“I shall paint what I see.”
“You have just painted the Baron de Centeville. How did you paint him?”
“The Princesse has the miniature now. Perhaps she will show it to you.
Do you work near her? “
She nodded.
“Then perhaps you’ll see it.”
“I have.”
“Then you know.”
“I think he looks rather … frightening.”
“Really. Now … I was just going to bed.”
“But I’d like to talk.”
“But I as I said am about to go to bed.”
“Don’t you want to know about the people here?”
“I shall find out in due course.”
“Do you have to know a lot about the people you paint?”
“It helps.”
“You’re a sort of sorceress.”
“I hadn’t thought of myself as that.”
“I don’t think the Princesse will like it if you pry.”
“Really, I must ask you to leave now.”
She sat up.
“Tell me about the Baron,” she said.
“He has twenty mistresses, they say … like Solomon or something like that.”
“I believe Solomon had more than twenty.”
“You don’t tell anything, do you? That’s because I’m just a housemaid of no importance.”
“You go off to bed,” I said.
“Are you going to ring and have me removed?”
“Not if you go quietly.”
“All right,” she said.
“I could have told you a lot,” she added ominously . ‘a lot you ought to know. “
“I am sure you could. But another time, eh?”
I pushed her out and shut the door.
What an extraordinary maid! I wondered what she could have told me about the Princesse.
I locked the door and got into bed, but it was a long time before I slept.
My tray came promptly in the morning and by nine o’clock I was ready.
I did not have to wait long before Madame la Gouvernante was knocking at my door. She said “Good morning’ very civilly and expressed the wish that I had passed a good night.
Madame la Comtesse was ready to receive me and if I would follow her she would take me to her . We descended the beautiful staircase to a lower floor and I was conducted to a salon furnished in white and gold with those rare touches of red. The furniture was exquisite and of the sixteenth and seventeenth century I guessed. But my attention was immediately focused on the Comtesse.
She was rather short and a little plump but carefully dressed to minimize this. Her hair was worn piled high to give her height; she was soignee and fitted the surroundings perfectly.
I must admit to feeling a little gauche, for clearly I did not pay the same attention to my appearance as she did to hers.
“Mademoiselle Collison!” she cried, advancing and holding out her hand.
She took mine in a limp handshake.
“I am pleased to welcome you here. Monsieur Ie Baron is so eager for you to do this miniature of the Princesse de Crespigny. He has such a high opinion of your work. I know the name, of course. It is well known here… but he says you are the first lady in that great line of painters.”
“I am eager to meet the Princesse and to start the work,” I said.
“I was wondering if there is a room where we can get the maximum light. ”
“Yes, yes. All that has been considered. The Baron has told us what will be needed. But the Princesse has made it clear that she will not want to sit too long at a time.”
“Sittings are necessary,” I said.
“I think I must be allowed to decide the length of them. A painter may have discovered something exciting. and then if the sitter goes away before the discovery can be made use of… You understand?”
“Oh, you will have to work that out with the Princesse. She is very young.”
“Seventeen, I believe.”
The Comtesse nodded.
“She has been brought up quietly until a few months ago when I took her into my care and brought her to Court. It is necessary for me to keep”
She paused and I said: “A firm hand?”
“Exactly. It is something of a responsibility. However, I have sent someone to tell her we are waiting for her. She should be along at any moment.”
“Thank you.”
“Pray be seated, Mademoiselle Collison.”
I sat, looking uneasily at the door.
“You have come straight from the Chateau de Centeville?”
She was making conversation for she knew that I had.
“Yes, Madame.”
“You must have… er… spent a long time with the Baron … at your sittings, I mean.”
“Yes. He was a good sitter. He is a man who is greatly interested in art.”
“Let us hope that the Princesse will be equally good.”
She went to the bell rope and pulled it. There was silence until a maid appeared. She wore a black dress and white apron similar to that of last night’s visitor, but it was not the same girl.
“Will you please go at once to the Princesse and tell her that Mademoiselle Collison and I are waiting for her in the salon.”
“Yes, Madame.” The girl bobbed a curtsey and was off.
The Comtesse sat down and made uneasy desultory and rather disjointed conversation.
“She knew that you had arrived last night,” she said.
“I cannot imagine …” She bit her lip as though trying to curb her annoyance.
“I suppose she wants this miniature done?” I asked.
“The Baron wants it. Oh I have great responsibilities, Mademoiselle, great difficulties.”
At that moment we heard the sound of horses’ hoofs and the Comtesse went quickly to the window.
She turned back to me.
“It’s the Princesse,” she said.
“She is going riding.”
I went to the window. I saw the back of a trim, slight figure surrounded by a party of horsemen and women.
The Comtesse looked at me helplessly.
I lilted my shoulders.
“It’s a pity. I wanted to get a start. If you will show me the room where I am to do the portrait I will prepare my materials, and then I thought I might take a walk.”
“Do you know Paris?”
“This is my first visit.”
“I should perhaps get someone to accompany you.”
“I prefer to be on my own.”
She hesitated.
“You wish to explore, I see. Do you find your way about well?”
“I think so.”
“Don’t stray too far from this area. You could wander down the Champs-Elysee to the Tuileries. That should be very pleasant. I would not cross the river if I were you. There are many bridges across the Seine. Stay on this side and if you get lost then … take a fiacre a cab … and you will be brought back to the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore.”
“Thank you so much. I shall do that.”
“I apologize for the Princesse’s behaviour.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“She has been used to having her own way. You know how it can be.”
“I understand,” I said, ‘and I shall look forward to meeting her later. ”
I went to my room and collected what I should need. Then I was shown the room where I should work. It was a kind of attic. Ideal, I thought, for there was plenty of light. I set out my paints, brushes and little palette. I prepared my supports and went back to my room.
I thought: Our little Princesse has high spirits and bad manners -but perhaps she thinks such behaviour is acceptable from a Princesse.
I am already learning something about her without seeing her.
Now there was the excitement of Paris-and how that enchanted me! I loved the wide boulevards, the beautiful bridges and the old Palace of the Louvre. Best of all I loved the noise of the streets, the incessant chatter, the cafes outside which tables were set up under coloured sunshades, and gay music floated out. I did not need that vehicle to take me back. I found my own way. I was rather good at it.