george sand-第12节

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d　for　Indiana。　　Few　husbands　would　imitate　his　patience　and　forbearance；　and　he　certainly　allowed　his　wife　the　most　extraordinary　freedom。　　At　one　time　we　find；　a　young　man　in　Indiana's　bedroom；　and　at　another　time　Indiana　in　a　young　man's　bedroom。　　Colonel　Delmare　receives　Raymon　at　his　house　in　a　friendly　way；　and　he　tolerates　the　presence　of　the　sempiternal　Ralph　in　his　home。　　What　more　can　be　asked　of　a　husband　than　to　allow　his　wife　to　have　a　man　friend　and　a　cousin？　　Indiana　declares　that　Colonel　Delmare　has　struck　her；　and　that　the　mark　is　left　on　her　face。　　She　exaggerated；　though；　as　we　know　quite　well　what　took　place。　　In　reality　all　this　was　at　Plessis…Picard。　Delmare…Dudevant　struck　Indiana…Aurore。　This　was　certainly　too　much；　but　there　was　no　blood　shed。　　As　to　the　other　personages；　Raymon　is　a　wretched　little　rascal；　who　was　first　the　lover　of　Indiana's　maid。　　He　next　made　love　to　poor　Noun's　mistress；　and　then　deserted　her　to　make　a　rich　marriage。　　Ralph　plunges　Indiana　down　a　precipice。　　That　was　certainly　bad　treatment　for　the　woman　he　loved。　　As　regards　Indiana；　George　Sand　honestly　believed　that　she　had　given　her　all　the　charms　imaginable。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　she　did　charm　the　readers　of　that　time。　　It　is　from　this　model　that　we　have　one　of　the　favourite　types　of　woman　in　literature　for　the　next　twenty　yearsthe　misunderstood　woman。

The　misunderstood　woman　is　pale；　fragile；　and　subject　to　fainting。　　Up　to　page　99　of　the　book；　Indiana　has　fainted　three　times。　　I　did　not　continue　counting。　　This　fainting　was　not　the　result　of　bad　health。　　It　was　the　fashion　to　faint。　　The　days　of　nerves　and　languid　airs　had　come　back。　　The　women　whose　grandmothers　had　walked　so　firmly　to　the　scaffold；　and　whose　mothers　had　listened　bravely　to　the　firing　of　the　cannon　under　the　Empire；　were　now　depressed　and　tearful；　like　so　many　plaintive　elegies。　　It　was　just　a　matter　of　fashion。　　The　mis…

understood　woman　was　supposed　to　be　unhappy　with　her　husband；　but　she　would　not　have　been　any　happier　with　another　man。　　Indiana　does　not　find　fault　with　Colonel　Delmare　for　being　the　husband　that　he　is；　but　simply　for　being　the　husband！

〃She　did　not　love　her　husband；　for　the　mere　reason；　perhaps；　that　she　was　told　it　was　her　duty　to　love　him　and　that　it　had　become　her　second　nature；　a　principle　and　a　law　of　her　conscience　to　resist　inwardly　all　moral　constraint。〃　　She　affected　a　most　irritating　gentleness；　an　exasperating　submissiveness。　　When　she　put　on　her　superior；　resigned　airs；　it　was　enough　to　unhinge　an　angel。　　Besides；　what　was　there　to　complain　about；　and　why　should　she　not　accommodate　herself　to　conditions　of　existence　with　which　so　many　others　fall　in？　　She　must　not　be　compared　to　others；　though。　　She　is　eminently　a　distinguished　woman；　and　she　asks　without　shrinking：　　〃Do　you　know　what　it　means　to　love　a　woman　such　as　I　am？〃

In　her　long　silences　and　her　persistent　melancholy；　she　is　no　doubt　thinking　of　the　love　appropriate　to　a　woman　such　as　she　is。　　She　was　a　princess　in　exile　and　times　were　then　hard　for　princesses。　　That　is　why　the　one　in　question　took　refuge　in　her　homesick　sorrow。　　All　this　is　what　people　will　not　understand。　　Instead　of　rising　to　such　sublimities；　or　of　being　lost　in　fogs；　they　judge　from　mere　facts。　　And　on　coming　across　a　young　wife　who　is　inclined　to　prefer　a　handsome；　dark　young　man　to　a　husband　who　is　turning　grey；　they　are　apt　to　conclude：　　〃Well；　this　is　not　the　first　time　we　have　met　with　a　similar　case。　　It　is　hardly　worth　while　making　such　a　fuss　about　a　young　plague　of　a　woman　who　wants　to　go　to　the　bad。〃　　It　would　be　very　unjust；　though；　not　to　recognize　that　_Indiana_　is　a　most　remarkable　novel。　　There　is　a　certain　relief　in　the　various　characters；　Colonel　Delmare；　Raymon；　Ralph　and　Inaiana。　　We　ought　to　question　the　husbands　who　married　wives　belonging　to　the　race　of　misunderstood　women　brought　into　vogue　by　_Indiana_。


_Valentine_；　too；　is　the　story　of　a　woman　unhappily　married。

This　time　the　chief　_role_　is　given　to　the　lover；　and　not　to　the　woman。　　Instead　of　the　misunderstood　woman；　though；　we　have　the　typical　frenzied　lover；　created　by　the　romantic　school。　　Louise…Valentine　de　Raimbault　is　about　to　marry　Norbert…Evariste　de　Lansac；　when　suddenly　this　young　person；　who　is　accustomed　to　going　about　in　the　country　round　and　to　the　village　fetes；　falls　in　love　with　the　nephew　of　one　of　her　farmers。　　The　young　man's　name　is　Benedict；　and　he　is　a　peasant　who　has　had　some　education。　　His　mentality　is　probably　that　of　a　present…day　elementary　school…teacher。　Valentine　cannot　resist　him；　although　we　are　told　that　Benedict　is　not　very　handsome。　　It　is　his　soul　which　Valentine　loves　in　him。　　Benedict　knows　very　well　that　he　cannot　marry　Valentine；　but　he　can　cause　her　a　great　deal　of　annoyance　by　way　of　proving　his　love。　　On　the　night　of　the　wedding　he　is　in　the　nuptial　chamber；　from　which　the　author　has　taken　care　to　banish　the　husband　for　the　time　being。　　Benedict　watches　over　the　slumber　of　the　woman　he　loves；　and　leaves　her　an　epistle　in　which　he　declares　that；　after　hesitating　whether　he　should　kill　her　husband；　her；　or　himself；　or　whether　he　should　kill　all　three；　or　only　select　two　of　the　three；　and　after　adopting　in　turn　each　of　these　combinations；　he　has　decided　to　only　kill　himself。　　He　is　found　in　a　ditch　in　a　terrible　plight；　but　we　are　by　no　means　rid　of　him。　　Benedict　is　not　dead；　and　he　has　a　great　deal　of　harm　to　do　yet。　　We　shall　meet　with　him　again　several　times；　always　hidden　behind　curtains；　listening　to　all　that　is　said　and　watching　all　that　takes　place。　　At　the　right　moment　he　comes　out　with　his　pistol　in　his　hand。　　The　husband　is　away　during　all　this　time。　　No　one　troubles　about　him；　though。　　He　is　a　bad　husband；　or　rather　he　isa　husband；　and　Benedict　has　nothing　to　fear　as　far　as　he　is　concerned。　　But　one　day　a　peasant；　who　does　not　like　the　looks　of　Benedict；　attacks　him　with　his　pitchfork　and　puts　an　end　to　this　valuable　life。

The　question　arises；　by　what　right　Benedict　disturbs　Valentine's　tranquillity。　　The　answer　is　by　the　right　of　his　passion　for　her。　　He　has　an　income　of　about　twenty　pounds　a　year。　　It　would　be　impossible　for　him　to　marry　on　that。　　What　has　he　to　offer　to　the　woman　whose　peace　of　mind　he　disturbs　and　whose　position　he　ruins？　　He　offers　himself。　　Surely　that　should　be　enough。　　Then；　too；　it　is　impossible　to　reason　with　individuals　of　his　temperament。　　We　have　only　to　look　at　him；　with　his　sickly　pallor　and　the　restless　light　in　his　eyes。　　We　have　only　to　listen　to　the　sound　of　his　voice　and　his　excited　speeches。　　At　times　he　goes　in　for　wild　declamation；　and　immediately　afterwards　for　cold　irony　and　sarcasm。　　He　is　always　talking　of　death。　　When　he　attempts　to　shoot　himself　he　always　misses；　but　when　Adele　d'Hervey　resists　him；　at　the　time　he　has　taken　the　name　of　Antony；　he　kills　her。　　He　is　therefore　a　dangerous　madman。

We　now　have　two　fresh　personages　for　novels；　the　misunderstood　woman　and　the　frenzied　lover。　　It　is　a　pity　they　do　not　marry　each　other；　and　so　rid　us　of　them。

We　must　not　lose　sight；　though；　of　the　fact　that；　contestable　as　_Valentine_　certainly　is　as　a　novel　of　passion；　there　is　a　pastoral　novel　of　the　highest　order　contained　in　this　book。　　The　setting　of　the　story　is　delightful。　　George　Sand　has　placed　the　scene　in　that　Black　Valley　which　she　knew　so　well　and　loved　so　dearly。　　It　is　the　first　of　her　novels　in　which　she　celebrates　her　birthplace。　　There　are　walks　along　the　country　pathways；　long　meditations　at　night；　village　weddings　and　fetes。　　All　the　poetry　and　all　the　picturesqueness　of　the　country　transform　and　embellish　the　story。


In　_Jacques_　we　have　the　history　of　a　man　unhappily　married；　and　this；　through　the　reciprocity　which　is　inevitable　under　the　circumstances；　is　another　story　of　a　woman　unhappily　married。

At　the　age　of　thirty…five；　after　a　stormy　existence；　in　which　years　count　double；　Jacques　marries　Fernande；　a　woman　much　younger　than　he　is。　　After　a　few　unhappy　months　he　sees　the　first　clouds　appearing　in　his　horizon。　　He　sends　for　his　sister　Sylvia　to　come　and　live　with　himself　and　his　wife。　　Sylvia；　like　Jacques；　is　an　exceptional　individual。　　She　is　proud；　haughty　and　reserved。　　It　can　readily　be　imagined　that；　the　presence　of　this　pythoness　does　not　tend　to　restore　the　confidence　which　has　become　somewhat　shaken　between　the　husband　and　wife。　　A　young　man　named　Octave；　who　was　at　first　attracted　by　Sylvia；　soon　begins　to　prefer　Fernande；　who　is　not　a　romantic；　ironical　and　sarcastic　woman　like　her　sister…in…law。　He　fancies　that　he　should　be　very　happy　with　the　gentle　Fernande。　　Jacques　discovers　that　Octave　and　his　wife　are　in　love　with　each　other。　　There　are　various　alternatives　for　him。　　He　can　dismiss　his　rival；　kill　him；　or　merely　pardon　him。　　Each　alternative　is　a　very　ordinary　way　out　of　the　difficulty；　and　Jacques　cannot　resign　himself　to　anything　ordinary。　　He　therefore　asks　his　wife's　lover　whether　he　really　cares　for　his　wife；　whether　he　is　in　earnest；　and　also　whether　this　attachment　will　be　durable。　　Quite　satisfied　with　the　result　of　this　examination；　he　leaves　Fernande　to　Octave。　　He　then　disappears　and　kills　himself；　but　he　takes　all　necessary　precautions　to　avert　the　su