Determined not to be subjected to this arrangement, which was entirely opposed to her plans and wishes, she resolved to escape this bondage, even though the fetters were golden. Hence she disguised herself in the habiliments of a nun, and hastened to the sea-coast.
There she found a vessel exchanging prisoners. Seeking out the captain she secured his silence and assistance by adding a generous sum to his purse. When the vessel left France the nun was on board.
Napoleon might not have relished this stratagem and perhaps would have made the wilful lady feel that his power was not confined to Paris. But military affairs just then took a serious turn, and for this reason the Emperor had more weighty things to occupy his mind than sending after runaway opera singers.
112.—STUBBORN COMPOSERS.
Had more of the most famous composers catered to the taste of the people of their time, they would have been in receipt of larger incomes and would have held positions that were closed to them on account of what was called their stubbornness. Undoubtedly there was a good deal of the stubborn element in some of them, and a great deal of admiration for self and the works of self. That is right. A fair amount of self-appreciation is a good thing.
Many times these men did right in refusing to grant the demands of critics or of a public that was unappreciative of their artistic strivings. A great composer is always ahead of the times in which he lives. As Lowell says, success is posthumous. They were right in refusing to descend to the level of the commonplace, and, in the majority of cases, were right in refusing to alter their standard and their written works to suit a taste that was temporary or vitiated in character.
But there was occasionally a middle ground that might have been occupied without harm to the artistic
