Page:Rachel (1887 Nina H. Kennard).djvu/171

 resignation, informing her dear comrades that she found herself under the necessity of retiring from the Théâtre Français, as the restoration of her health and the preservation of her dignity depended on her doing so.

Hardly was the resignation sent in before it was withdrawn, owing, in a great measure, to Janin's influence. He wrote to her on the 30th July 1849:—

A few months later she again resigned, and this time, to all appearance, definitely. Rachel explained her reasons to Madame de Girardin in a long letter, from which we give some extracts. It is dated the 14th October 1849:—

,

Before bidding adieu to the Comédie Française, I wished to go over all my repertory once more, so as, in some measure, to pay the