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her　neighbor。　A　great　silence　fell　on　the　group　of　patricians；　and　the

commercial　party；　surprised；　were　equally　silent；　trying　to　discover

the　subject　of　this　earnest　conference。　The　secret　of　the　young　ULTRAS

was　soon　revealed。



Amelie　rose；　took　an　easel　which　stood　near　hers；　carried　it　to　a

distance　from　the　noble　group；　and　placed　it　close　to　a　board

partition　which　separated　the　studio　from　the　extreme　end　of　the

attic；　where　all　broken　casts；　defaced　canvases　and　the　winter　supply

of　wood　were　kept。　Amelie's　action　caused　a　murmur　of　surprise；　which

did　not　prevent　her　from　accomplishing　the　change　by　rolling　hastily

to　the　side　of　the　easel　the　stool；　the　box　of　colors；　and　even　the

picture　by　Prudhon；　which　the　absent　pupil　was　copying。　After　this

coup　d'etat　the　Right　began　to　work　in　silence；　but　the　Left

discoursed　at　length。



〃What　will　Mademoiselle　Piombo　say　to　that？〃　asked　a　young　girl　of

Mademoiselle　Matilde　Roguin；　the　lively　oracle　of　the　banking　group。



〃She's　not　a　girl　to　say　anything；〃　was　the　reply；　〃but　fifty　years

hence　she'll　remember　the　insult　as　if　it　were　done　to　her　the　night

before；　and　revenge　it　cruelly。　She　is　a　person　that　I；　for　one；　don't

want　to　be　at　war　with。〃



〃The　slight　these　young　ladies　mean　to　put　upon　her　is　all　the　more

unkind；〃　said　another　young　girl；　〃because　yesterday；　Mademoiselle

Ginevra　was　very　sad。　Her　father；　they　say；　has　just　resigned。　They

ought　not　to　add　to　her　trouble；　for　she　was　very　considerate　of　them

during　the　Hundred　Days。　Never　did　she　say　a　word　to　wound　them。　On

the　contrary；　she　avoided　politics。　But　I　think　our　ULTRAS　are　acting

more　from　jealousy　than　from　party　spite。〃



〃I　have　a　great　mind　to　go　and　get　Mademoiselle　Piombo's　easel　and

place　it　next　to　mine；〃　said　Matilde　Roguin。　She　rose；　but　second

thoughts　made　her　sit　down　again。



〃With　a　character　like　hers；〃　she　said；　〃one　can't　tell　how　she　would

take　a　civility；　better　wait　events。〃



〃Ecco　la；〃　said　the　young　girl　with　the　black　eyes；　languidly。



The　steps　of　a　person　coming　up　the　narrow　stairway　sounded　through

the　studio。　The　words：　〃Here　she　comes！〃　passed　from　mouth　to　mouth；

and　then　the　most　absolute　silence　reigned。



To　understand　the　importance　of　the　ostracism　imposed　by　the　act　of

Amelie　Thirion；　it　is　necessary　to　add　that　this　scene　took　place

toward　the　end　of　the　month　of　July；　1815。　The　second　return　of　the

Bourbons　had　shaken　many　friendships　which　had　held　firm　under　the

first　Restoration。　At　this　moment　families；　almost　all　divided　in

opinion；　were　renewing　many　of　the　deplorable　scenes　which　stain　the

history　of　all　countries　in　times　of　civil　or　religious　wars。

Children；　young　girls；　old　men　shared　the　monarchial　fever　to　which

the　country　was　then　a　victim。　Discord　glided　beneath　all　roofs；

distrust　dyed　with　its　gloomy　colors　the　words　and　the　actions　of　the

most　intimate　friends。



Ginevra　Piombo　loved　Napoleon　to　idolatry；　how；　then；　could　she　hate

him？　The　emperor　was　her　compatriot　and　the　benefactor　of　her　father。

The　Baron　di　Piombo　was　among　those　of　Napoleon's　devoted　servants　who

had　co…operated　most　effectually　in　the　return　from　Elba。　Incapable　of

denying　his　political　faith；　anxious　even　to　confess　it；　the　old　baron

remained　in　Paris　in　the　midst　of　his　enemies。　Ginevra　Piombo　was　all

the　more　open　to　condemnation　because　she　made　no　secret　of　the　grief

which　the　second　Restoration　caused　to　her　family。　The　only　tears　she

had　so　far　shed　in　life　were　drawn　from　her　by　the　twofold　news　of

Napoleon's　captivity　on　the　〃Bellerophon；〃　and　Labedoyere's　arrest。



The　girls　of　the　aristocratic　group　of　pupils　belonged　to　the　most

devoted　royalist　families　in　Paris。　It　would　be　difficult　to　give　an

idea　of　the　exaggerations　prevalent　at　this　epoch；　and　of　the　horror

inspired　by　the　Bonapartists。　However　insignificant　and　petty　Amelie's

action　may　now　seem　to　be；　it　was　at　that　time　a　very　natural

expression　of　the　prevailing　hatred。　Ginevra　Piombo；　one　of　Servin's

first　pupils；　had　occupied　the　place　that　was　now　taken　from　her　since

the　first　day　of　her　coming　to　the　studio。　The　aristocratic　circle　had

gradually　surrounded　her。　To　drive　her　from　a　place　that　in　some　sense

belonged　to　her　was　not　only　to　insult　her；　but　to　cause　her　a　species

of　artistic　pain；　for　all　artists　have　a　spot　of　predilection　where

they　work。



Nevertheless；　political　prejudice　was　not　the　chief　influence　on　the

conduct　of　the　Right　clique　of　the　studio。　Ginevra；　much　the　ablest　of

Servin's　pupils；　was　an　object　of　intense　jealousy。　The　master

testified　as　much　admiration　for　the　talents　as　for　the　character　of

his　favorite　pupil；　who　served　as　a　conclusion　to　all　his　comparisons。

In　fact；　without　any　one　being　able　to　explain　the　ascendancy　which

this　young　girl　obtained　over　all　who　came　in　contact　with　her；　she

exercised　over　the　little　world　around　her　a　prestige　not　unlike　that

of　Bonaparte　upon　his　soldiers。



The　aristocracy　of　the　studio　had　for　some　days　past　resolved　upon　the

fall　of　this　queen；　but　no　one　had；　as　yet；　ventured　to　openly　avoid

the　Bonapartist。　Mademoiselle　Thirion's　act　was；　therefore；　a　decisive

stroke；　intended　by　her　to　force　the　others　into　becoming；　openly；　the

accomplices　of　her　hatred。　Though　Ginevra　was　sincerely　loved　by

several　of　these　royalists；　nearly　all　of　whom　were　indoctrinated　at

home　with　their　political　ideas；　they　decided；　with　the　tactics

peculiar　to　women；　that　they　should　do　best　to　keep　themselves　aloof

from　the　quarrel。



On　Ginevra's　arrival　she　was　received；　as　we　have　said；　in　profound

silence。　Of　all　the　young　women　who　had；　so　far；　come　to　Servin's

studio；　she　was　the　handsomest；　the　tallest；　and　the　best　made。　Her

carriage　and　demeanor　had　a　character　of　nobility　and　grace　which

commanded　respect。　Her　face；　instinct　with　intelligence；　seemed　to

radiate　light；　so　inspired　was　it　with　the　enthusiasm　peculiar　to

Corsicans；which　does　not；　however；　preclude　calmness。　Her　long　hair

and　her　black　eyes　and　lashes　expressed　passion；　the　corners　of　her

mouth；　too　softly　defined；　and　the　lips；　a　trifle　too　marked；　gave

signs　of　that　kindliness　which　strong　beings　derive　from　the

consciousness　of　their　strength。



By　a　singular　caprice　of　nature；　the　charm　of　her　face　was；　in　some

degree；　contradicted　by　a　marble　forehead；　on　which　lay　an　almost

savage　pride；　and　from　which　seemed　to　emanate　the　moral　instincts　of

a　Corsican。　In　that　was　the　only　link　between　herself　and　her　native

land。　All　the　rest　of　her　person；　her　simplicity；　the　easy　grace　of

her　Lombard　beauty；　was　so　seductive　that　it　was　difficult　for　those

who　looked　at　her　to　give　her　pain。　She　inspired　such　keen　attraction

that　her　old　father　caused　her；　as　matter　of　precaution；　to　be

accompanied　to　and　from　the　studio。　The　only　defect　of　this　truly

poetic　creature　came　from　the　very　power　of　a　beauty　so　fully

developed；　she　looked　a　woman。　Marriage　she　had　refused　out　of　love　to

her　father　and　mother；　feeling　herself　necessary　to　the　comfort　of

their　old　age。　Her　taste　for　painting　took　the　place　of　the　passions

and　interests　which　usually　absorb　her　sex。



〃You　are　very　silent　to…day；　mesdemoiselles；〃　she　said；　after

advancing　a　little　way　among　her　companions。　〃Good…morning；　my　little

Laure；〃　she　added；　in　a　soft；　caressing　voice；　approaching　the　young

girl　who　was　painting　apart　from　the　rest。　〃That　head　is　strong；the

flesh　tints　a　little　too　rosy；　but　the　drawing　is　excellent。〃



Laure　raised　her　head　and　looked　tenderly　at　Ginevra；　their　faces

beamed　with　the　expression　of　a　mutual　affection。　A　faint　smile

brightened　the　lips　of　the　young　Italian；　who　seemed　thoughtful；　and

walked　slowly　to　her　easel；　glancing　carelessly　at　the　drawings　and

paintings　on　her　way；　and　bidding　good…morning　to　each　of　the　young

girls　of　the　first　group；　not　observing　the　unusual　curiosity　excited

by　her　presence。　She　was　like　a　queen　in　the　midst　of　her　court；　she

paid　no　attention　to　the　profound　silence　that　reigned　among　the

patricians；　and　passed　before　their　camp　without　pronouncing　a　single

word。　Her　absorption　seemed　so　great　that　she　sat　down　before　her

easel；　opened　her　color…box；　took　up　her　brushes；　drew　on　her　brown

sleeves；　arranged　her　apron；　looked　at　her　picture；　examined　her

palette；　without；　apparently；　thinking　of　what　she　was　doing。　All

heads　in　the　group　of　the　bourgeoises　were　turned　toward　her。　If　the

young　ladies　in　the　Thirion　camp　did　not　show　their　impatience　with

the　same　frankness；　their　sidelong　glances　were　none　the　less　directed

on　Ginevra。



〃She　hasn't　noticed　it！〃　said　Mademoiselle　Roguin。



At　this　instant　Ginevra　abandoned　the　meditative　attitude　in　which　she

had　been　contemplating　her　canvas；　and　turned　her　head　toward　the

group　of　aristocrats。　She　measured；　at　a　glance；　the　distance　that　now

separated　her　from　them；　but　she　said　nothing。



〃It　hasn't　occurred　to　her　that　they　meant　to　insult　her；〃　said

Matilde；　〃she　neither　colored　nor　turned　pale。　How　vexed　these　girls

will　be　if　she　likes　her　new　place　as　well　as　the　old！　You　are　out　of

bounds；　mademoiselle；〃　she　added；　aloud；　addressing　Ginevra。



The　Italian　pretended　not　to　hear；　perhaps　she　really　did　not　hear。

She　rose　abruptly；　walked　with　a　certain　deliberation　along　the　side

of　the　partition　which　separated　the　adjoining　closet　from　the　studio；

and　seemed　to　be　examining　the　sash　through　which　her　light　came；

giving　so　much　importance　to　it　that　she　mounted　a　chair　to　raise　the

green　serge；　which　intercepted　the　light；　much　higher。　Reaching　that

height；　her　eye　was　on　a　level　with　a　slight　opening　in　the　partition；

the　real　object　of　her　efforts；　for　the　glance　that　she　cast　through

it　can　be　compared　only　to　that　of　a　miser　discovering　Aladdin's

treasure。　Then　she　sprang　down　hastily　and　returned　to　her　place；