| Show I THE DEVICE OF GIRALDO THE PAINTER It I BY AiNTJHONY HOPE Author of The Prisoner ot Zenda The Dolly Dialogues etc r l jCCopyrlshfr 1805 by A H Hawkins When the 21st birthday of the Prin cess Osra approached her brother King Rudolf desiring to make her a present summoned from his home at iVerona in Italy < a painter of very high f cone by name Giraldo and commanded com-manded him to paint a portrait of the prmcess to be her brothers gift to her This command Giraldo carried out the princess giving him every op ronunity of studying her features and Krdging no time that was spent by her in front of his easel and the picture pic-ture when finished being pronounced to be as faithful as beautiful the reputation repu-tation uf Giraldo was greatly enj hanoed by the painting of it Thus it followed that in many cases when foreign princes had heard the widespread wide-spread praises of Osras beauty they sent orders to Giraldo to execute for them and dispatch with all speed miniatures min-iatures or other portraits of the princess prin-Cess that they might Judge for them Lselves whether she < were in truth as lovely as reports said and they sent H5iraldo large sums of money in recom ff ense adding not seldom some further k donation in the express term and condition con-dition that Giraldo should observe absolute ab-solute fidelity in his representation and mot permit himself the least flattery For some desired themselves to court her and others intended their sons to ask her hand if the evidence of Gird lIdos portrats satisfied their hopes fThus Girildo although but two or three years above SO grew both in tame and wealth and was very often Sndebted to the princess or the favor of a visit to his house that he might I again correct his memory of her face Now what several princes had done toefore it chanced that the King of I Glottenberg also did and Giraldo to all appearances much pleased accepted accept-ed the command and prayed the princess prin-cess to visit him for he said this picture was to be larger and more elaborate than the rest and therefore needed more study of her So the princess went many times and the portrait destlred for the King of Glot K nbErg who was said to be seeking a suitabl alliance for his eldest son grew before her eyes into the most perfect and beautiful representation of her which the skill of Giraldo had ever accomplished and surpassed even that first f1tur which he had painted by King Rudolfs command And the king toad no doubt that so soon as the pit iture had leadhed the court of Glotren Iberg an embassy would come from tther to demand the hand of his sis ttor for the crown prince a proposal which he would have received with tinudh pleasur and gratification 1 da not think said Osra tossing flier head that any such embassy will cone sire For four or five pictures have already been painted by Signor Girallo in like manner Ibut no embassies embas-sies hw come It seems that < my poor Matures do not find approval in the courts of Europe Ard her tone it must be confessed twas full of contempt For the Princess Osra knew that she was beautiful as need all beautiful ladies are by the benevolence of heaven permitted to Slow nuch greater mischief might Ahey w > rk if such knowledge were de lied them Thats true enough cried Rudolf v < And I do not understand the meaning tof it But it wH not be so at Glotten iberg For my good brother the king ihas eyes In his head and his son sees mo less well I met them in my travels trav-els and I can speak of it Most certainly cer-tainly an embassy will come from Glot ttenbert before we are a month older Yet strange to say the same thing tfnllfvrcwJ nn the receint of the nor strait t which Giraldo sent by a certain I trusty jnessenger whom he was accustomed ac-Customed to employ as had happened I Before no > mbassy came and the KIng of Glottenberg excused himself rrm paying a visit to Strelsau which tti ° and his son ihad promised on the in vltd5in of Kng Rudolf Therefore Hudnir was very vexed and Osra also thinking herself scorned was sore at Jh art although she bore herself more proudly than before And being very greatly disturbed in her mind concerning concern-ing her beauty she went herself again If tt Gialdo and charged him to paint 5ier once more MAnd this picture she said is for cny wn eyes and mine alone Therefore There-fore signor paint it faithfully and Epare me not For if a woman be ugly Ct WEre well she should know it and It seems that nobody in the kingdom hicci I Cods Curse on are for Having Slandered Slan-dered tliu Beauty I Love rill tell me the truth although I get I lints enough of it from abroad And fof frowned and flushed and was greatly out of temper as any beauti ul lady would In such a case most laturally foe Giraldo bowed very low seeking to that his ilde the sudden red dyed heek and to conceal the great joy vhich the command of the Princess I of having soften ave him For toy reason ften painted the Princess of having I 0 curiously studied her face and of laving spent so much time in her ompany listening to her conversa jon and enjoying her wit and grace h < s hopeless young man had become 0 hopelessly and desperately her over that he no longer cared to use tis brush in the service of any other ady or lord and staid at Strelsau olely that he might again and againr Jppict i the face that he loved and ave when she sat before him he eemed now unable to ply his art at 11 and had ho n received so many ommands for pictures of her he rould have sat all day long idle hinking of her Which indeed was vhat he did Jn the intervals between Lis labor on her portraits But she iOt imagining such presumption and nlly on his part thought that he las glad merely because she would lay him well so she promised him ore and more if only he would painter paint-er faithfully And he gave her his J JJ word that he would paint her in every respect most faithfully For I desire to know said she what I am in truth like for my mirror mir-ror says one thing and the King of Glottenberg But here she stopped remembering that such matters were not fit for GIraldos ears Yet he must have understood for a strange cunning cun-ning exultant smile came on his lips as he turned away and set himself tomb to-mb the colors on his palette Thus he began this last picture and the Princess came every day and staid long so that Giraldo might be able to render her likeness in every most minute respect with perfect fidelity For she thought resentfully either I have no eyes or they have none in Glottenberg But when she had thus been visiting Giraldo for hard upon a month and the picture was nearly finished and was at once the most lovely and the most faithful of all that Giraldo had painted it chanced that letters cameo came-o the King from a nobleman of France who was well known to him and had known the Princess as well the Marquis de Merosailles And the Marquis wrote to the King in the greatest indignation and scorn upbraiding up-braiding the King and saying What is this sire Do you keep a madman at your Court and call him a painter I have been at Glottenberg and when I spoke there as it is my humble duty and my true delight to speak everywhere every-where of the incomparable beauty of your Majestys sister the Princess Osra the King his son and all the company did nothing but laugh And I fought three duels with gentlemen of the court on this account and two of them I heaven helping me wounded wound-ed and one by some devils trick wounded me And after this the matter mat-ter coming to the kings ear he sent for me and excused the laughter by showing me a picture done by a rascal called Giraldo at your court and the picture was named after your majes tys most matchless sister but as I am a true son of the church it was more like a gutter wench and < n my honor and conscience it squinted most perceptibly I pray you sire find out the meaning of this thing and receive re-ceive most humble duty and homage from your devoted servant and since your graciousness so wills it most obliged and obedient friend Henri Marquis Mar-quis de Merosailles I kiss the hand of the princess When the king had read this letter he grew very thoughtful and un known to Giraldo he sent and caught the messenger whom Giraldo was wont to entrust with the pictures and who had carried the picture of which M de Merosailles wrote to Glottenberg and the king interrogated the messenger most closely but got nothing from him save that he himself never beheld the pictures which he carried but received re-ceived them most carefully packed from Giraldo and so delivered them I without undoing the coverings and did wait until the recipient had inspected the picture So that the fellow did not know anything about the picture that had gone to Glottenburg except that it was certainly the same as I Giraldo had entrusted to his hands But the king was not satisfied and learning that his sister was at that moment at Giraldos house being painted afresh by him he called half a dozen of gentlemen and set out on horseback for the place where Giraldo lived in the street that runs from the cathedral towards the western gate of Strelsau To this day the house stands there The princess sat and Giraldo painted Behind the princess was a window looking on to the street and behind Giraldo was a second door which led into an inner room On Giraldos easel stood the nearly finished picture and Giraldos eyes were alight both with love and with triumph as he turned from the princess to the picture ana from the picture to the princess again and she seeing something of his admiration I ad-miration said with a blush Is it indeed faithful signor For it seemed even to herself a marvelously marvelous-ly lovely picture No madame answered he For my imperfect hand cannot be faithful to perfection I pray you do not flatter me Have you indeed shown every fault of my face If there be a fault in your face I madame there it is also in my picture pic-ture said Giraldo The princess was silent for a moment mo-ment and then she said It is better is it not than the picture pic-ture you painted for the king of Glot tenberg Giraldo painted a stroke or two before be-fore he answered carelessly Indeed madame it is more faithful than that which the king of Glotten berg has Then less beautiful asked Osra with a petulant smile Nay I do not say that not less beautiful he answered Perhaps he would like this one better bet-ter and give me his in exchange for I never saw his after it was finished I think I will ask the king to write to himGiraldo Giraldo had suddenly turned round as the princess made this suggestion which she spoke half in sport half in continuing chagrin at the blindness shown by the court of Glottenberg Now he stood staring at her with wide open alarmed eyes and he dropped his brushes on the floor What ails you signor she cried I did but suggest changing the pictures pic-tures He tried to regain his composure as he stooped to pick up his brushes The king of Glottenbergs picture is the best for him to have said he sullenly I sul-lenly This one madame I painted I for you yourself and for you alone i I pay the price and can do what I will with the picture retorted the princess haughtily and if I desire I will give Jt to the king of Glotten berg Giraldo had now turned very pale < and forgetful of the picture stood gazing fixedly at the princess For he could no longer hold down in secrecy and silence the passion that possessed him but it was declared in his eyes and in the trembling of his limbs so that the princess rose from her chair and shrank away from him in alarm regretting that she had dismissed her ladies in order to be less restrained in talk with the painter and she tried to cry out that they might hear her where they were in an adjoining room but her cry froze on her lips at the sight of Giraldos passion and he cried in a hoarse whisper He shall not have the picture he shall not have it and as he spoke he moved nearer to the princess who still shrank away from him being now in very great alarm and thinking think-ing that surely he had run mad Yet she looked at him and looking saw whence his madness came and she felt pity for him and held out her clasped hands towards him saying in a very soft voice and with eyes that grew sad and tender Ah Signor Signor am I always to have lovers and never a friend At this the unfortunate painter was overcome and dropping his head between be-tween his hands he gave a deep half stifled sob and then he cried Gods curse on me ifor having slandered slan-dered the beauty that I love and then toe sobbed again But the princess wondered greatly what he meant by his strange cry and turning her eyes again on him in bewildered be-wildered questioning saying as she pointed to the picture There is no slander here Signor unless too much praise be slander Giraldo made no answer in words but springing towards her caught her by the wrist and drew her across the room to the door behind the easel With feverish haste he unlocked it and passed through The princess although al-though now free from his grip followed fol-lowed him in a sort of fascination Giraldo drew the door close behind him and at that moment the princess gave a cryhalf a scream half laughter for facing her she saw each on its easel three four five six pictures of herself each beautiful and painted most lovingly and the last of the six of laughter while no laughter came And as her laugh thus ended In mute horror his grew louder yet and wilder and its peal rang through the room as he gasped between his spasms of horrid mirth You you you and pointed at the picture which he had touched into devilishness But she shrank away and stood crouched aganst the wall for she knew now that he was mad but did not know to what his fury might next lead him Then he caught up a knife that lay on the sill of the window and now smiling as though in grim quiet amusement strode across to the row of pictures and reaching up to them knife in hand But Osra suddenly sprang forward crying Do not hurt them These he asked turning to her with a sneer These Ill destroy them all for they are no longer beautiful beau-tiful to me but that one only is beautiful beau-tiful because it is true and he wrenched his arm away from the detaining de-taining hand that she had laid upon it Falling back in terror she watched him cutting and slashing each of the pictures until the face was utterly destroyed de-stroyed And she feared that when he had finished with the pictures he would turn upon her therefore she flung herself on the couch hiding her face for fear of some horrible fate I and she murmured low to herself Not my face 0 God not my face and she pressed her face down into the cushions of the couch while he muttering and grumbling to himself cut the pictures into strips and rib bons and strewed the fragments at his feet on the floor And this done he turned to the face that he now loved and poured out to it as though it had been an idol he worshipped a flood of wild passionate reproachful words that Osra shivered to hear and the purport of which she dared tell none though for all her prayers she could not herself forget one of them At last he came to her again and plucked her roughly and rudely from the couch where she lay and dragged her behind him back to the door again and through it and they stood together to-gether in front of the last picture whose paint was still wet from his hand The painted face smiled down on the trembling pale girl with its smile of careless sincere dignity so that now even to herself it seemed hardly to be her picture For it was iirc i Tht 1 1 1 i c i SHE KXEW NOW THAT HE WAS MAD was the picture that had been painted by order of the king of Glottenberg for she knew it by the attire although the face had not been finished when she had last seen it A sudden enlightenment enlight-enment pierced her mind and she knew that Giraldo had not sent the pictures for which she had sat to him but had kept them himself and had sent others ito his patrons This strange conviction convic-tion found its sure confirmation in a seventh easel which stood apart from the rest on the other side of the door for it supported what was in all respect re-spect a copy of the portrait on which that Giraldo was now engaged save by cunning touches he had imparted to the face an alien and fearful aspect for here although the features had their shape and perfect grace yet it was the face of a devil that looked out on the canvas a face that a man would not have gazing at him from the wall on to the bed where he sought sleep But when Giraldo saw her eyes fixed on this picture he cried That is for youthe other is mine Are they not your features The king of Glotten berg should not have even your features fea-tures But you shall have them and if a devil looks out through such a fair mask is it not so with all fair women that lead even to destruction There is your true picture Princess Osra And he flung himself on a couch with a mad cry of rage and then a groan of despair The Prncess Osra looked at him and at the beautiful pictures and then at the picture that was like her and yet like a devil First she pitied the painter paint-er and then marveled at his wonderful wonder-ful skill that so transformed her without with-out drawing a line that could be called untrue Thus thinking she stood for a while grave and puzzled But then the humor struck her as it struck her house always in great things and small and It seemed to her most ludicrous that the pictures should all be resting here in Giraldos house while the princes princ-es who had commanded portraits of her had received nothing but distorted parodies of her face to the end that they might be disgusted and abandoning abandon-ing the alliance they had projected leave her still at Strelsau to be painted times out of number and most fruitlessly fruit-lessly by this mad painter And these thoughts gaining the mastery over the others in spite of the sad plight of unhappy un-happy Signor Giraldo her lips curved into a bow her eyes gleamed in dancing danc-ing merriment and a moment later she broke into a glad gleeful laugh that rosp and rippled and fell to soft delighted de-lighted murmurings And she looked again at the picture that was like her and also like a devil and her mirth grew and grew at the Ingenuity cJ the work and the mocking deviltry so cunningly cun-ningly made out of her face Small wonder was it to her now that the embassies em-bassies had not come The Princess Osra thus stood laughIng laugh-ing and presently Signor Giraldo I looked up and when he had listened and looked for a few moments his wild mood caught the infection from her so that springing to his feet he also began to laugh loudly like a man who cannot restrain his amusement but is carried away by it beyond all bounds and restraint Thus Giraldo laughed loudly long and fiercely for there was madness In his laugh And the princess heard the madness and even while she still laughed her eyes opened in wonder alarm came on her face her merry laugh quivered trembled trem-bled choked in her throat and at last died away into dumbness yet her lips hung apart frozen in the shape the true presentiment of a kings daughter and she no better than a helpless frightened girl It seemed to reproach her and suddenly she drew herself to her full height and turned to Giraldo saying You shall not touch it And she stepped forward so that she stood between him and the picture raising her hand and forbidding forbid-ding him to approach it with ibis knife And now the picture seemed more to be hers although while it smiled she frowned But at this moment there came through the window that opened on the street the clatter of horses hoofs At the sound Giraldo arrested the motion mo-tion he had already made to fling himself him-self at the princess whether to kill her or only to thrust her away from the front of the picture she did not know Running to the window he looked out and called In seeming glee It is the king come to see my pictures pic-tures And lIe looked proud and happy Going to the door of the room he flung it open and stood there waitIng wait-ing for the king and the gentlemen who attended the Icing They were I not long in coming for Rudolf was full of anger impatience and anxiety and ran swiftly up the staircase His gentlemen pressed into the room behind be-hind him and Giraldo drew back keeping his face to the king and bowing bow-ing again and again But the king and the rest saw the knife In his hand and ragged strips of painted canvas hung here and there on his clothes while the princess pe and proud stood guarding the picture on the easel The king in spite of his wonder won-der was not turned from the purpose Which had brought him to the painters paint-ers house but with a quick step darted dart-ed up to Giraldo and thrust the letter of the MarquIs de Merosailles into his hand bidding him in a sharp peremptory peremp-tory tone to read it and give what explanation ex-planation he could of the contents Giraldo fell to reading of lit whlie the king turned to his sister in order to ask her why she seemed agitated and stood so obstinatejy in front of her own picture but at that instant one of the gentlemen whose name was Ladislas gave a cry of surprise for he had looked through the door into the Inner room and seen the havoc and destruction that Giraldo had made and also tine strange and terrible pjc ture that alone had escaped the knife The king wondering followed Ladis las to the threshold of the inner room and passed it while his gentlemen full of curiosity crowded close on his heels after him The Princess Osra thinking herself safe found her anger and terror pass away as her mirth had passed before Now she felt in her heart that pity which borders on tenderness and which she could nevor refuse to a man that loved her let the folly of his love and of the extravagance into which it drove him be as great as it would Turning toward Giraldo she saw him fretting Ibis puckered brow with his hand and vainly seeking to compel hs disordered brain to understand M de Merosailles letter So she was very sorry for him and knowing the sudden sud-den hot temper to which the carpi lp3 king was subject she glided swiftly across to the painter and pfiisperfd Escape and hide Hide for a few days He will be furious now but he will soon forget Dont wait now but escape signor Some harm will happen hap-pen to you here and in her eager pleading with him she laid her hand on his arm and looked up in his face with Imploring eyes But he looked at her with dazed vacant stare mutter ing 1 cannot read the letter then a wistful smile came on his face and he thrust the letter towards her saying say-ing Madame will you read it for me And at that moment they heard the King swear an angry oath for he had seen the mad picture of his sister No no not now whispered Osra beseeching Giraldo Not now Signor Sig-nor Listen the King is angry Escape Es-cape now and we will read the letter afterwards And she was as earnest as though she had loved him and were praying him to save himself for the sake of her love And he looked into her softened eyes and suddenly giving giv-ing a little cry as if a great joy had come to him unexpectedly and contrary con-trary to all likelihood he dropped M de Merosailles letter and sprang to where his brushes lay on the floor and seizing them at his palette he gave another swift glance at the Princess Prin-cess and then turning to the picture began to paint with marvelous dexterity dex-terity and deftness and with the swift confidence of a man inspired to the work As he worked his brow grew smoother the tension of his strained face relaxed happiness dawned In his eyes and a smile broke on his lips and Osra watched him with a tender sorrowful gaze Still he painted and ho was painting when the King burst In from the other room in a great rage and carrying his sword drawn In his hand for he had sworn by Our Lady and St Peter to kill the rogue who had done the Princess such a wrong and so slandered her beauty And his gentlemen came in with him all very ready to see Giraldo killed but each eager that the King should leave the task to him Yet when they entered and saw Giraldo painting as though he were wrapt by some ecstasy ecsta-sy and had forgotten all that had passed nay even their very presence they paused in unwilling and constrained con-strained hesitation and Osra raised her hand to bid them stay still where they were and not interfere with Gir aldos painting For now she desired above all things on earth that he should be left to finish his task For he thought that he had read more than pity and more than tenderness in Osras eyes he had seemed to see love there and thus he was now painting as never had even he < for all his skill painted before His unerring hand moving lightly to and fro imparted the sweetness of his delusive vision to the canvas so that the eyes of the portrait glowed with wonderful and beautiful loy and gentleness Presently Present-ly Giraldo began tossing very softly to himself a sweet happy old song that peasants sang to peasant girls in the fields outside his native Verona on summer evenings His head was thrown back in triumph and exultation exulta-tion as he sang and worked tasting the luxury of love and glorying in the tribute that his genius paid to her whom he loved Thus came a moment of great joy to the soul of Giraldo the painter for a mans love and a mans work are when they seem to prosper of all things the sweetest and their union In one his lifes consummation con-summation It was done He laid down the brush and drew back a step looking on what he had done The Princess came softly and slowly as attracted at-tracted against her will and stood < by him for she saw that this picture was now beyond all compare the most perfect and beautiful of all that he or any other man had painted of her and she loved him for thus glorifying her But before many moments had gone by a sudden start and shiver ran through Giraldos body The spell of his entranced ecstacy broke his eyes fell from the masterpiece that he had made and wandered to those who stood about himto the gentlemen who did not know whether to wonder or to laugh to the angry face of the King and the naked sword in his hand at last to Osra whose eyes were still on the picture And his exultation vanished and with it went as it seemed to them his madness Reason dawned for a moment in his eyes but was quenched in an Instant by shame and despair For he knew that all had seen that other picture and they knew not what he had done and suddenly sud-denly with a stifled cry he flung himself him-self fulllength on the floor at Osras feetLet Let us wait said she gently He will = be himself again soon But the king was too angry to listen lis-ten He has made us fools before half Europe he said angrily and he shall not live to talk of it And you have you seen the picture yonder Yes I have seen it said she But he does not now think that picture like me but this one And she turned to the gentlemen and desired them to raise Giraldo and lay him on a couch and they obeyed Then she knelt by his head and after awhile he opened his eyes seeming sound of sense In everything except that he believed that she loved him so that he began to whisper to her as lovers whisper to their loves very tenderly and very Jow And the king with his gentlemen stood a little way off But the princess prin-cess said nothing to Giraldo neither refusing his love nor yet saying what was false yet she suffered him to talk and to reach up his hand and gently touch a lock of her hair that strayed on her forehead And he sighing in utter happiness and contentment closed his eyes again and lay back very quietly on the couch Let us go said she rising I will send a physician and she bade one of the gentlemen lock the inner room and give her the key and she and the king I and they all then departed and sent his servants to go tendi Giraldo and Osra caused the kings physician also Ito I-to be summoned But Giraldo did no more than linger some few days alive and for the most of them he was in a high fever his brain being wild and he raved about the princess < sometimes some-times railing at her sometimes praising prais-ing her yet once or twice he woke calm and happy as he had been when she knelt by him and having for his only delusion the thought that she still knelt there and was breathing words of love into his ear And in this last merciful error in respect of which the physicians humored him he one day a week later pasesd away and was at peace Then the princess came attended by one gentleman in whom she placed confidence and she destroyed the evil picture that Giraldo had painted and having caused a fire to be made burnt up the pieces of it and all the ruins of the pictures that Giraldo had destroyed de-stroyed But that on which he had last worked so happily and with such triumph tri-umph of art she carried with her to the palace and presently she caused copies to be made of it and sent to each of the princes by whom Giraldo had been commanded to paint her picture pic-ture and with it the money he had received re-ceived the whole of which was found to be untouched in a cabinet in his house But the picture itself she hung In her own chamber and would often look at it feeling great sorrow for the fate of Giraldo the painter Yet King Rudolf could not be prevailed pre-vailed Ito pity the young man saying that for his part he should have to be mad before the love of a woman should drive him mad and he cursed Giraldo for ani insolent knave declaring that he did well to die of his own accord And because M de Merosailles had gallantly defended his sisters beauty in three duels he sent him by the hands of a great officer his Order of the Red Rose which QI de iMeroisailles wore with great pride at the court of Varsailles But when the copies of the last picture pic-ture reached the courts to which they were addressed together with the money and a brief history of Giraldos mad doings the princes turned their thoughts again to the matter of the alliance al-liance and several embassies set out for Strelsau so that Princess Osra said with a smile that was half sad half amused and very whimsical I am much troubled by reason of the loss of Signor Giraldo my painter |
