There　may　be　a　slight　exaggeration　in　the　words　〃never　in　the　memory　of　man；〃　but　the　success　was　really　great。　　_Claudie_　is　still　given；　and　I　remember　seeing　Paul　Mounet　interpret　the　part　of　Remy　admirably　at　the　Odeon　Theatre。　　As　to　the　_Mariage　de　Victorine_；　it　figures　every　year　on　the　programme　of　the　Conservatoire　competitions。　　It　is　the　typical　piece　for　would…be　_ingenues。_
  _Francois　le　Champi；　Claudie_　and　the　_Mariage　de　Victorine_　may　be　considered　as　the　series　representing　George　Sand's　dramatic　writings。　　These　pieces　were　all　her　own；　and；　in　her　own　opinion；　that　was　their　principal　merit。　　The　dramatic　author　is　frequently　obliged　to　accept　the　collaboration　of　persons　who　know　nothing　of　literature。
  〃Your　characters　say　this；〃　observes　the　manager；　it　is　all　very　well；　but；　believe　me；　it　will　be　better　for　him　to　say　just　the　opposite。　　The　piece　will　run　at　least　sixty　nights　longer。〃　　There　was　a　manager　at　the　Gymnase　Theatre　in　those　days　named　Montigny。　　He　was　a　very　clever　manager；　and　knew　exactly　what　the　characters　ought　to　say　for　making　the　piece　run。　　George　Sand　complained　of　his　mania　for　changing　every　play；　and　she　added：　　〃Every　piece　that　I　did　not　change；　such；　for　instance；　as　_Champi_；　_Claudie_；　_Victorine；　Le　Demon　du　foyer_　and　_Le　Pressoir_；　was　a　success；　whilst　all　the　others　were　either　failures　or　they　had　a　very　short　run。〃＇48＇
  ＇48＇　_Correspondance：_　To　Maurice　Sand；　February　24；　1855。
  It　was　in　these　pieces　that　George　Sand　carried　out　her　own　idea　of　what　was　required　for　the　theatre。　　Her　idea　was　very　simple。　　She　gives　it　in　two　or　three　words：　　〃I　like　pieces　that　make　me　cry。〃　　She　adds：　　〃I　like　drama　better　than　comedy；　and；　like　a　woman；　I　must　be　infatuated　by　one　of　the　characters。〃　　This　character　is　the　congenial　one。　　The　public　is　with　him　always　and　trembles　for　him；　and　the　trembling　is　all　the　more　agreeable；　because　the　public　knows　perfectly　well　that　all　will　end　well　for　this　character。　　It　can　even　go　as　far　as　weeping　the　traditional　six　tears；　as　Madame　de　Sevigne　did　for　Andromaque。　　Tears　at　the　theatre　are　all　the　sweeter；　because　they　are　all　in　vain。　　When；　in　a　play；　we　have　a　congenial　character　who　is　there　from　the　beginning　to　the　end；　the　play　is　a　success。　　Let　us　take　_Cyraino　de　Bergerac_；　for　instance；　which　is　one　of　the　greatest　successes　in　the　history　of　the　theatre。
  Francois　le　Champi　is　eminently　a　congenial　character；　for　he　is　a　man　who　always　sets　wrong　things　right。　　We　are　such　believers　in　justice　and　in　the　interference　of　Providence。　　When　good；　straightforward　people　are　persecuted　by　fate；　we　always　expect　to　see　a　man　appear　upon　the　scene　who　will　be　the　champion　of　innocence；　who　will　put　evil…doers　to　rights；　and　find　the　proper　thing　to　do　and　say　in　every　circumstance。
  Francois　appears　at　the　house　of　Madeleine　Blanchet；　who　is　a　widow　and　very　sad　and　ill。　　He　takes　her　part　and　defends　her　from　the　results　of　La　Severe's　intrigues。　　He　is　hard　on　the　latter；　and　he　disdains　another　woman；　Mariette；　but　both　La　Severe　and　Mariette　love　him；　so　true　is　it　that　women　have　a　weakness　for　conquerors。　　Francois　only　cares　for　Madeleine；　though。　　On　the　stage；　we　like　a　man　to　be　adored　by　all　women；　as　this　seems　to　us　a　guarantee　that　he　will　only　care　for　one　of　them。
  〃Champi〃　is　a　word　peculiar　to　a　certain　district；　meaning　〃natural　son。〃　　Dumas　_fils_　wrote　a　play　entitled　_Le　Fils　naturel_。　　The　hero　is　also　a　superior　man；　who　plays　the　part　of　Providence　to　the　family　which　has　refused　to　recognize　him。
  In　_Claudie_；　as　in　_Francois　le　Champi_；　the　rural　setting　is　one　of　the　great　charms　of　the　play。　　The　first　act　is　one　of　the　most　picturesque　scenes　on　the　stage。　　It　takes　place　in　a　farmyard；　the　day　when　the　reapers　have　finished　their　task；　which　is　just　as　awe…inspiring　as　that　of　the　sowers。　　A　cart；　drawn　by　oxen；　enters　the　yard；　bringing　a　sheaf　all　adorned　with　ribbons　and　flowers。　　The　oldest　of　the　labourers；　Pere　Remy；　addresses　a　fine　couplet　to　the　sheaf　of　corn　which　has　cost　so　much　labour；　but　which　is　destined　to　keep　life　in　them　all。　　Claudie　is　one　of　those　young　peasant　girls；　whom　we　met　with　in　the　novel　entitled　_Jeanne_。　　She　had　been　unfortunate；　but　Jeanne；　although　virtuous　and　pure　herself；　did　not　despise　her；　for　in　the　country　there　is　great　latitude　in　certain　matters。　　This　is　just　the　plain　story；　but　on　the　stage　everything　becomes　more　dramatic　and　is　treated　in　a　more　detailed　and　solemn　fashion。　　Claudie's　misfortune　causes　her　to　become　a　sort　of　personage　apart；　and　it　raises　her　very　high　in　her　own　esteem。
  〃I　am　not　afraid　of　anything　that　can　be　said　about　me；〃　observes　Claudie；　〃for；　on　knowing　the　truth；　kind…hearted；　upright　people　will　acknowledge　that　I　do　not　deserve　to　be　insulted。〃　　Her　old　grandfather；　Remy；　has　completely　absolved　her。
  〃You　have　repented　and　suffered　enough；　and　you　have　worked　and　wept　and　expiated　enough；　too；　my　poor　Claudie；〃　he　says。　　Through　all　this　she　has　become　worthy　to　make　an　excellent　marriage。　　It　is　a　case　of　that　special　moral　code　by　which；　after　free　love；　the　fault　must　be　recompensed。
  Claudie　is　later　on　the　Jeannine　of　the　_Idees　de　Madame　Aubray_；　the　Denise　of　Alexandre　Dumas。　　She　is　the　unmarried　mother；　whose　misfortunes　have　not　crushed　her　pride；　who；　after　being　outraged；　has　a　right　now　to　a　double　share　of　respect。　　The　first　good　young　man　is　called　upon　to　accept　her　past　life；　for　there　is　a　law　of　solidarity　in　the　world。　　The　human　species　is　divided　into　two　categories；　the　one　is　always　busy　doing　harm；　and　the　other　is　naturally　obliged　to　give　itself　up　to　making　good　the　harm　done。
  _The　Mariage　de　Victorine_　belongs　to　a　well…known　kind　of　literary　exercise；　which　was　formerly　very　much　in　honour　in　the　colleges。　　This　consists　in　taking　a　celebrated　work　at　the　place　where　the　author　has　left　it　and　in　imagining　the　〃sequel。〃　　For　instance；　after　the　_Cid_；　there　would　be　the　marriage　of　Rodrigue　and　Chimene　for　us。　　As　a　continuation　of　_L'Ecole　des　Femmes_；　there　is　the　result　of　the　marriage　of　the　young　Horace　with　the　tiresome　little　Agnes。　　Corneille　gave　a　sequel　to　the　_Menteur_　himself。　　Fabre　d'Eglantine　wrote　the　sequel　to　_Le　Misanthrope_；　and　called　it　_Le　Philinte　de　Moliere_。　　George　Sand　gives　us　here　the　sequel　of　Sedaine's　_chef…d'oeuvre_　（that　is；　a　_chef…d'oeuvre_　for　Sedaine）；　_Le　Philosophe　sans　le　savor。_
  In　_Le　Philosophe　sans　le　savoir_　Monsieur　Vanderke　is　a　nobleman；　who　has　become　a　merchant　in　order　to　be　in　accordance　with　the　ideas　of　the　times。　　He　is　a　Frenchman；　but　he　has　taken　a　Dutch　name　out　of　snobbishness。　　He　has　a　clerk　or　a　confidential　servant　named　Antoine。　　Victorine　is　Antoine's　daughter。　　Vanderke's　son　is　to　fight　a　duel；　and　from　Victorine's　emotion；　whilst　awaiting　the　result　of　this　duel；　it　is　easy　to　see　that　she　is　in　love　with　this　young　man。　　George　Sand's　play　turns　on　the　question　of　what　is　to　be　done　when　the　day　comes　for　Victorine　to　marry。　　An　excellent　husband　is　found　for　her；　a　certain　Fulgence；　one　of　Monsieur　Vanderke's　clerks。　　He　belongs　to　her　own　class；　and　this　is　considered　one　of　the　indispensable　conditions　for　happiness　in　marriage。　　He　loves　her；　so　that　everything　seems　to　favour　Victorine。　　We　are　delighted；　and　she；　too；　seems　to　be　in　good　spirits；　but；　all　the　time　that　she　is　receiving　congratulations　and　presents；　we　begin　to　see　that　she　has　some　great　trouble。
  〃Silk　and　pearls！〃　she　exclaims；　〃oh；　how　heavy　they　are；　but　I　am　sure　that　they　are　very　fine。　　Lace；　too；　and　silver；　oh；　such　a　quantity　of　silver。　　How　rich　and　fine　and　happy　I　shall　be。　　And　then　Fulgence　is　so　fond　of　me。〃　　（She　gets　sadder　and　sadder。）　〃And　father　is　so　pleased。　　How　strange。　　I　feel　stifled。〃　　（She　sits　down　in　Antoinc's　chair。）　〃Is　this　joy？　。　。　。　　I　feel　。　。　。　　Ah；　it　hurts　to　be　as　happy　as　this。　。　。　。〃　　She　bursts　into　tears。　　This　suppressed　emotion　to　which　she　finally　gives　vent；　and　this　forced　smile　which　ends　in　sobs　are　very　effective　on　the　stage。　　The　question　is；　how　can　Victorine's　tears　be　dried？　　She　wants　to　marry　young　Vanderke；　the　son　of　her　father's　employer；　instead　of　the　clerk。　　The　only　thing　is；　then；　to　arrange　this　marriage。
  〃Is　it　a　crime；　then；　for　my　brother　to　love　Victorine？〃　asks　Sophie；　〃and　is　it　mad　of　me　to　think　that　you　will　give　your　consent？〃
  〃My　dear　Sophie；〃　replies　Monsieur　Vanderke；　〃there　are　no　unequal　marriages　in　the　sight　of　God。　　A　servitor　like　Antoine　is　a　friend；　and　I　have　always　brought　you　up　to　consider　Victorine　as　your　companion　and　equal。〃
  This　is　the　way　the　father　of　the　family　speaks。　　Personally；　I　consider　him　rather　imprudent。
  As　this　play　is　already　a　sequel　to　another　one；　I　do　not　wish　to　propose　a　sequel　to　_Le　Mariage　de　Victorine_；　but　I　cannot　help　wondering　what　will　happen　when　Vanderke's　son　finds　himself　the　son…in…law　of　an　old　servant…man；　and　also　what　will　occur　if　he　should　take　his　wife　to　call　on　some　of　his　sister's　friends。　　It　seems　to　me　that　he　would　then　find　out　he　had；　made　a　mistake。　　Among　the　various　personages；　only　one　appears　to　me　quite　worthy　of　interest；　and　that　is　poor