But get the name first. The name is everything. “
If I married Bertrand . when I married Bertrand . I should insist that I carried on with my painting. He would readily understand. He had made that clear already. Bertrand would be a very understanding man.
I was very fortunate to be loved by him. How different I was from the girl who had come out to France such a short while ago!
I took off my dress and put on a dressing-gown. Then I let down my hair and sat at the mirror on the dressing-table, brushing it. My thoughts went back to the night when Nicole had sent her maid to dress my hair. Poor Nicole! To be bandied about. I suppose people would say she should never have become his mistress in the first place. Her fate now was the wages of sin.
There was a gentle tap on my door.
“Come in,” I said.
A young girl entered. She wore a black dress with a white apron over it.
“I have come to see if you have everything you want.”
“Yes, thank you. Did Madame la Gouvernante send you?”
“No … I came because I wanted to.”
She had a small face with a pointed chin, a rather long nose and darting mischievous eyes.
She shut the door.
“Are you settling in?”
“I have only just arrived.”
“You’re going to paint a picture of the Princesse, aren’t you?”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
“You’ve got to do something very nice.”
“I hope to.”
“You’ll have to. She’s not very pretty.”
“Beauty is often a matter of opinion. Are you a housemaid?”
She sat on my bed. I thought she was rather impertinent and was on the point of telling her to leave me. On the other hand I did not want to turn away any possibility of learning something about the Princesse who was to be my subject.
“What do you mean, a matter of opinion?” she asked.
“Exactly what I say.”
“You mean that she could look pretty to you though no one else thought so. So you’re going to paint her pretty.”
“I shall paint what I see.”
“You have just painted the Baron de Centeville. How did you paint him?”
“The Princesse has the miniature now. Perhaps she will show it to you.
Do you work near her? “
She nodded.
“Then perhaps you’ll see it.”
“I have.”
“Then you know.”
“I think he looks rather … frightening.”
“Really. Now … I was just going to bed.”
“But I’d like to talk.”
“But I as I said am about to go to bed.”
“Don’t you want to know about the people here?”
“I shall find out in due course.”
“Do you have to know a lot about the people you paint?”
“It helps.”
“You’re a sort of sorceress.”
“I hadn’t thought of myself as that.”
“I don’t think the Princesse will like it if you pry.”
“Really, I must ask you to leave now.”
She sat up.
“Tell me about the Baron,” she said.
“He has twenty mistresses, they say … like Solomon or something like that.”
“I believe Solomon had more than twenty.”
“You don’t tell anything, do you? That’s because I’m just a housemaid of no importance.”
“You go off to bed,” I said.
“Are you going to ring and have me removed?”
“Not if you go quietly.”
“All right,” she said.
“I could have told you a lot,” she added ominously . ‘a lot you ought to know. “
“I am sure you could. But another time, eh?”
I pushed her out and shut the door.
What an extraordinary maid! I wondered what she could have told me about the Princesse.
I locked the door and got into bed, but it was a long time before I slept.
My tray came promptly in the morning and by nine o’clock I was ready.
I did not have to wait long before Madame la Gouvernante was knocking at my door. She said “Good morning’ very civilly and expressed the wish that I had passed a good night.
Madame la Comtesse was ready to receive me and if I would follow her she would take me to her . We descended the beautiful staircase to a lower floor and I was conducted to a salon furnished in white and gold with those rare touches of red. The furniture was exquisite and of the sixteenth and seventeenth century I guessed. But my attention was immediately focused on the Comtesse.
She was rather short and a little plump but carefully dressed to minimize this. Her hair was worn piled high to give her height; she was soignee and fitted the surroundings perfectly.
I must admit to feeling a little gauche, for clearly I did not pay the same attention to my appearance as she did to hers.
“Mademoiselle Collison!” she cried, advancing and holding out her hand.
She took mine in a limp handshake.
“I am pleased to welcome you here. Monsieur Ie Baron is so eager for you to do this miniature of the Princesse de Crespigny. He has such a high opinion of your work. I know the name, of course. It is well known here… but he says you are the first lady in that great line of painters.”
“I am eager to meet the Princesse and to start the work,” I said.
“I was wondering if there is a room where we can get the maximum light. ”
“Yes, yes. All that has been considered. The Baron has told us what will be needed. But the Princesse has made it clear that she will not want to sit too long at a time.”
“Sittings are necessary,” I said.
“I think I must be allowed to decide the length of them. A painter may have discovered something exciting. and then if the sitter goes away before the discovery can be made use of… You understand?”
“Oh, you will have to work that out with the Princesse. She is very young.”
“Seventeen, I believe.”
The Comtesse nodded.
“She has been brought up quietly until a few months ago when I took her into my care and brought her to Court. It is necessary for me to keep”
She paused and I said: “A firm hand?”
“Exactly. It is something of a responsibility. However, I have sent someone to tell her we are waiting for her. She should be along at any moment.”
“Thank you.”
“Pray be seated, Mademoiselle Collison.”
I sat, looking uneasily at the door.
“You have come straight from the Chateau de Centeville?”
She was making conversation for she knew that I had.
“Yes, Madame.”
“You must have… er… spent a long time with the Baron … at your sittings, I mean.”
“Yes. He was a good sitter. He is a man who is greatly interested in art.”
“Let us hope that the Princesse will be equally good.”
She went to the bell rope and pulled it. There was silence until a maid appeared. She wore a black dress and white apron similar to that of last night’s visitor, but it was not the same girl.
“Will you please go at once to the Princesse and tell her that Mademoiselle Collison and I are waiting for her in the salon.”
“Yes, Madame.” The girl bobbed a curtsey and was off.
The Comtesse sat down and made uneasy desultory and rather disjointed conversation.
“She knew that you had arrived last night,” she said.
“I cannot imagine …” She bit her lip as though trying to curb her annoyance.
“I suppose she wants this miniature done?” I asked.
“The Baron wants it. Oh I have great responsibilities, Mademoiselle, great difficulties.”
At that moment we heard the sound of horses’ hoofs and the Comtesse went quickly to the window.
She turned back to me.
“It’s the Princesse,” she said.
“She is going riding.”
I went to the window. I saw the back of a trim, slight figure surrounded by a party of horsemen and women.
The Comtesse looked at me helplessly.
I lilted my shoulders.
“It’s a pity. I wanted to get a start. If you will show me the room where I am to do the portrait I will prepare my materials, and then I thought I might take a walk.”
“Do you know Paris?”
“This is my first visit.”
“I should perhaps get someone to accompany you.”
“I prefer to be on my own.”
She hesitated.
“You wish to explore, I see. Do you find your way about well?”
“I think so.”
“Don’t stray too far from this area. You could wander down the Champs-Elysee to the Tuileries. That should be very pleasant. I would not cross the river if I were you. There are many bridges across the Seine. Stay on this side and if you get lost then … take a fiacre a cab … and you will be brought back to the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore.”
“Thank you so much. I shall do that.”
“I apologize for the Princesse’s behaviour.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“She has been used to having her own way. You know how it can be.”
“I understand,” I said, ‘and I shall look forward to meeting her later. ”
I went to my room and collected what I should need. Then I was shown the room where I should work. It was a kind of attic. Ideal, I thought, for there was plenty of light. I set out my paints, brushes and little palette. I prepared my supports and went back to my room.
I thought: Our little Princesse has high spirits and bad manners -but perhaps she thinks such behaviour is acceptable from a Princesse.
I am already learning something about her without seeing her.
Now there was the excitement of Paris-and how that enchanted me! I loved the wide boulevards, the beautiful bridges and the old Palace of the Louvre. Best of all I loved the noise of the streets, the incessant chatter, the cafes outside which tables were set up under coloured sunshades, and gay music floated out. I did not need that vehicle to take me back. I found my own way. I was rather good at it.
I had enjoyed my morning and was grateful to my ill-mannered little Princesse who had made it possible.
Dejeuner was served in my room, again on a tray, and I wondered whether this was how I should take all my meals. It was clear that these people did not know how they should treat me. I expect they must have regarded me as a kind of servant. How different it had been at the chateau, where artists were considered to be of some account.
It was not important. I should complete my portrait and then go home before returning to France to carry out the other commissions.
Madame la Gouvernante came to my room after I had finished my food and told me that the Princesse and her party had not yet returned. She had learned that they were visiting a house on the way to St. Cloud. They would probably be back soon and I should remain in so that I should be available if the Princesse needed me.
I accepted this, but it was not until past four o’clock when a summons came to me to tell me that the Princesse was in the attic waiting to receive me.
I went straight up. She was standing by the window looking out and did not turn as I entered. She was dressed in a very bright red ball gown; her shoulders were bare and her long dark hair loose. From the back she looked like a child.
I said: “Princesse …”
“Come in, Mademoiselle Collison,” she said.
“You may start now.”
“That is quite impossible,” I replied.
“The light is not good enough.”
“What do you mean?” She swung round. Her face was vaguely familiar.
Then it downed on me. I should have recognized her at once but for the red ball dress and loose hair which made her look rather different from the girl who had worn the black dress and apron on the previous night.
So, I thought, she plays tricks. And I knew then that she was going to make my stay difficult.
I went towards her and inclined my head. I was not going to curtsey to such a child; after all, royalty did not mean the same in France as it had before the Revolution.
“You see, Princesse,” I explained, “I need the best possible light for such fine work. The morning is the only time I care to work … unless it is a very bright afternoon … certainly not on an overcast one like this.”
“Perhaps we should get an artist who can work at any time,” she said haughtily.
“That is for you to decide. I will merely say this: There will be no sitting this afternoon. If you are not riding tomorrow morning, I should like to start then … at, say, ten o’clock.”
“I am not sure,” she replied.
“I cannot stay here indefinitely,” I told her.
“Well perhaps ..” she said grudgingly.
“Perhaps you would allow me to stay now and chat for a while. I must know something of my subjects before I attempt to paint them. May I sit down?”
She nodded.
I regarded her steadily. She had the thick Valois nose which, while it might proclaim her ancestry, did not fit in with modem notions of beauty. Her eyes were small but they were bright; her mouth was rather petulant but perhaps that changed with her moods. It should not be impossible to make a charming picture. She had the glow of youth; her skin was good, so were her teeth. if she could be prevailed upon to smile. The colour of the dress was quite wrong for her.
She said: “You will have to give me a better nose.”
I laughed.
“I want to paint^oa,” I said.
“That means you’re going to make me ugly ” Indeed it does not. I see possibilities. “
“What do you mean … possibilities?”
“Do you ever smile?”
“Certainly I do … when I’m pleased.”
“Well, we’ll have you pleased. You have very beautiful teeth. What is the point of hiding them? A lovely smile would take off the length of the nose; and if you opened your eyes wide and looked interested they would brighten and look bigger. Also the dress is wrong.”
“I like the dress.”
“Well, that is good enough. We must paint the red dress because you like it.”
“But you say you don’t.”
“No. Red is not your colour … nor is the black you wore last night.”
She flushed pink and started to laugh. She looked almost pretty.
“That’s better,” I said.
“If I could catch that…”
“You pretended you didn’t recognize me.”
“I recognized you immediately.”
“Not last night.”
“How could I? I had never met the Princesse …”
“And when you saw me here …”
“I knew at once.”
“And what did you think last night? Was I a good maid?”
“No. An impertinent one.”
She laughed again and I laughed too.
“I don’t want this picture done, you know,” she said.
“I do realize that.”
“I hate having it done.” Her face crumpled suddenly and she looked like a frightened child.
“I hate it all …”
I understood. Moreover my attitude towards her had changed completely.
I was sorry for her. Poor innocent child to go to that man!
“Was that why you were so ill-mannered this morning?”
“Ill-mannered?”
“In going riding when it was arranged that there was to be a sitting.”
“I don’t think of it as being ill-mannered. We don’t have to worry about…”
“Servants?” I said.
“Or artists … but perhaps artists are servants.”
“They come here to work for us … and
are paid for it.”
“Do you know what one of your greatest kings once said?”
“Oh … history!”
“It is pertinent to the occasion.
“Men make kings but only God can make an artist.”
“What does that mean? I thought God was supposed to have made us all.”
“It means that God gives the art of creation to a few chosen people and great ones are more important than kings.”
“That’s the sort of thing they said during the revolution.”
“On the contrary, it was said by one of your most autocratic kings -Francois Premier.”
“I suppose you are very clever.”
“I’m good at my job.”
“The Baron said you were good, didn’t he?”
“He appreciated my work.”
“You did a picture of him. He sat for you.”
“He did and I am glad to say that he was a very good sitter.”
“I suppose I shall have to sit for you.”
“It is the reason why I’m here. I should like to see you in blue. I think that would suit you. It would bring out the glow of your skin.”
She touched her face. I thought how young she was and I forgave her everything-her silly little masquerade of the night before and her rudeness in breaking her appointment. I saw her as a frightened child.
“Would you like me to see what you have to wear?” I asked.
“We could perhaps find a favourite dress of yours. I myself prefer blue, but it may be that you have something else which would be equally good.”
“I have a great many dresses,” she said.
“I have been presented to the Empress. I thought I should have some fun perhaps, but when the Baron decided to marry me that put an end to that.”
“When are you to marry?”
“Very soon. Next month … on my eighteenth birthday. ”
She looked at me suddenly and stopped and it occurred to J me that she would very easily share confidences. Poor child! I had discovered a good deal about her in a short time and I knew that she was lonely and frightened.
“How would it be if we decided on the dress now,” I said,| ‘and we could start the miniature tomorrow morning. I| should like to be early soon after nine o’clock. The light! should be good then. The miniature, I understand, is to be mounted in the same way as the one I did of the Baron. It isn't gold with diamonds and sapphires. It is absolutely magnificent, as you know. That is one of the reasons why I thought blue for the dress. “
The Demon Lover Page 10
