To Pittrino he added, "His royal highness, Monsieur, who often comes into our city, will not be much pleased to see his illustrious mother so slightly clothed, and he will send you to the oubliettes of the state; for, remember, the heart of that glorious prince is not always tender.You must efface either the two sirens or the legend, without which Iforbid the exhibition of the sign.I say this for your sake, Master Cropole, as well as for yours, Signor Pittrino."What answer could be made to this? It was necessary to thank the echevin for his kindness, which Cropole did.But Pittrino remained downcast and said he felt assured of what was about to happen.
The visitor was scarcely gone when Cropole, crossing his arms, said: "Well, master, what is to be done?""We must efface the legend," said Pittrino, in a melancholy tone."I have some excellent ivory-black; it will be done in a moment, and we will replace the Medici by the nymphs or the sirens, whichever you prefer.""No," said Cropole, "the will of my father must be carried out.My father considered ---- ""He considered the figures of the most importance," said Pittrino.
"He thought most of the legend," said Cropole.
"The proof of the importance in which he held the figures,"said Pittrino, "is that he desired they should be likenesses, and they are so.""Yes; but if they had not been so, who would have recognized them without the legend? At the present day even, when the memory of the Blaisois begins to be faint with regard to these two celebrated persons, who would recognize Catherine and Mary without the words `To the Medici'?""But the figures?" said Pittrino, in despair; for he felt that young Cropole was right."I should not like to lose the fruit of my labor.""And I should not wish you to be thrown into prison and myself into the oubliettes.""Let us efface `Medici,' " said Pittrino, supplicatingly.
"No," replied Cropole, firmly."I have got an idea, a sublime idea -- your picture shall appear, and my legend likewise.Does not `Medici' mean doctor, or physician, in Italian?""Yes, in the plural."
"Well, then, you shall order another sign-frame of the smith; you shall paint six physicians, and write underneath `Aux Medici' which makes a very pretty play upon words.""Six physicians! impossible! And the composition?" cried Pittrino.
"That is your business -- but so it shall be -- I insist upon it -- it must be so -- my macaroni is burning."This reasoning was peremptory -- Pittrino obeyed.He composed the sign of six physicians, with the legend; the echevin applauded and authorized it.
The sign produced an extravagant success in the city, which proves that poetry has always been in the wrong, before citizens, as Pittrino said.
Cropole, to make amends to his painter-in-ordinary, hung up the nymphs of the preceding sign in his bedroom, which made Madame Cropole blush every time she looked at it, when she was undressing at night.
This is the way in which the pointed-gable house got a sign;and this is how the hostelry of the Medici, making a fortune, was found to be enlarged by a quarter, as we have described.And this is how there was at Blois a hostelry of that name, and had for painter-in-ordinary Master Pittrino.
