Evening star., 1912-11-24

standing upright on her pedestal, her
right arm sustaining her draperies. and
her left arm raised and extended, Its
hand holding an apple.
The popular story Of the countryside,
ALSO continued Ferry's report, lis
tale of battle. At fifty years distance
the souvenir remains and tradition is not
yet born. The discovery of the Venus
victrix. the dispute of which she was the
object the fight on the beach, the vic
tory of the French and her final abduc-
tion. violently impressed the islanders
and the impression remains
So, now back to the old stubborn Dip
lomatic secret.
We are close to the centenary. All
must come out before 1920. Time heals
all wounds, and the personages who SO
long deemed concealment prOper-perhaps
to their own reputations-are no longer
living.
Old Yorgos resolved to put his find in
safety. Approaching her. they had the
nerve to lay their clumsy hands on the
peerless one, and found her to be made
of two superposed blocks. Joined at the
waist also. the left arm could be de-
tached from the shoulder, to which 1t was
cunningly fixed by an iron tenon. There
was a cabin in the upper field. To it
they transported the upper half of her
heavy. Then they blocked the niche
again. to hide what remained. her lower
half. pedestal and guardian figures.
few weeks later-April IL, 1S2O--the
French navy's storeship La Chevrette
anchored in Melos harbor On board was
a young ensign, curious OF art and an
tiquities. who was later to become a
famous admiral and have Paris street
named after HMM. Dumont d'Urville.
Castro, the village. has an ancient marble
amphitheater, with nine rows of benches
broken columns mutlated statues-ruins
of sacred, antique Melos. Going through
all this the enthusiastic d'Urville got
news of Yorgos' find. On board La Chev-
rette he told his good chum. Lieut. Mat
terer. officer of great merit. but no lit
erary cultivation 'Matterer, a peasant
over there. has found a wonderful statue.
Old Yorgos was hot to sell He showed
them the niche. These are her legs and
hips. By her stood these two dolls,
Hermes and little old man with long
beard. Now come to the cabin. In the
doorway they stopped. The stone IN
terror, shaded from the ardent sun of
Greece was almost dark Their eyes
dazzled by the daylight. were for mo-
beam from little window seemed to Slid
the face and bust of wonderful woman
In marble young and beautiful with an
eternal youth and beauty. Like a lily
rising from the SOIL Venus seemed rising
from the cabin floor. she was tabled to
have risen from the waves. In her left
hand she held an apple.
The bargain was made. DumOnt d Ur-
Vile would bring the money. The Chew
rette sailing Immediately for Constanti-
nople. he informed the French ambas-
sador. the Marquis de Riviere. and in a
few days the secretary OF the embassy
was sent to Melos to complete the acqui-
sition lat any price and take posses
sion
Unhappily. NJ. Marcellus arrived too
late The primates OF the island had ar
ranged to make a gift of Venus to a cer-
tain Greek prince inhabiting CONSTANT
nople, whom they desired to please. So
Yorgos had sold to them-also. Half the
, price had been paid him. Yet Yorgos
had not only sold her previously to Du-
mont d'Urville. but had formally and re-
peatedly assured N. Brest French con-
sular agent at Melos that he was keep
ing her for France.
Meanwhile the Marquis de Riviere had
sent the French war schooner fEstafette
: IN fransD0rt statue. When she