RECOLLECTIONS, 1831-37. 127 



trembling, but I knew it was not fear, but.choler, 

 .anger, wrath. If I had touched you what would you 

 have done ? Please do not ask me such a question, I 

 cannot tell. Yes, I understand that, but I wish to 

 know for my own edification. Well, if you had 

 touched me seriously, with the idea to hurt me you 

 would have had to kill me or disabled me on the spot, 

 or else exchange my conditions for you to be "killed or 

 unable to defend yourself. Then I would have been 

 sorry forever. Well, he said, all is over, and I hope it 

 will not happen any more. Once in a while a quarrel 

 occurred between him and his mother, and I was al- 

 ways mixed in the contest as an arbitrator. I, most of 

 the time, inclined on the side of the mother. But, in 

 my conscience, after over sixty years, I am obliged to 

 say that neither were saints. Yet both treated me 

 well, the mother especially, notwithstanding her bigot- 

 ism and venial weakness, I had sympathy for her. 

 Often when I came from my herborization loaded with 

 plants, she came and asked me what I had found new 

 during the whole day, from 3 A. M. to 4 or 5 P. M. 

 Have you been all that time looking for plants ? Yes, 

 Madame! Well, she said, you have modified your 

 love inclinations. Don't you recollect the first day 

 you came here from Paris you went in the garden with 

 one of my young servants to show you the topography 

 of the place, and the first thing you did you kissed 



