george sand-第40章

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ing　when　she　thought　of　the　ploughed　fields；　of　the　walnut…trees；　and　of　the　oxen　answering　to　the　voice　of　the　labourers。

〃It　is　no　use；〃　she　wrote　about　the　same　time；　〃if　you　are　born　a　country　person；　you　cannot　get　used　to　the　noise　of　cities。　　It　always　seems　to　me　that　our　mud　is　beautiful　mud；　whilst　that　here　makes　me　feel　sick。　　I　very　much　prefer　my　keeper's　wit　to　that　of　certain　of　the　visitors　here。　　It　seems　to　me　that　I　am　livelier　when　I　have　eaten　some　of　Nannette's　wheat…cake　than　I　am　after　my　coffee　in　Paris。　　In　short；　it　appears　to　me　that　we　are　all　perfect　and　charming；　that　no　one　could　be　more　agreeable　than　we　are；　and　that　Parisians　are　all　clowns。〃＇46＇


＇46＇　_Correspondance：_　To。　　Ch。　　Duvernet；　November　12；　1842。


This　was　said　in　all　sincerity。　　George　Sand　was　quite　indifferent　about　all　the　great　events　of　Parisian　life；　about　social　tittle…tattle　and　Boulevard　gossip。　　She　knew　the　importance；　though；　of　every　episode　of　country　life；　of　a　sudden　fog　or　of　the　overflowing　of　the　river。　　She　knew　the　place　well；　too；　as　she　had　visited　every　nook　and　corner　in　all　weathers　and　in　every　season。　　She　knew　all　the　people；　there　was　not　a　house　she　had　not　entered；　either　to　visit　the　sick　or　to　clear　up　some　piece　of　business　for　the　inmates。　　Not　only　did　she　like　the　country　and　the　country　people　because　she　was　accustomed　to　everything　there；　but　she　had　something　of　the　nature　of　these　people　within　her。　　She　had　a　certain　turn　of　mind　that　was　peasant…like；　her　slowness　to　take　things　in；　her　dislike　of　speech　when　thinking；　her　thoughts　taking　the　form　of　〃a　series　of　reveries　which　gave　her　a　sort　of　tranquil　ecstasy；　whether　awake　or　asleep。〃＇47＇　It　does　not　seem　as　though　there　has　ever　been　such　an　_ensemble_　of　favourable　conditions。


＇47＇　See　in　_Jeanne_　a　very　fine　page　on　the　peasant　soul。


She　did　not　succeed　in　her　first　attempt。　　In　several　of　her　novels；　ever　since　_Valentine_；　she　had　given　us　peasants　among　her　characters。　　She　had　tried　labourers；　mole…catchers；　fortune…tellers　and　beggars；　but　all　these　were　episodic　characters。　　_Jeanne_　is　the　first　novel　in　which　the　heroine　is　a　peasant。　　Everything　connected　with　Jeanne　herself　in　the　novel　is　exquisite。　　We　have　all　seen　peasant　women　of　this　kind；　women　with　serious　faces　and　clearly…cut　features；　with　a　dreamy　look　in　their　eyes　that　makes　us　think　of　the　maid　of　Lorraine。　　It　is　one　of　these　exceptional　creatures　that　George　Sand　has　depicted。　　She　has　made　an　ecstatic　being　of　her；　who　welcomes　all　that　is　supernatural；　utterly　regardless　of　dates　or　epochs。　　To　her　all　wonderful　beings　appeal；　the　Virgin　Mary　and　fairies；　Druidesses；　Joan　of　Arc　and　Napoleon。　　But　Jeanne；　the　Virgin　of　Ep　Nell；　the　Velleda　of　the　Jomatres　stones；　the　mystical　sister　of　the　Great　Shepherdess；　was　very　poorly　supported。　　This　remark　does　not　refer　to　her　cousin　Claudie；　although　this　individual's　conduct　was　not　blameless。　　Jeanne　had　gone　into　service　at　Boussac；　and　she　was　surrounded　by　a　group　of　middle…class　people；　among　whom　was　Sir　Arthur；　a　wealthy　Englishman；　who　wanted　to　marry　her。　　This　mixture　of　peasants　and　_bourgeois_　is　not　a　happy　one。　　Neither　is　the　mixture　of　_patois_　with　a　more　Christian　way　of　talking；　or　rather　with　a　written　style。　　The　author　was　experimenting　and　feeling　her　way。

When　she　wrote　_La　Mare　au　Diable_　she　had　found　it；　for　in　this　work　we　have　unity　of　tone；　harmony　of　the　characters　with　their　setting；　of　sentiment　with　the　various　adventures；　and；　above　all；　absolute　simplicity。

In　_Francois　le　Champi_　there　is　much　that　is　graceful；　and　there　is　real　feeling　mingled　with　a　touch　of　sentimentality。　　Madeleine　Blanchet　is　rather　old　for　Champi；　whom　she　had　brought　up　like　her　own　child。　　In　the　country；　though；　where　difference　of　age　is　soon　less　apparent；　the　disproportion　does　not　seem　as　objectionable　as　it　would　in　city　life。　　The　novel　is　not　a　study　of　maternal　affection　in　love；　as　it　is　not　Madeleine's　feelings　that　are　analyzed；　but　those　of　Francois。　　For　a　long　time　he　had　been　in　love　without　knowing　it；　and　he　is　only　aware　of　it　when　this　love；　instead　of　being　a　sort　of　agreeable　dream　and　melancholy　pleasure；　is　transformed　into　suffering。

The　subject　of　_La　Petite　Fadette_　is　another　analysis　of　a　love　which　has　been　silent　for　a　long　time。　　It　is　difficult　to　say　which　is　the　best　of　these　delightful　stories；　but　perhaps；　on　the　whole；　this　last　one　is　generally　preferred；　on　account　of　the　curious　and　charming　figure　of　little　Fadette　herself。　　We　can　see　the　thin；　slender　girl；　suddenly　appearing　on　the　road；　emerging　from　a　thicket。　　She　seems　to　be　part　of　the　scenery；　and　can　scarcely　be　distinguished　from　the　objects　around　her。　　The　little　wild　country　girl　is　like　the　spirit　of　the　fields；　woods；　rivers　and　precipices。　　She　is　a　being　very　near　to　Nature。　　Inquisitive　and　mischievous；　she　is　bold　in　her　speech；　because　she　is　treated　as　a　reprobate。　　She　jeers；　because　she　knows　that　she　is　detested；　and　she　scratches；　because　she　suffers。　　The　day　comes　when　she　feels　some　of　that　affection　which　makes　the　atmosphere　breathable　for　human　beings。　　She　feels　her　heart　beating　faster　in　her　bosom；　thanks　to　this　affection；　and　from　that　minute　a　transformation　takes　place　within　her。　　Landry；　who　has　been　observing　her；　is　of　opinion　that　she　must　be　something　of　a　witch。　　Landry　is　very　simple…minded。　There　is　no　witchcraft　here　except　that　of　love；　and　it　was　not　difficult　for　that　to　work　the　metamorphosis。　　It　has　worked　many　others　in　this　world。

The　_Maitres　Soneurs_　initiates　us　into　forest　life；　so　full　of　mysterious　visions。　　In　opposition　to　the　sedentary；　stay…at…home　life　of　the　inhabitant　of　plains；　with　his　indolent　mind；　we　have　the　free…and…easy　humour　of　the　handsome　and　adventurous　muleteer；　Huriel；　with　his　love　of　the　road　and　of　all　that　is　unexpected。　　He　is　a　_cheminau_　before　the　days　of　M。　Richepin。

I　do　not　know　any　stories　more　finished　than　these。　　They　certainly　prove　that　George　Sand　had　the　artistic　sense；　a　quality　which　has　frequently　been　denied　her。　　The　characters　in　these　stories　are　living　and　active；　and　at　the　same　time　their　psychology　is　not　insisted　upon；　and　they　do　not　stand　out　in　such　relief　as　to　turn　our　attention　from　things；　which；　as　we　know；　are　more　important　than　people　in　the　country。　　We　are　surrounded　on　all　sides　by　the　country；　and　bathed；　as　it　were；　in　its　atmosphere。　　And　yet；　in　spite　of　all　this；　the　country　is　not　once　described。　　There　is　not　one　of　those　descriptions　so　dear　to　the　heart　of　those　who　are　considered　masters　in　the　art　of　word…painting。　We　do　riot　describe　those　things　with　which　we　live。　　We　are　content　to　have　them　ever　present　in　our　mind　and　to　be　in　constant　communion　with　them。　　Style　is；　perhaps；　the　sovereign　quality　in　these　stories。　　Words　peculiar　to　the　district　are　introduced　just　sufficiently　to　give　an　accent。　　Somewhat　old…fashioned　expressions　are　employed；　and　these　prove　the　survival　of　by…gone　days；　which；　in　the　country；　are　respected　more　than　elsewhere。　　Without　any　apparent　effort；　the　narrative　takes　that　epic　form　so　natural　to　those　who；　as　_aedes_　of　primitive　epochs；　or　story…tellers　by　country　firesides；　give　their　testimony　about　things　of　the　past。

I　am　aware　that　George　Sand　has　been　accused　of　tracing　portraits　of　her　peasants　which　were　not　like　them。　　This　is　so　absurd　that　I　do　not　consider　it　worth　while　to　spend　time　in　discussing　it。　　It　would　be　so　easy　to　show　that　in　her　types　of　peasants　there　is　more　variety；　and　also　more　reality；　than　in　Balzac's　more　realistic　ones。　　Without　being　untruthful　portraits；　it　may　be　that　they　are　somewhat　flattered；　and　that　we　have　more　honest；　delicate　and　religious　peasants　in　these　stories　than　in　reality。　　This　may　be　so；　and　George　Sand　warns　us　of　this　herself。　　It　was　her　intention　to　depict　them　thus。

It　was　not　absolute　reality　and　the　everyday　details　of　the　peasants'　habits　and　customs　that　she　wanted　to　show　us；　but　the　poetry　of　the　country；　the　reflection　of　the　great　sights　of　Nature　in　the　soul　of　those　who；　thanks　to　their　daily　work；　are　the　constant　witne