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 557 
 
ON THE SUNNY SHORE. 
 
ON THE SUISl'RY" 
 SHORE 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR OF 
 
 dUO VADIS 
 
 (HENRY SIENKIEWICZ) 
 
 Translated from the Polish by 
 
 S. C. DE SOISSONS 
 
 Author of "A Parisian in America,** ** Boston Artists," Etc. 
 
 NEW YORK 
 R. F. FENNO & COP ANY 
 
 9 AND II KAST i6TH STREET 
 
Copyright, 1897 
 
 BY 
 IL F. FENNO & COMPANY 
 
 „EN«V MORSE SreFHEM* 
 
 On The Sunny Shore 
 

 ON THE SUNNY SHORE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 In an open carriage the painter was 
 sitting beside Pani Elzen; opposite them 
 were her twins, Romulus and Remus. He 
 was thinking about her and looking at the 
 sea, and the scenery was worth looking at. 
 They were driving from Nice to Monte 
 Carlo, on the road called old Cornishe, 
 which stretched along the rocky shore. 
 To the left the view was stopped by high 
 gray bare rocks; to the right the blue 
 depth of the Mediterranean, apparently 
 lying very low, looked like a boundless 
 precipice. From the heights on which 
 they were the small fishermen^s boats looked 
 
 14138 
 
8 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 like white spots, and in the far distance it 
 was difficult to distinguish the sails from 
 seamews flying near the water. 
 
 Pani Elzen was leaning on Swirski^s 
 shoulder; and was looking with her dreamy 
 eyes on the mirror-like sea, and did not 
 seem to realize what she was doing. 
 
 Swirski felt her contact, and a shiver 
 of delight ran through him. He was 
 thinking that if Romulus and Eemus were 
 not there he would encircle her waist and 
 press her to his breast. 
 
 But in the meanwhile he was afraid that 
 if he should do so he could not hesitate 
 any longer, and would be obliged to 
 propose. 
 
 At that moment Pani Elzen said: 
 
 ^^Will you stop the carriage, please?'^ 
 
 Swirski did so, and they were silent for 
 awhile. 
 
 "What a calmness after the noise in 
 Monte Carlo !^' said the young widow. 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 9 
 
 " I hear only the mnsic/^ answered the 
 painter. ^^ It^s probable they are playing 
 onboard of an ironclad in Ville Franche.^^ 
 
 In fact^ the same wind which bore the 
 soft tones of the music from time to time 
 brought the perfume of orange blossoms 
 and heliotrope. 
 
 Beneath one could see the roofs of villas 
 scattered on the shore, hidden in the 
 thicket of eucalyptu is, andbeside them large 
 white spots formed by blossoming almonds 
 and pink palms. Still lower there was 
 seen the blue harbor of Ville Franche, 
 flooded with sunlight, with swarms of 
 large vessels. 
 
 The life seething beneath was in strange 
 contrast with the silent deadness of the 
 bare mountains, over which the trans- 
 parent sky, without a cloud, was stretched. 
 Here, amid those quiet rocks, everything 
 grew small and disappeared. The car- 
 
10 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 riage seemed to be some kind of bug, 
 glaed to the rocks. 
 
 "Here life ends entirely/^ said Swirski, 
 looking on the bare stones. 
 
 Pani Elzen leaned heavier on his 
 shoulder and answered with sleepy voice: 
 
 "It seems to me it begins here.'' 
 
 Swirski answered after awhile with a 
 certain emotion: 
 
 " Maybe you are right.'' 
 
 And he looked at her askance. Pani 
 Elzen raised her eyes to his, but soon cov- 
 ered them with her eyelids, as if she was 
 confused. Notwithstanding that opposite 
 her were sitting the two boys, at that 
 moment she looked like a young girl 
 whose eyes cannot bear the first glimmering 
 of love. Then they were both silent; only 
 from below sounds of music were heard. 
 
 In the meanwhile, far out on the sea, 
 near the entrance to the harbor, appeared 
 a white cloud of smoke, and immediately 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 11 
 
 the quietness was disturbed by Eemus, 
 who^ jumping from his seat, exclaimed: 
 
 '' Tiens! le Fohmidabler 
 
 Pani Elzen looked angrily at her young- 
 est twin. She regretted that moment, in 
 which every word would decide her future. 
 
 ^^ Kemus/^ said she, ''veux4u te tairef' 
 
 '^MaiSy maman c'est FohmiddbUr 
 
 ^^What a dreadful boy r 
 
 ''Pouliquoif' 
 
 ^^He is stupid, but this time he is 
 right,'' said Romulus. ^^ We were in Ville 
 Pranche yesterday, and they told us that 
 the whole squadron was here except the 
 Formidable, which they expect to-day.'' 
 
 To this Eemus answered with a strong 
 accentuation on the last syllable: 
 
 *^ You are stupid yourself!" 
 
 They began to fight. Pani Elzen 
 knew how much Swirski was disgusted 
 with the way the boys were being brought 
 
12 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 up and with their language. She ordered 
 them to be quiet, and then said: 
 
 ^^I told you, as well as Mr. Kresowicz, 
 that you mustn^t speak any other language 
 than Polish. '^ 
 
 Kresowicz was a student from Zurich, 
 and had consumption. Pani Elzen found 
 him in Kiviera and engaged him as a tutor 
 for her children, after she met Swirski, and 
 especially after the satirical remark of the 
 rich Pan Wiadrowski, that ^^respectable 
 houses do not educate children to be trav- 
 eling salesmen!" 
 
 In the meanwhile the Formidable 
 spoiled the humor of the impressive 
 painter. After a time the carriage, rat- 
 tling on the stones, moved further on. 
 
 " It is you who asked me to take them 
 with us," said Pani Elzen with a sweet 
 voice. ^^You are too kind to them; but 
 we must come here some moonlight night. 
 Will you come?" 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 13 
 
 ^' Every time yon wish me to,^^ answered 
 Swirski. ^^ There is no moon to-night 
 and your dinner will be very late/^ 
 
 ^afs true/' said Pani Elzen, ^^but will 
 you tell me when it will be full moon? 
 What a pity I didn't ask you to dine with 
 me alone. During the moonlight it must 
 be charming here, although to-night my 
 heart palpitates very much. If you could 
 only know how it is throbbing just now! 
 Look at my pulse; one can see it even 
 through the glove/' 
 
 Here she showed her hand, clad in a 
 very tidy glove, and offered it to Swirski. 
 He took it in both his hands and looked. 
 
 ^^I can't see it," said he, ^^but I will be 
 able to hear it." 
 
 And bending his head, he put his ear 
 on the buttons of the glove, pressed the 
 hand very close to his face, then kissed it, 
 and said : 
 
 ^^When I was a lad I used to catch 
 
14 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 birds, and their hearts throbbed in exactly 
 the same way. Your pulse is like a cap- 
 tive bird/^ 
 
 She smiled almost sadly and repeated: 
 
 ^^ Like a captive bird?^' After awhile 
 she asked: ^' What did you do with the 
 captive birds?'* 
 
 *^I was very much attached to them, 
 but they always flew away/* 
 
 '' Bad birdsr 
 
 The painter spoke further with a certain 
 emotion : 
 
 ^' It always happened that way in my 
 life. I searched in vain for a bird which 
 would like to remain with me; finally I 
 lost even hope.** 
 
 ^^Xo! You must keep that/* answered 
 Pani Elzen. 
 
 Here Swirski said to himself that, as 
 this thing began so long ago, it must be 
 finished as it will please God. In that 
 moment he had the impression of a man 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 15 
 
 who staffs his ears with his fingers and 
 covers his eyes with his hands when he 
 wishes to plunge; but he felt that it must 
 be done, and that there was no time for 
 reflections. 
 
 ^' Would you not prefer to take a walk?" 
 he asked. ^^ The carriage can follow us, 
 and then we will have more freedom to 
 talk." 
 
 ^' Very well," said Pani Elzen with de- 
 termination. 
 
 Swirski touched the coachman with his 
 stick, the carriage stopped, and they all 
 alighted. Eomulus and Kemus rushed for- 
 ward, throwing stones over the precipices, 
 while Swirski and Pani Elzen remained 
 behind. But evidently there was some 
 ill-fate over them that day, for before they 
 could take advantage of the moment they 
 perceived a cavalier, followed by a groom, 
 coming from Monaco stop where Eomulus 
 and Remus were. 
 
16 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ''It is De Sinten/' said Pani Elzen 
 impatiently. 
 
 ''Yes, I recognize him.*' 
 
 In fact, they noticed the head of a horse, 
 and above it the horse-like face of the 
 young De Sinten. He hesitated at ap- 
 proaching, but evidently thought that if 
 they had wished to be alone they would 
 not have taken the boys with them; so he 
 jumped from his horse, and handing the 
 reins ^to the groom, greeted them with a 
 bow. 
 
 " Good-morning, '* said Pani Elzen, a 
 little dryly. " It's your hour?'^ 
 
 "Yes. In the morning I shoot pigeons 
 with Wilkisbey; therefore I can't] ride, as 
 it might disturb my pulse. I have seven 
 pigeons more than he already. Do you 
 know that the Formidable is coming to 
 Ville Franche to-day, and that day after 
 to-morrow the admiral gives a ball on 
 board of her?" 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 17 
 
 ^^ We have seen her coming in/^ 
 
 '^I was just going to Ville Franche to 
 see an officer, a friend of mine, but it^s too 
 late now. If you will permit, I will return 
 with you to Monte Carlo/^ 
 
 Pani Elzen assented by a nod of her 
 head and they walked on together. Sin- 
 ten, being a horseman by vocation, imme- 
 diately began to talk about his hunter, 
 which he had been riding. 
 
 ''I purchased him from Waxdorf,*^ said 
 he. '^ Waxdorf lost in trente et quarante 
 and was in need of money. He played on 
 i7iverse and he had met a series of six, but 
 then the cards changed."' Then he turned 
 to the horse, saying: ^^ Pure Irish blood, 
 and I bet my neck that there is no better 
 hunter in the whole Cornishe, only he is 
 difficult to mount. ^^ 
 
 "Is he balky?''' asked Swirski. 
 
 ^^ Once on his back he is as gentle as a 
 
18 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 child. He is already accustomed to me, 
 but you could not mount him/^ 
 
 Swirski, who in the matter of sport was 
 very vain, said: 
 
 ^^ Why not?" 
 
 *^ Better not brag, at least not here on 
 the precipice," exclaimed Pani Elzen. 
 
 But Swirski was already near the horse, 
 and in the twinkling of an eye was sitting 
 in the saddle, without any resistance what- 
 ever from the horse, which, though per- 
 haps balky, thought it would be better 
 not to cut any fancy capers on the prec- 
 ipice. 
 
 The horse and rider in a short gallop 
 disappeared at a turn of the road. 
 
 '' He is sitting quite well," said De Sin- 
 ten, "but he will spoil my horse. Pre- 
 cisely speaking, there are no roads here 
 for riding." 
 
 '^ Your horse proved to be very quiet," 
 said Pani Elzen. 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 19 
 
 ^^ I am very glad of it, because I was 
 afraid there would be an accident/^ 
 
 On his face, however, there was a look 
 of embarrassment; in the first place, be- 
 cause what he said about difficulties while 
 mounting the horse looked like a lie, and 
 then there was a certain antipathy between 
 him and Swirski. 
 
 It is true that De Sinten never had any 
 serious plans in regard to Pani Elzen, but 
 he preferred that nobody should interfere 
 with those he had. Besides, a few days 
 before there had been some bitter words 
 exchanged between him and Swirski. Sin- 
 ten, being an inveterate aristocrat, said 
 once, during a dinner at Pani Elzen^s 
 hotel, that '^ according to his opinion the 
 man begins with a baron. ^^ To that Swir- 
 ski, who was in bad humor, asked: ^^On 
 which side?'^ The young man took this 
 question very much to heart, and began 
 to consult Pan Wiadrowski and Counselor 
 
20 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 Kladzki as to how he should act. Then 
 he learned, to his great astonishment, that 
 Swirski had a princely crown in his coat- 
 of-arms. The knowledge of Swirs^i's ex- 
 traordinary strength and his skill in the 
 use of pistols pacified the baron^s nerves 
 in such a way that the angry words left 
 only a dislike in both hearts. And then, 
 since Pani Elzen seemed to prefer Swirski, 
 this dislike became purely platonic. 
 
 The painter, however, felt it the more 
 of the two. Nobody thought that the 
 whole aifair would end in matrimony, but 
 among acquaintances they began to talk 
 about his sentiment for Pani Elzen. On 
 his part he suspected that Sinten and his 
 companions were laughing at him. It is 
 true they did not betray themselves by 
 even one word, but just the same Swirski 
 thought so, and he resented it, principally 
 for Pani Elzen^s sake. 
 
 Therefore he was glad that, thanks to 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 21 
 
 the peaceful disposition of the horse. Sin- 
 ten appeared to be a man who, even with- 
 out any reason, would say things not true; 
 so on his return he said: 
 
 ^' Very good horse, and he is good be- 
 cause he is as quiet as a lamb/^ 
 
 Then he dismounted and they walked 
 on together. Pani Elzen, in order to get 
 rid of Sinten, began to talk about art, of 
 which the young sportsman had not even 
 the slightest idea. But he preferred to 
 tell them the gossip of the gambling 
 establishment, and he also congratulated 
 her on the good luck she had had last night. 
 She listened with constraint, being ashamed 
 to be told before Swirski that she had par- 
 ticipated in the game. Her embarrass- 
 ment increased all the more when Eomulus 
 said: 
 
 ''Maman, you told us that you should 
 never gamble. Give each of us a louis for 
 it, will you?'' 
 
22 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 She answered as if not talking to any 
 one personally: 
 
 '^ I was looking for the Counselor Kladz- 
 ki to invite him to dinner to-day: then we 
 enjoyed a little game/^ 
 
 ^^Give each of us a louis/^ repeated 
 Eomulus. 
 
 ^^Or buy us a small roulette/^ added 
 Eemus. 
 
 ^^Don^t tease me. Let us go to the 
 carriage. Au revoir, Monsieur de Sin ten.'' 
 
 ^^At seven r 
 
 ^^At seven.'' 
 
 Then they separated, and after awhile 
 Swirski again found himself sitting beside 
 the beautiful widow; but this time they were 
 occupying the front seat, because they 
 wished to look at the sunset. 
 
 ^' They say that Monte Carlo is better 
 sheltered than Mentone," said the widow; 
 ^^but how it tires me! — this continual 
 noise, the movement, and the acquaintances 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 23 
 
 which one must unwillingly make. Some- 
 times I wish I could run away from here 
 and spend the rest of the winter in some 
 quiet corner where I would see only people 
 whom I wish to see. Which place do you 
 like the bestr 
 
 *^ I like St. Eaphael very much.^^ 
 
 ^^ Yes, but it is so far from Nice/^ she 
 answered in a soft voice, '' and you have 
 your studio in Nice." 
 
 A moment of silence followed, then 
 Pani Elzen asked again: 
 
 '^How about Antibes?" 
 
 ^^ Thaf s true. I had almost forgotten 
 Antibes." 
 
 ^^It^s so near Nice. You must stay 
 after dinner; then we can decide which 
 will be the best place to go to." 
 
 He looked into the depth of her eyes 
 and asked : 
 
 ^^ Would you truly like to escape from 
 the people?" 
 
34 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ^^Let ns speak frankly/^ she answered. 
 " In your question I feel a doubt. You 
 suspect that I am talking in order to show 
 myself better, or at least less superficial 
 than I am. You are right to think that 
 way, for you see me in the whirlpool of 
 society continually. But I will say that 
 very often one follows a certain movement 
 only for the reason that he is pushed in 
 that direction against his will, and must 
 bear the consequences of his previous life. 
 As for me, maybe there is in me the feeble- 
 ness of a woman, who, without somebody^s 
 help, lacks energy? — ^granted. But it 
 does not prevent me from longing very 
 sincerely for some peaceful corner and 
 quiet life. They may say what they 
 please, but we are like climbing plants — 
 when they can^t climb they crawl on the 
 ground; therefore the people are very 
 often mistaken in thinking that we crawl 
 voluntarily. By this crawling I under- 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 25 
 
 stand merely an empty life without any 
 higher thoughts. But how can I defend 
 myself ? Somebody asks his friend to be in- 
 troduced to me, then he pays me a visit — 
 the second, asks, and so on. What can I 
 do? Eefuse him? Why, no! Therefore 
 I invite, but only for this reason, that the 
 more people I have in my drawing-room 
 the more they make themselves indiffer- 
 ent, and in that way nobody can get an 
 exclusive position. ^^ 
 
 " You are right in that,^^ said Swirski. 
 
 ^^ You see, in that way there is created 
 a stream of worldly life, of which I can^t 
 get rid of by myself, and which often tires 
 and disgusts me so much that I almost cry 
 from weariness. ^^ 
 
 ^^ I believe you.^^ 
 
 ^^You ought to believe me; but you 
 must believe this also — that I am better 
 and less frivolous than I appear. When 
 any doubts arise, or when people talk of 
 
26 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 me, you must think that I possess 
 some good qualities. If you will not 
 think that way I shall be very unhappy. ^^ 
 
 *^I give you my word that I always 
 prefer to think the kindliest of you.^' 
 
 *^It ought to be so/' she answered in a 
 soft voice, "because, even if everything 
 that is good in me were deadened, it would 
 regenerate in your company. It depends 
 so much with whom one lives. I would 
 like to say something, but I am afraid. ^^ 
 
 "Tell mer 
 
 " But you mustn't accuse me of exalta- 
 tion or of anything worse, for I am not 
 exalted. I am talking as a well-balanced 
 woman, who states only that which exists 
 though wondering a little at the fact. Well, 
 then, with you I find my perverse soul all 
 quiet and sunny, the same as when I was a 
 young girl, although to-day I am an old 
 woman. I am thirty-five years old.^^ 
 
 Swirski looked at her with a beaming, 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 27 
 
 almost enamoured face ; then he slowly 
 raised her hand to his lips, after which he 
 said: 
 
 ^^Ah! beside me you are still a young 
 girl, for I am forty-eight — here is my 
 picture r^ 
 
 Having said this he pointed with his 
 finger to the sunset. 
 
 And she looked toward that light, which 
 was reflected in her radiant eyes; then she 
 spoke softly, as to herself: 
 
 "Great, marvelous, dear sun!^^ 
 
 Then followed a silence, while a quiet 
 red light fell on their faces. In fact, 
 the great and marvelous sun was setting, 
 and underneath it the light, transparent 
 clouds shone like gold. 
 
 Near the shore the sea was plunged in 
 shadow, but further out on the deep 
 there was a great gleam, while beneath on 
 the lilac background of the air the motion- 
 less cypresses were standing out. 
 
28 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 CHAPTEK II. 
 
 The guests invited by Pani Elzen gath- 
 ered in the H6tel de Paris at seven o'clock 
 in the evening. They had given her a 
 separate dining-room, with a small draw- 
 ing-room attached, in which the coffee 
 was served after the dinner. The lady 
 announced ^^an informal affair/^ but the 
 men did not know what to think about it, 
 and they came in evening dress and white 
 cravats. She was dressed in a pale-pink 
 low-cut dress, and looked quite young and 
 fresh with her delicate face and small 
 head that so enchanted Swirski. Her 
 ample shoulders were white and transpar- 
 ent, like mother-of-pearl, while from her 
 eyes beamed the happiness which she felfc. 
 
 Among the guests, besides Swirski and 
 De Sinten, were the old Counselor Kladz- 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 29 
 
 ki, with his nephew Zygmund, a young 
 nobleman, not very polished, but auda- 
 cious, whose eyes shone too brightly to 
 suit PaniElzen; Prince Walery Porzecki, 
 a man forty years old, with a large 
 face, bald head, and the pointed skull 
 of an Aztec; Pan Wiadrowski, rich and 
 malicious, owner of petroleum wells in 
 Galicia, art lover and dilettante; and 
 Kresowicz, a student and temporary tutor 
 of Romulus and Remus. Pani Elzen had 
 invited him because Swirski liked his 
 fanatical face. 
 
 The young hostess had always wished, 
 and now more than ever, to have, as sho 
 expressed it, * ^ an intellectual salon/^ But 
 in the beginning she could not turn the 
 conversation from local gossip and inci- 
 dents of the gambling house which Wi- 
 adrowski called ^*Slav,^' reasoning that 
 there one could hear more Slav spoken than 
 any other language. Wiadrowski spent 
 
30 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 his time in Monte Carlo laughing at his 
 own countrymen and other younger Slav 
 brothers. It was his hobby; therefore he 
 began to tell that two days ago he had 
 seen in Cercle de la Mediterranee, at six 
 o'clock in the morning, only seven people, 
 and all were Slavs. 
 
 ^' We are born that way,^ said he, turn- 
 ing to the hostess. " Other people count 
 thus: Nine, ten, eleven, twelve, etc.; 
 but every true Slav will say: Nine, ten, 
 jack, queen, king. Yes! The cream of 
 our society comes to Monte Carlo, and here 
 one makes the cheese out of it.'^ 
 
 To that Prince Walery, with the pointed 
 skull, pronounced, with the voice of a 
 man who discovers unknown facts, that 
 every abused passion is perilous, but that 
 to Cercle de la M6diterranee belong many 
 distinguished foreigners whose acquaint- 
 ance is valuable and useful. One can 
 serve one's country everywhere. Three 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 31 
 
 days ago he had met there an Englishman, 
 Chamberlain's friend, and this English- 
 man asked him about Poland, and he, the 
 prince, wrote him on a visiting card the 
 political and economical situation in gen- 
 eral and the social aspiration in particular. 
 This card most assuredly will reach, if not 
 Chamberlain's hands, because he is not 
 here, at least Salisbury's, which will 
 be still better. Probably they will meet 
 Salisbury at the ball which the French 
 admiral is going to give. During this 
 ball the Formidable will be lighted a 
 giorno with electricity. 
 
 Kresowicz, who was not only consump- 
 tive, but also a man who belonged to the 
 red party, and hated the society in 
 which, being the tutor of Eomulus and 
 Eemus, he was obliged to live, began to 
 laugh sneeringly, like a hyena, on hearing 
 about the visiting card. Pani Elzen, not 
 wishing to pay any attention to him, said: 
 
32 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ^^ At any rate, people here do marvels. 
 I hear that the whole way from Nice to 
 Marseilles will be lighted by electricity." 
 
 ^^The engineer Ducloz was preparing 
 snch a plan," said Swirski, "but he died 
 a couple of months ago. He was such an 
 enthusiastic electrician that in his will 
 he asked to have his tomb lighted with 
 electricity." 
 
 *^ On his tombstone," said Wiadrowski, 
 "he ought to have the inscription/ Eter- 
 nal rest give him, Lord, and may elec- 
 tricity light him for ages on ages. 
 Amenr" 
 
 But the old Counselor Kladzki scolded 
 him for joking on serious things; then he 
 attacked the whole Riviera. Everything 
 here is pretext and hlagucy beginning with 
 the people and ending with things. Every- 
 where one meets marquises, counts and 
 viscounts, but one must look out that they 
 do not steal the handkerchief from one^s 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 33 
 
 pocket. It is the same with comfort; in 
 his office in Wieprzowiski one could put 
 five such small rooms as the one they give 
 Mm in the hotel. The doctors sent him 
 to Nice to get fresh air, and the Prome- 
 nade des Anglais smells like a Jewish back- 
 yard — his nephew Zygmund can testify to 
 it. But Zygmund^s eyes were looking at 
 Pani Elzen^'s shoulders, and he did not 
 hear anything. 
 
 ^^You must go to Bordighieri/^ said 
 Swirski. ^^ The Italian dirt is artistic at 
 least.'' 
 
 '' But you are living in Nice, just the 
 same.'' 
 
 ^'Because I can't find a studio on the 
 other side of Ventimigli. But if I should 
 change I would go to Antibes." 
 
 Here he looked at Pani Elzen, who 
 smiled and dropped her eyes. 
 
 After a while, however, wishing to give 
 to the conversation an artistic tendency. 
 
34 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 she began to talk about Eumpelmayer^s ex- 
 hibition and about some new pictures which 
 she had seen two days ago, and which the 
 French journalist Krauss called iynpres- 
 sionistico-decada7its, Wiadrowski raised 
 his voice and asked with the tone of 
 Pjrron: 
 
 ^^Who are decadants, anyhow?" 
 ^'One might say," answered Swirski, 
 ^^ that they are people who prefer the dif- 
 ferent sauces with which the art is served 
 to the art itself." 
 
 But the Prince Porzecki was vexed at 
 Kladzki^s opinion of marquises, counts 
 and viscounts. '^ Even the rascals coming 
 here belong to the higher species of ras- 
 cals, and they are not satisfied with steal- 
 ing a handkerchief. One can meet here 
 great pirates. But besides these there 
 come here the most refined and richest 
 people, and it is very proper that high 
 finances meet here high birth, because in 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 35 
 
 that way the world becomes polished! 
 Pan Kladzki ought to read novels like 
 ^Idylle Tragique/ and he would persuade 
 himself that besides suspicious characters 
 one meets here those of the highest social 
 rank— such as will be met with on the 
 Formidable.'' 
 
 They began to talk about '^ Idylle Tra- 
 gique/' Young Kladzki, speaking about 
 the hero of that novel, made a remark that 
 he was stupid in giving up a woman for a 
 friend, and that he, Kladzki, would not 
 do it — not for ten friends — but would for 
 his own brother. Wiadrowski interrupted 
 him, the French novels being his other 
 hobby: 
 
 "What makes me very angry/' said he, 
 " is this selling of dyed foxes instead of 
 natural ones. If those gentlemen are 
 realists they must write the trnth. Have 
 they paid any attention to their heroines? 
 The tragedy begins by the lady fighting 
 
36 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 with herself and continuing to struggle 
 most dreadfully through half the volume, 
 and from the first page I know, so help me 
 God, how it will end. How tedious it is, 
 and how often it is repeated! I admit 
 that fast women must be tolerated, and 
 that they have certain rights to literature 
 also, but they must not sell me a fast 
 woman for a tragical princess, when I 
 know that such souls have had lovers be- 
 fore the tragedy began and will have them 
 after the tragedy ends. They will struggle 
 again as before and everything will finish 
 in the same way. What a falsehood, what 
 an atrophy of moral sense and the sense of 
 verity! And fco think that in our country 
 they read, that they receive as good mer- 
 chandise and accept as if they were dramas 
 those farces of boudoirs — and that they 
 take them so seriously! In that way the 
 difference between the honest woman and 
 the fast woman diminishes; and the right 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 37 
 
 of citizenship is given to cuckoos which 
 do not have their own nests. Then such 
 a French gilding is put on our dolls, and 
 they do anything under the flag of such 
 authors! In such books there are neither 
 principles, characters, sentiment of duty, 
 nor moral sense — nothing but false aspi- 
 rations — a psychological conundrum !^^ 
 Wiadrowski was too intelligent not to 
 understand that in talking in that way he 
 was throwing a stone at Pani Elzen; but 
 he was a thoroughly malicious man, and 
 he spoke thus on purpose. Pani Elzen 
 listened to his words with considerable 
 dissatisfaction, although there was much 
 truth in his speech. Swirski was anxious 
 to answer him sharply, but he understood 
 it would not be proper to take Wiadrow- 
 ski^s words as if he had referred to some 
 one personally; therefore he preferred to 
 take up the whole matter from another 
 point of view. 
 
38 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ^^As for me/^ said he, *^^ I have noticed 
 that in French novels all women are 
 sterile. Elsewhere, when two people are 
 in love, in a legitimate or illegitimate way, 
 the consequence of the love is a child, but 
 here nobody has children. How strange 
 it is! Because those gentlemen who write 
 the novels think that the love can remain 
 unpunished. ^^ 
 
 ^^Such society! such literature !^\ an- 
 swered old Kladzki. ^^ It is known that 
 the population is diminishing in France. 
 Among the higher classes a child is 
 rare!^^ 
 
 ^^Mais dest plus co^nynode et plus ele- 
 gmit/' said Sinten. 
 
 But Kresowicz, who had before sneered, 
 now said: 
 
 ^^ It^s the literature of slothful people, 
 and it must perish with them.^^ 
 
 ^^What do you say?" asked Sinten. 
 
 The student turned his passionate face 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 39 
 
 to him: ^^ I say it^s the literature of sloth- 
 ful people/^ 
 
 ^^ Every class of people has its duty and 
 its pleasures/^ said he. '^ I have two pas- 
 sions — politics and photography.^^ 
 
 The dinner was almost ended, and a 
 quarter of an hour later they all passed to 
 the little salon, where the coffee was 
 served. Pani Elzen lighted a thin cigar- 
 ette, and leaning comfortably in an arm- 
 chair, crossed her feet. It seemed to her 
 that a certain nonchalance ought to please 
 Swirski, who was an artist and a Bohe- 
 mian. 
 
 But as she was comparatively short 
 and had large hips, in the act of crossing 
 her feet her dress was raised too high. 
 Young Kladzki immediately dropped a 
 match and began to search on the floor, 
 and he continued looking for it so long 
 that his uncle was obliged to whisper to 
 bim angrily; 
 
4:0 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ^^What do you imagine? "Where are 
 
 your 
 
 And the young nobleman stretched him- 
 self and whispered back: 
 
 ^^ That's the trouble. I don^t know 
 where I am.^^ 
 
 Pani Elzen knew by experience that 
 even well-bred men, when they have the 
 smallest opportunity, become rough, espe- 
 cially in the presence of women without 
 protection. This time, it is true, she did 
 not see young Kladzki^s movement, but 
 having noticed the disdainful and almost 
 cynical smile with which he answered his 
 uncle, she was sure he was talking about 
 her. And she felt a contempt for all the 
 company, with the exception of Swirski 
 and Kresowicz, whom she suspected of 
 being in love with her, notwithstanding 
 his hatred for the women of her social 
 rank. But she almost had an attack of 
 hysterics that evening on account of Wia- 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 41 
 
 drowski's talk, because it seemed that he 
 wished to poison her every spoonful of cof- 
 fee in exchange for her good dinner. He 
 spoke generally and apparently objectively 
 about women, not overstepping the limits 
 of decency, bat at the bottom of his talk 
 there was not only cynicism but also plenty 
 of allusions to Pani Elzen^'s character and 
 her social standing — and those allusions 
 were offensive and very unpleasant, espe- 
 cially in Swirski's presence, who suffered 
 very much on account of it. 
 
 Therefore a load fell from her heart 
 when finally the guests departed and the 
 painter alone remained. 
 
 ^^Ah!^^ she exclaimed, breathing deeply, 
 ^^I feel the beginning of a headache, and 
 I don't know what is the matter with 
 myself !'' 
 
 ^^Have they tired you?'' 
 
 " Yes, yes — more than tired!'' 
 
 ^^ Why do you invite them?^' 
 
42 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 And, as if she could not control her 
 nerves, she approached him feverishly: 
 
 '' Sit down and do not move! I don't 
 know — perhaps you will think ill of me, 
 but I need it like medicine. That way! 
 To remain that way with an honest man! 
 That way!'' 
 
 Having said this she sat beside him, put 
 her head on his shoulder, and closed her 
 eyes. 
 
 ^^ Yes, only a moment that way! only a 
 moment!'' 
 
 Suddenly her eyelids were moistened 
 with tears, but she pressed Swirski's lips 
 with her finger, in order to prevent him 
 from speaking and in order to remain 
 silent herself. 
 
 His heart throbbed, being always as soft 
 as wax when he saw a woman crying. He 
 was pleased with the confidence she placed 
 \x\ biiii, 51^ understood that fh^ 4^ci8iv§ 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 43 
 
 moment had come; therefore, encircling 
 her waist with his arm, he said: 
 
 '^Eemain with me forever; give me the 
 right over you/^ 
 
 Pani Elzen did not answer; only from 
 her eyes fell big, quiet tears. 
 
 ''Be mine!"" repeated Swirski. 
 
 Then she threw her hand on his other 
 shoulder and nestled to him as a child 
 nestles to its mother. 
 
 And Swirski, having bent, kissed her 
 forehead; then he began to wipe her tears 
 with kisses, and gradually the flame was 
 seizing him; after awhile he took her in 
 his arms, pressed her to his breast, and 
 touched her mouth with his lips. 
 
 But she defended herself. 
 
 ^'No! no !'^ she said breathlessly, ^^yon 
 are not like the others. No! no! Have 
 mercy !'^ 
 
 Swirski held her in his arms; in that 
 jTioment h^ w^^ exactly like the others^ 
 
44: On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 but happily for Pani Elzen a soft knocking 
 at the door was heard. 
 
 They separated immediately, jumping in 
 opposite directions. 
 
 ^^ Who is there ?^^ asked Pani Elzen im- 
 patiently. 
 
 Kresowicz^s gloomy face appeared in the 
 doorway. 
 
 ^^ Excuse me/^ said he with trembling 
 voice, ^^Komulus is coughing, and I am 
 afraid he has the fever. I thought it 
 would be proper to let you know about it.:*^ 
 
 Swirski arose. 
 
 '' Shall I go for a doctor^ 
 
 But Pani Elzen had already recovered 
 her coolness. 
 
 ^^ Thank you,^' said she; ^^if it be nec- 
 essary we can send some one from the 
 hotel; but first I must see the child. 
 Thank you! I must be going. There- 
 fore, until to-morrow, thank you!^^| 
 
 Having said this, she stretched toward 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 45 
 
 him her hand, which Swirski raised to his 
 mouth. 
 
 '^ Until to-morrow and every day, au 
 revoir r 
 
 Pani Elzen, having remained with 
 Kresowicz, looked at him inquiringly. 
 
 ^^ What is the matter with Eomulus?^^ 
 
 He became still paler, and answered 
 almost roughly: 
 
 ^^ Nothing r 
 
 '' What do you mean?^^ asked she, frown- 
 ing. 
 
 ^^It means that you must chase me out, 
 because I will become mad!'' 
 
 And he went out. 
 
 Pani Elzen stood for awhile with the 
 lightning of anger in her eyes and with 
 frowning eyebrows, but gradually her 
 forehead became smooth. In fact, she 
 was thirty-five years old, and here was a 
 new proof that until now nobody could 
 resist her charms. 
 
46 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 After awhile she approached the mirror 
 as if looking for an affirmation of that 
 thought. 
 
 In the meanwhile Swirski was returning 
 to Nice in an empty railroad car, contin- 
 ually raising to his face his hands, which 
 were scented with heliotrope. He felt 
 uneasy, though happy, and the blood 
 rushed to his head when he smelled Pani 
 Elzen's favorite perfume. 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 47 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The next day, however, when he awak- 
 ened his head was heavy, as if he had spent 
 the night in drinking; and there was a great 
 uneasiness in his heart. When daylight 
 falls upon the theatrical scenery, then that 
 which during the evening looked enchant- 
 ing appears to be a daub. The same hap- 
 pens in life. Swirski had not met with 
 anything unexpected. He knew that he 
 was drifting toward what happened the 
 preceding night and that he must eventu- 
 ally reach it, but now when everything 
 was ended, an incomprehensible fear seized 
 him. He thought yesterday that he could 
 retreat, but now it was too late. In vain 
 he repeated to himself that there was no 
 
48 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 time for reasoning. Different objections, 
 which he had made to himself, to Pani 
 Elzen, and especially to marriage with 
 her, returned to his mind with increased 
 force. The voice which before whispered 
 constantly into his ear, '^ Don^'t be an ass!'^ 
 now began to shout, *^You are an assF^ 
 And he could silence it neither by argu- 
 ments nor by repeating ^*^It is doneT^ 
 because common sense said to him that a 
 stupid thing had been done, and the cause 
 of it was his feebleness. 
 
 And at this thought he was ashamed. 
 Were he a youngster he could excuse him- 
 self by youth; had he just met this lady 
 on the Kiviera, and heard nothing about 
 her, he would be justified, for he would not 
 have known her character and her heart. 
 It is true he had seen her seldom, but he 
 had heard enough about her, because in 
 Warsaw they talked about her more than 
 about anybody else. They called her 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 49 
 
 " Wonder - wife/^ and the local gossips 
 used to sharpen their witty tongues on her 
 as a knife is sharpened on a stone, which, 
 however, did not stop the men from crowd- 
 ing her drawing-room. The women, al- 
 though more hostile toward her, received 
 her also, on account of numerous relation- 
 ships by which she was bound to society 
 people. Some of them, especially those 
 who were interested that public opinion 
 should not be too severe, even defended 
 the beautiful widow. Others, less indul- 
 gent, did not dare to close the door against 
 her, because they did not wish to be the 
 first in doing it. A certain local play- 
 writer, hearing some one calling Pani 
 Elzen a ^^ demi-monde,^' said that she was 
 neither ^^the whole world nor half a 
 world, but rather three-quarters of an hour 
 into the world/^ But as in larger cities 
 everything smoothes, therefore Pani El- 
 zen's situation was smoothed also. Her 
 
50 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 friends used to say: ^^It's true that one 
 cannot ask from Helena extraordinary 
 virtues, but she has her good sides/^ And 
 unknowingly they granted her the right 
 to be more free than the others. Some- 
 times they mentioned that before her hus- 
 band^s death she had not lived with him 
 for several years; sometimes they muttered 
 that she was bringing up Komulus and 
 Kemus to be clowns, or that she did not 
 care about them at all; were Pani Elzen 
 less beautiful and less rich nobody would 
 have paid any attention to such malicious 
 remarks. But the men did not restrain 
 themselves in their conversation about 
 her. Even those who were in love with 
 her attacked her through jealousy; the 
 only silent one was he who appeared to be 
 more lucky than the others. In general, 
 however, the malignity went so far that 
 they said that Pani Helena had one lover 
 for her sojourn in the city during the 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 51 
 
 winter and another for the summer sea- 
 son. Swirski knew about all this. He 
 knew even more than others, because a 
 certain Mrs. Bronish, with whom he was 
 acquainted in Warsaw, being a good friend 
 of the beautiful widow, told him about 
 some serious accident to Pani Elzen which 
 terminated by a long illness. ^' God only 
 knows how terribly poor Helena suifered, 
 and it must be that in mercy it came 
 beforehand, in order to preserve her from 
 greater moral sufferings!" It is true that 
 Swirski supposed that this ^^ serious acci- 
 dent" was purely a lie, but at any rate it 
 was impossible for him to have any illu- 
 sions about Pani Elzen, or at least he 
 could not believe she was the woman to 
 whom one could safely trust one^s hap- 
 piness. 
 
 Just the same, all this news excited his 
 curiosity and attracted him toward her. 
 Having heard about her sojourn in Monte 
 
52 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 Carlo, he wished to meet her and know 
 her better. As an artist he wished also to 
 see for himself the charm by which this 
 woman, so generally slandered, bewitched 
 the men. 
 
 In the beginning he experienced only 
 disillusion. She was beautiful and sensu- 
 ally attractive, but he noticed that she 
 was lacking in kindness and good will 
 toward the people. The men interested 
 her only so far as they stood in some rela- 
 tion to her — were necessary to her. Beyond 
 that she was as indifferent as a stone. 
 Swirski did not notice in her any admira- 
 tion for intellectual life, for literature, for 
 art. She took from it what was necessary 
 for her, giving nothing reciprocally. And 
 he, as an artist and a thinking man, un- 
 derstood perfectly that such a state of the 
 soul betrays a barbarous and gross nature, 
 notwithstanding all refined appearances. 
 He had known such women before. He 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 53 
 
 knew that they dominated the people by 
 a certain strength, produced by determina- 
 tion and a large, absolute egotism. About 
 such beings they said very often when he 
 was present: ^^ She is cold but intelligent.^^ 
 But he always thought of such women 
 with disdain. According to his judgment 
 they were a species destitute of higher 
 spiritual culture, and even common sense, 
 because the common sense which 
 wants everything for itself and does 
 not grant anything to others the animals 
 possess also. Equally in Pani Elzen, as 
 well as in Eomulus and Remus, he saw the 
 type in which culture begins and ends 
 with the skin, leaving untouched the ple- 
 beian and rougher depths. Besides that he 
 was shocked by her cosmopolitanism. In 
 fact, she was like a worn-out piece of 
 money — it was difficult to distinguish to 
 what country she belonged; Swirski was 
 disgusted with it, not only because he 
 
54 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 looked differently on that question, but 
 also as a man who was acquainted with 
 really good society and knew that the best 
 people in England, France, or Italy looked 
 with disdain on those Nicean-cosmopolite 
 weeds without roots. 
 
 Wiadrowski was right in saying that 
 Eomulus and Eemus were brought up as 
 traveling salesmen or porters in big hotels. 
 It was a well-known fact that Pani Elzen's 
 father had a title, but that her grand- 
 father was an overseer, and it appeared to 
 Swirski, who possessed an appreciation of 
 the ridiculous in a high degree, perfectly 
 comical that the grandsons of an overseer 
 not only did not speak good Polish, but 
 imitated Parisians, and did not pronounce 
 the letter ^^r.^^ They were good-looking 
 boys, even very good looking. Swirski, 
 however, felt with his fine artistic sense 
 that in those two bird-like skulls and bird- 
 like faces the beauty was not something 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 55 
 
 inherited for generations, but something 
 accidental, some physiological accident, in 
 consequence of being twins. And he re- 
 peated to himself in vain that their mother 
 was also beautiful: a sentiment always 
 remained in him that the beauty did 
 not belong either to the mother or to 
 the sons, and that they were parvenus 
 pecuniarily as well as morally and phys- 
 ically. But longer contact with them 
 weakened those impressions. 
 
 Pani Elzen from the beginning of their 
 acquaintance began to be attracted toward 
 him and to favor him. He was worth 
 more than her other acquaintances, he had 
 a good name, he was rich and famous. 
 It is true, he was not young, but Pani 
 Elzen was thirty-five; besides that, his 
 herculean stature couid replace his youth. 
 Finally, to marry him meant to the w^oman 
 about whom people talked sneeringly, the 
 recovery of honor and moral position. 
 
56 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 True enough, she could see that it would 
 be difficult to capture him, but she knew 
 that he was good, and, like every artist, 
 had a certain amount of naivete at the 
 bottom of his soul; therefore Pani Elzen 
 calculated that she would be able to bend 
 him toward her. And she was guided 
 not only by pure calculation: in a measure 
 he let himself be attracted; he attracted 
 her also. Finally she began to persuade 
 herself that she was in love with him — she 
 even believed it. 
 
 And with him happened that which 
 happens to many intelligent men. His 
 common sense ended the moment the 
 senses began to talk, or worse still, he went 
 into their service, and instead of fighting 
 them he was obliged to furnish them with 
 arguments. In that way Swirski, who 
 knew and understood everything, began to 
 justify, soften, explain, defend. 
 
 " If s true,'^ he said to himself, ^^ that 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 57 
 
 neither her nature nor her conduct until 
 now has given any guarantee, but who 
 will prove to me that she is not tired of 
 that life and that she is not longing of 
 her whole soul after the other life? 
 Without any doubt, in her conduct there 
 is much coquetry, but who will guarantee 
 that she does not display this coquetry 
 because she loves me sincerely? It is 
 childishness to imagine that a woman, 
 although full of errors, does not possess 
 any good qualities. Ah! the human 
 soul — what a mixture! Only opportun- 
 ities are necessary that the good may be 
 developed and the bad disappear. Pani 
 Elzen was no longer young. How 
 stupid it would be to admit that there is 
 no voice in her asking for a virtuous, 
 quiet life, for peace, for tranquillity! 
 Precisely on account of these reasons 
 such a woman may appreciate an honest 
 man who guarantees her all this.^^ 
 
58 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 Especially this last appeared to him very 
 just and deep. Previously common sense 
 had told him that Pani Elzen wished to 
 catch him, but he answered now: '^ She is 
 right, because of every one, even the 
 most ideal woman, who wishes to unite 
 with a beloved man, one might say that 
 she wishes to catch himP^ 
 
 The hope of having children tranquil- 
 lized him in regard to the future. He 
 thought that then she would love some 
 one, and she would be obliged to break 
 with the worldly, empty life, because she 
 would not have time — and before the chil- 
 dren would have grown up her youth 
 would have passed, and then home would 
 attract her more than the world. Finally 
 he said to himself: ^^The life must be 
 arranged before old age comes; I will live 
 a few years with a beautiful, interesting 
 woman, with whom every day will be to 
 me a holiday. ^^ 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 59 
 
 And those ^^few years ^^ were in fact the 
 principal attraction for him. It is true 
 to Pani Elzen there was something hu- 
 miliating in the fact that he was not afraid 
 of any extraordinary event, for the reason 
 that she was no longer young, and there- 
 fore the possibility would soon pass away. 
 But he did not admit to himself that pre- 
 cisely that thought was the foundation of 
 his hope — and he deceived himself, as peo- 
 ple always do in whom the common sense 
 becomes the servant of the passions. 
 
 But the man, after the previous night^s 
 events, awakened with an uneasiness and 
 disgust. He could not resist thinking 
 about two things: In the first place, that 
 if some one had told him a month before 
 that he would propose to Pani Elzen, he 
 would look on him as an ass; then, that 
 the charm of the relation with her, and 
 which consisted in uncertainty, in mutual 
 guessing of looks and thoughts, in unfin- 
 
60 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ished words, in suspended avowals and 
 reciprocal attraction, was stronger than 
 the one which was the consequence of the 
 present change. It was more agreeable to 
 Swirski to anticipate the betrothal than to 
 become affianced, and just now he was 
 thinking that if his pleasure in becoming 
 a husband should become less in the same 
 proportion as the pleasure of being affi- 
 anced had diminished, then the deuce 
 take such a life! There were moments in 
 which the thought that he was bound, and 
 that, willing or not willing, he would be 
 obliged to take in his boat of life Pani 
 Elzen, with Komulus and Kemus, appeared 
 to him almost unbearable. In those mo- 
 ments, being a loyal man, he did not curse 
 Pani Elzen, but he cursed Romulus and 
 Eemus — their rolling of the letter '^x,'' 
 their bird-like, narrow heads and bird-like 
 skulls. 
 
 ^^I had my sorrows, but in fact I was 
 
On the Sunn3^ Shore. 61 
 
 free as a bird, and could put my whole 
 soul into the pictures/^ he said so himself, 
 "^^and now the devil knows how it will 
 beP 
 
 Here the sorrows of the painter spoiled 
 his humor altogether, although they gave 
 another direction to his thoughts. Pani 
 Elzen and the whole matrimonial affair 
 began to retreat to the background, and 
 the picture, ^*^ Dream and Death, ^^ came 
 out to the foreground. He had been 
 painting this picture for several months, 
 and he considered it of great importance, 
 because he proposed by it to protest against 
 the generally accepted idea of death. Often 
 in conversation with his friends Swirski 
 was vehement against the Christianity 
 which introduced the skeleton into life 
 and art as a representation of death. To 
 Swirski it appeared outrageous. The 
 Greeks imagined Thanatos as a genius with 
 wings, and they were right. What can be 
 
62 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 more ugly and more frightful than a skele- 
 ton? Christians, at least, who in death see 
 the gate to a new life, ought not to have 
 painted it that way. According to Swir- 
 ski this idea was born of the gloomy Ger- 
 man spirit, the same which developed the 
 majestic, grand, gothic style, but which 
 is so gloomy, as if the church was not a 
 passage to the light of heaven, but to sub- 
 terraneous and hopeless precipices. Swir- 
 ski was astonished that the renaissance had 
 not reformed the symbol of death. If 
 death were not an eternal silence, and would 
 like to complain, it would say: '^ Why do 
 people represent me by the figure of a 
 skeleton? The skeleton is precisely the 
 thing for which I do not wish and which 
 I do not leave.^^ Therefore in Swirski^s 
 picture the genius of sleep was gently 
 offering the body of a girl to the genius of 
 death, who, bending over her, blew 
 out softly the flame of a small kmp burn- 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 63 
 
 ing abo^e her head. Swirski while 
 painting repeated to himself: ^^It is neces- 
 sary that the man who looks at it should 
 say to himself before all: ^ Ah! how quiet 
 it isV " And he wanted this silence to flow 
 on the spectator from the lines, from the 
 figure, from the expression, from the col- 
 oring. He thought also that if he could 
 be able to produce this imjDression, and if 
 the picture could explain itself, it would 
 become a new and remarkable work. 
 
 He cared about something more. Fol- 
 lowing the stream of time, he agreed that 
 painting must avoid literary ideas; he un- 
 derstood, however, that there is a great dif- 
 ference between giving up literary ideas and 
 thoughtless reproduction of the exterior 
 world as a photographic plate reproduces 
 it. Shape, color, spot — nothing more! 
 — as if the duty of a painter were to kill 
 in himself the thinking being! And he 
 remembered that every time he saw. 
 
64 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 for instance^ the pictures of the English 
 painters, he was struck before all with the 
 high intellectual level of those artists. 
 One could see from their canvases that 
 they were masters of high spiritual culture, 
 very much developed psychically, think- 
 ing deeply, often great students. In Poles 
 he had seen something quite different. 
 With the exception of several the majority 
 of them were capable men, but thought- 
 less, very little developed, and bare of 
 education. They lived on old doctrinarian 
 crumbs falling from French tables, not 
 admitting for a moment that one can say 
 anything original about art, to create it 
 in the Polish way. It was clear to Swirski 
 that the doctrine allowing them lack of 
 thought was welcome to them. To be 
 called an artist, but in the meanwhile to 
 be a clown as far as it concerns the spirit, 
 was a very comfortable thing. To read. 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 65 
 
 to know, to think — to the deuce with such 
 a work! 
 
 Swirski believed that if even a landscape 
 is a state of the soul, it is necessary that 
 this soul should be not a soul of a peasant, 
 but subtile, impressive, developed, worked 
 out. He quarreled about that with his 
 comrades and discussed passionately. ^^ I 
 don^t ask from you,^' shouted he, ^^ that 
 you paint as well as do Frenchmen, Eng- 
 lishmen, or Spaniards. I want you to 
 paint better! before all, in your own way. 
 And the one who does not strive for that 
 ought to become a shoemaker !^^ 
 
 And he tried to prove that it does not 
 matter if a picture represents a stack of 
 hay, or hens scratching in the barnyard, 
 or potatoes in the field, or horses in 
 the pasture, or a corner of still water in a 
 pond, the principal thing dominating 
 everything in it must be the soul. There- 
 fore in his portraits he tried to put as 
 
ee On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 much of his soul as he could; besides this 
 he expressed himself in other pictures^, the 
 last of them being ^^ Hypnos and Thana- 
 tos/^ 
 
 The two genii were almost finished, 
 but there were some difficulties with the 
 girl's head. Swirski understood that she 
 must not only be beautiful but full of in- 
 dividuality. There were plenty of pretty 
 models, but they did not possess enough 
 personality. It is true that Mme. Lageat, 
 from whom he rented his studio, promised 
 him to search for a good model, but she 
 was very slow. A new model promised to 
 come this morning, but had not put in an 
 appearance, although it was already half- 
 past eleven. 
 
 All this, with last night's matrimonial 
 proposition, was the reason that Swirski 
 began to be disturbed, not only about his 
 peace of mind, but also about his artistic 
 future in general, and about his picture in 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 67 
 
 particular. At that moment Hypnos ap- 
 peared to him heayy, Thanatos stupid. 
 Finally he said to himself that^ as long as 
 he was unable to work, it would be better 
 to go to the shore, where the view of the 
 water and the sun would brighten his 
 thoughts and soul. 
 
 But just at that moment, when he was 
 ready to go out, the bell was heard in the 
 antechamber, then two Scotch tartans, 
 two bangs, and the two bird-like heads of 
 Eomulus and Remus appeared in his 
 studio. Kresowicz, paler and gloomier 
 than ever, followed them. 
 
 ^' Good-morning, sir! Good-morning, 
 sir!^^ shouted both boys. '^Maman sent 
 you these roses and begs you to come to 
 luncheon. ^^ » 
 
 Then they began to run and look round 
 the studio. They were very much sur- 
 prised at the nude sketches; they stopped 
 before them and elbowed each other. 
 
68 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ^^RegardeF' 
 
 It made Swirski angry, and he 
 looking at his watch: 
 
 ^^We must be going if we wish to have 
 some luncheon/^ 
 
 He took his hat and they went oat. As 
 there were no carriages near the studio 
 they walked. While walking the artist 
 asked Kresowicz: 
 
 ^^ Well, how are your pupils?^^ 
 
 Kresowicz turned to him, his ironical 
 face full of hatred, and answered: 
 
 ^^ My pupils? They are all right. They 
 are as healthy as fish, and their Scotch 
 dresses are becoming to them. But I don^t 
 care about them.^^ 
 
 "Whyr 
 
 "Because I am going to leave them 
 fco-morrow.^^ 
 
 "What is the matter ?^^ asked Swirski, 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 69 
 
 with some astonishment. ^^I did not 
 know. It's a pity V 
 
 ^' Not for them/' answered Kresowicz. 
 
 ^'^It must be for the reason that they 
 cannot understand it.'' 
 
 ^^ They never will be able to understand 
 — ^neither to-day nor any other time! 
 never!" 
 
 ^^ I hope time will prove that you are 
 mistaken/' answered Swirski dryly. '^At 
 any rate, I am sorry to hear it." 
 
 But the student went on about himself. 
 
 ^^ Yes, it's a pity, but it's a pity to waste 
 the time. They don't need me, and I 
 don't need them. They will be such as 
 they will be. The person who wishes to 
 sow Avheat must plow the soil, and the 
 poorer it is the easier to plow it. One 
 could say much about it, but it's not worth 
 while, especially for me. Microbes will 
 eat me up just the same." 
 
 ^^ You were never threatened with con- 
 
70 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 sumption? Pani Elzen asked a doctor 
 about your health, and he assured her that 
 there was no danger/^ 
 
 '' To be surO;, there is no danger. And 
 then 1 discovered a sure remedy against 
 microbes.^' 
 
 ^^ What remedy have you discovered?^^ 
 
 ^^It will be published in the papers. 
 Such discoveries one does not hide under 
 a bushel." 
 
 Swirski looked at Kresowicz as if he 
 wished to ascertain whether he had a fever; 
 at the same time they arrived at the station 
 which was swarming with people. 
 
 The ISTicean guests were going in the 
 morning, as usual, to Monte Carlo. While 
 Swirski was purchasing the tickets Wia- 
 drowski perceived and approached him. 
 
 ^^ Good-morning!" said he. ^^ To Monte 
 Carlo?" 
 
 ^' Yes. Have you your ticket already ?" 
 
 ^^ I have a season ticket. We will be 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 71 
 
 crowded in the train. It^s a true exodus 
 isn^t it? And everybody carries the wid- 
 ow^s mite. Good-morning, Mr. Kreso- 
 wicz. What do you say about life here? 
 Make some remark from the point of view 
 of your party. ^^ 
 
 Kresowicz began to blink his eyes as if 
 he could not understand what they wanted 
 from him; then he said: 
 
 ^'I have joined the party of silent 
 people. ^^ 
 
 ^^ I know, I know! Splendid party! 
 The company is either silent or it ex- 
 plodes. ^^ 
 
 And he began to laugh. 
 
 The bell for departure had rung and 
 they were obliged to hasten. The shout- 
 ing: '^E7i voiture ! En voiture !" sounded. 
 In a moment Swirski, Kresowicz, Wia- 
 drowski, and the two boys were in the 
 train. 
 
 ^' Look V said Wiadrowski, *^ We can^t 
 
72 On the Sunnj^ Shore. 
 
 even dream about a seat. A true immi- 
 gration!" 
 
 In fact, there was a great crowd of every 
 nationality: Poles, Kussians, Englishmen, 
 Frenchmen, Germans — all were going to 
 conquer the bank, which every day re- 
 pulsed and broke these crowds, as a rock 
 breaks the waves of the sea. There were 
 also numerous women scented with helio- 
 trope. The sun lighted the artificial 
 flowers on their hats, velvet, lace, artificial 
 or real jewels, objects shining like polished 
 armor on round bosoms, blackened eye- 
 brows, faces covered with powder and 
 animated by the hope of enjoyment and 
 gambling. The most experienced eye was 
 not able to distinguish the fast women 
 from the society women. The men, with 
 violets in their buttonholes, looked at 
 those women inquisitively and imperti- 
 nently, inspecting dresses, shoulders, faces, 
 and hips with as cold blood as one looks 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 73 
 
 on the things exhibited for sale in the 
 shop windows. In this crowd there was 
 haste and disorder. At certain moments 
 the train rushed into the darkness of the 
 tunnel; then again the sunlight, the sky, 
 the sea, the palms, the olive trees, the 
 villas shone in the windows, and a 
 moment after the darkness again 
 covered everything. The stations passed 
 one after another. New crowds of people 
 squeezed into the train. They were ele- 
 gantly dressed, refined, as if they were 
 rushing to some great and joyful festival. 
 
 ^^ What a true picture of lifeP said Wi- 
 adrowski. 
 
 ^^ What is a true picture ?^^ 
 
 ^^ The train — I could philosophize about 
 it until luncheon, but as I prefer to phi- 
 losophize after luncheon, perhaps you will 
 be willing to eat it with me.^^ 
 
 ^^No,^\said Swirski, ^^you must excuse* 
 me; I am invited by Pani Elzqn,'^ 
 
74 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ^' In that case I retreat!'^ 
 
 And he began to laugh. The thought 
 that Swirski might marry Pani Elzen did 
 not enter his mind even for a moment. 
 He was sure that the painter only cared 
 for her the same as the others did, but 
 being a great admirer of artists in general 
 and Swirski in particular, he was pleased 
 that he was ahead of his competitors in 
 her favor. 
 
 *^I represent the wealth/^ he was think- 
 ing. '^Porzecki title, the young Kladz- 
 ki the youth, and Sinten the world of 
 fashionable stupid chaps. All that, espe- 
 cially here, carries a great weight, and 
 the Dame aux Camelias has chosen him. 
 At any rate, she has fine taste. ^^ 
 
 And looking at the painter he began 
 to mutter : 
 
 ^^ Jo triumphe, ki 7noraris aureos 
 currus/' 
 
 ^^ What do you say?'' asked Swirski, who 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 75 
 
 did not hear well on account of the noise 
 of the train. 
 
 ^^ ]S[othing. Some hiccoughs from Ho- 
 ratius. I say, as you refuse, I will give a 
 consolation luncheon to myself, De Sin- 
 ten, Porzecki, and Kladzki.^^ 
 
 *^May I ask you for what you wish to be 
 consoled?'^ asked Swirski, approaching 
 swiftly and looking into his eyes almost 
 threateningly. 
 
 ^^For the loss of your company, ^^ coolly 
 answered Wiadrowski. '^^And what did 
 you suppose, my dear sir?^^ 
 
 Swirski bit his lips and said nothing. 
 But he thought that the proverb, ^^ The 
 cap always burns on the head of a thief, ^^ 
 was right — because if he were going to 
 marry an honest girl he never would sup- 
 pose that any one speaking ironically was 
 thinking about her. 
 
 When they arrived, Pani Elzen, fresh, 
 young and beautiful^ was waiting at the 
 
76 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 station. Evidently she had just come, be- 
 cause she breathed deeply and her face was 
 flushed as with emotion. Therefore, when 
 she stretched both her hands to Swirski, 
 Wiadrowski thought: 
 
 ^^ YesI he has beaten us all. She looks 
 to be really in love.^' And he looked on 
 her almost with sympathy. In a white 
 flannel dress, with shining eyes, she seemed 
 to him, notwithstanding some powder on 
 her face, as young and charming as ever. 
 For awhile he regretted he was not that 
 happy mortal whom she came to greet; 
 and he thought that the method by which 
 he had tried to gain her favor, consisting 
 in telling her hard things, was stupid. But 
 he consoled himself with the thought that 
 he could laugh at Sinten and others who 
 were beaten. 
 
 After the greeting Swirski thanked her 
 for the roses, but she was listening with 
 some embarrassment, looking from time 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 77 
 
 to time at Wiadrowski, as if she were 
 ashamed that he heard those thanks. 
 
 As for him, he understood that it would 
 be best for him at present to leave 
 them. But they went together in the lift 
 to the heights on which the gambling 
 house and the gardens are situated. On 
 the way Pani Elzen entirely regained her 
 self-possession. 
 
 ^^ Let us have luncheon! Let us have 
 luncheon!" she said joyfully. ^^ I have an 
 appetite like a whale. '^ 
 
 Wiadrowski muttered that he would 
 like to be Jonah, but he did not say it 
 aloud, thinking that Swirski might 
 seize him by the collar of his coat and 
 throw him from the lift, as the joke de- 
 served. 
 
 In the garden he took leave of them and 
 departed; but looking backward he 
 perceived Pani Elzen leaning on Swirski^s 
 arm and whispering something to him. 
 
78 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 " They are speaking about dessert after 
 the breakfast !^^ thought he. 
 
 But he was mistaken, because she, turn- 
 ing her charming face toward the painter, 
 whispered : 
 
 ^^Does Wiadrowski know?" 
 
 " ^NTo," answered Swirski, ^^ I only met 
 him in the train." 
 
 Having said this, he felt some uneasi- 
 ness that Pani Elzen is speaking about 
 betrothals, and that it would be necessary 
 to tell everybody about it, but in the mean- 
 while her beauty and charms began to act 
 upon him in such a way that he became 
 courageous. 
 
 They had luncheon together with Kom- 
 ulus, Kemus, and Kresowicz, who during 
 the whole time did not say a word. After 
 the coffee Pani Elzen gave the boys per- 
 mission to go with the young man in the 
 direction of Eocca Brune, and then sh^ 
 asked Swirski: 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 79 
 
 '^ Do you prefer to take a walk or ride?^' 
 
 He would prefer to go to her apartment 
 and pause there at least ^^ halfway to 
 paradise ^^ — and obtain ^^at least half -sal- 
 vation ^^ — but he thought that if she did 
 not wish it it was the best proof of how 
 earnestly and nobly she looked on their 
 relation, and that he ought to be grateful 
 for it. 
 
 '^ If you are not tired I prefer to walk," 
 answered he. 
 
 ^^Very well. I am not tired at all. 
 But where shall we go? Would you like 
 to look at the pigeon shooting?" 
 
 ^* Willingly. But there we will not be 
 alone. I am sure Sinten and young 
 Kladzki are practicing after breakfast." 
 
 ^^Yes, but they will not bother us. 
 When there is a question about pigeons 
 they become blind and deaf to everything 
 around them. And then let them see me 
 with my great man!" 
 
80 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 And bending her head she looked into 
 his eyes, smiling. 
 
 '^ But perhaps the great man does not 
 wish it?^^ 
 
 ^^On the contrary, let them see usT^ 
 answered Swirski, raising her hand to his 
 lips. 
 
 ^^'Let us go, then. I like to look at it.'^ 
 
 ^^Very well.'^ 
 
 And in a moment they were on the large 
 stairs leading to the shooting club. 
 
 " What a light here, and how happy I 
 2imV' said Pani Elzen. 
 
 Then, although there was nobody there, 
 she asked him in a whisper: 
 
 ^^ And your 
 
 ^^My light is with me P answered he, 
 pressing her arm to his breast. 
 
 And they began to descend. In fact 
 the day seemed to be brighter than ever; 
 the air was golden and blue; the sea in the 
 distance looked like lapis lazuli. 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 81 
 
 ^' Let ns stop here/^ said Pani Elzen. 
 '^From here we can see the cages/^ 
 
 Under their feet stretched a large 
 green lawn, running out to the sea. The 
 cages with pigeons were disposed on it in 
 a half - circle. Each moment one of 
 them opened snddenly/the frightened bird 
 flew, then the shot resounded, and the 
 pigeon fell either on the grass or into the 
 sea, where on the waves small boats with 
 fishermen were expectantly waiting for the 
 prey. 
 
 It sometimes happened, howeyer, that 
 the pigeon was missed; then he flew to- 
 ward the sea, and, having made a circle, 
 returned, looking for shelter in the cor- 
 nices of the Casino. 
 
 ^^ From here we don%see who shoots, '' 
 mirthfully said Pani Elzen; ^^ therefore 
 let us tell our fortune: If the first pigeon 
 falls down we remain in Monte Carlo; if 
 he flies away we will go to Italy. ^^ 
 
82 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ^^So be it/^ said Swirski. ^^Let us 
 look! There he isP 
 
 In fact the cage was opened, and 'at that 
 moment the pigeon, as if stunned, re- 
 mained on the spot. They forced him 
 to fly, by rolling on the grass toward 
 him a wooden ball, and then the shot was 
 heard. But the bird did not fall imme- 
 diately. In the first place he had risen 
 very high in the air, then he flew directly 
 to the sea, coming down gradually, as if 
 wounded. Finally he disappeared in the 
 blaze of the sun. 
 
 ^^ Maybe he fell down, maybe not. The 
 future is uncertain, ^^ said Swirski, laugh- 
 ing. 
 
 But Pani Elzen moved her lips like an 
 angry child : 
 
 ^^ If s this horrid Sinten,^' said she. ^' I 
 bet it was he. Let us go down.'^ 
 
 And they descended nearer and nearer 
 to the shooting gallery. Pani Elzen 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 83 
 
 stopped at every shot. In her white dress, 
 on the background of green she looked 
 like a statue. 
 
 "There is no other material which 
 makes as pretty drapery as flannel/^ said 
 Swirski. 
 
 "Ah, those artists!^^ answered the young 
 woman. 
 
 And in her voice there was some irony, 
 for she felt offended that at that moment 
 Swirski should be thinking about dra- 
 peries and different fabrics instead of her. 
 
 "Let us be going T 
 
 A few moments later they were in the 
 shooting gallery. Of their acquaintances 
 only Sin ten was there, shooting with some 
 Hungarian count, both dressed in brown 
 English coats, with caps of the same color, 
 Scotch stockings, both very distingues 
 and with faces as expressive as that of a 
 stupid ass. But it was as Pani Elzen said 
 — Sinten was so busy shooting that he did 
 
84: On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 not notice them at once, and only after a 
 long wait did he come to greet them. 
 
 ^^How is your luck?'^ asked the lady. 
 
 ^' I shall heat! I am sure I will win.^' 
 Here he turned to Swirski: ^^ Don't you 
 shoot?'' 
 
 ^^ I do, hut not to-day." 
 
 ^^As for me/' answered Sinten, looking 
 significantly at Pani Elzen, ^^ I am to-day 
 heiireux aujetiF' 
 
 They called him to the shooting. 
 
 ^' He wanted to say that he was unhappy 
 in love/' said Swirski. 
 
 ^amhecile! Could it be different?" 
 
 But notwithstanding those words of 
 censure, one could see by the face of the 
 beautiful lady that she was not offended, 
 that in Swirski's presence they gave testi- 
 mony to her personal popularity. 
 
 It was not the last testimony that day. 
 
 ^^I wished to ask you about something," 
 said Swirski after a short silence, ^^ but I 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 85 
 
 could not do it in the presence of the 
 children and Kresowicz, who told me that 
 he was going to leave. Is it true?^' 
 
 ^^ It^strue/^ answered PaniElzen. "In 
 the first place, I am not sure of his health. 
 A few days ago I made him go to see the 
 doctor, who informed me that he was not 
 threatened with consumption; otherwise 
 I wouldn't keep him an hour; but at 
 any rate he looks worse every day; he is 
 whimsical, irritable, often unbearable. 
 That's the first reason; then you know his 
 tendencies — I know they will not stick to 
 Komulus and Eemus. I bring up the boys 
 in such a way that they would not care for 
 the ideas of the red party. But I don't 
 wish them even to know that such 
 principles exist — that they meet such 
 hatred toward the class of people 
 among whom they live. It was sufficient 
 for me that you wished them to speak 
 with somebody in their own language. It 
 
86 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 was for me almost a command. I under- 
 stand that they ought to know their own 
 language. Now the people are insisting 
 upon it, and I agree they are right. But 
 even in that Kresowicz is opinionated.^^ 
 
 ^^I shall miss him! Around the eyes 
 he has certain wrinkles which signify 
 fanaticism; but his is an interesting face 
 though he is a very peculiar man.''^ 
 
 ^^The painter is talking through you 
 again/^ said Pani Elzen, laughing. 
 
 But after awhile she became sober and 
 even somewhat embarrassed. 
 
 ^^I have one reason more/^ said she. 
 ^^It's unpleasant to speak about, but I 
 must tell you, because with whom should 
 I be sincere if not with my — great man — 
 who is so dear and good, who is able to be 
 indulgent in everything? Well, then, I 
 noticed that Kresowicz lost his head and 
 fell in love with me, and under those cir- 
 cumstances he couldn^t remain near me/' 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 87 
 
 ^^What? This one also?^^ exclaimed 
 Swirski. 
 
 ''Yes!'^ answered she, dropping her 
 eyes. 
 
 And she tried to simulate that this con- 
 fession was unpleasant for her, but all the 
 same, as at Sinten^s words a smile of satis- 
 fied self-love and Yv^omanly vanity passed 
 over her face. Swirski noticed it, and an 
 unpleasant, angry feeling filled his heart. 
 
 ^^Then I am also struck by the epidem- 
 ic,'^ said he. 
 
 She looked at him for awhile and then 
 asked quietly: 
 
 ^^ Was that said by a jealous or an un- 
 grateful man?'' 
 
 But the painter answered evasively : 
 
 "You are right. Kresowicz ought to 
 leave." 
 
 "I will pay him to-day.'^ 
 
 Then they Avere silent. Sinten and the 
 Hungarian count's shooting was heard. 
 
88 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 Swirski, however, could not pardon 
 that smile he had noticed. ^^It is true," 
 he said to himself, ^^that Pani Elzen acted 
 with Kresowicz as she ought to, and that 
 there is no reason to be irritated." But 
 he was irritated just the same. Some 
 time ago, at the beginning of their ac- 
 quaintance, he had seen her riding on 
 horseback; she was in the lead, followed by 
 Sinten, Kladzki, Porzecki, Wilkisbey, and 
 Waxford. This cavalcade made a very 
 bad impression on Swirski, an impression 
 of a kind of beastly run of males after a 
 female. The same picture now stood in 
 his memory, and his impressionable artistic 
 nature suffered considerably. ^^ Precisely 
 speaking," he said to himself, ^^ everybody 
 runs after her, and in case I fall over some 
 obstacle she will be reached by the next 
 one!" 
 
 Pani Elzen interrupted his reflections; 
 she complained that she was cold there in 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 89 
 
 the shadow, and said that she wished to 
 warm herself in the sun. 
 
 ^^ Let us go to the hotel — you can take 
 your jacket/^ said he. 
 
 They started on their return to the upper 
 terrace, but when halfway on the stairs 
 she stopped suddenly. 
 
 ^^ You are not satisfied with me/^ said 
 she. ^^ Of what am I guilty? What have 
 I done to displease you?'^ 
 
 Swirski had become quieter while walk- 
 ing, and answered: 
 
 "You must excuse an old crank. I 
 beg your pardon." 
 
 Pani Elzen wanted to know by all means 
 why he was sad, but she could not make 
 him talk. Then, half -seriously and half- 
 jokingly, she began to complain against 
 artists. What a strange and unbearable 
 people they are ! — shocked by any trifle, they 
 shut their impressions within themselves. 
 
90 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 and then escape to their solitary studios. 
 To-day three times she noticed the painter 
 in him. That^s bad! Therefore, for a pun- 
 ishment, this unbearable painter must 
 stay with her until evening for dinner. 
 
 But Swirski said that he must return to 
 Nice; then he spoke to her about his trou- 
 bles as an artist, about difficulties in find- 
 ing a model for ^^ Dream and Death/^ 
 and about the hope of success he had in 
 this picture. 
 
 ^'I see,^^ answered the young widow, 
 smiling, '^ that I shall always have a fright- 
 ful rival in art." 
 
 ^' It^s not the rival," answered Swirski. 
 ^^ It^s God, whom you will serve with me." 
 
 The pretty lady frowned at that, but in 
 the meanwhile they arrived at the hotel. 
 That day Swirski went three-thirds of the 
 way to paradise, and left his pretty widow 
 with shivers of delight in his bones, but 
 
On the Sunn}^ Shore. 91 
 
 with conviction that only matrimony would 
 open the gate. 
 
 His brain having cooled, he was grateful 
 to PaniElzen; she inspired him with such 
 a conviction. 
 
92 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Pai?"I Elzex, before she began to dress 
 for dinner, called Kresowicz in order to 
 pay him, which she did with a certain 
 curiosity, anxious to know how he would 
 bid her good-by. She had seen so many 
 commonplace people, who appeared as if 
 cut by the same tailor according to the 
 same measure, that this odd young 
 fellow excited her curiosity; and now, 
 when he was about to depart with bleeding 
 heart, he interested her a great deal more. 
 She was sure that his passion would be 
 shown in some way, and she even wished 
 for it, promising to herself, not very sin- 
 cerely, however, to stop it with a look or 
 word, if he should overstep certain bounds. 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 93 
 
 But Kresowicz when he entered her 
 room was cold and threatening, and his 
 face was other than that of a person enam- 
 oured. Pani Elzen, having glanced at 
 him, thought that Swirski, being an artist, 
 was right in having noticed that head, 
 which really had something exceptional 
 in its expression. Its lines were iron-like, 
 in which the will was stronger than the 
 intelligence, giving to them in a certain 
 degree a stubborn expression. Swirski 
 had noticed for a long time that he was 
 one of those men who, if they seize some 
 idea, their faith will never be disturbed by 
 skepticism, and never a doubt will shake 
 their ability for action, because with a 
 stubborn and strong character goes a cer- 
 tain narrowness of the mind. Fanaticism 
 grows only on such a field. Pani Elzen, 
 noth withstanding her cleverness, was too 
 superficial to be able to recognize that. 
 Kresowicz would have attracted her atten- 
 
94 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 tion if he were an exceptionally good- 
 looking boy, but as he was not, therefore 
 in the beginning she treated him like an 
 ordinary object, and only Swirski had 
 taught her to think about liim differently. 
 Just now she received him kindly, and, 
 after having paid him she said, with a 
 cold and indifferent voice, but with well- 
 chosen words, that she was very sorry that 
 on account of her departure from Monte 
 Carlo she would be obliged to dismiss him. 
 
 Kresowicz mechanically put the money 
 into his pocket and answered: 
 
 ^^I told you myself yesterday that I 
 would not teach Romulus and Remus any 
 longer. ^^ 
 
 ^^ Exactly — it comforts me!^' she said, 
 raising her head. 
 
 Evidently she wished, at least in the 
 beginning, to hold the conversation in a 
 ceremonious tone, and obliged Kresowicz 
 to speak in the same way. But to look at 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 95 
 
 him one could see that he had an nnbended 
 determination to tell everything he had to 
 tell. 
 
 ^^ You paid me with good money/^ said 
 he; '^you mustn^t now give me any coun- 
 terfeit/' 
 
 ^* What do you mean?'' 
 
 ^^I mean this/' he said vehemently, 
 ^' that you neither dismissed me on account 
 of your departure nor do I quit for the 
 same reason. The cause is quite different, 
 and you know it as well as I do." 
 
 ^' If I know it, it's probable that I don't 
 wish either to hear or to talk about it/' said 
 she haughtily. 
 
 He advanced a step toward her, holding 
 up his threatening head. 
 
 ^^But you must hear it!" said he em- 
 phatically. ^^ In the first place, because 
 in a moment I will be gone away; then, 
 on account of the other reason, about which 
 you will learn to-morrow." 
 
96 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 Pani Elzen rose from her chair^ and 
 with frowning eyehrows and in the theat- 
 rical pose of an ojffended queen, she said : 
 
 ^' What do you mean?^' 
 
 He approached nearer, until his face 
 was only a few inches from hers, and 
 began to talk with concentrated energy: 
 
 ^^It means that I ought to have hated 
 you and your sphere, and I fell in love 
 with you. It means that for you I com- 
 mitted in my conscience a crime, for 
 which I shall punish myself. But precise- 
 ly for this reason I have nothing to lose, 
 and you must pay me for my wrong, other- 
 wise something dreadful will happen.^^ 
 
 Pani Elzen was not frightened, because 
 she did not fear men at all. She was as- 
 tonished, and at once uttered an exclama- 
 tion of amazement: 
 
 ''Mais c'est un vrai oiseau de proie, 
 which may tear me into pieces P For that 
 adventurous woman, familiar with corrup- 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 97 
 
 tion, any adventure especially flattering 
 to her womanly selfishness had a great 
 charm. To all that her moral sense was 
 not afraid of trifling. Had Kresowicz be- 
 seeched her for one minute of happiness, 
 for permission to kiss the edge of her 
 dress with humility, with tears and on 
 his knees, she would have ordered him to 
 be thrown out. But this threatening and 
 almost crazy man, who represented a sect 
 about whose fearful energy they told dread- 
 ful stories in society, appeared to her 
 demon-like — so different from other peo- 
 ple, something so out of the ordinary that 
 she was simply in an ecstasy of delight. 
 Her nerves were longing after something 
 new. She thought if she resisted the ad- 
 venture might assume unforeseen dimen- 
 sions and turn into a scandal, for the crazy 
 man was ready for anything. 
 
 Kresowicz spoke further, breathing in 
 her face his warm respiration: 
 
98 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ^'I love, and I have nothing to lose! 
 I lost my health and my future, and I 
 committed a base action! I have nothing 
 to lose! Do you understand ? I don^t care 
 if ten or a hundred people rush here if you 
 give an alarm. But you won^t do it. 
 After that I will go away and the secret 
 will never be revealed — I swear !^^ 
 
 Pani Elzen cared only to save appear- 
 ances, which with womanly hypocrisy she 
 always tried to preserve — in order to deceive 
 herself. 
 
 Therefore, turning toward him eyes full 
 of artificial fight, she asked: 
 
 ^^ Do you wish to kill me?'^ 
 
 ^^ I want to be paid, but not with money V 
 he answered in a choked voice. 
 
 Then he became paler; he seized her 
 and hugged her. She defended herself, 
 but she did it like a fainting woman, from 
 whom fright has taken all consciousness 
 and strength. 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 99 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Wheist Swirski arrived at Ville Franche 
 he alighted from the carriage and went to 
 the harbor, because the idea came to him 
 to return to Nice in a boat. He found a 
 fisherman with whom he was acquainted, 
 and who, being pleased to see his liberal 
 customer, agreed with Ligurian boastful- 
 ness to go with him ^^even to Corsica, and 
 though the sirocco should turn the bottom 
 of the sea.^^ 
 
 This time there was only a question of 
 a small trip, so much easier because there 
 was not even the slightest wind. Swirski 
 sat at the helm and they began to glide 
 over the polished deep. After awhile, 
 having passed the luxurious private yachts. 
 
100 On the Sunny Shore, 
 
 they approached the ironclads, whose 
 quiet, enormous black bodies were out- 
 lined harshly and prominently in the 
 southern sun. The deck of the Formida- 
 ble was already decorated with multi- 
 colored lanterns for the morrow's ball, to 
 which Swirski was to be invited. The 
 sailors on board of the monster looked like 
 pigmies compared to the dimensions of 
 the vessel. The iron sides of the man-of- 
 war, smokestacks, masts, were all reflected 
 in the transparent waters as in a mirror. 
 Prom time to time a military boat, looking 
 like a black worm, moving its feet regu- 
 larly, passed among the ironclads. Be- 
 yond the vessels was an empty space, 
 where the boat in which Swirski w^as sit- 
 ting rose and fell with a broad and 
 gentle movement. They approached 
 high rocks to the right of the wharf, along 
 which ran a gray, dusty road; further on 
 was the parade ground, where the soldiers 
 
On the Sunny Shore. lOi 
 
 drilled and practiced military maneuvers. 
 Finally, having passed the cliff, round 
 which the waves coming from the sea were 
 splashing, they emerged on to the open 
 waters. 
 
 Outside a seaport there is always some 
 breeze; therefore the fisherman began to 
 spread the sail, and Swirski, instead of 
 directing toward Nice, turned the boat 
 toward the sea. And as they proceeded 
 straight ahead, balanced by the waves, the 
 sun went down. The rocks and the sea 
 turned crimson. Everything around was 
 tranquil, quiet, and so gigantic that the 
 thought came to Swirski: How small and 
 paltry is life compared with the infinity 
 which surrounded him at that moment! 
 He felt as if he had left all his own and 
 other people^s affairs and had gone far, far 
 away. Pani Elzen, Eomulus, Eemus, all 
 acquaintances and the people swarming 
 on the shore, full of life, uneasiness. 
 
102 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 mean ambition and low passions, became 
 smaller to him. And being a man accus- 
 tomed to digest and analyze his thoughts 
 and impressions, he was afraid that if he 
 were really in love with Pani Elzen her 
 image would not have been thus veiled, 
 disturbed, diminished, and would never 
 have disappeared. Swirski recollected 
 how once, after the wedding of a woman 
 with whom he was in love to another, he 
 had left his country. For the first time 
 then he saw Kome, Sicily, the sea, the 
 shores of Africa — and none of those im- 
 pressions could erase the image of 
 the beloved woman. In the galleries, 
 on the sea, and in the desert she 
 was with him, and he felt everything 
 through her, and everywhere he spoke to 
 her as if she were present. The difference 
 between those former years and to-day 
 made him sad. 
 But the quietude of the evening and of 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 103 
 
 the sea pacified him. They went so far 
 that the shore began to disappear. Then 
 the sun set and the stars began to shine 
 one after another. The dolphins, which 
 by twilight like to swim around a boat, 
 breaking the surface of the deep with their 
 sharp backs, disappeared and everything 
 was quiet. The surface of the water be- 
 came so smooth that the sail hung flat. 
 Finally the moon appeared from behind 
 the mountains and bathed the sea with a 
 greenish light as far as the limits of the 
 horizon. A quiet, fair southern night 
 began. 
 
 Swirski wrapped himself in the fisher- 
 man^s pelerine and began to think. "Every- 
 thing that surrounds me is not only beau- 
 tiful but true also. Human life, if it is 
 to be normal, must be inoculated on the 
 trunk of nature — must grow from it as a 
 branch grows from the tree and exists on 
 the strength of the same laws. Then it 
 
104: On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 will be true and moral, because in fact 
 morality is nothing else than the harmony 
 of life with the general laws of nature. 
 Here I am surrounded by simplicity and 
 quietude; I understand it only as an artist, 
 for I don't have them in myself as a man, 
 because my life as well as the life of those 
 people among whom I live is far from na- 
 ture — it ceases to be governed by its laws 
 and has become a lie. Everything in us 
 is artificial. We have lost even the senti- 
 ment of natural laws. Our relations are 
 based on falsehood, we have crooked minds, 
 sick souls and passions. We deceive each 
 other and ourselves, and finally nobody is 
 sure whether he really wishes that which 
 he wants or whether he is able to do that 
 which he wishes. '^ 
 
 And at once, in the presence of the con- 
 trast of that night, of the infinity of the 
 sea, of the stars, of the whole of nature, of 
 its peacefulness, simplicity and might, ^ 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 105 
 
 sentiment of a gigantic lie in everyday 
 relations seized him. This love for Pani 
 Elzen appeared to him to be a lie; her 
 relation to him a lie, to the children, to 
 other men, to the world; this life on the 
 sunny shore, the present and his own 
 future a lie. 
 
 "It surrounds me like a net,^^ he 
 thought, " and I don^t know how to escape 
 from it!^^ And in fact it was true, because 
 if the whole life is a lie then what shall 
 one do? Eeturn to nature? Begin some 
 kind of wild, half -peasant life? Break 
 with people and turn reformer? Swirski 
 felt that he was too old and too skeptical 
 for that. For that, it would be necessary 
 to have Kresowicz^s dogmatism and feel 
 the evil in order to get a stimulant for 
 reform and strength for the fight, and not 
 look at it as an impression which may be 
 weakened to-morrow! 
 
 But another thought came to Swirski, 
 
106 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 One who does not feel strong enough to 
 reform the world can escape from it for a 
 certain time and rest. To-morrow he 
 could be in Marseilles, and a couple of 
 days after somewhere else, perhaps on the 
 ocean, hundreds of miles from the shore — 
 from sickly life, from its lies and swindles. 
 In that way everything would be untied, 
 or rather cut as with a knife. 
 
 And at one moment he was seized with 
 such a desire to turn this thought into a 
 deed that he ordered the boatman to return 
 to Nice. 
 
 ^^An animal seeing that he is in a net,^^ 
 thought he, ^^ before all else tries to dis- 
 entangle himself from it. It^s the first law 
 and it^s in harmony with nature; there- 
 fore it^s moral. Pani Elzen alone is not 
 my net. It's everything taken together. 
 But at the same time I feel that if I marry 
 her I would marry the life of the lie. Even 
 perhaps it would not be her fault, but the 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 107 
 
 necessity of things — and it^s always per- 
 mitted to escape from such landscapes/^ 
 
 Here he began to imagine other land- 
 scapes, which he was going to see in his 
 flight: vast expanses of water and sand, 
 unknown countries and peoples, the sin- 
 cerity and truth of their primitive life, 
 finally the variety of incidents and the 
 great difference between the future and 
 present days. 
 
 ^^ I deserved it a long time ago!'^ he said 
 to himself. 
 
 Then another thought came to his mind 
 — a thought which may come only to an 
 artist — that wlien one ^^giyeshis fiancee tlie 
 cold shake '^ and goes, for instance, to 
 Paris, such a deed would constitute suita- 
 ble groundwork for ^'bad literature, ^^ but 
 if one escapes somewhere as far as the 
 equator, where the pepper grows, the fact 
 of j escaping becomes smaller compared 
 with the great distance — the act creates a 
 
108 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 different impression, looks more original, 
 and is more fashionable. 
 
 ^^And I shall go/' thought he, ^^ deuced- 
 ly far!^^ 
 
 In the meanwhile Nice appeared to him 
 in the form of a rope of lights. In the 
 middle of this rope the building called 
 ^^Jetee-Promenade^^ shone like a gigantic 
 lantern. In proportion as the boat, pro- 
 pelled by a strong wind, approached the 
 wharf, each of those lights changed into a 
 fiery pillar shivering on the moving line 
 of the shore. The sight of those lights 
 made Swirski sober. 
 
 ^^The city!— and the life!'' thought he. 
 And at once all his previous projects 
 began to disappear like nightmares, born 
 of the emptiness and the night. That 
 which awhile ago he considered right, easy 
 and necessary to be executed, seemed to 
 him now to be a fancy, bare of common 
 sense and even dishonest ^'Jfo matter 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 109 
 
 what is the life, one must be careful. One 
 who has lived under its laws as long as I 
 have lived must feel that he is obliged to 
 respect those laws. It's not difficult to 
 say to one's self: ^I used them as long as 
 they were useful to me;' but the moment 
 I am bothered I return to nature." 
 
 Then he began to think hard — not about 
 general theories, but about Pani Elzen. 
 
 '^ By what right should I leave her? If 
 her life was artificial and false, if her past 
 is not clear, I have known about it and 
 was not obliged to propose. Now I would 
 be right to break with her only if I had 
 discovered in her some evil which she had 
 concealed from me, or if in some way she 
 were guilty toward me. But she is not 
 guilty at all. She was honest and sincere 
 with me. At any rate there is something 
 in her which attracts me toward her; 
 otherwise I would not have proposed. 
 There are moments in which I feel that I 
 
110 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 am in love with her, and if sometimes 
 some doubts arise in me why should she 
 suffer for it? My flight would at least 
 wrong her/' 
 
 He understood that for a decent man to 
 think about flight, and to accomplish it, 
 were two opposite extremes. He could 
 only dream about it. Eather he would 
 ask Pani Elzen to give him back his word. 
 But to escape the danger — it would be a 
 thing unworthy of his personal character 
 and his thoroughly civilized race. Finally 
 the thought that he would wrong Pani 
 Elzen filled him with sorrow and she 
 became dearer to him. 
 
 They reached the wharf and in a few 
 minutes landed. He paid the fisherman, 
 took a cab, and ordered the coachman to 
 drive him to his studio. On the street, 
 amid the noise, lights and movement, he 
 was again seized by a longing after the 
 
On the Sunny Shore. Ill 
 
 solitude, after that infinity of the waters, 
 after that tranquillity and that great God^s 
 truth with which he had departed awhile 
 before. Finally when near the studio the 
 following thought came to his mind: 
 
 ^^It^s strange/^ thought he, ^^that I, 
 who was so much afraid of women and 
 whom I distrusted so much, should finally 
 select a woman who is able to arouse more 
 troublesome impressions than all others 
 can do/' 
 
 Some kind of fatalism was in this whole 
 affair, and without doubt Swirski would 
 have found in that coincidence abundant 
 material for reflection during the whole 
 evening if not for the fact that immedi- 
 ately after he entered the house the servant 
 handed him two letters. One contained 
 an invitation for the ball on the Formida- 
 ble, the other was from Mme. Lageat, tlie 
 landlady. She wrote him that she was 
 
112 On the Sunny Shore, 
 
 going to Marseilles for a couple of days, 
 and she also announced some news — that 
 she had found a model which ought to 
 satisfy the most exquisite taste — the girl 
 was coming to-morrow. 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 113 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Ik fact the announced God's masterpiece 
 came the next day at nine o'clock. Swir- 
 ski was already dressed, waiting impa- 
 tiently and full of uneasiness. Happily 
 his fears proved to be vain: the first glance 
 satisfied him. The young girl was tall, 
 very graceful, had a small head, delicate 
 face, beautiful hair, long eyelashes and 
 a very fresh complexion. But Swirski was 
 principally pleased that she had ^^her own 
 face '' and great charm in its expression. 
 *^She has noble movements,'' thought he, 
 ^^ and if she is as well formed as she looks, 
 then ^Eureka!' I will engage her for a 
 long time!" 
 
 He was also impressed by her timidity 
 
114: On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 aiicl frightened looks. It is true he knew 
 that models sometimes imitate modesty. 
 But he supposed that this one did not 
 imitate. 
 
 ^^ What is thy name, my dear girl?^^ 
 
 *^ Maria Cervi.^^ 
 
 '^Art thou from Nice?'' 
 
 ^^ Yes, from Nice.'' 
 
 " Hast thou posed already?" 
 
 '' ISTo, sir." 
 
 ^^Experienced models know what one 
 requires from them; there is a great bother 
 with fresh ones. Thou never posed in thy 
 life?" 
 
 ^^No, sir." 
 
 ^^ How didst thou get the idea to become 
 a model?" 
 
 The girl hesitated for a moment and 
 blushed. 
 
 *^Mme. Lageat told me that I would be 
 able to earn some money that way." 
 
 ^' Yes, but thou art afraid. Why art 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 115 
 
 thou afraid? I am not going to eat thee 
 np! How much wilt thou ask for the 
 sitting ?^^ 
 
 ^^Mme. Lageat told me that you pay 
 five francs/^ 
 
 ^^Mme. Lageat was mistaken. I pay 
 ten francs." 
 
 The girFs face lighted up with joy, and 
 she blushed still more. 
 
 ^^When shall I begin?" she asked with 
 trembling voice. 
 
 ^^ To-day — immediately!" said Swirski, 
 pointing to the unfinished picture. ^^ There 
 is the screen; go and undress! Only to 
 the waist. Thou wilt pose for the head, 
 for the breast and part of the hips." 
 
 She turned toward him her astonished 
 face, and her hands dropped slowly to her 
 side. 
 
 "What do you mean, sir?" asked she 
 timidly, looking at him with frightened 
 eyes. 
 
116 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 He answered a little bit impatiently: 
 
 ^' My dear girl, I understand that the 
 first time it may be hard. But either one 
 is a model or not. I need a head, a bust 
 and a part of the hips very badly, un- 
 derstand? Then thou must know that 
 there is nothing bad, and before all thou 
 must think it over, and be quick, because 
 if thou dost not wish, I will be obliged 
 to find some one else.^^ 
 
 He spoke thus a little bit uneasily, be- 
 cause inwardly he wished her to stay, and 
 if she did not he would be obliged to search 
 for another. In the meanwhile there was 
 a silence. The model became very pale, 
 but after awhile she went quietly behind 
 the screen. 
 
 Swirski began to move the easels toward 
 the window and place them properly, in 
 the meanwhile thinking: 
 
 '' She will become accustomed, and in a 
 week will laugh at her scruples.^' 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 117 
 
 Then he placed a sofa, on which the 
 model was to lie down, picked up his 
 brushes and became impatient: 
 
 ^^Well, art thou ready?'' 
 
 Silence. 
 
 ^^Decide! What a joke r 
 
 From behind the screen was heard a 
 voice vibrating with an entreating suppli- 
 cation. 
 
 "Panic!* I thought that — There is 
 great misery in our house, but that way — 
 I — can't! If you would be so kind as to 
 let me pose only for the head — even for 
 three francs, even for two — if you would 
 be so kind " 
 
 And the words changed into a sobbing. 
 
 Swirski turned toward the screen, 
 dropped his brushes and opened his mouth. 
 He was astounded, because the model 
 spoke in his own language. 
 
 *From ''Pan:" lord. 
 
118 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 '^So yon are a Polish lady?^' said he 
 finally, and he forgot that awhile before 
 he had used ^^ thou ^' in speaking to her. 
 
 '^ Yes, Panie! It is — my father was an 
 Italian, but my grandfather was a Pole.^^ 
 
 There was silence again. Swirski re- 
 gained his self-possession and said: 
 
 " Dress yourself again. You shall pose 
 only for the head.^' 
 
 But evidently she had not even begun 
 to undress, because she came from behind 
 the screen immediately, bashful and con- 
 fused, full of fright and with traces of 
 tears on her cheeks. 
 
 ^^ Thank you, sir,^^ said she. ^^You 
 are — You must excuse me, but " 
 
 *^Bequiet,^Mnterrupted Swirski. ^'Her© 
 is a chair! be quiet. You will pose for 
 the head — To the deuce! I did not 
 wish to insult you. Do you see this pic- 
 ture? I needed a model to paint this 
 figure. But as long as you can^t stand it. 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 119 
 
 that's different, especially when yon are a 
 Polish lady/' 
 
 The tears began to flow again, but her 
 blue eyes looked at him with gratitude; 
 he found a bottle of wine, poured some 
 into a glass, and handing it to her, said: 
 
 '^ You must drink. I have some crack- 
 ers somewhere, but the deuce knows where 
 they are. Pray be quiet.'' 
 
 Speaking thus, he looked at her with 
 honest sympathy, then he said: 
 
 "Poor child!" 
 
 Then he put the easel in its former 
 place, saying: 
 
 "You can't pose to-day; you are too 
 excited. We shall begin to-morrow. Let 
 us talk to-day. Who could suppose Maria 
 Cervi to be a Polish lady? You said your 
 grandfather was a Pole. Is he living?" 
 
 "He is living, but for two years has 
 been unable to walk." 
 
 "What is his name?" 
 
120 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ^^ Orysiewich/^ answered she, pronounc- 
 ing it with a foreign accent. 
 
 *^1 know the name. How long since he 
 left the country ?^^ 
 
 '^Grandpa has not been in Poland for 
 sixty-five years. He served in the Italian 
 army, then in a bank in Nice.^^ 
 
 "How old is he ?^' 
 
 " Grandpa is ninety.^^ 
 
 " Your father's name was Cervi?^^ 
 
 "Yes. Papa came from Nice, but he 
 also served in the Italian army.^^ 
 
 "How long since he died?'^ 
 
 "Five years ago.'' 
 
 " Is your mother living?" 
 
 " My mother is living. We live together 
 in old Nice." 
 
 "That's right," said Swirski. "One 
 question more: Does yonr mother know 
 that you wished to become a model?" 
 
 The girl answered hesitatingly: 
 
 " No. Mother doesn't know it. Mme. 
 
On the Sunnj^ Shore. 121 
 
 Lageat told me that in that way I could 
 earn five francs a day, and as we are poor — 
 very poor — therefore — I was obliged ^^ 
 
 Swirski with a qnick glance took in the 
 girl from her feet to the top of her head, 
 and he knew she was speaking the truth. 
 Everything spoke of poverty, from the hat 
 and the old, worn-out, faded dress, of 
 which one could see every thread of its 
 texture, to the gloves, which were mended 
 and grown red. 
 
 ^^ You had better go home now,'' said 
 he, *^ and tell your mother that the painter 
 Swirski wishes you to pose to him for a 
 head. Tell her also that the painter will 
 call at your house in order to beg her to 
 accompany you to his studio when you 
 come to pose, and that he will pay you ten 
 francs a day.'' 
 
 Panna Cervi thanked him with tears in 
 her eyes. And he, noticing her confusion, 
 said: 
 
122 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 " I will be there within one hour. You 
 look to be a very honest girL You must 
 trust me. I am a little bit of a bear, but 
 I can understand many things. Aha! one 
 thing! I will not give you money now, 
 for you would be obliged to explain how 
 you got it, but I will bring and ad- 
 vance to you what will be necessary. I 
 have sometimes been hard up, and I know 
 what a quick help means. Don't thank 
 me! Good-by, child — in an hour!'' 
 
 Having asked her address, he conducted 
 the girl downstairs. In an hour he 
 took a carriage and told the coachman to 
 drive him to old Nice. Everything that 
 had happened seemed to him so strange 
 that he could not think of anything else. 
 In the meanwhile he was satisfied as an 
 honest man is satisfied when he has acted 
 as he ought to act toward himself and an- 
 other who was deserving of kindness. 
 ^* If Panna Cervi is not a good andhonest 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 123 
 
 girl/^ he thought, " then I am the biggest 
 ass in the whole of Liguria/^ 
 
 But he did not admit that it was possi- 
 ble. On the contrary he was sure that he 
 had met a very honest w^omanly soul, and 
 he was pleased that this sonl was placed 
 in such a young and beautiful body. 
 
 Finally the carriage stopped before an 
 old and weatherbeaten house. The house- 
 keeper contemptuously showed Swirski to 
 Pani Cervi^s apartments. 
 
 ^^A home of misery !^^ thought the 
 painter, mounting the dirty stairs. 
 
 He rapped at the door. 
 
 ^^ Come in!'^ said a voice within. Swir- 
 ski entered. He was welcomed by a 
 woman about forty years old, dressed in 
 black — thin, sad, evidently broken in 
 health, but having nothing common in 
 her manner. Beside her stood Panna 
 Cervi. 
 
 ^^ I know all about it, and I thank you 
 
124 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 from my heart and soul P said Pani Cervi. 
 '*May God reward and bless you/^ 
 
 Speaking thus, she seized his hand and 
 bent her head as if she wished to kiss it. 
 But he withdrew it quickly, and then, 
 wishing to break the solemnity of the mo- 
 ment, he turned toward Panna Maria, and, 
 threatening her with his finger, said, with 
 the freedom of an old friend: 
 
 ^^Aha! this young person told every- 
 thing!" Panna Maria, instead of answer- 
 ing, smiled at him, a little bit sadly and 
 with embarrassment. She seemed to him 
 more beautiful than in the studio. He 
 noticed also that she had around her neck 
 a pink ribbon, which she had not had 
 before. He was flattered, because it was 
 a proof that she did not consider him 
 an old man, and had dressed to please 
 him. 
 
 In the meanwhile Pani Cervi said : '' Yes, 
 Maria told me everything. God watched 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 125 
 
 over her and over ns, and He helped her 
 to meet such a good man as you are/' 
 
 To this Swirski said : 
 
 ^' Panna Maria spoke to me about the 
 hardships in which you are living, but 
 pray believe that it is a blessing, even 
 in hard circumstances, to have such a 
 daughter/^ 
 
 ^^ Yes/^ quietly answered Pani Cervi. 
 
 ^^As for me, I am glad to have met you, 
 because I was searching in vain. Now I 
 am easy about my picture. Only I must 
 assure myself about my model. '^ 
 
 And speaking thus, he took three hun- 
 dred francs from his pocketbook and 
 begged of Pani Cervi to accept it, assur- 
 ing her that he was doing a splendid busi- 
 ness, and thanks to Panna Maria he would 
 get lots of money for his picture. And 
 then he expressed a desire to meet *^ grand- 
 pa, ^^ because he was always fond of old 
 soldiers. 
 
126 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 Panna Maria rnshed into the second 
 room; after a moment the noise of a chair 
 on wheels was heard, and the grandfather, 
 whom they had dressed, in honor of the 
 guest, in a uniform and all the decorations 
 received in Italy, was drawn into the room. 
 
 Swirski then perceived the small and 
 wrinkled face of an old man, with snow- 
 white mustache and hair; he had blue, 
 widely-opened eyes, resembling those of a 
 child. 
 
 '^ Grandpa, ^^ said Panna Maria, bending 
 down so that the old man could see her 
 lips, and speaking precisely, slowly and 
 loudly, ^^ it's Pan Swirski, a countryman, 
 an artist.'' 
 
 The old man turned his blue eyes toward 
 him, looked at him and repeated: 
 
 '^ Conntryman? Yes ! Countryman! " 
 
 Then he smiled, looked at his daughter 
 and granddaughter, then again at Swirski; 
 for awhile he was searching for words; 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 127 
 
 finally he asked, in old and trembling 
 voice: 
 
 ^^And in the spring — what?^* 
 
 Evidently he had some thought in his 
 mind that he conld not express. He bent 
 his trembling head on the armchair, and 
 looking at the window he smiled, repeat- 
 ing: 
 
 ^^Yes, yes! It will be r 
 
 ^^He is always that way T^ said Panna 
 Maria. 
 
 Swirski looked at him with emotion and 
 Pani Cervi began to talk about her father 
 and husband. Both were in the war 
 against Austria for the independence of 
 Italy. They lived in Florence for some 
 time, and returned to Nice only when 
 Rome was taken. In Nice the younger 
 comrade had married Orysiewich's daugh- 
 ter, and both got positions in a bank. 
 Everything went smoothly, till a few 
 years ago Cervi was killed in a railroad 
 
128 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 accident, and Orysiewich lost his position 
 on account of old age. Since that time 
 their hardships began^, because the only 
 source for their living was a pension of 
 six hundred lires paid to the old man by 
 the Italian government. It was enough 
 to preserve them from starvation, but not 
 enough to live on. Both women earned 
 something by sewing and teaching, but in 
 the summer, when everything became 
 quiet in !N"ice, and one could not earn 
 anything, their small resources were soon 
 exhausted. For two years the old man 
 had not walked; he was sick, and being 
 obliged to pay the doctor and buy medi- 
 cine, they grew poorer and poorer. 
 
 Swirski while listening made two men- 
 tal observations: In the first place, that 
 Pani Cervi spoke Polish worse than her 
 daughter. Evidently the old man, during 
 the campaign, had not devoted as much 
 time to his daughter as he did after- 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 129 
 
 ward to his granddaughter. But the 
 other idea was more important to 
 Swirski. He thought that this grand- 
 daughter, being such a beautiful girl, 
 could in Nice, on that shore, on which 
 every year were strolling many million- 
 aires, get plenty of gold, keep carriages, 
 servants, and have a boudoir upholstered 
 with satin. But she wore an old dress, 
 and a faded pink ribbon was her only 
 luxury. There must be some force 
 which preserved her from evil. ^*For 
 this,^^ Swirski said to himself, '^ two things 
 are necessary: a pure nature and an hon- 
 est bringing up. There is no doubt that I 
 have met both.'^ 
 
 And he felt at ease among these people. 
 He noticed also that poverty had not 
 rubbed out the traces of good breeding 
 and of a certain refinement which comes 
 from within and seems to be something 
 natural. Both mother and daughter re- 
 
130 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ceived him as a providential guest, but in 
 their words and mien one could still see a 
 greater pleasure that they had met an 
 honest man than because he had helped 
 them. 
 
 It was possible that those three hundred 
 francs spared the family many sorrows 
 and humiliations, but he felt, just the 
 same, that both women were more grateful 
 to him that in the studio he had acted 
 like a man with a good and tender heart 
 who had understood the girFs grief, 
 shame and sacrifice. But he was pleased 
 most by noticing that in Panna Cervi^s 
 bashfulness, in her charming looks, there 
 was that embarrassment which a girl 
 only feels in the presence of a man toward 
 whom she feels gratitude, and who in the 
 meanwhile, according to Swirski^s own 
 expression, ^^is still in the circulation.^' 
 He was forty-five years old, and notwith- 
 standing a young heart, he began to doubt 
 
On the Sunnj- Shore. 131 
 
 himself; therefore that pink ribbon and 
 his observation caused him real pleasure. 
 And he talked to them with as much 
 respect and attention as if they were ladies 
 of the best society, and seeing this, they 
 appreciated that he was pleased. He 
 shook hands with both of them, and when 
 Panna Maria, with drooping eyes, gave 
 him the whole strength of her warm 
 and young hand, he became a little bit 
 dizzy, and his head was so filled with 
 the pretty model that the coachman was 
 obliged to ask him twice where he wished 
 to go. 
 
 While in the carriage he was thinking 
 that it would not be proper to paint Panna 
 Maria's head on some other girFs body, 
 and he tried to persuade himself that it 
 would be better to cover the bust of the 
 sleeping girl with a light drapery. 
 
 ^^When I return I will call any model; 
 I will cover her and make such changes 
 
132 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 that to-morrow they may find the thing 
 ready /^ said he to himself. 
 
 Then he thought that he could not hire 
 Panna Cervi forever^ and he was sorry 
 for it. 
 
 The carriage stopped before the studio. 
 Swirski paid the driver and stepped out, 
 
 '^ There is a telegram for you, sir/^ said 
 the housekeeper to him. 
 
 The painter awakened as from a dream. 
 
 ^^ Aha!" said he; ^^ very well! give it to 
 me!" 
 
 And having taken the telegram from 
 the housekeeper, he opened it impatiently. 
 But as soon as he glanced at it astonish- 
 ment and fright appeared on his face, 
 because the telegram read as follows: 
 
 "Kresowicz killed himself an hour ago. 
 Come. Helene." 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 133 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 When Pani Elzen met Swirski her face 
 looked confused and irritated; her eyes 
 were dry but red, as if she had been cry- 
 ing; her manner was full of impatience. 
 
 ^^Have you received any letter ?^^ she 
 asked him hastily. 
 
 ^^No. I received only yoar telegram. 
 What a misfortune !^^ 
 
 ^^I thought he had written to you."" 
 
 '' No. When did it happen r 
 
 "This morning; they heard a shot in 
 his room. The servants rushed in and 
 found him dead.^^ 
 
 "Herein the hotel?'' 
 
 "N"o. Happily he went yesterday to 
 Contamine.^' 
 
134 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ^^What is the cause of it?'' 
 
 '^How can I know?'' she answered im- 
 patiently. 
 
 ^^ Because as far as I know he did not 
 gamble." 
 
 ^^No. They found some money on 
 him." 
 
 ^^ Was it yesterday that you dismissed 
 him?" 
 
 ^^ Yes, but he asked me to do it." 
 
 ^^ Perhaps he took it too seriously." 
 
 ^^I don't know/'' she said feverishly. 
 ^^If he wanted to kill himself he ought 
 to have gone away. But he was a mad- 
 man — that explains everything! Why did 
 he not go away?" 
 
 Swirski looked at her attentively. 
 
 ^^ Quiet yourself," said he. 
 
 But she misunderstood him and said: 
 
 ^^ Because it's very unpleasant for me, 
 and then there might be some trouble! 
 Who knows if I will not be obliged to go to 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 135 
 
 court as a witness? How can I know? 
 What a dreadful thing! And then there 
 will be some gossip. First Wiadrowski! 
 I wanted to ask you to tell among your 
 friends that he gambled and had lost my 
 money^ and that was the reason for the 
 suicide. If you think that it will be nec- 
 essary to repeat it in court it will then be 
 better not to speak about it, because it 
 may come out that it is not true; but you 
 can say it to the people. If he had gone 
 at least to Mentona or to Nice! Then 
 God knows whether he had written any- 
 thing before his death in order to avenge 
 himself on me. If some letter should fall 
 into the hands of a newspaper man! One 
 may expect anything from this kind of 
 people. I wanted to leave Nice, but now 
 I must.'' 
 
 Swirski looked more and more atten- 
 tively on her troubled face with closed 
 lips; finally he said: 
 
136 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 ^^Howhorridr 
 
 ^^ Yes, it is horrid P answered Pani El- 
 zen. '^ Would it not increase the gossip 
 if we leave to-morrow ?^^ 
 
 ^^I don^t think so/^ said Swirski. 
 
 And he inquired about the hotel in 
 which Kresowicz shot himself, and said 
 that he would go there to get some news 
 and arrange for the funeral. 
 
 But she wanted to stop him, so he said: 
 
 ^^ Madam! he is not a dog, but a man, 
 and it's proper to bury him at least/' 
 
 *^ Somebody will bury him without you," 
 she answered. 
 
 Swirski took leave, however, and went 
 out. On the stairs of the hotel he raised 
 his hand to his forehead and repeated: 
 
 ^^ How horrid!" 
 
 He knew by experience how far human 
 egotism can go; he knew also that women 
 in egotism as well as in self-denial overtop 
 men; he recollected that he had already 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 137 
 
 met such types of womanhood, among 
 whom, under the exterior coat of varnish, 
 the rough, animal-like egotism was hid- 
 den — in whom all moral instinct ended 
 where the personal interest began. Pani 
 Elzen, however, was able to astonish him. 
 ^' This unfortunate man,'^ said he to him- 
 self, ^^ was an instructor of her children; 
 he used to live with her under the same 
 roof, and was in love with her. And she? 
 Not a word of sympathy, of pity! Noth- 
 ing and nothing! She is angry with him 
 for the trouble he has caused her, that he 
 did not go far from the city, that he has 
 spoiled the season for her, that they will 
 talk about her; but she never thought to 
 ask what was the matter with him, why 
 he killed himself, and had he not done it 
 for her? And in her irritation she forgot 
 that she had betrayed herself, and that, if 
 not on account of good heart, at least on 
 account of good sense, she ought to show 
 
138 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 to me that she is better than that. Ah I 
 what a spiritual barbarism! Appearances, 
 appearances that is all, and under a French 
 corset and the French accent the primi- 
 tive nature of a true Zulu woman! Civi- 
 lization applied to the skin like powder! 
 Even she is cheeky enough to ask me to 
 tell the people that he was gambling with 
 her money. Pooh! May a thunderbolt 
 strike all this business !^^ 
 
 Thus thinking and speaking, he reached 
 Condamine and found the small hotel in 
 which the suicide was committed. In 
 Kresowicz's room he found a physician 
 and a curt official, who were very glad he 
 had come, because they expected he could 
 give them some information about the 
 dead man. 
 
 '' He left a note,^^ said the official, ^^ ask- 
 ing to be buried in a common grave, and 
 the money found with him to be sent to 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 139 
 
 Zurich to an address given hy him. He 
 has burned all papers.^' 
 
 Swirski looked at Kresowicz, who was 
 lying on the bed with opened, frightened 
 eyes. 
 
 ^^ The dead man considered himself sick 
 without any hope of recovery/^ said he; 
 '^that^s probably the reason he has com- 
 mitted suicide. He never gambled. ^^ 
 
 Then he said everything he knew about 
 Kresowicz, left money enough to purchase 
 a separate grave, and went out. 
 
 While walking he recollected what 
 Kresowicz said to him in Xice about mi- 
 crobes, also his answer given to Wiadrow- 
 ski, that he had joined the society of 
 ^^ silent ones, ^^ and he convinced himself 
 that the young student killed himself 
 because he doubted if he could ever be 
 cured. 
 
 But he understood also that some sec- 
 ondary reasons might be admitted, and 
 
140 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 among them the unhappy love for Pani 
 Elzen and his parting from her. These 
 thoughts made him sad. Kresowicz's 
 body, with the fright in his eyes, stood 
 before him. He thought that nobody 
 plunged into that fearful darkness without 
 fright, that the whole life, compared with 
 the necessity of death, was one of gigantic 
 tragical nonsense, and he returned to Pani 
 Elzen very low spirited. 
 
 She was relieved when she learned that 
 Kresowicz had not left any papers. She 
 said that she would send the money nec- 
 essary for a decent funeral, and now talked 
 about him with a certain pity. But she 
 could not make Swirski stay with her. 
 The painter announced that he must go 
 home. 
 
 ^^But I shall see you at least in the 
 evening ?^^ said she, shaking hands with 
 him. "''I wanted to go to Nice toward 
 evening, and go with you.'' 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 141 
 
 " Where ?^^ asked Swirski^ astonished. 
 
 ^^Have you forgotten? To the ball on 
 board the Formidable/^ 
 
 ^^Ah! you are then going to the ball?^^ 
 
 *^If you only knew how difficult it is 
 for me, especially after such an unpleasant 
 accident, you would pity me, because, in 
 fact, I am sorry for that poor young man. 
 But I must do it, if only for the reason 
 that people may not have cause for sup- 
 position/^ 
 
 '' So? Good-by r said Swirski. 
 
 And a few moments afterward, sitting 
 in the train, he said to himself: 
 
 ^^ I will be a dead crab if I go with you 
 to a ball on the Formidable or to any other 
 ball.'^ 
 
142 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 But the next day his sadness had passed 
 when Pani Cervi and Panna Maria came to 
 his studio. Seeing the beautiful fresh 
 face of the girl he became even joyful. 
 
 In the studio everything was ready; the 
 easel was placed near the window, the sofa 
 for the use of the model not far from it. 
 Pani Lageat received the most precise 
 order not to let anybody in, even if Queen 
 Victoria herself should call. 
 
 Swirski drew the curtains and darkened 
 the window in the ceiling, but while doing 
 this he looked continually at his gracious 
 model. 
 
 In the meanwhile the ladies took off 
 their hats and Panna Maria asked : 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 143 
 
 '^ What shall I do now r 
 
 '* You must first let your hair iall," said 
 Swirski. 
 
 He approached her and she raised both 
 hands to her head. It was apparent that 
 his request made her uneasy, and that it 
 seemed strange to her. And Swirski 
 looked at her confused face, drooped eyes, 
 bent figure, and the elegant lines of her 
 hips, and thought that in this big pail of 
 filth — Nice — he had discovered a true 
 pearl. 
 
 After awhile her hair fell over her 
 shoulders. Panna Maria shook her head 
 to dishevel it, and it covered her com- 
 pletely. 
 
 ^^Corpo Dio r exclaimed Swirski. The 
 more difficult task was to pose the model. 
 Swirski noticed that the girFs heart beat 
 quicker, that her breast heaved faster, 
 and her cheeks burned as though she was 
 obliged to fight against an instinctive 
 
144 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 bashfnlness, with an uneasiness similar 
 to that which causes one an unknown 
 pleasure. 
 
 Therefore he spoke to himself: "No! 
 she is not a common model — she is quite 
 different — and I am not looking at her 
 simply as a painter would/^ In fact he was 
 embarrassed, and his fingers trembled 
 when he was placing her head on a cushion; 
 but wishing to get rid of the agitation he 
 began to talk jokingly: 
 
 "Keep quiet now! That way! One 
 must do something for art. Now, that^s 
 well! How beautiful your profile looljs on 
 the red ground! If you could see it — but 
 you can^t! Don't smile — it's forbidden. 
 You must sleep! I am going to paint 
 immediately!'' 
 
 And he began to work, but soon stopped 
 and asked Pani Cervi about past times. 
 He learned from her that Maria had had a 
 very good position in the house of the 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 145 
 
 Countess Dziadzikiewich, nee Atrament, 
 daughter of a rich manufacturer from 
 Lodz. But she dismissed her on learning 
 that Marians father and grandfather had 
 served in the Italian army. It was very 
 hard for them, because they both wished 
 very much that Maria might become a 
 reader with some lady living in Nice dur- 
 ing the winter, as then they would not be 
 obliged to separate. 
 
 In Swirski the painter awakened. He 
 frowned, looked over the handle of the 
 brush to the reclining girl, and painted 
 diligently. From time to time he put 
 aside the palette and brushes, approached 
 the model and corrected the position of her 
 head. Then he bent over her more than 
 was necessary for the interest of art, 
 and when he felt the warmth of her young 
 body, when he looked on her long 
 eyelashes and the slightly opened mouth, 
 a shiver ran through his bones, his 
 
146 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 fingers trembled neryously, and he spoke 
 to himself inwardly: 
 
 "Keep up, old man! To the deuce! 
 keep up!^^ 
 
 Surely he was very fond of her. Her 
 embarrassment, her blushes, her mod- 
 esty, coupled with a certain virginal 
 coquettishness, made him happy. All 
 this proved to him that she did not con- 
 sider him an old man. He felt that 
 she liked him also. Her grandfather 
 surely had told her marvelous things about 
 his countrymen, and maybe had excited 
 her imagination. 
 
 She doubtless thought she had now met 
 one of them — not a common one — honest, 
 famous, who appeared to her as in a fairy 
 tale, at the moment of greatest need, 
 with help and kindness. How could she 
 help feeling sympathy for him and looking 
 at him with gratitude? 
 
 All these things made the time pass 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 147 
 
 very rapidly to Swirski, and he did not 
 notice that it was ah^eady noontime. But 
 at twelve o^clock Panna Maria said that 
 they must go back, because they had left 
 grandpa alone and that they must serve 
 him his luncheon. Swirski asked them 
 to come in the afternoon. If they did not 
 wish to leave the old man alone perhaps 
 they would ask some one to stay with 
 him. Perhaps the housekeeper, or her 
 husband, would do it. There is the ques- 
 tion about the picture! Two sittings a 
 day would be reciprocally useful. If 
 there should be a necessity for paying 
 somebody to watch the old man, he would 
 consider it a favor if they would permit 
 him to meet the expense, because, above 
 all, he cared for the picture. 
 
 Two sittings a day for Panna Maria was 
 very good business, and considering the 
 misery in the house she could not refuse 
 it. Therefore they agreed to come again 
 
148 On the Snnny Shore. 
 
 at two o'clock. Happy Swirski deter- 
 mined to conduct them home. 
 
 At the door of the house the house- 
 keeper handed to Swirski a bunch of musk 
 roses^ telling him that they were brought 
 by two lovely boys, and that they wished 
 to enter the studio, but she did not let 
 them in. 
 
 Swirski answered that she acted w^isely, 
 and he gave the roses to Panna Maria. In 
 a few moments they were on the Prome- 
 nade des Anglais. Nice seemed to Swir- 
 ski to be prettier and more animated than 
 ever. He enjoyed the noise, which before 
 had always made him angry. They met 
 Wiadrowski and De Sinten, who stopped, 
 having noticed the artist. He saluted 
 them and passed, but while passing he 
 noticed that De Sinten put his monocle 
 to his eye, looked at Panna Maria and ex- 
 claimed with astonishment: ^^ Prrristir 
 They both followed him for awhile, but 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 149 
 
 opposite the Jetee-Promenade Swirski took 
 a carriage and conducted the ladies home. 
 The idea came to him to invite the 
 whole family to a luncheon, hut he thought 
 there would be a bother with the old man, 
 and that, considering their short acquaint- 
 ance, such a sudden invitation might sur- 
 prise Pani Cervi. Instead of that he 
 promised himself that when the old 
 man could get some one to take care of 
 him, then, in order to save time, he would 
 have luncheon served in the studio. After 
 he left the ladies at the door he rushed 
 to the first hotel he could see, and there 
 he swallowed his luncheon without know- 
 ing what he was eating. Pani Elzen, 
 Eomulus and Kemus, the bunches of musk 
 roses passed in his mind. A few days ago 
 the beautiful widow and his relation to- 
 ward her were questions of great impor- 
 tance to him. He remembered well that 
 inward fight he had undergone on the sea 
 
150 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 coming back from Ville Franche. "Now 
 he said to himself: *^^It doesn't exist for 
 me any more and I shall not think of it 
 longer." And he did not feel the slight- 
 est uneasiness or smallest remorse. On 
 the contrar}^ it seemed to him that some 
 heavy burden had fallen from his shoulderSo 
 All his thoughts returned to Panna Maria. 
 She was in his eyes and in his head; by 
 the strength of imagination he saw her 
 again with her disheveled hair, closed 
 eyelids, and when he thought that in about 
 an hour he would be able to touch her 
 temples with his fingers, to bend again 
 over her, and feel the warmth from her 
 young body, he was as intoxicated as 
 if he had drank wine, and he asked 
 himself for the second time: 
 
 ^^Well, what will become of you, old 
 man?'' 
 
 But when he came back to his studio he 
 found Pani Elzen's telegram: ^^I am ex- 
 
On the Sunn}^ Shore. 151 
 
 pec ting jou at six o'clock for dinner/' 
 Swirski crumpled it and put it in his 
 pocket, and when Pani Cervi came with 
 her daughter he had forgotten about it so 
 completely that, after having finished his 
 work, toward ^ve o'clock, he began to 
 think where he should go to dine, and he 
 was mad that he did not know what to do 
 in the evening. 
 
152 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The next day when Mme. Lageat 
 brought the luncheon for three people 
 she said that an hour before those two 
 lovely boys were there again, but this time 
 with an elegantly dressed lady. 
 
 ^^The young lady wanted to see you, 
 but I told her you had gone to Antibes.'^ 
 
 ^^To Toulon! To Toulon r answered 
 the painter merrily. 
 
 But the next day Mme. Lageat could 
 not communicate Swirski^s answer, because 
 only a letter came. Swirski did not read 
 it at all. Instead, it happened that day 
 that, wishing to correct Panna Marians 
 ^^position,^^ he put his hands under her 
 shoulders and lifted her so that their breasts 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 153 
 
 touched and her breath bathed his face. 
 She became very much confused^ and he 
 said to himself that if such a moment 
 would only last long enough it would be 
 worth while to give his life for it. 
 
 In the evening he spoke to himself thus: 
 
 ^^ Your senses are working in you dif- 
 ferently from what they did before, because 
 this time your soul is with them, and all 
 because she is a child who in this pudri- 
 dero of Nice has remained pure. It^s not 
 her merit, but her nature, and where 
 can a person find a similar one? This 
 time I am not deceiving myself and don^t 
 persuade myself — the reality speaks." 
 
 And it seemed to him that he had a 
 sw^et dream. 
 
 Two days afterward he received another 
 dispatch, which was given to him in the 
 presence of both ladies. 
 
 He opened it rather unwillingly, glanced 
 at it, and his face expressed his confusion. 
 
154 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 '^ You must excuse me^ ladies/^ he said 
 after awhile, ^' I have received such news 
 that I am obliged to be going immediately/^ 
 
 ^'Ko thing bad at least ?^^ asked Pani 
 Cervi solicitously. 
 
 '^ISTo! no! But it may be that I will 
 not be able to be present for the afternoon 
 sitting. At any rate it will be ended to- 
 day, and to-morrow I will have peace. ^^ 
 
 Having said this, he took leave of them 
 a bit feverishly but cordially, and a few 
 moments afterward he was sitting in the 
 carriage on the road to Monte Carlo. 
 
 When he passed the Jetee-Promenade he 
 pulled out the dispatch and read it again. 
 It was as follows: 
 
 ^^I am waiting for you this afternoon. 
 If you do not come by the four-o^clock 
 train I know what I shall do. 
 
 E[e was afrm(J of this signature^ for hj 
 
I 
 
 On the Sunny Shore. 155 
 
 was under the influence of Kresowicz^s 
 recent suicide. 
 
 ^^ Who knows/^ said he to himself/^ to 
 what deed it may lead the woman — if not 
 in her offended love, then in her offended 
 selfishness? I ought not to act as I have 
 acted. It was a very easy matter to answer 
 the first letter — and to break with her. 
 One mustn^t play with anybody, no matter 
 if he is good or bad. This time I will 
 break with her, but I must do it now, and 
 not wait till four o^clock.^' 
 
 And he told the coachman to hasten. 
 He tried to persuade himself that Pani 
 Elzen would not make any attempt on her 
 life. But there were moments when he 
 doubted whether her monstrous egotism, 
 if offended, would not push her to commit 
 such a dreadful deed. 
 
 He remembered that in her character 
 there was a certain stubbornness, a certain 
 determinatiort and courage. It is tra§ 
 
156 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 that the thought of the children ought to 
 stop her, but will it stop her? Does she 
 really care about those children? And 
 thinking what might happen, his hair 
 stood up on end. His conscience began 
 to trouble him again and a new fight 
 commenced within him. Panna Maria's 
 picture passed before his eyes continually, 
 arousing bitter sorrow. 
 
 "It is true,'^ he repeated to himself, 
 " that I am going to break my engage- 
 ment, but I feel a great uneasiness. What 
 shall I do if this bad, vain and revengeful 
 woman should say to me, ^ You or mor- 
 phine?' '^ 
 
 And in the meanwhile, aside from un- 
 easiness and uncertainty, a disgust seized 
 him, because it seemed to him that the 
 question put in that way would be worthy 
 of some false heroine belonging to "bad 
 literature.'' 
 
 But what would it be if she should put 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 157 
 
 it that way? In society, especially in Nice, 
 there are many women who belong to 
 ^^ bad literature/^ 
 
 Amid these thoughts and amid the 
 clouds of gray dust he arrived at last at 
 Monte Carlo and told the coachman to 
 stop at the Hotel de Paris. But before 
 he could alight he perceived on the green- 
 sward Romulus and Remus playing ball. 
 They rushed toward him. 
 
 ^^Good-morning, sivV 
 
 '' Good-morning!^^ 
 
 ^^ Good-morning ! Is your mother in her 
 room?^^ 
 
 '' No. Mam an went on horseback with 
 Monsieur de Sinten.^' 
 
 There was a silence. 
 
 *^Ah! mamma went with Monsieur de 
 Sinten!^^ repeated Swirski. ^^ Very well!'^ 
 
 After awhile he added: 
 
 ^^It's true! She did not expect me till 
 four o'clock!^' 
 
158 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 Suddenly he began to laugh: 
 
 ^^The drama is ended by a farce. I 
 have forgotten — we are on the Riviera! 
 What an ass I am!^^ 
 
 ^^Will you wait for mamanf asked 
 Eomulus. 
 
 ^^No. Boys, listen: Tell your mother 
 that I came to bid her good-by, and that I 
 am sorry I did not see her, because to-day 
 I am going away." 
 
 And he told the coachman to return to 
 Nice. 
 
 In the evening he received a telegram 
 with only one word in it — ^^ Villain." 
 
 When he read it, it made him merry, 
 because it was not signed '^ Morphine." 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 159 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Two weeks after the picture represent- 
 ing ^^ Sleep and Death'' was finished 
 Swirski began another, which he called 
 ^^ Euterpe/' But he could not work. He 
 complained that the light was too sharp, 
 and, instead of painting, looked at the 
 beautiful Panna Maria's face, as if he 
 was searching for Euterpe's expression. 
 He looked at her so intently that under 
 the influence of his looks Panna Maria 
 blushed, and he became more and more 
 uneasy. Finally one morning he said 
 suddenly, with strange, changed voice: 
 
 ^' I notice one thing — that you both love 
 Italy very much." 
 
 " We and grandpa also!" answered Pan- 
 na Maria. 
 
160 On the Sunny Shore. 
 
 "And I also. Half of my life I spent 
 in Florence and in Eome. There the 
 light is not so sharp, and one may paint 
 all day long. Yes! Who could not love 
 Italy? Do you know about what I am 
 thinking sometimes ?^^ 
 
 Panna Maria bent her head and looked 
 at him attentively, as was her custom 
 when sh'e was listening to him. 
 
 " I think that every man has two father- 
 lands: one his own, and the other — Italy. 
 Because all culture, and all art, and all 
 knowledge — everything comes from there. 
 Let us take renaissance. Truly! Every- 
 body is a child, or at least grandchild of 
 Italy/^ 
 
 " Yes/' answered Panna Maria. 
 
 He spoke further: 
 
 " I don^t remember whether I told you 
 that I have a studio in Eome, on the Via 
 Marghetti, and since the light has become 
 so sharp here, I long for my studio. 
 
On the Sunny Shore. 161 
 
 How lovely it would be if we could go to 
 Eome! Afterward we would go to War- 
 saw/^ 
 
 '' It^s impossible \" answered Panna Maria 
 with a sad smile. 
 
 He approached her suddenly, and tak- 
 ing hold of both her hands, spoke, looking 
 into her eyes with a great tenderness: 
 
 ^^ Yes, it^s possible, my dearest! Don^t 
 you guess how?" 
 
 And when she became pale he pressed 
 her hands to his breast and added: 
 
 ^^Give me yourself!" 
 
 THE END, 
 
i2mo^ clothy $i,2S 
 
 JASPER FAIRFAX 
 
 BY 
 MARGRET HOLMES 
 
 Author of ** Chamber Over the Gate," Etc., Etc. 
 
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 — Chicago News, 
 
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 of recent novels." — Minneapolis Tribune, 
 
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