer　in　Mademoiselle　Virginie；　who；　in　spite　of　her
dower　of　fifty　thousand　crowns；　had　as　yet　no　suitor。　Nothing　could　be
more　natural　than　these　two　passions　at　cross…purposes；　born　in　the
silence　of　the　dingy　shop；　as　violets　bloom　in　the　depths　of　a　wood。
The　mute　and　constant　looks　which　made　the　young　people's　eyes　meet　by
sheer　need　of　change　in　the　midst　of　persistent　work　and　cloistered
peace；　was　sure；　sooner　or　later；　to　give　rise　to　feelings　of　love。
The　habit　of　seeing　always　the　same　face　leads　insensibly　to　our
reading　there　the　qualities　of　the　soul；　and　at　last　effaces　all　its
defects。

〃At　the　pace　at　which　that　man　goes；　our　girls　will　soon　have　to　go　on
their　knees　to　a　suitor！〃　said　Monsieur　Guillaume　to　himself；　as　he
read　the　first　decree　by　which　Napoleon　drew　in　advance　on　the
conscript　classes。

From　that　day　the　old　merchant；　grieved　at　seeing　his　eldest　daughter
fade；　remembered　how　he　had　married　Mademoiselle　Chevrel　under　much
the　same　circumstances　as　those　of　Joseph　Lebas　and　Virginie。　A　good
bit　of　business；　to　marry　off　his　daughter；　and　discharge　a　sacred
debt　by　repaying　to　an　orphan　the　benefit　he　had　formerly　received
from　his　predecessor　under　similar　conditions！　Joseph　Lebas；　who　was
now　three…and…thirty；　was　aware　of　the　obstacle　which　a　difference　of
fifteen　years　placed　between　Augustine　and　himself。　Being　also　too
clear…sighted　not　to　understand　Monsieur　Guillaume's　purpose；　he　knew
his　inexorable　principles　well　enough　to　feel　sure　that　the　second
would　never　marry　before　the　elder。　So　the　hapless　assistant；　whose
heart　was　as　warm　as　his　legs　were　long　and　his　chest　deep；　suffered
in　silence。

This　was　the　state　of　the　affairs　in　the　tiny　republic　which；　in　the
heart　of　the　Rue　Saint…Denis；　was　not　unlike　a　dependency　of　La
Trappe。　But　to　give　a　full　account　of　events　as　well　as　of　feelings；
it　is　needful　to　go　back　to　some　months　before　the　scene　with　which
this　story　opens。　At　dusk　one　evening；　a　young　man　passing　the
darkened　shop　of　the　Cat　and　Racket；　had　paused　for　a　moment　to　gaze
at　a　picture　which　might　have　arrested　every　painter　in　the　world。　The
shop　was　not　yet　lighted；　and　was　as　a　dark　cave　beyond　which　the
dining…room　was　visible。　A　hanging　lamp　shed　the　yellow　light　which
lends　such　charm　to　pictures　of　the　Dutch　school。　The　white　linen；　the
silver；　the　cut　glass；　were　brilliant　accessories；　and　made　more
picturesque　by　strong　contrasts　of　light　and　shade。　The　figures　of　the
head　of　the　family　and　his　wife；　the　faces　of　the　apprentices；　and　the
pure　form　of　Augustine；　near　whom　a　fat　chubby…cheeked　maid　was
standing；　composed　so　strange　a　group；　the　heads　were　so　singular；　and
every　face　had　so　candid　an　expression；　it　was　so　easy　to　read　the
peace；　the　silence；　the　modest　way　of　life　in　this　family；　that　to　an
artist　accustomed　to　render　nature；　there　was　something　hopeless　in
any　attempt　to　depict　this　scene；　come　upon　by　chance。　The　stranger
was　a　young　painter；　who；　seven　years　before；　had　gained　the　first
prize　for　painting。　He　had　now　just　come　back　from　Rome。　His　soul；
full…fed　with　poetry；　his　eyes；　satiated　with　Raphael　and　Michael
Angelo；　thirsted　for　real　nature　after　long　dwelling　in　the　pompous
land　where　art　has　everywhere　left　something　grandiose。　Right　or
wrong；　this　was　his　personal　feeling。　His　heart；　which　had　long　been　a
prey　to　the　fire　of　Italian　passion；　craved　one　of　those　modest　and
meditative　maidens　whom　in　Rome　he　had　unfortunately　seen　only　in
painting。　From　the　enthusiasm　produced　in　his　excited　fancy　by　the
living　picture　before　him；　he　naturally　passed　to　a　profound
admiration　for　the　principal　figure；　Augustine　seemed　to　be　pensive；
and　did　not　eat；　by　the　arrangement　of　the　lamp　the　light　fell　full　on
her　face；　and　her　bust　seemed　to　move　in　a　circle　of　fire；　which　threw
up　the　shape　of　her　head　and　illuminated　it　with　almost　supernatural
effect。　The　artist　involuntarily　compared　her　to　an　exiled　angel
dreaming　of　heaven。　An　almost　unknown　emotion；　a　limpid；　seething　love
flooded　his　heart。　After　remaining　a　minute；　overwhelmed　by　the　weight
of　his　ideas；　he　tore　himself　from　his　bliss；　went　home；　ate　nothing；
and　could　not　sleep。

The　next　day　he　went　to　his　studio；　and　did　not　come　out　of　it　till　he
had　placed　on　canvas　the　magic　of　the　scene　of　which　the　memory　had；
in　a　sense；　made　him　a　devotee；　his　happiness　was　incomplete　till　he
should　possess　a　faithful　portrait　of　his　idol。　He　went　many　times
past　the　house　of　the　Cat　and　Racket；　he　even　ventured　in　once　or
twice；　under　a　disguise；　to　get　a　closer　view　of　the　bewitching
creature　that　Madame　Guillaume　covered　with　her　wing。　For　eight　whole
months；　devoted　to　his　love　and　to　his　brush；　he　was　lost　to　the　sight
of　his　most　intimate　friends　forgetting　the　world；　the　theatre；
poetry；　music；　and　all　his　dearest　habits。　One　morning　Girodet　broke
through　all　the　barriers　with　which　artists　are　familiar；　and　which
they　know　how　to　evade；　went　into　his　room；　and　woke　him　by　asking；
〃What　are　you　going　to　send　to　the　Salon？〃　The　artist　grasped　his
friend's　hand；　dragged　him　off　to　the　studio；　uncovered　a　small　easel
picture　and　a　portrait。　After　a　long　and　eager　study　of　the　two
masterpieces；　Girodet　threw　himself　on　his　comrade's　neck　and　hugged
him；　without　speaking　a　word。　His　feelings　could　only　be　expressed　as
he　felt　themsoul　to　soul。

〃You　are　in　love？〃　said　Girodet。

They　both　knew　that　the　finest　portraits　by　Titian；　Raphael；　and
Leonardo　da　Vinci；　were　the　outcome　of　the　enthusiastic　sentiments　by
which；　indeed；　under　various　conditions；　every　masterpiece　is
engendered。　The　artist　only　bent　his　head　in　reply。

〃How　happy　are　you　to　be　able　to　be　in　love；　here；　after　coming　back
from　Italy！　But　I　do　not　advise　you　to　send　such　works　as　these　to　the
Salon；〃　the　great　painter　went　on。　〃You　see；　these　two　works　will　not
be　appreciated。　Such　true　coloring；　such　prodigious　work；　cannot　yet
be　understood；　the　public　is　not　accustomed　to　such　depths。　The
pictures　we　paint；　my　dear　fellow；　are　mere　screens。　We　should　do
better　to　turn　rhymes；　and　translate　the　antique　poets！　There　is　more
glory　to　be　looked　for　there　than　from　our　luckless　canvases！〃

Notwithstanding　this　charitable　advice；　the　two　pictures　were
exhibited。　The　/Interior/　made　a　revolution　in　painting。　It　gave　birth
to　the　pictures　of　genre　which　pour　into　all　our　exhibitions　in　such
prodigious　quantity　that　they　might　be　supposed　to　be　produced　by
machinery。　As　to　the　portrait；　few　artists　have　forgotten　that
lifelike　work；　and　the　public；　which　as　a　body　is　sometimes
discerning；　awarded　it　the　crown　which　Girodet　himself　had　hung　over
it。　The　two　pictures　were　surrounded　by　a　vast　throng。　They　fought　for
places；　as　women　say。　Speculators　and　moneyed　men　would　have　covered
the　canvas　with　double　napoleons；　but　the　artist　obstinately　refused
to　sell　or　to　make　replicas。　An　enormous　sum　was　offered　him　for　the
right　of　engraving　them；　and　the　print…sellers　were　not　more　favored
than　the　amateurs。

Though　these　incidents　occupied　the　world；　they　were　not　of　a　nature
to　penetrate　the　recesses　of　the　monastic　solitude　in　the　Rue　Saint…
Denis。　However；　when　paying　a　visit　to　Madame　Guillaume；　the　notary's
wife　spoke　of　the　exhibition　before　Augustine；　of　whom　she　was　very
fond；　and　explained　its　purpose。　Madame　Roguin's　gossip　naturally
inspired　Augustine　with　a　wish　to　see　the　pictures；　and　with　courage
enou