Page:The life and writings of Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) (IA lifewritingsofal00spurrich).pdf/266

 attention—the closing chapters are dull; but, on the whole, "Balsamo" contains some of his best work.

In 1847 came "Les Quarante-Cinq," the sequel to "La Dame de Monsoreau." It tells chiefly of that lady's revenge upon the treacherous D'Alençon (now D'Anjou), who has caused the death of her beloved Bussy. The part of the book in which Chicot goes on an embassy to Henri Quatre is excellent, but the last volume is unsatisfactory. This year, be it remembered, was a stormy one in public affairs, and disastrous to Dumas personally. He dictated the last chapters to his son, being probably ill in bed.

Notwithstanding this blemish, the "Quarante-Cinq" was a favourite with one of our author's firmest admirers—George Sand. M. Victor Borie has told us that he chanced to visit the famous novelist just before her death, and found the romance lying on her table. He expressed his wonder that she was reading it for the first time.

"For the first time," she exclaimed, "why, this is the fifth or sixth time I have read 'Les Quarante-Cinq,' and the others. When I am ill, anxious, melancholy, tired, discouraged, nothing helps me against moral or physical troubles like a book of Dumas's."