george sand-第43章

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ardice　of　men。　　His　mind　was　deeply　impressed　by　this；　and　he　never　lost　the　impression。　　He　did　not　forgive；　but　made　it　his　mission　to　denounce　the　pharisaical　attitude　of　society。　　His　idea　was　to　treat　men　according　to　their　merits；　and　to　pay　them　back　for　the　blows　he　had　received　as　a　child。＇49＇　It　is　easy；　therefore；　to　understand　how　the　private　grievances　of　Dumas　_fils_　had　prepared　his　mind　to　welcome　a　theatre　which　took　the　part　of　the　oppressed　and　waged　war　with　social　prejudices。　　I　am　fully　aware　of　the　difference　in　temperament　of　the　two　writers。　　Dumas　_fils_；　with　his　keen　observation；　was　a　pessimist。　　He　despised　woman；　and　he　advises　us　to　kill　her；　under　the　pretext　that　she　has　always　remained　〃the　strumpet　of　the　land　of　No。〃　although　she　may　be　dressed　in　a　Worth　costume　and　wear　a　Reboux　hat。


＇49＇　See　our　study　of　Dumas　_fils_　in　a　volume　entitled　_Portraits　d'ecrivains。_


As　a　dramatic　author；　Alexandre　Dumas　_fils_　had　just　what　George　Sand　lacked。　　He　was　vigorous；　he　had　the　art　of　brevity　and　brilliant　dialogue。　　It　is　thanks　to　all　this　that　we　have　one　of　the　masterpieces　of　the　French　theatre；　_Le　Marquis　de　Villemer_；　as　a　result　of　their　collaboration。

We　know　from　George　Sand's　letters　the　share　that　Dumas　_fils_　had　in　this　work。　　He　helped　her　to　take　the　play　from　her　novel；　and　to　write　the　scenario。　　After　this；　when　once　the　play　was　written；　he　touched　up　the　dialogue；　putting　in　more　emphasis　and　brilliancy。　　It　was　Dumas；　therefore；　who　constructed　the　play。　　We　all　know　how　careless　George　Sand　was　with　her　composition。　　She　wrote　with　scarcely　any　plan　in　her　mind　beforehand；　and　let　herself　be　carried　away　by　events。　　Dumas'　idea　was　that　the　_denouement_　is　a　mathematical　total；　and　that　before　writing　the　first　word　of　a　piece　the　author　must　know　the　end　and　have　decided　the　action。　　Theatrical　managers　complained　of　the　sadness　of　George　Sand's　plays。　　It　is　to　Dumas　that　we　owe　the　gaiety　of　the　Duc　d'Aleria's　_role_。　　It　is　one　continual　flow　of　amusing　speeches；　and　it　saves　the　piece　from　the　danger　of　falling　into　tearful　drama。　　George　Sand　had　no　wit；　and　Dumas　_fils_　was　full　of　it。　　It　was　he　who　put　into　the　dialogue　those　little　sayings　which　are　so　easily　recognized　as　his。

〃What　do　the　doctors　say？〃　is　asked；　and　the　reply　comes：

〃What　do　the　doctors　say？　　Well；　they　say　just　what　they　know：　　they　say　nothing。〃

〃My　brother　declares　that　the　air　of　Paris　is　the　only　air　he　can　breathe；〃　says　another　character。

〃Congratulate　him　for　me　on　his　lungs；〃　remarks　his　interlocutor。

〃Her　husband　was　a　baron　。　。　。〃　　remarks　some　one。

〃Who　is　not　a　baron　at　present？〃　answers　another　person。

A　certain　elderly　governess　is　being　discussed。

〃Did　you　not　know　her？〃

〃Mademoiselle　Artemise？　　No；　monsieur。〃

〃Have　you　ever　seen　an　albatross？〃

〃No；　never。〃

〃Not　even　stuffed？　　Oh；　you　should　go　to　the　Zoo。　　It　is　a　curious　creature；　with　its　great　beak　ending　in　a　hook。　。　。　。　　It　eats　all　day　long。　。　。　。　　Well；　Mademoiselle　Artemise；　etc。　。　。　。〃

The　_Marquis　de　Villemer_　is　in　its　place　in　the　series　of　George　Sand's　plays；　and　is　quite　in　accordance　with　the　general　tone　of　her　theatre。　　It　is　like　the　_Mariage　de　Victorine_　over　again。　　This　time　Victorine　is　a　reader；　who　gets　herself　married　by　a　Marquis　named　Urbain。　　He　is　of　a　gloomy　disposition；　so　that　she　will　not　enjoy　his　society　much；　but　she　will　be　a　Marquise。　　Victorine　and　Caroline　are　both　persons　who　know　how　to　make　their　way　in　the　world。　　When　they　have　a　son；　I　should　be　very　much　surprised　if　they　allowed　him　to　make　a　_mesalliance_。

George　Sand　was　one　of　the　persons　f　or　whom　Dumas　_fils_　had　the　greatest　admiration。　　As　a　proof　of　this；　a　voluminous　correspondence　between　them　exists。　　It　has　not　yet　been　published；　but　there　is　a　possibility　that　it　may　be　some　day。　　I　remember；　when　talking　with　Dumas　_fils_；　the　terms　in　which　he　always　spoke　of　〃la　mere　Sand；〃　as　he　called　her　in　a　familiar　but　filial　way。　　He　compared　her　to　his　father；　and　that　was　great　praise　indeed　from　him。　　He　admired　in　her；　too；　as　he　admired　in　his　father；　that　wealth　of　creative　power　and　immense　capacity　for　uninterrupted　work。　　As　a　proof　of　this　admiration；　we　have　only　to　turn　to　the　preface　to　_Le　Fils　naturel_；　in　which　Dumas　is　so　furious　with　the　inhabitants　of　Palaiseau。　　George　Sand　had　taken　up　her　abode　at　Palaiseau；　and　Dumas　had　been　trying　in　vain　to　discover　her　address　in　the　district；　when　he　came　across　one　of　the　natives；　who　replied　as　follows：　　〃George　Sand？　　Wait　a　minute。　　Isn't　it　a　lady　with　papers？〃　　〃So　much　for　the　glory；〃　concludes　Dumas；　〃of　those　of　us　with　papers。〃　　According　to　him；　no　woman　had　ever　had　more　talent　or　as　much　genius。　　〃She　thinks　like　Montaigne；〃　he　says；　〃she　dreams　like　Ossian　and　she　writes　like　Jean…Jacques。　Leonardo　sketches　her　phrases　for　her；　and　Mozart　sings　them。　　Madame　de　Sevigne　kisses　her　hands；　and　Madame　de　Stael　kneels　down　to　her　as　she　passes。〃　　We　can　scarcely　imagine　Madame　de　Stael　in　this　humble　posture；　but　one　of　the　charms　of　Dumas　was　his　generous　nature；　which　spared　no　praise　and　was　lavish　in　enthusiasm。


At　the　epoch　at　which　we　have　now　arrived；　George　Sand　had　commenced　that　period　of　tranquillity　and　calm　in　which　she　was　to　spend　the　rest　of　her　life。　　She　had　given　up　politics；　for；　as　we　have　seen；　she　was　quickly　undeceived　with　regard　to　them；　and　cured　of　her　illusions。　　When　the　_coup　d'etat_　of　December；　1851；　took　place；　George　Sand；　who　had　been　Ledru…Rollin's　collaborator　and　a　friend　of　Barbes；　soon　made　up　her　mind　what　to　do。　　As　the　daughter　of　Murat's　_aide…de…camp_；　she　naturally　had　a　certain　sympathy　with　the　Bonapartists。　　Napoleon　III　was　a　socialist；　so　that　it　was　possible　to　come　to　an　understanding。　　When　the　prince　had　been　a　prisoner　at　Ham；　he　had　sent　the　novelist　his　study　entitled　_L'Extinction　du　pauperisme_。　　George　Sand　took　advantage　of　her　former　intercourse　with　him　to　beg　for　his　indulgrence　in　favour　of　some　of　her　friends。　　This　time　she　was　in　her　proper　_role_；　the　_role_　of　a　woman。　　The　〃tyrant〃　granted　the　favours　she　asked；　and　George　Sand　then　came　to　the　conclusion　that　he　was　a　good　sort　of　tyrant。　　She　was　accused　of　treason；　but　she　nevertheless　continued　to　speak　of　him　with　gratitude。　　She　remained　on　good　terms　with　the　Imperial　family；　particularly　with　Prince　Jerome；　as　she　appreciated　his　intellect。　　She　used　to　talk　with　him　on　literary　and　philosophical　questions。　　She　sent　him　two　tapestry　ottomans　one　year；　which　she　had　worked　for　him。　　Her　son　Maurice　went　for　a　cruise　to　America　on　Prince　Jerome's　yacht；　and　he　was　the　godfather　of　George　Sand's　little　grandchildren　who　were　baptized　as　Protestants。

George　Sand　deserves　special　mention　for　her　science　in　the　art　of　growing　old。　　It　is　not　a　science　easy　to　master；　and　personally　this　is　one　of　my　reasons　for　admiring　her。　　She　understood　what　a　charm　there　is　in　that　time　of　life　when　the　voice　of　the　passions　is　no　longer　heard；　so　that　we　can　listen　to　the　voice　of　things　and　examine　the　lesson　of　life；　that　time　when　our　reason　makes　us　more　indulgent；　when　the　sadness　of　earthly　separations　is　softened　by　the　thought　that　we　shall　soon　go　ourselves　to　join　those　who　have　left　us。　　We　then　begin　to　have　a　foretaste　of　the　calmness　of　that　Great　Sleep　which　is　to　console　us　at　the　end　of　all　our　sufferings　and　grief。　　George　Sand　was　fully　aware　of　the　change　that　had　taken　place　within　her。　　She　said；　several　times　over；　that　the　age　of　impersonality　had　arrived　for　her。　　She　was　delighted　at　having　escaped　from　herself　and　at　being　free　from　egoism。　　From　henceforth　she　could　give　herself　up　to　the　sentiments　which；　in　pedantic　and　barbarous　jargon；　are　called　altruistic　sentiments。　　By　this　we　mean　motherly　and　grandmotherly　affection；　devotion　to　her　family；　and　enthusiasm　for　all　that　is　beautiful　and　noble。　　She　was　delighted　when　she　was　told　of　a　generous　deed；　and　charmed　by　a　book　in　which　she　discovered　talent。　　It　seemed　to　her　as　though　she　were　in　some　way　joint　author　of　it。

〃My　heart　goes　out　to　all　that　I　see　dawning　or　growing　。　。　。〃　　she　wrote；　at