was written.  Or S. de Lovenjoul might
    have had in mind the statement of Theophile Gautier that Balzac
    could not endure tobacco in any form; he anathematized the pipe,
    proscribed the cigar, did not even tolerate the Spanish
    papelito, and only the Asiatic narghile found grace in his
    sight.  He allowed this only as a curious trinket, and on account
    of its local color.

George Sand and Balzac discussed their work freely and did not hesitate to condemn either plot or character of which they did not approve.  Some of Balzac’s women shocked her, but she liked La premiere Demoiselle (afterwards L’Ecole des Manages), a play which Madame Surville found superb, but which Madame Hanska discouraged because she did not like the plot.  She aided him in a financial manner by signing one of his stories, Voyage d’un Moineau de Paris.  At that time, Balzac needed money and Stahl (Hetzel) refused to insert in his book, Scenes de la Vie privee de Animaux (2 vols., 1842), this story of Balzac’s, who had already furnished several articles for this collection.  George Sand signed her name, and in this way, Balzac obtained the money.

Madame Dudevant not only remained a true friend to Balzac in a literary and financial sense, but was glad to defend his character, and was firm in refuting statements derogatory to him.  In apologizing to him for an article that had appeared without her knowledge in the Revue independente, edited by her, she asked his consent to write a large work about him.  He tried to dissuade her, telling her that she would create enemies for herself, but, after persistence on her part, he asked her to write a preface to the Comedie humaine.  The plan of the work, however, was very much modified, and did not appear until after Balzac’s death.

Balzac dined frequently with Madame Dudevant and political as well as social and literary questions were discussed.  He enjoyed opposing her views; after his return from his prolonged visit to Madame Hanska in St. Petersburg (1843), George Sand twitted him by asking him to give his Impressions de Voyage.

A story told at Issoudun illustrates further the genial association of the two authors:  Balzac was dining one day at the Hotel de la Cloche in company with George Sand.  She had brought her physician, who was to accompany her to Nohant.  The conversation turned on the subject of insane people, and the peculiar manner in which the exterior signs of insanity are manifested.  The physician claimed to be an expert in recognizing an insane person at first sight.  George Sand asked very seriously:  “Do you see any here?” Balzac was eating, as always, ravenously, and his tangled hair followed the movement of his head and arm.  “There is one!” said the Doctor; “no doubt about it!” George Sand burst out laughing, Balzac also, and, the introduction made, the confused physician was condemned to pay for the dinner.