massimilla doni-第16部分

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This　was　the　text　for　a　conversation　between　the　two；　Vendramin
regarding　it　as　a　favorable　opportunity　for　consulting　the　physician；
and　telling　him　the　singular　position　Emilio　had　placed　himself　in。

The　Frenchman　did　as　every　Frenchman　does　on　all　occasions：　he
laughed。　Vendramin；　who　took　the　matter　very　seriously；　was　angry；　but
he　was　mollified　when　the　disciple　of　Majendie；　of　Cuvier；　of
Dupuytren；　and　of　Brossais　assured　him　that　he　believed　he　could　cure
the　Prince　of　his　high…flown　raptures；　and　dispel　the　heavenly　poetry
in　which　he　shrouded　Massimilla　as　in　a　cloud。

〃A　happy　form　of　misfortune！〃　said　he。　〃The　ancients；　who　were　not
such　fools　as　might　be　inferred　from　their　crystal　heaven　and　their
ideas　on　physics；　symbolized　in　the　fable　of　Ixion　the　power　which
nullifies　the　body　and　makes　the　spirit　lord　of　all。〃

Vendramin　and　the　doctor　presently　met　Genovese；　and　with　him　the
fantastic　Capraja。　The　melomaniac　was　anxious　to　learn　the　real　cause
of　the　tenor's　/fiasco/。　Genovese；　the　question　being　put　to　him；
talked　fast；　like　all　men　who　can　intoxicate　themselves　by　the
ebullition　of　ideas　suggested　to　them　by　a　passion。

〃Yes；　signori；　I　love　her；　I　worship　her　with　a　frenzy　of　which　I
never　believed　myself　capable；　now　that　I　am　tired　of　women。　Women
play　the　mischief　with　art。　Pleasure　and　work　cannot　be　carried　on
together。　Clara　fancies　that　I　was　jealous　of　her　success；　that　I
wanted　to　hinder　her　triumph　at　Venice；　but　I　was　clapping　in　the
side…scenes；　and　shouted　/Diva/　louder　than　any　one　in　the　house。〃

〃But　even　that；〃　said　Cataneo；　joining　them；　〃does　not　explain　why；
from　being　a　divine　singer；　you　should　have　become　one　of　the　most
execrable　performers　who　ever　piped　air　through　his　larynx；　giving
none　of　the　charm　even　which　enchants　and　bewitches　us。〃

〃I！〃　said　the　singer。　〃I　a　bad　singer！　I　who　am　the　equal　of　the
greatest　performers！〃

By　this　time；　the　doctor　and　Vendramin；　Capraja；　Cataneo；　and　Genovese
had　made　their　way　to　the　piazzetta。　It　was　midnight。　The　glittering
bay；　outlined　by　the　churches　of　San　Giorgio　and　San　Paulo　at　the　end
of　the　Giudecca；　and　the　beginning　of　the　Grand　Canal；　that　opens　so
mysteriously　under　the　/Dogana/　and　the　church　of　Santa　Maria　della
Salute；　lay　glorious　and　still。　The　moon　shone　on　the　barques　along
the　Riva　de'　Schiavoni。　The　waters　of　Venice；　where　there　is　no　tide；
looked　as　if　they　were　alive；　dancing　with　a　myriad　spangles。　Never
had　a　singer　a　more　splendid　stage。

Genovese；　with　an　emphatic　flourish；　seemed　to　call　Heaven　and　Earth
to　witness；　and　then；　with　no　accompaniment　but　the　lapping　waves；　he
sang　/Ombra　adorata/；　Crescentini's　great　air。　The　song；　rising　up
between　the　statues　of　San　Teodoro　and　San　Giorgio；　in　the　heart　of
sleeping　Venice　lighted　by　the　moon；　the　words；　in　such　strange
harmony　with　the　scene；　and　the　melancholy　passion　of　the　singer；　held
the　Italians　and　the　Frenchman　spellbound。

At　the　very　first　notes；　Vendramin's　face　was　wet　with　tears。　Capraja
stood　as　motionless　as　one　of　the　statues　in　the　ducal　palace。　Cataneo
seemed　moved　to　some　feeling。　The　Frenchman；　taken　by　surprise；　was
meditative；　like　a　man　of　science　in　the　presence　of　a　phenomenon　that
upsets　all　his　fundamental　axioms。　These　four　minds；　all　so　different；
whose　hopes　were　so　small；　who　believed　in　nothing　for　themselves　or
after　themselves；　who　regarded　their　own　existence　as　that　of　a
transient　and　a　fortuitous　being；like　the　little　life　of　a　plant　or
a　beetle；had　a　glimpse　of　Heaven。　Never　did　music　more　truly　merit
the　epithet　divine。　The　consoling　notes；　as　they　were　poured　out；
enveloped　their　souls　in　soft　and　soothing　airs。　On　these　vapors；
almost　visible；　as　it　seemed　to　the　listeners；　like　the　marble　shapes
about　them　in　the　silver　moonlight；　angels　sat　whose　wings；　devoutly
waving；　expressed　adoration　and　love。　The　simple；　artless　melody
penetrated　to　the　soul　as　with　a　beam　of　light。　It　was　a　holy　passion！

But　the　singer's　vanity　roused　them　from　their　emotion　with　a　terrible
shock。

〃Now；　am　I　a　bad　singer？〃　he　exclaimed；　as　he　ended。

His　audience　only　regretted　that　the　instrument　was　not　a　thing　of
Heaven。　This　angelic　song　was　then　no　more　than　the　outcome　of　a　man's
offended　vanity！　The　singer　felt　nothing；　thought　nothing；　of　the
pious　sentiments　and　divine　images　he　could　create　in　others；no
more；　in　fact；　than　Paganini's　violin　knows　what　the　player　makes　it
utter。　What　they　had　seen　in　fancy　was　Venice　lifting　its　shroud　and
singingand　it　was　merely　the　result　of　a　tenor's　/fiasco/！

〃Can　you　guess　the　meaning　of　such　a　phenomenon？〃　the　Frenchman　asked
of　Capraja；　wishing　to　make　him　talk；　as　the　Duchess　had　spoken　of　him
as　a　profound　thinker。

〃What　phenomenon？〃　said　Capraja。

〃Genovesewho　is　admirable　in　the　absence　of　la　Tinti；　and　when　he
sings　with　her　is　a　braying　ass。〃

〃He　obeys　an　occult　law　of　which　one　of　your　chemists　might　perhaps
give　you　the　mathematical　formula；　and　which　the　next　century　will　no
doubt　express　in　a　statement　full　of　/x/；　/a/；　and　/b/；　mixed　up　with
little　algebraic　signs；　bars；　and　quirks　that　give　me　the　colic；　for
the　finest　conceptions　of　mathematics　do　not　add　much　to　the　sum　total
of　our　enjoyment。

〃When　an　artist　is　so　unfortunate　as　to　be　full　of　the　passion　he
wishes　to　express；　he　cannot　depict　it　because　he　is　the　thing　itself
instead　of　its　image。　Art　is　the　work　of　the　brain；　not　of　the　heart。
When　you　are　possessed　by　a　subject　you　are　a　slave；　not　a　master；　you
are　like　a　king　besieged　by　his　people。　Too　keen　a　feeling；　at　the
moment　when　you　want　to　represent　that　feeling；　causes　an　insurrection
of　the　senses　against　the　governing　faculty。〃

〃Might　we　not　convince　ourselves　of　this　by　some　further　experiment？〃
said　the　doctor。

〃Cataneo；　you　might　bring　your　tenor　and　the　prima　donna　together
again；〃　said　Capraja　to　his　friend。

〃Well；　gentlemen；〃　said　the　Duke；　〃come　to　sup　with　me。　We　ought　to
reconcile　the　tenor　and　la　Clarina；　otherwise　the　season　will　be
ruined　in　Venice。〃

The　invitation　was　accepted。

〃Gondoliers！〃　called　Cataneo。

〃One　minute；〃　said　Vendramin。　〃Memmi　is　waiting　for　me　at　Florian's；　I
cannot　leave　him　to　himself。　We　must　make　him　tipsy　to…night；　or　he
will　kill　himself　to…morrow。〃

〃/Corpo　santo！/〃　exclaimed　the　Duke。　〃I　must　keep　that　young　fellow
alive；　for　the　happiness　and　future　prospects　of　my　race。　I　will
invite　him；　too。〃

They　all　went　back　to　Florian's；　where　the　assembled　crowd　were
holding　an　eager　and　stormy　discussion　to　which　the　tenor's　arrival
put　an　end。　In　one　corner；　near　a　window　looking　out　on　the　colonnade；
gloomy；　with　a　fixed　gaze　and　rigid　attitude；　Emilio　was　a　dismal
image　of　despair。

〃That　crazy　fellow；〃　said　the　physician；　in　French；　to　Vendramin；
〃does　not　know　what　he　wants。　Here　is　a　man　who　can　make　of　a
Massimilla　Doni　a　being　apart　from　the　rest　of　creation；　possessing
her　in　heaven；　amid　ideal　splendor　such　as　no　power　on　earth　can　make
real。　He　can　behold　his　mistress　for　ever　sublime　and　pure；　can　always
hear　within　him　what　we　have　just　heard　on　the　seashore；　can　always
live　in　the　light　of　a　pair　of　eyes　which　create　for　him　the　warm　and
golden　glow　that　surrounds　the　Virgin　in　Titian's　Assumption；after
Raphael　had　invented　it　or　had　it　revealed　to　him　for　the
Transfiguration；and　this　man　only　longs　to　smirch　the　poem。

〃By　my　advice　he　must　needs　combine　his　sensual　joys　and　his　heavenly
adoration　in　one　woman。　In　short；　like　all　the　rest　of　us；　he　will
have　a　mistress。　He　had　a　divinity；　and　the　wretched　creature　insists
on　her　being　a　female！　I　assure　you；　monsieur；　he　is　resigning　heaven。
I　will　not　answer　for　it　that　he　may　not　ultimately　die　of　despair。

〃O　ye　women's　faces；　delicately　outlined　in　a　pure　and　radiant　oval；
reminding　us　of　those　creations　of　art　where　it　has　most　successfully
competed　with　nature！　Divine　feet　that　cannot　walk；　slender　forms　that
an　earthly　breeze　would　break；　shapes　too　frail　ever　to　conceive；
virgins　that　we　dreamed　of　as　we　grew　out　of　childhood；　admired　in
secret；　and　adored　without　hope；　veiled　in　the　beams　of　some
unwearying　desire；maids　whom　we　may　never　see　again；　but　whose　smile
remains　supreme　in　our　life；　what　hog　of　Epicurus　could　insist　on
dragging　you　down　to　the　mire　of　this　earth！

〃The　sun；　monsieur；　gives　light　and　heat　to　the　world；　only　because　it
is　at　a　distance　of　thirty…three　millions　of　leagues。　Get　nearer　to
it；　and　science　warns　you　that　it　is　not　really　hot　or　luminous；for
science　is　of　some　use；〃　he　added；　looking　at　Capraja。

〃Not　so　bad　for　a　Frenchman　and　a　doctor；〃　said　Capraja；　patting　the
foreigner　on　the　shoulder。　〃You　have　in　those　words　explained　the
thing　which　Europeans　least　understand　in　all　Dante：　his　Beatrice。
Yes；　Beatrice；　that　ideal　figure；　the　queen　of　the　poet's　fancies；
chosen　above　all　the　elect；　consecrated　with　tears；　deified　by　memory；
and　for　ever　young　in　the　presence　of　ineffectual　desire！〃

〃Prince；〃　said　the　Duke　to　Emilio；　〃come　and　sup　with　me。　You　cannot
refuse　the　poor　Neapolitan　whom　you　have　robbed　both　of　his　wife　and
of　his　mistress。〃

This　broad　Neapolitan　jest；　spoken　with　an　aristocratic　good　manner；
made　Emilio　smile；　he　allowed　the　Duke　to　take　his　arm　and　lead　him
away。

Cataneo　had　already　sent　a　messenger　to　his　house　from　the　cafe。

As　the　Palazzo　Memmi　was　on　the　Grand　Canal；　not　far　from　Santa　Maria
della　Salute；　the　way　thither　on　foot　was　round　by　the　Rialto；　or　it
could　be　reached　in　a　gondola。　The　four　guests　would　not　separate　and
preferred　to　walk；　the　Duke's　infirmities　obliged　him　to　get　into　his
gondola。

At　about　two　in　the　morning　anybody　passing　the　Memmi　palace　would
have　seen　light　pouring　out　of　every　window　across　the　Grand　Canal；
and　have　heard　the　delightful　overture　to　/Semiramide/　performed　at
the　foot　of　the　steps　by　the　orchestra　of　the　/Fenice/；　as　a　serenade
to　la　Tinti。

The　company　were　at　supper　in　the　second　floor　gallery。　From　the
balcony　la　Tinti　in　return　sang　Almavida's　/Buona　sera/　from　/Il
Barbiere/；　while　the　Duke's　steward　distributed　payment　from　his
master　to　the　poor　ar