The Project Gutenberg EBook of Madame Chrysantheme, by Pierre Loti

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Madame Chrysantheme

Author: Pierre Loti

Release Date: March 12, 2005 [EBook #15335]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MADAME CHRYSANTHEME ***

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Ronald Holder, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team

{~--- UTF-8 BOM ---~}

MADAME CHRYSANTHEME

By PIERRE LOTI

TRANSLATED BY LAURA ENSOR

THE MODERN LIBRARY

PUBLISHERS NEW YORK

_Manufactured in the United States of America_
_Bound for_ THE MODERN LIBRARY _by H. Wolff_

TO MADAME LA DUCHESSE DE RICHELIEU.

_Madame La Duchesse_,

_Allow me to crave your acceptance of the following work, as a
respectful tribute of my attachment._

_I felt some hesitation in offering it, for its main incident cannot
be deemed altogether proper; but I have striven that in its expression
at least, it should not sin against good taste, and I trust that my
endeavours have been successful._

_It is the diary of a summer of my life, in which I have changed
nothing, not even the dates, thinking as I do, that in our efforts to_
arrange _matters we often only succeed in disarranging them. Although
the most important role may appear to devolve on Madame Chrysantheme,
it is very certain that the three principal personages are_ myself,
Japan, _and the effect produced on me by that country._

_Do you remember a certain photograph_--_rather ridiculous I must
admit_--_representing that big fellow Yves, a Japanese girl and
myself, grouped closely together as we were placed side by side by a
Nagasaki artist? You smiled when I assured you that the carefully
combed little creature placed between us two, had been_ one of our
neighbours. _Kindly welcome my book with the same indulgent smile,
without seeking therein a meaning either good or bad, in the same
spirit that you would receive some quaint bit of pottery, some
grotesquely carved ivory idol, or some preposterous trifle brought
back for you from this singular fatherland of all preposterousness._

_Believe me with the deepest respect, Madame la Duchesse,_

_Your affectionate_

PIERRE