george sand-第14章

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itating　whether　he　should　kill　her　husband；　her；　or　himself；　or　whether　he　should　kill　all　three；　or　only　select　two　of　the　three；　and　after　adopting　in　turn　each　of　these　combinations；　he　has　decided　to　only　kill　himself。　　He　is　found　in　a　ditch　in　a　terrible　plight；　but　we　are　by　no　means　rid　of　him。　　Benedict　is　not　dead；　and　he　has　a　great　deal　of　harm　to　do　yet。　　We　shall　meet　with　him　again　several　times；　always　hidden　behind　curtains；　listening　to　all　that　is　said　and　watching　all　that　takes　place。　　At　the　right　moment　he　comes　out　with　his　pistol　in　his　hand。　　The　husband　is　away　during　all　this　time。　　No　one　troubles　about　him；　though。　　He　is　a　bad　husband；　or　rather　he　isa　husband；　and　Benedict　has　nothing　to　fear　as　far　as　he　is　concerned。　　But　one　day　a　peasant；　who　does　not　like　the　looks　of　Benedict；　attacks　him　with　his　pitchfork　and　puts　an　end　to　this　valuable　life。

The　question　arises；　by　what　right　Benedict　disturbs　Valentine's　tranquillity。　　The　answer　is　by　the　right　of　his　passion　for　her。　　He　has　an　income　of　about　twenty　pounds　a　year。　　It　would　be　impossible　for　him　to　marry　on　that。　　What　has　he　to　offer　to　the　woman　whose　peace　of　mind　he　disturbs　and　whose　position　he　ruins？　　He　offers　himself。　　Surely　that　should　be　enough。　　Then；　too；　it　is　impossible　to　reason　with　individuals　of　his　temperament。　　We　have　only　to　look　at　him；　with　his　sickly　pallor　and　the　restless　light　in　his　eyes。　　We　have　only　to　listen　to　the　sound　of　his　voice　and　his　excited　speeches。　　At　times　he　goes　in　for　wild　declamation；　and　immediately　afterwards　for　cold　irony　and　sarcasm。　　He　is　always　talking　of　death。　　When　he　attempts　to　shoot　himself　he　always　misses；　but　when　Adele　d'Hervey　resists　him；　at　the　time　he　has　taken　the　name　of　Antony；　he　kills　her。　　He　is　therefore　a　dangerous　madman。

We　now　have　two　fresh　personages　for　novels；　the　misunderstood　woman　and　the　frenzied　lover。　　It　is　a　pity　they　do　not　marry　each　other；　and　so　rid　us　of　them。

We　must　not　lose　sight；　though；　of　the　fact　that；　contestable　as　_Valentine_　certainly　is　as　a　novel　of　passion；　there　is　a　pastoral　novel　of　the　highest　order　contained　in　this　book。　　The　setting　of　the　story　is　delightful。　　George　Sand　has　placed　the　scene　in　that　Black　Valley　which　she　knew　so　well　and　loved　so　dearly。　　It　is　the　first　of　her　novels　in　which　she　celebrates　her　birthplace。　　There　are　walks　along　the　country　pathways；　long　meditations　at　night；　village　weddings　and　fetes。　　All　the　poetry　and　all　the　picturesqueness　of　the　country　transform　and　embellish　the　story。


In　_Jacques_　we　have　the　history　of　a　man　unhappily　married；　and　this；　through　the　reciprocity　which　is　inevitable　under　the　circumstances；　is　another　story　of　a　woman　unhappily　married。

At　the　age　of　thirty…five；　after　a　stormy　existence；　in　which　years　count　double；　Jacques　marries　Fernande；　a　woman　much　younger　than　he　is。　　After　a　few　unhappy　months　he　sees　the　first　clouds　appearing　in　his　horizon。　　He　sends　for　his　sister　Sylvia　to　come　and　live　with　himself　and　his　wife。　　Sylvia；　like　Jacques；　is　an　exceptional　individual。　　She　is　proud；　haughty　and　reserved。　　It　can　readily　be　imagined　that；　the　presence　of　this　pythoness　does　not　tend　to　restore　the　confidence　which　has　become　somewhat　shaken　between　the　husband　and　wife。　　A　young　man　named　Octave；　who　was　at　first　attracted　by　Sylvia；　soon　begins　to　prefer　Fernande；　who　is　not　a　romantic；　ironical　and　sarcastic　woman　like　her　sister…in…law。　He　fancies　that　he　should　be　very　happy　with　the　gentle　Fernande。　　Jacques　discovers　that　Octave　and　his　wife　are　in　love　with　each　other。　　There　are　various　alternatives　for　him。　　He　can　dismiss　his　rival；　kill　him；　or　merely　pardon　him。　　Each　alternative　is　a　very　ordinary　way　out　of　the　difficulty；　and　Jacques　cannot　resign　himself　to　anything　ordinary。　　He　therefore　asks　his　wife's　lover　whether　he　really　cares　for　his　wife；　whether　he　is　in　earnest；　and　also　whether　this　attachment　will　be　durable。　　Quite　satisfied　with　the　result　of　this　examination；　he　leaves　Fernande　to　Octave。　　He　then　disappears　and　kills　himself；　but　he　takes　all　necessary　precautions　to　avert　the　suspicion　of　suicide；　in　order　not　to　sadden　Octave　and　Fernande　in　their　happiness。　　He　had　not　been　able　to　keep　his　wife's　love；　but　he　does　not　wish　to　be　the　jailer　of　the　woman　who　no　longer　loves　him。　　Fernande　has　a　right　to　happiness　and；　as　he　has　not　been　able　to　ensure　that　happiness；　he　must　give　place　to　another　man。　　It　is　a　case　of　suicide　as　a　duty。　　There　are　instances　when　a　husband　should　know　that　it　is　his　duty　to　disappear。　。　。　。　　Jacques　is　〃a　stoic。〃　　George　Sand　has　a　great　admiration　for　such　characters。　　She　gives　us　her　first　sketch　of　one　in　Ralph；　but　Jacques　is　presented　to　us　as　a　sublime　being。

Personally；　I　look　upon　him　as　a　mere　greenhorn；　or；　as　would　be　said　in　Wagner's　dramas；　a　〃pure　simpleton。〃

He　did　everything　to　ruin　his　home　life。　　His　young　wife　had　confidence　in　him；　she　was　gay　and　naive。　　He　went　about；　folding　his　arms　in　a　tragic　way。　　He　was　absent…minded　and　gloomy；　and　she　began　to　be　awed　by　him。　　One　day；　when；　in　her　sorrow　for　having　displeased　him；　she　flung　herself　on　her　knees；　sobbing；　instead　of　lifting　her　up　tenderly；　he　broke　away　from　her　caresses；　telling　her　furiously　to　get　up　and　never　to　behave　in　such　a　way　again　in　his　presence。　　After　this　he　puts　his　sister；　the　〃bronze　woman；〃　between　them；　and　he　invites　Octave　to　live　with　them。　　When　he　has　thus　destroyed　his　wife's　affection　for　him；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　at　one　time　she　wished　for　nothing　better　than　to　love　him；　he　goes　away　and　gives　up　the　whole　thing。　　All　that　is　too　easy。　　One　of　Meilhac's　heroines　says　to　a　man；　who　declares　that　he　is　going　to　drown　himself　for　her　sake；　〃Oh　yes；　that　is　all　very　fine。　　You　would　be　tranquil　at　the　bottom　of　the　water！　　But　what　about　me？　。　。　。〃

In　this　instance　Jacques　is　tranquil　at　the　bottom　of　his　precipice；　but　Fernande　is　alive　and　not　at　all　tranquil。　　Jacques　never　rises　to　the　very　simple　conception　of　his　duty；　which　was　that；　having　made　a　woman　the　companion　of　his　life's　journey；　he　had　no　right　to　desert　her　on　the　way。

Rather　than　blame　himself；　though；　Jacques　prefers　incriminating　the　institution　of　marriage。　　The　criticism　of　this　institution　is　very　plain　in　the　novel　we　are　considering。　　In　her　former　novels　George；　Sand　treated　all　this　in　a　more　or　less　vague　way。　　She　now　states　her　theory　clearly。　　Jacques　considers　that　marriage　is　a　barbarous　institution。　　〃I　have　not　changed　my　opinion；〃　he　says；　〃and　I　am　not　reconciled　to　society。　　I　consider　marriage　one　of　the　most　barbarous　institutions　ever　invented。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　it　will　be　abolished　when　the　human　species　makes　progress　in　the　direction　of　justice　and　reason。　　Some　bond　that　will　be　more　human　and　just　as　sacred　will　take　the　place　of　marriage　and　provide　for　the　children　born　of　a　woman　and　a　man；　without　fettering　their　liberty　for　ever。　　Men　are　too　coarse　at　present；　and　women　too　cowardly；　to　ask　for　a　nobler　law　than　the　iron　one　which　governs　them。　　For　individuals　without　conscience　and　without　virtue；　heavy　chains　are　necessary。〃

We　also　hear　Sylvia's　ideas　and　the　plans　she　proposes　to　her　brother　for　the　time　when　marriage　is　abolished。

〃We　will　adopt　an　orphan；　imagine　that　it　is　our　child；　and　bring　it　up　in　our　principles。　　We　could　educate　a　child　of　each　sex；　and　then　marry　them　when　the　time　came；　before　God；　with　no　other　temple　than　the　desert　and　no　priest　but　love。　　We　should　have　formed　their　souls　to　respect　truth　and　justice；　so　that；　thanks　to　us；　there　would　be　one　pure　and　happy　couple　on　the　face　of　the　earth。〃

The　suppression　of　marriage；　then；　was　the　idea；　and；　in　a　future　more　or　less　distant；　free　love！

It　is　interesting　to　discover　by　what　series　of　deductions　George　Sand　proceeds　and　on　what　principles　she　bases　everything。　　When　once　her　principles　are　admitted；　the　conclusion　she　draws　from　them　is　quite　logical。

What　is　her　essential　objection　to　marriage？　　The　fact　that　marriage　fetters　the　liberty　of　two　beings。　　〃Society　dictates　to　you　the　formula　of　an　oath。　　You　must　swear　that　you　w