"Yes, people may have designs upon me," replied Luigia, with dignity, "but they cannot execute them: between those designs and me, there is myself.""But your reputation?"
"That was lost before I left your house.I was said to be your mistress; you had yourself to contradict that charge before the electoral college; you contradicted it, but you could not stop it.""And my esteem, for which you profess to care?""I no longer want it.You did not love me when I wished for it; you shall not love me now that I no longer wish it.""Who knows?" exclaimed Sallenauve.
"There are two reasons why it cannot be," said the singer."In the first place, it is too late; and in the second, we are no longer on the same path.""What do you mean by that?"
"I am an artist and you have ceased to be one.I rise; you fall.""Do you call it falling to rise, perhaps, to the highest dignities of the State?""To whatever height you rise," said Luigia, passionately, "you will ever be below your past and the noble future that was once before you --Ah! stay; I think that I have lied to you; had you remained a sculptor, I believe I should have borne still longer your coldness and your disdain; I should have waited until I entered my vocation, until the halo round a singer's head might have shown you, at last, that Iwas there beside you.But on the day that you apostatized I would no longer continue my humiliating sacrifice.There is no future possible between us.""Do you mean," said Sallenauve, holding out his hand, which she did not take, "that we cannot even be friends?""No," she replied; "all is over--past and gone.We shall hear of each other; and from afar, as we pass in life, we can wave our hands in recognition, but nothing further.""So," said Sallenauve, sadly, "this is how it all ends!"La Luigia looked at him a moment, her eyes shining with tears.
"Listen," she said in a resolute and sincere tone: "this is possible.
I have loved you, and after you, no one can enter the heart you have despised.You will hear that I have lovers; believe it not; you will not believe it, remembering the woman that I am.But who knows? Later your life may be swept clean of the other sentiments that have stood in my way; the freedom, the strangeness of the avowal I have just made to you will remain in your memory, and then it is not impossible that after this long rejection you may end by desiring me.If that should happen,--if at the end of many sad deceptions you should return, in sheer remorse, to the religion of art,--then, then, supposing that long years have not made love ridiculous between us, remember this evening.Now, let us part; it is already too late for a tete-a-tete."
So saying, she took a light and passed into an inner room, leaving Sallenauve in a state of mind we can readily imagine after the various shocks and surprises of this interview.
On returning to his hotel he found Jacques Bricheteau awaiting him.
"Where the devil have you been?" cried the organist, impatiently."It is too late now to take the steamboat.""Well," said Sallenauve, carelessly, "then I shall have a few hours longer to play truant.""But during that time your enemies are tunnelling their mine.""I don't care.In that cave called political life one has to be ready for anything.""I thought as much!" exclaimed Bricheteau."You have been to see Luigia; her success has turned your head, and the deputy is thinking of his statues.""How often have I heard you say yourself that Art alone is great?""But an orator," replied Bricheteau, "is also an artist, and the greatest of all.Others speak to the heart and the mind, but he to the conscience and the will of others.At any rate, this is no time to look back; you are engaged in a duel with your adversaries.Are you an honest man, or a scoundrel who has stolen a name? There is the question which may, in consequence of your absence, be answered against you in the Chamber.""I begin to feel that you have led me into a mistaken path; I had in my hands a treasure, and I have flung it away!""Happily," said the organist, "that's only an evening mist which the night will dissipate.To-morrow you will remember the engagement you are under to your father, and the great future which is before you."