第55章

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, Iworked 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, or--not to mince my words--steal 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, Ishould not have sent it to its destination without obtaining your permission to do so.I could have known your name whenever I wished; Ialready knew your address; and I intended, when the time came, to confess the liberty I had taken, and ask you to visit my studio.Ishould then have said what I say now: if the likeness displeases you Ican, 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.I do not forgive, but I forget my wrong.Things having so come about that I have nearly lost my life for his sake, it would certainly be very illogical to keep a grudge against him.Still, as regards that mausoleum at Ville d'Avray, nothing would induce me to undertake it.I have already mentioned to Monsieur de l'Estorade one hindrance that is daily growing more imperative; but besides that, Ithink it a great pity that Marie-Gaston should thus ruminate on his grief; and I have written to tell him so.He ought to be more of a man, and find in study and in work the consolations we can always find there."The object of our visit being thus disposed of, I saw no hope of getting to the bottom of the other mystery it had opened, so I rose to take leave, and as I did so Monsieur Dorlange said to me:--"May I hope that you will not exact the injury I spoke of to my statue?""It is for my husband and not for me to reply to that question," Isaid; "however, we can talk of it later, for Monsieur de l'Estorade hopes that you will give us the honor of a visit."Monsieur bowed in respectful acquiescence, and we came away,--I, in great ill-humor; I was angry with Nais, and also with my husband, and felt much inclined to make him a scene, which he would certainly not have understood.

Now what do you think of all this? Is the man a clever swindler, who invented that fable for some purpose, or is he really an artist, who took me in all simplicity of soul for the living realization of his idea? That is what I intend to find out in the course of a few days, for now I am committed to your programme, and to-morrow Monsieur and Madame de l'Estorade will have the honor of inviting Monsieur Dorlange to dinner.