第54章

THE COMTESSE DE L'ESTORADE TO MADAME OCTAVE DE CAMPSParis, 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 sister--none, at least, that Iknow 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, "Ishall 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 Istood, under the form of a saint, with a halo round my head.Could Ibe angry at the liberty thus taken?