M. Emile Zola, whose devotion to the cause of generosity and courage does not date from yesterday, was almost the only journalist to take Mlle. Sarah Bernhardt’s part, or rather to point out the faults on both sides, and to make the voice of wisdom heard amid this outburst of passion. He reminded Sarah that “it is sometimes an honour to be attacked.” Whilst Emile Zola, and also Emile de Girardin, lifted up their voices for peace and reconciliation, Mlle. Sarah Bernhardt in her retirement at Sainte-Adresse enthusiastically proclaimed her joy at what she called her deliverance. “Do you know how much I earned?” she asked a representative of the _Gaulois_. “Barely thirty thousand francs a year. That may be all very well for people who intend to remain on the stage until they are fifty or sixty years old, but in twenty years’ time shall I still be in this world? I have always had a horror of growing old on the stage, and I don’t mean to do it.” Her feeling was in fact so strong on this point that she incontinently adopted an heroic resolution--to leave the stage! It had already caused her too much suffering, she said, and she was quite decided not to die on it. She thus announced the result of her cogitations to the representative of the _Gaulois_-- “Yes, it’s all settled. I have learnt painting and sculpture, and I intend to live by that. My sales bring me in thirty thousand francs a year. My brush and chisel will make me a second existence, much calmer and more profitable than the first.” Observing her guest’s astonishment, she added, gravely, “with a sad smile which rendered doubt impossible”-- “I came to this decision when I made up my mind to leave the Comédie Française.” Gradually the storm subsided, and the affair began to be forgotten. The only allusions made to it were when some other artiste took up one of Mlle. Sarah Bernhardt’s parts. The _Figaro_, for instance, amiably remarked-- M. Emile Augier last night assured Mlle. Croizette, who was playing Sarah Bernhardt’s _rôle_ in _L’Aventurière_, that this was the first time he had known any artiste form an intelligent conception of the character of Clorinde. [Illustration: As Adrienne Lecouvreur.] According to M. Sarcey-- Mlle. Bartet has begun to appear as the Queen in _Ruy Blas_, the part formerly taken by Mlle. Sarah Bernhardt. Mlle. Bartet is meeting with considerable success. It was a very neat way of saying to the fugitive-- “You see after all, you are not indispensable.” Here is another specimen of the kind remarks which the newspapers took a keen joy in circulating. It was reported that Sarah had said, “I shall never forgive Victor Hugo for letting Mlle. Bartet play the Queen in _Ruy Blas_,” to which the poet had retorted that Mlle. Bartet played the part so well that her name deserved to be indissolubly connected with it in future.