ad
just been reading a number of George Sand's novels which exalt the man
of the people, novels in which the workmen are sublime, and all the men
of the world are criminals. In addition to this I had seen Ruy Blas the
winter before, and it had struck me very much. Well, one of our farmers
had a son, a good-looking young fellow of two and twenty who had studied
for a priest, but had left the seminary in disgust. Well, I took him as
footman!" "Oh!... And then?... What afterwards?"

"Then ... then, my dear, I treated him very haughtily, and showed him a
good deal of my person. I did not entice this rustic on, I simply
inflamed him!..." "Oh! Andree!" "Yes, and I enjoyed the fun very much.
People say that servants count for nothing! Well he did not count for
much. I used to ring to give him his orders every morning while my maid
was dressing me, and every evening as well, while she was undressing
me." "Oh! Andree!"

"My dear he caught fire like a thatched roof. Then, at meals, I used
continually to talk about cleanliness, about taking care of one's
person, about baths and shower baths, until at the end of a fortnight he
bathed in the river morning and night, and used to scent himself enough
to poison the whole chateau. I was even obliged to forbid him to use
perfumes, telling him, with furious looks, that men ought never to use
scent except Eau de Cologne."

"Oh! Andree!"

"Then, I took it into my head to get together a library suitable to the
country. I sent for a few hundred moral novels, which I lent to all our
peasants, and all my servants. A few books ... a few ... poetical books
... such as excite the mind of ... schoolboys and schoolgirls ... had
found their way into my collection ... and I gave them to my footman.
That taught him life ... a funny sort of life." "Oh! Andree!"

"Then I grew familiar with him, and used to say thou[18] to him. I had
given him the name of Joseph. And, my dear, he was in a state ... in a
terrible state.... He got as thin as ... as a barn-door cock ... and
rolled his eyes like an idiot. I was extremely amused; it was one of the
most delightful summers I ever spent...." "And then?..." "Then?... Oh!
yes.... Well, one day when my husband was away from home, I told him to
order the basket carriage and to drive me into the woods. It was warm,
very warm.... There!" "Oh Andree, do tell me all about it.... It is so
amusing...." "Here have a glass of Chartreuse, otherwise I shall empty
the dec