leaving the house. Alfred de Musset read her up: 'You are
thinking of a horrible plan. You want to hurry off to your
doctor, pretend that I am mad and that your life is in
danger. You will not leave this room. I will keep you from
anything so base. If you do go, I will put such an epitaph
on your grave that the people who read it will turn pale,'
said Alfred with terrible energy.

"George Sand was trembling and crying.

"'I no longer love you,' Alfred said scoffingly to George
Sand.

"'It is the right moment to take your poison or to go and
drown yourself.'

"Confession to Alfred of her secret about the doctor.
Reconciliation. Alfred's departure. George Sand's
affectionate and enthusiastic letters."

Such are the famous episodes of the _tea-cup_ and _the
letter_ as Buloz heard them told at the time.

Musset returned in March, 1834, leaving George Sand with Pagello in
Venice. The sentimental exaggeration continued, as we see from the
letters exchanged between Musset and George Sand. When crossing
the Simplon the immutable grandeur of the Alps struck Alusset with
admiration, and he thought of his two "great friends." His head was
evidently turned by the heights from which he looked at things. George
Sand wrote to him: "I am not giving you any message from Pagello,