george sand-第5章

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〃You　will　lose　your　best　friend　in　me；〃　were　the　last　words　of　the　grandmother　to　her　granddaughter　on　her　death…bed。　The　old　lady　spoke　truly；　and　Aurore　was　very　soon　to　prove　this。　　By　a　clause　in　her　will；　Madame　Dupin　de　Francueil　left　the　guardianship　of　Aurore　to　a　cousin；　Rene　de　Villeneuve。　　It　was　scarcely　likely；　though；　that　Sophie…Victoire　should　consent　to　her　own　rights　being　frustrated　by　this　illegal　clause；　particularly　as　this　man　belonged　to　the　world　of　the　〃old　Countesses。〃　　She　took　her　daughter　with　her　to　Paris。　　Unfortunately　for　her；　Aurore's　eyes　were　now　open；　and　she　was　cultured　enough　to　have　been　in　entire　sympathy　with　her　exquisite　grandmother。　　It　was　no　longer　possible　for　her　to　have　the　old　passionate　affection　and　indulgence　for　her　mother；　especially　as　she　felt　that　she　had　hitherto　been　deserted　by　her。　　She　saw　her　mother　now　just　as　she　was；　a　light　woman　belonging　to　the　people；　a　woman　who　could　not　resign　herself　to　growing　old。　　If　only　Sophie…Victoire　had　been　of　a　tranquil　disposition！　　She　was　most　restless；　on　the　contrary；　wanting　to　change　her　abode　and　change　her　restaurant　every　day。　　She　would　quarrel　with　people　one　day；　make　it　up　the　next；　wear　a　different…shaped　hat　every　day；　and　change　the　colour　of　her　hair　continually。　　She　was　always　in　a　state　of　agitation。　　She　loved　police　news　and　thrilling　stories；　read　the　_Sherlock　Holmes_　of　those　days　until　the　middle　of　the　night。　　She　dreamed　of　such　stories；　and　the　following　day　went　on　living　in　an　atmosphere　of　crime。　　When　she　had　an　attack　of　indigestion；　she　always　imagined　that　she　had　been　poisoned。　　When　a　visitor　arrived；　she　thought　it　must　be　a　burglar。　　She　was　most　sarcastic　about　Aurore's　〃fine　education〃　and　her　literary　aspirations。　　Her　hatred　of　the　dead　grandmother　was　as　strong　as　ever。　　She　was　constantly　insulting　her　memory；　and　in　her　fits　of　anger　said　unheard…of　things。　　Aurore's　silence　was　her　only　reply　to　these　storms；　and　this　exasperated　her　mother。　　She　declared　that　she　would　correct　her　daughter's　〃sly　ways。〃　　Aurore　began　to　wonder　with　terror　whether　her　mother's　mind　were　not　beginning　to　give　way。　　The　situation　finally　became　intolerable。

Sophie…Victoire　took　her　daughter　to　spend　two　or　three　days　with　some　friends　of　hers；　and　then　left　her　there。　　They　lived　in　the　country　at　Plessis…Picard；　near　Melun。　　Aurore　was　delighted　to　find　a　vast　park　with　thickets　in　which　there　were　roebucks　bounding　about。　　She　loved　the　deep　glades　and　the　water　with　the　green　reflections　of　old　willow　trees。　　Monsieur　James　Duplessis　and　his　wife；　Angele；　were　excellent　people；　and　they　adopted　Aurore　for　the　time　being。　　They　already　had　five　daughters；　so　that　one　more　did　not　make　much　difference。　　They　frequented　a　few　families　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　there　was　plenty　of　gaiety　among　the　young　people。　　The　Duplessis　took　Aurore　sometimes　to　Paris　and　to　the　theatre。

〃One　evening；〃　we　are　told　in　the　_Histoire　de　ma　vie_；　〃we　were　having　some　ices　at　Tortoni's　after　the　theatre；　when　suddenly　my　mother　Angele　said　to　her　husband；　‘Why；　there's　Casimir！'　　A　young　man；　slender　and　rather　elegant；　with　a　gay　expression　and　a　military　look；　came　and　shook　hands；　and　answered　all　the　questions　he　was　asked　about　his　father；　Colonel　Dudevant；　who　was　evidently　very　much　respected　and　loved　by　the　family。〃

This　was　the　first　meeting；　the　first　appearance　of　Casimir　in　the　story；　and　this　was　how　he　entered　into　the　life　of　Aurore。

He　was　invited　to　Plessis；　he　joined　the　young　people　good…humouredly　in　their　games；　was　friendly　with　Aurore；　and；　without　posing　as　a　suitor；　asked　for　her　hand　in　marriage。　　There　was　no　reason　for　her　to　refuse　him。　　He　was　twenty…seven　years　of　age；　had　served　two　years　in　the　army；　and　had　studied　law　in　Paris。　　He　was　a　natural　son；　of　course；　but　he　had　been　recognized　by　his　father；　Colonel　Dudevant。　　The　Dudevant　family　was　greatly　respected。　　They　had　a　_chateau_　at　Guillery　in　Gascony。　　Casimir　had　been　well　brought　up　and　had　good　manners。　　Aurore　might　as　well　marry　him　as　any　other　young　man。　　It　would　even　be　preferable　to　marry　him　rather　than　another　young　man。　　He　was　already　her　friend；　and　he　would　then　be　her　husband。　　That　would　not　make　much　difference。

The　marriage　almost　fell　through；　thanks　to　Sophie…Victoire。　She　did　not　consider　Casimir　good…looking　enough。　　She　was　not　thinking　of　her　daughter；　but　of　herself。　　She　had　made　up　her　mind　to　have　a　handsome　son…in…law　with　whom　she　could　go　out。　　She　liked　handsome　men；　and　particularly　military　men。　　Finally　she　consented　to　the　marriage；　but；　a　fortnight　before　the　ceremony；　she　arrived　at　Plessis；　like　a　veritable　thunderbolt。　　An　extraordinary　idea　had　occurred　to　her。　　She　vowed　that　she　had　discovered　that　Casimir　had　been　a　waiter　at　a　_cafe_。　　She　had　no　doubt　dreamt　this；　but　she　held　to　her　text；　and　was　indignant　at　the　idea　of　her　daughter　marrying　a　waiter！　。　。　。

Things　had　arrived　at　this　crisis　when　Casimir's　mother；　Madame　Dudevant；　who　had　all　the　manners　of　a　_grande　dame_；　decided　to　pay　Sophie…Victoire　an　official　visit。　　The　latter　was　greatly　flattered；　for　she　liked　plenty　of　attention　paid　to　her。　　It　was　in　this　way　that　Aurore　Dupin　became　Baronne　Dudevant。


She　was　just　eighteen　years　of　age。　　It　is　interesting　to　read　her　description　of　herself　at　this　time。　　In　her　_Voyage　en　Auvergne_；　which　was　her　first　writing；　dated　1827；　she　traces　the　following　portrait；　which　certainly　is　not　exaggerated。

〃When　I　was　sixteen；〃　she　says；　〃and　left　the　convent；　every　one　could　see　that　I　was　a　pretty　girl。　　I　was　fresh…looking；　though　dark。　　I　was　like　those　wild　flowers　which　grow　without　any　art　or　culture；　but　with　gay；　lively　colouring。　　I　had　plenty　of　hair；　which　was　almost　black。　　On　looking　at　myself　in　the　glass；　though；　I　can　truthfully　say　that　I　was　not　very　well　pleased　with　myself。　　I　was　dark；　my　features　were　well　cut；　but　not　finished。　　People　said　that　it　was　the　expression　of　my　face　that　made　it　interesting。　　I　think　this　was　true。　　I　was　gay　but　dreamy；　and　my　most　natural　expression　was　a　meditative　one。　　People　said；　too；　that　in　this　absent…minded　expression　there　was　a　fixed　look　which　resembled　that　of　the　serpent　when　fascinating　his　prey。　　That；　at　any　rate；　was　the　far…fetched　comparison　of　my　provincial　adorers。〃

They　were　not　very　far　wrong；　these　provincial　adorers。　　The　portraits　of　Aurore　at　this　date　show　us　a　charming　face　of　a　young　girl；　as　fresh…looking　as　a　child。　　She　has　rather　long　features；　with　a　delicately…shaped　chin。　　She　is　not　exactly　pretty；　but　fascinating；　with　those　great　dark　eyes；　which　were　her　prominent　feature；　eyes　which；　when　fixed　on　any　one；　took　complete　possession　of　themdreamy；　passionate　eyes；　sombre　because　the　soul　reflected　in　them　had　profound　depths。

It　is　difficult　to　define　that　soul；　for　it　was　so　complex。　　To　judge　by　appearances；　it　was　a　very　peaceful　soul；　and　perhaps；　too；　it　was　in　reality　peaceful。　　George　Sand；　who　knew　herself　thoroughly；　frequently　spoke　of　her　laziness　and　of　her　apathy；　traits　peculiar　to　the　natives　of　Berry。　　Superficial　observers　looked　no　further；　and　her　mother　used　to　call　her　〃St。　Tranquillity。〃　　The　nuns；　though；　of　her　convent　had　more　perspicacity。　　They　said；　when　speaking　of　her：　　〃Still　waters　run　deep。〃　　Under　the　smooth　surface　they　fancied　that　storms　were　gathering。　　Aurore　had　within　her　something　of　her　mother　and　of　her　grandmother；　and　their　opposite　natures　were　blended　in　her。　　She　had　the　calmness　of　Marie…Aurore；　but　she　also　had　the　impetuousness　of　Sophie…Victoire；　and　undoubtedly；　too；　something　of　the　free　and　easy　good　humour　of　her　father；　the　break…neck　young　officer。　　It　certainly　is　not　surprising　to　find　a　love　of　adventure　in　a　descendant　of　Maurice　de　Saxe。

Beside　all　these　inner　contrasts；　the　observer　was　particularly　struck　by　her　sudden　changes　of　humour；　by　the　way　in　which；　after　a　fit　of　melancholy　sadness；　she　suddenly　gave　way　to　the　most　exuberant　gaiety；　followed　by　long　fits　of　depression　and　nervous　exhaustion。　　Personally；　I　do　not　believe　much　in　the　influence　of　the　physical　over　the　moral