george sand-第22部分

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！


as　really　all。〃


In　the　course　of　their　friendly　conversation；　George　Sand　gave　him　the　subject　for　a　novel　which　it　would　be　rather　awkward　for　her　to　write。　　The　novel　was　to　be　_Galeriens_　or　_Amours　forces_。　　These　〃galley…slaves〃　of　love　were　Liszt　and　the　Comtesse　d'Agoult；　who　had　been　with　George　Sand　at　Chamonix；　Paris　and　Nohant。　　It　was　very　evident　that　she　could　not　write　the　novel　herself。

Balzac　accordingly　wrote　it；　and　it　figures　in　the　_Comedie　humaine　as　Beatrix_。　　Beatrix　is　the　Comtesse　d'Agoult；　the　inspirer；　and　Liszt　is　the　composer　Conti。

〃You　have　no　idea　yet　of　the　awful　rights　that　a　love　which　no　longer　exists　gives　to　a　man　over　a　woman。　　The　convict　is　always　under　the　domination　of　the　companion　chained　to　him。　　I　am　lost；　and　must　return　to　the　convict　prison；〃　writes　Balzac　in　this　book。　　Then；　too；　there　is　no　mistaking　his　portrait　of　Beatrix。　　The　fair　hair　that　seems　to　give　light；　the　forehead　which　looks　transparent；　the　sweet；　charming　face；　the　long；　wonderfully　shaped　neck；　and；　above　and　beyond　all；　that　air　of　a　princess；　in　all　this　we　can　easily　recognize　〃the　fair；　blue…eyed　Peri。〃　　Not　content　with　bringing　this　illustrious　couple　into　his　novel；　Balzac　introduces　other　contemporaries。　　Claude　Vignon　（who；　although　his　special　work　was　criticism；　made　a　certain　place　for　himself　in　literature）　and　George　Sand　herself　appear　in　this　book。　　She　is　Felicite　des　Touches；　and　her　pen　name　is　Camille　Maupin。　　〃Camille　is　an　artist；〃　we　are　told；　〃she　has　genius；　and　she　leads　an　exceptional　life　such　as　could　not　be　judged　in　the　same　way　as　an　ordinary　existence。〃　　Some　one　asks　how　she　writes　her　books；　and　the　answer　is：　　〃Just　in　the　same　way　as　you　do　your　woman's　work；　your　netting　or　your　tapestry。〃　　She　is　said　to　have　the　intelligence　of　an　angel　and　even　more　heart　than　talent。　　With　her　fixed；　set　gaze；　her　dark　complexion　and　her　masculine　ways；　she　is　the　exact　antithesis　of　the　fair　Beatrix。　　She　is　constantly　being　compared　to　the　latter；　and　is　evidently　preferred　to　her。　　It　is　very　evident　from　whom　Balzac　gets　his　information；　and　it　is　also　evident　that　the　friendship　between　the　two　women　has　cooled　down。


The　cause　of　the　coolness　between　them　was　George　Sand's　infatuation　for　Chopin；　whom　she　had　known　through　Liszt　and　Madame　d'Agoult。　George　Sand　wrote　to　Liszt　from　Nohant；　in　March；　1837：　　〃Tell　Chopin　that　I　hope　he　will　come　with　you。　　Marie　cannot　live　without　him；　and　I　adore　him。〃　　In　April　she　wrote　to　Madame　d'Agoult：　〃Tell　Chopin　that　I　idolize　him。〃　　We　do　not　know　whether　Madame　d'Agoult　gave　the　message；　but　she　certainly　replied：　　〃Chopin　coughs　with　infinite　grace。　　He　is　an　irresolute　man。　　The　only　thing　about　him　that　is　permanent　is　his　cough。〃　　This　is　certainly　very　feminine　in　its　ferociousness。

At　the　time　when　he　came　into　George　Sand's　life；　Chopin；　the　composer　and　virtuoso；　was　the　favourite　of　Parisian　_salons_；　the　pianist　in　vogue。　　He　was　born　in　1810；　so　that　he　was　then　twenty…seven　years　of　age。　　His　success　was　due；　in　the　first　place；　to　his　merits　as　an　artist；　and　nowhere　is　an　artist's　success　so　great　as　in　Paris。　　Chopin's　delicate　style　was　admirably　suited　to　the　dimensions　and　to　the　atmosphere　of　a　_salon_。＇25＇


＇25＇　As　regards　Chopin；　I　have　consulted　a　biography　by　Liszt；　a　study　by　M。　Camille　Bellaigue　and　the　volume　by　M。　Elie　Poiree　in　the　_Collection　des　musiciens　celebres_；　published　by　H。　Laurens。


He　confessed　to　Liszt　that　a　crowd　intimidated　him；　that　he　felt　suffocated　by　all　the　quick　breathing　and　paralyzed　by　the　inquisitive　eyes　turned　on　him。　　〃You　were　intended　for　all　this；〃　he　adds；　〃as；　if　you　do　not　win　over　your　public；　you　can　at　least　overwhelm　it。〃

Chopin　was　made　much　of　then　in　society。　　He　was　fragile　and　delicate；　and　had　always　been　watched　over　and　cared　for。　　He　had　grown　up　in　a　peaceful；　united　family；　in　one　of　those　simple　homes　in　which　all　the　details　of　everyday　life　become　less　prosaic；　thanks　to　an　innate　distinction　of　sentiment　and　to　religious　habits。　　Prince　Radz'will　had　watched　over　Chopin's　education。　　He　had　been　received　when　quite　young　in　the　most　aristocratic　circles；　and　〃the　most　celebrated　beauties　had　smiled　on　him　as　a　youth。〃　　Social　life；　then；　and　feminine　influence　had　thus　helped　to　make　him　ultra　refined。　　It　was　very　evident　to　every　one　who　met　him　that　he　was　a　well…bred　man；　and　this　is　quickly　observed；　even　with　pianists。　　On　arriving　he　made　a　good　impression；　he　was　well　dressed；　his　white　gloves　were　immaculate。　　He　was　reserved　and　somewhat　languid。　　Every　one　knew　that　he　was　delicate；　and　there　was　a　rumour　of　an　unhappy　love　affair。　　It　was　said　that　he　had　been　in　love　with　a　girl；　and　that　her　family　had　refused　to　consent　to　her　marriage　with　him。　　People　said　he　was　like　his　own　music；　the　dreamy；　melancholy　themes　seemed　to　accord　so　well　with　the　pale　young　face　of　the　composer。　　The　fascination　of　the　languor　which　seemed　to　emanate　from　the　man　and　from　his　work　worked　its　way；　in　a　subtle　manner；　into　the　hearts　of　his　hearers。　　Chopin　did　not　care　to　know　Lelia。　　He　did　not　like　women　writers；　and　he　was　rather　alarmed　at　this　one。　　It　was　Liszt　who　introduced　them。　　In　his　biography　of　Chopin；　he　tells　us　that　the　extremely　sensitive　artist；　who　was　so　easily　alarmed；　dreaded　〃this　woman　above　all　women；　as；　like　a　priestess　of　Delphi；　she　said　so　many　things　that　the　others　could　not　have　said。　　He　avoided　her　and　postponed　the　introduction。　　Madame　Sand　had　no　idea　that　she　was　feared　as　a　sylph。　。　。　。〃　　She　made　the　first　advances。　　It　is　easy　to　see　what　charmed　her　in　him。　　In　the　first　place；　he　appealed　to　her　as　he　did　to　all　women；　and　then；　too；　there　was　the　absolute　contrast　of　their　two　opposite　natures。　　She　was　all　force；　of　an　expansive；　exuberant　nature。　　He　was　very　discreet；　reserved　and　mysterious。　　It　seems　that　the　Polish　characteristic　is　to　lend　oneself；　but　never　to　give　oneself　away；　and　one　of　Chopin's　friends　said　of　him　that　he　was　〃more　Polish　than　Poland　itself。〃　　Such　a　contrast　may　prove　a　strong　attraction；　and　then；　too；　George　Sand　was　very　sensitive　to　the　charm　of　music。　　But　what　she　saw　above　all　in　Chopin　was　the　typical　artist；　just　as　she　understood　the　artist；　a　dreamer；　lost　in　the　clouds；　incapable　of　any　activity　that　was　practical；　a　〃lover　of　the　impossible。〃　　And　then；　too；　he　was　ill。　　When　Musset　left　Venice；　after　all　the　atrocious　nights　she　had　spent　at　his　bedside；　she　wrote：　　〃Whom　shall　I　have　now　to　look　after　and　tend？〃　　In　Chopin　she　found　some　one　to　tend。

About　this　time；　she　was　anxious　about　the　health　of　her　son　Maurice；　and　she　thought　she　would　take　her　family　to　Majorca。　　This　was　a　lamentable　excursion；　but　it　seemed　satisfactory　at　first。　　They　travelled　by　way　of　Lyons；　Avignon；　Vaucluse　and　Nimes。　　At　Perpignan；　Chopin　arrived；　〃as　fresh　as　a　rose。〃　　〃Our　journey；〃　wrote　George　Sand；　〃seems　to　be　under　the　most　favourable　conditions。〃　　They　then　went　on　to　Barcelona　and　to　Palma。　　In　November；　1838；　George　Sand　wrote　a　most　enthusiastic　letter：　　〃It　is　poetry；　solitude；　all　that　is　most　artistic　and　_chique_　on　earth。　　And　what　skies；　what　a　country；　we　are　delighted。〃＇26＇　The　disenchantment　was　soon　to　begin；　though。　　The　first　difficulty　was　to　find　lodgings；　and　the　second　to　get　furniture。　　There　was　no　wood　to　burn　and　there　was　no　linen　to　be　had。　　It　took　two　months　to　have　a　pair　of　tongs　made；　and　it　cost　twenty…eight　pounds　at　the　customs　for　a　piano　to　enter　the　country。　　With　great　difficulty；　the　forlorn　travellers　found　a　country…house　belonging　to　a　man　named　Gomez；　which　they　were　able　to　rent。　　It　was　called　the　〃Windy　House。〃　　The　wind　did　not　inconvenience　them　like　the　rain；　which　now　commenced。　　Chopin　could　not　endure　the　heat　and　the　odour　of　the　fires。　　His　disease　increased；　and　this　was　the　origin　of　the　great　tribulations　that　were　to　follow。


＇26＇　The　following　is　an　unpublished　letter　to　Madame　Buloz：

_Monday　13th。_

MY　DEAR　CHRISTINE；

〃I　have　only　been　at　Palma　four　days。　　My　journey　has　been　very　satisfactory；　but　rather　long　and　difficult　until　we　were　out　of　France。　　I　took　up　my　pen　（as　people　say）　twenty　times　over　to　write　the　last　five　or　six　pages　for　which　_Spiridion_　has　been　waiting　for　six　months。　　It　is　not　the　easiest　thing　in　the　world；　I　can　assure　you；　to　give　the　conclusion　of　one's　own　religious　belief；　and　when　travelling　it　is　impossible。　　At　twenty　different　places　I　have　resolved　to　think　it　solemnly　over　and　to　write　down　my　conclusion。　　But　these　stoppages　were　the　most　tiring　part　of　our　journey。　　There　were　visits；　dinners；　walks；　curiosities；　ruins；　the　Vaucluse　fountain；　Reboul　and　the　Nimes　arena；　the　Barcelona　cathedrals；　dinners　on　board　the　war…ships；　the　Italian　theatres　of　Spain　（and　what　theatres　and　what　Italians！）；　guitars　and　Heaven　knows　what　beside。　　There　was　the　moonlight　on　the　sea　and　above　all　Valma　and　Mallorca；　the　most　delightful　place　in　the　world；　and　all　this　kept　me　terribly　far　away　from　philosophy　and　theology。　　Fortunately　I　have　found　some　superb　convents　here　all　in　ruins；　with　palm…trees；　aloes　and　the　cactus　in　the　midst　of　broken　mosaics　and　crumbling　cloisters；　and　this　takes　me　back　to　_Spiridion_。　　For　the　last　three　days　I　have　had　a　rage　for　work；　which　I　cannot　satisfy　yet；　as　we　have　neither　fire　nor　lodging。　　There　is　not　an　inn　in　Palma；　no　house　to　let　and　no　furniture　to　be　bought。　　On　arriving　here　people　first　have　to　buy　some　ground；　then　build；　and　afterwards　send　for　furniture。　　After　this；　permission　to　live　somewhere　has　to　be　obtained　from　Government；　and　after　five　or　six　years　one　can　think　about　opening　one's　trunk　and　changing　one's　chemise；　whilst　waiting　for　permission　from　the　Customs　to　have　some　shoes　and　handkerchiefs　passed。　　For　the　last　four　days　then　we　have　spent　our　time　going　from　door　to　door；　as　we　do　not　want　to　sleep　in　the　open　air。　　We　hope　now　to　be　settled　in　about　three　days；　as　a　miracle　has　taken　place。　　For　the　first　time　in　the　memory　of　man；　there　is　a　furnished　house　to　let　in　Mallorca；　a　charming　country…house　in　a　delightful　desert。　。　。　。〃　　｛The　end　of　footnote　＇26＇｝


At　that　time　Spain