george sand-第27章

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modifications　in　her　style；　and　her　talent　may　still　be　refreshed　under　various　influences；　but　with　_Mauprat_　she　took　her　place　in　the　first　rank　of　great　storytellers。｝



VI

A　CASE　OF　MATERNAL　AFFECTION　IN　LOVE

CHOPIN


We　have　passed　over　George　Sand's　intercourse　with　Liszt　and　Madame　d'Agoult　very　rapidly。　　One　of　Balzac's　novels　gives　us　an　opportunity　of　saying　a　few　more　words　about　it。

Balzac　had　been　introduced　to　George　Sand　by　Jules　Sandeau。　　At　the　time　of　her　rupture　with　his　friend；　Balzac　had　sided　entirely　with　him。　　In　the　_Lettres　a　l'Etrangere_；　we　see　the　author　of　the　_Comedie　humaine_　pouring　out　his　indignation　with　the　blue　stocking；　who　was　so　cruel　in　her　love；　in　terms　which　were　not　extremely　elegant。　　Gradually；　and　when　he　knew　more　about　the　adventure；　his　anger　cooled　down。　　In　March；　1838；　he　gave　Madame　Zulma　Carraud　an　account　of　a　visit　to　Nohant。　　He　found　his　comrade；　George　Sand；　in　her　dressing…gown；　smoking　a　cigar　by　her　fireside　after　dinner。

〃She　had　some　pretty　yellow　slippers　on；　ornamented　with　fringe；　some　fancy　stockings　and　red　trousers。　　So　much　for　the　moral　side。　　Physically；　she　had　doubled　her　chin　like　a　canoness。　　She　had　not　a　single　white　hair；　in　spite　of　all　her　fearful　misfortunes；　her　dusky　complexion　had　not　changed。　　Her　beautiful　eyes　were　just　as　bright；　and　she　looked　just　as　stupid　as　ever　when　she　was　thinking。　。　。　。〃

This　is　George　Sand　in　her　thirty…fifth　year；　as　she　was　at　the　time　of　the　fresh　adventure　we　are　about　to　relate。

Balzac　continues　by　giving　us　a　few　details　about　the　life　of　the　authoress。　　It　was　very　much　like　his　own；　except　that　Balzac　went　to　bed　at　six　o'clock　and　got　up　at　midnight；　and　George　Sand　went　to　bed　at　six　in　the　morning　and　got　up　at　noon。　　He　adds　the　following　remark；　which　shows　us　the　state　of　her　feelings：

〃She　is　now　in　a　very　quiet　retreat；　and　condemns　both　marriage　and　love；　because　she　has　had　nothing　but　disappointment　in　both　herself。　　Her　man　was　a　rare　one；　that　was　really　all。〃


In　the　course　of　their　friendly　conversation；　George　Sand　gave　him　the　subject　for　a　novel　which　it　would　be　rather　awkward　for　her　to　write。　　The　novel　was　to　be　_Galeriens_　or　_Amours　forces_。　　These　〃galley…slaves〃　of　love　were　Liszt　and　the　Comtesse　d'Agoult；　who　had　been　with　George　Sand　at　Chamonix；　Paris　and　Nohant。　　It　was　very　evident　that　she　could　not　write　the　novel　herself。

Balzac　accordingly　wrote　it；　and　it　figures　in　the　_Comedie　humaine　as　Beatrix_。　　Beatrix　is　the　Comtesse　d'Agoult；　the　inspirer；　and　Liszt　is　the　composer　Conti。

〃You　have　no　idea　yet　of　the　awful　rights　that　a　love　which　no　longer　exists　gives　to　a　man　over　a　woman。　　The　convict　is　always　under　the　domination　of　the　companion　chained　to　him。　　I　am　lost；　and　must　return　to　the　convict　prison；〃　writes　Balzac　in　this　book。　　Then；　too；　there　is　no　mistaking　his　portrait　of　Beatrix。　　The　fair　hair　that　seems　to　give　light；　the　forehead　which　looks　transparent；　the　sweet；　charming　face；　the　long；　wonderfully　shaped　neck；　and；　above　and　beyond　all；　that　air　of　a　princess；　in　all　this　we　can　easily　recognize　〃the　fair；　blue…eyed　Peri。〃　　Not　content　with　bringing　this　illustrious　couple　into　his　novel；　Balzac　introduces　other　contemporaries。　　Claude　Vignon　（who；　although　his　special　work　was　criticism；　made　a　certain　place　for　himself　in　literature）　and　George　Sand　herself　appear　in　this　book。　　She　is　Felicite　des　Touches；　and　her　pen　name　is　Camille　Maupin。　　〃Camille　is　an　artist；〃　we　are　told；　〃she　has　genius；　and　she　leads　an　exceptional　life　such　as　could　not　be　judged　in　the　same　way　as　an　ordinary　existence。〃　　Some　one　asks　how　she　writes　her　books；　and　the　answer　is：　　〃Just　in　the　same　way　as　you　do　your　woman's　work；　your　netting　or　your　tapestry。〃　　She　is　said　to　have　the　intelligence　of　an　angel　and　even　more　heart　than　talent。　　With　her　fixed；　set　gaze；　her　dark　complexion　and　her　masculine　ways；　she　is　the　exact　antithesis　of　the　fair　Beatrix。　　She　is　constantly　being　compared　to　the　latter；　and　is　evidently　preferred　to　her。　　It　is　very　evident　from　whom　Balzac　gets　his　information；　and　it　is　also　evident　that　the　friendship　between　the　two　women　has　cooled　down。


The　cause　of　the　coolness　between　them　was　George　Sand's　infatuation　for　Chopin；　whom　she　had　known　through　Liszt　and　Madame　d'Agoult。　George　Sand　wrote　to　Liszt　from　Nohant；　in　March；　1837：　　〃Tell　Chopin　that　I　hope　he　will　come　with　you。　　Marie　cannot　live　without　him；　and　I　adore　him。〃　　In　April　she　wrote　to　Madame　d'Agoult：　〃Tell　Chopin　that　I　idolize　him。〃　　We　do　not　know　whether　Madame　d'Agoult　gave　the　message；　but　she　certainly　replied：　　〃Chopin　coughs　with　infinite　grace。　　He　is　an　irresolute　man。　　The　only　thing　about　him　that　is　permanent　is　his　cough。〃　　This　is　certainly　very　feminine　in　its　ferociousness。

At　the　time　when　he　came　into　George　Sand's　life；　Chopin；　the　composer　and　virtuoso；　was　the　favourite　of　Parisian　_salons_；　the　pianist　in　vogue。　　He　was　born　in　1810；　so　that　he　was　then　twenty…seven　years　of　age。　　His　success　was　due；　in　the　first　place；　to　his　merits　as　an　artist；　and　nowhere　is　an　artist's　success　so　great　as　in　Paris。　　Chopin's　delicate　style　was　admirably　suited　to　the　dimensions　and　to　the　atmosphere　of　a　_salon_。＇25＇


＇25＇　As　regards　Chopin；　I　have　consulted　a　biography　by　Liszt；　a　study　by　M。　Camille　Bellaigue　and　the　volume　by　M。　Elie　Poiree　in　the　_Collection　des　musiciens　celebres_；　published　by　H。　Laurens。


He　confessed　to　Liszt　that　a　crowd　intimidated　him；　that　he　felt　suffocated　by　all　the　quick　breathing　and　paralyzed　by　the　inquisitive　eyes　turned　on　him。　　〃You　were　intended　for　all　this；〃　he　adds；　〃as；　if　you　do　not　win　over　your　public；　you　can　at　least　overwhelm　it。〃

Chopin　was　made　much　of　then　in　society。　　He　was　fragile　and　delicate；　and　had　always　been　watched　over　and　cared　for。　　He　had　grown　up　in　a　peaceful；　united　family；　in　one　of　those　simple　homes　in　which　all　the　details　of　everyday　life　become　less　prosaic；　thanks　to　an　innate　distinction　of　sentiment　and　to　religious　habits。　　Prince　Radz'will　had　watched　over　Chopin's　education。　　He　had　been　received　when　quite　young　in　the　most　aristocratic　circles；　and　〃the　most　celebrated　beauties　had　smiled　on　him　as　a　youth。〃　　Social　life；　then；　and　feminine　influence　had　thus　helped　to　make　him　ultra　refined。　　It　was　very　evident　to　every　one　who　met　him　that　he　was　a　well…bred　man；　and　this　is　quickly　observed；　even　with　pianists。　　On　arriving　he　made　a　good　impression；　he　was　well　dressed；　his　white　gloves　were　immaculate。　　He　was　reserved　and　somewhat　languid。　　Every　one　knew　that　he　was　delicate；　and　there　was　a　rumour　of　an　unhappy　love　affair。　　It　was　said　that　he　had　been　in　love　with　a　girl；　and　that　her　family　had　refused　to　consent　to　her　marriage　with　him。　　People　said　he　was　like　his　own　music；　the　dreamy；　melancholy　themes　seemed　to　accord　so　well　with　the　pale　young　face　of　the　composer。　　The　fascination　of　the　languor　which　seemed　to　emanate　from　the　man　and　from　his　work　worked　its　way；　in　a　subtle　manner；　into　the　hearts　of　his　hearers。　　Chopin　did　not　care　to　know　Lelia。　　He　did　not　like　women　writers；　and　he　was　rather　alarmed　at　this　one。　　It　was　Liszt　who　introduced　them。　　In　his　biography　of　Chopin；　he　tells　us　that　the　extremely　sensitive　artist；　who　was　so　easily　alarmed；　dreaded　〃this　woman　above　all　women；　as；　like　a　priestess　of　Delphi；　she　said　so　many　things　that　the　others　could　not　have　said。　　He　avoided　her　and　postponed　the　introduction。　　Madame　Sand　had　no　idea　that　she　was　feared　as　a　sylph。　。　。　。〃　　She　made　the　first　advances。　　It　is　easy　to　see　what　charmed　her　in　him。　　In　the　first　place；　he　appealed　to　her　as　he　did　to　all　women；　and　then；　too；　there　was　the　absolute　contrast　of　their　two　opposite　natures。　　She　was　all　force；　of　an　expansive；　exuberant　nature。　　He　was　very　discreet；　reserved　and　mysterious。　　It　seems　that　the　Polish　characteristic　is　to　lend　oneself；　but　never　to　give　oneself　away；　and　one　of　Chopin's　friends　said　of　him　that　he　was　〃more　Polish　than　Poland　itself。〃　　Such　a　contrast　may　prove　a　strong　attraction；　and　then；　too；　George　Sand　was　very　sensitive　to　the　charm　of