massimilla doni-第16章

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danger；　and　you　alone　can　save　him。〃

〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　she　asked。

〃Ah！　Can　you　resign　yourself　to　play　a　degrading　partin　spite　of　the
noblest　face　to　be　seen　in　Italy？　Can　you　drop　from　the　blue　sky　where
you　dwell；　into　the　bed　of　a　courtesan？　In　short；　can　you；　an　angel　of
refinement；　of　pure　and　spotless　beauty；　condescend　to　imagine　what
the　love　must　be　of　a　Tintiin　her　room；　and　so　effectually　as　to
deceive　the　ardor　of　Emilio；　who　is　indeed　too　drunk　to　be　very　clear…
sighted？〃

〃Is　that　all？〃　said　she；　with　a　smile　that　betrayed　to　the　Frenchman　a
side　he　had　not　as　yet　perceived　of　the　delightful　nature　of　an
Italian　woman　in　love。　〃I　will　out…do　la　Tinti；　if　need　be；　to　save　my
friend's　life。〃

〃And　you　will　thus　fuse　into　one　two　kinds　of　love；　which　he　sees　as
distinctdivided　by　a　mountain　of　poetic　fancy；　that　will　melt　away
like　the　snow　on　a　glacier　under　the　beams　of　the　midsummer　sun。〃

〃I　shall　be　eternally　your　debtor；〃　said　the　Duchess；　gravely。

When　the　French　doctor　returned　to　the　gallery；　where　the　orgy　had　by
this　time　assumed　the　stamp　of　Venetian　frenzy；　he　had　a　look　of
satisfaction　which　the　Prince；　absorbed　by　la　Tinti；　failed　to
observe；　he　was　promising　himself　a　repetition　of　the　intoxicating
delights　he　had　known。　La　Tinti；　a　true　Sicilian；　was　floating　on　the
tide　of　a　fantastic　passion　on　the　point　of　being　gratified。

The　doctor　whispered　a　few　words　to　Vendramin；　and　la　Tinti　was
uneasy。

〃What　are　you　plotting？〃　she　inquired　of　the　Prince's　friend。

〃Are　you　kind…hearted？〃　said　the　doctor　in　her　ear；　with　the　sternness
of　an　operator。

The　words　pierced　to　her　comprehension　like　a　dagger…thrust　to　her
heart。

〃It　is　to　save　Emilio's　life；〃　added　Vendramin。

〃Come　here；〃　said　the　doctor　to　Clarina。

The　hapless　singer　rose　and　went　to　the　other　end　of　the　table　where；
between　Vendramin　and　the　Frenchman；　she　looked　like　a　criminal
between　the　confessor　and　the　executioner。

She　struggled　for　a　long　time；　but　yielded　at　last　for　love　of　Emilio。

The　doctor's　last　words　were：

〃And　you　must　cure　Genovese！〃

She　spoke　a　word　to　the　tenor　as　she　went　round　the　table。　She
returned　to　the　Prince；　put　her　arm　round　his　neck　and　kissed　his　hair
with　an　expression　of　despair　which　struck　Vendramin　and　the
Frenchman；　the　only　two　who　had　their　wits　about　them；　then　she
vanished　into　her　room。　Emilio；　seeing　Genovese　leave　the　table；　while
Cataneo　and　Capraja　were　absorbed　in　a　long　musical　discussion；　stole
to　the　door　of　the　bedroom；　lifted　the　curtain；　and　slipped　in；　like
an　eel　into　the　mud。

〃But　you　see；　Cataneo；〃　said　Capraja；　〃you　have　exacted　the　last　drop
of　physical　enjoyment；　and　there　you　are；　hanging　on　a　wire　like　a
cardboard　harlequin；　patterned　with　scars；　and　never　moving　unless　the
string　is　pulled　of　a　perfect　unison。〃

〃And　you；　Capraja；　who　have　squeezed　ideas　dry；　are　not　you　in　the
same　predicament？　Do　you　not　live　riding　the　hobby　of　a　/cadenza/？〃

〃I？　I　possess　the　whole　world！〃　cried　Capraja；　with　a　sovereign
gesture　of　his　hand。

〃And　I　have　devoured　it！〃　replied　the　Duke。

They　observed　that　the　physician　and　Vendramin　were　gone；　and　that
they　were　alone。



Next　morning；　after　a　night　of　perfect　happiness；　the　Prince's　sleep
was　disturbed　by　a　dream。　He　felt　on　his　heart　the　trickle　of　pearls；
dropped　there　by　an　angel；　he　woke；　and　found　himself　bathed　in　the
tears　of　Massimilla　Doni。　He　was　lying　in　her　arms；　and　she　gazed　at
him　as　he　slept。

That　evening；　at　the　/Fenice/；though　la　Tinti　had　not　allowed　him　to
rise　till　two　in　the　afternoon；　which　is　said　to　be　very　bad　for　a
tenor　voice；Genovese　sang　divinely　in　his　part　in　/Semiramide/。　He
was　recalled　with　la　Tinti；　fresh　crowns　were　given；　the　pit　was　wild
with　delight；　the　tenor　no　longer　attempted　to　charm　the　prima　donna
by　angelic　methods。

Vendramin　was　the　only　person　whom　the　doctor　could　not　cure。　Love　for
a　country　that　has　ceased　to　be　is　a　love　beyond　curing。　The　young
Venetian；　by　dint　of　living　in　his　thirteenth　century　republic；　and　in
the　arms　of　that　pernicious　courtesan　called　opium；　when　he　found
himself　in　the　work…a…day　world　to　which　reaction　brought　him；
succumbed；　pitied　and　regretted　by　his　friends。

No；　how　shall　the　end　of　this　adventure　be　toldfor　it　is　too
disastrously　domestic。　A　word　will　be　enough　for　the　worshipers　of　the
ideal。

The　Duchess　was　expecting　an　infant。

The　Peris；　the　naiads；　the　fairies；　the　sylphs　of　ancient　legend；　the
Muses　of　Greece；　the　Marble　Virgins　of　the　Certosa　at　Pavia；　the　Day
and　Night　of　Michael　Angelo；　the　little　Angels　which　Bellini　was　the
first　to　put　at　the　foot　of　his　Church　pictures；　and　which　Raphael
painted　so　divinely　in　his　Virgin　with　the　Donor；　and　the　Madonna　who
shivers　at　Dresden；　the　lovely　Maidens　by　Orcagna　in　the　Church　of
San…Michele；　at　Florence；　the　celestial　choir　round　the　tomb　in　Saint…
Sebaldus；　at　Nuremberg；　the　Virgins　of　the　Duomo；　at　Milan；　the　whole
population　of　a　hundred　Gothic　Cathedrals；　all　the　race　of　beings　who
burst　their　mould　to　visit　you；　great　imaginative　artistsall　these
angelic　and　disembodied　maidens　gathered　round　Massimilla's　bed；　and
wept！



PARIS；　May　25th；　1839。








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