Access Online - The European Library
Access Online - The European Library Access Online - The European Library
216 ARIADNE.the generosity of the man who loved her vainly;but itsmote him and made him feel humbled andashamed." No woman,Ithink, ever loved you as thiswoman does, whom you have left asIwould notleave aclog," saidMaryx,and somethingof his oldardent eloquence returned to him, and his voicerose and rang clearer as the courage in him consummatedthe self-sacrifice that hehad sethimself"for her sake. Have you ever thought what youhave clone? AVhenyouhavekiUedArtin anartist,you have done the cruellest murder that earthcanbehold. Other and weaker natures than hersmight forget, but she never.Her fame will beshort-lived as thatrose, for she seesbut your face,and the world will tire of that, but she wUl not.She can dream nomore. She can only remember.Do you know what that is to the artist ? —it is to be blind and to wear}' the world; theworld thathas nomore pity than you have! Youthink her consoledbecause her genius hasnot lefther: are you a poet and yet do not know thatgenius is only apower to suffer more and to rememberlonger ? — nothingelse. Yousay toyour-
ARIADNE. 217self that she will have fame, that will beguile heras the god came to Ariadne:perhaps:but acrossthat fame, let it become what it may, there willsettle for ever the shadow of the world's dishonour;itwiU be for ever poisoned, and cursed,and embittered by the scorn of fools, and the reproachof women, since by you they have beengiven their lashes of nettles, andbyyouhave beengiven then bye-word to hoot. She wdl walk inthe light of triumph, you say, and therefore youhave not hurt her:do you notsee that the fiercerthatlightmaybeat onher, the sharper wUl the eyesof the world search out the brand with which youhave burned her. For when do menforgive forcein the woman? and when do women ever forgivethe woman's greatness ? and when does every curfail to snarl at the- life that is higher than itsfellows ? It is by the very genius in her thatyou have had such power to wound, such powerto blight and to destroy. By so long as hernameshaU be spoken, so long wdl the wrong you havedone her cling round it, to make it meet for reproach.A mere woman dies, and her woeandhershame die with her, and the earth coversher and
- Page 173 and 174: ARIADNE. 165silent andlookinginto v
- Page 175 and 176: ARIADNE. 167never touched Maryx onc
- Page 177 and 178: ARIADNE. 169coidd not end the phras
- Page 179 and 180: ARIADNE. 171" Iwoulcl notpromise,"
- Page 181 and 182: ARIADNE. 173that are vile canbe fai
- Page 183 and 184: CHAPTER XLThe months went on, and s
- Page 185 and 186: ARIADNE. 177Hilarion: the man made
- Page 187 and 188: ARIADNE. 179" Is that aU that you k
- Page 189 and 190: ARIADNE. 181and the apes away. IfIc
- Page 191 and 192: ARIADNE. 183would change places wit
- Page 193 and 194: ARIADNE. 185to her. Youlook strange
- Page 195 and 196: CHAPTER XII.AVhex he had goneaway t
- Page 197 and 198: ARIADNE. 189you ? Imean simply and
- Page 199 and 200: ARIADNE. 191AlmostIlonged to teU he
- Page 201 and 202: ARIADNE. 193the ways of the world a
- Page 203 and 204: ARIADNE. 195" Take my life away wit
- Page 205 and 206: ARIADNE. 197talked of; it took a ti
- Page 207 and 208: ARIADNE. 199pale Carrara marble, an
- Page 209 and 210: ARIADNE. 201bit his tired senses in
- Page 211 and 212: ARIADNE. 203pure a breath of heaven
- Page 213 and 214: ARIADNE. 205before the world, and h
- Page 215 and 216: ARIADNE. 207— for her sake. He kn
- Page 217 and 218: ARIADNE. 209" Do they indeed caU he
- Page 219 and 220: CHAPTER XIAIt was the night of the
- Page 221 and 222: ARIADNE. 213selfish effort — alas
- Page 223: ARIADNE. 215reason, when the clay i
- Page 227 and 228: ARIADNE. 219" Oh my God ! "Maryx gr
- Page 229 and 230: ARIADNE. 221canIsay to move you? If
- Page 231 and 232: CHAPTER XVTo a blow there is but on
- Page 233 and 234: CHAPTER XVI.And the old mother was
- Page 235 and 236: ARIADNE. 227him gone out into nothi
- Page 237 and 238: ARIADNE. 229"Look you," she said to
- Page 239 and 240: ARIADNE. 231The people came there a
- Page 241 and 242: ARIADNE. 233and white, and the nigh
- Page 243 and 244: ARIADNE. 235fathers' arms were sile
- Page 245 and 246: ARIADNE. 237" So best," he had answ
- Page 247 and 248: ARIADNE. 239bended whyin the eyes o
- Page 249 and 250: ARIADNE. 241" CouldI but suffer for
- Page 251 and 252: ARIADNE. 243genius; and they aU tol
- Page 253 and 254: ARIADNE. 245when she had cried out
- Page 255 and 256: ARIADNE. 247striven;but evil had be
- Page 257 and 258: ARIADNE. 249my tired forehead on my
- Page 259 and 260: ARIADNE. 251■over the marble floo
- Page 261 and 262: ARIADNE. 253"I came as soon asIwas
- Page 263 and 264: ARIADNE. 255oldcold accent;but he s
- Page 265 and 266: ARIADNE. 257beenangered; he woulcl
- Page 267 and 268: ARIADNE. 259ATatican there were lon
- Page 269: ARIADNE. 261L'ENVOI.Isit by the fou
- Page 272 and 273: 2 BOOKS PUBLISHED BYDemy 8vo, price
ARIADNE. 217self that she will have fame, that will beguile heras the god came to Ariadne:perhaps:but acrossthat fame, let it become what it may, there willsettle for ever the shadow of the world's dishonour;itwiU be for ever poisoned, and cursed,and embittered by the scorn of fools, and the reproachof women, since by you they have beengiven their lashes of nettles, andbyyouhave beengiven then bye-word to hoot. She wdl walk inthe light of triumph, you say, and therefore youhave not hurt her:do you notsee that the fiercerthatlightmaybeat onher, the sharper wUl the eyesof the world search out the brand with which youhave burned her. For when do menforgive forcein the woman? and when do women ever forgivethe woman's greatness ? and when does every curfail to snarl at the- life that is higher than itsfellows ? It is by the very genius in her thatyou have had such power to wound, such powerto blight and to destroy. By so long as hernameshaU be spoken, so long wdl the wrong you havedone her cling round it, to make it meet for reproach.A mere woman dies, and her woeandhershame die with her, and the earth coversher and