george sand-第45章

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go；　were　infatuated　by　a　similar　show；　are　not　surprised　at　Waldo's　words。　　The　marionettes　to　which　we　refer　were　to　be　seen　in　the　Passage　Vivienne。　　Sacred　plays　in　verse　were　given；　and　the　managers　were　Monsieur　Richepin　and　Monsieur　Bouchor。　　For　such　plays　we　preferred　actors　made　of　wood　to　actors　of　flesh　and　blood；　as　there　is　always　a　certain　desecration　otherwise　in　acting　such　pieces。

George　Sand　rarely　left　Nohant　now　except　for　her　little　flat　in　Paris。　　In　the　spring　of　1855；　she　went　to　Rome　for　a　short　time；　but　did　not　enjoy　this　visit　much。　　She　sums　up　her　impressions　in　the　following　words：　　〃Rome　is　a　regular　see…saw。〃　The　ruins　did　not　interest　her　much。


〃After　spending　several　days　in　visiting　urns；　tombs；　crypts　and　columns；　one　feels　the　need　of　getting　out　of　all　this　a　little　and　of　seeing　Nature。〃

Nature；　however；　did　not　compensate　her　sufficiently　for　her　disappointment　in　the　ruins。

〃The　Roman　Campagna；　which　has　been　so　much　vaunted；　is　certainly　singularly　immense；　but　it　is　so　bare；　flat　and　deserted；　so　monotonous　and　sad；　miles　and　miles　of　meadow…land　in　every　direction；　that　the　little　brain　one　has　left；　after　seeing　the　city；　is　almost　overpowered　by　it　all。〃

This　journey　inspired　her　with　one　of　the　weakest　of　her　novels；　_La　Daniella_。　　It　is　the　diary　of　a　painter　named　Jean　Valreg；　who　married　a　laundry…girl。　In　1861；　after　an　illness；　she　went　to　Tamaris；　in　the　south　of　France。　　This　name　is　the　title　of　one　of　her　novels。　　She　does　not　care　for　this　place　either。　　She　considers　that　there　is　too　much　wind；　too　much　dust；　and　that　there　are　too　many　olive…trees　in　the　south　of　France。

I　am　convinced　that　at　an　earlier　time　in　her　life　she　would；　have　been　won　over　by　the　fascination　of　Rome。　　She　had　comprehended　the　charm　of　Venice　so　admirably。　　At　an　earlier　date；　too；　she　would　not　have　been　indifferent　to　the　beauties　of　Provence；　as　she　had　delighted　in　meridional　Nature　when　in　Majorca。

The　years　were　over；　though；　for　her　to　enjoy　the　variety　of　outside　shows　with　all　their　phantasmagoria。　　A　time　comes　in　life；　and　it　had　already　come　for　her；　when　we　discover　that　Nature；　which　has　seemed　so　varied；　is　the　same　everywhere；　that　we　have　quite　near　us　all　that　we　have　been　so　far　away　to　seek；　a　little　of　this　earth；　a　little　water　and　a　little　sky。　　We　find；　too；　that　we　have　neither　the　time　nor　the　inclination　to　go　away　in　search　of　all　this　when　our　hours　are　counted　and　we　feel　the　end　near。　　The　essential　thing　then　is　to　reserve　for　ourselves　a　little　space　for　our　meditations；　between　the　agitations　of　life　and　that　moment　which　alone　decides　everything　for　us。




X

THE　GENIUS　OF　THE　WRITER

CORRESPONDENCE　WITH　FLAUBERTLAST　NOVELS


With　that　maternal　instinct　which　was　so　strong　within　her；　George　Sand　could　not　do　without　having　a　child　to　scold；　direct　and　take　to　task。　　The　one　to　whom　she　was　to　devote　the　last　ten　years　of　her　life；　who　needed　her　beneficent　affection　more　than　any　of　those　she　had　adopted；　was　a　kind　of　giant　with　hair　turned　back　from　his　forehead　and　a　thick　moustache　like　a　Norman　of　the　heroic　ages。　　He　was　just　such　a　man　as　we　can　imagine　the　pirates　in　Duc　Rollo's　boats。　　This　descendant　of　the　Vikings　had　been　born　in　times　of　peace；　and　his　sole　occupation　was　to　endeavour　to　form　harmonious　phrases　by　avoiding　assonances。

I　do　not　think　there　have　been　two　individuals　more　different　from　each　other　than　George　Sand　and　Gustave　Flaubert。　　He　was　an　artist；　and　she　in　many　respects　was　_bourgeoise_。　　He　saw　all　things　at　their　worst；　she　saw　them　better　than　they　were。　　Flaubert　wrote　to　her　in　surprise　as　follows：　　〃In　spite　of　your　large　sphinx　eyes；　you　have　seen　the　world　through　gold　colour。〃

She　loved　the　lower　classes；　he　thought　them　detestable；　and　qualified　universal　suffrage　as　〃a　disgrace　to　the　human　mind。〃　　She　preached　concord；　the　union　of　classes；　whilst　he　gave　his　opinion　as　follows：

〃I　believe　that　the　poor　hate　the　rich；　and　that　the　rich　are　afraid　of　the　poor。　　It　will　be　like　this　eternally。〃

It　was　always　thus。　　On　every　subject　the　opinion　of　the　one　was　sure　to　be　the　direct　opposite　of　the　opinion　of　the　other。　　This　was　just　what　had　attracted　them。

〃I　should　not　be　interested　in　myself；〃　George　Sand　said；　〃if　I　had　the　honour　of　meeting　myself。〃　　She　was　interested　in　Flaubert；　as　she　had　divined　that　he　was　her　antithesis。

〃The　man　who　is　Just　passing；〃　says　Fantasio；　〃is　charming。　　There　are　all　sorts　of　ideas　in　his　mind　which　would　be　quite　new　to　me。〃

George　Sand　wanted　to　know　something　of　these　ideas　which　were　new　to　her。　　She　admired　Flaubert　on　account　of　all　sorts　of　qualities　which　she　did　not　possess　herself。　　She　liked　him；　too；　as　she　felt　that　he　was　unhappy。

She　went　to　see　him　during　the　summer　of　1866。　　They　visited　the　historic　streets　and　old　parts　of　Rouen　together。　　She　was　both　charmed　and　surprised。　　She　could　not　believe　her　eyes；　as　she　had　never　imagined　that　all　that　existed；　and　so　near　Paris；　too。　　She　stayed　in　that　house　at　Croisset　in　which　Flaubert's　whole　life　was　spent。　　It　was　a　house　with　wide　windows　and　a　view　over　the　Seine。　　The　hoarse；　monotonous　sound　of　the　chain　towing　the　heavy　boats　along　could　be　heard　distinctly　within　the　rooms。　　Flaubert　lived　there　with　his　mother　and　niece。　　To　George　Sand　everything　there　seemed　to　breathe　of　tranquillity　and　comfort；　but　at　the　same　time　she　brought　away　with　her　an　impression　of　sadness。　　She　attributed　this　to　the　vicinity　of　the　Seine；　coming　and　going　as　it　does　according　to　the　bar。

〃The　willows　of　the　islets　are　always　being　covered　and　uncovered；〃　she　writes；　〃it　all　looks　very　cold　and　sad。＇52＇


＇52＇　_Correspondance：_　To　Maurice　Sand；　August　10；　1866。


She　was　not　really　duped；　though；　by　her　own　explanation。　　She　knew　perfectly　well　that　what　makes　a　house　sad　or　gay；　warm　or　icy…cold　is　not　the　outlook　on　to　the　surrounding　country；　but　the　soul　of　those　who　inhabit　it　and　who　have　fashioned　it　in　their　own　image。　　She　had　just　been　staying　in　the　house　of　the　misanthropist。

When　Moliere　put　the　misanthropist　on　the　stage　with　his　wretched…looking　face；　he　gave　him　some　of　the　features　which　remind　us　so　strongly　of　Flaubert。　　The　most　ordinary　and　everyday　events　were　always　enough　to　put　Alceste　into　a　rage。　　It　was　just　the　same　with　Flaubert。　　Everyday　things　which　we　are　philosophical　enough　to　accept　took　his　breath　away。　　He　was　angry；　and　he　wanted　to　be　angry。　　He　was　irritated　with　every　one　and　with　everything；　and　he　cultivated　this　irritation。　　He　kept　himself　in　a　continual　state　of　exasperation；　and　this　was　his　normal　state。　　In　his　letters　he　described　himself　as　〃worried　with　life；〃　〃disgusted　with　everything；〃　〃always　agitated　and　always　indignant。〃　　He　spells　_hhhindignant_　with　several　h's。　He　signs　his　letters；　〃The　Reverend　Father　Cruchard　of　the　Barnabite　Order；　director　of　the　Ladies　of　Disenchantment。〃　　Added　to　all　this；　although　there　may　have　been　a　certain　amount　of　pose　in　his　attitude；　he　was　sincere。　　He　〃roared〃　in　his　own　study；　when　he　was　quite　alone　and　there　was　no　one　to　be　affected　by　his　roaring。　　He　was　organized　in　a　remarkable　way　for　suffering。　　He　was　both　romantic　and　realistic；　a　keen　observer　and　an　imaginative　man。　　He　borrowed　some　of　the　most　pitiful　traits　from　reality；　and　recomposed　them　into　a　regular　nightmare。　　We　agree　with　Flaubert　that　injustice　and　nonsense　do　exist　in　life。　　But　he　gives　us　Nonsense　itself；　the　seven…headed　and　ten…horned　beast　of　the　Apocalypse。　　He　sees　this　beast　everywhere；　it　haunts　him　and　blocks　up　every　avenue　for　him；　so　that　he　cannot　see　the　sublime　beauties　of　the　creation　nor　the　splendour　of　human　intelligence。

In　reply　to　all　his　wild　harangues；　George　Sand　gives　wise　answers；　smiling　as　she　gives　them；　and　using　her　common　sense　with　which　to　protect　herself　against　the　trickery　of　words。　　What　has　he　to　complain　of；　this　grown…up　child　who　is　too　naive　and　who　expects　too　much？　　By　what　extraordinary　misfortune　has　he　such　an　exceptionally　unhappy　lot？　　He　is　fairly　well　off　and　he　has　great　talent。　　How　many　people　would　envy　him！　　He　co