Physically, she had doubled her chin like a canon.
She had not a single white hair, in spite of
all her fearful misfortunes; her dusky complexion
had not changed. Her beautiful eyes were just
as bright, and she looked just as stupid as ever
when she was thinking. . . ."

This is George Sand in her thirty-fifth year,
as she was at the time of the fresh adventure we
are about to relate.

Balzac continues by giving us a few details
about the life of the authoress. It was very much
like his own, except that Balzac went to bed at
six o'clock and got up at midnight, and George
Sand went to bed at six in the morning and got
up at noon. He adds the following remark,
which shows us the state of her feelings:

"She is now in a very quiet retreat, and con-
demns both marriage and love, because she has
had nothing but disappointment in both herself.
Her man was a rare one, that was really all."

In the course of their friendly conversation,
George Sand gave him the subject for a novel
which it would be rather awkward for her to
write. The novel was to be Galériens or Amours
forces. These "galley-slaves" of love were Liszt
and the Comtesse d'Agoult, who had been with
George Sand at Chamonix, Paris, and Nohant. It

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