selected writings-第1节

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Selected　Writings　



by　Guy　De　Maupassant









A　SELECTION　from　the　WRITINGS　of　GUY　DE　MAUPASSANT









SHORT　STORIES　of　the　TRAGEDY　AND　COMEDY　OF　LIFE



WITH　A　CRITICAL　PREFACE　BY　PAUL　BOURGET　of　the　French　Academy



AND　AN　INTRODUCTION　BY　ROBERT　ARNOT；　M。A。




TABLE　OF　CONTENTS。



VOLUME　I。　

1。　　　MADEMOISELLE　FIFI　　

2。　　　AN　AFFAIR　OF　STATE　

3。　　　THE　ARTIST　

4。　　　THE　HORLA　　

5。　　　MISS　HARRIET　

6。　　　THE　HOLE　

7。　　　LOVE　

8。　　　THE　INN　　

9。　　　A　FAMILY　

10。　　BELLFLOWER　

11。　　WHO　KNOWS？　

12。　　THE　DEVIL　　

13。　　EPIPHANY　

14。　　SIMON'S　PAPA　

15。　　WAITER；　A　〃BOCK〃　

16。　　THE　SEQUEL　TO　A　DIVORCE　

17。　　THE　MAD　WOMAN　　

18。　　IN　VARIOUS　ROLES　

19。　　THE　FALSE　GEMS　

20。　　COUNTESS　SATAN　

21。　　THE　COLONEL'S　IDEAS　

22。　　TWO　LITTLE　SOLDIERS　

23。　　GHOSTS　

24。　　WAS　IT　A　DREAM？　

25。　　THE　DIARY　OF　A　MADMAN　

26。　　AN　UNFORTUNATE　LIKENESS　

27。　　A　COUNTRY　EXCURSION　








GUY　DE　MAUPASSANT



Of　the　French　writers　of　romance　of　the　latter　part　of　the

nineteenth　century　no　one　made　a　reputation　as　quickly　as　did　Guy

de　Maupassant。　Not　one　has　preserved　that　reputation　with　more

ease；　not　only　during　life；　but　in　death。　None　so　completely

hides　his　personality　in　his　glory。　In　an　epoch　of　the　utmost

publicity；　in　which　the　most　insignificant　deeds　of　a　celebrated

man　are　spied；　recorded；　and　commented　on；　the　author　of　〃Boule

de　Suif；〃　of　〃Pierre　et　Jean；〃　of　〃Notre　Coeur；〃　found　a　way　of

effacing　his　personality　in　his　work。



Of　De　Maupassant　we　know　that　he　was　born　in　Normandy　about　1850；

that　he　was　the　favorite　pupil；　if　one　may　so　express　it；　the

literary　protege；　of　Gustave　Flaubert；　that　he　made　his　debut

late　in　1880；　with　a　novel　inserted　in　a　small　collection；

published　by　Emile　Zola　and　his　young　friends；　under　the　title：

〃The　Soirees　of　Medan〃；　that　subsequently　he　did　not　fail　to

publish　stories　and　romances　every　year　up　to　1891；　when　a

disease　of　the　brain　struck　him　down　in　the　fullness　of

production；　and　that　he　died；　finally；　in　1893；　without　having

recovered　his　reason。



We　know；　too；　that　he　passionately　loved　a　strenuous　physical

life　and　long　journeys；　particularly　long　journeys　upon　the　sea。

He　owned　a　little　sailing　yacht；　named　after　one　of　his　books；

〃Bel…Ami；〃　in　which　he　used　to　sojourn　for　weeks　and　months。

These　meager　details　are　almost　the　only　ones　that　have　been

gathered　as　food　for　the　curiosity　of　the　public。



I　leave　the　legendary　side；　which　is　always　in　evidence　in　the

case　of　a　celebrated　man；that　gossip；　for　example；　which　avers

that　Maupassant　was　a　high　liver　and　a　worldling。　The　very　number

of　his　volumes　is　a　protest　to　the　contrary。　One　could　not　write

so　large　a　number　of　pages　in　so　small　a　number　of　years　without

the　virtue　of　industry；　a　virtue　incompatible　with　habits　of

dissipation。　This　does　not　mean　that　the　writer　of　these　great

romances　had　no　love　for　pleasure　and　had　not　tasted　the　world；

but　that　for　him　these　were　secondary　things。　The　psychology　of

his　work　ought；　then；　to　find　an　interpretation　other　than　that

afforded　by　wholly　false　or　exaggerated　anecdotes。　I　wish　to

indicate　here　how　this　work；　illumined　by　the　three　or　four

positive　data　which　I　have　given；　appears　to　me　to　demand　it。



And　first；　what　does　that　anxiety　to　conceal　his　personality

prove；　carried　as　it　was　to　such　an　extreme　degree？　The　answer

rises　spontaneously　in　the　minds　of　those　who　have　studied

closely　the　history　of　literature。　The　absolute　silence　about

himself；　preserved　by　one　whose　position　among　us　was　that　of　a

Tourgenief；　or　of　a　Merimee；　and　of　a　Moliere　or　a　Shakespeare

among　the　classic　great；　reveals；　to　a　person　of　instinct；　a

nervous　sensibility　of　extreme　depth。　There　are　many　chances　for

an　artist　of　his　kind；　however　timid；　or　for　one　who　has　some

grief；　to　show　the　depth　of　his　emotion。　To　take　up　again　only

two　of　the　names　just　cited；　this　was　the　case　with　the　author　of

〃Terres　Vierges；〃　and　with　the　writer　of　〃Colomba。〃



A　somewhat　minute　analysis　of　the　novels　and　romances　of

Maupassant　would　suffice　to　demonstrate；　even　if　we　did　not　know

the　nature　of　the　incidents　which　prompted　them；　that　he　also

suffered　from　an　excess　of　nervous　emotionalism。　Nine　times　out

of　ten；　what　is　the　subject　of　these　stories　to　which　freedom　of

style　gives　the　appearance　of　health？　A　tragic　episode。　I　cite；

at　random；　〃Mademoiselle　Fifi；〃　〃La　Petite　Roque；〃　〃Inutile

Beaute；〃　〃Le　Masque；〃　〃Le　Horla；〃　〃L'Epreuve；〃　〃Le　Champ

d'Oliviers；〃　among　the　novels；　and　among　the　romances；　〃Une　Vie；〃

〃Pierre　et　Jean；〃　〃Fort　comme　la　Mort；〃　〃Notre　Coeur。〃　His

imagination　aims　to　represent　the　human　being　as　imprisoned　in　a

situation　at　once　insupportable　and　inevitable。　The　spell　of　this

grief　and　trouble　exerts　such　a　power　upon　the　writer　that　he

ends　stories　commenced　in　pleasantry　with　some　sinister　drama。

Let　me　instance　〃Saint…Antonin；〃　〃A　Midnight　Revel；〃　〃The　Little

Cask；〃　and　〃Old　Amable。〃　You　close　the　book　at　the　end　of　these

vigorous　sketches；　and　feel　how　surely　they　point　to　constant

suffering　on　the　part　of　him　who　executed　them。



This　is　the　leading　trait　in　the　literary　physiognomy　of

Maupassant；　as　it　is　the　leading　and　most　profound　trait　in　the

psychology　of　his　work；　viz；　that　human　life　is　a　snare　laid　by

nature；　where　joy　is　always　changed　to　misery；　where　noble　words

and　the　highest　professions　of　faith　serve　the　lowest　plans　and

the　most　cruel　egoism；　where　chagrin；　crime；　and　folly　are

forever　on　hand　to　pursue　implacably　our　hopes；　nullify　our

virtues；　and　annihilate　our　wisdom。　But　this　is　not　the　whole。



Maupassant　has　been　called　a　literary　nihilistbut　（and　this　is

the　second　trait　of　his　singular　genius）　in　him　nihilism　finds

itself　coexistent　with　an　animal　energy　so　fresh　and　so　intense

that　for　a　long　time　it　deceives　the　closest　observer。　In　an

eloquent　discourse；　pronounced　over　his　premature　grave；　Emile

Zola　well　defined　this　illusion：　〃We　congratulated　him；〃　said　he；

〃upon　that　health　which　seemed　unbreakable；　and　justly　credited

him　with　the　soundest　constitution　of　our　band；　as　well　as　with

the　clearest　mind　and　the　sanest　reason。　It　was　then　that　this

frightful　thunderbolt　destroyed　him。〃



It　is　not　exact　to　say　that　the　lofty　genius　of　De　Maupassant　was

that　of　an　absolutely　sane　man。　We　comprehend　it　to…day；　and；　on

re…reading　him；　we　find　traces　everywhere　of　his　final　malady。

But　it　is　exact　to　say　that　this　wounded　genius　was；　by　a

singular　circumstance；　the　genius　of　a　robust　man。　A　physiologist

would　without　doubt　explain　this　anomaly　by　the　coexistence　of　a

nervous　lesion；　light　at　first；　with　a　muscular；　athletic

temperament。　Whatever　the　cause；　the　effect　is　undeniable。　The

skilled　and　dainty　pessimism　of　De　Maupassant　was　accompanied　by

a　vigor　and　physique　very　unusual。　His　sensations　are　in　turn

those　of　a　hunter　and　of　a　sailor；　who　have；　as　the　old　French

saying　expressively　puts　it；　〃swift　foot；　eagle　eye；〃　and　who　are

attuned　to　all　the　whisperings　of　nature。



The　only　confidences　that　he　has　ever　permitted　his　pen　to　tell

of　the　intoxication　of　a　free；　animal　existence　are　in　the

opening　pages　of　the　story　entitled　〃Mouche；〃　where　he　recalls；

among　the　sweetest　memories　of　his　youth；　his　rollicking　canoe

parties　upon　the　Seine；　and　in　the　description　in　〃La　Vie

Errante〃　of　a　night　spent　on　the　sea；〃to　be　alone　upon　the

water　under　the　sky；　through　a　warm　night；〃in　which　he　speaks

of　the　happiness　of　those　〃who　receive　sensations　through　the

whole　surface　of　their　flesh；　as　they　do　through　their　eyes；

their　mouth；　their　ears；　and　sense　of　smell。〃



His　unique　and　too　scanty　collection　of　verses；　written　in　early

youth；　contains　the　two　most　fearless；　I　was　going　to　say　the

most　ingenuous；　paeans；　perhaps；　that　have　been　written　since　the

Renaissance：　〃At　the　Water's　Edge〃　（Au　Bord　de　l'Eau）　and　the

〃Rustic　Venus〃　（La　Venus　Rustique）。　But　here　is　a　paganism　whose

ardor；　by　a　contrast　which　brings　up　the　ever　present　duality　of

his　nature；　ends　in　an　inexpressible　shiver　of　scorn：



　　　　　〃We　look　at　each　other；　astonished；　immovable；

　　　　　　　　And　both　are　so　pale　that　it　makes　us　fear。〃

　　　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*



〃Alas！　through　all　our　senses　slips　life　itself　away。〃



This　ending　of　the　〃Water's　Edge〃　is　less　sinister　than　the

murder　and　the　vision　of　horror　which　terminate　the　pantheistic

hymn　of　the　〃Rustic　Venus。〃　Considered　as　documents　revealing　the

cast　of　mind　of　him　who　composed　them；　these　two　lyrical　essays

are　especially　significant；　since　they　were　spontaneous。　They

explain　why　De　Maupassant；　in　the　early　years　of　production；

voluntarily　chose；　as　the　heroes　of　his　stories；　creatures　very

near　to　primitive　existence；　peasants；　sailors；　poachers；　girls

of　the　farm；　and　the　source　of　the　vigor　with　wh