george sand-第25章

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inconvenience　you　in　the　least；　nor　to　be　inconvenienced　myself；　which　is　quite　natural。〃　　He　certainly　was　a　most　discreet　husband。　　When　she　started　for　Italy；　he　begs　her　to　take　advantage　of　so　good　an　opportunity　for　seeing　such　a　beautiful　country。　　He　was　also　a　husband　ready　to　give　good　advice。　　Later　on；　he　invited　Pagello　to　spend　a　little　time　at　Nohant。　　This　was　certainly　the　climax　in　this　strange　story。

During　the　months；　though；　that　the　husband　and　wife　were　together；　again　at　Nohant；　the　scenes　began　once　more。　　Dudevant's　irritability　was　increased　by　the　fact　that　he　was　always　short　of　money；　and　that　he　was　aware　of　his　own　deplorable　shortcomings　as　a　financial　administrator。　　He　had　made　speculations　which　had　been　disastrous。　　He　was　very　credulous；　as　so　many　suspicious　people　are；　and　he　had　been　duped　by　a　swindler　in　an　affair　of　maritime　armaments。　　He　had　had　all　the　more　faith　in　this　enterprise　because　a　picture　of　the　boat　had　been　shown　him　on　paper。　　He　had　spent　ninety　thousand　francs　of　the　hundred　thousand　he　had　had；　and　was　now　living　on　his　wife's　income。　　Something　had　to　be　decided　upon。　　George　Sand　paid　his　debts　first；　and　the　husband　and　wife　then　signed　an　agreement　to　the　effect　that　their　respective　property　should　be　separated。　　Dudevant　regretted　having　signed　this　afterwards；　and　it　was　torn　up　after　a　violent　scene　which　took　place　before　witnesses　in　October；　1835。　　The　pretext　of　this　scene　had　been　an　order　given　to　Maurice。　　In　a　series　of　letters；　which　have　never　hitherto　been　published；　George　Sand　relates　the　various　incidents　of　this　affair。　　We　give　some　of　the　more　important　passages。　　The　following　letter　is　to　her　half…brother　Hippolyte；　who　used　to　be　Casimir's　drinking　companion。

_〃To　Hippolyte　Chatiron。_


〃My　friend；　I　am　about　to　tell　you　some　news　which　will　reach　you　indirectly；　and　that　you　had　better　hear　first　from　me。　　Instead　of　carrying　out　our　agreement　pleasantly　and　loyally；　Casimir　is　acting　with　the　most　insane　animosity　towards　me。　　Without　my　giving　him　any　reason　for　such　a　thing；　either　by　my　conduct　or　my　manner　of　treating　him；　he　endeavoured　to　strike　me。　　He　was　prevented　by　five　persons；　one　of　whom　was　Dutheil；　and　he　then　fetched　his　gun　to　shoot　me。　　As　you　can　imagine；　he　was　not　allowed　to　do　this。

〃On　account　of　such　treatment　and　of　his　hatred；　which　amounts　to　madness；　there　is　no　safety　for　me　in　a　house　to　which　he　always　has　the　right　to　come。　　I　have　no　guarantee；　except　his　own　will　and　pleasure；　that　he　will　keep　our　agreement；　and　I　cannot　remain　at　the　mercy　of　a　man　who　behaves　so　unreasonably　and　indelicately　to　me。　　I　have　therefore　decided　to　ask　for　a　legal　separation；　and　I　shall　no　doubt　obtain　this。　　Casimir　made　this　frightful　scene　the　evening　before　leaving　for　Paris。　　On　his　return　here；　he　found　the　house　empty；　and　me　staying　at　Dutheil's；　by　permission　of　the　President　of　La　Chatre。　　He　also　found　a　summons　awaiting　him　on　the　mantelshelf。　　He　had　to　make　the　best　of　it；　for　he　knew　it　was　no　use　attempting　to　fight　against　the　result　of　his　own　folly；　and　that；　by　holding　out；　the　scandal　would　all　fall　on　him。　　He　made　the　following　stipulations；　promising　to　adhere　to　them。　　Duthell　was　our　intermediary。　　I　am　to　allow　him　a　pension　of　3；800　francs；　which；　with　the　1；200　francs　income　that　he　now　has；　will　make　5；000　francs　a　year　for　him。　　I　think　this　is　all　straightforward；　as　I　am　paying　for　the　education　of　the　two　children。　　My　daughter　will　remain　under　my　guidance；　as　I　understand。　　My　son　will　remain　at　the　college　where　he　now　is　until　he　has　finished　his　education。　　During　the　holidays　he　will　spend　a　month　with　his　father　and　a　month　with　me。　　In　this　way；　there　will　be　no　contest。　　Dudevant　will　return　to　Paris　very　soon；　without　making　any　opposition；　and　the　Court　will　pronounce　the　separation　in　default。〃＇23＇


＇23＇　Communicated　by　M。　S。　Rocheblave。


The　following　amusing　letter　on　the　same　subject　was　written　by　George　Sand　to　Adolphe　Duplomb　in　the　_patois_　peculiar　to　Berry：


〃DEAR　HYDROGEN；

〃You　have　been　misinformed　about　what　took　place　at　La　Chatre。　　Duthell　never　quarrelled　with　the　Baron　of　Nohant…Vic。　This　is　the　true　story。　　The　baron　took　it　into　his　head　to　strike　me。　　Dutheil　objected。　　Fleury　and　Papet　also　objected。　　The　baron　went　to　search　for　his　gun　to　kill　every　one。　　Every　one　did　not　want　to　be　killed；　and　so　the　baron　said：　　‘Well；　that's　enough　then；'　and　began　to　drink　again。　　That　was　how　it　all　happened。　　No　one　quarrelled　with　him。　　But　I　had　had　enough。　　As　I　do　not　care　to　earn　my　living　and　then　leave　_my　substance_　in　the　hands　of　the　_diable_　and　be　bowed　out　of　the　house　every　year；　while　the　village　hussies　sleep　in　my　beds　and　bring　their　fleas　into　my　house；　I　just　said：　　‘I　ain't　going　to　have　any　more　of　that；'　and　I　went　and　found　the　big　judge　of　La　Chatre；　and　I　says；　says　I：　‘That's　how　it　is。'　　And　then　he　says；　says　he：　　‘All　right。'　　And　so　he　unmarried　us。　　And　I　am　not　sorry。　　They　say　that　the　baron　will　make　an　appeal。　　I　ain't　knowin'。　We　shall　see。　　If　he　does；　he'll　lose　everything。　　And　that's　the　whole　story。〃＇24＇


＇24＇　Communicated　by　M。　Charles　Duplomb。



The　case　was　pleaded　in　March；　1836；　at　La　Chatre；　and　in　July　at　Bourges。　　The　Court　granted　the　separation；　and　the　care　of　the　children　was　attributed　to　George　Sand。

This　was　not　the　end　of　the　affair；　though。　　In　September；　1837；　George　Sand　was　warned　that　Dudevant　intended　to　get　Maurice　away　from　her。　　She　sent　a　friend　on　whom　she　could　count　to　take　her　boy　to　Fontainebleau；　and　then　went　herself　to　watch　over　him。　　In　the　mean　time；　Dudevant；　not　finding　his　son　at　Nohant；　took　Solange　away　with　him；　in　spite　of　the　child's　tears　and　the　resistance　of　the　governess。　　George　Sand　gave　notice　to　the　police；　and；　on　discovering　that　her　little　daughter　was　sequestered　at　Guillery；　near　Nerac；　she　went　herself　in　a　post…chaise　to　the　sub…prefect；　a　charming　young　man；　who　was　no　other　than　Baron　Hauss…

mann。　　On　hearing　the　story；　he　went　himself　with　her；　and；　accompanied　by　the　lieutenant　of　the　constabulary　and　the　sheriff's　officer　on　horseback；　laid　siege　to　the　house　at　Guillery　in　which　the　young　girl　was　imprisoned。　　Dudevant　brought　his　daughter　to　the　door　and　handed　her　over　to　her　mother；　threatening　at　the　same　time　to　take　Maurice　from　her　by　legal　authority。　　The　husband　and　wife　then　separated　。　。　。　　delighted　with　each　other；　according　to　George　Sand。　　They　very　rarely　met　after　this　affair。　　Dudevant　certainly　did　not　impress　people　very　favourably。　　After　the　separation；　when　matters　were　being　finally　settled；　he　put　in　a　claim　for　fifteen　pots　of　jam　and　an　iron　frying…pan。　All　this　seems　very　petty。


The　first　use　George　Sand　made　of　the　liberty　granted　to　her　by　the　law；　in　1836；　was　to　start　off　with　Maurice　and　Solange　for　Switzerland　to　join　her　friends　Franz　Liszt　and　the　Comtesse　d'Agoult。　George　Sand　had　made　Liszt's　acquaintance　through　Musset。　　Liszt　gave　music…lessons　to　Alfred's　sister；　Herminie。　　He　was　born　in　1811；　so　that　he　was　seven　years　younger　than　George　Sand。　　He　was　twenty…three　at　the　time　he　first　met　her；　and　their　friendship　was　always　platonc。　　They　had　remarkable　affinities　of　nature。　　Liszt　had　first　thought　of　becoming　a　priest。　　His　religious　fervour　was　gradually　transformed　into　an　ardent　love　of　humanity。　　His　early　education　had　been　neglected；　and　he　now　read　eagerly。　　He　once　asked　Monsieur　Cremieux；　the　advocate；　to　teach　him　〃the　whole　of　French　literature。〃　　On　relating　this　to　some　one；　Cremieux　remarked：　　〃Great　confusion　seems　to　reign　in　this　young　man's　mind。〃　　He　had　been　wildly　excited　during　the　movement　of　1830；　greatly　influenced　by　the　Saint…Simon　ideas；　and　was　roused　to　enthusiasm　by　Lamennals；　who　had　just　published　the　_Paroles　d'un　Croyant_。　　After　reading　Leone　Leoni；　he　became　an　admirer　of　George　Sand。　　Leone　Leoni　is　a　transposition　of　Manon　Lescaut　into　the　romantic　style。　　A　young　girl　named　Juliette　has　been　seduced　by　a　young　seigneur；　and　then　discovers　that　this　man　is　an　abominable　swindler。　　If　we　try　to　imagine　all　the　infamous　things　of　whic