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The
French Classical Romances
Complete in Twenty Crown Octavo Volumes
Editor-in-Chief
EDMUND GOSSE, LL.D.
With Critical Introductions and Interpretative Essays by
HENRY JAMES PROF. RICHARD BURTON HENRY HARLAND
ANDREW LANG PROF. F. C. DE SUMICHRAST
THE EARL OF CREWE HIS EXCELLENCY M. CAMBON
PROF. WM. P. TRENT ARTHUR SYMONS MAURICE HEWLETT
DR. JAMES FITZMAURICE-KELLY RICHARD MANSFIELD
BOOTH TARKINGTON DR. RICHARD GARNETT
PROF. WILLIAM M. SLOANE JOHN OLIVER HOBBES
DE GONCOURT
Renée Mauperin
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH
BY ALYS HALLARD
WITH A CRITICAL INTRODUCTION
BY JAMES FITZMAURICE-KELLY
A FRONTISPIECE AND NUMEROUS
OTHER PORTRAITS WITH
DESCRIPTIVE NOTES BY
OCTAVE UZANNE
P. F. COLLIER & SON
NEW YORK
COPYRIGHT, 1902
BY D. APPLETON & COMPANY
EDMOND AND JULES DE GONCOURT
I
The partnership of Edmond and Jules de Goncourt is probably the mostcurious and perfect example of collaboration recorded in literaryhistory. The brothers worked together for twenty-two years, and theamalgam of their diverse talents was so complete that, were it not forthe information given by the survivor, it would be difficult to guesswhat each brought to the work which bears their names. Even in the lightof these confidences, it is no easy matter to attempt to separate ordisengage their literary personalities. The two are practically one.Jamais âme pareille n'a été mise en deux corps. This testimony istheir own, and their testimony is true. The result is the moreperplexing when we remember that these two brothers were, so to say, menof different races. The elder was a German from Lorraine, the youngerwas an inveterate Latin Parisian: "the most absolute difference oftemperaments, tastes, and characters—and absolutely the same ideas, thesame personal likes and dislikes, the same intellectual vision." Theremay be, as there probably always will be, two opinions as to the valueof their writings; there can be no difference of view concerning theirintense devotion to literature, their unhesitating rejection of all thatmight distract them from their vocation. They spent a small fortune incollecting materials for works that were not to find two hundredreaders; they passed months, and more months, in tedious researches theresults of which were condensed into a single page; they resigned mostof life's pleasures and all its joys to dedicate themselves totally tothe office of their election. So they lived—toiling, endeavouring,undismayed, confident in their integrity and genius, unrewarded by oneaccepted triumph, uncheered by a single frank success or even by anyconsiderable recognition. Th