s my client himself was content to
make a journey, revealing what passed in the interior of the carriage
only by a bare hand which appeared under the yellow silk curtains and
threw out bits of torn paper which were scattered by the wind and
settled down afar off like white butterflies upon a field of red clover
all in flower, as my client was content with that, no one knew anything
about it and everyone supposed--from the suppression itself--that he had
at least said as much as the member of the French Academy. You have
seen that there was nothing in it.

Ah, well! this unfortunate suppression has caused the lawsuit! That is
to say, when, in the offices where they have charge, and with infinite
reason, of inspecting all writings which could offend public morals,
they saw this cut, they took warning. I am obliged to declare, and,
gentlemen of the _Revue_, allow me to state that they started the work
of their scissors two words too far off; they should have begun before
they got into the cab. To cut after that was more difficult. This
cutting was indeed most unfortunate; but if you have committed the
error, gentlemen of the _Revue_, assuredly you will atone for it to-day.

They said in the inspecting office: Take heed of what is to follow, and
when the following number appeared, they made war on it to the syllable.
The people in the office are not obliged to read all; and when they saw
that some one had written about a woman removing all her clothing, they
were startled enough without going further. It is true that, differing
from our great masters, Flaubert has not taken the trouble to describe
the alabaster of her bare arms, throat, etc. He has not said, as did a
poet whom we love:

I see her alabaster limbs ardent and pure,
Smooth as ebony, like the lily, coral, roses, veins of azure,
Such indeed, as in former times thou showedst to me
Of nudity embellished and adorned;
When nights slipped by, and pillows soft
Saw thee from my kisses waking and sleeping oft.

He has said nothing like this of Andre Chenier's. But he finally said:

"She abandoned herself.... Her clothing fell from her."

She abandoned herself! Why not? Is all description to be prohibited?
But when one makes an incriminating charge, he should read the whole,
and the Government Attorney has not read the whole. The passage he makes
the charge against does not stop where he stopped; it has a corrective,
and here it is:

"Nevertheless, there was upon