Jules Sandeau, a student of law, spent one of his vacations at the

chateau Nahant, and was the first person who turned Madame Dudevant"s
attention to literary pursuits
Jules Sandeau, a student of law, spent one of his vacations at the
chateau Nahant, and was the first person who turned Madame Dudevant"s
attention to literary pursuits. He returned to Paris profoundly in love
with the lady, though he had not dared to mention it. M. Nerard, a
botanist, came also to the chateau, to give lessons to M. Dudevant, and
his wife was charmed with him, and they spent happy hours together. But
in time love grew out of the intimacy--a love which of course was
wicked, but which according to French ideas, was innocent. The husband
was justly suspicious, and a voluntary separation took place, he
retaining all her property in exchange for her liberty, which he gave
her, and she set out for Bordeaux. She recounts a part of her subsequent
history in '_Indiana_.' She found her lover in Bordeaux, but he had
changed, and was on the eve of marriage, and she went to Paris. She
returned to the same convent where she had spent a part of her youth, to
weep over her lot. She soon left the convent for an attic in the Quai
St. Michel, where Jules Sandeau, the law-student, soon discovered her.
She was in very destitute circumstances, and Sandeau was also very poor.
She knew a little of painting, and obtained orders of a toyman to paint
the upper part of stands for candlesticks, and the covers of
snuff-boxes. This was fatiguing but not remunerative, and they wrote to
the editor of the _Figaro_ newspaper. He replied, and invited them to
visit him at his home, where he received them with kindness. When Aurore
spoke of her snuff-boxes, he laughed heartily; 'but,' said he to
Sandeau, 'why do not you become a journalist? It is less difficult than
You think.'