We put together, with difficulty but with infinite zest, our historical opera, _Etienne Marcel_, in which Louis Gallet endeavored to respect as far as is possible in a theatrical work the facts of history.

Despite illustrious examples to the contrary he did not believe that it was legitimate to attribute to a character who has actually lived acts and opinions that are entirely fanciful.

I was in full agreement with him in that as in so many other things.

I go even farther and cannot accustom myself to the queer sauces in which legendary characters are often served.

It seems to me that the legend is the interesting thing, and not the character, and that the latter loses all its value when the legend which surrounds it is destroyed.