Evening star., 1928-04-03

fTheophile Gautier. lsIl.1s7c was a Ia
| nous French novelist; His best known Work
Is Mile. de Maupln.b
You ask me If have ever loved. Yes.
I have loved The story is dreadful and
marvellous. and, for all my threeScore
years. I scarce dare to stir the ashes of
that memory. Yet to you l can refuse
nothing. and must tell 1t all just as 1t
happened-or seemed to happen.
For three years was the victim Of a
delusion of the devil. BY day l was
q man who wished to be pure and keep
away from the sins of the flesh; but by
night, In dreams, I led the life OF a
worldly sinner, OF lost soul!
lived q double life, by night and by
day. All day long / was pure youth.
worshiping God; but no sooner did l
close my eyes in sleep than l was a
young knight, lover OF women, OF
horses, of hounds. drinker. gam
bler-and when ] avoke at dawn 1t
seemed that I was but falling asleep
and dreaming that ! was the upright
and honest man was in my waking
hours.
Yes, have loved as never man loved,
with a wild love and terrible, so that
I marvel my heart did not burst IN
twain. It all began with the glance OF
woman which was to haunt me for
three long. terrible years.
That woman was Clarimonde. the
beautiful courteZan. You have heard
OF her. no doubt She was OF incom-
parable beauty--she giittered and made
one think he was staring at the sun,
Pen or poet or painter can give no idea
of her. She was tall. with the grace OF
q goddess; her fair hair flowed about
Der brow in rivers of gold. Like a
crowned queen she was when saw her
with her broad. white brow and dark
eyebrows~-with her eyes that had the
brightness and life Of the green sea In
them.
Angel or devil. or both. this woman
was no child of Eve. White teeth shone
in her smile. little dimples came and
| went with each movement Of her mouth.
among the roses Of her cheeks. There
was luster as Of agate on the smooth
and shining skin of her shoulders, and
chains OF great pearls no whittier than
her skin hung about her neck She
wore q fiame-colored velvet robe. and
from the ermine of her sleeves her deli
cate hands came and went as transpar-
ent as the fingers Of the dawn
As I gazed on her felt within me as
1t were the opening OF gates OF Paradise.
Then she departed and / never saw her
clear and vivid as reality itself
Clarimondc the courtezan died. /
know that. for dreamed that / was at
her bedside. where she lay dead under
the shroud, and ! dreamed that ! was
tempted to kiss her cool lips and that !
seemed to breathe life into her dead
body
Time passed. and one night dreamed
dream. Scarce had tasted the first
drops of the cup of sleep when heard
my bedroom door open and / raised my
self on my arm and saw the shadow OF
a woman standing by me. Straightway
/ knew her for Clarimonde.
She held IN her hand a little lamp
such as are placed In tombs. She was
clad in the linen Shroad in which she
was buried--she seemed like marble
image. But her beauty was the same
only the glitter of her sea-green eyes
was dulled. and the mouth so red OF
old. wore but tender tint Of rose. Yet
so winning was she that / was not
afraid for one moment,
She placed the lamp on the table and
sat down.
Long have / made thee wait for me. :"
she said, but come from far. very far,
even from the land whence no traveller
has returned. Behold me. for Love
can conquer Death. But how hard 1t
was for my poor hands to lift the heavy
stone that they put on my grave. Kiss
them. my love, and heal them"
could not resist. ] was charmed by
the beauty of this ghostly lover. could