of the fullness of their own hearts or their own intelligence,
and with no thought of a public; but it was only an incident in
their lives, another form of diversion, which left them quite
free from the dreaded taint of feminine authorship. Their
peculiar gift was to inspire others, and much of the fascination
that gave them such power in their day still clings to their
memories. Even at this distance, they have a perpetual interest
for us. It may be that the long perspective lends them a certain
illusion which a closer view might partly dispel. Something also
may be due to the dark background against which they were
outlined. But, in spite of time and change, they stand out upon
the pages of history, glowing with an ever-fresh vitality, and
personifying the genius of a civilization of which they were the
fairest flower.

The Gallic genius is eminently a social one, but it is, of all
others, the most difficult to reproduce. The subtle grace of
manner, the magic of spoken words, are gone with the moment. The
conversations of two centuries ago are today like champagne which
has lost its sparkle. We may recall their tangible forms--the
facts, the accessories, the thoughts, even the words, but the
flavor is not there. It is the volatile essence of gaiety and
wit that especially characterizes French society. It glitters
from a thousand facets, it surprises us in a thousand delicate
turns of thought, it appears in countless movements and shades of
expression. But it refuses to be imprisoned. Hence the
impossibility of catching the essential spirit of the salons. We
know something of the men and women who frequented them, as they
have left many records of themselves. We have numerous pictures
of their social life from which we may partially reconstruct it