george sand-第13章

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l　he　can　to　prevent　her　going。　　She　hurries　away　to　him；　offers　herself　to　him；　and　volunteers　to　remain　with　him　always。　　It　is　unnecessary　to　give　Raymon's　reply　to　this　charming　proposal。　　Poor　Indiana　receives　a　very　wet　blanket　on　a　cold　winter's　night。


She　therefore　starts　for　the　Isle　of　Bourbon；　and；　some　time　after　her　arrival　there；　she　gets　a　letter　from　Raymon　which　makes　her　think　that　he　is　very　unhappy。　　She　accordingly　hastens　back　to　him；　but　is　received　by　the　young　wife　whom　Raymon　has　just　married。　　It　is　a　very　brilliant　marriage；　and　Raymon　could　not　have　hoped　for　anything　more　satisfactory。　　Poor　Indiana！　　The　Seine；　however；　is　quite　near；　and　she　throws　herself　into　it。　　This　was　quite　safe；　as　Ralph　was　there　to　fish　her　out　again。　　Ralph　was　always　at　hand　to　fish　his　cousin　out　of　everything。　　He　is　her　appointed　rescuer；　her　Newfoundland　dog。　　In　the　country　or　in　the　town；　on　_terra　firma_　or　on　the　boat　which　takes　Indiana　to　the　Isle　of　Bourbon；　we　always　see　Ralph　turn　up；　phlegmatic　as　usual。　　Unnecessary　to　say　that　Ralph　is　in　love　with　Indiana。　　His　apparent　calmness　is　put　on　purposely。　　It　is　the　snowy　covering　under　which　a　volcano　is　burning。　　His　awkward　and　unprepossessing　appearance　conceals　an　exquisite　soul。　　Ralph　brings　Indiana　good　news。　　Colonel　Delmare　is　dead；　so　that　she　is　free。　　What　will　she　do　now　with　her　liberty？　　After　due　deliberation；　Ralph　and　Indiana　decide　to　commit　suicide；　but　they　have　to　agree　about　the　kind　of　death　they　will　die。　　Ralph　considers　that　this　is　a　matter　of　certain　importance。　　He　does　not　care　to　kill　himself　in　Paris；　there　are　too　many　people　about；　so　that　there　is　no　tranquillity。　　The　Isle　of　Bourbon　seems　to　him　a　pleasant　place　for　a　suicide。　　There　was　a　magnificent　horizon　there；　then；　too；　there　was　a　precipice　and　a　waterfall。　　。　。　。

Ralph's　happy　ideas　are　somewhat　sinister；　but　the　couple　set　out　nevertheless　for　the　Isle　of　Bourbon　in　search　of　a　propitious　waterfall。　　A　sea…voyage；　under　such　circumstances；　would　be　an　excellent　preparation。　　When　once　there；　they　carry　out　their　plans；　and　Ralph　gives　his　beloved　wise　advice　at　the　last　moment。　　She　must　not　jump　from　the　side；　as　that　would　be　bad。　　〃Throw　yourself　into　the　white　line　that　the　waterfall　makes；〃　he　says。　　〃You　will　then　reach　the　lake　with　that；　and　the　torrent　will　plunge　you　in。〃　　This　sounds　enticing。

Such　a　suicide　was　considered　infinitely　poetical　at　that　epoch；　and　every　one　pitied　Indiana　in　her　troubles。　　It　is　curious　to　read　such　books　calmly　a　long　time　afterwards；　books　which　reflect　so　exactly　the　sentiments　of　a　certain　epoch。　　It　is　curious　to　note　how　the　point　of　view　has　changed；　and　how　people　and　things　appear　to　us　exactly　the　reverse　of　what　they　appeared　to　the　author　and　to　contemporaries。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　only　interesting　person　in　all　this　is　Colonel　Delmare；　or；　at　any　rate；　he　is　the　only　one　of　whom　Indiana　could　not　complain。　　He　loved　her；　and　he　loved　no　one　else　but　her。　　The　like　cannot　be　said　for　Indiana。　　Few　husbands　would　imitate　his　patience　and　forbearance；　and　he　certainly　allowed　his　wife　the　most　extraordinary　freedom。　　At　one　time　we　find；　a　young　man　in　Indiana's　bedroom；　and　at　another　time　Indiana　in　a　young　man's　bedroom。　　Colonel　Delmare　receives　Raymon　at　his　house　in　a　friendly　way；　and　he　tolerates　the　presence　of　the　sempiternal　Ralph　in　his　home。　　What　more　can　be　asked　of　a　husband　than　to　allow　his　wife　to　have　a　man　friend　and　a　cousin？　　Indiana　declares　that　Colonel　Delmare　has　struck　her；　and　that　the　mark　is　left　on　her　face。　　She　exaggerated；　though；　as　we　know　quite　well　what　took　place。　　In　reality　all　this　was　at　Plessis…Picard。　Delmare…Dudevant　struck　Indiana…Aurore。　This　was　certainly　too　much；　but　there　was　no　blood　shed。　　As　to　the　other　personages；　Raymon　is　a　wretched　little　rascal；　who　was　first　the　lover　of　Indiana's　maid。　　He　next　made　love　to　poor　Noun's　mistress；　and　then　deserted　her　to　make　a　rich　marriage。　　Ralph　plunges　Indiana　down　a　precipice。　　That　was　certainly　bad　treatment　for　the　woman　he　loved。　　As　regards　Indiana；　George　Sand　honestly　believed　that　she　had　given　her　all　the　charms　imaginable。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　she　did　charm　the　readers　of　that　time。　　It　is　from　this　model　that　we　have　one　of　the　favourite　types　of　woman　in　literature　for　the　next　twenty　yearsthe　misunderstood　woman。

The　misunderstood　woman　is　pale；　fragile；　and　subject　to　fainting。　　Up　to　page　99　of　the　book；　Indiana　has　fainted　three　times。　　I　did　not　continue　counting。　　This　fainting　was　not　the　result　of　bad　health。　　It　was　the　fashion　to　faint。　　The　days　of　nerves　and　languid　airs　had　come　back。　　The　women　whose　grandmothers　had　walked　so　firmly　to　the　scaffold；　and　whose　mothers　had　listened　bravely　to　the　firing　of　the　cannon　under　the　Empire；　were　now　depressed　and　tearful；　like　so　many　plaintive　elegies。　　It　was　just　a　matter　of　fashion。　　The　mis…

understood　woman　was　supposed　to　be　unhappy　with　her　husband；　but　she　would　not　have　been　any　happier　with　another　man。　　Indiana　does　not　find　fault　with　Colonel　Delmare　for　being　the　husband　that　he　is；　but　simply　for　being　the　husband！

〃She　did　not　love　her　husband；　for　the　mere　reason；　perhaps；　that　she　was　told　it　was　her　duty　to　love　him　and　that　it　had　become　her　second　nature；　a　principle　and　a　law　of　her　conscience　to　resist　inwardly　all　moral　constraint。〃　　She　affected　a　most　irritating　gentleness；　an　exasperating　submissiveness。　　When　she　put　on　her　superior；　resigned　airs；　it　was　enough　to　unhinge　an　angel。　　Besides；　what　was　there　to　complain　about；　and　why　should　she　not　accommodate　herself　to　conditions　of　existence　with　which　so　many　others　fall　in？　　She　must　not　be　compared　to　others；　though。　　She　is　eminently　a　distinguished　woman；　and　she　asks　without　shrinking：　　〃Do　you　know　what　it　means　to　love　a　woman　such　as　I　am？〃

In　her　long　silences　and　her　persistent　melancholy；　she　is　no　doubt　thinking　of　the　love　appropriate　to　a　woman　such　as　she　is。　　She　was　a　princess　in　exile　and　times　were　then　hard　for　princesses。　　That　is　why　the　one　in　question　took　refuge　in　her　homesick　sorrow。　　All　this　is　what　people　will　not　understand。　　Instead　of　rising　to　such　sublimities；　or　of　being　lost　in　fogs；　they　judge　from　mere　facts。　　And　on　coming　across　a　young　wife　who　is　inclined　to　prefer　a　handsome；　dark　young　man　to　a　husband　who　is　turning　grey；　they　are　apt　to　conclude：　　〃Well；　this　is　not　the　first　time　we　have　met　with　a　similar　case。　　It　is　hardly　worth　while　making　such　a　fuss　about　a　young　plague　of　a　woman　who　wants　to　go　to　the　bad。〃　　It　would　be　very　unjust；　though；　not　to　recognize　that　_Indiana_　is　a　most　remarkable　novel。　　There　is　a　certain　relief　in　the　various　characters；　Colonel　Delmare；　Raymon；　Ralph　and　Inaiana。　　We　ought　to　question　the　husbands　who　married　wives　belonging　to　the　race　of　misunderstood　women　brought　into　vogue　by　_Indiana_。


_Valentine_；　too；　is　the　story　of　a　woman　unhappily　married。

This　time　the　chief　_role_　is　given　to　the　lover；　and　not　to　the　woman。　　Instead　of　the　misunderstood　woman；　though；　we　have　the　typical　frenzied　lover；　created　by　the　romantic　school。　　Louise…Valentine　de　Raimbault　is　about　to　marry　Norbert…Evariste　de　Lansac；　when　suddenly　this　young　person；　who　is　accustomed　to　going　about　in　the　country　round　and　to　the　village　fetes；　falls　in　love　with　the　nephew　of　one　of　her　farmers。　　The　young　man's　name　is　Benedict；　and　he　is　a　peasant　who　has　had　some　education。　　His　mentality　is　probably　that　of　a　present…day　elementary　school…teacher。　Valentine　cannot　resist　him；　although　we　are　told　that　Benedict　is　not　very　handsome。　　It　is　his　soul　which　Valentine　loves　in　him。　　Benedict　knows　very　well　that　he　cannot　marry　Valentine；　but　he　can　cause　her　a　great　deal　of　annoyance　by　way　of　proving　his　love。　　On　the　night　of　the　wedding　he　is　in　the　nuptial　chamber；　from　which　the　author　has　taken　care　to　banish　the　husband　for　the　time　being。　　Benedict　watches　over　the　slumber　of　the　woman　he　loves；　and　leaves　her　an　epistle　in　which　he　declares　that；　after　hesitating　whether　he　should　kill　her　husband；　her；　or　himself；　or　whether　he　should　kill　all　three；　or