or two may be permissible on
this.

I do not think that Iza is an impossible personage; nor do I think that
she is even an improbable one to such an extent as to bar her out,
possible or impossible. But I am not sure that she is not rather
arbitrarily synthetised instead of being re-created, or that she, though
possible and not quite improbable, is not singly abnormal[386] to the
verge of monstrosity. It must be evident to any reader of tolerable
acuteness that the obsession of _Manon Lescaut_ has not left Dumas
_fils_. Although the total effect of Manon and of Iza is very different,
and although they are differently "staged," their resemblances in
detail are very great; and, to speak paradoxically, the differences are
almost more resembling still. Iza offers herself as mistress if there
are any difficulties in the way of her being a wife; would, in fact, as
she admits long afterwards, have preferred the less honourable, but also
less fettering, estate. On the other hand, be it remembered, it was
something of an accident that Manon and Des Grieux were _not_ actually
married. The two women are alike in their absolute insistence on luxury
and pleasure before anything else; but they differ in that Iza does--as
we said Manon did _not_, or did not specially--want "what Messalina
wanted." On the other hand, Iza is ill-natured and Manon is not. In
these respects we may say that the Manon-formula has passed through that
of Madame de Merteuil, and bears unpleasant signs of the passage. Manon
repents, which Iza never could do. But they agree in the courtesan
essence--the readiness to exchange for other things that commodity of
theirs which should be given only for love. I never wish to supply my
readers with problem-tabloids; but I think that in this paragraph I have
supplied them with materials for working out the double question, "Is
Iza less human than Manon? and if so, why?" for themselves, as well as,
if by any chance they should care to do so, of guessing my own answers
to it.[387]

[Sidenote: Reflections.]

It is more germane to custom and purpose here to add a few general
remarks on the story, and more, but still few, on its author's general
position. _Affaire Clemenceau_ is certainly, as has been said before,
his strongest book, and, especially if taken together with _La Dame aux
Camelias_ (which, if less free from faults, contains some different
merits), it constitutes a strong thesis or diploma-piece for all but the