INTRODUCTION XV

animais is well known, and he never flagged in his care and attention to those who looked to bim foi support. His dévotion to the two aged Englishwomen dépendent on him is notable, and in itself effectually contradicts much of the ill that was spoken of bim.

A fcw kind actions go far toward redeeming an infinity of unkind or cynical words, though too often it is true that

The evil that roen do lives af ter them ; The good is of t interred with their bores ;

so it was with Mérimée, though many remembeied his good deeds. Those who knew him best believed him when he wrote " It rarely happens to me to sacrifice others for myself, and when this does happen the utmost possible remorse cornes over me." A careful leading of his letters almost leads one to think that Mérimée, perhaps entirely by his own fault, was one of those men towards wbom the world bas been too scvcre both while he was living and since his death.