george sand-第10章

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is　success；　and　of　his　upright；　modest　conduct。　。　。　。　　Oh；　if　you　only　knew　how　I　love　him！　。　。　。　。〃＇14＇


＇14＇　This　quotation　and　those　that　follow　are　borrowed　from　the　unpublished　correspondence　with　Emile　Regnault。


〃When　I　first　knew　him　I　was　disillusioned　about　everything；　and　I　no　longer　believed　in　those　things　which　make　us　happy。　　He　has　warmed　my　frozen　heart　and　restored　the　life　that　was　dying　within　me。〃　　She　then　recalls　their　first　meeting。　　It　was　in　the　country；　at　Coudray；　near　Nohant。　　She　fell　in　love　with　her　dear　Sandeau；　thanks　to　his　youthfulness；　his　timidity　and　his　awkwardness。　　He　was　just　twenty；　in　1831。　　On　approaching　the　bench　where　she　was　awaiting　him；　〃he　concealed　himself　in　a　neighbouring　avenue　and　I　could　see　his　hat　and　stick　on　the　bench；〃　she　writes。　　〃Everything；　even　to　the　little　red　ribbon　threaded　in　the　lining　of　his　grey　hat；　thrilled　me　with　joy。　。　。　。〃

It　is　difficult　to　say　why；　but　everything　connected　with　this　young　Jules　seems　absurd。　　Later　on　we　get　the　following　statement：　　〃Until　the　day　when　I　told　him　that　I　loved　him；　I　had　never　acknowledged　as　much　to　myself。　　I　felt　that　I　did；　but　I　would　not　own　it　even　to　my　own　heart。　　Jules　therefore　learnt　it　at　the　same　time　as　I　did　myself。〃

People　at　La　Chatre　took　the　young　man　for　her　lover。　　The　idea　of　finding　him　again　in　Paris　was　probably　one　of　her　reasons　for　wishing　to　establish　herself　there。　　Then　came　her　life；　as　she　describes　it　herself；　〃in　the　little　room　looking　on　to　the　quay。　　I　can　see　Jules　now　in　a　shabby；　dirty…looking　artist's　frock…coat；　with　his　cravat　underneath　him　and　his　shirt　open　at　the　throat；　stretched　out　over　three　chairs；　stamping　with　his　feet　or　breaking　the　tongs　in　the　heat　of　the　discussion。　　The　Gaulois　used　to　sit　in　a　corner　weaving　great　plots；　and　you　would　be　seated　on　a　table。

All　this　must　certainly　have　been　charming。　　The　room　was　too　small；　though；　and　George　Sand　commissioned　Emile　Regnault　to　find　her　a　flat；　the　essential　condition　of　which　should　be　some　way　of　egress　for　Jules　at　any　hour。

A　little　flat　was　discovered　on　the　Quay　St。　Michel。　　There　were　three　rooms；　one　of　which　could　be　reserved。　　〃This　shall　be　the　dark　room；〃　wrote　George　Sand；　〃the　mysterious　room；　the　ghost's　retreat；　the　monster's　den；　the　cage　of　the　performing　animal；　the　hiding…place　for　the　treasure；　the　vampire's　cave；　or　whatever　you　like　to　call　it。　。　。　。〃

In　plainer　language；　it　was　Jules'　room；　and　then　follows　some　touching　eloquence　about　the　dear　boy　she　worshipped　who　loved　her　so　dearly。

This　is　the　beginning　of　things；　but　later　on　the　tone　of　the　correspondence　changes。　　The　letters　become　less　frequent；　and　are　also　not　so　gay。　　George　Sand　speaks　much　less　of　Jules　in　them　and　much　more　of　little　Solange；　whom　she　intended　to　bring　back　to　Paris　with　her。　　She　is　beginning　to　weary　of　Jules　and　to　esteem　him　at　his　true　value。　　He　is　lazy；　and　has　fits　of　depression　and　all　the　capriciousness　of　a　spoilt　child。　　She　has　had　enough　of　him；　and　then；　too；　it　is　very　evident　from　the　letters　that　there　has　been　some　division　among　the　lively　friends　who　had　sworn　to　be　comrades　for　life。　　There　are　explanations　and　justifications。　　George　Sand　discovers　that　there　are　certain　inconveniences　connected　with　intimacies　in　which　there　is　such　disproportion　of　age　and　of　social　position。　　Finally　there　are　the　following　desperate　letters；　written　in　fits　of　irritation：　　〃My　dear　friend；　go　to　Jules　and　look　after　him。　　He　is　broken…hearted；　and　you　can　do　nothing　for　him　in　that　respect。　　It　is　no　use　trying。　　I　do　not　ask　you　to　come　to　me　yet；　as　I　do　not　need　anything。　　I　would　rather　be　alone　to…day。　Then；　too；　there　is　nothing　left　for　me　in　life。　　It　will　be　horrible　for　him　for　a　long　time；　but　he　is　so　young。　　The　day　will　come；　perhaps；　when　he　will　not　be　sorry　to　have　lived。　。　。　。

Do　not　attempt　to　put　matters　right；　as　this　time　there　is　no　remedy。　　We　do　not　blame　each　other　at　all；　and　for　some　time　we　have　been　struggling　against　this　horrible　necessity。　　We　have　had　trouble　enough。　　There　seemed　to　be　nothing　left　but　to　put　an　end　to　our　lives；　and　if　it　had　not　been　for　my　children；　we　should　have　done　this。

The　question　is；　Was　George　Sand　blameless　in　the　matter？　　It　appears　that　she　had　discovered　that　her　dear　Jules　was　faithless　to　her；　and　that；　during　her　absence；　he　had　deceived　her。　　She　would　not　forgive　him；　but　sent　him　off　to　Italy；　and　refused　to　see　him　again。　　The　last　of　these　letters　is　dated　June　15；　1833。

〃I　shall　make　a　parcel　of　a　few　of　Jules'　things　that　he　left　in　the　wardrobe；〃　she　says；　〃and　I　will　send　them　to　you。　　I　do　not　want　anything　to　do　with　him　when　he　comes　back；　and；　according　to　the　last　words　of　the　letter　you　showed　me；　his　return　may　be　soon。　　For　a　long　time　I　have　been　very　much　hurt　by　the　discoveries　I　made　with　regard　to　his　conduct；　and　I　could　not　feel　anything　else　for　him　now　but　affectionate　compassion。　　His　pride；　I　hope；　would　refuse　this。　　Make　him　clearly　understand；　if　necessary；　that　there　can　never　be　anything　more　between　us。　　If　this　hard　task　should　not　be　necessary；　that　is；　if　Jules　should　himself　understand　that　it　could　not　be　otherwise；　spare　him　the　sorrow　of　hearing　that　he　has　lost　everything；　even　my　respect。　　He　must　undoubtedly　have　lost　his　own　self…esteem；　so　that　he　is　punished　enough。〃

Thus　ended　this　great　passion。　　This　was　the　first　of　George　Sand's　errors；　and　it　certainly　was　an　immense　one。　　She　had　imagined　that　happiness　reigns　in　students'　rooms。　　She　had　counted　on　the　passing　fancy　of　a　young　man　of　good　family；　who　had　come　to　Paris　to　sow　his　wild　oats；　for　giving　her　fresh　zest　and　for　carving　out　for　herself　a　fresh　future。　　It　was　a　most　commonplace　adventure；　utterly　destitute　of　psychology；　and　by　its　very　bitterness　it　contrasted　strangely　with　her　elevated　sentimental　romance　with　Aurelien　de　Seze。　　That　was　the　quintessence　of　refinement。　　All　that　is　interesting　about　this　second　adventure　is　the　proof　that　it　gives　us　of　George　Sand's　wonderful　illusions；　of　the　intensity　of　the　mirage　of　which　she　was　a　dupe；　and　of　which　we　have　so　many　instances　in　her　life。

Baronne　Dudevant　had　tried　conjugal　life；　and　she　had　now　tried　free　love。　　She　had　been　unsuccessful　in　both　instances。　　It　is　to　these　adventures　though；　to　these　trials；　errors　and　disappointments　that　we　owe　the　writer　we　are　about　to　study。　　George　Sand　was　now　born　to　literature。



III

A　FEMINIST　OF　1832

THE　FIRST　NOVELS　AND　THE　QUESTION　OF　MARRIAGE


When　Baronne　Dudevant　arrived　in　Paris；　in　1831；　her　intention　was　to　earn　her　living　with　her　pen。　　She　never　really　counted　seriously　on　the　income　she　might　make　by　her　talent　for　painting　flowers　on　snuff…boxes　and　ornamenting　cigar…cases　with　water…colours。　She　arrived　from　her　province　with　the　intention　of　becoming　a　writer。　　Like　most　authors　who　commence；　she　first　tried　journalism。　　On　the　4th　of　March；　she　wrote　as　follows　to　the　faithful　Boucoiran：　　〃In　the　meantime　I　must　live；　and　for　the　sake　of　that；　I　have　taken　up　the　worst　of　trades：　　I　am　writing　articles　for　the　_Figaro_。　　If　only　you　knew　what　that　means！　　They　are　paid　for；　though；　at　the　rate　of　seven　francs　a　column。〃

She　evidently　found　it　worth　while　to　write　for　the　_Figaro_；　which　at　that　time　was　quite　a　small　newspaper；　managed　by　Henri　de　Latouche；　who　also　came　from　Berry。　　He　was　a　very　second…rate　writer　himself；　and　a　poet　with　very　little　talent　but；　at　any　rate；　he　appreciated　and　discovered　talent　in　others。　　He　published　Andre　Chenier's　first　writings；　and　he　introduced　George　Sand　to　the　public。　　His　new　apprentice　was　placed　at　one　of　the　little　tables　at　which　the　various　parts　of　the　paper　were　manufactured。　　Unfortunately　she　had　not　the　vocation　for　this　work。　　The　first　principle　with　regard　to　newspaper　articles　is　to　make　them　short。　　When　Aurore　had　come　to　the　end　of　her　paper；　she　had　not　yet　commenced　her　subject。　　It　was　no　use　attempting　to　continue；　so　she　gave　up　〃the　worst　of　trades；〃　lucrative　though　it　might　be。

She　could　not　help　knowing；　though；　that　she　had　the　gift　of　writing。　　She　had