vendetta-第7章

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〃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　wants。　To　them；　their　daughter　Ginevra　was　more

precious　than　the　wealth　of　the　whole　world。　When；　therefore；　in　May；

1814；　the　Baron　di　Piombo　resigned　his　office；　dismissed　his　crowd　of

servants；　and　closed　his　stable　door；　Ginevra；　quiet；　simple　and

unpretending　like　her　parents；　saw　nothing　to　regret　in　the　change。

Like　all　great　souls；　she　found　her　luxury　in　strength　of　feeling；　and

derived　her　happiness　from　quietness　and　work。　These　three　beings

loved　each　other　too　well　for　the　externals　of　existence　to　be　of

value　in　their　eyes。



Often；　and　especially　after　the　second　dreadful　fall　of　Napoleon；

Bartolomeo　and　his　wife　passed　delightful　evenings　alone　with　their

daughter；　listening　while　she　sang　and　played。　To　them　there　was　a

vast　secret　pleasure　in　the　presence；　in　the　slightest　word　of　that

child；　their　eyes　followed　her　with　tender　anxiety；　they　heard　her

step　in　the　court…yard；　lightly　as　she　trod。　Like　lovers；　the　three

would　often　sit　silently　together；　understanding　thus；　better　than　by

speech；　the　eloquence　of　their　souls。　This　profound　sentiment；　the

life　itself　of　the　two　old　people；　animated　their　every　thought。　Here

were　not　three　existences；　but　one；one　only；　which；　like　the　flame

on　the　hearth；　divided　itself　into　three　tongues　of　fire。　If；

occasionally；　some　memory　of　Napoleon's　benefits　and　misfortunes；　if

the　public　events　of　the　moment　distracted　the　minds　of　the　old　people

from　this　source　of　their　constant　solicitude；　they　could　always　talk

of　those　interests　without　affecting　their　community　of　thought；　for

Ginevra　shared　their　political　passions。　What　more　natural；　therefore；

than　the　ardor　with　which　they　found　a　refuge　in　the　heart　of　their

only　child？



Until　now　the　occupations　of　public　life　had　absorbed　the　energy　of

the　Baron　di　Piombo；　but　after　leaving　those　employments　he　felt　the

need　of　casting　that　energy　into　the　last　sentiment　that　remained　to

him。　Apart　from　the　ties　of　parentage；　there　may　have　been；　unknown　to

these　three　despotic　souls；　another　powerful　reason　for　the　intensity

of　their　reciprocal　love：　it　was　love　undivided。　Ginevra's　whole　heart

belonged　to　her　father；　as　Piombo's　whole　heart　belonged　to　his　child；

and　if　it　be　true　that　we　are　bound　to　one　another　more　by　our　defects

than　by　our　virtues；　Ginevra　echoed　in　a　marvellous　manner　the

passions　of　her　father。　There　lay　the　sole　imperfection　of　this　triple

life。　Ginevra　was　born　unyielding　of　will；　vindictive；　and　passionate；

like　her　father　in　his　youth。



The　Corsican　had　taken　pleasure　in　developing　these　savage　sentiments

in　the　heart　of　his　daughter；　precisely　as　a　lion　teaches　the　lion…

cubs　to　spring　upon　their　prey。　But　this　apprenticeship　to　vengeance

having　no　means　of　action　in　their　family　life；　it　came　to　pass　that

Ginevra　turned　the　principle　against　her　father；　as　a　child　she

forgave　him　nothing；　and　he　was　forced　to　yield　to　her。　Piombo　saw

nothing　more　than　childish　nonsense　in　these　fictitious　quarrels；　but

the　child　was　all　the　while　acquiring　a　habit　of　ruling　her　parents。

In　the　midst；　however；　of　the　tempests　which　the　father　was　fond　of

exciting；　a　look；　a　word　of　tenderness；　sufficed　to　pacify　their　angry

souls；　and　often　they　were　never　so　near　to　a　kiss　as　when　they　were

threatening　each　other　vehemently。



Nevertheless；　for　the　last　five　years；　Ginevra；　grown　wiser　than　her

father；　avoided　such　scenes。　Her　faithfulness；　her　devotion；　the　love

which　filled　her　every　thought；　and　her　admirable　good　sense　had　got

the　better　of　her　temper。　And　yet；　for　all　that；　a　very　great　evil　had

resulted　from　her　training；　Ginevra　lived　with　her　father　and　mother

on　the　footing　of　an　equality　which　is　always　dangerous。



Piombo　and　his　wife；　persons　without　education；　had　allowed　Ginevra　to

study　as　she　pleased。　Following　her　caprices　as　a　young　girl；　she　had

studied　all　things　for　a　time；　and　then　abandoned　them；taking　up　and

leaving　each　train　of　thought　at　will；　until；　at　last；　painting　had

proved　to　be　her　dominant　passion。　Ginevra　would　have　made　a　noble

woman　had　her　mother　been　capable　of　guiding　her　studies；　of

enlightening　her　mind；　and　bringing　into　harmony　her　gifts　of　nature；

her　defects　came　from　the　fatal　education　which　the　old　Corsican　had

found　delight　in　giving　her。



After　marching　up　and　down　the　room　for　some　time；　Piombo　rang　the

bell；　a　servant　entered。



〃Go　and　meet　Mademoiselle　Ginevra；〃　said　his　master。



〃I　always　regret　our　carriage　on　her　account；〃　remarked　the　baroness。



〃She　said　she　did　not　want　one；〃　replied　Piombo；　looking　at　his　wife；

who；　accustomed　for　forty　years　to　habits　of　obedience；　lowered　her

eyes　and　said　no　more。



Already　a　septuagenarian；　tall；　withered；　pale；　and　wrinkled；　the

baroness　exactly　resembled　those　old　women　whom　Schnetz　puts　into　the

Italian　scenes　of　his　〃genre〃