ARNOLD AND BERTHA
Madame de Brévannes had frequently met M. de Hansfeld, under the name
of Arnold Schneider, at Pierre Raimond's. He had saved the old
engraver's life, and nothing could be more natural than his visits to
see him.
Bertha having resolved on again teaching the piano, in order to supply
her father's wants, used to go to his abode three times a-week, and
remain there for three hours, giving her lessons in his presence.
It will not be forgotten that Bertha had made a deep impression on M. de
Hansfeld the first time he saw her at the Comédie Française, and when
he subsequently met her at Pierre Raimond's, whom he had snatched from
certain death, he was forcibly struck at the circumstance which thus
brought him into contact with Bertha, viewing it as a kind of fatality
which the more augmented his love.
The charm of De Hansfeld's manner, the delicacy of his mind, his
respectful attentions, which were almost filial towards Pierre, soon
converted the gratitude which the old man felt for his preserver into
sincere affection.
Arnold was simple-minded and good, discoursed with taste and sound
knowledge as to the great masters of painting, who were objects of
passionate admiration to the old man, who had devoted a portion of his
life to reproducing in copper the best productions of Raphael, Vinci,
and Titian. He had shewn these labours of his youth and maturity to
Arnold, who had appreciated them like a connoisseur and skilful artist.
His praises did not betray complaisance or flattery; but moderated,
just, and appropriate, they were the more pleasing to Pierre Raimond,
who had a perfect knowledge of his art, and, like all earnest and modest
artists, knew better than any one else the strong and weak points of his
works. This was not all. Arnold seemed, by his political opinions, to
belong to that effervescent party of Young Germany which presents so
much analogy with certain shades of the republican school.
In consequence of these many points of similarity, the recent intimacy
of Pierre Raimond and Arnold became every day more and more close. The
latter was really in earnest,--he felt sincerely attracted towards the
blunt and austere old man, who preserved the attachments and ideas of
his early days in all their warmth and integrity.
M. de Hansfeld was exceedingly timid; the duties of his station so
weighed upon him, that, in order to escape from them, he had affected
the greatest eccentricities. His tastes, his inclinations, lead him to a
life more simple and obscure, peaceably occupying himself with the arts
and social theories. Thus, even in Bertha's absence, he found in the two
rooms of Pierre Raimond more pleasure, happiness, and enchantment, than
he had hitherto experienced in all his palaces.
If he had only desired to dissemble his attentions to Bertha under the
appearance of deceitful attentions to the engraver, the latter had too
much instinct for the truth not to have perceived it, and too much stern
pride not to have closed his door against Arnold.
Pierre Raimond was not blind to the fact that his young friend found
Bertha charming, and that he equally admired her talent as an artist,
the ingenuousness of her character, and the graces of her mind.
In his paternal pride, so far from being alarmed, Pierre Raimond was
delighted at this admiration, for he had the blindest confidence in
Bertha's principles. And did he not owe his life to Arnold? How could he
suppose that this young man, with so noble a heart, ideas so generous,
would infamously abuse those relations which gratitude had established
between himself and the man whose life he had saved?
In Pierre Raimond's eyes that would have been still more infamous than
to have dishonoured the daughter of his benefactor. Then, too, Arnold
had told him he was one of the people, and, in the exaggeration of his
peculiar ideas, Pierre Raimond accorded to him a confidence which he
could never have lavished on the Prince de Hansfeld.
Bertha, at first attracted towards Arnold by gratitude, had gradually
felt the influence of his goodness and attraction. He was frequently
present with the old engraver at Bertha's music lessons, was himself an
excellent musician, and Bertha often listened to him with as much
interest as pleasure when he discoursed, with evident skill, of an art
which she adored, referred to the lives of the great composers of
Germany, and displayed, as it were, the poetry of their works, whilst he
developed their innumerable beauties.
How enchanting were the hours thus passed by Bertha, Arnold, and Pierre
Raimond! The latter knew nothing of music, but his young friend
translated--explained to him, as we may say--the musical thoughts of the
great masters, analysing them phrase by phrase, and doing for the works
of Mozart, Beethoven, and Gluck, what Hoffman has done so wonderfully
for _Don Juan_.
Bertha, sensibly touched by Arnold's attentions to Pierre Raimond,
attributed to that alone the lively sympathy which every day drew her
into closer communion with the prince, who was the more dangerous as he
was so utterly unaffected and sincere. Nothing in his language or his
manners could startle Madame de Brévannes of the peril she was
incurring.
Arnold's conduct was one continual avowal, he had no need to say one
word of love. If by chance he was alone for a moment with Bertha, his
look, his tone were the same as those he maintained in the engraver's
presence, and when the latter returned Arnold could always conclude the
sentence he had begun.
How, then, could Madame de Brévannes mistrust an intimacy so pure, so
tranquil? Arnold had never said to her, "I love you!" She had never for
a moment believed he could love her, and yet both were already under the
irresistible charm of love.
We repeat, that, by a singular chance, these three persons, sincere in
their affections, without mistrust or concealed thought, loved each
other. Arnold tenderly loved the old man and his daughter, and they
returned his affection ardently. In truth, all three found themselves so
happy, that, by a sort of instinct that was preservative of happiness,
they had never thought of analysing their felicity, but enjoyed it
without considering its source or its tendency.
The only thing that could enlighten Bertha as to the sentiment to which
her heart was daily expanding, was the sort of indifference with which
she bore the brutalities of her husband; she was now but vaguely
astonished at them, feeling quite regardless of injuries that had
formerly been so deeply wounding.
When her father, extremely irritated with M. dc Brévannes, had
seriously and almost severely questioned her as to Do Brévannes'
conduct, she had uttered no falsehood in replying that for some time
past he had ceased to annoy her.
The old man had had the more faith in Bertha's answer, inasmuch as, by
degrees, she became calm and smiling, and her countenance, formerly so
sorrowful, now revealed the most perfect tranquillity. Perhaps Pierre
Raimond's blind confidence may be blamed, but it was one of the
illustrations of his character.
These facts stated, we will now lead the reader to Pierre Raimond's
modest retreat, the day after that on which M. de Hansfeld had commanded
his wife to quit Paris in three days.