george sand-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


tain　incident　served　as　a　pretext。　　When　putting　some　papers　in　order；　Aurore　came　upon　her　husband's　will。　　It　was　a　mere　diatribe；　in　which　the　future　〃deceased〃　gave　utterance　to　all　his　past　grievances　against　his　_idiotic_　wife。　　Her　mind　was　made　up　irrevocably　from　this　moment。　　She　would　have　her　freedom　again；　she　would　go　to　Paris　and　spend　three　months　out　of　six　there。　　She　had　a　young　tutor　from　the　south　of　France；　named　Boucoiran；　educating　her　children。　　This　Boucoiran　needed　to　be　taken　to　task　constantly；　and　Baronne　Dudevant　did　not　spare　him。＇5＇


＇5＇　An　instance　of　her　disposition　for　lecturing　will　be　seen　in　the　following　curious　letter　sent　by　George　Sand　to　her　friend　and　neighbour；　Adolphe　Duplomb。　　This　letter　has　never　been　published　before；　and　we　owe　our　thanks　for　it　to　Monsieur　Charles　Duplomb。

_Nohant；　July_　23；1830。


〃Are　you　so　very　much　afraid　of　me；　my　poor　Hydrogene？　　You　expect　a　good　lecture　and　you　will　not　expect　in　vain。　　Have　patience；　though。　　Before　giving　you　the　dressing　you　deserve；　I　want　to　tell　you　that　I　have　not　forgotten　you；　and　that　I　was　very　vexed　on　returning　from　Paris；　to　find　my　great　simpleton　of　a　son　gone。　　I　am　so　used　to　seeing　your　solemn　face　that　I　quite　miss　it。　　You　have　a　great　many　faults；　but　after　all；　you　are　a　good　sort；　and　in　time　you　will　get　reasonable。　　Try　to　remember　occasionally；　my　dear　Plombeus；　that　you　have　friends。　　If　I　were　your　only　friend；　that　would　be　a　great　deal；　as　I　am　to　be　depended　on；　and　am　always　at　my　post　as　a　friend；　although　I　may　not　be　very　tender。　　I　am　not　very　polite　either；　as　I　speak　the　truth　plainly。　　That　is　my　characteristic；　though。　　I　am　a　firm　friend　nevertheless；　and　to　be　depended　on。　　Do　not　forget　what　I　have　said　now；　as　I　shall　not　often　repeat　this。　　Remember；　too；　that　happiness　in　this　world　depends　on　the　interest　and　esteem　that　we　inspire。　　I　do　not　say　this　to　every　one；　as　it　would　be　impossible；　but　just　to　a　certain　number　of　friends。　　It　is　impossible　to　find　one's　happiness　entirely　in　one's　self；　without　being　an　egoist；　and　I　do　not　think　so　badly　of　you　that　I　imagine　you　to　be　one。　　A　man　whom　no　one　cares　for　is　wretched；　and　the　man　who　has　friends

is　afraid　of　grieving　them　by　behaving　badly。　　As　Polyte　says；　all　this　is　for　the　sake　of　letting　you　know　that　you　must　do　your　best　to　behave　well；　if　you　want　to　prove　to　me　that　you　are　not　ungrateful　for　my　interest　in　you。　　You　ought　to　get　rid　of　the　bad　habit　of　boasting　that　you　have　adopted　through　frequenting　young　men　as　foolish　as　yourself。　　Do　whatever　your　position　and　your　health　allow　you　to　do；　provided　that　you　do　not　compromise　the　honour　or　the　reputation　of　any　one　else。　　I　do　not　see　that　a　young　man　is　called　upon　to　be　as　chaste　as　a　nun。　　But　keep　your　good　or　bad　luck　in　your　love　affairs　to　yourself。　　Silly　talk　is　always　repeated；　and　it　may　chance　to　get　to　the　ears　of　sensible　people　who　will　disapprove。　　Try；　too；　not　to　make　so　many　plans；　but　to　carry　out　just　one　or　two　of　them。　　You　know　that　is　why　I　quarrel　with　you　always。　　I　should　like　to　see　more　constancy　in　you。　　You　tell　Hippolyte　that　you　are　very　willing　and　courageous。　　As　to　physical　courage；　of　the　kind　that　consists　in　enduring　illness　and　in　not　fearing　death；　I　dare　say　you　have　that；　but　I　doubt　very　much　whether　you　have　the　courage　necessary　for　sustained　work；　unless　you　have　very　much　altered。　　Everything　fresh　delights　you；　but　after　a　little　time　you　only　see　the　inconveniences　of　your　position。　　You　will　scarcely　find　anything　without　something　that　is　annoying　and　troublesome；　but　if　you　cannot　learn　to　put　up　with　things　you　will　never　be　a　man。

〃This　is　the　end　of　my　sermon。　　I　expect　you　have　had　enough　of　it；　especially　as　you　are　not　accustomed　to　reading　my　bad　handwriting。　　I　shall　be　glad　to　hear　from　you；　but　do　not　consider　your　letter　as　a　State　affair；　and　do　not　torment　yourself　to　arrange　well…turned　phrases。　　I　do　not　care　for　such　phrases　at　all。　　A　letter　is　always　good　enough　when　the　writer　expresses　himself　naturally；　and　says　what　he　thinks。　　Fine　pages　are　all　very　well　for　the　schoolmaster；　but　I　do　not　appreciate　them　at　all。　　Promise　me　to　be　reasonable；　and　to　think　of　my　sermons　now　and　then。　　That　is　all　I　ask。　　You　may　be　very　sure　that　if　it　were　not　for　my　friendship　for　you　I　should　not　take　the　trouble　to　lecture　you。　　I　should　be　afraid　of　annoying　you　if　it　were　not　for　that。　　As　it　is；　I　am　sure　that　you　are　not　displeased　to　have　my　lectures；　and　that　you　understand　the　feeling　which　dictates　them。

〃Adieu；　my　dear　Adolphe。　　Write　to　me　often　and　tell　me　always　about　your　affairs。　　Take　care　of　yourself；　and　try　to　keep　well；　but　if　you　should　feel　ill　come　back　to　your　native　place。　　There　will　always　be　milk　and　syrup　for　you；　and　you　know　that　I　am　not　a　bad　nurse。　　Every　one　wishes　to　be　remembered　to　you；　and　I　send　you　my　holy　blessing。

〃AURORE　D〃

｛The　end　of　footnote　＇5＇｝


She　considered　him　idle；　and　reproached　him　with　his　lack　of　dignity　and　with　making　himself　too　familiar　with　his　inferiors。　　She　could　not　admit　this　familiarity；　although　she　was　certainly　a　friend　of　the　people　and　of　the　peasants。　　Between　sympathy　and　familiarity　there　was　a　distinction；　and　Aurore　took　care　not　to　forget　this。　　There　was　always　something　of　the　_grande　dame_　in　her。　　Boucoiran　was　devoted；　though；　and　she　counted　on　him　for　looking　after　her　children；　for　keeping　her　strictly　_au　courant_；　and　letting　her　know　in　case　of　illness。　　Perfectly　easy　on　this　score；　she　could　live　in　Paris　on　an　income　of　sixty　pounds　by　adding　to　it　what　she　could　earn。

Casimir　made　no　objections。　　All　that　happened　later　on　in　this　existence；　which　was　from　henceforth　so　stormy；　happened　with　his　knowledge　and　with　his　consent。　　He　was　a　poor　sort　of　man。

Let　us　consider　now；　for　a　moment；　Baronne　Dudevant's　impressions　after　such　a　marriage。　　We　will　not　speak　of　her　sadness　nor　of　her　disgust。　　In　a　union　of　this　kind；　how　could　the　sacred　and　beneficial　character　of　marriage　have　appeared　to　her？　　A　husband　should　be　a　companion。　　She　never　knew　the　charm　of　true　intimacy；　nor　the　delight　of　thoughts　shared　with　another。　　A　husband　is　the　counsellor；　the　friend。　　When　she　needed　counsel；　she　was　obliged　to　go　elsewhere　for　it；　and　it　was　from　another　man　that　guidance　and　encouragement　came。　　A　husband　should　be　the　head　and；　I　do　not　hesitate　to　say；　the　master。　　Life　is　a　ceaseless　struggle；　and　the　man　who　has　taken　upon　himself　the　task　of　defending　a　family　from　all　the　dangers　which　threaten　its　dissolution；　from　all　the　enemies　which　prowl　around　it；　can　only　succeed　in　his　task　of　protector　if　he　be　invested　with　just　authority。　　Aurore　had　been　treated　brutally：　　that　is　not　the　same　thing　as　being　dominated。　　The　sensation　which　never　left　her　was　that　of　an　immense　moral　solitude。　　She　could　no　longer　dream　in　the　Nohant　avenues；　for　the　old　trees　had　been　lopped；　and　the　mystery　chased　away。　　She　shut　herself　up　in　her　grandmother's　little　boudoir；　adjoining　her　children's　room；　so　that　she　could　hear　them　breathing；　and　whilst　Casimir　and　Hippolyte　were　getting　abominably　intoxicated；　she　sat　there　thinking　things　over；　and　gradually　becoming　so　irritated　that　she　felt　the　rebellion　within　her　gathering　force。　　The　matrimonial　bond　was　a　heavy　yoke　to　her。　　A　Christian　wife　would　have　submitted　to　it　and　accepted　it；　but　the　Christianity　of　Baronne　Dudevant　was　nothing　but　religiosity。　　The　trials　of　life　show　up　the　insufficiency　of　religious　sentiment　which　is　not　accompanied　by　faith。　　Marriage；　without　love；　friendship；　confidence　and　respect；　was　for　Aurore　merely　a　prison。　　She　endeavoured　to　escape　from　it；　and　when　she　succeeded　she　uttered　a　sigh　of　relief　at　her　deliverance。

Such；　then；　is　the　chapter　of　marriage　in　Baronne　Dudevant's　psychology。　　It　is　a　fine　example　of　failure。　　The　woman　who　had　married　badly　now　remained　an　individual；　instead　of　harmonizing　and　blending　in　a　general　whole。　　This　ill…assorted　union　merely　accentuated　and　strengthened　George　Sand's　individualism。

Aurore　Dudevant　arrived　in　Paris　the　first　week　of　the　year　1831。　　The