the relations of the hero and heroine, and he has printed the
names of George Sand and Alfred de Musset instead of the fictitious
names. The result is perhaps of a nature to refresh the jaded vision of
most lovers of scandal.

We must add that some of his judgments on the matter happen to have a
certain felicity. M. Paul de Musset has narrated the story more
briefly--having, indeed, by the publication of "Lui et Elle," earned
the right to be brief. He mentions two or three facts, however, the
promulgation of which he may have thought it proper, as we said before,
to postpone to Mme. Sand's death. One of them is sufficiently dramatic.
Musset had met George Sand in the summer of 1833, about the time of the
publication of "Rolla"--seeing her for the first time at a dinner given
to the contributors of the "Revue des Deux Mondes," at the Trois Freres
Provencaux. George Sand was the only woman present. Sainte-Beuve had
already endeavored to bring his two friends together, but the attempt
had failed, owing to George Sand's reluctance, founded on an impression
that she should not like the young poet. Alfred de Musset was
twenty-three years of age; George Sand, who had published "Indiana,"
"Valentine," and "Lelia," was close upon thirty. Alfred de Musset, as
the author of "Rolla," was a very extraordinary young man--quite the
young man of whom Heinrich Heine could say "he has a magnificent _past_
before him." Upon his introduction to George Sand, an intimacy speedily
followed--an intimacy commemorated by the lady in expansive notes to
Sainte-Beuve, whom she kept informed of its progress. When the winter
came the two intimates talked of leaving Paris together, and, as an
experiment, paid a visit to Fontainebleau. The experiment succeeded,
but this was not enough, and they formed the project of going to Italy.
To this project, as regarded her son, Mme. de Musset refused her
consent. (Alfred's father, we should say, had died before the
publication of "Rolla," leaving his children without appreciable
property, though during his lifetime, occupying a post in a government
office, he had been able to maintain them comfortably.) His mother's
opposition was so vehement that Alfred gave up the project, and
countermanded the preparations that had already been made for
departure.

"That evening toward nine o'clock," says M. Paul de Musset, "our mother
was alone with her daughter by the fireside, when she was informed that
a lady was wait