The Deputy of Arcis [78]
I could see that my beautiful pupil took pleasure in our intercourse, and when the family returned to Paris she expressed the utmost regret at leaving Rome; I even fancied, God forgive me, that I saw something like a tear in her eye when we parted.
On my return to Paris, some months later, my first visit was to the hotel de Lanty. Marianina was too well bred and too kind at heart to be discourteous to any one, but I felt at once that a cold restrained manner was substituted for the gracious friendliness of the past. It seemed to me probable that her evident liking, I will not say for me personally, but for my conversation and acquirements, had been noticed by her parents, who had doubtless taught her a lesson; in fact, the stiff and forbidding manner of Monsieur and Madame de Lanty left me no other supposition.
Naturally, I did not call again; but a few months later, when I exhibited my Pandora in the salon of 1837, I one day saw the whole Lanty family approach it. The mother was on the arm of Comte Maxime de Trailles, a well-known lion. /Nil admirari/ is the natural instinct of all men of the world; so, after a very cursory glance at my work, Monsieur de Trailles began to find shocking faults in it, and in so high and clear a voice that not a word was lost within a certain range. Marianina shrugged her shoulders as she listened to this profound discourse, and when it was ended she said,--
"How fortunate you came with us! Without your enlightened knowledge I might, with the rest of the good public, have thought this statue admirable. It is a pity the sculptor is not here to learn his business from you."
"He /is/ here, behind you," said a stout woman, who had once been my landlady, and was standing near, laughing heartily. Involuntarily Marianina turned; when she saw me a vivid color came into her cheeks, and I slipped away into the crowd. A girl who took my part so warmly, and then showed such emotion on being detected in doing so, could not be absolutely indifferent to me; and as on my first visit I had only, after all, been coldly received, I decided, after my great success at the Exhibition, in consequence of which I was made a chevalier of the Legion of honor, to call again upon the Lantys; perhaps my new distinctions would procure me a better reception.
Monsieur de Lanty received me without rising, and with the following astounding apostrophe:--
"I think you very courageous, monsieur, to venture to present yourself here."
"I have never been received in a manner that seemed to require courage on my part."
"You have come, no doubt," continued Monsieur de Lanty, "in search of your property which you were careless enough to leave in our hands. I shall return you that article of gallantry."
So saying, he rose and took from a drawer in his secretary an elegant little portfolio, which he gave to me.
As I looked at it in a sort of stupefaction, he added:
"Yes; I know the letters are not there; I presume you will allow me to keep them."
"This portfolio, the letters you mention--all this is an enigma to me, monsieur."
At this moment Madame de Lanty entered the room.
"What do you want?" said her husband, roughly.
"I knew monsieur was here, and as I feared some painful explanation, I came to do my duty as a woman, and interpose."
"You need fear nothing, madame," I said; "evidently what is taking place is the result of some misunderstanding."
"Ah! this is too much!" cried Monsieur de Lanty, reopening the drawer from which he had taken the portfolio, and taking out a packet of letters tied with a rose-colored ribbon. "I think these will put an end to your /misunderstanding/."
I looked at the letters; they were not postmarked, and simply bore my name, Monsieur Dorlange, in a woman's handwriting, which was unknown to me.
"Monsieur," I said, "you know more than I do; you have in your possession letters that seem to belong to me, but which I have never received."
"Upon my word," cried Monsieur de Lanty, "you are an admirable comedian; I never saw innocence better played."
On my return to Paris, some months later, my first visit was to the hotel de Lanty. Marianina was too well bred and too kind at heart to be discourteous to any one, but I felt at once that a cold restrained manner was substituted for the gracious friendliness of the past. It seemed to me probable that her evident liking, I will not say for me personally, but for my conversation and acquirements, had been noticed by her parents, who had doubtless taught her a lesson; in fact, the stiff and forbidding manner of Monsieur and Madame de Lanty left me no other supposition.
Naturally, I did not call again; but a few months later, when I exhibited my Pandora in the salon of 1837, I one day saw the whole Lanty family approach it. The mother was on the arm of Comte Maxime de Trailles, a well-known lion. /Nil admirari/ is the natural instinct of all men of the world; so, after a very cursory glance at my work, Monsieur de Trailles began to find shocking faults in it, and in so high and clear a voice that not a word was lost within a certain range. Marianina shrugged her shoulders as she listened to this profound discourse, and when it was ended she said,--
"How fortunate you came with us! Without your enlightened knowledge I might, with the rest of the good public, have thought this statue admirable. It is a pity the sculptor is not here to learn his business from you."
"He /is/ here, behind you," said a stout woman, who had once been my landlady, and was standing near, laughing heartily. Involuntarily Marianina turned; when she saw me a vivid color came into her cheeks, and I slipped away into the crowd. A girl who took my part so warmly, and then showed such emotion on being detected in doing so, could not be absolutely indifferent to me; and as on my first visit I had only, after all, been coldly received, I decided, after my great success at the Exhibition, in consequence of which I was made a chevalier of the Legion of honor, to call again upon the Lantys; perhaps my new distinctions would procure me a better reception.
Monsieur de Lanty received me without rising, and with the following astounding apostrophe:--
"I think you very courageous, monsieur, to venture to present yourself here."
"I have never been received in a manner that seemed to require courage on my part."
"You have come, no doubt," continued Monsieur de Lanty, "in search of your property which you were careless enough to leave in our hands. I shall return you that article of gallantry."
So saying, he rose and took from a drawer in his secretary an elegant little portfolio, which he gave to me.
As I looked at it in a sort of stupefaction, he added:
"Yes; I know the letters are not there; I presume you will allow me to keep them."
"This portfolio, the letters you mention--all this is an enigma to me, monsieur."
At this moment Madame de Lanty entered the room.
"What do you want?" said her husband, roughly.
"I knew monsieur was here, and as I feared some painful explanation, I came to do my duty as a woman, and interpose."
"You need fear nothing, madame," I said; "evidently what is taking place is the result of some misunderstanding."
"Ah! this is too much!" cried Monsieur de Lanty, reopening the drawer from which he had taken the portfolio, and taking out a packet of letters tied with a rose-colored ribbon. "I think these will put an end to your /misunderstanding/."
I looked at the letters; they were not postmarked, and simply bore my name, Monsieur Dorlange, in a woman's handwriting, which was unknown to me.
"Monsieur," I said, "you know more than I do; you have in your possession letters that seem to belong to me, but which I have never received."
"Upon my word," cried Monsieur de Lanty, "you are an admirable comedian; I never saw innocence better played."