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And now we come to the pure folly！ Musset had been attended by a young doctor； Pietro Pagello。 He was a straightforward sort of young man； of rather slow intelligence； without much conversation； not speaking French； but very handsome。 George Sand fell in love with him。 One night； after having scribbled a letter of three pages； she put it into an envelope without any address and gave it to Pagello。 He asked her to whom he was to give the letter。 George Sand took the envelope back and wrote on it： 〃To stupid Pagello。〃 We have this declaration； and among other things in the letter are the following lines： 〃You will not deceive me； anyhow。 You will not make any idle promises and false vows。 。 。 。 I shall not； perhaps； find in you what I have sought for in others； but； at any rate； I can always believe that you possess it。 。 。 。 I shall be able to interpret your meditations and make your silence speak eloquently。 。 。 。〃 This shows us clearly the kind of charm George Sand found in Pagello。 She loved him because he was stupid。
The next questions are； when did they become lovers； and how did Musset discover their intimacy？ It is quite certain that he suspected it； and that he made Pagello confess his love for George Sand。＇20＇ A most extraordinary scene then took place between the three of them； according to George Sand's own account。 〃Adieu； then；〃 she wrote to Musset； later on； 〃adieu to the fine poem of our sacred friendship and of that ideal bond formed between the three of us； when you dragged from him the confession of his love for me and when he vowed to you that he would make me happy。 Oh； that night of enthusiasm； when； in spite of us； you joined our hands； saying： ‘You love each other and yet you love me； for you have saved me； body and soul。〃 Thus； then； Musset had solemnly abjured his love for George Sand； he had engaged his mistress of the night before to a new lover； and was from henceforth to be their best friend。 Such was the ideal bond； such the sacred friendship！ This may be considered the romantic escapade。
＇20＇ On one of George Sand's unpublished letters to Buloz the following lines are written in the handwriting of Buloz：
〃In the morning on getting up he discovered； in an adjoining room； a tea…table still set； but with only one cup。
〃‘Did you have tea yesterday evening？'
〃‘Yes；' answered George Sand； ‘I had tea with the doctor。'
〃‘Ah； how is it that there is only one cup？'
〃‘The other has been taken away。'
〃‘No； nothing has been taken away。 You drank out of the same cup。'
〃‘Even if that were so； you have no longer the right to trouble about such things。'
〃‘I have the right； as I am still supposed to be your lover。 You ought at least to show me respect； and； as I am leaving in three days； you might wait until I have gone to do as you like。'
〃The night following this scene Musset discovered George Sand； crouching on her bed； writing a letter。
〃‘What are you doing？' he asked。
〃‘I am reading；' she replied； and she blew out the candle。
〃‘If you are reading； why do you put the candle out？'
〃‘It went out itself： light it again。'
〃Alfred de Musset lit it again。
〃‘Ah； so you were reading； and you have no book。 Infamous woman； you might as well say that you are writing to your lover。' George Sand had recourse to her usual threat of leaving the house。 Alfred de Musset read her up： ‘You are thinking of a horrible plan。 You want to hurry off to your doctor； pretend that I am mad and that your life is in danger。 You will not leave this room。 I will keep you from anything so base。 If you do go； I will put such an epitaph on your grave that the people who read it will turn pale；' said Alfred with terrible energy。
〃George Sand was trembling and crying。
〃‘I no longer love you；' Alfred said scoffingly to George Sand。
〃‘It is the right moment to take your poison or to go and drown yourself。'
〃Confession to Alfred of her secret about the doctor。 Reconciliation。 Alfred's departure。 George Sand's affectionate and enthusiastic letters。〃
Such are the famous episodes of the _tea…cup_ and _the letter_ as Buloz heard them told at the time。 ｛The end of footnote ＇20＇｝
Musset returned in March； 1834； leaving George Sand with Pagello in Venice。 The sentimental exaggeration continued； as we see from the letters exchanged between Musset and George Sand。 When crossing the Simplon the immutable grandeur of the Alps struck Alusset with admiration； and he thought of his two 〃great friends。〃 His head was evidently turned by the heights from which he looked at things。 George Sand wrote to him： 〃I am not giving you any message from Pagello； except that he is almost as sad as I am at your absence。〃 〃He is a fine fellow；〃 answered Musset。 〃Tell him how much I like him； and that my eyes fill with tears when I think of him。〃 Later on he writes： 〃When I saw Pagello； I recognized in him the better side of my own nature； but pure and free from the irreparable stains which have ruined mine。〃 〃Always treat me like that；〃 writes Musset again。 〃It makes me feel proud。 My dear friend； the woman who talks of her new lover in this way to the one she has given up； but who still loves her； gives him a proof of the greatest esteem that a man can receive from a woman。 。 。 。〃 That romanticism which made a drama of the situation in _L'Ecole des Femmes_； and another one out of that in the _Precieuses ridicules_； excels in taking tragically situations that belong to comedy and in turning them into the sublime。
Meanwhile George Sand had settled down in Venice with Pagello and with all the family； all the Pagello tribe； with the brother； the sister； to say nothing of the various rivals who came and made scenes。 It was the vulgar； ordinary platitude of an Italian intimacy of this kind。 In spite of everything； she continued congratulating herself on her choice。
〃I have my love； my stay here with me。 He never suffers； for he is never weak or suspicious。 。 。 。 He is calm and good。 。 。 。 He loves me and is at peace； he is happy without my having to suffer； without my having to make efforts for his happiness。 。 。 。 As for me； I must suffer for some one。 It is just this suffering which nurtures my maternal solicitude； etc。 。 。 。〃 She finally begins to weary of her dear Pagello's stupidity。 It occurred to her to take him with her to Paris； and that was the climax。 There are some things which cannot be transplanted from one country to another。 When they had once set foot in Paris； the absurdity of their situation appeared to them。
〃From the moment that Pagello landed in France；〃 says George Sand； 〃he could not understand anything。〃 The one thing that he was compelled to understand was that he was no longer wanted。 He was simply pushed out。 George Sand had a remarkable gift for bringing out the characteristics of the persons with whom she had any intercourse。 This Pagello； thanks to his adventure with her； has become in the eyes of the world a personage as comic as one of Moliere's characters。
Musset and George Sand still cared for each other。 He beseeched her to return to him。 〃I am good…for…nothing；〃 he says； 〃for I am simply steeped in my love for you。 I do not know whether I am alive； whether I eat； drink； or breathe； but I know I am in love。〃 George Sand was afraid to return to him； and Sainte…Beuve forbade her。 Love proved stronger than all other arguments； however； and she yielded。
As soon as she was with him once more； their torture commenced again； with all the customary complaints； reproaches and recriminations。 〃I was quite sure that all these reproaches would begin again immediately after the happiness we had dreamed of and promised each other。 Oh； God； to think that we have already arrived at this！〃 she writes。
What tortured them was that the past； which they had believed to be 〃a beautiful poem；〃 now seemed to them a hideous nightmare。 All this； we read； was a game that they were playing。 A cruel sort of game； of which Musset grew more and more weary； but which to George Sand gradually became a necessity。 We see this； as from henceforth it was she who implored Musset。 In her diary； dated December 24； 1834； we read： 〃And what if I rushed to him when my love is too strong for me。 What if I went and broke the bell…pull with ringing； until he opened his door to me。 Or if I lay down across the threshold until he came out！〃 She cut off her magnificent hair and sent it to him。 Such was the way in which this proud woman humbled herself。 She was a prey to love； which seemed to her a holy complaint。 It was a case of Venus entirely devoted to her prey。 The question is； was this really love？ 〃I no longer love you；〃 she writes； 〃but I still adore you。 I do not want you any more； but I cannot do without you。〃 They had the courage to give each other up finally in March； 1835。
It now remains for us to explain the singularity of this adventure； which； as a matter of fact； was beyond all logic； even the logic of passion。 It is； however； readily understood； if we treat it as a case of acute romanticism； the finest case of romanticism； that has been actually lived； which the history of letters offers us。
The romanticism c