george sand-第29章

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ere　was　no　way　of　getting　proper　food　either。　　They　had　to　eat　the　most　indigestible　things。　　There　were　five　sorts　of　meat　certainly；　but　these　were　pig；　pork；　bacon；　ham　and　pickled　pork。　　This　was　all　cooked　in　dripping；　pork…dripping；　of　course；　or　in　rancid　oil。　　Still　more　than　this；　the　natives　refused；　not　only　to　serve　the　unfortunate　travellers；　but　to　sell　them　the　actual　necessaries　of　life。　　The　fact　was；　they　had　scandalized　the　Majorcan　people。　　All　Majorca　was　indignant　because　Solange；　who　at　that　time　was　nine　years　old；　roamed　about　the　mountains　_disguised　as　a　man_。　　Added　to　this；　when　the　horn　sounded　which　called　people　to　their　devotions　in　the　churches；　these　strange　inhabitants　of　the　old　Valdemosa　monastery　never　took　any　more　notice　than　pagans。　　People　kept　clear　of　them。　　Chopin　suffered　with　the　cold；　the　cooking　made　him　sick；　and　he　used　to　have　fits　of　terror　in　the　cloisters。　　They　had　to　leave　hastily。　　The　only　steamboat　from　the　island　was　used　to　transport　the　pigs　which　are　the　pride　and　wealth　of　Majorca。　　People　were　only　taken　as　an　extra。　　It　was；　therefore；　in　the　company　of　these　squealing；　ill…smelling　creatures　that　the　invalid　crossed　the　water。　　When　he　arrived　at　Barcelona；　he　looked　like　a　spectre　and　was　spitting　blood。　　George　Sand　was　quite　right　in　saying　that　this　journey　was　an　〃awful　fiasco。〃


Art　and　literature　did　not　gain　much　either　by　this　expedition。　　George　Sand　finished　her　novel　entitled　_Spiridion_　at　Valdemosa。　　She　had　commenced　it　before　starting　for　Spain。　　In　a　volume　on　_Un　hiver　a　Majorque_　she　gave　some　fine　descriptions；　and　also　a　harsh　accusation　of　the　monks；　whom　she　held　responsible　for　all　the　mishaps　of　the　Sand　caravan。　　She　considered　that　the　Majorcans　had　been　brutalized　and　fanaticized；　thanks　to　their　influence。　　As　to　Chopin；　he　was　scarcely　in　a　state　to　derive　any　benefit　from　such　a　journey；　and　he　certainly　did　not　get　any。　　He　did　not　thoroughly　appreciate　the　beauties　of　nature；　particularly　of　Majorcan　nature。　　In　a　letter　to　one　of　his　friends　he　gives　the　following　description　of　their　habitation：

〃Between　rocks　and　sea；　in　a　great　deserted　monastery；　in　a　cell；　the　doors　of　which　are　bigger　than　the　carriage　entrances　to　the　houses　in　Paris；　you　can　imagine　me；　without　white　gloves；　and　no　curl　in　my　hair；　as　pale　as　usual。　　My　cell　is　the　shape　of　a　large…sized　bier。　。　。　。〃

This　certainly　does　not　sound　very　enthusiastic。　　The　question　is　whether　he　composed　anything　at　all　at　Valdemosa。　　Liszt　presents　him　to　us　improvising　his　Prelude　in　B　flat　minor　under　the　most　dramatic　circumstances。　　We　are　told　that　one　day；　when　George　Sand　and　her　children　had　started　on　an　excursion；　they　were　surprised　by　a　thunderstorm。　　Chopin　had　stayed　at　home　in　the　monastery；　and；　terrified　at　the　danger　he　foresaw　for　them；　he　fainted。　　Before　they　reached　home　he　had　improvised　his　_Prelude_；　in　which　he　has　put　all　his　terror　and　the　nervousness　due　to　his　disease。　　It　appears；　though；　that　all　this　is　a　legend；　and　that　there　is　not　a　single　echo　of　the　stay　at　Valdemosa　in　Chopin's　work。

The　deplorable　journey　to　Majorca　dates　from　November；　1838　to　March；　1839。　　The　intimacy　between　George　Sand　and　Chopin　continued　eight　years　more。

In　the　summer　Chopin　stayed　it　Nohant。　　Eugene　Delacroix；　who　was　paying　a　visit　there　too；　describes　his　presence　as　follows：　　〃At　times；　through　the　window　opening　on　to　the　garden；　we　get　wafts　of　Chopin's　music；　as　he　too　is　at　work。　　It　is　mingled　with　the　songs　of　the　nightingales　and　with　the　perfume　of　the　rose　trees。〃

Chopin　did　not　care　much　for　Nohant。　　In　the　first　place；　he　only　liked　the　country　for　about　a　fortnight　at　a　time；　which　is　very　much　like　not　caring　for　it　at　all。　　Then　what　made　him　detest　the　country　were　the　inhabitants。　　Hippolyte　Chatiron　was　terrible　after　he　had　been　drinking。　　He　was　extremely　effusive　and　cordial。

In　the　winter　they　first　lived　in　the　Rue　Pigalle。　　George　Sand　used　to　receive　Pierre　Leroux；　Louis　Blanc；　Edgar　Quinet；　Etienne　Arago；　and　many　other　men。　　Chopin；　who　was　not　very　intellectual；　felt　ill　at　ease　amongst　all　these　literary　men；　these　reformers；　arguers　and　speechifiers。　　In　1842；　they　emigrated　to　the　Square　d'Orleans。　There　was　a　sort　of　little　colony　established　there；　consisting　of　Alexandre　Dumas；　Dantan　the　caricaturist；　the　Viardots；　Zimmermann；　and　the　wife　of　the　Spanish　consul；　Madame　Marliani；　who　had　attracted　them　all　there。　　They　took　their　meals　together。　　It　was　a　regular　phalinstery；　and　Chopin　had　very　elegant　tastes！

We　must　give　George　Sand　credit　for　looking　after　him　with　admirable　devotion。　　She　certainly　went　on　nursing　her　〃invalid；〃　or　her　〃dear　skeleton；〃　as　she　called　him；　but　her　infatuation　had　been　over　for　a　long　time。　　The　absolute　contrast　of　two　natures　may　be　attractive　at　first；　but　the　attraction　does　not　last；　and；　when　the　first　enthusiasm　is　over；　the　logical　consequence　is　that　they　become　disunited。　　This　was　what　Liszt　said　in　rather　an　odd　but　energetic　way。　　He　points　out　all　that　there　was　〃intolerably　incompatible；　diametrically　opposite　and　secretly　antipathetic　between　two　natures　which　seemed　to　have　been　mutually　drawn　to　each　other　by　a　sudden　and　superficial　attraction；　for　the　sake　of　repulsing　each　other　later　on　with　all　the　force　of　inexpressible　sorrow　and　boredom。〃　　Illness　had　embittered　Chopin's　character。　　George　Sand　used　to　say　that　〃when　he　was　angry　he　was　terrifying。〃　　He　was　very　intelligent；　too；　and　delighted　in　quizzing　people　for　whom　he　did　not　care。　　Solange　and　Maurice　were　now　older；　and　this　made　the　situation　somewhat　delicate。　　Chopin；　too；　had　a　mania　for　meddling　with　family　matters。　　He　quarrelled　one　day　with　Maurice。　　Another　day　George　Sand　was　annoyed　with　her　son…in…law　Clesinger　and　with　her　daughter　Solange；　and　Chopin　took　their　side。　　This　was　the　cause　of　their　quarrel；　it　was　the　last　drop　that　made　the　cup　of　bitterness　overflow。

The　following　is　a　fragment　of　a　letter　which　George　Sand　sent　to　Grzymala；　in　1847：　　〃For　seven　years　I　have　lived　with　him　as　a　virgin。　　If　any　woman　on　earth　could　inspire　him　with　absolute　confidence；　I　am　certainly　that　woman；　but　he　has　never　understood。　　I　know；　too；　that　many　people　accuse　me　of　having　worn　him　out　with　my　violent　sensuality；　and　others　accuse　me　of　having　driven　him　to　despair　by　my　freaks。　　I　believe　you　know　how　much　truth　there　is　in　all　this。　　He　himself　complains　to　me　that　I　am　killing　him　by　the　privations　I　insist　upon；　and　I　feel　certain　that　I　should　kill　him　by　acting　otherwise。〃＇29＇


＇29＇　Communicated　by　M。　Rocheblave。


It　has　been　said　that　when　Chopin　was　at　Nohant　he　had　a　village　girl　there　as　his　mistress。　　We　do　not　care　to　discuss　the　truth　of　this　statement。


It　is　interesting　to　endeavour　to　characterize　the　nature　of　this　episode　in　George　Sand's　sentimental　life。　　She　helps　us　herself　in　this。　　As　a　romantic　writer　she　neglected　nothing　which　she　could　turn　into　literature。　　She　therefore　made　an　analysis　of　her　own　case；　worked　out　with　the　utmost　care；　and　published　it　in　one　of　her　books　which　is　little　read　now。　　The　year　of　the　rupture　was　1847；　and　before　the　rupture　had　really　occurred；　George　Sand　brought　out　a　novel　entitled　_Lucrezia　Floriani_。　　In　this　book　she　traces　the　portrait　of　Chopin　as　Prince　Karol。　　She　denied；　of　course；　that　it　was　a　portrait；　but　contemporaries　were　not　to　be　deceived；　and　Liszt　gives　several　passages　from　_Lucrezia　Floriani_　in　his　biography　of　the　musician。　　The　decisive　proof　was　that　Chopin　recognized　himself；　and　that　he　was　greatly　annoyed。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　there　was　nothing　disagreeable　about　this　portrait。　　The　following　fragments　are　taken　from　it：　　〃Gentle；　sensitive；　exquisite　in　all　things；　at　the　age　of　fifteen　he　had　all　the　charms　of　youth；　together　with　the　gravity　of　a　riper　age。　　He　remained　delicate　in　body　ind　mind。　　The　lack　of　muscular　development　caused　him　to　preserve　his　fascinating　beauty。　。　。　。　　He　was　something　like　one　of　those　ideal　creatures　which　mediaeval　poetry　used　for　the　ornamentation　of　Christian　temples。　　Nothing　could　have　been　purer　and　at　the　same　time　more