the purse-第3部分

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indescribable　odor　pervaded　the　room；　a　mingled　smell　of　the

exhalations　from　the　lumber　room；　and　the　vapors　of　the　dining…

room；　with　those　from　the　stairs；　though　the　window　was　partly

open。　The　air　from　the　street　fluttered　the　dusty　curtains；　which

were　carefully　drawn　so　as　to　hide　the　window　bay；　where　former

tenants　had　testified　to　their　presence　by　various　ornamental

additionsa　sort　of　domestic　fresco。



Adelaide　hastened　to　open　the　door　of　the　inner　room；　where　she

announced　the　painter　with　evident　pleasure。　Hippolyte；　who；　of

yore；　had　seen　the　same　signs　of　poverty　in　his　mother's　home；

noted　them　with　the　singular　vividness　of　impression　which

characterizes　the　earliest　acquisitions　of　memory；　and　entered

into　the　details　of　this　existence　better　than　any　one　else　would

have　done。　As　he　recognized　the　facts　of　his　life　as　a　child；　the

kind　young　fellow　felt　neither　scorn　for　disguised　misfortune　nor

pride　in　the　luxury　he　had　lately　conquered　for　his　mother。



〃Well；　monsieur；　I　hope　you　no　longer　feel　the　effects　of　your

fall；〃　said　the　old　lady；　rising　from　an　antique　armchair　that

stood　by　the　chimney；　and　offering　him　a　seat。



〃No；　madame。　I　have　come　to　thank　you　for　the　kind　care　you　gave

me；　and　above　all　mademoiselle；　who　heard　me　fall。〃



As　he　uttered　this　speech；　stamped　with　the　exquisite　stupidity

given　to　the　mind　by　the　first　disturbing　symptoms　of　true　love；

Hippolyte　looked　at　the　young　girl。　Adelaide　was　lighting　the

Argand　lamp；　no　doubt　that　she　might　get　rid　of　a　tallow　candle

fixed　in　a　large　copper　flat　candlestick；　and　graced　with　a　heavy

fluting　of　grease　from　its　guttering。　She　answered　with　a　slight

bow；　carried　the　flat　candlestick　into　the　ante…room；　came　back；

and　after　placing　the　lamp　on　the　chimney　shelf；　seated　herself

by　her　mother；　a　little　behind　the　painter；　so　as　to　be　able　to

look　at　him　at　her　ease；　while　apparently　much　interested　in　the

burning　of　the　lamp；　the　flame；　checked　by　the　damp　in　a　dingy

chimney；　sputtered　as　it　struggled　with　a　charred　and　badly…

trimmed　wick。　Hippolyte；　seeing　the　large　mirror　that　decorated

the　chimney…piece；　immediately　fixed　his　eyes　on　it　to　admire

Adelaide。　Thus　the　girl's　little　stratagem　only　served　to

embarrass　them　both。



While　talking　with　Madame　Leseigneur；　for　Hippolyte　called　her

so；　on　the　chance　of　being　right；　he　examined　the　room；　but

unobtrusively　and　by　stealth。



The　Egyptian　figures　on　the　iron　fire…dogs　were　scarcely　visible；

the　hearth　was　so　heaped　with　cinders；　two　brands　tried　to　meet

in　front　of　a　sham　log　of　fire…brick；　as　carefully　buried　as　a

miser's　treasure　could　ever　be。　An　old　Aubusson　carpet；　very　much

faded；　very　much　mended；　and　as　worn　as　a　pensioner's　coat；　did

not　cover　the　whole　of　the　tiled　floor；　and　the　cold　struck　to

his　feet。　The　walls　were　hung　with　a　reddish　paper；　imitating

figured　silk　with　a　yellow　pattern。　In　the　middle　of　the　wall

opposite　the　windows　the　painter　saw　a　crack；　and　the　outline

marked　on　the　paper　of　double…doors；　shutting　off　a　recess　where

Madame　Leseigneur　slept　no　doubt；　a　fact　ill　disguised　by　a　sofa

in　front　of　the　door。　Facing　the　chimney；　above　a　mahogany　chest

of　drawers　of　handsome　and　tasteful　design；　was　the　portrait　of

an　officer　of　rank；　which　the　dim　light　did　not　allow　him　to　see

well；　but　from　what　he　could　make　out　he　thought　that　the　fearful

daub　must　have　been　painted　in　China。　The　window…curtains　of　red

silk　were　as　much　faded　as　the　furniture；　in　red　and　yellow

worsted　work；　＇as＇　if　this　room　〃contrived　a　double　debt　to　pay。〃

On　the　marble　top　of　the　chest　of　drawers　was　a　costly　malachite

tray；　with　a　dozen　coffee　cups　magnificently　painted　and　made；　no

doubt；　at　Sevres。　On　the　chimney　shelf　stood　the　omnipresent

Empire　clock：　a　warrior　driving　the　four　horses　of　a　chariot；

whose　wheel　bore　the　numbers　of　the　hours　on　its　spokes。　The

tapers　in　the　tall　candlesticks　were　yellow　with　smoke；　and　at

each　corner　of　the　shelf　stood　a　porcelain　vase　crowned　with

artificial　flowers　full　of　dust　and　stuck　into　moss。



In　the　middle　of　the　room　Hippolyte　remarked　a　card…table　ready

for　play；　with　new　packs　of　cards。　For　an　observer　there　was

something　heartrending　in　the　sight　of　this　misery　painted　up

like　an　old　woman　who　wants　to　falsify　her　face。　At　such　a　sight

every　man　of　sense　must　at　once　have　stated　to　himself　this

obvious　dilemmaeither　these　two　women　are　honesty　itself；　or

they　live　by　intrigue　and　gambling。　But　on　looking　at　Adelaide；　a

man　so　pure…minded　as　Schinner　could　not　but　believe　in　her

perfect　innocence；　and　ascribe　the　incoherence　of　the　furniture

to　honorable　causes。



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　old　lady　to　the　young　one；　〃I　am　cold；　make　a

little　fire；　and　give　me　my　shawl。〃



Adelaide　went　into　a　room　next　the　drawing…room；　where　she　no

doubt　slept；　and　returned　bringing　her　mother　a　cashmere　shawl；

which　when　new　must　have　been　very　costly；　the　pattern　was

Indian；　but　it　was　old；　faded　and　full　of　darns；　and　matched　the

furniture。　Madame　Leseigneur　wrapped　herself　in　it　very

artistically；　and　with　the　readiness　of　an　old　woman　who　wishes

to　make　her　words　seem　truth。　The　young　girl　ran　lightly　off　to

the　lumber…room　and　reappeared　with　a　bundle　of　small　wood；　which

she　gallantly　threw　on　the　fire　to　revive　it。



It　would　be　rather　difficult　to　reproduce　the　conversation　which

followed　among　these　three　persons。　Hippolyte；　guided　by　the　tact

which　is　almost　always　the　outcome　of　misfortune　suffered　in

early　youth；　dared　not　allow　himself　to　make　the　least　remark　as

to　his　neighbors'　situation；　as　he　saw　all　about　him　the　signs　of

ill…disguised　poverty。　The　simplest　question　would　have　been　an

indiscretion；　and　could　only　be　ventured　on　by　old　friendship。

The　painter　was　nevertheless　absorbed　in　the　thought　of　this

concealed　penury；　it　pained　his　generous　soul；　but　knowing　how

offensive　every　kind　of　pity　may　be；　even　the　friendliest；　the

disparity　between　his　thoughts　and　his　words　made　him　feel

uncomfortable。



The　two　ladies　at　first　talked　of　painting；　for　women　easily

guess　the　secret　embarrassment　of　a　first　call；　they　themselves

feel　it　perhaps；　and　the　nature　of　their　mind　supplies　them　with

a　thousand　devices　to　put　an　end　to　it。　By　questioning　the　young

man　as　to　the　material　exercise　of　his　art；　and　as　to　his

studies；　Adelaide　and　her　mother　emboldened　him　to　talk。　The

indefinable　nothings　of　their　chat；　animated　by　kind　feeling；

naturally　led　Hippolyte　to　flash　forth　remarks　or　reflections

which　showed　the　character　of　his　habits　and　of　his　mind。　Trouble

had　prematurely　faded　the　old　lady's　face；　formerly　handsome；　no

doubt；　nothing　was　left　but　the　more　prominent　features；　the

outline；　in　a　word；　the　skeleton　of　a　countenance　of　which　the

whole　effect　indicated　great　shrewdness　with　much　grace　in　the

play　of　the　eyes；　in　which　could　be　discerned　the　expression

peculiar　to　women　of　the　old　Court；　an　expression　that　cannot　be

defined　in　words。　Those　fine　and　mobile　features　might　quite　as

well　indicate　bad　feelings；　and　suggest　astuteness　and　womanly

artifice　carried　to　a　high　pitch　of　wickedness；　as　reveal　the

refined　delicacy　of　a　beautiful　soul。　



Indeed；　the　face　of　a　woman　has　this　element　of　mystery　to　puzzle

the　ordinary　observer；　that　the　difference　between　frankness　and

duplicity；　the　genius　for　intrigue　and　the　genius　of　the　heart；

is　there　inscrutable。　A　man　gifted　with　the　penetrating　eye　can

read　the　intangible　shade　of　difference　produced　by　a　more　or

less　curved　line；　a　more　or　less　deep　dimple；　a　more　or　less

prominent　feature。　The　appreciation　of　these　indications　lies

entirely　in　the　domain　of　intuition；　this　alone　can　lead　to　the

discovery　of　what　everyone　is　interested　in　concealing。　The　old

lady's　face　was　like　the　room　she　inhabited；　it　seemed　as

difficult　to　detect　whether　this　squalor　covered　vice　or　the

highest　virtue；　as　to　decide　whether　Adelaide's　mother　was　an　old

coquette　accustomed　to　weigh；　to　calculate；　to　sell　everything；

or　a　loving　woman；　full　of　noble　feeling　and　amiable　qualities。

But　at　Schinner's　age　the　first　impulse　of　the　heart　is　to

believe　in　goodness。　And　indeed；　as　he　studied　Adelaide's　noble

and　almost　haughty　brow；　as　he　looked　into　her　eyes　full　of　soul

and　thought；　he　breathed；　so　to　speak；　the　sweet　and　modest

fragrance　of　virtue。　In　the　course　of　the　conversation　he　seized

an　opportunity　of　discussing　portraits　in　general；　to　give

himself　a　pretext　for　examining　the　frightful　pastel；　of　which

the　color　had　flown；　and　the　chalk　in　many　places　fallen　away。



〃You　are　attached　to　that　picture　for　the　sake　of　the　likeness；

no　doubt；　mesdames；　for　the　drawing　is　dreadful？〃　he　said；

looking　at　Adelaide。



〃It　was　done　at　Calcutta；　in　great　haste；〃　replied　the　mother　in

an　agitated　voice。



She　gazed　at　the　formless　sketch　with　the　deep　absorption　which

memories　of　happiness　produce　when　they　are　roused　and　fall　on

the　heart　like　a　beneficent　dew　to　whose　refreshing　touch　we　love

to　yield　ourselves　up；　but　in　the　expression　of　the　old　lady's

face　there　were　traces　too　of　perennial　regret。　At　least；　it　was

thus　that　the　painter　chose　to　interpret　her　attitude　and

countenance；　and　he　presently　sat　down　again　by　her　side。



〃Madame；〃　he　said；　〃in　a　very　short　time　the　colors　of　that

pastel　will　have　disappeared。　The　portrait　will　only　survive　in

your　memory。　Where　you　will　still　see　the　face　that　is　dear　to

you；　others　will　see　nothing　at　all。　Will　you　allow　me　to

reproduce　the　likeness　on　canvas？　It　will　be　more　permanently

recorded　then　than　on　that　sheet　of　paper。　Grant　me；　I　beg；　as　a

neighborly　favor；　the　pleasure　of　doing　you　this　service。　There

are　times　when　an　artist　is　glad　of　a　respite　from　his　greater

undertakings　by　doing　work　of　less　lofty　pretensions；　so　it　will

be　a　recreation　fo