the deputy of arcis-第29节

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s　affair　has　probably　already　reached　you。　So　here　is　a　man　facing　death　at　night　for　a　friend　whose　very　name　he　pretended　not　to　know　in　the　morning！

You　will　ask；　my　dear　Madame　de　Camps；　what　this　long　tale　has　to　do　with　my　own　ridiculous　adventure。　That　is　what　I　would　tell　you　now　if　my　letter　were　not　so　immoderately　long。　I　told　you　my　tale　would　prove　to　be　a　feuilleton…story；　and　I　think　the　moment　has　come　to　make　the　customary　break　in　it。　I　hope　I　have　not　sufficiently　exalted　your　curiosity　to　have　the　right　not　to　satisfy　it。　To　be　concluded；　therefore；　whether　you　like　it　or　not；　in　the　following　number。



VI

THE　COMTESSE　DE　L'ESTORADE　TO　MADAME　OCTAVE　DE　CAMPS

Paris；　March；　1839。

The　elements　of　the　long　biographical　dissertation　I　lately　sent　you；　my　dear　friend；　were　taken　chiefly　from　a　recent　letter　from　Monsieur　Marie…Gaston。　On　leaning　of　the　brave　devotion　shown　in　his　defence　his　first　impulse　was　to　rush　to　Paris　and　press　the　hand　of　the　friend　who　avenged　himself　thus　nobly　for　neglect　and　forgetfulness。　Unfortunately　the　evening　before　his　departure　he　met　with　a　dangerous　fall　at　Savarezza；　one　of　the　outlying　quarries　of　Carrara；　and　dislocated　his　ankle。　Being　obliged　to　postpone　his　journey；　he　wrote　to　Monsieur　Dorlange　to　express　his　gratitude；　and；　by　the　same　courier；　he　sent　me　a　voluminous　letter；　relating　the　whole　past　of　their　lifelong　friendship　and　asking　me　to　see　Monsieur　Dorlange　and　be　the　mediator　between　them。　He　was　not　satisfied　with　the　expression　of　his　warm　gratitude；　he　wanted　also　to　show　him　that　in　spite　of　contrary　appearances；　he　had　never　ceased　to　deserve　the　affection　of　his　early　friend。

On　receiving　Monsieur　Gaston's　letter；　my　first　idea　was　to　write　to　the　sculptor　and　ask　him　to　come　and　see　me；　but　finding　that　he　was　not　entirely　recovered　from　his　wound；　I　went；　accompanied　by　my　husband　and　Nais；　to　the　artist's　studio；　which　we　found　in　a　pleasant　little　house　in　the　rue　de　l'Ouest；　behind　the　garden　of　the　Luxembourg；　one　of　the　most　retired　quarters　of　Paris。　We　were　received　in　the　vestibule　by　a　woman　about　whom　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　had　already　said　a　word　to　me。　It　appears　that　the　/laureat/　of　Rome　did　not　leave　Italy　without　bringing　away　with　him　an　agreeable　souvenir　in　the　form　of　a　bourgeoise　Galatea；　half　housekeeper；　half　model；　about　whom　certain　indiscreet　rumors　are　current。　But　let　me　hasten　to　say　that　there　was　absolutely　nothing　in　her　appearance　or　manner　to　lead　me　to　credit　them。　In　fact；　there　was　something　cold　and　proud　and　almost　savage　about　her；　which　is；　they　tell　me；　a　strong　characteristic　of　the　Transteverine　peasant…women。　When　she　announced　our　names　Monsieur　Dorlange　was　standing　in　a　rather　picturesque　working　costume　with　his　back　to　us；　and　I　noticed　that　he　hastily　drew　an　ample　curtain　before　the　statue　on　which　he　was　engaged。

At　the　moment　when　he　turned　round；　and　before　I　had　time　to　look　at　him；　imagine　my　astonishment　when　Nais　ran　forward　and；　with　the　artlessness　of　a　child；　flung　her　arms　about　his　neck　crying　out：

〃Are！　here　is　my　monsieur　who　saved　me！〃

What！　the　monsieur　who　saved　her？　Then　Monsieur　Dorlange　must　be　the　famous　Unknown？Yes；　my　dear　friend；　I　now　recognized　him。　Chance；　that　cleverest　of　romance…makers；　willed　that　Monsieur　Dorlange　and　my　bore　were　one。　Happily；　my　husband　had　launched　into　the　expression　of　his　feelings　as　a　grateful　father；　I　thus　had　time　to　recover　myself；　and　before　it　became　my　turn　to　say　a　word；　I　had　installed　upon　my　face　what　you　are　pleased　to　call　my　grand　l'Estorade　air；　under　which；　as　you　know；　I　mark　twenty…five　degrees　below　zero；　and　can　freeze　the　words　on　the　lips　of　any　presuming　person。

As　for　Monsieur　Dorlange；　he　seemed　to　me　less　troubled　than　surprised　by　the　meeting。　Then；　as　if　he　thought　we　kept　him　too　long　on　the　topic　of　our　gratitude；　he　abruptly　changed　the　subject。

〃Madame；〃　he　said　to　me；　〃since　we　are；　as　it　seems；　more　acquainted　than　we　thought；　may　I　dare　to　gratify　my　curiosity？〃

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