george sand-第19章

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lined　boots。　　Later　on　he　gave　them　some　specimens　of　his　obscene　conversation；　so　that　they　were　glad　to　continue　their　journey　without　him。

On　the　28th　the　travellers　reached　Florence。　　The　aspect　of　this　city　and　his　researches　in　the　_Chroniques　florentines_　supplied　the　poet　with　the　subject　for　_Lorenzaccio_。　　It　appears　that　George　Sand　and　Musset　each　treated　this　subject；　and　that　a　_Lorenzaccio_　by　George　Sand　exists。　　I　have　not　read　it；　but　I　prefer　Musset's　version。　　They　reached　Venice　on　January　19；　1834；　and　put　up　at　the　Hotel　Danieli。　　By　this　time　they　were　at　loggerheads。

The　cause　of　their　quarrel　and　disagreement　is　not　really　known；　and　the　activity　of　retrospective　journalists　has　not　succeeded　in　finding　this　out。　　George　Sand's　letters　only　give　details　about　their　final　quarrel。　　On　arriving；　George　Sand　was　ill；　and　this　exasperated　Musset。　　He　was　annoyed；　and　declared　that　a　woman　out　of　sorts　was　very　trying。　　There　are　good　reasons　for　believing　that　he　had　found　her　very　trying　for　some　time。　　He　was　very　elegant　and　she　a　learned　〃white　blackbird。〃　　He　was　capricious　and　she　a　placid；　steady　_bourgeois_　woman；　very　hard…working　and　very　regular　in　the　midst　of　her　irregularity。　　He　used　to　call　her　〃personified　boredom；　the　dreamer；　the　silly　woman；　the　nun；〃　when　he　did　not　use　terms　which　we　cannot　transcribe。　　The　climax　was　when　he　said　to　her：　　〃I　was　mistaken；　George；　and　I　beg　your　pardon；　for　I　do　not　love　you。〃

Wounded　and　offended；　she　replied：　　〃We　do　not　love　each　other　any　longer；　and　we　never　really　loved　each　other。〃

They　therefore　took　back　their　independence。　　This　is　a　point　to　note；　as　George　Sand　considered　this　fact　of　the　greatest　importance；　and　she　constantly　refers　to　it。　　She　was　from　henceforth　free；　as　regarded　her　companion。

Illness　kept　them　now　at　Venice。　　George　Sand's　illness　first　and　then　Musset's　alarming　malady。　　He　had　high　fever；　accompanied　by　chest　affection　and　attacks　of　delirium　which　lasted　six　consecutive　hours；　during　which　it　took　four　men　to　hold　him。


George　Sand　was　an　admirable　nurse。　　This　must　certainly　be　acknowledged。　　She　sat　up　with　him　at　night　and　she　nursed　him　by　day；　and；　astonishing　woman　that　she　was；　she　was　also　able　to　work　and　to　earn　enough　to　pay　their　common　expenses。　　This　is　well　known；　but　I　am　able　to　give　another　proof　of　it；　in　the　letters　which　George　Sand　wrote　from　Venice　to　Buloz。　　These　letters　have　been　communicated　to　me　by　Madame　Pailleron；　_nee_　Buloz；　and　by　Madame　Landouzy；　_veuve_　Buloz；　whom　I　thank　for　the　public　and　for　myself。　　The　following　are　a　few　of　the　essential　passages：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃February　4。　　　　　　　　　_Read　this　when　you　are　alone。_


MY　DEAR　BULOZ；Your　reproaches　reach　me　at　a　miserable　moment。　　If　you　have　received　my　letter；　you　already　know　that　I　do　not　deserve　them。　　A　fortnight　ago　I　was　well　again　and　working。　　Alfred　was　working　too；　although　he　was　not　very　well　and　had　fits　of　feverishness。　　About　five　days　ago　we　were　both　taken　ill；　almost　at　the　same　time。　　I　had　an　attack　of　dysentery；　which　caused　me　horrible　suffering。　　I　have　not　yet　recovered　from　it；　but　I　am　strong　enough；　anyhow；　to　nurse　him。　　He　was　seized　with　a　nervous　and　inflammatory　fever；　which　has　made　such　rapid　progress　that　the　doctor　tells　me　he　does　not　know　what　to　think　about　it。　　We　must　wait　for　the　thirteenth　or　fourteenth　day　before　knowing　whether　his　life　is　in　danger。　　And　what　will　this　thirteenth　or　fourteenth　day　be？　　Perhaps　his　last　one？　　I　am　in　despair；　overwhelmed　with　fatigue；　suffering　horribly；　and　awaiting　who　knows　what　future？　　How　can　I　give　myself　up　to　literature　or　to　anything　in　the　world　at　such　a　time？　　I　only　know　that　our　entire　fortune；　at　present；　consists　of　sixty　francs；　that　we　shall　have　to　spend　an　enormous　amount　at　the　chemist's；　for　the　nurse　and　doctor；　and　that　we　are　at　a　very　expensive　hotel。　　We　were　just　about　to　leave　it　and　go　to　a　private　house。　　Alfred　cannot　be　moved　now；　and　even　if　everything　should　go　well；　he　probably　cannot　be　moved　for　a　month。　　We　shall　have　to　pay　one　term's　rent　for　nothing；　and　we　shall　return　to　France；　please　God。　　If　my　ill…luck　continues；　and　if　Alfred　should　die；　I　can　assure　you　that　I　do　not　care　what　happens　after　to　me。　　If　God　allows　Alfred　to　recover；　I　do　not　know　how　we　shall　pay　the　expenses　of　his　illness　and　of　his　return　to　France。　　The　thousand　francs　that　you　are　to　send　me　will　not　suffice；　and　I　do　not　know　what　we　shall　do。　　At　any　rate；　do　not　delay　sending　that；　as；　by　the　time　it　arrives；　it　will　be　more　than　necessary。　　I　am　sorry　about　the　annoyance　you　are　having　with　the　delay　for　publishing；　but　you　can　now　judge　whether　it　is　my　fault。　　If　only　Alfred　had　a　few　quiet　days；　I　could　soon　finish　my　work。　　But　he　is　in　a　frightful　state　of　delirium　and　restlessness。　　I　cannot　leave　him　an　instant。　　I　have　been　nine　hours　writing　this　letter。　　Adieu；　my　friend；　and　pity　me。

〃GEORGE。


〃Above　everything；　do　not　tell　any　one；　not　any　one　in　the　world；　that　Alfred　is　ill。　　If　his　mother　heard　（and　it　only　needs　two　persons　for　telling　a　secret　to　all　Paris）　she　would　go　mad。　　If　she　has　to　be　told；　let　who　will　undertake　to　tell　her；　but　if　in　a　fortnight　Alfred　is　out　of　danger；　it　is　useless　for　her　to　grieve　now。　　Adieu。〃


〃February　13；　1834。

〃My　friend；　Alfred　is　saved。　　There　has　been　no　fresh　attack；　and　we　have　nearly　reached　the　fourteenth　day　without　the　improvement　having　altered。　　After　the　brain　affection　inflammation　of　the　lungs　declared　itself；　and　this　rather　alarmed　us　for　two　days。　。　。　。　　He　is　extremely　weak　at　present；　and　he　wanders　occasionally。　　He　has　to　be　nursed　night　and　day。　　Do　not　imagine；　therefore；　that　I　am　only　making　pretexts　for　the　delay　in　my　work。　　I　have　not　undressed　for　eight　nights。　　I　sleep　on　a　sofa；　and　have　to　get　up　at　any　minute。　　In　spite　of　this；　ever　since　I　have　been　relieved　in　my　mind　about　the　danger；　I　have　been　able　to　write　a　few　pages　in　the　mornings　while　he　is　resting。　　You　may　be　sure　tht　I　should　like　to　be　able　to　take　advantage　of　this　time　to　rest　myself。　　Be　assured；　my　friend；　that　I　am　not　short　of　courage；　nor　yet　of　the　will　to　work。　　You　are　not　more　anxious　than　I　am　that　I　should　carry　out　my　engagements。　　You　know　that　a　debt　makes　me　smart　like　a　wound。　　But　you　are　friend　enough　to　make　allowances　for　my　situation　and　not　to　leave　me　in　difficulties。　　I　am　spending　very　wretched　days　here　at　this　bedside；　for　the　slightest　sound；　the　slightest　movement　causes　me　constant　terror。　　In　this　disposition　of　mind　I　shall　not　write　any　light　works。　　They　will　be　heavy；　on　the　contrary；　like　my　fatigue　and　my　sadness。

〃Do　not　leave　me　without　money；　I　beseech　you；　or　I　do　not　know　what　will　happen　to　me。　　I　spend　about　twenty　francs　a　day　in　medicine　of　all　sorts。　　We　do　not　know　how　to　keep　him　alive。　。　。　。〃


These　letters　give　the　lie　to　some　of　the　gossip　that　has　been　spread　abroad　with　regard　to　the　episode　of　the　Hotel　Danieli。　　And　I　too；　thanks　to　these　letters；　shall　have　put　an　end　to　a　legend！　　In　the　second　volume　of　Wladimir　Karenine's　work　on　George　Sand；　on　page　61；　we　have　the　following　words

〃Monsieur　Plauchut　tells　us　that；　according　to　Buloz；　Musset　had　been　enticed　into　a　gambling　hell　during　his　stay　in　Venice；　and　had　lost　about　four　hundred　pounds　there。　　The　imprudent　young　man　could　not　pay　this　debt　of　honour；　and　he　never　would　have　been　able　to　do　so。　　He　had　to　choose　between　suicide　or　dishonour。　　George　Sand　did　not　hesitate　a　moment。　　She　wrote　at　once　to　the　manager　of　the　_Revue_；　asking　him　to　advance　the　money。〃　　And　this　debt　was　on　her　shoulders　for　a　long　time。

The　facts　of　the　case　are　as　follows；　according　to　a　letter　from　George　Sand　to　Buloz：　　〃I　beseech　you；　as　a　favour；　to　pay　Alfred's　debt　and　to　write　to　him　that　it　is　all　settled。　　You　cannot　imagine　the　impatience　and　the　disturbance　that　this　little　matter　cause　him。　　He　speaks　to　me　of　it　every　minute；　and　begs　me　every　day　to　write　to　you　about　it。　　He　owes　these　three　hundred　and　sixty　francs　（L14　8_s_。）　to　a　young　man　he　knows　very　little　and　who　might　talk　of　it　to　peop