PREFACE

Louis ENAULT was born in 1824, at Isigny, a small seaport in Normandy. His parents destined him for the bar, indeed he went so far as to complete his law course and even practised for a short time. In this profession he was successful ; but after the revolution of February, 1848, that cost Louis-Philippe his throne, he gave up law and began to write literary and art criticisms for newspapers and periodicals. |

During the outbreak of June, 1848, he was imprisoned, and soon after being released went to England, Ireland and Scotland. From that time on he became an indefatigable traveler. While in Germany he translated Goethe’s Werfker, and after returning to France he gave to the public a very good translation of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Later on, he went to Italy, then to the Orient, where he visited Egypt, Arabia, the Holy Land, Damascus, Asia-Minor, Turkey and Greece. After resting in France for some time, he set out again and went through Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Lapland, and in returning visited Hungary, Bohemia and Poland.

He is a very highly educated man, being both æcteur en lettres and en droit, and for a long time he contributed to the Pays, Constitutionnel, Revue Contemporaine, Figaro, etc. His style, although not faultless, is remarkable for its brilliancy and spirit. His stories are always clever, witty, full of inter-

est, and, what is much more important, his morals are un-

iv PREFACE

questionable. He is a conscientious writer, and his strong point is the portraying of women, which is especially felicitous. Madame Pigault’s character will, it is believed, bear out this statement.

Among the most successful works of Enault may be mentioned: “ Christine” (1857), “Itinéraire de Paris à Cherbourg” (1859), “ Stella” (1863), Dans les Bois ” (1869), ‘ Histoire d'Amour ” (1884), “ Un Drame Intime ” (1887).

As this book is intended for elementary classes, it has been provided with notes and vocabulary, and it is hoped that it will thus prove interesting to students and useful to teachers.