the women of the french salons-第42章

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t　of　not　knowing　how　to　do　without　me　for　anything　in　the　world；　nor　at　any　moment。

〃I　honor；　I　cherish　my　husband；　as　a　sensible　daughter　adores　a　virtuous　father　to　whom　she　would　sacrifice　even　her　lover；　but　I　have　found　the　man　who　might　have　been　that　lover；　and　remaining　faithful　to　my　duties；　my　frankness　has　not　known　how　to　conceal　the　feelings　which　I　subjected　to　them。　　My　husband；　excessively　sensitive　both　in　his　affections　and　his　self…love；　could　not　support　the　idea　of　the　least　change　in　his　influence；　his　imagination　darkened；　his　jealousy　irritated　me；　happiness　fled；　he　adored　me；　I　sacrificed　myself　for　him；　and　we　were　miserable。

〃If　I　were　free；　I　would　follow　him　everywhere　to　soften　his　griefs　and　console　his　old　age；　a　soul　like　mine　leaves　no　sacrifices　imperfect。　　But　Roland　was　embittered　by　the　thought　of　sacrifice；　and　the　knowledge　once　acquired　that　I　mad　made　one　ruined　his　happiness；　he　suffered　in　accepting　it；　and　could　not　do　without　it。〃

The　sequel　to　this　tale　is　told　in　allusions　and　half　revelations；　in　her　letters　to　Buzot；　which　glow　with　suppressed　feeling；　in　her　touching　farewell　to　one　whom　she　dared　not　to　name；　but　whom　she　hoped　to　meet　where　it　would　not　be　a　crime　to　love；　in　those　final　words　of　her　〃Last　Thoughts〃〃Adieu。　。　。　。　　No；　it　is　from　thee　alone　that　I　do　not　separate；　to　leave　the　earth　is　to　approach　each　other。〃

Beneath　this　semi…transparent　veil　the　heart…drama　of　her　life　is　hidden。

For　the　sake　of　those　who　would　be　pained　by　this　story；　as　well　as　for　her　own；　we　would　rather　it　had　never　been　told。　　We　should　like　to　believe　that　the　woman　who　worked　so　nobly　with　and　for　the　man　who　died　by　his　own　hand　five　days　after　her　death；　because　he　could　stay　no　longer　in　a　world　where　such　crimes　were　possible；　had　lived　in　the　full　perfection　of　domestic　sympathy。　　But；　if　she　carried　with　her　an　incurable　wound；　one　cannot　help　regretting　that　her　Spartan　courage　had　not　led　her　to　wear　the　mantle　of　silence　to　the　end。　　Posterity　is　curious　rather　than　sympathetic；　and　the　world　is　neither　wiser　nor　better　for　these　needless　soul…revelations。　　There　is　always　a　certain　malady　of　egotism　behind　them。　　But　it　is　often　easier　to　scale　the　heights　of　human　heroism　than　to　still　the　cry　of　a　bruised　spirit。　　Mme。　Roland　had　moments　of　falling　short　of　her　own　ideals；　and　this　was　one　of　them。　　Pure；　loyal；　self…sustained　as　she　was；　her　strong　sense　of　verity　did　not　permit　the　veil　which　would　have　best　served　the　interests　of　the　larger　truth。　　It　is　fair　to　say　that　she　thought　the　malicious　gossip　of　her　enemies　rendered　this　statement　necessary　to　the　protection　of　her　fame。　　Perhaps；　after　all；　she　shows　here　her　most　human　and　lovable　if　not　her　strongest　side。　　We　should　like　Minerva　better　if　she　were　not　so　faultlessly　wise。

The　outbreak　of　the　Revolution　found　Mme。　Roland　at　La　Platiere；　where　she　shared　her　husband's　philosophic　and　economic　studies；　brought　peace　into　a　discordant　family；　attended　to　her　household　duties　and　the　training　of　her　child；　devoted　many　hours　to　generous　care　for　the　sick　and　poor；　and　reserved　a　little　leisure　for　poetry　and　the　solitary　rambles　she　loved　so　well。　　The　first　martial　note　struck　a　responsive　chord　in　her　heart。　　Her　opportunity　had　come。　　Embittered　by　class　distinctions　over　which　she　had　long　brooded；　saturated　with　the　sentiments　of　Rousseau；　and　full　of　untried　theories　constructed　in　the　closet；　with　small　knowledge　of　the　wide　and　complex　interests　with　which　it　was　necessary　to　deal；　she　centered　all　the　hitherto　latent　energies　of　her　forceful　nature　upon　the　quixotic　effort　to　redress　human　wrongs。　　Her　birth；　her　intellect；　her　character；　her　temperament；　her　education；　her　associationsall　led　her　towards　the　role　she　played　so　heroically。　　She　had　a　keen　appreciation　for　genuine　values；　but　none　whatever　for　factitious　ones。　　Her　inborn　hatred　of　artificial　distinctions　had　grown　with　her　years　and　colored　all　her　estimates　of　men　and　things。　　When　she　came　to　Paris；　she　noted　with　a　sort　of　indignation　the　superior　poise　and　courtesy　of　the　men　in　the　assembly　who　had　been　reared　in　the　habit　of　power。　　It　added　fuel　to　her　enmity　towards　institutions　in　which　reason；　knowledge；　and　integrity　paid　homage　to　fine　language　and　distinguished　manners。　　She　found　even　Vergniaud　too　refined　and　fastidious　in　his　dress　for　a　successful　republican　leader。　　Her　old　contempt　for　a　〃philosopher　with　a　feather〃　had　in　no　wise　abated。　　With　such　principles　ingrained　and　fostered；　it　is　not　difficult　to　forecast　the　part　Mme。　Roland　was　destined　to　play　in　the　coming　conflict　of　classes。　　Whatever　we　may　think　of　the　wisdom　of　her　attitude　towards　the　Revolution；　she　represented　at　least　its　most　sincere　side。　　As　she　stood　white…robed　and　courageous　at　the　foot　of　the　scaffold；　facing　the　savage　populace　she　had　laid　down　her　life　to　befriend；　perhaps　her　perspectives　were　truer。　　Experience　had　given　her　an　insight　into　the　characters　of　men　which　is　not　to　be　gained　in　the　library；　nor　in　the　worship　of　dead　heroes。　　If　it　had　not　shaken　her　faith　in　human　perfectibility；　it　had　taught　her　at　least　the　value　of　tradition　in　chaining　brutal　human　passions。

The　tragical　fate　of　Mme。　Roland　has　thrown　a　strong　light　upon　the　modest　little　salon　in　which　the　unfortunate　Girondists　met　four　times　a　week　to　discuss　the　grave　problems　that　confronted　them。　　A　salon　in　the　old　sense　it　certainly　was　not。　　It　had　little　in　common　with　the　famous　centers　of　conversation　and　esprit。　　It　was　simply　the　rallying　point　of　a　party。　　The　only　woman　present　was　Mme。　Roland　herself；　but　at　first　she　assumed　no　active　leadership。　　She　sat　at　a　little　table　outside　of　the　circle；　working　with　her　needle；　or　writing　letters；　alive　to　everything　that　was　said；　venturing　sometimes　a　word　of　counsel　or　a　thoughtful　suggestion；　and　often　biting　her　lips　to　repress　some　criticism　that　she　feared　might　not　be　within　her　province。　　She　had　left　her　quiet　home　in　the　country　fired　with　a　single　thoughtthe　regeneration　of　France。　　The　men　who　gathered　about　her　were　in　full　accord　with　her　generous　aims。　　It　was　not　to　such　enthusiasms　that　the　old　salons　lost　themselves。　　They　had　been　often　the　centers　of　political　intrigues；　as　in　the　days　of　the　Fronde；　or　of　religious　partisanship；　as　during　the　troubles　of　Port　Royal；　they　had　ranged　themselves　for　and　against　rival　candidates　for　literary　or　artistic　honors；　but　they　had　preserved；　on　the　whole；　a　certain　cosmopolitan　character。　　All　shades　of　opinion　were　represented；　and　social　brilliancy　was　the　end　sought；　not　the　triumph　of　special　ideas。　　It　is　indeed　true　that　earnest　convictions　were；　to　some　extent；　stifled　in　the　salons；　where　charm　and　intelligence　counted　for　so　much；　and　the　sterling　qualities　of　character　for　so　little。　　But　the　etiquette；　the　urbanity；　the　measure；　which　assured　the　outward　harmony　of　a　society　that　courted　distinction　of　every　kind；　were　quite　foreign　to　the　iconoclasts　who　were　bent　upon　leveling　all　distinctions。　　The　Revolution　which　attacked　the　whole　superstructure　of　society；　was　antagonistic　to　its　minor　forms　as　well；　and　it　was　the　revolutionary　party　alone　which　was　represented　in　the　salon　of　Mme。　Roland。　Brissot；　Vergniaud；　Petion；　Guadet；　and　Buzot　were　leaders　theremen　sincere　and　ardent；　though　misguided；　and　unable　to　cope　with　the　storm　they　had　raised；　to　be　themselves　swept　away　by　its　pitiless　rage。　　Robespierre；　scheming　and　ambitious；　came　there；　listened；　said　little；　appropriated　for　his　own　ends；　and　bided　his　time。　　Mme。　Roland　had　small　taste　for　the　light　play　of　intellect　and　wit　that　has　no　outcome　beyond　the　meteoric　display　of　the　moment；　and　she　was　impatient　with　the　talk　in　which　an　evening　was　often　passed　among　these　men　without　any　definite　results。　　As　she　measured　their　strength；　she　became　more　outspoken。　　She　communicated　to　them　a　spark　of　her　own　energy。　　The　most　daring　moves　were　made　at　her　bidding。　　She　urged　on　her　timid　and　conservative　husband；　she　drew　up　his　memorials；　she　wrote　his　letters；　she　was　at　once　his　stimulus；　and　his　helper。　Weak　and　vacillating　men　yielded　to　her　rapid　insight；　her　vigor；　her　earnestness；　and　her　persuasive　eloquence。　　This　was　probably　the　period　of　her　greatest　influence。　　Many　of　the　swift　changes　of　those　first　months　may　be　traced　to　her　salon。　　The　moves　which　were　made　in　the　Assembly　were　concocted　there；　the　orators　who　triumphed　found　their　inspiration　there。　　Still；　in　spite　of　her　energy；　her　strength；　and　her　courage；　she　prides　herself　upon　maintaining　always　the　reserve　and　decorum　of　her　sex。

If　she　assumed　the　favorite　role　of　the　French　woman　for　a　short　time　while　her　husband　was　in　the　ministry；　it　was　in　a　sternly　republican　fashion。　　She　gave　dinners　twice　a　week　to　her　husband's　political　friends。　　The　fifteen　or　twenty　men　who　met　around　her　table　at　five　o'clock　were　linked　by　political　interests　only。　　The　service　was　simple；　with　no　other　luxury　than　a　few　flowers。　　There　were　no　women　to　temper　the　discussions　or　to　lighten　their　seriousness。　　After　dinner　the　guests　lingered　for　an　hour　or　so　in　the　drawing　room；　but　by　nine　o'clock　it　was　deserted。　　She　received　on　Friday；　but　what　a　contrast　to　the　Fridays　of　Mme。　Necker　in　those　same　apartments！　　It　was　no　longer　a　brilliant　company　of　wits；　savants；　and　men　of　letters；　enlivened　by　women　of　beauty；　esprit；　rank；　and　fashion。　　There　was　none　of　the　diversity　of　taste　and　thought　which　lends　such　a　charm　to　social　life。　　Mme。　Roland　tells　us　that　she　never　had　an　extended　circle　at　any　time；　and　that；　while　her　husband　was　in　power；　she　made　and　received　no　visits；　and　invited　no　women　to　her　house。　　She　saw　only　her　husband's　colleagues；　or　those　who　were　interested　in　his　tastes　and　pursuits；　which　were　also　her　own。　　The　world　of　society　wearied　her。　　She　was　absorbed　in　a　single　purpose。　　If　she　needed　recreation；　she　sought　it　in　serious　studies。

It　is　always　difficult　to　judge　what　a　man　or　a　woman　might　have　been　under　slightly　altered　conditions。　　But　for　some　single　circumstance　that　converged　and　focused　their　talent；　many　a　hero　would　have　died　unknown　and　unsuspected。　　The　key　that　unlocks　the　treasure　house　of　the　soul　is　not　always　found；　and　its　wealth　is　often　scattered　on　unseen　shores。　　But　it　is　clear　that　the　part　of　Mme。　Roland　could　never　have　been　a　distinctively　social　one。　　She　lived　at　a　time　when　great　events　brought　out　great　qualities。　　Her　clear　intellect；　her　positive　convictions；　her　boundless　energy；　and　her　ardent　enthusiasm；　gave　her　a　powerful　influence　in　those　early　days　of　the　Revolution；　that　looked　towards　a　world　reconstructed　but　not　plunged　into　the　dark　depths　of　chaos；　and　it　is　through　this　that　she　has　left　a　name　among　the　noted　women　of　France。　　In　more　peaceful　times　her　peculiar　talent　would　doubtless　have　led　her　towards　literature。　　In　her　best　style　she　has　rare　vigor　and　simplicity。　　She　has　moments　of　eloquent　thought。　　There　are　flashes　of　it　in　her　early　letters　to　Sophie；　which　she　begs　her　friend　not　to　burn；　though　she　does　not　hope　to　rival　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　whom　she　takes　for　her　model。　　She　lacked　the　grace；　the　li