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place； and does place； between us is covered by his deeprooted pride；
he wraps himself in mystery。 The hanging back is on his side； the
boldness on mine。 This odd situation affords me the more amusement
because the whole thing is mere trifling。 What is a man； a Spaniard；
and a teacher of languages to me？ I make no account of any man
whatever； were he a king。 We are worth far more； I am sure； than the
greatest of them。 What a slave I would have made of Napoleon！ If he
had loved me； shouldn't he have felt the whip！
Yesterday I aimed a shaft at M。 Henarez which must have touched him to
the quick。 He made no reply； the lesson was over； and he bowed with a
glance at me； in which I read that he would never return。 This suits
me capitally； there would be something ominous in starting an
imitation /Nouvelle Heloise/。 I have just been reading Rousseau's； and
it has left me with a strong distaste for love。 Passion which can
argue and moralize seems to me detestable。
Clarissa also is much too pleased with herself and her long； little
letter； but Richardson's work is an admirable picture； my father tells
me； of English women。 Rousseau's seems to me a sort of philosophical
sermon； cast in the form of letters。
Love； as I conceive it； is a purely subjective poem。 In all that books
tell us about it； there is nothing which is not at once false and
true。 And so； my pretty one； as you will henceforth be an authority
only on conjugal love； it seems to me my dutyin the interest； of
course； of our common lifeto remain unmarried； and have a grand
passion； so that we may enlarge our experience。
Tell me every detail of what happens to you； especially in the first
few days； with that strange animal called a husband。 I promise to do
the same for you if ever I am loved。
Farewell； poor martyred darling。
XI
MME。 DE L'ESTORADE TO MLLE。 DE CHAULIEU
La Crampade。
Your Spaniard and you make me shudder； my darling。 I write this line
to beg of you to dismiss him。 All that you say of him corresponds with
the character of those dangerous adventurers who； having nothing to
lose； will take any risk。 This man cannot be your husband； and must
not be your lover。 I will write to you more fully about the inner
history of my married life when my heart is free from the anxiety your
last letter has roused in it。
XII
MLLE。 DE CHAULIEU TO MME。 DE L'ESTORADE
February。
At nine o'clock this morning； sweetheart； my father was announced in
my rooms。 I was up and dressed。 I found him solemnly seated beside the
fire in the drawing…room； looking more thoughtful than usual。 He
pointed to the armchair opposite to him。 Divining his meaning； I sank
into it with a gravity； which so well aped his； that he could not
refrain from smiling； though the smile was dashed with melancholy。
〃You are quite a match for your grandmother in quick…wittedness；〃 he
said。
〃Come； father； don't play the courtier here；〃 I replied； 〃you want
something from me。〃
He rose； visibly agitated； and talked to me for half an hour。 This
conversation； dear； really ought to be preserved。 As soon as he had
gone； I sat down to my table and tried to recall his words。 This is
the first time that I have seen my father revealing his inner
thoughts。
He began by flattering me； and he did not do it badly。 I was bound to
be grateful to him for having understood and appreciated me。
〃Armande；〃 he said； 〃I was quite mistaken in you； and you have
agreeably surprised me。 When you arrived from the convent； I took you
for an average young girl； ignorant and not particularly intelligent；
easily to be bought off with gewgaws and ornaments； and with little
turn for reflection。〃
〃You are complimentary to young girls； father。〃
〃Oh！ there is no such thing as youth nowadays；〃 he said； with the air
of a diplomat。 〃Your mind is amazingly open。 You take everything at
its proper worth； your clear…sightedness is extraordinary； there is no
hoodwinking you。 You pass for being blind； and all the time you have
laid your hand on causes； while other people are still puzzling over
effects。 In short； you are a minister in petticoats； the only person
here capable of understanding me。 It follows； then； that if I have any
sacrifice to ask from you； it is only to yourself I can turn for help
in persuading you。
〃I am therefore going to explain to you； quite frankly； my former
plans； to which I still adhere。 In order to recommend them to you； I
must show that they are connected with feelings of a very high order；
and I shall thus be obliged to enter into political questions of the
greatest importance to the kingdom； which might be wearisome to any
one less intelligent than you are。 When you have heard me； I hope you
will take time for consideration； six months if necessary。 You are
entirely your own mistress； and if you decline to make the sacrifice I
ask； I shall bow to your decision and trouble you no further。〃
This preface； my sweetheart； made me really serious； and I said：
〃Speak； father。〃
Here； then； is the deliverance of the statesman：
〃My child； France is in a very critical position； which is understood
only by the King and a few superior minds。 But the King is a head
without arms； the great nobles； who are in the secret of the danger；
have no authority over the men whose co…operation is needful in order
to bring about a happy result。 These men； cast up by popular election；
refuse to lend themselves as instruments。 Even the able men among them
carry on the work of pulling down society； instead of helping us to
strengthen the edifice。
〃In a word； there are only two partiesthe party of Marius and the
party of Sulla。 I am for Sulla against Marius。 This； roughly speaking；
is our position。 To go more into details： the Revolution is still
active； it is embedded in the law and written on the soil； it fills
people's minds。 The danger is all the greater because the greater
number of the King's counselors； seeing it destitute of armed forces
and of money； believe it completely vanquished。 The King is an able
man； and not easily blinded； but from day to day he is won over by his
brother's partisans； who want to hurry things on。 He has not two years
to live； and thinks more of a peaceful deathbed than of anything else。
〃Shall I tell you； my child； which is the most destructive of all the
consequences entailed by the Revolution？ You would never guess。 In
Louis XVI。 the Revolution has decapitated every head of a family。 The
family has ceased to exist； we have only individuals。 In their desire
to become a nation； Frenchmen have abandoned the idea of empire； in
proclaiming the equal rights of all children to their father's
inheritance； they have killed the family spirit and created the State
treasury。 But all this has paved the way for weakened authority； for
the blind force of the masses； for the decay of art and the supremacy
of individual interests； and has left the road open to the foreign
invader。
〃We stand between two policieseither to found the State on the basis
of the family； or to rest it on individual interestin other words；
between democracy and aristocracy； between free discussion and
obedie