ersonages；　only　one　appears　to　me　quite　worthy　of　interest；　and　that　is　poor　Fulgence；　who　was　so　straightforward　and　honest；　and　who　is　treated　so　badly。
  But　how　deep　Victorine　was！　　Even　if　we　admit　that　she　did　not　deliberately　scheme　and　plot　to　get　herself　married　by　the　son　of　the　family；　she　did　instinctively　all　that　had　to　be　done　for　that。　　She　was　very　deep　in　an　innocent　way；　and　I　have　come　to　the　conclusion　that　such　deepness　is　the　most　to　be　feared。
  I　see　quite　well　all　that　is　lacking　in　these　pieces；　and　that　they　are　not　very　great；　but　all　the　same　they　form　a　〃theatre〃　apart。　　There　is　unity　in　this　theatrical　work　of　George　Sand。　　Whether　it　makes　a　hero　of　the　natural　son；　rehabilitates　the　seduced　girl；　or　cries　down　the　idea　of　_mesalliances_；　it　is　always　the　same　fight　in　which　it　is　engaged；　it　is　always　fighting　against　the　same　enemies；　prejudice　and　narrow…mindedness。　On　the　stage；　we　call　every　opinion　contrary　to　our　own　prejudice　or　narrow…mindedness。　The　theatre　lives　by　fighting。　　It　matters　little　what　the　author　is　attacking。　　He　may　wage　war　with　principles；　prejudices；　giants；　or　windmills。　　Provided　that　there　be　a　battle；　there　will　be　a　theatre　for　it。
  The　fact　that　George　Sand's　theatre　was　the　forerunner　of　the　theatre　of　Dumas　_fils_　gives　it　additional　value。　　We　have　already　noticed　the　analogy　of　situations　and　the　kinship　of　theories　contained　in　George　Sand's　best　plays　and　in　the　most　noted　ones　by　Dumas。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　Dumas　owed　a　great　deal　to　George　Sand。　　We　shall　see　that　he　paid　his　debt　as　only　he　could　have　done。　　He　knew　the　novelist　when　he　was　quite　young；　as　Dumas　_pere_　and　George　Sand　were　on　very　friendly　terms。　　In　her　letter　telling　Sainte…Beuve　not　to　take　Musset　to　call　on　her；　as　she　thought　him　impertinent；　she　tells　him　to　bring　Dumas　_pere_；　whom　she　evidently　considered　well　bred。　　As　she　was　a　friend　of　his　father's；　she　was　like　a　mother　for　the　son。　　The　first　letter　to　him　in　the　_Correspondance_　is　dated　1850。　　Dumas　_fils_　was　then　twenty…six　years　of　age；　and　she　calls　him　〃my　son。〃
  He　had　not　written　_La　Dame　aux　Camelias_　then。　　It　was　performed　for　the　first　time　in　February；　1852。　　He　was　merely　the　author　of　a　few　second…rate　novels　and　of　a　volume　of　execrable　poetry。　　He　had　not　found　out　his　capabilities　at　that　time。　　There　is　no　doubt　that　he　was　greatly　struck　by　George　Sand's　plays；　imbued　as　they　were　with　the　ideas　we　have　just　pointed　out。
  All　this　is　worthy　of　note；　as　it　is　essential　for　understanding　the　work　of　Alexandre　Dumas　_fils_。　　He；　too；　was　a　natural　son；　and　his　illegitimate　birth　had　caused　him　much　suffering。　　He　was　sent　to　the　Pension　Goubaux；　and　for　several　years　he　endured　the　torture　he　describes　with　such　harshness　at　the　beginning　of　_L'Affaire　Clemenceau_。　　He　was　exposed　to　all　kinds　of　insults　and　blows。　　His　first　contact　with　society　taught　him　that　this　society　was　unjust；　and　that　it　made　the　innocent　suffer。　　The　first　experience　he　had　was　that　of　the　cruelty　and　cowardice　of　men。　　His　mind　was　deeply　impressed　by　this；　and　he　never　lost　the　impression。　　He　did　not　forgive；　but　made　it　his　mission　to　denounce　the　pharisaical　attitude　of　society。　　His　idea　was　to　treat　men　according　to　their　merits；　and　to　pay　them　back　for　the　blows　he　had　received　as　a　child。＇49＇　It　is　easy；　therefore；　to　understand　how　the　private　grievances　of　Dumas　_fils_　had　prepared　his　mind　to　welcome　a　theatre　which　took　the　part　of　the　oppressed　and　waged　war　with　social　prejudices。　　I　am　fully　aware　of　the　difference　in　temperament　of　the　two　writers。　　Dumas　_fils_；　with　his　keen　observation；　was　a　pessimist。　　He　despised　woman；　and　he　advises　us　to　kill　her；　under　the　pretext　that　she　has　always　remained　〃the　strumpet　of　the　land　of　No。〃　although　she　may　be　dressed　in　a　Worth　costume　and　wear　a　Reboux　hat。
  ＇49＇　See　our　study　of　Dumas　_fils_　in　a　volume　entitled　_Portraits　d'ecrivains。_
  As　a　dramatic　author；　Alexandre　Dumas　_fils_　had　just　what　George　Sand　lacked。　　He　was　vigorous；　he　had　the　art　of　brevity　and　brilliant　dialogue。　　It　is　thanks　to　all　this　that　we　have　one　of　the　masterpieces　of　the　French　theatre；　_Le　Marquis　de　Villemer_；　as　a　result　of　their　collaboration。
  We　know　from　George　Sand's　letters　the　share　that　Dumas　_fils_　had　in　this　work。　　He　helped　her　to　take　the　play　from　her　novel；　and　to　write　the　scenario。　　After　this；　when　once　the　play　was　written；　he　touched　up　the　dialogue；　putting　in　more　emphasis　and　brilliancy。　　It　was　Dumas；　therefore；　who　constructed　the　play。　　We　all　know　how　careless　George　Sand　was　with　her　composition。　　She　wrote　with　scarcely　any　plan　in　her　mind　beforehand；　and　let　herself　be　carried　away　by　events。　　Dumas'　idea　was　that　the　_denouement_　is　a　mathematical　total；　and　that　before　writing　the　first　word　of　a　piece　the　author　must　know　the　end　and　have　decided　the　action。　　Theatrical　managers　complained　of　the　sadness　of　George　Sand's　plays。　　It　is　to　Dumas　that　we　owe　the　gaiety　of　the　Duc　d'Aleria's　_role_。　　It　is　one　continual　flow　of　amusing　speeches；　and　it　saves　the　piece　from　the　danger　of　falling　into　tearful　drama。　　George　Sand　had　no　wit；　and　Dumas　_fils_　was　full　of　it。　　It　was　he　who　put　into　the　dialogue　those　little　sayings　which　are　so　easily　recognized　as　his。
  〃What　do　the　doctors　say？〃　is　asked；　and　the　reply　comes：
  〃What　do　the　doctors　say？　　Well；　they　say　just　what　they　know：　　they　say　nothing。〃
  〃My　brother　declares　that　the　air　of　Paris　is　the　only　air　he　can　breathe；〃　says　another　character。
  〃Congratulate　him　for　me　on　his　lungs；〃　remarks　his　interlocutor。
  〃Her　husband　was　a　baron　。　。　。〃　　remarks　some　one。
  〃Who　is　not　a　baron　at　present？〃　answers　another　person。
  A　certain　elderly　governess　is　being　discussed。
  〃Did　you　not　know　her？〃
  〃Mademoiselle　Artemise？　　No；　monsieur。〃
  〃Have　you　ever　seen　an　albatross？〃
  〃No；　never。〃
  〃Not　even　stuffed？　　Oh；　you　should　go　to　the　Zoo。　　It　is　a　curious　creature；　with　its　great　beak　ending　in　a　hook。　。　。　。　　It　eats　all　day　long。　。　。　。　　Well；　Mademoiselle　Artemise；　etc。　。　。　。〃
  The　_Marquis　de　Villemer_　is　in　its　place　in　the　series　of　George　Sand's　plays；　and　is　quite　in　accordance　with　the　general　tone　of　her　theatre。　　It　is　like　the　_Mariage　de　Victorine_　over　again。　　This　time　Victorine　is　a　reader；　who　gets　herself　married　by　a　Marquis　named　Urbain。　　He　is　of　a　gloomy　disposition；　so　that　she　will　not　enjoy　his　society　much；　but　she　will　be　a　Marquise。　　Victorine　and　Caroline　are　both　persons　who　know　how　to　make　their　way　in　the　world。　　When　they　have　a　son；　I　should　be　very　much　surprised　if　they　allowed　him　to　make　a　_mesalliance_。
  George　Sand　was　one　of　the　persons　f　or　whom　Dumas　_fils_　had　the　greatest　admiration。　　As　a　proof　of　this；　a　voluminous　correspondence　between　them　exists。　　It　has　not　yet　been　published；　but　there　is　a　possibility　that　it　may　be　some　day。　　I　remember；　when　talking　with　Dumas　_fils_；　the　terms　in　which　he　always　spoke　of　〃la　mere　Sand；〃　as　he　called　her　in　a　familiar　but　filial　way。　　He　compared　her　to　his　father；　and　that　was　great　praise　indeed　from　him。　　He　admired　in　her；　too；　as　he　admired　in　his　father；　that　wealth　of　creative　power　and　immense　capacity　for　uninterrupted　work。　　As　a　proof　of　this　admiration；　we　have　only　to　turn　to　the　preface　to　_Le　Fils　naturel_；　in　which　Dumas　is　so　furious　with　the　inhabitants　of　Palaiseau。　　George　Sand　had　taken　up　her　abode　at　Palaiseau；　and　Dumas　had　been　trying　in　vain　to　discover　her　address　in　the　district；　when　he　came　across　one　of　the　natives；　who　replied　as　follows：　　〃George　Sand？　　Wait　a　minute。　　Isn't　it　a　lady　with　papers？〃　　〃So　much　for　the　glory；〃　concludes　Dumas；　〃of　those　of　us　with　papers。〃　　According　to　him；　no　woman　had　ever　had　more　talent　or　as　much　genius。　　〃She　thinks　like　Montaigne；〃　he　says；　〃she　dreams　like　Ossian　and　she　writes　like　Jean…Jacques。　Leonardo　sketches　her　phrases　for　her；　and　Mozart　sings　them。　　Madame　de　Sevigne　kisses　her　hands；　and　Madame　de　Stael　kneels　down　to　her　as　she　passes。〃　　We　can　scarcely　imagine　Madame　de　Stael　in　this　humble　posture；　but　one　of　the　charms　of　Dumas　was　his　generous　nature；　which　spared　no　praise　and　was　lavish　in　enthusiasm。
  At　the　epoch　at　which　we　have　now　arrived；　George　Sand　had　commenced　that　period　of　tranquillity　and　calm　in　which　she　was　to　spend　the　rest　of　her　life。　　She　had　given　up　politics；　for；　as　we　have　seen；　she　was　quickly　undeceived　with　regard　to　them；　and　cured　of　her　illusions。　　When　the　_coup　d'etat_　of　December；　1851；　took　place；　George　Sand；　who　had　been　Ledru…Rollin's　collaborator　and　a　friend　of　Barbes；　soon　made　up　her　mind　what　to　do。　　As　the　daughter　of　Murat's　_aide…de…camp_；　she　naturally　had　a　certain　sympathy　with　the　Bonapartists。　　Napoleon　III　was　a　socialist；　so　that　it　was　possible　to　come　to　an　understanding。　　When　the　prince　had　been　a　prisoner　at　Ham；　he　had　sent　the　novelist　his　study　entitled　_L'Extinction　du　pauperisme_。　　George　Sand　took　advantage　of　her　former　intercourse　with　him　to　beg　for　his　indulgrence　in　favour　of　some　of　her　friends。　　This　time　she　was　in　her　proper　_role_；　the　_role_　of　a　woman。　　The　〃tyrant〃　granted　the　favours　she　asked；　and　George