Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Part IV - III
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270 THE CONFESSION OF A FOOL
they had been comrades in trouble, and I resolved to grant
them a retreat with honours. A farewell banquet Avas there-
fore arranged in the studio of one of the young artists.
At dessert, when every one was more or less gay with
the wine which had been drunk, Marie, overcome by her
feelings, rose to sing a song of her own composition.
It was an imitation of the well-known song in Mignon^
and in it she bade farewell to her friend. She sang with
fire and genuine feeling, her almond-shaped eyes were
full of tears and glowed softly in the reflection of the
candle-light ; she opened her heart so wide that even I
was touched and charmed. There was a candour, an
ingenuousness in this woman’s love-song to a woman, so
pathetic that it kept all unchaste thoughts at bay. And
how strange it was ! She had neither the appearance nor the
manners of the hermaphrodite ; she was essentially woman ;
loving, tender, mysterious, unfathomable woman.
How different from her was the object of her tender-
ness ! She was a pure Russian type, with masculine
features, a hooked nose, a massive chin, 5’ellow eyes and
l)loated cheeks, a flat chest, crooked fingers—a truly
hideous woman—a peasant would not have looked at her.
When she had finished her song Marie sat down by
the side of this freak ; the latter rose, took Marie’s head
in her tAvo hands and kissed her on the lips. That at
least was pure and unadulterated sensuality.
I drank with the Russian until she was quite intoxi-
cated ; she stumbled, looked at me with large, bewildered
eyes, and, sobbing like an imbecile, clutched the wall to
support herself. I had never before seen such ugliness
in human shape.
The banquet ended with a row in the street. On the
following morning the two Danes left.
Marie passed through a terrible crisis ; I was genuinely
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