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the　sound　of　his　wife's　voice。　He　looked　round　upon　his　sister；　his
son；　and　the　baroness。　〃What　is　the　matter？〃　he　asked。

〃Nothing；　my　friend；〃　replied　his　wife。

〃Mamma；〃　said　Calyste；　whispering　in　his　mother's　ear；　〃it　is
impossible　for　me　to　explain　myself　just　now；　but　to…night　you　and　I
will　talk　of　this。　When　you　know　all；　you　will　bless　Mademoiselle　des
Touches。〃

〃Mothers　do　not　like　to　curse；〃　replied　the　baroness。　〃I　could　not
curse　a　woman　who　truly　loved　my　Calyste。〃

The　young　man　bade　adieu　to　his　father　and　went　out。　The　baron　and　his
wife　rose　to　see　him　pass　through　the　court…yard；　open　the　gate；　and
disappear。　The　baroness　did　not　again　take　up　the　newspaper；　she　was
too　agitated。　In　this　tranquil；　untroubled　life　such　a　discussion　was
the　equivalent　of　a　quarrel　in　other　homes。　Though　somewhat　calmed；
her　motherly　uneasiness　was　not　dispersed。　Whither　would　such　a
friendship；　which　might　claim　the　life　of　Calyste　and　destroy　it；　lead
her　boy？　Bless　Mademoiselle　des　Touches？　how　could　that　be？　These
questions　were　as　momentous　to　her　simple　soul　as　the　fury　of
revolutions　to　a　statesman。　Camille　Maupin　was　Revolution　itself　in
that　calm　and　placid　home。

〃I　fear　that　woman　will　ruin　him；〃　she　said；　picking　up　the　paper。

〃My　dear　Fanny；〃　said　the　old　baron；　with　a　jaunty　air；　〃you　are　too
much　of　an　angel　to　understand　these　things。　Mademoiselle　des　Touches
is；　they　say；　as　black　as　a　crow；　as　strong　as　a　Turk；　and　forty　years
old。　Our　dear　Calyste　was　certain　to　fall　in　love　with　her。　Of　course
he　will　tell　certain　honorable　little　lies　to　conceal　his　happiness。
Let　him　alone　to　amuse　himself　with　his　first　illusions。〃

〃If　it　had　been　any　other　woman〃　began　the　baroness。

〃But；　my　dear　Fanny；　if　the　woman　were　a　saint　she　would　not　accept
your　son。〃　The　baroness　again　picked　up　the　paper。　〃I　will　go　and　see
her　myself；〃　added　the　baron；　〃and　tell　you　all　about　her。〃

This　speech　has　no　savor　at　the　present　moment。　But　after　reading　the
biography　of　Camille　Maupin　you　can　then　imagine　the　old　baron
entering　the　lists　against　that　illustrious　woman。



VI

BIOGRAPHY　OF　CAMILLE　MAUPIN

The　town　of　Guerande；　which　for　two　months　past　had　seen　Calyste；　its
flower　and　pride；　going；　morning　or　evening；　often　morning　and
evening；　to　Les　Touches；　concluded　that　Mademoiselle　Felicite　des
Touches　was　passionately　in　love　with　the　beautiful　youth；　and　that
she　practised　upon　him　all　kinds　of　sorceries。　More　than　one　young
girl　and　wife　asked　herself　by　what　right　an　old　woman　exercised　so
absolute　an　empire　over　that　angel。　When　Calyste　passed　along　the
Grand'　Rue　to　the　Croisic　gate　many　a　regretful　eye　was　fastened　on
him。

It　now　became　necessary　to　explain　the　rumors　which　hovered　about　the
person　whom　Calyste　was　on　his　way　to　see。　These　rumors；　swelled　by
Breton　gossip；　envenomed　by　public　ignorance；　had　reached　the　rector。
The　receiver　of　taxes；　the　/juge　de　paix/；　the　head　of　the　Saint…
Nazaire　custom…house　and　other　lettered　persons　had　not　reassured　the
abbe　by　relating　to　him　the　strange　and　fantastic　life　of　the　female
writer　who　concealed　herself　under　the　masculine　name　of　Camille
Maupin。　She　did　not　as　yet　eat　little　children；　nor　kill　her　slaves
like　Cleopatra；　nor　throw　men　into　the　river　as　the　heroine　of　the
Tour　de　Nesle　was　falsely　accused　of　doing；　but　to　the　Abbe　Grimont
this　monstrous　creature；　a　cross　between　a　siren　and　an　atheist；　was
an　immoral　combination　of　woman　and　philosopher　who　violated　every
social　law　invented　to　restrain　or　utilize　the　infirmities　of
womankind。

Just　as　Clara　Gazul　is　the　female　pseudonym　of　a　distinguished　male
writer；　George　Sand　the　masculine　pseudonym　of　a　woman　of　genius；　so
Camille　Maupin　was　the　mask　behind　which　was　long　hidden　a　charming
young　woman；　very　well…born；　a　Breton；　named　Felicite　des　Touches；　the
person　who　was　now　causing　such　lively　anxiety　to　the　Baronne　du
Guenic　and　the　excellent　rector　of　Guerande。　The　Breton　des　Touches
family　has　no　connection　with　the　family　of　the　same　name　in　Touraine；
to　which　belongs　the　ambassador　of　the　Regent；　even　more　famous　to…day
for　his　writings　than　for　his　diplomatic　talents。

Camille　Maupin；　one　of　the　few　celebrated　women　of　the　nineteenth
century；　was　long　supposed　to　be　a　man；　on　account　of　the　virility　of
her　first　writings。　All　the　world　now　knows　the　two　volumes　of　plays；
not　intended　for　representation　on　the　stage；　written　after　the　manner
of　Shakespeare　or　Lopez　de　Vega；　published　in　1822；　which　made　a　sort
of　literary　revolution　when　the　great　question　of　the　classics　and　the
romanticists　palpitated　on　all　sides；in　the　newspapers；　at　the
clubs；　at　the　Academy；　everywhere。　Since　then；　Camille　Maupin　has
written　several　plays　and　a　novel；　which　have　not　belied　the　success
obtained　by　her　first　publicationnow；　perhaps；　too　much　forgotten。
To　explain　by　what　net…work　of　circumstances　the　masculine　incarnation
of　a　young　girl　was　brought　about；　why　Felicite　des　Touches　became　a
man　and　an　author；　and　why；　more　fortunate　than　Madame　de　Stael；　she
kept　her　freedom　and　was　thus　more　excusable　for　her　celebrity；　would
be　to　satisfy　many　curiosities　and　do　justice　to　one　of　those　abnormal
beings　who　rise　in　humanity　like　monuments；　and　whose　fame　is　promoted
by　its　rarity；for　in　twenty　centuries　we　can　count；　at　most；　twenty
famous　women。　Therefore；　although　in　these　pages　she　stands　as　a
secondary　character；　in　consideration　of　the　fact　that　she　plays　a
great　part　in　the　literary　history　of　our　epoch；　and　that　her
influence　over　Calyste　was　great；　no　one；　we　think；　will　regret　being
made　to　pause　before　that　figure　rather　longer　than　modern　art
permits。

Mademoiselle　Felicite　des　Touches　became　an　orphan　in　1793。　Her
property　escaped　confiscation　by　reason　of　the　deaths　of　her　father
and　brother。　The　first　was　killed　on　the　10th　of　August；　at　the
threshold　of　the　palace；　among　the　defenders　of　the　king；　near　whose
person　his　rank　as　major　of　the　guards　of　the　gate　had　placed　him。　Her
brother；　one　of　the　body…guard；　was　massacred　at　Les　Carmes。
Mademoiselle　des　Touches　was　two　years　old　when　her　mother　died；
killed　by　grief；　a　few　days　after　this　second　catastrophe。　When　dying；
Madame　des　Touches　confided　her　daughter　to　her　sister；　a　nun　of
Chelles。　Madame　de　Faucombe；　the　nun；　prudently　took　the　orphan　to
Faucombe；　a　good…sized　estate　near　Nantes；　belonging　to　Madame　des
Touches；　and　there　she　settled　with　the　little　girl　and　three　sisters
of　her　convent。　The　populace　of　Nantes；　during　the　last　days　of　the
Terror；　tore　down　the　chateau；　seized　the　nuns　and　Mademoiselle　des
Touches；　and　threw　them　into　prison　on　a　false　charge　of　receiving
emissaries　of　Pitt　and　Coburg。　The　9th　Thermidor　released　them。
Felicite's　aunt　died　of　fear。　Two　of　the　sisters　left　France；　and　the
third　confided　the　little　girl　to　her　nearest　relation；　Monsieur　de
Faucombe；　her　maternal　great…uncle；　who　lived　in　Nantes。

Monsieur　de　Faucombe；　an　old　man　sixty　years　of　age；　had　married　a
young　woman　to　whom　he　left　the　management　of　his　affairs。　He　busied
himself　in　archaeology；a　passion；　or　to　speak　more　correctly；　one　of
those　manias　which　enable　old　men　to　fancy　themselves　still　living。
The　education　of　his　ward　was　therefore　left　to　chance。　Little　cared…
for　by　her　uncle's　wife；　a　young　woman　given　over　to　the　social
pleasures　of　the　imperial　epoch；　Felicite　brought　herself　up　as　a　boy。
She　kept　company　with　Monsieur　de　Faucombe　in　his　library；　where　she
read　everything　it　pleased　her　to　read。　She　thus　obtained　a　knowledge
of　life　in　theory；　and　had　no　innocence　of　mind；　though　virgin
personally。　Her　intellect　floated　on　the　impurities　of　knowledge　while
her　heart　was　pure。　Her　learning　became　extraordinary；　the　result　of　a
passion　for　reading；　sustained　by　a　powerful　memory。　At　eighteen　years
of　age　she　was　as　well…informed　on　all　topics　as　a　young　man　entering
a　literary　career　has　need　to　be　in　our　day。　Her　prodigious　reading
controlled　her　passions　far　more　than　conventual　life　would　have　done；
for　there　the　imaginations　of　young　girls　run　riot。　A　brain　crammed
with　knowledge　that　was　neither　digested　nor　classed　governed　the
heart　and　soul　of　the　child。　This　depravity　of　the　intellect；　without
action　upon　the　chastity　of　the　body；　would　have　amazed　philosophers
and　observers；　had　any　one　in　Nantes　even　suspected　the　powers　of
Mademoiselle　des　Touches。

The　result　of　all　this　was　in　a　contrary　direction　to　the　cause。
Felicite　had　no　inclinations　toward　evil；　she　conceived　everything　by
thought；　but　abstained　from　deed。　Old　Faucombe　was　enchanted　with　her；
and　she　helped　him　in　his　work；writing　three　of　his　books；　which　the
worthy　old　gentleman　believed　were　his　own；　for　his　spiritual
paternity　was　blind。　Such　mental　labor；　not　agreeing　with　the
developments　of　girlhood；　had　its　effect。　Felicite　fell　ill；　her　blood
was　overheated；　and　her　chest　seemed　threatened　with　inflammation。　The
doctors　ordered　horseback　exercise　and　the　amusements　of　society。
Mademoiselle　des　Touches　became；　in　consequence；　an　admirable
horsewoman；　and　recovered　her　health　in　a　few　months。

At　the　age　of　eighteen　she　appeared　in　the　world；　where　she　produced
so　great　a　sensation　that　no　one　in　Nantes　called　her　anything　else
than　〃the　beautiful　Mademoiselle　des　Touches。〃　Led　to　enter　society　by
one　of　the　imperishable　sentiments　in　the　heart　of　a　woman；　however
superior　she　may　be；　the　worship　she　inspired　found　her　cold　and
unresponsive。　Hurt　by　her　aunt　and　her　cousins；　who　ridiculed　her
studies　and　teased　her　about　her　unwillingness　for　society；　which　they
attributed　to　a　lack　of　the　power　of　pleasing；　Felicite　resolved　on
making　herself　coquettish；　gay；　volatile；a　woman；　in　short。　But　she
expected　in　return　an　exchange　of　ideas；　seductions；　and　pleasures　in
harmony　with　the　elevation　of　her　own　mind　and　the　extent　of　its
knowledge。　Instead　of　that；　she　was　filled　with　disgust　for　the
commonplaces　of　conversation；　the　silliness　of　gallantry；　and　more
especially　was　she　shocked　by　the　supremacy　of　military　men；　to　whom
society　made　obeisance　at　that　period。　She　had；　not　unnaturally；
neg