An Unknown Mistress of Dumas, Jr. Alexandre Dumas, Jr. 34...
An Unknown Mistress of Dumas, Jr.
Alexandre Dumas, Jr. 34 autograph, signed letters to his mistress Anna Ribes or concerning her. Undated and 1855–1892. 90 pp. Approximately in-8 and in-12. 12 envelopes.
– Anna to Alexandre, undated [1855]. “I have read your letter several times and believe I have understood it well… I am entirely satisfied. What I did three months ago, I would do again now. Could it ever occur to you that I was childish enough not to have realized your worth, to have decided on such a serious step… I loved you very much; you fulfilled all my desires. I was not mistaken. And I chose well, following my heart and my tastes… Your slave. Anna.”
– July 7, 1855. “I do love you, though—be certain of that—and I cannot foresee myself changing, despite your fears about the future and my past habits. If I am not more effusive with my words toward you, it is because such effusiveness is not in my nature, and from a very young age I have had to suppress within myself those spontaneous impulses of the heart that are typical of your age… – undated “Your mother’s kindness—indeed, her very weakness—has allowed you to develop the habit of treating her, at times, in a strange way, which you are now beginning to direct toward me and which I will not tolerate under any circumstances…” – July 1857. “List of the women I know in Luchon… And you—whom I love.” – August 6, 1857. “My dear child. Ever since I’ve known you, I’ve told you all the lies that a man living in a certain social circle is forced to tell a woman who is constantly worried about seeing him in that very circle. Moreover, it was the painful and inevitable consequence of a false situation born of an awkward beginning…” – undated “So believe me, my dear child; take me as I am; tell yourself that you are doomed to love a man who perhaps does not deserve it and who loves you with a love that is unlike your own…” – undated “Your black butterflies, my poor child, are hummingbirds compared to mine… I never mention them to you so as not to bore you and because it serves no purpose… You are not happy, nor am I. – undated “I don’t feel bad here at Made Sand. There’s a deep calm here that I sorely need. I’ll try to get back to work starting tomorrow. I won’t hide the fact that I’ll be extending my stay here for as long as possible. – undated, to Anna’s mother (missing at the bottom of the page). “The remark I made about the rent wasn’t directed at her. It was meant for you, not her. So there’s no point in mentioning it to her.” – undated, to Anna’s mother “I want to be completely free, and I want her to stay happy. Finally, I want her to understand that there are two men within me: one who is frivolous, capricious, fickle, madly in love with fantasy and the unexpected—over whom neither she nor anyone else will have the slightest hold… The other is an honest man, a profound admirer of all that is beautiful, true, and good…”—undated, to Anna’s mother [Missing at the top of pp. 5 and 6]. She seems to have acted as a go-between for her daughter and Dumas, who sets the record straight here. “You ask me, dear Madam, what I have to reproach you for. Here it is: I reproach you for not having appealed to my loyalty and tact when I was foolish enough to become involved with Anna. Your duty at the time was to tell me what she was like—you, who knew her—and to ask me to become her friend instead of making it easy for me to become her lover… After a month, it was already clear to me that her character would never be compatible with mine… I struggled for four years. I made myself a slave to that petty nature. I performed miracles of patience, going against my own nature… She must leave, for as long as we are in the same city and the same country, we will achieve nothing… I swear to you that it is with profound sorrow that I have come to this conclusion… As for the question of money, you know it has always meant very little to me—s.d. To Anna’s mother. “After giving it careful thought, I have decided not to write to Anna. It would lead nowhere…”—August 1859. “I have told you and I repeat that you are the one I love and esteem most in the world. Strip this feeling of all concerns of vulgar love and jealousy… and you will inspire as much happiness as I feel.”—July 15, 1861. “In your conscience, what are my duties toward you, what are my rights toward myself…. Do you believe I can still be your lover?” – [Naples], n.d. “Life is sad and man is foolish… As for my
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An Unknown Mistress of Dumas, Jr.
Alexandre Dumas, Jr. 34 autograph, signed letters to his mistress Anna Ribes or concerning her. Undated and 1855–1892. 90 pp. Approximately in-8 and in-12. 12 envelopes.
– Anna to Alexandre, undated [1855]. “I have read your letter several times and believe I have understood it well… I am entirely satisfied. What I did three months ago, I would do again now. Could it ever occur to you that I was childish enough not to have realized your worth, to have decided on such a serious step… I loved you very much; you fulfilled all my desires. I was not mistaken. And I chose well, following my heart and my tastes… Your slave. Anna.”
– July 7, 1855. “I do love you, though—be certain of that—and I cannot foresee myself changing, despite your fears about the future and my past habits. If I am not more effusive with my words toward you, it is because such effusiveness is not in my nature, and from a very young age I have had to suppress within myself those spontaneous impulses of the heart that are typical of your age… – undated “Your mother’s kindness—indeed, her very weakness—has allowed you to develop the habit of treating her, at times, in a strange way, which you are now beginning to direct toward me and which I will not tolerate under any circumstances…” – July 1857. “List of the women I know in Luchon… And you—whom I love.” – August 6, 1857. “My dear child. Ever since I’ve known you, I’ve told you all the lies that a man living in a certain social circle is forced to tell a woman who is constantly worried about seeing him in that very circle. Moreover, it was the painful and inevitable consequence of a false situation born of an awkward beginning…” – undated “So believe me, my dear child; take me as I am; tell yourself that you are doomed to love a man who perhaps does not deserve it and who loves you with a love that is unlike your own…” – undated “Your black butterflies, my poor child, are hummingbirds compared to mine… I never mention them to you so as not to bore you and because it serves no purpose… You are not happy, nor am I. – undated “I don’t feel bad here at Made Sand. There’s a deep calm here that I sorely need. I’ll try to get back to work starting tomorrow. I won’t hide the fact that I’ll be extending my stay here for as long as possible. – undated, to Anna’s mother (missing at the bottom of the page). “The remark I made about the rent wasn’t directed at her. It was meant for you, not her. So there’s no point in mentioning it to her.” – undated, to Anna’s mother “I want to be completely free, and I want her to stay happy. Finally, I want her to understand that there are two men within me: one who is frivolous, capricious, fickle, madly in love with fantasy and the unexpected—over whom neither she nor anyone else will have the slightest hold… The other is an honest man, a profound admirer of all that is beautiful, true, and good…”—undated, to Anna’s mother [Missing at the top of pp. 5 and 6]. She seems to have acted as a go-between for her daughter and Dumas, who sets the record straight here. “You ask me, dear Madam, what I have to reproach you for. Here it is: I reproach you for not having appealed to my loyalty and tact when I was foolish enough to become involved with Anna. Your duty at the time was to tell me what she was like—you, who knew her—and to ask me to become her friend instead of making it easy for me to become her lover… After a month, it was already clear to me that her character would never be compatible with mine… I struggled for four years. I made myself a slave to that petty nature. I performed miracles of patience, going against my own nature… She must leave, for as long as we are in the same city and the same country, we will achieve nothing… I swear to you that it is with profound sorrow that I have come to this conclusion… As for the question of money, you know it has always meant very little to me—s.d. To Anna’s mother. “After giving it careful thought, I have decided not to write to Anna. It would lead nowhere…”—August 1859. “I have told you and I repeat that you are the one I love and esteem most in the world. Strip this feeling of all concerns of vulgar love and jealousy… and you will inspire as much happiness as I feel.”—July 15, 1861. “In your conscience, what are my duties toward you, what are my rights toward myself…. Do you believe I can still be your lover?” – [Naples], n.d. “Life is sad and man is foolish… As for my
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