“...I remember the first time I set eyes on you. You were fifteen, absolutely stunning, walking with your mother in the Jardin des Tuileries. I could not sleep that night. I desired beyond all things to have you, yet the gentleman in me, even as poor an example of that breed as I am, could not bring himself to pursue a school-girl. I am not sure whether from good Catholic virtue, or from the fear of looking ridiculous. I walked away. Even when you married that insect Le Brun to stop your mother’s nagging, I attended your soirees, your salons, craving your presence, your nearness, but always careful never to reveal my thoughts, my desires to you. Wanting to appear as a friend, a trusted confidant only... ...every day I spent in waiting, every anguished moment of longing, has turned out to be worth it. I don’t know what keeps such a beautiful, such an immensely talented, such a joyously alive woman like you in my orbit. What you see in this vapid dandy whose main concern in life is that the duck be not too well-roasted and the wine flows freely, I do not understand. But I do not need to understand. Only to savor every moment I have with you, until someone worthy of you comes along.” Phillipe Eduouard Sauvignon de Saint Clair (1742 - 1839), Letter to Louise-Elizabeth Vigee-LeBrun, August 23, 1783
Posted on: Sun, 09 Jun 2013 16:13:26 +0000
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