vendetta- 第8部分

I　must　have　known　it　all；　and　that　I　had　failed　in　proper　confidence

between　mother　and　daughter　by　not　telling　her。　Oh！　my　dear　Ginevra！

I；　who　took　you　for　my　model；　oh！　how　grieved　I　am　that　I　can't　be

your　companion　any　longer。〃



〃We　shall　meet　again　in　life；　girls　marry〃　said　Ginevra。



〃When　they　are　rich；〃　signed　Laure。



〃Come　and　see　me；　my　father　has　a　fortune〃



〃Ginevra；〃　continued　Laure；　tenderly。　〃Madame　Roguin　and　my　mother　are

coming　to　see　Monsieur　Servin　to…morrow　and　reproach　him；　hadn't　you

better　warn　him。〃



A　thunderbolt　falling　at　Ginevra's　feet　could　not　have　astonished　her

more　than　this　revelation。



〃What　matter　is　it　to　them？〃　she　asked；　naively。



〃Everybody　thinks　it　very　wrong。　Mamma　says　it　is　immoral。〃



〃And　you；　Laure；　what　do　you　say？〃



The　young　girl　looked　up　at　Ginevra；　and　their　thoughts　united。　Laure

could　no　longer　keep　back　her　tears；　she　flung　herself　on　her　friend's

breast　and　sobbed。　At　this　moment　Servin　came　into　the　studio。



〃Mademoiselle　Ginevra；〃　he　cried；　with　enthusiasm；　〃I　have　finished　my

picture！　it　is　now　being　varnished。　What　have　you　been　doing；

meanwhile？　Where　are　the　young　ladies；　are　they　taking　a　holiday；　or

are　they　in　the　country？〃



Laure　dried　her　tears；　bowed　to　Monsieur　Servin；　and　went　away。



〃The　studio　has　been　deserted　for　some　days；〃　replied　Ginevra；　〃and

the　young　ladies　are　not　coming　back。〃



〃Pooh！〃



〃Oh！　don't　laugh；〃　said　Ginevra。　〃Listen：　I　am　the　involuntary　cause

of　the　loss　of　your　reputation〃



The　artist　smiled；　and　said；　interrupting　his　pupil：



〃My　reputation？　Why；　in　a　few　days　my　picture　will　make　it　at　the

Exposition。〃



〃That　relates　to　your　talent；〃　replied　the　girl。　〃I　am　speaking　of

your　morality。　Those　young　ladies　have　told　their　mothers　that　Luigi

was　shut　up　here；　and　that　you　lent　yourselftoour　love。〃



〃There　is　some　truth　in　that；　mademoiselle；〃　replied　the　professor。

〃The　mothers　of　those　young　ladies　are　foolish　women；　if　they　had　come

straight　to　me　I　should　have　explained　the　matter。　But　I　don't　care　a

straw　about　it！　Life　is　short；　anyhow。〃



And　the　painter　snapped　his　fingers　above　his　head。　Luigi；　who　had

heard　part　of　the　conversation；　came　in。



〃You　have　lost　all　your　scholars；〃　he　cried。　〃I　have　ruined　you！〃



The　artist　took　Luigi's　hand　and　that　of　Ginevra；　and　joined　them。



〃Marry　one　another；　my　children；〃　he　said；　with　fatherly　kindness。



They　both　dropped　their　eyes；　and　their　silence　was　the　first　avowal

they　had　made　to　each　other　of　their　love。



〃You　will　surely　be　happy；〃　said　Servin。　〃There　is　nothing　in　life　to

equal　the　happiness　of　two　beings　like　yourselves　when　bound　together

in　love。〃



Luigi　pressed　the　hand　of　his　protector　without　at　first　being　able　to

utter　a　word；　but　presently　he　said；　in　a　voice　of　emotion：



〃To　you　I　owe　it　all。〃



〃Be　happy！　I　bless　and　wed　you；〃　said　the　painter；　with　comic　unction；

laying　his　hands　upon　the　heads　of　the　lovers。



This　little　jest　put　an　end　to　their　strained　emotion。　All　three

looked　at　one　another　and　laughed　merrily。　Ginevra　pressed　Luigi's

hand　in　a　strong　clasp；　with　a　simplicity　of　action　worthy　of　the

customs　of　her　native　land。



〃Ah　ca；　my　dear　children；〃　resumed　Servin；　〃you　think　that　all　will　go

right　now；　but　you　are　much　mistaken。〃



The　lovers　looked　at　him　in　astonishment。



〃Don't　be　anxious。　I'm　the　only　one　that　your　romance　will　harm。　But

the　fact　is；　Madame　Servin　is　a　little　straitlaced；　and　I　don't　really

see　how　we　are　to　settle　it　with　her。〃



〃Heavens！　and　I　forgot　to　tell　you；〃　exclaimed　Ginevra；　〃that　Madame

Roguin　and　Laure's　mother　are　coming　here　to…morrow　to〃



〃I　understand；〃　said　the　painter。



〃But　you　can　easily　justify　yourself；〃　continued　the　girl；　with　a

proud　movement　of　her　head。　〃Monsieur　Luigi；〃　she　added；　turning　to

him　with　an　arch　look；　〃will　no　longer　object　to　entering　the　royal

service。　Well；　then；〃　after　receiving　a　smile　from　the　young　man；　〃to…

morrow　morning　I　will　send　a　petition　to　one　of　the　most　influential

persons　at　the　ministry　of　War；a　man　who　will　refuse　nothing　to　the

daughter　of　the　Baron　di　Piombo。　We　shall　obtain　a　'tacit'　pardon　for

Captain　Luigi；　for；　of　course；　they　will　not　allow　him　the　rank　of

major。　And　then；〃　she　added；　addressing　Servin；　〃you　can　confound　the

mothers　of　my　charitable　companions　by　telling　them　the　truth。〃



〃You　are　an　angel！〃　cried　Servin。



While　this　scene　was　passing　at　the　studio　the　father　and　mother　of

Ginevra　were　becoming　impatient　at　her　non…return。



〃It　is　six　o'clock；　and　Ginevra　not　yet　home！〃　cried　Bartolomeo。



〃She　was　never　so　late　before；〃　said　his　wife。



The　two　old　people　looked　at　each　other　with　an　anxiety　that　was　not

usual　with　them。　Too　anxious　to　remain　in　one　place；　Bartolomeo　rose

and　walked　about　the　salon　with　an　active　step　for　a　man　who　was　over

seventy…seven　years　of　age。　Thanks　to　his　robust　constitution；　he　had

changed　but　little　since　the　day　of　his　arrival　in　Paris；　and；　despite

his　tall　figure；　he　walked　erect。　His　hair；　now　white　and　sparse；　left

uncovered　a　broad　and　protuberant　skull；　which　gave　a　strong　idea　of

his　character　and　firmness。　His　face；　seamed　with　deep　wrinkles；　had

taken；　with　age；　a　nobler　expression；　preserving　the　pallid　tones

which　inspire　veneration。　The　ardor　of　passions　still　lived　in　the

fire　of　his　eyes；　while　the　eyebrows；　which　were　not　wholly　whitened；

retained　their　terrible　mobility。　The　aspect　of　the　head　was　stern；

but　it　conveyed　the　impression　that　Piombo　had　a　right　to　be　so。　His

kindness；　his　gentleness　were　known　only　to　his　wife　and　daughter。　In

his　functions；　or　in　presence　of　strangers；　he　never　laid　aside　the

majesty　that　time　had　impressed　upon　his　person；　and　the　habit　of

frowning　with　his　heavy　eyebrows；　contracting　the　wrinkles　of　his

face；　and　giving　to　his　eyes　a　Napoleonic　fixity；　made　his　manner　of

accosting　others　icy。



During　the　course　of　his　political　life　he　had　been　so　generally

feared　that　he　was　thought　unsocial；　and　it　is　not　difficult　to

explain　the　causes　of　that　opinion。　The　life；　morals；　and　fidelity　of

Piombo　made　him　obnoxious　to　most　courtiers。　In　spite　of　the　fact　that

delicate　missions　were　constantly　intrusted　to　his　discretion　which　to

any　other　man　about　the　court　would　have　proved　lucrative；　he

possessed　an　income　of　not　more　than　thirty　thousand　francs　from　an

investment　in　the　Grand　Livre。　If　we　recall　the　cheapness　of

government　securities　under　the　Empire；　and　the　liberality　of　Napoleon

towards　those　of　his　faithful　servants　who　knew　how　to　ask　for　it；　we

can　readily　see　that　the　Baron　di　Piombo　must　have　been　a　man　of　stern

integrity。　He　owed　his　plumage　as　baron　to　the　necessity　Napoleon　felt

of　giving　him　a　title　before　sending　him　on　missions　to　foreign

courts。



Bartolomeo　had　always　professed　a　hatred　to　the　traitors　with　whom

Napoleon　surrounded　himself；　expecting　to　bind　them　to　his　cause　by

dint　of　victories。　It　was　he　of　whom　it　is　told　that　he　made　three

steps　to　the　door　of　the　Emperor's　cabinet　after　advising　him　to　get

rid　of　three　men　in　France　on　the　eve　of　Napoleon's　departure　for　his

celebrated　and　admirable　campaign　of　1814。　After　the　second　return　of

the　Bourbons　Bartolomeo　ceased　to　wear　the　decoration　of　the　Legion　of

honor。　No　man　offered　a　finer　image　of　those　old　Republicans；

incorruptible　friends　to　the　Empire；　who　remained　the　living　relics　of

the　two　most　energetic　governments　the　world　has　ever　seen。　Though　the

Baron　di　Piombo　displeased　mere　courtiers；　he　had　the　Darus；　Drouots；

and　Carnots　with　him　as　friends。　As　for　the　rest　of　the　politicians；

he　cared　not　a　whiff　of　his　cigar's　smoke　for　them；　especially　since

Waterloo。



Bartolomeo　di　Piombo　had　bought；　for　the　very　moderate　sum　which

Madame　Mere；　the　Emperor's　mother；　had　paid　him　for　his　estates　in

Corsica；　the　old　mansion　of　the　Portenduere　family；　in　which　he　had

made　no　changes。　Lodged；　usually；　at　the　cost　of　the　government；　he

did　not　occupy　this　house　until　after　the　catastrophe　of

Fontainebleau。　Following　the　habits　of　simple　persons　of　strict

virtue；　the　baron　and　his　wife　gave　no　heed　to　external　splendor；

their　furniture　was　that　which　they　bought　with　the　mansion。　The　grand

apartments；　lofty；　sombre；　and　bare；　the　wide　mirrors　in　gilded　frames

that　were　almost　black；　the　furniture　of　the　period　of　Louis　XIV。　were

in　keeping　with　Bartolomeo　and　his　wife；　personages　worthy　of

antiquity。



Under　the　Empire；　and　during　the　Hundred　Days；　while　exercising

functions　that　were　liberally　rewarded；　the　old　Corsican　had

maintained　a　great　establishment；　more　for　the　purpose　of　doing　honor

to　his　office　than　from　any　desire　to　shine　himself。　His　life　and　that

of　his　wife　were　so　frugal；　so　tranquil；　that　their　modest　fortune

sufficed　for　all　their　wa