about, with a bag on one's back, from mountain to mountain, under
the pretext of studying and of sketching nature. I know nothing
more enjoyable than that happy-go-lucky wandering life, in which
you are perfectly free; without shackles of any kind, without
care, without preoccupation, without thought even of to-morrow.
You go in any direction you please, without any guide save your
fancy, without any counselor save your eyes. You pull up, because
a running brook seduces you, or because you are attracted, in
front of an inn, by the smell of potatoes frying. Sometimes it is
the perfume of clematis which decides you in your choice, or the
naive glance of the servant at an inn. Do not despise me for my
affection for these rustics. These girls have soul as well as
feeling, not to mention firm cheeks and fresh lips; while their
hearty and willing kisses have the flavor of wild fruit. Love
always has its price, come whence it may. A heart that beats when
you make your appearance, an eye that weeps when you go away,
these are things so rare, so sweet, so precious, that they must
never be despised.

"I have had rendezvous in ditches in which cattle repose, and in
barns among the straw, still steaming from the heat of the day. I
have recollections of canvas spread on rude and creaky benches,
and of hearty, fresh, free kisses, more delicate, free from
affectation, and sincere than the subtle attractions of charming
and distinguished women.

"But what you love most amid all these varied adventures are the
country, the woods, the risings of the sun, the twilight, the
light of the moon. For the painter these are honeymoon trips with
Nature. You are alone with her in that long and tranquil