the nabob-第21章

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f　finding　a　suitable　school；　a　school　which　she　selected　of　deliberate　purpose；　very　comfortable　and　very　respectable；　right　at　the　upper　end　of　an　airy　road；　occupying　a　roomy；　old…world　building　surrounded　by　high　walls；　big　trees；　a　sort　of　convent　without　its　constraint　and　contempt　of　serious　studies。

Much　work；　on　the　contrary；　was　done　in　Mme。　Belin's　institution；　where　the　pupils　went　out　only　on　the　principal　holidays　and　had　no　communication　with　outside　except　the　visits　of　relatives　on　Thursdays；　in　a　little　garden　planted　with　flowering　shrubs　or　in　the　immense　parlour　with　carved　and　gilded　work　over　its　doors。　The　first　entry　of　Felicia　into　this　almost　monastic　house　caused　indeed　a　certain　sensation；　her　dresses　chosen　by　the　Austrian　dancer；　her　hair　curling　to　her　waist；　her　gait　free　and　easy　like　a　boy's；　aroused　some　hostility；　but　she　was　a　Parisian　and　could　adapt　herself　quickly　to　every　situation　and　to　all　surroundings。　A　few　days　later；　she　looked　better　than　any　one　in　the　little　black　apron；　to　which　the　more　coquettish　were　wont　to　hang　their　watches；　the　straight　skirta　severe　and　hard　prescription　at　that　period　when　fashion　expanded　women's　figures　with　an　infinity　of　flouncesthe　regulation　coiffure；　two　plaits　tied　rather　low；　at　the　neck；　after　the　manner　of　the　Roman　peasants。

Strange　to　say；　the　regularity　of　the　classes；　their　calm　exactitude；　suited　Felicia's　nature；　intelligent　and　quick；　in　which　the　taste　for　study　was　relieved　by　a　juvenile　expansion　at　ease　in　the　noisy　good…　humour　of　playtime。　She　was　popular。　Among　those　daughters　of　wealthy　businessmen；　of　Parisian　lawyers　or　of　gentlemen…farmers；　a　respectable　and　rather　affectedly　serious　world；　the　well…known　name　of　old　Ruys；　the　respect　with　which　at　Paris　an　artist's　reputation　is　surrounded；　created　for　Felicia　a　greatly　envied　position；　rendered　more　brilliant　still　by　her　successes　in　the　school…work；　a　genuine　talent　for　drawing；　and　her　beauty；　that　superiority　which　asserts　its　power　even　among　young　girls。　In　the　wholesale　atmosphere　of　the　boarding…school；　she　was　conscious　of　an　extreme　pleasure　as　she　grew　feminized；　in　resuming　her　sex；　in　learning　to　know　order；　regularity；　otherwise　than　these　were　taught　by　that　amiable　dancer　whose　kisses　seemed　always　to　keep　the　taste　of　paint　and　her　embraces　somewhat　artificial　in　the　curving　of　her　arms。　Ruys；　her　father；　was　enraptured　each　time　that　he　came　to　see　his　daughter；　to　find　her　more　grown；　womanly；　knowing　how　to　enter；　to　walk；　and　to　leave　a　room　with　that　pretty　courtesy　which　caused　all　Mme。　Belin's　pupils　to　long　for　the　trailing　rustle　of　a　long　skirt。

At　first　he　came　often；　then；　as　he　had　not　time　enough　for　all　his　commissions；　accepted　and　undertaken；　the　advances　on　which　went　to　pay　for　the　scrapes；　the　pleasures　of　his　existence；　he　was　seen　more　seldom　in　the　parlour。　Finally；　sickness　intervened。　Stricken　by　an　incurable　anaemia；　he　would　remain　for　weeks　without　leaving　his　house；　without　doing　any　work。　Thereupon　he　wished　to　have　his　daughter　with　him　again；　and　from　the　boarding…school；　sheltered　by　so　healthy　a　tranquility；　Felicia　returned　once　more　to　her　father's　studio；　haunted　still　by　the　same　boon　companions；　the　parasites　which　swarm　around　every　celebrity；　into　the　midst　of　which　sickness　had　introduced　a　new　personage；　Dr。　Jenkins。

His　fine　open　countenance；　the　air　of　candour；　of　serenity　that　seemed　to　dwell　about　the　person　of　this　physician；　already　famous；　who　was　wont　to　speak　of　his　art　so　carelessly　and　yet　seemed　to　work　miraculous　cures；　the　care　with　which　he　surrounded　her　father；　these　things　made　a　great　impression　on　the　young　girl。　Jenkins　became　immediately　her　friend；　confidant；　a　vigilant　and　kind　guardian。　Occasionally；　when；　in　the　studio；　somebodyher　father　most　likely　of　alluttered　a　risky　jest；　the　Irishman　would　contract　his　eyebrows；　give　a　little　click　of　the　tongue；　or　perhaps　distract　Felicia's　attention。

He　often　used　to　take　her　to　pass　the　day　with　Mme。　Jenkins；　endeavouring　to　prevent　her　from　becoming　again　the　wild　young　thing　she　was　before　going　to　school；　or　even　something　worse；　as　she　threatened　to　do　in　the　moral　neglect；　sadder　than　all　other；　in　which　she　was　left。

But　the　young　girl　had　as　a　protection　something　even　better　than　the　irreproachable　and　worldly　example　of　the　handsome　Mme。　Jenkins：　the　art　that　she　adored；　the　enthusiasm　which　it　implanted　in　her　nature　wholly　occupied　with　outside　things；　the　sentiment　of　beauty；　of　truth；　which；　from　her　thoughtful　brain；　full　of　ideas；　passed　into　her　fingers　with　a　little　quivering　of　the　nerves；　a　desire　of　the　idea　accomplished；　of　the　realized　image。　All　day　long　she　would　work　at　her　sculpture；　giving　shape　to　her　dreams　with　that　happiness　of　instinctive　youth　which　lends　so　much　charm　to　early　work；　this　prevented　her　from　any　excessive　regret　for　the　austerity　of　the　Belin　institution；　sheltering　and　light　as　the　veil　of　a　novice　before　her　vows；　and　preserved　her　also　from　dangerous　conversations；　unheard　amid　her　unique　preoccupation。

Ruys　was　proud　of　this　talent　growing　up　at　his　side。　Growing　every　day　feebler；　already　at　that　stage　in　which　the　artist　regrets　himself；　he　found　in　following　Felicia's　progress　a　certain　consolation　for　his　own　ended　career。　He　saw　the　boasting…tool；　which　trembled　in　his　hand；　taken　up　again　under　his　eye　with　a　virile　firmness　and　assurance；　tempered　by　all　those　delicacies　of　her　being　which　a　woman　can　apply　to　the　realization　of　an　art。　A　strange　sensation；　this　double　paternity；　this　survival　of　genius　as　it　abandons　the　man　whose　day　is　over　to　pass　into　him　who　is　at　his　dawn；　like　those　beautiful；　familiar　birds　which；　on　the　eve　of　a　death；　will　desert　the　menaced　roof　to　fly　away　to　a　less　mournful　lodging。

During　the　last　period　of　her　father's　life；　Feliciaa　great　artist　and　still　a　mere　childused　to　execute　half　of　his　works；　and　nothing　was　more　touching　than　this　collaboration　of　father　and　daughter；　in　the　same　studio；　around　the　same　group。　The　operation　did　not　always　proceed　peaceably；　although　her　father's　pupil；　Felicia　already　felt　her　own　personality　rebel　against　any　despotic　direction。　She　had　those　audacities　of　the　beginner；　those　intuitions　of　the　future　which　are　the　heritage　of　young　talents；　and；　in　opposition　to　the　romantic　traditions　of　Sebastien　Ruys；　a　tendency　to　modern　realism；　a　need　to　plant　that　glorious　old　flag　upon　some　new　monument。

These　things　were　the　occasion　of　terrible　arguments；　of　discussions　from　which　the　father　came　out　beaten；　conquered　by　his　daughter's　logic；　astonished　at　the　progress　made　by　the　young；　while　the　old；　who　have　opened　the　way　for　them；　remain　motionless　at　the　point　from　which　they　started。　When　she　was　working　for　him；　Felicia　would　yield　more　easily；　but；　where　her　own　sculpture　was　concerned　she　was　found　to　be　intractable。　Thus　the　/Joueur　de　Boules/；　her　first　exhibited　work；　which　obtained　so　great　a　success　at　the　Salon　of　1862；　was　the　subject　of　violent　scenes　between　the　two　artists；　of　contradictions　so　strong；　that　Jenkins　had　to　intervene　and　help　to　secure　the　safety　of　the　plaster…cast　which　Ruys　had　threatened　to　destroy。

Apart　from　such　little　dramas；　which　in　no　way　affected　the　tenderness　of　their　hearts；　these　two　beings　adored　each　other　with　the　presentiment　and；　gradually；　the　cruel　certitude　of　an　approaching　separation；　when　suddenly　there　occurred　in　Felicia's　life　a　horrible　event。　One　day；　Jenkins　had　taken　her　to　dine　at　his　house；　as　often　happened。　Mme。　Jenkins　was　away　on　a　couple　of　days'　visit；　as　also　her　son；　but　the　doctor's　age；　his　semi…paternal　intimacy；　allowed　him　to　have　with　him；　even　in　his　wife's　absence；　this　young　girl　whose　fifteen　years；　the　fifteen　years　of　an　Eastern　Jewess　glorious　in　her　precocious　beauty；　left　her　still　near　childhood。

The　dinner　was　very　gay；　and　Jenkins　pleasant　and　cordial　as　usual。　Afterwards　they　went　into　the　doctor's　study；　and　suddenly；　on　the　couch；　in　the　middle　of　an　intimate　and　quite　friendly　conversation　about　her　father；　his　health；　their　work　together；　Felicia　felt　as　it　were　the　chill　of　a　gulf　between　herself　and　this　man；　then　the　brutal　grasp　of　a　faun。　She　beheld　an　unknown　Jenkins；　wild…looking；　stammering　with　a　besotted　laugh　and　outraging　hands。　In　the　surprise；　the　unexpectedness　of　this　bestial　attack；　any　other　than　Feliciaa　child　of　her　own　age；　really　innocent；　would　have　been　lost。　As　for　her；　poor　little　thing！　what　saved　her　was　her　knowledge。　She　had　heard　so　many　stories　of　this　kind　of　thing　at　her　father's　table！　and　then　art；　and　the　life　of　the　studio　She　was　not　an　/ingenue/。　In　a　moment　she　understood　the　object　of　this　grasp；　struggled；　sprang　up；　then；　not　being　strong　enough；　cried　out。　He　was　afraid；　released　his　hold；　and　suddenly　she　found　herself　standing　up；　free；　with　the　man　on　his　knees　weeping　and　begging　forgiveness。　He　had　yielded　to　a　fit　of　madness。　She　was　so　beautiful；　he　loved　her　so　much。　For　months　he　had　been　struggling。　But　now　it　was　over；　never　again；　oh；　never　again！　Not　even　would　he　so　much　as　touch　the　hem　of　her　dress。　She　made　no　reply；　trembled；　put　her　hair　and　her　clothes　straight　again　with　the　fingers　of　a　woman　demented。　To　go　homeshe　wished　to　go　home　instantly；　quite　alone。　He　sent　a　servant　with　her；　and；　quite　low；　as　she　was　getting　into　the　carriage；　whispered：

〃Above　all；　not　a　word。　It　would　kill　your　father。〃

He　knew　her　so　well；　he　was　so　sure　of　his　power　over　her　through　that　suggestion；　the　blackguard！　that　he　returned　on　the　morrow　looking　bright　as　ever　and　with　loyal　face　as　though　nothing　had　happened。　In　fact；　she　never　spoke　of　the　matter　to　her　father；　nor　to　any　one。　But；　dating　from　that　day；　a　change　came　over　her；　a　sudden　development；　as　it　were；　of　her　haughty　ways。　She　was　subject　to　caprices；　wearinesses；　a　curl　of　disgust　in　her　smile；　and　sometimes　quick　fits　of　anger　against　her　father；　a　glance　of　contempt　which　reproached　him　for　not　having　known　how　to　watch　over　her。

〃What　is　the　matter　with　her？〃　Ruys；　her　father；　used　to　say；　and　Jenkins；　with　the　authority　of　a　doctor；　would　put　it　down　to　her　age　and　some　physical　disturbance。　He　avoided　speaking　to　the　girl　herself；　counting　on　time　to　efface　the　sinister　impression；　and　not　despairing　of　attaining　his　end；　for　he　desired　it　still；　more　than　ever；　prey　to　the　exasperated　love　of　a　man　of　forty…seven　to　one　of　those　incurable　passions　of　maturity；　and　that　was　this　hypocrite's　punishment。　This　unusual　condition　of　his　daughter　was　a　real　grief　to　the　sculptor；　but　this　grief　was　of　short　duration。　Without　warning；　Ruys　flickered　out　of　life；　fell　to　pieces　in　a　moment；　as　was　the　way　with　all　the　Irishman's　patients。　His　last　words　were：

〃Jenkins；　I　beg　you　to　look　after　my　daughter。〃

They　were　so　ironically　mournful　that　Jenkins　could　not　prevent　himself　from　turning　pale。

Felicia　was　even　more　stupefied　than　grief…stricken。　To　the　amazement　caused　by　death；　which　she　had　never　seen　and　which　now　came　before　her　wearing　features　so　dear；　there　was　joined　the　sense　of　a　vast　solitude　surrounded　by　darkness　and　perils。

A　few　of　the　sculptor's　f