george sand-第39章

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stmen　to　be　given　away。　　The　_Bulletins_　were　anonymous；　but　several　of　them　were　certainly　written　by　George　Sand。　　The　seventh　is　one　of　these；　and　also　the　twelfth。　　The　latter　was　written　with　a　view　to　drawing　the　attention　of　the　public　to　the　wretched　lot　of　the　women　and　girls　of　the　lower　classes；　who　were　reduced　to　prostitution　by　the　lowness　of　their　wages。　　Their　virginity　is　an　object　of　traffic；〃　we　are　told；　〃quoted　on　the　exchange　of　infamy。〃　　The　sixteenth　_Bulletin_　was　simply　an　appeal　for　revolt。　　George　Sand　was　looking　ahead　to　what　ought　to　take　place；　in　case　the　elections　did　not　lead　to　the　triumph　of　social　truth。　　〃The　people；〃　she　hoped；　〃would　know　their　duty。　　There　would；　in　that　case；　be　only　one　way　of　salvation　for　the　people　who　had　erected　barricades；　and　that　would　be　to　manifest　their　will　a　second　time；　and　so　adjourn　the　decisions　of　a　representation　that　was　not　national。〃　　This　was　nothing　more　nor　less　than　the　language　of　another　Fructidor。　　And　we　know　what　was　the　result　of　words　in　those　days。　　The　_Bulletin_　was　dated。　　the　15th；　and　on　the　17th　the　people　were　on　the　way　to　the　Hotel　de　Ville。　　These　popular　movements　cannot　always　be　trusted；　though；　as　they　frequently　take　an　unexpected　turn；　and　even　change　their　direction　when　on　the　way。　　It　happened　this　time　that　the　manifestation　turned　against　those　who　were　its　instigators。　　Shouts　were　heard　that　day　in　Paris　of　_〃Death　to　the　Communists〃_　and　_〃Down　with　Cabet_。〃　　George　Sand　could　not　understand　things　at　all。　　This　was　not　in　the　programme；　and　she　began　to　have　her　doubts　about　the　future　of　the　Republic　the　real　one；　that　of　her　friends。

It　was　much　worse　on　the　15th　of　May；　the　day　which　was　so　fatal　to　Barbes；　for　he　played　the　part　of　hero　and　of　dupe　on　that　eventful　day。　　Barbes　was　George　Sand's　idol　at　that　time。

It　was　impossible　for　her　to　be　without　one；　although；　with　her　vivid　imagination；　she　changed　her　idols　frequently。　　With　her　idealism；　she　was　always　incarnating　in　some　individual　the　perfections　that　she　was　constantly　imagining。　　It　seems　as　though　she　exteriorized　the　needs　of　her　own　mind　and　put　them　into　an　individual　who　seemed　suitable　to　her　for　the　particular　requirements　of　that　moment。　　At　the　time　of　the　monarchy；　Michel　of　Bourges　and　Pierre　Leroux　had　been　able　to　play　the　part；　the　former　of　a　radical　theorician　and　the　latter　of　the　mystical　forerunner　of　the　new　times。　　At　present　Barbes　had　come　on　to　the　scene。

He　was　a　born　conspirator；　the　very　man　for　secret　societies。　　He　had　made　his　career　by　means　of　prisons；　or　rather　he　had　made　prison　his　career；　In　1835；　he　had　commenced　by　helping　thirty　of　the　prisoners　of　April　to　escape　from　Sainte…Pelagie。　At　that　time　he　was　affiliated　to　the　_Societe　des　Familles_。　　The　police　discovered　a　whole　arsenal　of　powder　and　ammunition　at　the　house　in　the　Rue　de　Lourcine；　and　Barbes　was　condemned　to　prison　for　a　year　and　sent　to　Carcassonne；　where　he　had　relatives。　　When　he　left　prison；　the　_Societe　des　Saisons_　had　taken　the　place　of　the　_Societe　des　Familles_。　　With　Blanqui's　approval；　Barbes　organized　the　insurrection　of　May　12　and　13；　1830。　　This　time　blood　was　shed。　　In　front　of　the　Palais　de　Justice；　the　men；　commanded　by　Barbes；　had　invited　Lieutenant　Droulneau　to　let　them　enter。　　The　officer　replied　that　he　would　die　first。　　He　was　immediately　shot；　but　Barbes　was　sentenced　to　death　for　this。　　Thanks　to　the　intervention　of　Lamartine　and　Victor　Hugo；　his　life　was　spared；　but　he　was　imprisoned　at　Mont　Saint…Michel　until　1843；　and　afterwards　at　Nimes。　　On　the　28th　of　February；　1848；　the　Governor　of　Nimes　prison　informed　him　that　he　was　free。　　He　was　more　surprised　and　embarrassed　than　pleased　by　this　news。

〃I　was　quite　bewildered；〃　he　owned　later　on；　〃by　this　idea　of　leaving　prison。　　I　looked　at　my　prison　bed；　to　which　I　had　grown　so　accustomed。　　I　looked　at　my　blanket　and　at　my　pillow　and　at　all　my　belongings；　hung　so　carefully　at　the　foot　of　my　bed。〃　　He　asked　permission　to　stay　there　another　day。　　He　had　become　accustomed　to　everything；　and　when　once　he　was　out　again；　and　free；　he　was　like　a　man　who　feels　ill　at　ease。

He　took　part　in　the　affair　of　the　15th　of　May；　and　this　is　what　gives　a　tragic；　and　at　the　same　time　comic；　character　to　the　episode。　　Under　pretext　of　manifesting　in　favour　of　Poland；　the　National　Assembly　was　to　be　invaded。　　Barbes　did　not　approve　of　this　manifestation；　and　had　decided　to　keep　out　of　it。　　Some　people　cannot　be　present　at　a　revolutionary　scene　without　taking　part　in　it；　and　without　soon　wanting　to　play　the　chief　part　in　it。　　The　excitement　goes　to　their　head。　　Barbes　seems　to　have　been　obeying　in　instinct　over　which　he　had　no　control；　for；　together　with　a　workman　named　Albert；　he　headed　the　procession　which　was　to　march　from　the　Chamber　of　Deputies　to　the　Hotel　de　Ville　and　establish　a　fresh　Provisional　Government。　　He　had　already　commenced　composing　the　proclamations　to　be　thrown　through　the　windows　to　the　people；　after　the　manner　of　the　times；　when　suddenly　Lamartine　appeared　on　the　scene　with　Ledru…Rollin　and　a　captain　in　the　artillery。　　The　following　dialogue　then　took　place：

〃Who　are　you？〃

〃A　member　of　the　Provisional　Government。〃

〃Of　the　Government　of　yesterday　or　of　to…day

〃Of　the　one　of　to…day。〃

〃In　that　case　I　arrest　you。〃

Barbes　was　taken　to　Vincennes。　　He　had　been　free　rather　less　than　three　months；　when　he　returned　to　prison　as　though　it　were　his　natural　dwelling…place。

George　Sand　admired　him　just　as　much　after　this　as　before。　　For　her；　the　great　man　of　the　Revolution　was　neither　Ledru…Rollin；　Lamartine；　nor　even　Louis…Blanc；　it　was　Barbes。　　She　compared　him　to　Joan　of　Arc　and　to　Robespierre。　　To　her；　he　was　much　more　than　a　mere　statesman；　this　man　of　conspiracies　and　dungeons；　ever　mysterious　and　unfortunate；　always　ready　for　a　drama　or　a　romance。　　In　her　heart　she　kept　an　altar　for　this　martyr；　and　never　thought　of　wondering　whether；　after　all；　this　idol　and　hero　were　not　a　mere　puppet。

The　skirmish　of　May　15　undeceived　George　Sand　very　considerably。　　The　June　insurrection　and　the　civil　war；　with　blood　flowing　in　the　Paris　streets；　those　streets　which　were　formerly　so　lively　and　amusing；　caused　her　terrible　grief。　　From　henceforth　her　letters　were　full　of　her　sadness　and　discouragement。　　The　most　gloomy　depression　took　the　place　of　her　former　enthusiasm。　　It　had　only　required　a　few　weeks　for　this　change　to　take　place。　　In　February　she　had　been　so　proud　of　France；　and　now　she　felt　that　she　was　to　be　pitied　for　being　a　Frenchwoman。　　It　was　all　so　sad；　and　she　was　so　ashamed。　　There　was　no　one　to　count　upon　now。　　Lamartine　was　a　chatterer；　Ledru…Rollin　was　like　a　woman；　the　people　were　ignorant　and　ungrateful；　so　that　the　mission　of　literary　people　was　over。　　She　therefore　took　refuge　in　fiction；　and　buried　herself　in　her　dreams　of　art。　　We　are　not　sorry　to　follow　her　there。

_Francois　le　Champi_　appeared　as　a　serial　in　the　_Journal　des　Debats_。　　The　_denouement_　was　delayed　by　another　_denouement_；　which　the　public　found　still　more　interesting。　　This　was　nothing　less　than　the　catastrophe　of　the　July　Monarchy；　in　February；　1848。

After　the　terrible　June　troubles；　George　Sand　had　been　heartbroken；　and　had　turned　once　more　to　literature　for　consolation。　　She　wrote　_La　Petite　Fadette_；　so　that　the　pastoral　romances　and　the　Revolution　are　closely　connected　with　each　other。　　Beside　the　novels　of　this　kind　which　we　have　already　mentioned；　we　must　add　_Jeanne_；　which　dates　from　1844；　and　the　_Maitres　Sonneurs_；　written　in　1853。　　This；　then；　completes　the　incomparable　series；　which　was　the　author's　_chef…d'oeuvre_；　and　one　of　the　finest　gems　of　French　literature。　　This　was　George　Sand's　real　style；　and　the　note　in　literature　which　was　peculiarly　her　own。　　She　was　well　fitted　for　such　writing；　both　by　her　natural　disposition　and　by　circumstances。　　She　had　lived　nearly　all　her　life　in　the　country；　and　it　was　there　only　that　she　lived　to　the　full。　　She　made　great　efforts；　but　Paris　certainly　made　her　homesick　for　her　beloved　Berry。　　She　could　not　help　sighing　when　she　thought　of　the　ploughed　fields；　of　the　walnut…trees；　and　of　the　oxen　answering　to　the　v