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What a lifelike portrait Chopin drew in this "beautiful, deep-toned, love-laden cantilena"! For was it not the incomparable Delphine who was destined to "soothe the bitterness of sorrow" during his final hours on earth? But while hers was a soul strung with chords that vibrated to the slightest breath of sorrow, she could be vivacious as well.
We will suppose he has two claimants. From this letter here we may suppose that Delphine was one of them, his first one.
At last two or three of them heard the voice of Delphine, who saw the glimmer of their lanterns upon the sands, and called shrilly and loudly for succour. They found her swinging safely in her net, untouched by the water. But Michel had sunk down upon his knees, though his arms were still fastened about the stake.
He foresaw the revolution of 1830, and sold out both his journals, thus taking excellent care of his property. Under the new regime he started a weekly paper, which acquired a circulation of one hundred and twenty thousand copies. He soon fell in love with Madamoiselle Delphine Gay, a talented and beautiful young woman, and married her.
Delphine is really the queen of conversation; that evening she was especially sublime, brilliant, charming. Gautier was there as well; I left after having a long talk with him. He said that there was no hurry for 'Richard, Coeur d'Eponge'; the theatre is well provided at present. Balzac's mind was still running on the theatre.
Besides, his tact had discovered to him the real nature of Delphine; he divined instinctively that she was capable of stepping over her father's corpse to go to the ball; and within himself he felt that he had neither the strength of mind to play the part of mentor, nor the strength of character to vex her, nor the courage to leave her to go alone.
This time his name was entered, he was taken, and he signed a voluntary engagement. This was on November 21, 1914. There was no need for him to explain to the family what had occurred when he returned to the Villa Delphine: he was beaming. "You are going?" said his mother and sisters. "Surely." Next day he made his début at the aviation camp at Pau as student mechanician.
"And yet, Olive herself never thought of it. She does not know a word." The hand came out holding a miniature. Madame Varrillat passed it to Jean Thompson. "Ouala so popa," said Madame Delphine. "That is her father." It went from one to another, exciting admiration and murmured praise. "She is the image of him," said Madame Thompson, in an austere undertone, returning it to her husband.
A shoe grated softly on the stone step, and Madame Delphine, her heart beating in great thuds, without waiting for a knock, opened the door, bowed low, and exclaimed in a soft perturbed voice: "Miché Vignevielle!" He entered, hat in hand, and with that almost noiseless tread which we have noticed.
Meanwhile Delphine stood coolly taking the measurement of the Marquis of G., while her mother entertained one and another guest with a low-toned flattery, gentle interest, or lively narration, as the case might demand.
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