george sand-第11部分

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rs　belonging　to　the　best　families；　is　the　one　in　which　Aurore　spent　three　years。　　The　cloister　can　be　recognized；　the　garden　planted　with　chestnut　trees；　and　the　cell　from　which　there　was　a　view　over　the　city。　　All　her　dreams　seemed　so　near　Heaven　there；　for　the　rich；　cloudy　sky　was　so　near〃that　most　beautiful　and　ever…changing　sky；　perhaps　the　most　beautiful　in　the　world；〃　of　which　we　read　in　_Rose　et　Blanche_。　　But　together　with　this　romance　of　religious　life　is　a　libertine　novel　with　stories　of　orgies；　of　a　certain　private　house；　and　of　very　risky　and　unpleasant　episodes。　　This　is　the　collaborator's　share　in　the　work。　　The　risky　parts　are　Sandeau's。

Such；　then；　is　this　hybrid　composition。　　It　was；　in　reality；　the　monstrosity　announced　by　George　Sand。

It　had　a　certain　success；　but　the　person　who　was　most　severe　in　her　judgment　of　it　was　Sophie…Victoire；　George　Sand's　mother；　who　had　very　prudish　tastes　in　literature。　　This　woman　is　perfectly　delightful；　and　every　time　we　come　across　her　it　is　a　fresh　joy。　　Her　daughter　was　obliged　to　make　some　excuse　for　herself；　and　this　she　did　by　stating　that　the　work　was　not　entirely　her　own。

〃I　do　not　approve　of　a　great　deal　of　the　nonsense；〃　she　writes；　〃and　I　only　let　certain　things　pass　to　please　my　publisher；　who　wanted　something　rather　lively。　。　。　。　　I　do　not　like　the　risky　parts　myself。　。　。　。〃　　Later　on　in　the　same　letter；　she　adds：　　〃There　is　nothing　of　the　kind　in　the　book　I　am　writing　now；　and　I　am　using　nothing　of　my　collaborator's　in　this；　except　his　name。〃＇15＇


＇15＇　_Correspondance_：　　To　her　mother；　February　22；　1832。


This　was　true。　　Jules　Sand　had　had　his　day；　and　the　book　of　which　she　now　speaks　was　_Indiana_。　　She　signed　this　〃George　Sand。〃

The　unpublished　correspondence　with　Emile　Regnault；　some　fragments　of　which　we　have　just　read；　contains　a　most　interesting　letter　concerning　the　composition　of　_Indiana_。　　It　is　dated　February　28；　1832。　　George　Sand　first　insists　on　the　severity　of　the　subject　and　on　its　resemblance　to　life。　　〃It　is　as　simple；　as　natural　and　as　positive　as　you　could　wish；〃　she　says。　　〃It　is　neither　romantic；　mosaic；　nor　frantic。　　It　is　just　ordinary　life　of　the　most　_bourgeois_　kind；　but　unfortunately　this　is　much　more　difficult　than　exaggerated　literature。　。　。　。　　There　is　not　the　least　word　put　in　for　nothing；　not　a　single　description；　not　a　vestige　of　poetry。　　There　are　no　unexpected；　extraordinary；　or　amazing　situations；　but　merely　four　volumes　on　four　characters。　　With　only　just　these　characters；　that　is；　with　hidden　feelings；　everyday　thoughts；　with　friendship；　love；　selfishness；　devotion；　self…respect；　persistency；　melancholy；　sorrow；　ingratitude；　disappointment；　hope；　and　all　the　mixed…up　medley　of　the　human　mind；　is　it　possible　to　write　four　volumes　which　will　not　bore　people？　　I　am　afraid　of　boring　people；　of　boring　them　as　life　itself　does。　　And　yet　what　is　more　interesting　than　the　history　of　the　heart；　when　it　is　a　true　history？　　The　main　thing　is　to　write　true　history；　and　it　is　just　that　which　is　so　difficult。　。　。　。〃

This　declaration　is　rather　surprising　to　any　one　who　reads　it　to…day。　We　might　ask　whether　what　was　natural　in　1832　would　be　natural　in　1910？　　That　is　not　the　question　which　concerns　us；　though。　　The　important　fact　to　note　is　that　George　Sand　was　no　longer　attempting　to　manufacture　monstrosities。　　She　was　endeavouring　to　be　true；　and　she　wanted　above　everything　else　to　present　a　character　of　woman　who　would　be　the　typical　modern　woman。

〃Noemi　（this　name　was　afterwards　left　to　Sandeau；　who　had　used　it　in　_Marianna_。　　George　Sand　changed　it　to　that　of　_Indiana_）　is　a　typical　woman；　strong　and　weak；　tired　even　by　the　weight　of　the　air；　but　capable　of　holding　up　the　sky；　timid　in　everyday　life；　but　daring　in　days　of　battle；　shrewd　and　clever　in　seizing　the　loose　threads　of　ordinary　life；　but　silly　and　stupid　in　distinguishing　her　own　interests　when　it　is　a　question　of　her　happiness；　caring　little　for　the　world　at　large；　but　allowing　herself　to　be　duped　by　one　man；　not　troubling　much　about　her　own　dignity；　but　watching　over　that　of　the　object　of　her　choice；　despising　the　vanities　of　the　times　as　far　as　she　is　concerned；　but　allowing　herself　to　be　fascinated　by　the　man　who　is　full　of　these　vanities。　　This；　I　believe；〃　she　says；　〃is　the　usual　woman；　an　extraordinary　mixture　of　weakness　and　energy；　of　grandeur　and　of　littleness；　a　being　ever　composed　of　two　opposite　natures；　at　times　sublime　and　at　times　despicable；　clever　in　deceiving　and　easily　deceived　herself。〃

This　novel；　intended　to　present　to　us　the　modern　woman；　ought　to　be　styled　a　〃feminist　novel。〃　　It　was　also；　as　regards　other　points　of　view。　　_Indiana_　appeared　in　May；　1832；　_Valentine_　in　1833；　and　_Jacques_　in　1834。　　In　these　three　books　I　should　like　to　show　our　present　feminism；　already　armed；　and　introduced　to　us　according　to　George　Sand's　early　ideas。


_Indiana_　is　the　story　of　a　woman　who　had　made　an　unfortunate　marriage。　　At　the　age　of　nineteen　she　had　married　Colonel　Delmare。　　Colonels　were　very　much　in　vogue　in　those　days；　and　the　fact　that　he　had　attained　that　rank　proves　that　he　was　much　older　than　she　was。　　Colonel　Delmare　was　an　honest；　straightforward　man　in　the　Pharisaical　sense　of　the　word。　　This　simply　means　that　he　had　never　robbed　or　killed　any　one。　　He　had　no　delicacy　and　no　charm；　and；　fond　as　he　was　of　his　own　authority；　he　was　a　domestic　tyrant。　　Indiana　was　very　unhappy　between　this　execrable　husband　and　a　cousin　of　hers；　Ralph；　a　man　who　is　twice　over　English；　in　the　first　place　because　his　name　is　Brown；　and　then　because　he　is　phlegmatic。　　Ralph　is　delightful　and　most　excellent；　and　it　is　on　his　account　that　she　is　insensible　to　the　charms　of　Raymon　de　Ramieres　an　elegant　and　distinguished　young　man　who　is　a　veritable　lady…killer。

Space　forbids　us　to　go　into　all　the　episodes　of　this　story；　but　the　crisis　is　that　Colonel　Delmare　is　ruined；　and　his　business　affairs　call　him　to　the　Isle　of　Bourbon。　　He　intends　to　take　Indiana　with　him；　but　she　refuses　to　accompany　him。　　She　knows　quite　well　that　Raymon　will　do　all　he　can　to　prevent　her　going。　　She　hurries　away　to　him；　offers　herself　to　him；　and　volunteers　to　remain　with　him　always。　　It　is　unnecessary　to　give　Raymon's　reply　to　this　charming　proposal。　　Poor　Indiana　receives　a　very　wet　blanket　on　a　cold　winter's　night。


She　therefore　starts　for　the　Isle　of　Bourbon；　and；　some　time　after　her　arrival　there；　she　gets　a　letter　from　Raymon　which　makes　her　think　that　he　is　very　unhappy。　　She　accordingly　hastens　back　to　him；　but　is　received　by　the　young　wife　whom　Raymon　has　just　married。　　It　is　a　very　brilliant　marriage；　and　Raymon　could　not　have　hoped　for　anything　more　satisfactory。　　Poor　Indiana！　　The　Seine；　however；　is　quite　near；　and　she　throws　herself　into　it。　　This　was　quite　safe；　as　Ralph　was　there　to　fish　her　out　again。　　Ralph　was　always　at　hand　to　fish　his　cousin　out　of　everything。　　He　is　her　appointed　rescuer；　her　Newfoundland　dog。　　In　the　country　or　in　the　town；　on　_terra　firma_　or　on　the　boat　which　takes　Indiana　to　the　Isle　of　Bourbon；　we　always　see　Ralph　turn　up；　phlegmatic　as　usual。　　Unnecessary　to　say　that　Ralph　is　in　love　with　Indiana。　　His　apparent　calmness　is　put　on　purposely。　　It　is　the　snowy　covering　under　which　a　volcano　is　burning。　　His　awkward　and　unprepossessing　appearance　conceals　an　exquisite　soul。　　Ralph　brings　Indiana　good　news。　　Colonel　Delmare　is　dead；　so　that　she　is　free。　　What　will　she　do　now　with　her　liberty？　　After　due　deliberation；　Ralph　and　Indiana　decide　to　commit　suicide；　but　they　have　to　agree　about　the　kind　of　death　they　will　die。　　Ralph　considers　that　this　is　a　matter　of　certain　importance。　　He　does　not　care　to　kill　himself　in　Paris；　there　are　too　many　people　about；　so　that　there　is　no　tranquillity。　　The　Isle　of　Bourbon　seems　to　him　a　pleasant　place　for　a　suicide。　　There　was　a　magnificent　horizon　there；　then；　too；　there　was　a　precipice　and　a　waterfall。　　。　。　。

Ralph's　happy　ideas　are　somewhat　sinister；　but　the　couple　set　out　nevertheless　for　the　Isle　of　Bourbon　in　search　of　a　propitious　waterfall。　　A　sea…voyage；　under　such　circumstances；　would　be　an　excellent　preparation。　　When　once　there；　they　carry　out　their　plans；　and　Ralph　gives　his　beloved　wise　advice　at　the　last　moment。　　She　must　not　jump　from　the　side；　as　that　would　be　bad。　　〃Throw　yourself　into　the　white　line　that　the　waterfall　makes；〃　he　says。　　〃You　will　then　reach　the　lake　with　that；　and　the　torrent　will　plunge　you　in。〃　　This　sounds　enticing。

Such　a　suicide　was　considered　infinitely　poetical　at　that　epoch；　and　every　one　pitied　Indiana　in　her　troubles。　　It　is　curious　to　read　such　books　calmly　a　long　time　afterwards；　books　which　reflect　so　exactly　the　sentiments　of　a　certain　epoch。　　It　is　curious　to　note　how　the　point　of　view　has　changed；　and　how　people　and　things　appear　to　us　exactly　the　reverse　of　what　they　appeared　to　the　author　and　to　contemporaries。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　only　interesting　person　in　all　this　is　Colonel　Delmare；　or；　at　any　rate；　he　is　the　only　one　of　whom　Indiana　could　not　complain。　　He　loved　her；　and　he　loved　no　one　else　but　her。　　The　like　cannot　be　said　for　Indiana。　　Few　husbands　would　imitate　his　patience　and　forbearance；　and　he　certainly　allowed　hi