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Nor have there failed to linger innumerable stories of those mariages de facilité levers used simply to force the freedom of some too well-guarded aspirant for knowledge.
The retiring nature of the latter would surely permit our union to be treated as one of those arrangements known as mariages de convenance, and my charming romantic connection with Kondjé-Gul would always remain a secret.
Perhaps this was the meaning, less cynical than supposed, but quite as sad, of La Rochefoucauld when he noted down, "Il y a de bons mariages, mais point de délicieux;" since, in the delicate French sense of the word, implying some analogy of subdued yet penetrating pleasantness, as of fresh, bright weather or fine light wine, courtship is essentially délicieux.
You see, in these mariages de convenance, though a coronet may be convenient to a beautiful young creature, and a beautiful young creature may be convenient to an old gentleman, there are articles which the marriage-monger cannot make to convene at all: tempers over which M. de Foy and his like have no control; and tastes which cannot be put into the marriage settlements.
"I never thought you loved him, but I thought you would marry him. French marriages, you know, according to l'ancien regime, in which you were brought up, were never supposed to be affairs of the heart, but mere alliances of interest, pride, or convenience." "Yes des mariages de convenance," said Emilie.
It must be not admitted that the Christians, which either goe or come to mariages, leape or daunse, but that chastlye & soberly they sup or dyne, and as it is seemly and conuenient for christians. Likewise in the yeare 676. there was holden & kept the sixt councell of Constantinople, where daunses were forbidden, principally to women as greatly hurtfull.
'Mais, non, my child, that is not the way to go through life, said the old lady, affectionately. 'Look at me; how could I have lived had I not always turned to the bright side? Do not think of sorrow, it, is always near enough. This conversation had made an impression on Sophy, who took the first opportunity of expressing her indignation at the system of mariages de convenance.
This condition of the matrimonial market exists in no other country; even in England, where mariages de convenance are rare, “settlements” form an inevitable prelude to conjugal bliss. The fact that she contributes little or nothing to the common income in no way embarrasses an American wife; her pretensions are usually in an inverse proportion to her personal means.
To her father she wrote such a letter as might satisfy all doubts as to the absence of all repugnance to the match, and though the Major had sacrificed all to love and honour himself, mariages de convenance were still so much the rule, and wives, bestowed in all passiveness with unawakened hearts, so often proved loving and happy matrons, that it would have been held unreasonable to demand more than absence of dislike on the part of the bride.
Further notable novels are: 'Criquette, Deux Mariages, Un Grand Mariage, Un Mariage d'Amour', all in 1883; 'Princesse, Les Trois Coups de Foudre, Mon Camarade Moussard', all in 1884; and the romances, 'Karikari , and Mariette . Since that time, I think, Halevy has not published anything of importance. E. LEGOUVE de l'Academie Francaise.
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