INTRODUCTION

EMILE SOUVESTRE, the author of the présent story, was born at Morlaix, in Brittany, on April I5th, 1806. The son of a civil engineer, he was at first intended for that profession himself ; but he turned to law, and finally to Hterature. His first considérable work was a tragedy on the siège of Missolonghi; but this drama, though accepted, was not played, owing to his refusing to alter it to suit the taste of the censorship. The death of his elder brother compelled him to leave Paris, and help to support his family by acting as clerk to a Nantes bookseller. He edited a Brest paper for a time, and then turned to teaching in schools. But he was gradually acquiring a literary réputation, and in 1836 he settled in Paris and gave his time entirely up to literature.

His first successes were gained by descriptive works on Brittany, especially the book called Les derniers Bretons (1835-7). He acquired also a considérable réputation as a writer for family reading. His sketch of humble life in Paris called Un Philosophe sous les Toits was crowned by the Académie Française in 185 1, for its excellent moral tendency. His stories are numerous ; among them may be mentioned Riche et Pauvre (1836), Pierre et Jean (1842), Les Réprouvés et les Elus (1845). Two volumes of his essays were published in 1854, in which year he died, July 5th.

Souvestre h ad also lectured with success in France and Switzerland, and wrote more than one play ; but his wish to be improving and instmctri^eDrevented his dramas from having