New-York tribune., 1880-02-15


of his heart, Gibbon returned to London
IN the snrinp of 175s During the four years that
followed he seems to have broken off all correspond
o,oo ,vitb Mademoiselle Curchod. At all events
no signs Of life given by him to his betrothed have
h..n discovered in the archives of Coppet save a
copv of his first book the Essay on the Study OF
Iiterature which he sent her with dedlcatory
on;stle written in tone so cold and embarrassed
that II ouebt TO have opened the eyes OF the young
Girl Nevertheless she seems to have clung TO inc
idoo that his silence was OccasOned by his obedi-
ence to the orders of his father, and she nonored
what she imagined was sacrifice OF love 10 du'y'
THE ENGAGEMENT BROKEN
Tn 1900 however. Gibbon formally broke bis en-
oaoement in a letter in which he pictured himself
40 in dcsperate frame of mind at being compelled
IN renouncc her at the command of his father. The
affected despair of this letter. Its superabundance
f exaggerated phrases and its protestatons OF con-
timed esteem show it to be the production OF a
clever man of the world anxious to escape from an
enqapement that had become burdensome whlie
keeping the good opinion of the woman he had de-
serted. Suzanne's reply to this letter has not Deeh
preserved. Perhaps she was deceived by It's cant
about eternal suffering" on his part. and cher
ished the hope that he still loved her'
At all events, she was not fully con-
vinced of his indifference until he visited
Lausanne in the Spring of 1853. Whether no
souqht her out or whether they met at some social
gathering is not known, but that they met Is GER
toin. and that something in his manner toward her
awakened a cruel mingling of hope and fear, Tor
abe wrote him letter whose pathetic tone SHOWS
plainly that it belongs to the century OF julie
MoSsIEuR: blush at the step 1 am taking would
ish 70 conreal IL from Won; would wish to conceal 1t
from myself Great Godl Is 1t possible that an nno-
a hnmiliationi have had terrible chagrns,
but none that 1 have felt so keehy 9s 1ut ~ ~
mSseIf mSssgIf owe S this effort to my repOse II lose
the occasion which presents itself there VIII DC 80
ingenious heart would instantly have tormented Itself
by believing Il saw IN your co,unTsS xnnrs I' have
ptacTced Wself TO this chimcra by conduct unique
and nconceivAble At last mind romantic as 1t ls
knees TO dIssuade a foolish heart. Sign complete
avowa OF your Indifference and my soni WIN % resign
Gc picabs SH'G OF men Il you refuse me ihl. act Of
iranEness and that God who sees my heart
and who loves me doubt although he makes me
suffer severe trialsthat God, tell you VIII punish you
i'm anite of nv prayers II there IS the least disguise III
vo1r answer or II by your silence you make toy OF my
repose. 40, - ~ atom 70 onvhodv
whafevcr even though II were 10 the dearest OF my
friends, the horror OF my punishment WI MAKE he .ns
an unhear of atroclty feel already that II Is low ac
ton which outrages my modesy' my past conduct ana
my present seutments
This letter bears q broken seal of black wax. and
is evidently the original returned to Suzanne by
Gibbon. No doubt it was after it came back that
she wrote these pathetic words in English at the
bottom of the last page "A thinking soul is
punishment enough, and every thought draws
blood.p Gibbons answer has not been preserved.
Some days later Suzanne wrote him again letter
of resignation curiOusly mixed with some bitter
ness and good deal OF generosity. She says that
ne has shown her that she has loved fictitious
bene that never existed save in her romantic
brain that he has now become for her like other
men and after having been once the only man she
could ever love has become the one for
which she could have the least inclina-
finn because he resembles least OF all the
chimera she has cherished. Then she proposes
that he shall recompense her by friendly CORE
spondencc and kindly offers to procure him letter
of introduction to Rousseau, which she knows he
greatly desires. GibbOn waited three weeks before
answering this letter, and then rather colby de-
clined the proffered correspondence on the ground
that IL would be dangerous to him and, perhaps, to
both The tone of the reply must have dissipated
the last illusion. Suzanne did not answer until
some days later. Meeting him at Ferney, she was
treated with coldness 50 insulting that she broke
forth in n long reproachful letter so long that II
occunies in print three pages OF the Reruc.
in which she recounts the history OF the affair, de-
fends herself from the rcproach of encouraging the
advances of Others speaks OF her grief Mt the death
Of her father and her despair at being abandoned at
this most terrible moment of her life by the man
unon whom alone her heart reposed. The letter
concludes follows:
What remains for me now save 10 bless on my knee'
that supreme Being who has saved me lrom the Grehi
s", of IN eyilsf Yes, 7 10 believe r-yon
would have regarded me M burden Ny eKstence
tion and your i-disgused regrets would have
sent inc to the tomb By the road OF despair;
soul that once believed tenderi what could ask
of youi Your father still lives aud my principles are
10 the only sentiment that remains All nature IL dead
or me must also 1t dlshguredi repeat H. Mon
sieur-a heart that could know mine and cease for a
moment 10 love worthy OF H. and Will never have
my esteem. II have spoken another language, II my
nc mas traced another, blush for IL now II was the
eject of an indehnabe sentiment, OF the calm and In
difference Of and above all OF the repugnance one
always feels at Oyerturnlng ones idol Ny conduct you
saw contradcts this Affirmation. In whatf beg You
so:. md% acted Of ws rhe void ncapnbe %S
of breaking his promise, OF seducing or betyng bu
he amused himself In return by tearing my son Win
menace you with the anger OF heaven-an expression
which escaped me hasty-Dut can assure you without
prophetic split that you Will reeret the irrepar
able loss you have suffered IN alternating forever the too
/ tender and 100 frank heart OF = &.
GIBBoN's FRIENDSHIP WITH THE NECKERs.
This was the tranquility and chccrfuncs
| on the part OF INC Iduy helSel' "hIci
| Gibbon says in his memoirs accelerated
| his own cure When Suzanne Curchod wrote
tb,s hauphty and passionate letter she undoubtedly
supposed that she was writing to GibbOn for the las
/ time Little did she foTesee the triumph that wa
TO come to her a few years later, when the orphan
of the poor Swiss pastor, who supported herself ant
hcr mother by giving lessons III the villages ant
farms along Lake Geneva. was transformed into tn,
wife of the great French banker Nccker, an,
| the queen of the most intellectual society in Paris
| Two years later GibDon met Suzanne CuTchOd il
Paris married already year. He sought inter
view. of which he wrote to Lord Sheffield complain
ing of the mpertinent serenity of NJ Neckcr. who
after keeping him to supper, went off to bed an,