未来千年文学备忘录_卡尔维诺-第23章

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aw　youth　dawn　in　the　old　mans　eyes；　as；　like　a　painter；　he　discerned　every　line　of　the　form　hidden　beneath　the　young　girls　vesture。　then　the　lovers　savage　jealousy　awoke。

〃gillette！〃　he　cried；　〃let　us　go。〃

the　girl　turned　joyously　at　the　cry　and　the　tone　in　which　it　was　uttered；　raised　her　eyes　to　his；　looked　at　him；　and　fled　to　his　arms。

〃ah！　then　you　love　me；〃　she　cried；　〃you　love　me！〃　and　she　burst　into　tears。

she　had　spirit　enough　to　suffer　in　silence；　but　she　had　no　strength　to　hide　her　joy。

〃oh！　leave　her　with　me　for　one　moment；〃　said　the　old　painter；　〃and　you　shall　pare　her　with　my　catherine。。。　yesi　consent。〃

frenhofers　words　likewise　came　from　him　like　a　lovers　cry。　his　vanity　seemed　to　be　engaged　for　his　semblance　of　womanhood；　he　anticipated　the　triumph　of　the　beauty　of　his　own　creation　over　the　beauty　of　the　living　girl。

〃do　not　give　him　time　to　change　his　mind！〃　cried　porbus；　striking　poussin　on　the　shoulder。　〃the　flower　of　love　soon　fades；　but　the　flower　of　art　is　immortal。〃

〃then　am　i　only　a　woman　now　for　him？〃　said　gillette。　she　was　watching　poussin　and　porbus　closely。

she　raised　her　head　proudly；　she　glanced　at　frenhofer；　and　her　eyes　flashed；　then　as　she　saw　how　her　lover　had　fallen　again　to　gazing　at　the　portrait　which　he　had　taken　at　first　for　a　giorgione

〃ah！〃　she　cried；　〃let　us　go　up　to　the　studio。　he　never　gave　me　such　a　look。〃

the　sound　of　her　voice　recalled　poussin　from　his　dreams。

〃old　man；〃　he　said；　〃do　you　see　this　blade？　i　will　plunge　it　into　your　heart　at　the　first　cry　from　this　young　girl；　i　will　set　fire　to　your　house；　and　no　one　shall　leave　it　alive。　do　you　understand？〃

nicolas　poussin　scowled；　every　word　was　a　menace。　gillette　took　fort　from　the　young　painters　bearing；　and　yet　more　from　that　gesture；　and　almost　forgave　him　for　sacrificing　her　to　his　art　and　his　glorious　future。

porbus　and　poussin　stood　at　the　door　of　the　studio　and　looked　at　each　other　in　silence。　at　first　the　painter　of　the　saint　mary　of　egypt　hazarded　some　exclamations：　〃ah！　she　has　taken　off　her　clothes；　he　told　her　to　e　into　the　lighthe　is　paring　the　two！〃　but　the　sight　of　the　deep　distress　in　poussins　face　suddenly　silenced　him；　and　though　old　painters　no　longer　feel　these　scruples；　so　petty　in　the　presence　of　art；　he　admired　them　because　they　were　so　natural　and　gracious　in　the　lover。　the　young　man　kept　his　hand　on　the　hilt　of　his　dagger；　and　his　ear　was　almost　glued　to　the　door。　the　two　men　standing　in　the　shadow　might　have　been　conspirators　waiting　for　the　hour　when　they　might　strike　down　a　tyrant。

〃e　in；　e　in；〃　cried　the　old　man。　he　was　radiant　with　delight。　〃my　work　is　perfect。　i　can　show　her　now　with　pride。　never　shall　painter；　brushes；　colors；　light；　and　canvas　produce　a　rival　for　catherine　lescault；　the　beautiful　courtezan！〃

porbus　and　poussin；　burning　with　eager　curiosity；　hurried　into　a　vast　studio。　everything　was　in　disorder　and　covered　with　dust；　but　they　saw　a　few　pictures　here　and　there　upon　the　wall。　they　stopped　first　of　all　in　admiration　before　the　life…size　figure　of　a　woman　partially　draped。

〃oh！　never　mind　that；〃　said　frenhofer；　〃that　is　a　rough　daub　that　i　made；　a　study；　a　pose；　it　is　nothing。　these　are　my　failures；〃　he　went　on；　indicating　the　enchanting　positions　upon　the　walls　of　the　studio。

this　scorn　for　such　works　of　art　struck　porbus　and　poussin　dumb　with　amazement。　they　looked　round　for　the　picture　of　which　he　had　spoken；　and　could　not　discover　it。

〃look　here！〃　said　the　old　man。　his　hair　was　disordered；　his　face　aglow　with　a　more　than　human　exaltation；　his　eyes　glittered；　he　breathed　hard　like　a　young　lover　frenzied　by　love。

〃aha！〃　he　cried；　〃you　did　not　expect　to　see　such　perfection！　you　are　looking　for　a　picture；　and　you　see　a　woman　before　you。　there　is　such　depth　in　that　canvas；　the　atmosphere　is　so　true　that　you　can　not　distinguish　it　from　the　air　that　surrounds　us。　where　is　art？　art　has　vanished；　it　is　invisible！　it　is　the　form　of　a　living　girl　that　you　see　before　you。　have　i　not　caught　the　very　hues　of　life；　the　spirit　of　the　living　line　that　defines　the　figure？　is　there　not　the　effect　produced　there　like　that　which　all　natural　objects　present　in　the　atmosphere　about　them；　or　fishes　in　the　water？　do　you　see　how　the　figure　stands　out　against　the　background？　does　it　not　seem　to　you　that　you　pass　your　hand　along　the　back？　but　then　for　seven　years　i　studied　and　watched　how　the　daylight　blends　with　the　objects　on　which　it　falls。　and　the　hair；　the　light　pours　over　it　like　a　flood；　does　it　not？。。。　ah！　she　breathed；　i　am　sure　that　she　breathed！　her　breastah；　see！　who　would　not　fall　on　his　knees　before　her？　her　pulses　throb。　she　will　rise　to　her　feet。　wait！〃

〃do　you　see　anything？〃　poussin　asked　of　porbus。

〃no。。。　do　you？〃

〃i　see　nothing。〃

the　two　painters　left　the　old　man　to　his　ecstasy；　and　tried　to　ascertain　whether　the　light　that　fell　full　upon　the　canvas　had　in　some　way　neutralized　all　the　effect　for　them。　they　moved　to　the　right　and　left　of　the　picture；　they　came　in　front；　bending　down　and　standing　upright　by　turns。

〃yes；　yes；　it　is　really　canvas；〃　said　frenhofer；　who　mistook　the　nature　of　this　minute　investigation。

〃look！　the　canvas　is　on　a　stretcher；　here　is　the　easel；　indeed；　here　are　my　colors；　my　brushes；〃　and　he　took　up　a　brush　and　held　it　out　to　them；　all　unsuspicious　of　their　thought。

〃the　old　_lansquenet_　is　laughing　at　us；〃　said　poussin；　ing　once　more　toward　the　supposed　picture。　〃i　can　see　nothing　there　but　confused　masses　of　color　and　a　multitude　of　fantastical　lines　that　go　to　make　a　dead　wall　of　paint。〃

〃we　are　mistaken；　look！〃　said　porbus。

in　a　corner　of　the　canvas；　as　they　came　nearer；　they　distinguished　a　bare　foot　emerging　from　the　chaos　of　color；　half…tints　and　vague　shadows　that　made　up　a　dim；　formless　fog。　its　living　delicate　beauty　held　them　spellbound。　this　fragment　that　had　escaped　an　inprehensible；　slow；　and　gradual　destruction　seemed　to　them　like　the　parian　marble　torso　of　some　venus　emerging　from　the　ashes　of　a　ruined　town。

〃there　is　a　woman　beneath；〃　exclaimed　porbus；　calling　poussins　attention　to　the　coats　of　paint　with　which　the　old　artist　had　overlaid　and　concealed　his　work　in　the　quest　of　perfection。

both　artists　turned　involuntarily　to　frenhofer。　they　began　to　have　some　understanding；　vague　though　it　was；　of　the　ecstasy　in　which　he　lived。

〃he　believes　it　in　all　good　faith；〃　said　porbus。

〃yes；　my　friend；〃　said　the　old　man；　rousing　himself　from　his　dreams；　〃it　needs　faith；　faith　in　art；　and　you　must　live　for　long　with　your　work　to　produce　such　a　creation。　what　toil　some　of　those　shadows　have　cost　me。　look！　there　is　a　faint　shadow　there　upon　the　cheek　beneath　the　eyesif　you　saw　that　on　a　human　face；　it　would　seem　to　you　that　you　could　never　render　it　with　paint。　do　you　think　that　that　effect　has　not　cost　unheard　of　toil？

〃but　not　only　so；　dear　porbus。　look　closely　at　my　work；　and　you　will　understand　more　clearly　what　i　was　saying　as　to　methods　of　modeling　and　outline。　look　at　the　high　lights　on　the　bosom；　and　see　how　by　touch　on　touch；　thickly　laid　on；　i　have　raised　the　surface　so　that　it　catches　the　light　itself　and　blends　it　with　the　lustrous　whiteness　of　the　high　lights；　and　how　by　an　opposite　process；　by　flattening　the　surface　of　the　paint；　and　leaving　no　trace　of　the　passage　of　the　brush；　i　have　succeeded　in　softening　the　contours　of　my　figures　and　enveloping　them　in　half…tints　until　the　very　idea　of　drawing；　of　the　means　by　which　the　effect　is　produced；　fades　away；　and　the　picture　has　the　roundness　and　relief　of　nature。　e　closer。　you　will　see　the　manner　of　working　better；　at　a　little　distance　it　can　not　be　seen。　there　i　just　there；　it　is；　i　think；　very　plainly　to　be　seen；〃　and　with　the　tip　of　his　brush　he　pointed　out　a　patch　of　transparent　color　to　the　two　painters。

porbus；　laying　a　hand　on　the　old　artists　shoulder；　turned　to　poussin　with　a　〃do　you　know　that　in　him　we　see　a　very　great　painter？〃

〃he　is　even　more　of　a　poet　than　a　painter；〃　poussin　answered　gravely。

〃there；〃　porbus　continued；　as　he　touched　the　canvas；　〃use　the　utmost　limit　of　our　art　on　earth。〃

〃beyond　that　point　it　loses　itself　in　the　skies；〃　said　poussin。

〃what　joys　lie　there　on　this　piece　of　canvas！〃　exclaimed　porbus。

the　old　man；　deep　in　his　own　musings；　smiled　at　the　woman　he　alone　beheld；　and　did　not　hear。

〃but　sooner　or　later　he　will　find　out　that　there　is　nothing　there！〃　cried　poussin。

〃nothing　on　my　canvas！〃　said　frenhofer；　looking　in　turn　at　either　painter　and　at　his　picture。

〃what　have　you　done？〃　muttered　porbus；　turning　to　poussin。

the　old　man　clutched　the　young　painters　arm　and　said；　〃do　you　see　nothing？　clodpatel　huguenot！　varlet！　cullion！　what　brought　you　here　into　my　studio？my　good　porbus；〃　he　went　on；　as　he　turned　to　the　painter；　〃are　you　also　making　a　fool　of　me？　answer！　i　am　your　friend。　tell　me；　have　i　ruined　my　picture　after　all？〃

porbus　hesitated　and　said　nothing；　but　there　was　such　intolerable　anxiety　in　the　old　mans　white　face　that　he　pointed　to　the　easel。

〃look！〃　he　said。

frenhofer　looked　for　a　moment　at　his　picture；　and　staggered　back。

〃nothing！　nothing！　after　ten　years　of　work。。。〃　he　sat　down　and　wept。

〃so　i　am　a　dotard；　a　madman；　i　hav