The Handbook of Mentoring at Work:

Theory, Research, and Practice 1st

Edition
Visit to download the full and correct content document:
https://ebookmass.com/product/the-handbook-of-mentoring-at-work-theory-research-
and-practice-1st-edition/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

Performance Management at Universities: The Danish

Bibliometric Research Indicator at Work 1st ed. Edition
Poul Erik Mouritzen

https://ebookmass.com/product/performance-management-at-
universities-the-danish-bibliometric-research-indicator-at-
work-1st-ed-edition-poul-erik-mouritzen/

The Palgrave Handbook of Creativity at Work 1st ed.

Edition Lee Martin

https://ebookmass.com/product/the-palgrave-handbook-of-
creativity-at-work-1st-ed-edition-lee-martin/

The Wiley handbook of what works in violence risk

management: theory, research, and practice Craig

https://ebookmass.com/product/the-wiley-handbook-of-what-works-
in-violence-risk-management-theory-research-and-practice-craig/

The Wiley Handbook of Healthcare Treatment Engagement:

Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice Andrew Hadler
(Editor)

https://ebookmass.com/product/the-wiley-handbook-of-healthcare-
treatment-engagement-theory-research-and-clinical-practice-
andrew-hadler-editor/
The Palgrave Handbook of Disability at Work Sandra
Fielden

https://ebookmass.com/product/the-palgrave-handbook-of-
disability-at-work-sandra-fielden/

Handbook of Attachment, Third Edition : Theory,

Research, and Clinical

https://ebookmass.com/product/handbook-of-attachment-third-
edition-theory-research-and-clinical/

The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and

Managerial Applications

https://ebookmass.com/product/the-bass-handbook-of-leadership-
theory-research-and-managerial-applications/

The Practice of Research in Social Work 4th Edition,

(Ebook PDF)

https://ebookmass.com/product/the-practice-of-research-in-social-
work-4th-edition-ebook-pdf/

The Handbook of Social Work Research Methods – Ebook

PDF Version

https://ebookmass.com/product/the-handbook-of-social-work-
research-methods-ebook-pdf-version/
FM-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page vii

PART IV. MENTORING IN PRACTICE: PROGRAMS

AND INNOVATIONS 545
Section Purpose and Structure 545
Overview of Chapters 545
22. Advancing Women Through the Glass Ceiling
With Formal Mentoring 549
Katherine Giscombe
23. Designing Relationships for Learning Into
Leader Development Programs 573
Cynthia D. McCauley and Victoria A. Guthrie
24. The Practice of Mentoring: MENTTIUM Corporation 593
Lynn P-Sontag, Kimberly Vappie, and Connie R. Wanberg
25. Blind Dates? The Importance of Matching in Successful Formal
Mentoring Relationships 617
Stacy D. Blake-Beard, Regina M. O’Neill, and Eileen M. McGowan
26. An International Perspective on Mentoring 633
David Clutterbuck

PART V. INTEGRATION 657

27. The Landscape of Mentoring in the 21st Century 659
Kathy E. Kram and Belle Rose Ragins

Name Index 693

Subject Index 709
About the Editors 733
About the Contributors 735
FM-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page viii
FM-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page ix

Preface

Cultivating the Garden of Mentoring

A little over 20 years ago, the first seeds of mentoring research were planted in
a foundational book: Mentoring at Work (Kram, 1985). More than 20 years of
research and exploration in the field of mentoring have now passed, and it is time
for us to step back and assess where we have been, where we are, and where we need
to go in the field. It is time for us to take a “bird’s-eye view” of the landscape of
mentoring, to plant new seeds, break new theoretical ground, and design sound
bridges between the practice and study of mentoring and other developmental rela­
tionships. The Handbook of Mentoring at Work was designed to meet these goals by
chronicling the current state of the field and by cultivating new directions for
theory, research, and practice in the field of mentoring.
As we pondered how best to approach this task, we realized that the field of men­
toring may be likened to a garden. Some parts of the garden have been carefully cul­
tivated by mentoring scholars and have blossomed and matured over the past 20
years, while other parts hold great promise but have been relatively neglected. (One
could even argue that parts of the mentoring garden have been overwatered and
overfertilized!). We soon came to recognize that for our mentoring garden to flour­
ish, we need a soil that is theoretically rich with the cross-fertilization of ideas from
related disciplines; new tools that reflect seismic changes in technology, organiza­
tional structures, and career paths; and, most important, a vision for the future that
unveils a landscape rich with opportunities for research grounded in theory but
driven by practice.
Toward that end, we invited a stellar group of scholars and practitioners to
become “landscape designers” in the garden of mentoring. Our garden offers three
paths. First, to understand the current state of the field, we invited mentoring schol­
ars, who represent virtually every key contributor in the field, to offer their unique
insights to this volume. We asked these scholars to chronicle the current state of
research in their areas and to offer fresh new visions for future research that culti­
vates and grows the field of mentoring.
Second, we sought to enrich and broaden the theoretical soil of mentoring by
inviting leading scholars in related fields to apply their theoretical lenses to the

ix
FM-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page x

x THE HANDBOOK OF MENTORING AT WORK

discourse on mentoring. These scholars planted fresh new seeds that enrich the
garden of mentoring and extend the horizons of mentoring to incorporate new
theoretical perspectives.
Third, to craft vital new bridges between the study and practice of mentoring,
we asked leading practitioners in the field to share their best practices and their
innovative new approaches in the practice of mentoring. Because mentoring
research needs to both inform and be informed by practice, we asked these contrib­
utors to identify research that needs to be done to address the changing practice of
mentoring. Their chapters offer the critical perspective that growth in the garden of
mentoring requires not only the careful cultivation of both practice and research
but also the complementary cross-fertilization of needs, knowledge, and practice
that yields important new hybrids of developmental relationships.
Combined, the three paths cultivated in this volume offer rich insight into where
we have been, provocative new ideas for where we can go, and practical perspectives
on the best way to get there. We hope this volume offers the reader a vision of a
richly landscaped garden of mentoring: a garden in which mentoring research,
theory, and practice can flourish.
—Belle and Kathy
FM-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page xi

Acknowledgments

This book represents the collective efforts of so many remarkable individuals. First,
we are grateful to an extraordinary doctoral student, Amy Klemm Verbos, who took
on the massive role of coordinating this book project. She is competence personi­
fied, and we are grateful for her dedication, creativity, foresight, and patience in
working with the contributors to ensure the smooth and timely flow of submis­
sions, revisions, and finalized chapters. We would also like to thank Robin Baker for
her insightful and effective editorial work. Special thanks go to the Lubar School
of Business at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, to the Boston University
School of Management, and to Sage Publications for providing funding support for
this project. Last, but certainly not least, we would like to thank the contributors to
this volume for their collective wisdom, experience, and insight. We asked our con­
tributors to give their very best to this venture, and their response was nothing less
than amazing.

xi
FM-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page xii
01-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page 1

PART I

Introduction
01-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page 2
01-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page 3

1
The Roots and
Meaning of Mentoring
Belle Rose Ragins

Kathy E. Kram

You must do the things you think you cannot do.

—Eleanor Roosevelt

We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone . . . and whatever

happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weav­
ings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.
—Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

W hen asked to contemplate relationships that have made a difference

in our lives—relationships that have given us the courage to do the
things we think we cannot do, relationships that have guided our
professional development or even changed the course of our lives—many of us
think of mentoring relationships. At its best, mentoring can be a life-altering rela­
tionship that inspires mutual growth, learning, and development. Its effects can be
remarkable, profound, and enduring; mentoring relationships have the capacity to
transform individuals, groups, organizations, and communities.
While our interest in mentoring is relatively young, mentoring is an ancient
archetype originating in Greek mythology. A figure in Homer’s Odyssey, Mentor was
a wise and faithful advisor entrusted to protect Odysseus’s son, Telemachus, while
Odysseus sailed against Troy. It is interesting to note that the original mentoring
3
01-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page 4

4 INTRODUCTION

archetype embodied both male and female attributes. Mentor was a man, but
Athena, the female goddess of wisdom, assumed his form in order to guide, teach,
and protect young Telemachus. This archetype offers provocative insights into the
meaning of mentoring as a relationship that transcends time, gender, and culture.
Moreover, while the roots of mentoring can be traced to mythology, mentoring is no
myth; it is a very real relationship that has been an integral part of social life and the
world of work for thousands of years.
Intrigued by this enduring and timeless relationship, Daniel Levinson (1978)
explored the impact of mentoring on men’s development in his seminal book The
Seasons of a Man’s Life. Shortly thereafter, Kathy Kram (1985) published Mentoring
at Work, which offered a theoretical foundation for understanding developmental
relationships at work for both men and women. This book captured and defined
the construct of mentoring, planted a theoretical foundation for the field, and ignited
a program of research that moved the concept of mentoring from an abstract acad­
emic construct to a household word.
Scholars then spent the next 20 years grappling with the myths and meaning
of mentoring. The result is a literal explosion of research that crosses disciplines,
professions, and continents (see reviews by Allen, Eby, Poteet, Lentz, & Lima, 2004;
Clutterbuck & Ragins, 2002; Noe, Greenberger, & Wang, 2002; Ragins, 1999;
Wanberg, Welsh, & Hezlett, 2003). Interest in mentoring continues to gain momen­
tum, and this groundswell of attention can be traced to the practical application of
mentoring in organizational settings, as well as to the general appeal of mentoring
as a personal, tangible, and transformational relationship. However, even as mentor­
ing is accessible when framed within our own experience, scholars continue to strug­
gle with understanding the complexity of this pivotal, life-altering relationship. In a
nutshell, we know it works; we are still grappling with why, when, and how.
After 20 years of research, it is time for us to step back and assess where we have
been, where we are, and where we need to go in the field of mentoring. So much has
changed since Mentoring at Work was published over 20 years ago. In the 1980s,
organizations were stable and hierarchical; workforces were homogeneous and pri­
marily male; employees looked forward to their “30-year gold watches”; and “web”
referred to spiders rather than the Internet. Seismic changes in technology, global­
ization, organizational structures, career paths, and diversity require a critical analy­
sis and reassessment of the field. In addition to these massive structural changes, new
hybrid forms of mentoring were being offered by organizations without guidance or
connection to empirical research. Clearly, the time is right for a volume that allows
us to reflect on our past and plan our future. Accordingly, the purpose of the
Handbook of Mentoring at Work is to consolidate what we have learned, bring new
theoretical lenses to the discourse on mentoring, and forge important new bridges
between the research and practice of mentoring.
In this introductory chapter, we first give the reader a brief overview of the roots
and evolution of mentoring relationships. Next, we offer an introduction to the
new perspectives on mentoring that will be addressed in this book. Following this,
we provide the reader with the purpose, vision, and objectives of the handbook. We
conclude with an overview of how the volume is organized.
01-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page 5

The Roots and Meaning of Mentoring 5

Understanding the Lay of the Land:

The Roots and Evolution of Mentoring
Early Perspectives of Mentoring
Traditionally, mentoring has been defined as a relationship between an older,
more experienced mentor and a younger, less experienced protégé for the purpose
of helping and developing the protégé’s career (Kram, 1985; Levinson, 1978; see also
reviews by Noe et al., 2002; Ragins, 1999; Wanberg et al., 2003). The mentor may or
may not be employed in the same organization as the protégé or be in the protégé’s
chain of command or profession.
Although the definition of mentoring has been refined over the years, a core fea­
ture that defines mentoring relationships and distinguishes it from other types of
personal relationships is that mentoring is a developmental relationship that is
embedded within the career context. While learning, growth, and development may
occur in many different types of work and close personal relationships, mentoring
relationships are unique in that the primary focus of the relationship is on career
development and growth. Let us now turn to a brief overview of the types of behav­
iors or functions offered in mentoring relationships.

Mentoring Functions
Mentors are generally viewed as providing two types of functions to their protégés
(Kram, 1985). First, mentors may offer career functions. Career functions involve a
range of behaviors that help protégés “learn the ropes” and prepare them for hierar­
chical advancement within their organizations. These behaviors include coaching pro­
tégés, sponsoring their advancement, increasing their positive exposure and visibility,
and offering them protection and challenging assignments. Second, mentors may pro­
vide psychosocial functions. Psychosocial functions build on trust, intimacy, and inter­
personal bonds in the relationship and include behaviors that enhance the protégé’s
professional and personal growth, identity, self-worth, and self-efficacy. They include
mentoring behaviors such as offering acceptance and confirmation and providing
counseling, friendship, and role-modeling.
As research in the field has progressed, four key insights about mentoring func­
tions have emerged. First, career and psychosocial functions have different roots and
outcomes. In her early work, Kram (1985) observed that career functions depend on
the mentor’s position and influence in the organization, while psychosocial func­
tions rely on the quality of emotional bonds and psychological attachments in the
relationship. Subsequent research has indeed found that career and psychosocial
functions constitute two relatively independent dimensions of mentoring behaviors
(Noe, 1988; Ragins & McFarlin, 1990), although some studies have found that role-
modeling may represent a third dimension of mentoring (Scandura, 1992; Scandura
& Ragins, 1993). Mentoring scholars have also discovered that different mentoring
functions predict different protégé outcomes: Career functions are a stronger pre­
dictor of protégés’ compensation and advancement, while psychosocial functions
01-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page 6

6 INTRODUCTION

have a stronger relationship with protégés’ satisfaction with the relationship (Allen
et al., 2004; Wanberg et al., 2003). However, both career and psychosocial functions
predict protégés’ job and career satisfaction (Allen et al., 2004).
Second, there is significant variation in the range and degree of mentoring func­
tions within and across relationships. Like other relationships, no two mentoring
relationships are alike. Some relationships provide either career or psychosocial func­
tions, while other relationships offer a broad range of behaviors that incorporate both
types of mentoring functions (Noe, 1988; Ragins & McFarlin, 1990; Scandura, 1992).
In addition, mentoring relationships vary in the degree to which a given mentoring
function is provided. For example, mentors may offer high, medium, or low levels
of a specific function in a given relationship. The range and degree of functions pro­
vided by a mentor may be driven by the needs of the protégé, the mentor’s ability to
meet those needs (i.e., their interpersonal skills, resources, and power), the mentor’s
needs, the “chemistry” in the relationship, and the organizational context (Kram,
1985; Ragins, 1997). Finally, because mentoring relationships may represent a “fit”
between the needs of the protégé and the mentor’s ability and interest in meeting
those needs, the same mentor may offer different functions and degrees of functions
to different protégés.
Third, mentoring functions may vary across the phases of the relationship (Kram,
1983, 1985). Mentoring relationships are not static, but evolve through phases that
reflect different functions, experiences, and patterns of interactions. Kram’s (1983)
study of 18 mentoring relationships revealed that functions vary across four distinct
phases in the relationship: initiation, cultivation, separation, and redefinition. Some
career functions may be offered in the initiation phase, but career and psychosocial
functions usually peak during the cultivation phase. The cultivation phase is marked by
strengthened interpersonal bonds and a shift from a one-way, helping relationship to
a relationship entailing more mutual exchange and reciprocity (Kram, 1985). The cul­
tivation phase ends when changes in individual needs or the organizational environ­
ment disrupt the equilibrium of the relationship. The relationship may shift into this
separation phase because of psychological or physical reasons. For example, the protégé
may psychologically outgrow the relationship, or the relationship may terminate
because one or both members physically leave the organization. Although mentoring
relationships may terminate for functional or dysfunctional psychological reasons,
existing research indicates that most relationships terminate because of physical sepa­
ration (Ragins & Scandura, 1997). Some mentoring relationships disband at the sepa­
ration phase, but relationships that offer strong psychosocial functions may continue
to a redefinition phase. In this phase, the relationship becomes redefined as a peer rela­
tionship or friendship. Career functions are less evident in this phase, but friendship,
some counseling, and occasional coaching may continue in the redefinition phase.
The final insight about mentoring functions is that individuals may provide these
functions without necessarily being mentors. There are a number of examples that
illustrate this point. A manager may offer career functions to his or her employee with­
out either individual viewing the relationship as a mentoring relationship. Similarly,
psychosocial functions of friendship and counseling often occur in many work rela­
tionships that are not perceived as mentoring relationships by either member of the
relationship. Individuals may serve as role models without being mentors. The
01-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page 7

The Roots and Meaning of Mentoring 7

distinction between mentoring behaviors and mentoring relationships is important

from both a methodological and practical perspective (see Dougherty & Dreher,
Chapter 3, this volume; Ragins, 1999). As we will see later in this volume, the idea of
mentoring episodes, which are short-term developmental interactions, offers a useful
lens for distinguishing between mentoring behaviors and mentoring relationships
(see Fletcher & Ragins, Chapter 15, this volume).
Now that we have reviewed some of the complexities involved with understand­
ing the behaviors in mentoring relationships, let us turn to a brief review of the out­
comes of these relationships.

Outcomes for Protégés

Most mentoring research has focused on career outcomes for protégés and has
found a positive relationship between the presence of a mentor and career outcomes
(see qualitative reviews by Noe et al., 2002; Ragins, 1999; Wanberg et al., 2003).
Concurring with qualitative reviews, a meta-analysis conducted by Allen and her
colleagues (Allen et al., 2004) found that mentored individuals receive more pro­
motions and earn higher salaries than their nonmentored counterparts. In addition
to these instrumental outcomes, protégés report more career satisfaction, career
commitment, and job satisfaction and greater expectations for advancement than
those without mentors.
While these results have led mentoring scholars to conclude that mentoring rela­
tionships offer a significant career advantage for protégés, recent critiques point out
that because most mentoring research is cross-sectional, we are unable to draw clear
causal links between mentoring and protégé career outcomes (see Wanberg et al.,
2003). The relationship between the presence of a mentor and protégé career out­
comes may be a function of the “rising-star effect” (Ragins, 1999; Ragins & Cotton,
1993). This refers to the potential scenario in which high-performing, “rising-star”
employees may be more likely than other employees to enter mentoring relationships.
This selection artifact obscures whether the outcomes associated with mentoring are
due to the relationship, the protégé’s independent abilities, or some combination of
these two factors. A recent longitudinal test of the rising-star effect revealed that ris­
ing stars are more likely than other employees to obtain mentors (Singh, Tharenou,
& Ragins, 2007). These results complement other research that has found that men­
tors select protégés on the basis of their competency and potential (Allen, Poteet, &
Burroughs, 1997; Olian, Carroll, & Giannantonio, 1993). However, while rising stars
are more likely to obtain mentors, Singh and her colleagues (Singh et al., 2007) found
that they also experience a sharp increase in salary, career satisfaction, and advance­
ment expectations after entering the mentoring relationship. These results suggest
that the significant relationship typically found between mentoring and protégé out­
comes may be due to both preexisting protégé attributes as well as the independent
effects of mentoring relationships. In addition, the organization may also play a sig­
nificant role in protégé outcomes. Although there has been a lack of research on this
topic, high-performing protégés may seek organizations that offer developmental
cultures and stretch assignments that support their career trajectories. This represents
a provocative area for new research.
01-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page 8

8 INTRODUCTION

Outcomes for Mentors

Although quite a bit of research has explored the effects of mentoring on protégé
outcomes, relatively little attention has been paid to the benefits received by mentors
(see Allen, Chapter 5, this volume). The research that has been done indicates that
mentors report that their relationships offer them benefits such as improved job per­
formance, career success and revitalization, recognition by others, a loyal base of sup­
port from their protégés, and a sense of personal fulfillment and satisfaction (Allen,
Poteet, & Burroughs, 1997; Kram, 1985; Mullen & Noe, 1999; Ragins & Scandura,
1999). Other cross-sectional research has found that these benefits are associated
with increased job satisfaction and organizational commitment (Eby, Durley, Carr, &
Ragins, 2006) and that mentors report greater career success and have faster promo­
tion rates than nonmentors (Bozionelos, 2004). This research offers needed insight
into the potential benefits and outcomes associated with being a mentor.
However, similar to the rising-star effect, the outcomes associated with being a
mentor may be a function of preexisting differences between individuals who
choose to be mentors and those who choose not to enter such relationships. In par­
ticular, individuals who choose to become mentors may be high-performing “esta­
blished stars” who already experience high levels of career success, as well as positive
job and career attitudes. In addition, high-performing mentors may be drawn to
organizations that offer climates and assignments that lead to positive career out­
comes. A positive relationship between mentoring and these outcomes could there­
fore reflect existing differences in characteristics of those who choose to be mentors,
rather than the effects of the relationship. Future research could use longitudinal
designs to untangle this potential selection artifact.
In sum, a review of the evolution of mentoring illustrates that we have focused
much of our attention on a relatively narrow aspect of mentoring relationships.
Using the “garden metaphor,” we have thoroughly cultivated one aspect of the gar­
den of mentoring but have neglected other areas of the garden. As described in a
recent critique of the field (Ragins & Verbos, 2007), historically, we have viewed
mentoring as a one-sided, hierarchical relationship in which mentors provide
career outcomes to their protégés. Relatively little attention has been placed on the
mentor’s side of the relationship; in fact, we are not even clear on the functions or
behaviors that protégés provide in the relationship. In addition, we have used a
narrow lens to assess the effectiveness of the mentoring relationship. Historically,
most research has focused on instrumental outcomes relating to career advance­
ment and work attitudes but has not examined relational outcomes that are
central to effective relationships, learning, and growth. In essence, the relationship
has become valued for “what it can do” rather than for “what it can be” (Ragins &
Verbos, 2007). Finally, while we have focused on mentoring behaviors and protégé
outcomes, we have not explored the dynamic and interactive processes underlying
mentoring relationships.
Increasingly, mentoring scholars have recognized and begun to address these
limitations. Let us now turn to a brief overview of some of the exciting new devel­
opments in the garden of mentoring.
01-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page 9

The Roots and Meaning of Mentoring 9

New Growth in the Garden: Emerging

Perspectives on the Meaning of Mentoring
The chapters in this handbook illustrate exciting new perspectives that explore,
examine, and uncover the meaning of mentoring. For example, mentoring schol­
ars now recognize that mentoring relationships exist on a continuum of quality
that reflects a full range of positive and negative experiences, processes, and out­
comes (see Eby, Chapter 13; Fletcher & Ragins, Chapter 15). We are now examin­
ing both sides of the relationship (see Allen, Chapter 5) and are taking a broader
perspective that incorporates the affective, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of the
relationship (see Dougherty & Dreher, Chapter 3; Fletcher & Ragins, Chapter 15).
Increasingly, we recognize the significance of learning in mentoring relation­
ships (see Lankau & Scandura, Chapter 4) and the role mentoring plays in career
learning cycles (see Hall & Chandler, Chapter 19). We now strive to understand
how individual attributes, such as personality (see Turban & Lee, Chapter 2),
developmental stage (see McGowan, Stone, & Kegan, Chapter 16), and emotional
intelligence (see Cherniss, Chapter 17) affect and are affected by mentoring rela­
tionships. We recognize the significance of mentoring as an important form of
socialization (see Chao, Chapter 7) that changes mentors and protégés in physio­
logical, mental, emotional, and perhaps even spiritual ways (see Boyatzis, Chapter 18).
Finally, mentoring scholars are discovering the importance of context, and they are
offering critical new insight into the effects of diversity (see Blake-Beard, Murrell,
& Thomas, Chapter 9; Giscombe, Chapter 22; McKeen & Bujaki, Chapter 8), work-
life balance (see Greenhaus & Singh, Chapter 21), technology (see Ensher &
Murphy, Chapter 12), and global perspectives (see Clutterbuck, Chapter 26) on
mentoring relationships.
In addition to new insight into the antecedents, processes, outcomes, and context
of mentoring relationships, we witness the emergence of new perspectives on the very
form of the relationship. We now recognize that mentoring relationships exist within
the context of developmental networks (Higgins & Kram, 2001) and that these con­
stellations of relationships have important ramifications for the types of functions
and processes offered in a given relationship (see Chao, Chapter 7; Higgins, Chandler,
& Kram, Chapter 14). In addition to contextualizing mentoring, we are delving
into differences inherent in peer mentoring relationships (see McManus & Russell,
Chapter 11), and we are trying to uncover the complexities underlying the leadership­
mentoring interface (see Godshalk & Sosik, Chapter 6; McCauley & Guthrie, Chapter 23).
Formal mentoring has become a core area of investigation for mentoring research,
and mentoring scholars and practitioners struggle in their quest to understand the
unique offerings of formal relationships and the conditions under which they thrive
(see Baugh & Fagenson-Eland, Chapter 10; Blake-Beard, O’Neill, & McGowan,
Chapter 25; P-Sontag, Vappie, & Wanberg, Chapter 24). Finally, with communication
becoming increasingly electronic, virtual or e-mentoring (see Ensher & Murphy,
Chapter 12) has become a new area of research that illuminates the full range of men­
toring relationships.
01-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page 10

10 INTRODUCTION

These emerging perspectives offer exciting and needed insight into the new
meaning of mentoring. While mentoring relationships are as old as the hills, the
terrain in which they reside has certainly changed since Odysseus set sail for Troy
thousands of years ago. A contextualized perspective on mentoring allows us to
grasp the subtle and stark changes in the evolution of mentoring relationships. As
described in the next section, this handbook was designed to showcase, chronicle,
and extend these new perspectives so that scholars and practitioners alike can
understand the roots, evolution, and meaning of mentoring.

Why the Time Is Right for This Handbook

There are three compelling reasons why the time is right for the Handbook of
Mentoring at Work.

We Need to Chronicle the Current State

of the Field and Chart New Directions for
Future Research
Mentoring researchers have studied a wide array of mentoring topics over the
past 20 years. For example, they have examined the predictors, processes, and
outcomes of mentoring from both protégés’ and mentors’ perspectives. They have
examined the role and influence of personality, race, gender, and other forms of
diversity on mentoring relationships. They have explored how learning emerges as
a function and process of the relationship, why and how mentoring relationships
become dysfunctional, and how mentoring maps onto leadership and socialization
processes in organizations. New research examines the differences between formal
and informal mentoring, the role of peers in developmental relationships, and the
benefits and drawbacks of virtual or electronic mentoring relationships.
With over 20 years of research behind us, it is clear that the time is right for
a book that chronicles the current state of knowledge in the field of mentoring.
In particular, there is a need for a comprehensive volume that offers an in-depth
assessment of what is known in the topic areas of mentoring, what needs to be
explored in these areas, and the best way to approach and conduct this research.

We Need to Extend the

Theoretical Horizons of Mentoring
Most research conducted over the past 20 years is based on Kram’s (1985) early
theoretical work. Although this work continues to offer a solid theoretical founda­
tion for mentoring scholarship, significant changes have occurred over time that
necessitate the extension, broadening, and development of new theoretical perspec­
tives on mentoring relationships. To start, societal and organizational changes have
radically transformed the constructed meaning and contextualized experience of
careers. We witness new technology, organizational transformations, and strategic
01-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page 11

The Roots and Meaning of Mentoring 11

redirections that have massively altered employee-employer relationships. These

factors have also had a profound effect on the meaning of work and careers, as well
as the form, function, and context of work relationships in organizational life.
Changing workforce demographics, increased diversity, and shifting work-life bal­
ance demands have forever altered employees’ needs, expectations, and work rela­
tionships. Since mentoring relationships are embedded within these contexts, an
accurate vision of the meaning of mentoring requires the development and use of
new theoretical lenses.
Fortunately, the past 20 years have given us new theoretical paradigms from
related fields and disciplines that offer great promise for the field of mentoring.
Theoretical advancements in related disciplines of adult development, networks,
communication, careers, work-life balance, and psychology (clinical, social, cogni­
tive, and vocational) offer important new insight into the meaning of mentoring.
The field of mentoring needs fresh new theoretical directions to guide our growing
garden of research, and these new perspectives offer an abundant cross-fertilization
of ideas that can deepen, broaden, and enrich our garden.
In sum, we need a volume that integrates and incorporates new theoretical per­
spectives in order to offer new frameworks, models, and theories of mentoring that
are aligned within the changing landscape of careers and organizations.

We Need to Build Bridges Between the

Research and Practice of Mentoring
Mentoring research needs to both inform and be informed by mentoring prac­
tice. However, there is a serious gap in the bridge between research and practice; even
as mentoring scholars analyze the determinants of effective mentoring relationships,
mentoring practitioners are often unaware of the results of this research. Given the
sustained surge of interest in formal mentoring programs and the use of mentoring
in diversity, leadership development, and international programs, the bridge between
research and practice has become absolutely critical. Yet practitioners often develop
these programs without the benefit or guidance of empirical research.
On the other side of the synergy bridge, mentoring theorists and scholars need to
be connected to practice in order to provide relevant research on new and emerging
forms of developmental relationships. For example, traditional forms of mentoring
relationships have been joined, or even replaced by, nontraditional relationships
involving group mentoring, peer mentoring, and formally assigned relationships.
These relationships are designed to achieve ambitious short- and long-term objec­
tives, but practitioners need a better understanding of their unique processes and
outcomes. Mentoring scholars can offer these needed insights by conducting empiri­
cal research and building new theoretical models that explain the underlying pro­
cesses that distinguish different types of developmental relationships.
In short, the field needs a volume that bridges research and practice (a) by offer­
ing a forum for discussing current issues and challenges in the practice of mentor­
ing and (b) by identifying the research and theory that need to be developed to
address the changing practice of mentoring.
01-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page 12

12 INTRODUCTION

The Handbook of Mentoring at Work was explicitly designed to address these

pressing needs.

The Handbook’s Vision, Mission, and Structure

The Vision and Mission of the Handbook
The Handbook of Mentoring at Work brings together a select group of scholars
and practitioners for the purpose of developing the definitive reference book on
mentoring relationships. Our vision is to offer a comprehensive volume that defines
the current state of the field, offers fresh new theoretical perspectives, identifies the
key debates and issues facing mentoring scholars and practitioners, and provides
a theory-driven road map that guides future research and practice in the field of
mentoring.
With this ambitious vision in mind, this handbook was designed to achieve the
following four objectives:

1. To bring together leading scholars for the dual purpose of chronicling the
current state of research in the field of mentoring and identifying important
new areas of research
2. To stimulate new theoretical perspectives on mentoring by integrating and
applying related theoretical perspectives and disciplines to the mentoring arena
3. To encourage a mutual synergy between research and practice by providing a
forum for the discussion of current issues and challenges in the practice of
mentoring
4. To examine the above objectives within the broader perspective of changes in
technology, organizational structure, and diversity—factors that have radi­
cally altered the general landscape of careers in organizations

The Structure of the Handbook

Based on these objectives, the handbook is divided into three sections: research,
theory, and practice. To provide coherence across chapters, contributors were asked
to address a specific set of objectives for their sections. As described below, the set
of objectives varies for each of the three sections of the handbook.

Mentoring Research: Past, Present, and Future

The handbook’s research section brings together preeminent scholars in the field
of mentoring for the dual purpose of chronicling the current state of research in the
field of mentoring and identifying important new areas of scholarship. This section
offers an in-depth and cutting-edge review of core topics in mentoring research,
such as diversity in mentoring relationships, learning processes in mentoring
relationships, formal mentoring, peer mentoring, socialization and mentoring,
01-Ragins-45340.qxd 9/10/2007 3:17 PM Page 13

The Roots and Meaning of Mentoring 13

leadership and mentoring, dysfunctional mentoring, personality and mentoring,

and electronic mentoring.
As experts in their respective topic areas, we asked the contributors of this sec­
tion to address three specific objectives in their chapters. First, they were asked to
provide the reader with a comprehensive review and assessment of the research in
their areas. Second, they were asked to identify research gaps, research opportuni­
ties, and agendas for future research. Third, they were asked to provide a road map
that gives the reader specific guidance on the best methods, approaches, and theo­
ries to use in conducting research in their areas of mentoring.
This section therefore offers readers a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment
of what is known in a given content area of mentoring, what needs to be explored,
and the best way to approach future research in the area.

Mentoring Theory: Applying New Lenses and Perspectives

The goal of the theory section is to integrate and apply related theoretical per­
spectives and disciplines in order to extend the theoretical horizon of the field. To
achieve this objective, we invited a group of stellar scholars from related disciplines
to apply their theoretical lenses to the field of mentoring. The chapters in this
section draw on a diverse and rich literature of related theories, such as network
theory, adult development theory, relational cultural theory, communication
theory, personal change theory, work-family theory, and theories of emotional
intelligence. Given this broad base, the theoretical advances made in this section
extend far beyond mentoring in the workplace. The theoretical foundation devel­
oped in these chapters explains generic processes of mentoring relationships that
occur across a range of settings, populations, and environments.
The authors in this section were asked to address three objectives that would
extend the theoretical horizons of mentoring. First, they were asked to set a foun­
dation for their chapters by introducing the reader to the specific theoretical lenses
that they apply to the field of mentoring. Second, they were asked to explain why
and how their theoretical lenses could be used for developing and enriching men­
toring theory. Next, they were asked to present new theoretical models or frame­
works, along with specific research propositions that can be tested in future research.
Last, they were asked to identify methodological challenges that may be encoun­
tered in empirically testing the new theory, as well as recommendations for meet­
ing these challenges.
By applying and integrating theories from related fields to mentoring, this sec­
tion offers mentoring scholars important new theoretical perspectives that explain
how, why, and under what conditions mentoring relationships are effective within
and outside the workplace.

Mentoring in Practice: Programs and Innovations

The practice section of the handbook builds a bridge between the practice and
study of mentoring. We invited an internationally acclaimed group of practitioners
to share best practices, challenges, dilemmas, and solutions for creating effective
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
ma mémoire; j’emporte ce trésor; je le contemplerai tous les soirs de
ma vie, et je ne pleurerai plus d’être née...
—Tu as perdu toute pudeur... Tu es digne de ton amant!
—Envie-moi, Marie! Sois jalouse!
—A qui t’es-tu donnée!...
—Tu ne le connais pas...
—Ensemble, nous avons ri de lui... de son langage, de ses
façons...
Les yeux d’Isabelle détestaient Marie.
—Je ne le connaissais pas...
—Tu l’aimes parce qu’il est beau, parce qu’il est flatteur et
cynique, parce qu’il t’a dépravée.
—Non, tu ne sais pas pourquoi je l’aime.
—Il te perdra tout à fait! Il ruinera ta vie! Je veux te sauver,
malgré toi... Tu te trompes, Belle! tu n’aimes pas cet homme d’un
amour profond! Tu es dupe de ton imagination et de tes sens...
L’Italie t’a ensorcelée... C’est l’Italie que tu aimes dans la personne
de ce bellâtre... Si tu le revoyais ailleurs, ton Angelo, quelle
désillusion!
La bougie, brûlée jusqu’à la bobèche, crépita et s’éteignit. Une
blancheur dorée remplaçait la pâleur bleuâtre de la première aube.
Derrière la mousseline paraissaient les silhouettes effilochées, les
vertes feuilles pleurantes sur l’écorce rosâtre des eucalyptus. Dans
la petite chambre au plafond peint d’hirondelles, les deux femmes,
redevenues ennemies, se regardaient sans se reconnaître. Marie, si
défaite qu’elle semblait amaigrie, s’adossait à la table et parlait d’une
voix ferme et triste. Isabelle ne tenait plus en place. Elle tournait et
piétinait dans l’espace étroit, entre la porte et le lit. La tension
nerveuse raidissait son grand corps de bacchante, et sa chevelure
détordue rougissait comme une torche sous le vent qui la couche et
la paillette d’étincelles.
Par moments, elle riait d’un rire démoniaque:
—Tu l’as toujours exécré, Angelo! parce qu’il est simple et qu’il
suit l’impulsion de son cœur au lieu de disserter sur la philosophie
de l’amour... Parbleu! je sais bien qu’il n’est pas un grand homme ou
un saint homme: mais tel qu’il est, avec ses défauts, il me plaît cent
fois plus que les gens pratiques, les gens corrects, les gens
lugubres, et tous les empaillés qui ont ton estime et ta sympathie.
—Le connais-tu?... As-tu éprouvé son cœur, étudié son
caractère?
—Et toi?
—Plus que tu ne penses.
—Vraiment?
—Depuis sept mois, je l’ai vu presque tous les jours. Je l’ai
observé...
—Avec toutes tes préventions de bourgeoise flamande!
—Il n’est pas méchant, mais il n’est pas sûr... Il est de ceux qui
aiment la femme la plus proche, pourvu qu’elle soit crédule et
complaisante, et qui se consolent des mépris de l’une par les
faveurs de l’autre...
Isabelle s’arrêta de marcher:
—Quoi?... Que veux-tu dire?
—Il t’a prise. Il ne t’a pas choisie... Ah! j’aurais dû le surveiller et
comprendre ses manœuvres, et t’avertir... Mais j’avais confiance en
toi! Tes moqueries n’épargnaient pas ton futur amant et je ne le
croyais pas dangereux...
—Tu veux m’humilier en le rabaissant!
 —Je veux t’éclairer... Huit jours avant ton arrivée, Angelo pleurait
d’amour aux pieds d’une autre femme...
Un frisson passa sur la figure d’Isabelle. Marie continua:
—Il a été ta revanche, mais toi aussi, pauvre folle Isabelle, tu as
été sa revanche... Ton ennui, son dépit, les circonstances vous ont
rapprochés... Et vous avez appelé ça: un amour!... Au fond, c’est
une histoire très vulgaire et pas jolie du tout...
La jalousie, naguère éveillée par des imprudences d’Angelo,
assoupie par ses serments et ses caresses, mordait Isabelle au vif
de sa chair. Elle dissimula pourtant son trouble...
—Tu inventes ce que tu veux... Tu crois bien faire. Tous les
moyens te semblent bons pour me dégoûter d’Angelo, mais je ne
suis pas émue...
—Il te faut des preuves?
Marie ouvrit l’armoire et prit sa boîte à couleurs... Parmi les tubes
et les pinceaux, il y avait une demi-douzaine de lettres pliées dans
leurs enveloppes.
—Voilà!... Dieu sait que je voulais détruire, sans les montrer à
personne, ces élucubrations d’Angelo di Toma!... Elles sont assez
innocentes en elles-mêmes, mais elles expliquent les événements
moins innocents, qui suivirent...
Isabelle avait saisi le paquet: elle maniait les enveloppes d’où
tombèrent quelques pétales de narcisses... Elle reconnut la manie
d’Angelo qui collait toujours des fleurs aux angles de ses lettres; elle
reconnut la légère odeur d’ambre et de cigarette qu’elle avait
respirée dans les billets de son amant, la même odeur qui
imprégnait les mains brunes, la courte moustache frisée, les
cheveux aux boucles rudes.
Cette sensation physique bouleversa l’amoureuse plus que tous
les discours de Marie.
 Elle lut... Ces épîtres n’exprimaient que des espérances, mais la
profusion des épithètes et des adverbes, les apostrophes, les points
d’exclamation, leur donnaient une force emphatique, une sorte
d’éclat et de mouvement passionné... Fatalité, désespoir, mort,—ces
mots revenaient comme un leitmotiv qu’Isabelle avait trop entendu;
et elle reconnaissait des phrases familières à Angelo, et qu’elle
croyait toutes neuves et spontanées quand il les murmurait sur ses
lèvres...
Elle se rappela la scène de Ravello, le verre brisé dans un accès
de fureur, le serment exigé, le regard sombre d’Angelo quand il
parlait de Marie.
Il avait menti dès le premier soir! Il avait menti tout le temps!
L’orgueil d’Isabelle saignait. Elle relut deux fois les lettres,
regarda les dates, et sentit encore le parfum de tabac et d’ambre qui
l’empoisonna d’une atroce jalousie sensuelle... Elle était certaine
qu’Angelo n’avait pas été l’amant de Marie,—mais il avait désiré
l’être... Il parlait de la «beauté fine», du «chaste sourire de madone»;
il comparait madame Laubespin à la «neige vierge des cimes», et,
pour mieux louer l’amante idéale, il témoignait de son dégoût pour
les femmes «toutes de chair et de matérialité»... qui ne savent pas
dire «non»...
Isabelle l’exécra tout à coup, et elle exécra Marie qui lui infligeait
une leçon humiliante...
Elle replia les papiers et les rendit à sa cousine.
—Je te remercie... Tu es trop bonne... Mais tu aurais pu me
mettre au courant... Somme toute, je t’ai débarrassée d’un flirt
encombrant... Je t’ai rendu service... Maintenant, je sais ce que je
dois faire...
—Belle!
—Ne t’occupe pas de moi, je te prie!... Toutes mes excuses pour
le désagrément que je t’ai donné cette nuit... Si tu étais restée chez
toi, nous aurions encore quelques illusions bien agréables l’une et
l’autre. Adieu, ma chère! Tu as bien gagné ton repos...
Elle entra dans sa chambre. Marie, stupéfaite, n’osa la suivre.
Il y eut un moment d’absolu silence. La jeune femme remit les
lettres dans la boîte. Elle éprouvait une angoisse étrange comme un
remords...
Et tout à coup, un sanglot étouffé, un gémissement sourd, le cri à
dents serrées, à lèvres closes, de la femme qui enfonce sa bouche
dans l’oreiller, parvint jusqu’à elle...
 XXII
Elles s’étaient réconciliées dans les larmes et, maintenant,
Isabelle s’abandonnait aux soins consolants, à la volonté de Marie.
Cette grande femme exubérante était, au fond, une molle et passive
créature, capable de courtes violences, et tout de suite anéantie par
le chagrin.
Si quelqu’un, près d’elle, avait plaidé la cause d’Angelo par une
interprétation simplement exacte des faits, la colère de madame Van
Coppenolle fût tombée bien vite; mais, de bonne foi, Marie avivait la
blessure, entretenait la rancune jalouse et représentait le séducteur
sans malice comme un épouvantable Machiavel. Isabelle avait
manifesté l’intention de revoir Angelo pour lui signifier la rupture.
Marie s’opposa vivement à cette entrevue dangereuse. Non, assez
de scènes et de drame! Isabelle partirait, le plus tôt possible, après
qu’Angelo aurait restitué les lettres, la photographie, les menus
souvenirs qu’il conservait de la déplorable aventure.
—Et s’il refuse? S’il veut une explication? S’il provoque un
scandale?
—Nous ferons intervenir mon père.
Isabelle jeta des cris... Plutôt mourir que d’avouer la vérité à M.
Wallers.
—Trouve une autre solution. Parle à Angelo!
—C’est bien délicat... Veux-tu, Belle, nous confier à Salvatore, le
bon Salvatore, le plus indulgent des hommes? Il fera le nécessaire
pour convaincre Angelo, et, au besoin, pour l’éloigner?
Isabelle accepta la proposition de sa cousine.
—Va tout de suite à Naples. Je te promets de ne pas quitter ma
chambre, de ne pas revoir ce misérable...
 Salvatore allait quitter son atelier du Pausilippe quand il reçut la
visite imprévue de madame Laubespin.
—Je viens à vous comme à mon meilleur ami, lui dit-elle. Il faut
que vous rendiez un grand service à ma pauvre cousine, à moi-
même, et à toute notre famille.
—Disposez de moi, madame Marie. Je vous obéirai
aveuglément.
Marie lui conta l’aventure d’Isabelle et la scène de la nuit
précédente.
—Vous n’aviez aucun soupçon? dit Salvatore étonné... Moi, je
savais, depuis Ravello, que mon frère aimait votre cousine... Mais à
leur âge, n’est-ce pas, ils sont bien libres de faire ce qui leur plaît.
Madame Van Coppenolle est une femme superbe et Angelo est un
beau jeune homme... Je me disais: «Dieu, qui les a faits pour
l’amour, leur pardonnera...»
—Angelo est libre, Isabelle a un mari, des enfants...
—Eh! personne ne l’a vu, ce monsieur Van Coppenolle! C’est
comme s’il n’existait pas... Qu’est-ce qu’il va faire en Amérique?
Quand on a une belle femme, on la garde, on la surveille... Si votre
cousine était la femme d’Angelo, elle ne ferait pas dix pas toute
seule, dans la rue, et ne resterait pas cinq minutes tête à tête avec
un jeune homme avant d’être tout à fait vieille...
Il n’était pas indigné. Il était contrarié... Troubler de pauvres
amants, venger l’honneur de M. Van Coppenolle, désespérer
Angelo, quelle sotte corvée!
Alors, Marie, sentant la résistance, acheva son récit et montra les
lettres délirantes d’Angelo.
Salvatore changea de couleur...
«Je comprends, dit-il...»
 Il éprouvait un sentiment bizarre de peine et de plaisir. Son frère
avait convoité la petite reine de Thulé, la fée blonde! Et peut-être, si
madame Van Coppenolle n’était pas arrivée, peut-être eût-il vaincu
l’indifférence de Marie Laubespin! Il était si beau, cet Angelo, si
passionné, qu’il ne trouvait point de cruelles...
—Je croyais que c’était très sérieux, son amour avec votre
cousine!... Madone! Est-il possible qu’Angelo lui ait donné la
comédie! Il paraissait si sincère, à Ravello! Je pensais: «Le voilà
pris!... Il suivra la Van Coppenolle ou il l’enlèvera...»
—Elle l’aime encore et je crains sa faiblesse, si elle revoit
Angelo. Appelez votre frère ici, retenez-le deux ou trois jours.
J’emmènerai Isabelle à Rome, pour la distraire, puis à Turin, et elle
sera un peu calmée et consolée en arrivant chez son mari.
—Et vous?
—Ne parlons pas de moi... J’ai été un peu folle, pendant
quelques semaines, mais je sens que ma folie est passée... Je n’ai
pas l’audace ou l’inconscience qu’il me faudrait pour être heureuse.
Triste j’étais arrivée à Naples; je partirai plus triste...
—Et que ferez-vous?
—Mon devoir, quel qu’il soit. J’ignore l’état réel de monsieur
Laubespin. S’il est perdu, je tâcherai d’adoucir ses derniers jours; s’il
guérit...
—Eh! puisse-t-il mourir!... Vous ne divorcerez pas, vous
abandonnerez votre Claude?
—Je l’aimerai toujours, même s’il ne me pardonne pas ma
décision. Je le chéris d’une tendresse si forte, qu’elle résistera à
toutes les épreuves... mais nous souffrirons...
Salvatore la vit si malheureuse qu’il faillit pleurer.
—Chère madame Marie!... si bonne, si belle, si douce!... Dieu ne
permettra pas votre malheur! Il ne demande pas l’impossible à ses
créatures...
 Elle retournait à Pompéi. Le sculpteur l’accompagna à la gare. Le
ciel, comme un fleuve ardent, coulait entre les toits aplatis du Corso
Umberto et roulait quelques vagues de nuages. La lumière débordait
d’un côté dans la grande rue moderne et commerçante, et faisait
étinceler sur les façades grises les lettres dorées des enseignes.
L’autre côté était dans l’ombre... Une cohue extraordinaire de
véhicules et de piétons s’agitait dans la bande d’ombre et la bande
de soleil. Les fiacres, les charrettes, les voitures à bras et les
automobiles s’affrontaient, s’enchevêtraient aux carrefours en une
masse mouvante qui s’ouvrait devant les tramways dont le timbre
autoritaire dominait toutes les clameurs et les rumeurs. Puis les
tramways mêmes s’arrêtaient pour laisser défiler un convoi funèbre,
un corbillard vitré comme un carrosse, chargé de roses rouges et de
roses blanches, et superbement orné à ses quatre coins
d’archanges en zinc argenté, sonneurs de trompettes. Il emportait
son mort à vive allure, au rythme des litanies que précipitaient des
religieuses, des pénitents bleus, des moines marrons, et les
vieillards délégués par l’Hospice des pauvres.
Marie observa que personne ne saluait le cercueil.
—Et pourquoi faire? dit Salvatore. On salue le Saint-Sacrement,
mais pas un mort!... Un mort, ce n’est rien...
Un pianino passa, et la mesure à six-huit d’une tarentelle fit
broncher les psaumes que clamaient les pénitents par les trous de
leurs cagoules bleues. Des chèvres, conduites par un vieillard tout
frisé, borgne comme Polyphème, sautèrent sur le trottoir et faillirent
renverser le petit kiosque du glacier, tout jaune de citrons et
d’oranges. Devant les boutiques, les commères assises, un tablier
bariolé sur le ventre, une camisole lâche sur leur gorge de Bellones
mûres, lisaient passionnément la liste des numéros sortis à la loterie.
Les émigrants stationnaient, par troupeaux, à la porte des agences
de navigation. Des bourgeoises en robes de soie, coiffées de
chapeaux empanachés, promenaient leurs beaux enfants bruns.
Des religieuses mendiaient pour les pauvres; des prêtres râpés et
sales causaient avec des moines épanouis,—et de temps en temps,
une des ruelles transversales, fente obscure et fétide dans le
quartier modernisé, lâchait des gamins blêmes, des filles plâtrées,
des vieilles pareilles aux figures allégoriques de la Peste et de la
Famine.
Marie les apercevait au passage, mais vieillesse, infamie, laideur,
prises au courant de la foule, qu’en restait-il, dès que le soleil les
avait touchées? Nul ne pensait à s’émouvoir, nul ne pensait à se
plaindre. Les heureux oubliaient la pitié comme les malheureux
oubliaient leur peine, dans la béatitude physique qu’apportait le plus
précoce, le plus merveilleux des étés. Le paysan brutal assommait
toujours son petit âne, mais l’âne avait une rose à l’oreille; le
mendiant aveugle tendait un moignon ignoble vers les passants,
mais sa mélopée lugubre avait des langueurs de romance, et
derrière le corbillard-carrosse, les pénitents bleus regardaient de
côté les belles filles, sans se soucier du mort «qui n’est rien»...
La joie de vivre, élémentaire et puissante, enflait les veines de
toute créature, et la bienveillance infinie qui tombait du ciel avec la
douceur et l’éclat du jour doré promettait déjà l’absolution aux
péchés de la nuit prochaine...
Salvatore devina les pensées de Marie. Il lui dit tristement:
—Vous commenciez à aimer Naples... Maintenant, vos idées du
Nord reviennent. Quand vous serez en Flandre, vous direz: «Cette
Naples, quelle ville de débauche et de saleté!... Ces Napolitains,
quels polichinelles!...» Tout ça parce que mon frère a aimé votre
cousine.

Dans le train qui la ramenait à Pompéi, Marie Laubespin se

rappelait cette phrase du sculpteur, pendant que défilait la banlieue,
déshonorée déjà par des fabriques. Elle se défendait d’être injuste
envers ce pays qui lui avait fait du mal, qui avait bouleversé la vie
d’Isabelle, et qui pourtant laisserait dans leur mémoire, à toutes
deux, un souvenir trop lumineux, trop parfumé, et peut-être une
souffrance nostalgique...
Elle songeait aux images conventionnelles et peu flatteuses que
les étrangers se font du peuple napolitain, aux «impressions de
voyage» écrites par des touristes naïfs qui ont fréquenté des patrons
d’hôtels, des guides, des entremetteurs et des filles, et qui, n’étant
jamais entrés dans une vraie famille napolitaine, dépeignent la
pauvre belle cité comme un repaire de voleurs, de ruffians et de
prostituées...
Ils sont sincères; ils racontent ce qu’ils ont vu, mais ils n’ont pas
tout vu, et ils se trompent, de bonne foi, et trompent leurs lecteurs
par des généralisations audacieuses et hâtives.
Certes, il existe à Naples une population avilie par la misère, et
tous les commandements de Dieu n’y sont pas respectés, mais on y
peut trouver Salvatore di Toma, et Spaniello, et donna Carmela, et
tant d’autres qui leur ressemblent.
Ce sont des gens de la vieille Naples. Ils ont la bonté facile, la
plasticité intellectuelle, cette chaleur de cœur qui supprime les
inégalités de la fortune et du rang. Ils ne sont pas «moraux», mais le
sentiment plus que l’intérêt gouverne leurs âmes mobiles. A la fois
très raffinés et très primitifs, individualistes jusqu’aux moelles, par
tempérament et non par doctrine, car ils ne s’embarrassent jamais
de théories, ils n’ont pas les vertus du Nord, mais ils n’ont pas le dur
égoïsme du lutteur, la morgue du parvenu, le snobisme. Ils ne
méprisent pas le pauvre. Ils sont indulgents à «l’homme qui n’a pas
réussi»; ils s’attendrissent sur les drames d’amour, même quand le
mari trompé ou l’amante trahie jouent du revolver ou du couteau:
«Eh! c’est l’amour! c’est la nature!...»
Leurs petits-enfants ne leur ressembleront plus, et Naples même,
dans vingt ans, ne sera plus Naples. Elle deviendra une ville banale
et prospère, industrielle et commerçante, et les horribles vicoli du
Carmine, pleurés des peintres, seront remplacés par des cités
ouvrières. Dès Granili à Torre del Greco s’étendra une Naples
enfumée, active et triste, où la morale entrera avec l’hygiène. Et les
dieux attardés s’en iront, et Vénus Pompéienne ne sera plus qu’une
pièce de musée pour la joie des archéologues...
 XXIII
Isabelle et Marie étaient à Rome depuis vingt-quatre heures.
Elles avaient quitté Pompéi en l’absence d’Angelo.
Ni les musées, ni les jardins, ni les églises ne tentaient madame
Van Coppenolle. Elle suivait sa cousine; mais, quand son corps était
au Vatican, ou au Colisée, son âme errait à travers le monde. Elle
voyait, comme un panorama, l’Europe à vol d’oiseau, Courtrai
presque en haut, Naples tout en bas, et le bateau qui conduit
Frédéric Van Coppenolle, à Anvers, et les trains qui filent entre
Naples et Rome, et qui peut-être amènent un amoureux repentant et
désespéré... Le reste de l’univers est un nuage...
Isabelle ne se plaisait qu’à dormir et à pleurer. Elle disait à Marie:
«Comme nous allons être malheureuses!...» Et elle insistait,
ingénument, sur le pluriel.
Maintenant, elle n’engageait plus madame Laubespin au divorce;
elle ne parlait plus de Claude; elle faisait des allusions discrètes à
«ce pauvre André». Elle aurait trouvé fort mauvais que Marie se
ravisât, et elle pensait: «Tu as voulu que je sacrifie mon amant. Tu
me dois l’exemple de l’héroïsme; sacrifie ton amour!...» Mais elle se
croyait beaucoup plus malheureuse que sa cousine, parce que
Marie ne pleurait jamais devant elle.
Le matin du troisième jour, Marie reçut un télégramme qui était
allé de Pont-sur-Deule à Pompéi, puis de Pompéi à Rome. Madame
Wallers avertissait sa fille qu’André Laubespin venait de mourir
brusquement, d’une embolie.

—Tu vas être heureuse!... répéta Isabelle, en ranimant Marie qui

s’évanouissait. Tes peines sont finies... André n’a plus besoin de toi.
Il a emporté ton pardon, et tu penseras à lui sans remords... Tu
auras tout, Marie, l’amour, le bonheur, et même la paix de ta
conscience... Claude t’attend, Marie!... Tu vas être heureuse!
 Ainsi elle réconfortait la jeune femme qui avait trouvé des forces
pour le sacrifice et qui demeurait éperdue et faible devant le
bonheur, presque honteuse de ne pas regretter André Laubespin.
—Il y a cinq ans que mon âme est veuve de lui, et je me
souviens à peine de l’avoir aimé, dit Marie... Je n’affecterai pas une
douleur hypocrite... Pourtant, je suis profondément émue par ce
mystère terrible de la mort...
Elle s’inquiéta de l’enfant abandonné et promit de veiller sur lui.
Puis elle songea au départ.
—Veux-tu que nous prenions le train de nuit? dit Isabelle. Tu
auras une journée encore pour te reposer, après cette émotion. Ton
père doit être prévenu. Il faut télégraphier à Claude... Nous brûlerons
Turin... J’irai, avec toi, à Versailles, pour les obsèques... Je ne te
quitterai pas... Allons! Marie, sois énergique!
Elle s’agitait fébrilement, feuilletait l’indicateur, sonnait le portier
pour demander la note. Marie, étendue sur un divan, la tête dans
ses mains, rêvait et priait.
Mais, après le déjeuner, l’activité d’Isabelle s’arrêta, comme une
pendule se ralentit. Une morne immobilité, un silence orageux
remplacèrent l’agitation et le verbiage. Et tout à coup, madame Van
Coppenolle dit:
—Comme je te détesterais, Marie, si je ne t’aimais pas tant!... Me
voilà toute seule à souffrir... Quand je te verrai avec Claude, je me
rappellerai que j’ai été heureuse aussi...
—Non, Belle, tu n’étais pas heureuse; tu étais grisée...
—Et si c’était mon bonheur à moi, la griserie?... Une illusion qui
dure, c’est une réalité, la seule qui compte, puisqu’on n’en connaît
pas d’autre...
Elle soupira et dit, avec une étrange nuance de vanité dans la
tristesse:
 —J’ai été follement heureuse, plus que tu ne le seras jamais...

Dans l’après-midi, Marie Laubespin voulut visiter quelques

églises, et faire le pèlerinage des catacombes de Saint-Calixte, mais
madame Van Coppenolle se déclara très suffisamment édifiée et
fatiguée par Saint-Pierre, Saint-Jean de Latran et Sainte-Marie Ara
Cœli, qu’elle avait vus la veille.
Elle préférait se promener au Pincio.
Marie passa une journée mélancolique et douce, errant d’église
en église, et laissant un bouquet de prières à chaque autel. Délivrée
du bavardage affectueux et des plaintes d’Isabelle, délicieusement
seule, elle alla, en voiture, jusqu’au tombeau de Cecilia Metella. La
voie Appienne, avec les statues, les exèdres funéraires envahies par
la mousse, les cénotaphes croulants, lui rappela la voie des
tombeaux à Pompéi. Elle ne retrouvait pas la douceur campanienne
dans l’austère paysage où les files brisées des aqueducs s’en vont
vers Rome, parmi les joncs des marais, les oliviers frissonnants, les
pins aux larges ombelles. Ici, c’était une autre Italie, et le conseil qui
émanait de cette terre romaine était mâle et grave; tout, et même la
mort, parlait d’éternité. «Ne cueille pas le jour qui passe. Travaille,
aime, prie et grandis ton âme à la mesure de tes espérances...»
Quand Marie revint à l’hôtel de la place d’Espagne, le portier lui
dit que madame Van Coppenolle avait envoyé les bagages à la gare
et qu’il avait le bulletin de consigne.
—Madame a tout réglé. Elle a dit que madame Laubespin
pourrait prendre le train du soir pour la France...
—Elle est au Pincio? Elle va revenir?
—Madame Van Coppenolle a reçu des visites... Elle est sortie
vers quatre heures avec ce monsieur qui était venu à midi...
Madame Van Coppenolle ne pouvait pas descendre, puisqu’elle
déjeunait avec madame. Alors le monsieur est revenu dans la
journée... Un jeune homme brun, en gris, qui a l’accent de Naples...
 —Eh bien, j’attendrai ma cousine, dit Marie qui prévoyait une
catastrophe...
Elle monta dans sa chambre. Comme elle se reprochait
amèrement d’être restée à Rome, au lieu d’emmener Isabelle, tout
droit, en Belgique! L’amoureuse avait-elle prévu que son amant la
rejoindrait? Avait-elle prolongé la halte, à Rome, pour donner une
chance suprême à Angelo?
Elle l’avait reçu dans le petit salon, et dans sa chambre même...
Un bout de cigarette consumée, près du divan, révélait une
présence masculine...
—Qu’elle revienne! Mon Dieu, faites qu’elle revienne! disait
Marie.
Elle ne revint pas... Un peu avant l’angélus, un gamin apporta
une lettre.
Marie, debout près de la fenêtre, lut cette confession rapide,
écrite sur un mauvais papier, avec une plume boueuse, au buffet de
la gare Termini. L’écriture inégale, presque illisible, s’en allait de
travers et çà et là, des larmes avaient délayé l’encre...

«... Je l’aime trop... Je ne peux pas me passer de lui... Et

lui aussi m’aime... Il m’a tout expliqué... Tu l’as mal compris et
mal jugé... Je le sens tellement sincère, et malheureux autant
que moi... Et maintenant que je lui ai pardonné, je n’ai plus la
force de recommencer ma vie d’autrefois sans lui... Nous
partons. J’écrirai à Frédéric et j’espère qu’il consentira au
divorce...
»Ne m’accable pas, Marie, toi qui vas être heureuse! Je te
supplie de voir mes enfants, de me donner, quelquefois, de
leurs nouvelles, en attendant qu’on me permette de les
embrasser... Pauvres petits! C’est sur eux seuls que je pleure,
mais ils ne souffriront pas de mon absence. Ils m’oublieront
vite...
 »Adieu, Marie! Je penserai à toi, quand tu seras la femme
de Claude, et je ferai des vœux pour votre bonheur, même si
vous me méprisez... Adieu, ma petite Marie!...»

Une larme tomba des cils de Marie Laubespin et fit une étoile sur
la signature brouillée.
«Dieu te pardonne, pauvre Isabelle!... Je ne te juge pas. Je te
recevrai, si tu reviens, déçue et repentante...»
... Le reflet du ciel colorait l’ombre de la chambre. Soudain, l’air
vibra. Un immense frisson sonore passa sur la ville, et Marie, qui
oubliait déjà la pécheresse amoureuse, Marie, rendue à ses beaux
rêves, sentit palpiter dans le soir romain tous les anges invisibles,
aux ailes d’or, d’émeraude et de vermillon, qui avaient été les
compagnons mystiques de sa solitude.
Ils accouraient, ceux de Flandre et ceux de France, ceux
d’Allemagne et ceux d’Italie, ceux des missels et des évangéliaires,
ceux des fresques et des tableaux, ceux qui ressemblent à des
faucons, ceux qui ressemblent à des colombes. Messagers de la
bonne nouvelle, tenant les lis du pur amour, ils murmuraient avec la
voix des cloches:
—Ave Maria!

Naples 1904—Paris 1910.

FIN
E. GREVIN—IMPRIMERIE DE LAGNY—8454-2-19
 NOTE

[1] Poésie, par Salvatore di

Giacomo.