Simone Martini

“ All the finer spirits at the beginning of the fifteenth century are malcontents. Their unrest expressed itself, according to temperament, in progress or reaction. The dominating artist 112of the moment was a reactionary, Don Lorenzo Monaco, [29] Camaldolese monk. Turning from the superficiality of the current Florentine style, he sought his corrective at Siena, his birthplace, in the decorative exquisiteness of Simone Martini and the narrative warmth and breadth of the Lorenzetti ”

“ Martin, after refusing to accept his share of the donations to the soldiers, declares his intention of leaving the army to become a priest, and when accused of cowardice by the Emperor, he offers to go forth and meet the enemy without sword or shield. Simone pictures him as he steps forth upon the perilous enterprise, holding the cross and pointing to the sky, as he refuses the helmet held out to him by the Emperor. ”

“ Simone could have cried aloud on the unkind kindness of fate in ordering her healing so. By the morrow there would be only two clear days left, the third should see the courier returned. As she thought of the gaol, with its impassable walls hiding the sinister, watching shadow, the stout-barred window niches, Simone felt sick at heart. Who could break through such barriers? Two frail girls and an old woman?
Sitting idle was intolerable. Simone stole into Mistress Keziah's empty room, and taking up the sheet Alison had been stitching, bore it back to Marion's chamber. ”

“ Marion looked again from Simone to the woman who stood, her mouth closed tight, by the door. What could have happened to affect Simone's mind thus?
'But,' she faltered, 'Elise is upstairs in her room. Are there two Elises?'
'I told my brother,' rang out Mistress Keziah's clear voice, 'I told my brother yonder girl was not a de Delauret. Had your nurse a child, my dear?' she asked, turning to Simone.
'Why, yes,' said Simone slowly. 'Let me see now. What was she called? Wait a minute. I have it! Suzanne Marie. We used to play together. How clear it is all growing!'
There was a curious pause. ”

“ The dancer is a mere sprite! I said to myself, 'It must be about the charity performance for the Armenians that she is here to consult with my mistress'!"
As she thus interpreted her own impressions, Simone busied herself in getting Juliet's ermine cloak, which previously she had laid ready on the bed. Sometimes, when the Claremanaghs were going out together in the evening, the Duke came in and took his wife's coat from Simone, slipping it in a leisurely and loving way over the white arms, as if he never tired of touching the adorable creature who belonged to him. ”

“ The familiar lines of her receptive body erased the image of the scratching angularities of their strident Brussels nightmare, as they swayed to Jacques's paean of joy.
"I said to her Simone, you will see, Paul will be there, he is but waiting to surprise you. As an artist he waits apart so not to take your mind from your work. He will tell you how great is your success this night. With him beside you, you will love New York. You will see its beauty. You will wish to remain."
"Hah!" tossed Simone to him over her shoulder as she leaned comfortably against Vermillion. ”

“ After she had whispered into Dante's ear, in the square before the Church of the Holy Name, the secret of Simone's treason, she decided that it might be as well for her to change the air of Florence for one which she could breathe in greater security. Simone of the Bardi, never a pleasant man in his best moods, would be very far indeed from proving a pleasant man to any crosser of his purpose, even if that crosser were a woman as fair as Monna Vittoria. ”

“ And if I am discovered, I must be looking at Jennifer's knees.'
'Mademoiselle,' ventured Simone, 'you must be ready, you know. The letter will doubtless be sealed. I have heard that a hot knife, run under the seal, will ease it without breaking it. You will find a knife in the kitchen, and the logs are alight. I saw the glow from the passage.'
Marion shivered slightly. ''Tis a foul thing that I set myself to do, but I must know. I must know. Quick, Simone! Take off my shoes. Stockings make no sound.'
A minute later Marion crept stealthily downstairs. ”

“ It must have been many lovers who had taught her to understand the human heart. Mature men, whatever their nature, not like those college boys who took Lucy out. Lucy was certainly the most beautiful girl and knew a lot about men too, but here she seemed like what she was, a girl. Well, that wasn't precisely the right contrast. Simone had refined what she knew into an art except that one didn't know where the artist or woman was separate, or were they? One couldn't expect Lucy to be an artist yet. After all, Simone was so much older. ”

“ Now more than ever I want to learn so that the next time I hear you it will mean even more to me, because I think you are such a great artist it's a shame to miss a word."
Simone took a deep draught of cognac and smiled with an intimacy that made Lucy prickle. No wonder Vermillion had been attracted, she seemed to have a kind of power over anyone she looked at.
"You must come," Simone was saying, "and let me explain my songs. After all, we artists of the theatre must collaborate." ”

“ Anyone could see Simone was unhappy because of Vermillion, but not about being an artist.
"Well, you know how it is, a person thinks about these things. People always think blondes have nothing in their heads. You never hear anyone say 'a dizzy brunette' only 'a dizzy blonde.'"
Simone made an inconclusive gesture of denial, put out her cigarette, and poured them each a drink. "Perhaps you have not known many artists—composers, writers, painters—that is why you romanticize," she said restlessly, wearied of the chatty detour. ”

“ As soon as the load was eased somewhat, Simone might be allowed to return; but in the meantime, excellent needlewomen were hard to find, while waiting women grew in every garden, so to speak. Thus Madame Romaine.
Simone's departure, Mrs. Martin, Lady Fairfax's woman was obliged to find time to divide her care between two mistresses, and visitors coming more and more to the house, Marion's empty hours were few. ”

“ She got into a taxi but could not go home until she thought things over. "Drive around the Park first, about to 86th and back."
She felt as if she had been in a foreign land. Simone's hands were like a hot parchment shade. For a woman to have to love women is tragic. If only she doesn't think I'm mad at her. I like her more than I thought I would but I am very very sorry for her. She's not like Miss Shaver at all. Miss Shaver really preferred that girl, and could hardly keep her hands off me. But Simone really didn't want me. ”

“ Pourquoi t'en vouloir? On mettra sans doute mon suicide au compte de cet exposé. Tant mieux, je ne veux pas qu'on affiche mon histoire amoureuse dans les journaux.
"Adieu, ma bien-aimée—mon adorée, mon adorée, ma Simone. Sois heureuse avec ton nouvel amant. Ne pense plus à moi. Qu'est-ce tout cela peut bien te faire? Mon Dieu, comme je t'ai aimée—comme je t'aime toujours, malgré moi. Mais c'en est fini. Jamais plus tu ne me perceras le coeur. Oh! J'enrage—je suis fou de douleur! Adieu.
"DENIS CATHCART."
TRANSLATION
Simone,—I have just got your letter. ”

“ The chain fell, and the door opened as if the Frenchwoman, challenged, had given the countersign. Simone squeezed through the small space allowed her, and the door instantly shut.
It was dark in the basement passage except for the light that came from a room at the back. The woman—the janitor's wife, perhaps—had a little knitted shawl over her head, as though she were suffering from neuralgia. Simone could not see what she was like, whether old or young, except that her silhouette loomed tall and slender against the dim light.
"Can you find your way up?" asked the voice. ”

“ The comely Alison, sitting at the needlework table, was sent to Marion's chamber. With her own hands Mistress Keziah poured out a glass of cordial and tendered it to Simone. She took a seat in a high-backed chair by the window, and beckoned Simone to a stool at her side. The girl's fingers trembled as she held the glass.
'You are in trouble,' said Mistress Keziah, a gentleness in her voice which Simone had not heard before, 'and so is my niece. A burden shared is a burden eased. ”

“ Are you alone? Take the saddle of mutton back, Thomas, and keep it hot while my niece prepares for supper. Tell Mercian to see to the guest chamber. How many servants have you, my dear?'
'Three men and my waiting woman, Simone. I should like you to speak to Simone, Aunt Keziah,' said Marion dropping her voice. 'She is more companion than servant. Where are you, Simone?'
Simone stepped forward from the hall. Her faultless slow curtsey, the grave dignity with which she responded to the lady's greetings, pleased Mistress Keziah mightily. Just such a servant would she have chosen herself. ”

“ He was a man to learn from. Better than Vermillion who always seemed to push you away just when you thought everything was going along fine. Simone was always between. Over there was Vida being taken in by Rad Welford. Vida knew about men in books but would have to be told about Rad.
"Nino." Simone came up—as though conjured by thought of her, Lucy thought. "Figente's protégé is to play for me some troubador songs and Spanish ones of Catalonia which you must hear." ”

“ One has a lot of ideas, but realizing them is another matter. As for Simone, what looks easy now is the result of years of trying and learning. She has many years' start on you." Suddenly irritated with himself for unthinkingly speaking of Simone's age, or of Simone at all to this girl, he added impatiently, "It's futile to worry about whether you are an artist or not. All you can do is your best and hope that with luck something will come of it. ”

“ He hoped it was a good omen that she had discarded her uniform of black velvet. Her thin ivory arms hung straight from her high narrow shoulders, and her reposed pale face, slightly tilted right, balanced the bronze coxcomb over her left eyebrow: she seemed, he thought, a burnished Phoenix risen from the muddy black-velvet-clad Simone last seen in Brussels. Standing there, she was the essence of the disillusioned poets of her era with their wryly triste allusions to the corruptions in the flesh which corrode the spirit. Around her spun a blue aura complementing her copper ”

“ Mistress Keziah shook her head. 'My brother would never do that—for Marion's sake—for Simone's sake. Once he has got over his wrath, he will only have one desire, and that to end the whole contemptible story. If I thought he was coming back to-morrow, I would counsel waiting. But I know he can only just have left London. I will take the risk of his displeasure,' continued the old woman, 'but I am too much afraid of that terrible woman to let her stay under the same roof with Simone and my niece. ”

“ Marion smiled.
'You are over nervous, Simone. Think of those men we saw brawling and fighting in the yard to-day. Are they the kind, think you, to watch the rising of the moon at an hour when all the town is sleeping? They are more likely to be snoring on their plank beds.' She stopped abruptly as she thought of Roger's couch in the dark little cell. 'Still,' she said, commenting on her own thoughts, 'a plank couch is no matter when one's sojourn is short. Now we are going to bed, Simone. My aunt said there was no need for you to attend her to-night. There is much to do to-morrow. ”

“ It is ever the way of such fellows as Simone, that are of the suspicious temperament and quick to regard folk as their enemies, to overlook, in their computation of the perils that threaten their cherished purposes, the gravest danger of all. Simone had plenty of enemies in Florence, and he thought that he had provided against all of them, or, at the least, all that were seriously to be reputed troublesome, when he swaddled and dandled and matured his precious invention of the Company of Death. ”

“ We must have someone here whom we can trust, in case of any special difficulty; and of all the set here Martini is the man in whom I have most confidence. Riccardo would do anything he could for us, of course; but I think Martini has a steadier head. ”

“ The accusing specter of Simone harassed him with an image of their twilight drifting in one of the many little rowboats festooned with Japanese lanterns. That same day at noon a couple of years ago Simone and he had picnicked as today. Memory of what followed was enough to scare any man who wanted to paint from the additional problem of perpetual fealty to one woman.
"Round this bend we can get a boat and row to the end of the lagoon. Would you like that?"
She pulled on her stockings, slippers and, standing, teetered on the uneven earth and he moved into her outstretched arms. ”

“ Simone was a vapor, a mere froth blowing away on the first breeze.
"My poor dear," the old woman said in a gentle voice. "But how could you marry someone like Sam? Don't you know what will happen? He'll dissolve us, our history, our talents, our pride. Nina is nothing but an ordinary little child."
"She's a good child," Simone said, trying not to be angry. She wanted her child to be loved, to be strong. "Nina isn't a common child," she said, with her head bent. "She's very bright."
"A man with his head full of wheels, who's at home with electricity and wires," the old woman went on. ”

“ I was saying to my aunt the night of the ball, you people here have not the slightest idea of the horrors of that time, when my Lord Jeffreys was in the West.' Marion detailed a few of the happenings. 'Now after that,' she concluded, 'can you wonder I fear for Roger?'
'That tempest is over,' said Simone. ''Tis but the growl of the dying thunder now. Dear Mademoiselle, believe me, you have caught a panic from Charity's own state when she wrote that letter, she having doubtless just heard, and saying what people had told her. Something can be done. We must think. ”