george sand-第23章

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ed　to　the　other。〃　　She　wrote：　　〃The　signs　of　the　superior　faculties　of　his　mind　were　as　prominent　at　the　prow　of　this　strong　vessel　as　those　of　his　generous　instincts　at　the　stern。〃＇21＇　In　order　to　understand　this　definition　of　the　〃fine　physique〃　by　George　Sand；　we　must　remember　that　she　was　very　much　taken　up　with　phrenology　at　this　time。　　One　of　her　_Lettres　d'un　voyageur_　was　entitled　Sur　_Lavater　et　sur　une　Maison　deserte_。　　In　a　letter　to　Madame　d'Agoult；　George　Sand　tells　that　her　gardener　gave　notice　to　leave；　and；　on　asking　him　his　reason；　the　simple…minded　man　replied：　　〃Madame　has　such　an　ugly　head　that　my　wife；　who　is　expecting；　might　die　of　fright。〃　　The　head　in　question　was　a　skull；　an　anatomical　one　with　compartments　all　marked　and　numbered；　according　to　the　system　of　Gall　and　Spurzheim。　　In　1837；　phrenology　was　very　much　in　favour。　　In　1910；　it　is　hypnotism；　so　we　have　no　right　to　judge　the　infatuation　of　another　epoch。


＇21＇　_Histoire　de　ma　vie_。


Michel's　cranium　was　bald。　　He　was　short；　slight；　he　stooped；　was　short…sighted　and　wore　glasses。　　It　is　George　Sand　who　gives　these　details　for　his　portrait。　　He　was　born　of　peasant　parents；　and　was　of　Jacobin　simplicity。　　He　wore　a　thick；　shapeless　inverness　and　sabots。　　He　felt　the　cold　very　much；　and　used　to　ask　permission　to　put　on　a　muffler　indoors。　　He　would　then　take　three　or　four　out　of　his　pockets　and　put　them　on　his　head；　one　over　the　other。　　In　the　_Lettre　d'un　voyageur_　George　Sand　mentions　this　crown　on　Everard's　head。　　Such　are　the　illusions　of　love。

The　first　time　she　met　Michel　was　at　Bourges。　　She　went　with　her　two　friends；　Papet　and　Fleury；　to　call　on　him　at　the　hotel。　　From　seven　o'clock　until　midnight　he　never　ceased　talking。　　It　was　a　magnificent　night；　and　he　proposed　a　walk　in　the　town　at　midnight。　　When　they　came　back　to　his　door　he　insisted　on　taking　them　home；　and　so　they　continued　walking　backwards　and　forwards　until　four　in　the　morning。　　He　must　have　been　an　inveterate　chatterer　to　have　clung　to　this　public　of　three　persons　at　an　hour　when　the　great　buildings；　with　the　moon　throwing　its　white　light　over　them　and　everything　around；　must　have　suggested　the　majesty　of　silence。　　To　people　who　were　amazed　at　this　irrepressible　eloquence；　Michel　answered　ingenuously：　　〃Talking　is　thinking　aloud。　　By　thinking　aloud　in　this　way　I　advance　more　quickly　than　if　I　thought　quietly　by　myself。〃　　This　was　Numa　Roumestan's　idea。　　〃As　for　me；〃　he　said；　〃when　I　am　not　talking；　I　am　not　thinking。〃　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Michel；　like　Numa；　was　a　native　of　Provence。　　In　Paris　there　was　a　repetition　of　this　nocturnal　and　roving　scene。　　Michel　and　his　friends　had　come　to　a　standstill　on　the　Saints…Peres　bridge。　　They　caught　sight　of　the　Tuileries　lighted　up　for　a　ball。　　Michel　became　excited；　and；　striking　the　innocent　bridge　and　its　parapet　with　his　stick；　he　exclaimed：　　〃I　tell　you　that　if　you　are　to　freshen　and　renew　your　corrupt　society；　this　beautiful　river　will　first　have　to　be　red　with　blood；　that　accursed　palace　will　have　to　be　reduced　to　ashes；　and　the　huge　city　you　are　now　looking　at　will　have　to　be　a　bare　strand　where　the　family　of　the　poor　man　can　use　the　plough　and　build　a　cottage　home。〃

This　was　a　fine　phrase　for　a　public　meeting；　but　perhaps　too　fine　for　a　conversation　between　friends　on　the　Saints…Peres　bridge。

This　was　in　1835；　at　the　most　brilliant　moment　of　Michel's　career。　　It　was　when　he　was　taking　part　in　the　trial　of　the　accused　men　of　April。　　After　the　insurrections　of　the　preceding　year　at　Lyons　and　Paris；　a　great　trial　had　commenced　before　the　Chamber　of　Peers。　　We　are　told　that：　　〃The　Republican　party　was　determined　to　make　use　of　the　cross…questioning　of　the　prisoners　for　accusing　the　Government　and　for　preaching　Republicanism　and　Socialism。　　The　idea　was　to　invite　a　hundred　and　fifty　noted　Republicans　to　Paris　from　all　parts　of　France。　　In　their　quality　of　defenders；　they　would　be　the　orators　of　this　great　manifestation。〃　　Barb'es；　Blanqui；　Flocon；　Marie；　Raspail；　Trelat　and　Michel　of　Bourges　were　among　these　Republicans。　　〃On　the　11th　of　May；　the　revolutionary　newspapers　published　a　manifesto　in　which　the　committee　for　the　defence　congratulated　and　encouraged　the　accused　men。　　One　hundred　and　ten　signatures　were　affixed　to　this　document；　which　was　a　forgery。　　It　had　been　drawn　up　by　a　few　of　the　upholders　of　the　scheme；　and；　in　order　to　make　it　appear　more　important；　they　had　affixed　the　names　of　their　colleagues　without　their　authorization。　　Those　who　had　done　this　then　took　fright；　and　attempted　to　get　out　of　the　dangerous　adventure　by　a　public　avowal。　　In　order　to　save　the　situation；　two　of　the　guilty　party；　Trelat　and　Michel　of　Bourges；　took　the　responsibility　of　the　drawing　up　of　the　manifesto　and　the　apposition　of　the　signatures　upon　themselves。　　They　were　sentenced　by　the　Court　of　Peers；　Trelat　to　four　years　of　prison　and　Michel　to　a　month。〃＇22＇　This　was　the　most　shocking　inequality；　and　Michel　could　not　forgive　Trelat　for　getting　such　a　fine　sentence。


＇22＇　Thureau　Dangin；　_Histoire　de　la　Monarchie　de　Juillet_；　II。　　297。


What　good　was　one　month　of　prison？　　Michel's　career　certainly　had　been　a　very　ordinary　one。　　He　hesitated　and　tacked　about。　　In　a　word；　he　was　just　a　politician。　　George　Sand　tells　us　that　he　was　obliged　〃to　accept；　in　theory；　what　he　called　the　necessities　of　pure　politics；　ruse；　charlatanism　and　even　untruth；　concessions　that　were　not　sincere；　alliances　in　which　he　did　not　believe；　and　vain　promises。〃　　We　should　say　that　he　was　a　radical　opportunist。　　To　be　merely　an　opportunist；　though；　is　not　enough　for　ensuring　success。　　There　are　different　ways　of　being　an　opportunist。　　Michel　had　been　elected　a　Deputy；　but　he　had　no　_role_　to　play。　　In　1848；　he　could　not　compete　with　the　brilliancy　of　Raspail；　nor　had　he　the　prestige　of　Flocon。　　He　went　into　the　shade　completely　after　the　_coup　d'etat_。　For　a　long　time　he　had　really　preferred　business　to　politics；　and　a　choice　must　be　made　when　one　is　not　a　member　of　the　Government。

It　is　easy　to　see　what　charmed　George　Sand　in　Michel。　　He　was　a　sectarian；　and　she　took　him　for　an　apostle。　　He　was　brutal；　and　she　thought　him　energetic。　　He　had　been　badly　brought　up；　but　she　thought　him　simply　austere。　　He　was　a　tyrant；　but　she　only　saw　in　him　a　master。　　He　had　told　her　that　he　would　have　her　guillotined　at　the　first　possible　opportunity。　　This　was　an　incontestable　proof　of　superiority。　　She　was　sincere　herself；　and　was　con…

sequently　not　on　her　guard　against　vain　boasting。　　He　had　alarmed　her；　and　she　admired　him　for　this；　and　at　once　incarnated　in　him　that　stoical　ideal　of　which　she　had　been　dreaming　for　years　and　had　not　yet　been　able　to　attribute　to　any　one　else。

This　is　how　she　explained　to　Michel　her　reasons　for　loving　him。　　〃I　love　you；〃　she　says；　〃because　whenever　I　figure　to　myself　grandeur；　wisdom；　strength　and　beauty；　your　image　rises　up　before　me。　　No　other　man　has　ever　exercised　any　moral　influence　over　me。　　My　mind；　which　has　always　been　wild　and　unfettered；　has　never　accepted　any　guidance。　。　。　。　　You　came；　and　you　have　taught　me。〃　　Then　again　she　says：　　〃It　is　you　whom　I　love；　whom　I　have　loved　ever　since　I　was　born；　and　through　all　the　phantoms　in　whom　I　thought；　for　a　moment；　that　I　had　found　you。〃　　According　to　this；　it　was　Michel　she　loved　through　Musset。　　Let　us　hope　that　she　was　mistaken。

A　whole　correspondence　exists　between　George　Sand　and　Michel　of　Bourges。　　Part　of　it　was　published　not　long　ago　in　the　_Revue　illustree_　under　the　title　of　_Lettres　de　lemmze_。　　None　of　George　Sand's　letters　surpass　these　epistles　to　Michel　for　fervent　passion；　beauty　of　form；　and　a　kind　of　superb　_impudeur_。　　Let　us　take；　for　instance；　this　call　to　her　beloved。　　George　Sand；　after　a　night　of　work；　complains　of　fatigue；　hunger　and　cold：　　〃Oh；　my　lover；〃　she　cries；　〃appear；　and；　like　the　earth　on　the　return　of　the　May　sunshine；　I　should　be　reanimated；　and　would　fling　off　my　shroud　of　ice　and　thrill　with　love。　　The　wrinkles　of　suffering　would　disappear　from　my　brow；　and　I　should　seem　beautiful　and　young　to　you；　for　I　should　leap　with　joy　into　your　iron　strong　arms。　　Come；　come；　and　I　shall　have　strength；　health；　youth；　gaiety；　hope。　。　。　。