WOMEN IN THE LIFE OF BALZAC

 BY

 JUANITA HELM FLOYD

 TO

 MY SISTER NANNIE

 " . . . For no one knows the secret of my life, and I do not wish to disclose it to any one. " _Lettres a l'Etrangere_, V. I, p. 418, July 19, 1837. 

 PREPARER'S NOTE

 This text was originally published in 1921 by Henry Holt and Company. 

 PREFACE

In presenting this study of Balzac's intimate relations with variouswomen, the author regrets her inability, owing to war conditions, toconsult a few books which are out of print and certain documents whichhave not appeared at all in print, notably the collection of the lateVicomte de Spoelberch de Lovenjoul. 

The author gladly takes this opportunity of acknowledging her deepgratitude to various scholars, and wishes to express, even ifinadequately, her appreciation of their inspiring contact; especiallyto Professor Chester Murray and Professor J. Warshaw for firstinteresting her in the great possibilities of a study of Balzac. ToProfessor Henry Alfred Todd she is grateful for his sympatheticscholarship, valuable suggestions as to matter and style, and for hiscareful revision of the manuscript; to Professor Gustave Lanson, forhis erudition and versatile mind, which have had a great influence; toProfessor F. M. Warren, for reading a part of the text and for manygeneral ideas; to Professor Fernand Baldensperger, for reading thetext and for encouragement; to Professor Gilbert Chinard, ProfessorEarle B. Babcock and Professor LeBraz for re-reading the text and forvaluable suggestions; and to Professor John L. Gerig for hissympathetic interest, broad information, and inspiring encouragement. 

To still another would she express her thanks. The Princess Radziwillhas taken a great interest in this work, which deals so minutely withthe life history of her aunt, and she has been most gracious in givingthe author much information not to be found in books. She has mademany valuable suggestions, read the entire manuscript, and approved ofits presentation of the facts involved. 

 JUANITA H. FLOYD. Evansville, Indiana. 

 INTRODUCTION

A quantity of books have been written about Balzac, some of which arevery instructive, while others are nothing but compilations of gossipwhich give a totally wrong impression of the life, works andpersonality of the great French novelist. Having the honor of beingthe niece of his wife, the wonderful _Etrangere_, whom he marriedafter seventeen years of an affection which contained episodes farmore romantic than any of those which he has described in his manybooks, and having been brought up in the little house of the rueFortunee, afterwards the rue Balzac, where they lived during theirshort married life, I can perhaps better appreciate than most peoplethe value of these different books, none of which gives us an exactappreciation of the man or of the difficulties through which he had tostruggle before he won at last the fame he deserved. And theconclusion to which I came, after having read them most attentivelyand conscientiously, was that it is often a great misfortune topossess that divine spark of genius which now and then touches thebrow of a few human creatures and marks them for eternity with itsfiery seal. Had Balzac been one of those everyday writers whose names, after having been for a brief space of time on everyone's lips, arelater on almost immediately forgotten, he would not have beensubjected to the calumnies which embittered so much of his decliningdays, and which even after he was no longer in this world continuedtheir subterranean and disgusting work, trying to sully not onlyBalzac's own colossal personality, but also that of the devoted wife, whom he had cherished for such a long number of years, who had allthrough their course shared his joys and his sorrows, and who, afterhe died, had spent the rest of her own life absorbed in theremembrance of her love for him, a love which was stronger than deathitself. 

Having spent all my childhood and youth under the protection and theroof of Madame de Balzac, it was quite natural that every time I sawanother inaccuracy or falsehood concerning her or her great husbandfind its way into the press, I should be deeply affected. At last Ibegan to look with suspicion at all the books dealing with Balzac orwith his works, and when Miss Floyd asked me to look over hermanuscript, it was with a certain amount of distrust and prejudicethat I set myself to the task. It seemed to me impossible that aforeigner could write anything worth reading about Balzac, orunderstand his psychology. What was therefore my surprise when Idiscovered in this most remarkable volume the best description thathas ever been given to us of this particular phase of Balzac's lifewhich hitherto has hardly been touched upon by his numerousbiographers, his friendships with the many distinguished women who atone time or another played a part in his busy existence, a descriptionwhich not only confirmed down to the smallest details all that my aunthad related to me about her distinguished husband, but which also gavean appreciation of the latter's character that entirely agreed withwhat I had heard about its peculiarities from the few people who hadknown him well, Theophile Gautier among others, who were still alivewhen I became old enough to be intensely interested in their differentjudgments about my uncle. After such a length of years it seemedalmost uncanny to find a person who through sheer intuition and hardstudy could have reconstituted with this unerring accuracy the figureof one who had remained a riddle in certain things even to his bestfriends, and who in the pages of this extraordinary book suddenlyappeared before my astonished eyes with all the splendor of thatgenius of his which as years go by, becomes more and more admired andappreciated. 

One must be a scholar to understand Balzac; his style and manner ofwriting is often so heavy and so difficult to follow, reminding onemore of that of a professor than of a novelist. And indeed he wouldhave been very angry to be considered only as a novelist, he whoaspired and believed himself to be, as he expressed it one day in thecourse of a conversation with Madame Hanska, before she became hiswife, "a great painter of humanity, " in which appreciation of his workhe was not mistaken, because some of the characters he evoked out ofhis wonderful brain remind one of those pictures of Rembrandt whereevery stroke of the master's brush reveals and brings into evidencesome particular trait or feature, which until he had discovered it, and brought it to notice, no one had seen or remarked on the humanfaces which he reproduced upon the canvas. Michelet, who once calledSt. Simon the "Rembrandt of literature, " could very well have appliedthe same remark to Balzac, whose heroes will live as long as men andwomen exist, for whom these other men and women whom he described, will relive because he did not conjure their different characters outof his imagination only, but condensed all his observations into thecreation of types which are so entirely human and real that we shallcontinually meet with them so long as the world lasts. 

One of Balzac's peculiarities consisted in perpetually studyinghumanity, which study explains the almost unerring accuracy of hisjudgments and of the descriptions which he gives us of things andfacts as well as of human beings. In his impulsiveness, he frequentedall kinds of places, saw all kinds of people, and tried to apply thedissecting knife of his spirit of observation to every heart and everyconscience. He set himself especially to discover and fathom themystery of the "eternal feminine" about which he always thought, andit was partly due to this eager quest for knowledge of women's soulsthat he allowed himself to become entangled in love affairs and loveintrigues which sometimes came to a sad end, and that he spent histime in perpetual search of feminine friendships, which were later onto brighten, or to mar his life. 

Miss Floyd in the curious volume which she has written has caught in asurprising manner this particular feature in Balzac's complexcharacter. She has applied herself to study not only the man such ashe was, with all his qualities, genius and undoubted mistakes, butsuch as he appeared to be in the eyes of the different women whom hehad loved or admired, and at whose hands he had sought encouragementand sympathy amid the cruel disappointments and difficulties of anexistence from which black care was never banished and never absent. With quite wonderful tact, and a lightness of touch one can notsufficiently admire, she has made the necessary distinctions whichseparated friendship from love in the many romantic attachments whichplayed such an important part in Balzac's life, and she has inconsequence presented to us simultaneously the writer, whose name willremain an immortal one, and the man whose memory was treasured, longafter he had himself disappeared, by so many who, though they hadperhaps never understood him entirely, yet had realized that in themarks of affection and attachment which he had given to them, he hadlaid at their feet something which was infinitely precious, infinitelyreal, something which could never be forgotten. 

Her book will remain a most valuable, I was going to say the mostvaluable, contribution to the history of Balzac, and those for whom hewas something more than a great writer and scholar, can never feelsufficiently grateful to her for having given it to the world, andhelped to dissipate, thanks to its wonderful arguments, so many falselegends and wild stories which were believed until now, and indeed arestill believed by an ignorant crowd of so-called admirers of his, who, nine times out of ten, are only detractors of his colossal genius, andremarkable, though perhaps sometimes too exuberant, individuality. 

At the same time, Miss Floyd, in the lines which she devotes to myaunt and to the long attachment that had united the latter and Balzac, has in many points re-established the truth in regard to the characterof a woman who in many instances has been cruelly calumniated andslandered, in others absolutely misunderstood, to whom Balzac oncewrote that she was "one of those great minds, which solitude hadpreserved from the petty meannesses of the world, " words whichdescribe her better than volumes could have done. She had truly led asilent, solitary, lonely life that had known but one love, the manwhom she was to marry after so many vicissitudes, and in spite of somany impediments, and but one tenderness, her daughter, a daughter whounfortunately was entirely her inferior, and in whom she could neverfind consolation or comfort, who could neither share her joys, norsoothe her sorrows. 

In her convictions, Madame de Balzac was a curious mixture of atheismand profound faith in a Divinity before whom mankind was accountablefor all its good or bad deeds. All through her long life she had beenunder the influence of her father, one of the remarkable men of hisgeneration, who had enjoyed the friendship of most of the great Frenchwriters of the period immediately preceding the Revolution, includingVoltaire; he had brought her up in an atmosphere of the eighteenthcentury with its touch of skepticism, and the Encyclopedia had alwaysremained for her a kind of gospel, in spite of the fact that she hadbeen reared in one of the most haughty, aristocratic circles inEurope, in a country where the very mention of the words _liberty_ and_freedom of opinion_ was tabooed, and that her mother had been one ofthose devout Roman Catholics who think it necessary to consult theirconfessor, even in regard to the most trivial details of their dailyexistence. Placed as she had been between her parents' incredulity andbigotry, my aunt had formed opinions of her own, of which a profoundtolerance and a deep respect for the beliefs and convictions of otherswas the principal feature. She never condemned even when she did notapprove, and she hated hypocrisy, no matter in what shape or aspect itpresented itself before her eyes. This explains the courage shedisplayed when against the advice and the wishes of her family, shepersisted in marrying Balzac, though it hardly helps us to understandfrom what we know of the latter's character, how he came to fall sodeeply in love with a woman who in almost everything thought sodifferently from what he thought, especially in regard to those twosubjects which absorbed and engrossed him until the last days of hislife, religion and politics. 

That he loved her, and that she loved him, in spite of thesedifferences in their points of view, is to their mutual honor, but itadds to the mystery and to the enigmatical side of a romance that hashardly been equalled in modern times; and it accounts for the factthat some friction occurred between them later on, when my aunt foundherself trying to restrain certain exuberances on the part of herhusband regarding her own high lineage, about which she never thoughtmuch herself, though she had always tried to live up to the dutieswhich it imposed upon her. I am mentioning this circumstance toexplain certain exaggerations which we constantly find in Balzac'sletters in regard to his marriage. His imagination was extremelyvivid, and its fertility sometimes carried him far away into regionswhere it was nearly impossible to follow him, and where he really cameto believe quite sincerely in things which had never existed. Forinstance in his correspondence with his mother and friends, he isalways speaking of the necessity for Madame Hanska to obtain thepermission of the Czar to marry him. This is absolutely untrue. Myaunt did not require in the very least the consent of the Emperor tobecome Madame de Balzac. The difficulties connected with her marriageconsisted in the fact that having been left sole heiress of her firsthusband's immense wealth, she did not think herself justified inkeeping it after she had contracted another union, and with aforeigner. She therefore transferred her whole fortune to herdaughter, reserving for herself only an annuity which was by no meansconsiderable, and it was this arrangement that had to be sanctioned, not by the sovereign who had nothing to do with it, but by the SupremeCourt of Russia, which at that time was located in St. Petersburg. Balzac, however, wishing to impress his French relatives with thegrandeur of the marriage he was about to make, imagined this tale ofthe Czar's opposition, in order to add to his own importance and tothat of his future wife, an invention which revolted my aunt so muchthat in that part of her husband's correspondence which was publishedby her a year or two before her death, she carefully suppressed allthe passages which contained this assertion which had so thoroughlyannoyed as well as angered her. I have sometimes wondered what shewould have said had she seen appear in print the curious letter whichBalzac wrote immediately after their wedding to Dr. Nacquart in whichhe described with such pomp the different high qualities, merits, andlast but not least, brilliant positions occupied by his wife'srelatives, beginning with Queen Marie Leszczinska, the consort ofLouis XV, and ending with the husband of my father's stepdaughter, Count Orloff, whom the widest stretch of imagination could not haveconnected with my aunt. 

I cannot refrain from mentioning here an anecdote which is verytypical of Balzac. He was about to return to Paris from Russia afterhis marriage. My aunt coming into his room one morning found himabsorbed in writing a letter. Asking him for whom it was intended shewas petrified with astonishment when he replied that it was for theDuke de Bordeaux, as the Comte de Chambord was still called at thetime, to present his respects to him upon his entrance into hisfamily! My aunt at first could not understand what it was he meant, and when at last she had grasped the fact that it was in virtue of herdistant, very distant, relationship with Queen Marie Leszczinska thathe claimed the privilege of cousinship with the then Head of the RoyalHouse of France, it was with the greatest difficulty and with anyamount of trouble that she prevailed upon him at last to give up thisremarkable idea, and to be content with the knowledge that someRzewuski blood flowed in the veins of the last remaining member of theelder line of the Bourbons, without intruding upon the privacy of theComte de Chambord, who probably would have been somewhat surprised toreceive this extraordinary communication from the great, but alsosnobbish Balzac. 

It was on account of this snobbishness, which had something childishabout it, that he sometimes became involved in discussions, not onlywith my aunt, but also with several of his friends, Victor Hugo amongothers, who could not bring themselves to forgive him for thinkingmore of the great and illustrious families with which his marriage hadconnected him than of his own genius and marvelous talents. Hugo mostunjustly accused my aunt of encouraging this "aberration, " as hecalled it, of Balzac's mind; in which judgment of her he was vastlymistaken, because she was the person who suffered the most through it, and by it. But this unwarranted suspicion made him antagonistic toher, and probably inspired the famous description he left us ofBalzac's last hours in the little volume called _Choses vues_. Thiswas partly the cause why people afterwards said that my aunt's marriedlife with the great writer had been far from happy, and had resolveditself into a great disappointment for both of them. The reality wasvery different, because during the few months they lived together, they had known and enjoyed complete and absolute happiness, and Madamede Balzac's heart was forever broken when she closed with pious handsthe eyes of the man who had occupied such an immense place in herheart as well as in her life. Many years later, talking with me aboutthose last sad hours when she watched with such tender devotion by hisbedside, she told me with accents that are still ringing in my earswith their wail of agony: I lived through a hell of suffering on thatday. 

Nevertheless she bore up bravely under the load of the unmeritedmisfortunes which had fallen upon her. Her first care, after she hadbecome for the second time a widow, was to pay Balzac's debts, whichshe proceeded to do with the thoroughness she always brought to bearin everything she undertook. She remained upon the most affectionateterms with his family, and it was due to her that Balzac's mother wasable to spend her last years in comfort. These facts speak forthemselves, and, to my mind at least, dispose better than volumes onthe subject could do of the conscious or unconscious calumny cast byVictor Hugo on my aunt's memory. It must here be explained that thereal reason why he did not see her, when he called for the last timeon his dying friend, and concluded so hastily that she preferredremaining in her own apartments than at her husband's side, consistedin the fact that she did not like the poet, who she instinctivelyfelt, also did not care for her, so she preferred not to encounter aman whom she knew as antagonistic to herself at an hour when she wasabout to undergo the greatest trial of her life, and she retired toher room when he was announced. But Hugo, who had often reproachedBalzac for being vain, had in his own character a dose of vanitysufficient to make him refuse to admit that there could exist in thewhole of the wide world a human being who would not have jumped at thechance of seeing him, even under the most distressing ofcircumstances. 

I have said already that my aunt's opinions consisted of a curiousmixture of atheism and a profound belief in the Divinity. Her mind wasfar too vigorous and too deep to accept without discussion the dogmasof the Roman Catholic Church to which she belonged officially, and sheformed her own ideas as to religion and the part it ought to play inhuman existence. She held the firm conviction that we must always try, at least, to do what is right, regardless of the sorrow this mightentail upon us. In one of her letters to my mother, she says:

 "You will know one day, my dear little sister, that what one cares the most to read over again in the book of life are those difficult pages of the past when, after a hard struggle, duty has remained the master of the battle field. It has buried its dead, and brushed aside all the reminders that were left of them, and God in his infinite mercy allows flowers and grasses to grow again on this bloody ground. Don't think that by these flowers, I mean to say that one forgets. No, on the contrary, I am thinking of remembrance, the remembrance of the victory that has been won after so many sacrifices; I am thinking of all those voices of the conscience which come to soothe us, and to tell us that our Father in Heaven is satisfied with what we have done. "

A person who had intimately known both Balzac and my aunt said one daythat they completed each other by the wide difference which existed intheir opinions in regard to the two important subjects of religion andpolitics. The remark was profoundly true, because it was this verydifference which allowed them to bring into their judgments animpartiality which we seldom meet with in our modern society. Theymutually respected and admired each other, and even when they were notin perfect accord, or just because they were not in perfect accord asto this or that thing, they nevertheless tried, thanks to the respectwhich they entertained for each other, to look upon mankind, itsactions, follies and mistakes, with kindness and indulgence. Thecurious thing in regard to their situation was that my aunt who hadbeen born and reared in one of the most select and prejudiced ofaristocratic circles, never knew what prejudice was, and remaineduntil the last day of her life a staunch liberal, who could neverbring herself to ostracize her neighbor, because he happened to thinkor to believe otherwise than she did herself. She was perfectlyindifferent to advantages of birth, fortune or high rank, and she wasrather inclined to criticize than to admire the particular society andworld amidst which she moved. Balzac on the contrary, though a_bourgeois_ by origin, cared only for those high spheres for which hehad always longed since his early youth, and of which a sudden freakof fortune so unexpectedly had opened him the doors. In that sense hewas the _parvenu_ his enemies have accused him of being, and he oftenshowed himself narrow minded, until at last his wife's influence madehim consider, without the disdain he had affected for them before, people who were not of noble birth or of exalted rank. On the otherhand, Madame de Balzac, thanks to her husband's Catholic andLegitimistic tendencies and sympathies, became less sarcastic than hadbeen the case when she had, perhaps more than she ought, noticed thesmallnesses and meannesses of the particular set of people who at thatperiod constituted the cream of European society. They both came toacquire a wider view of the world in general, thanks to theirdifferent ways of looking at it, and this of course turned to theirgreat mutual advantage. 

I will not extend myself here on the help my aunt was to Balzac allthrough the years which preceded their marriage, when there seemed nopossibility of the marriage ever taking place. She encouraged him inhis work, interested herself in all his actions, praised him for allhis efforts, tried to be for him the guide and the star to which hecould look in his moments of dark discouragement, as well as in hishours of triumph. Without her affection to console him, he would mostprobably have broken down under the load of immense difficulties whichconstantly burdened him, and he never would have been able to leavebehind him as a legacy to a world that had never property appreciatedor understood him, those volumes of the _Comedie humaine_ which havemade his name immortal. Madame Hanska was his good genius all throughthose long and dreadful years during which he struggled with suchindomitable courage against an adverse fate, and her devotion to himcertainly deserved the words which he wrote to her one day, "I loveyou as I love God, as I love happiness!"

All this has taken me very far from Miss Floyd's book, though what Ihave just written about my uncle and aunt completes in a certain sensethe details she has given us concerning the wonderful romance whichafter seventeen years of arduous waiting, made Madame Hanska the wifeof one of the greatest literary glories of France. Her work ismagnificent and she has handled it superbly, and reconstituted tworemarkable figures who were beginning to be, not forgotten, which isimpossible, but not so much talked about by the general public, who afew years ago, had shown itself so interested in their life history asit was first disclosed to us in the famous _Lettres a l'Etrangere_, published by the Vicomte Spoelberch de Lovenjoul. She has also clearedsome of the clouds which had been darkening the horizon in regard toboth Balzac and his wife, and restored to these two their properplaces in the history of French literature in the nineteenth century. She has moreover shown us a hitherto unknown Balzac, and a still moreunknown _Etrangere_, and this labor of love, because it was that allthrough, can only be viewed with feelings of the deepest gratitude bythe few members still left alive of Madame de Balzac's family, mythree brothers and myself. I feel very happy to be given thisopportunity of thanking Miss Floyd, in my brothers' name as well as inmy own, for the splendid work which she has done, and which I am quitecertain will ensure for her a foremost place among the historians ofBalzac. 

 CATHERINE, PRINCESS RADZIWILL. 

 AUTHOR'S NOTE

The steady rise of Balzac's reputation during the last few decades hasbeen such that almost each year new studies have appeared about him. While the women portrayed in the _Comedie humaine_ are often commentedupon, no recent work dealing in detail with the novelist's intimateassociation with women and which might lead to identifying thepossible sources of his feminine characters in real life has beenpublished. 

The present study does not undertake to establish the origin of allthe characters found in the _Comedie humaine_, but is an attempt totrace the life of the novelist on the side of his relations withvarious women, --a story which is even more thrilling than thosepresented in many of his novels, --in the hope that it will helpexplain some of the interesting enigmas presented by his work. So faras the writer could find the necessary evidence, many of the women inBalzac's novels have been here identified with women he knew in thecourse of his life; and while giving due weight to the suggestions ofvarious writers, and indicating some of the most strikingresemblances, she has tried to avoid a mere promiscuous identificationof characters. 

In the case of many novelists such an investigation would not be worthwhile, but Balzac's place in literature is so transcendent and hislife and writings are so closely and fascinatingly interblended, thatit is hoped that the following study, in which the writer has strivento maintain correctness of detail, may not be unwelcome, and that itwill throw light on Balzac's complex character, and help his readersbetter to understand and appreciate some of his most noted womencharacters. It is believed that this study will show that theinfluence of women on Balzac was much wider and his acquaintance withthem much broader than has previously been supposed. 

Apropos of remarks made by Sainte-Beuve and Brunetiere regardingBalzac's admission to the higher circles of society, Emile Faguet hasthis to say:

 "I would point out that the duchesses and viscountesses at the end of the Restoration were known neither to Sainte-Beuve nor to Balzac, the former only having begun to frequent aristocratic drawing-rooms in 1840, and Balzac, in spite of his very short _liaison_ with Madame de Castries, having become a regular attendant only a few months before that date. Sainte-Beuve himself has told us that the Faubourg Saint-Germain _was closed to men of letters before 1830_, and since it had to spend a few years becoming accustomed to their admittance, Sainte-Beuve's testimony is not at all valid as regards the great ladies of the Restoration, even at the end. "

Perhaps it is due partly to the above statement and partly to the factthat Balzac tried to give the impression that he led a sort ofmonastic life, that it is generally believed the novelist never hadaccess to the aristocratic society of his time, and never had anopportunity of observing the great ladies or of frequenting themarvelous balls and receptions that fill so large a place in hiswritings. Whether he made a success of such descriptions is not thequestion here, but the following pages will at least furnish proofthat he not only had many social opportunities, but that his presencewas sought by many women belonging to high life and the nobility. 

In presenting in the following pages a somewhat imposing list ofduchesses, countesses and women of varying degrees of nobility, it isnot intended to picture Balzac as a _preux chevalier_, for he was farfrom being one. Even in the most refined of _salons_, he displayed hisRabelaisian manners and costume, and remained the typical author ofthe _Contes drolatiques_; but to maintain that he never knew women ofthe upper class or never even entered their society, involves amisapprehension of the facts. Neither would the present writer givethe impression that this was the only class of women he knew orassociated with, for he certainly was acquainted with many of the_bourgeoisie_ and of the peasant class; but here it is difficult tomake out a case, since his letters to or about women of these classesare rare, and literary men of his day have not given many details ofhis association with them. 

From Balzac's youth, his most intense longings were to be famous andto be loved. At times it might almost be thought that the seconddesire took precedence over the first, but it was not the ordinarywoman that this future _Napoleon litteraire_ was seeking. His desirewas to win the affection of some lady of high standing, and when urgedby his family to consider marriage with a certain rich widow of the_bourgeoisie_, it can be imagined with what a sense of relief he wrotehis mother that the bird had flown. An abnormal longing to mingle withthe aristocracy remained with him throughout his life; and during hisstay at Wierzchownia, after having all but made the conquest of a veryrich lady belonging to one of the most noted families of Russia, heflattered himself by exaggerating her greatness. 

Not being crowned from the first with the success he desired, Balzacneeded encouragement in his work. For this he naturally turned towomen who would give him of their time and sympathy. In his earlyyears, he received this encouragement and assistance from his sisterLaure, from Madame de Berny, Madame d'Abrantes, Madame Carraud andothers, and in his later life he was similarly indebted to MadameHanska. They gave him ideas, corrected his style, conceived plots, furnished him with historical background, and criticized his work ingeneral. Is it surprising then that, having received so much fromwomen, he should have accorded them so great a place in his writingsas well as in his personal life?

While Balzac did not, as is often stated, _create_ the "woman ofthirty, " this characteristic type having already appeared in Madame deStael's _Delphine_, in Benjamin Constant's _Adolphe_, and inStendhal's _Le Rouge et le Noir_, he must be credited with havingmagnified her charms and presented her advantages and superiority to amuch higher degree than had been done before. Women indeed play ingeneral an important role in his work, many of his novels bear theirnames; about one-third of the stories of _La Comedie humaine_ arededicated to women; and while not quite so large a proportion of thecharacters created are women, they are numbered among the mostimportant personages of his prolific fancy. 

If we are to believe his own testimony, his popularity among women wasby no means limited to his Paris environment, for he writes: "Fame isconveyed to me through the post office by means of letters, and Idaily receive three or four from women. They come from the depths ofRussia, of Germany, etc. ; I have not had one from England. Then thereare many letters from young people. It has become fatiguing. . . . "

It was only a matter of justice that women should show theirappreciation thus, for Balzac rendered them a gracious service inprolonging, by his enormous literary influence, the period of theireligibility for being loved. This he successfully extended to thirtyyears, even to forty years; with rare skill he portrayed the charm ofa declining beauty--as one might delight in the glory of a brilliantautumn or of a setting sun. At the same time, and on the one hand, hedepicted the young girl of various types, and women of the working andservant class. And since his own life is so reflected throughout hiswork, it is of interest to become acquainted with the inner andintimate side of his genius, which has left us some of the greatestdocuments we possess concerning human nature. 

Balzac knew many women, and to understand him fully one should studyhis relations with them. If he has portrayed them well, it is becausehe loved them tenderly, and was loved by many in return. Thesefeminine affections formed one of the consolations of his life; theynot only gave him courage but helped to soften the bitterness of histrials and disappointments. 

While an effort has been made in the following work to solve thequestions as to the identity of the _Sarah, Maria, Sofka, Constance-Victoire, Louise, Caroline, _ and the _Helene_ of Balzac'sdedications, and to show the role each played, no attempt has herebeen made to lift the tightly drawn veil which has so long envelopedone side of Balzac's private life. Whoever wishes to do this may nowconsult the recent publication of the late Vicomte de Spoelberch deLovenjoul, or the _Mariage de Balzac_ by the late Count StanislasRzewuski. It is far more pleasant--even if the charges be untrue--tothink as did the late Miss K. P. Wormeley, that no supporting testimonyhas been offered to prove anything detrimental to the great author'scharacter. Though doubtless much overdrawn, one prefers the delightfulpicture of him traced by his old friend, George Sand. 

 WOMEN IN THE LIFE OF BALZAC

 CHAPTER I

 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF BALZAC

In the delightful city of Tours, the childhood of Honore de Balzac wasspent in the midst of his family. This consisted of an original andmost congenial old father, a nervous, business-like mother, twoyounger sisters, Laure and Laurentia, and a younger brother, Henri. His maternal grandmother, Madame Sallambier, joined the family afterthe death of her husband. 

At about the age of eight, Honore was sent to a semi-military_college_. Here, after six years of confinement, he lost his health, not on account of any work assigned to him by his teachers, for he wasregarded as being far from a brilliant student, but because of theabnormal amount of reading which he did on the outside. When he wasbrought home for recuperation, his old grandmother alternatelyirritated him with her "nervous attacks" and delighted him with hernumerous ways of showing her affection. At this time he wandered aboutin the fresh air of the province of Touraine, and learned to love itsbeautiful scenery, which he has immortalized in various novels. 

After he had spent a year of this rustic life, his family moved toParis in the fall of 1814. There he continued his studies with M. Lepitre, whose Royalist principles doubtless influenced him. Heattended lectures at the Sorbonne also, strolling meanwhile about theLatin Quarter, and in 1816 was placed in the law office of M. DeGuillonnet-Merville, a friend of the family, and an ardent Royalist. After eighteen months in this office, he spent more than a year in theoffice of a notary, M. Passez, who was also a family friend. 

It was probably during this period of residence in Paris that he firstmet Madame de Berny, she who was later to wield so great an influenceover him and who held first place in his heart until their separationin 1832. Probably at this same period, too, he met Zulma Tourangin, aschoolmate of his sister Laure, and who, as Madame Carraud, was tobecome his life-long friend. Of all the friendships that Balzac wasdestined to form with women, this with Madame Carraud was one of thepurest, longest and most beautiful. 

Having attained his majority and finished his legal studies, Balzacwas requested by his father to enter the office of M. Passez andbecome a business man, but the life was so distasteful to him that heobjected and asked permission to spend his time as best he might indeveloping his literary ability, a request which, in spite of theopposition of the family, was finally granted for a term of two years. He was accordingly allowed to establish himself in a small attic atNo. 9 rue Lesdiguieres, while his family moved to Villeparisis. 

His father's weakness in thus giving in to his son was most irritatingto Balzac's mother, who was endowed with the business faculties sofrequently met with among French women. She was convinced that alittle experience would soon cause her son to change his mind. But he, on his part, ignored his hardships. He began to dream of a life offame. In his garret, too, he began to develop that longing for luxurywhich was to increase with the years, and which was to cost him somuch. At this time, he took frequent walks through the cemetery ofPere-Lachaise around the graves of Moliere, La Fontaine and Racine. Hewould occasionally visit a friend with whom he could converse, but heusually preferred a sympathetic listener, to whom he could pour outhis plans and his innermost longings. Otherwise his life was assolitary as it was cloistered. He confined himself to his room fordays at a time, working fiercely at the manuscript of the play, _Cromwell_, which he felt to be a masterpiece. 

This work he finished and took to his home for approval in April, 1820. What must have been his disappointment when, certain of success, he not only found his play disapproved but was advised to devote histime and talents to anything except literature! But his courage wasnot daunted thus. Remarking that _tragedies_ appeared not to be in hisline, he was ready to return to his garret to attempt another kind ofliterature, and would have done so, had not his mother, seeing that hewould certainly injure his health, interposed; and although onlyfifteen months of the allotted two years had expired, insisted that heremain at home, and later sent him to Touraine for a much needed rest. 

During his stay at home, he was to suffer another disappointment. Hissister Laure, to whom he had confided all his secrets and longings, was married to M. Surville in May, 1830, and moved to Bayeux. He wasthus deprived of her congenial companionship. The separation isfortunate for posterity, however, since the letters he wrote to herreveal much of the family life, both pleasant and otherwise, togetherwith a great deal concerning his own desires and struggles. Thus earlyin life, he realized that his was a very "original" family, andregretted not being able to put the whole group into novels. Hiscorrespondence gives a very good description of their variouseccentricities, and he has later immortalized some of these byportraying them in certain of his characters. 

Continually worried by his irritable mother, feeling himself forced tomake money by writing lest he be compelled to enter a lawyer's office, he produced in five years, with different collaborators, a vast numberof works written under various pseudonyms. He tutored his younger andmuch petted brother Henri, but found his pleasures outside of thefamily circle. It was arranged that he should give lessons to one ofthe sons of M. And Mme. De Berny, and thus he had an opportunity ofseeing much of Madame de Berny, whose patience under suffering andsympathetic nature deeply impressed him. On her side, she took aninterest in him and devoted much time in helping and indeed "creating"him. Unhappy in her married life, she must have found thecompanionship of Balzac most interesting, and realizing that the youngman had a great future, she acted as a severe critic in correcting hismanuscripts, and cheered him in his hours of depression. Her motherhaving been one of the Queen's ladies in waiting, the Royalistprinciples previously instilled in the mind of the young author werereinforced by this charming woman, as well as by her mother, who couldentertain him indefinitely with her exciting stories of imprisonmentand hairbreadth escapes. 

After a few years of life at Villeparisis, Balzac removed to Paris. Hehad met an old friend, M. D'Assonvillez, whom he told of the conflictbetween his family and himself over his occupation, and this gentlemanadvised him to seek a business that would make him independent, evenoffering to provide the necessary funds. Balzac took the advice, andwith visions of becoming extremely rich, launched into a publishingcareer, proposing to bring out one-volume editions of various authors'complete works, commencing with La Fontaine and Moliere. As he did nothave the necessary capital for advertising, however, his ventureresulted in a loss. His friend then persuaded him to invest in aprinting-press, and in August, 1826, he made another beginning. He didnot lack courage; but though he later manipulated such wonderfulbusiness schemes in his novels he proved to be utterly incapablehimself in practical life. 

A second time he was doomed to failure, but with his indomitable willhe resolved that inasmuch as he had met with such financial disastersthrough the press, he would recover his fortunes in the same way, andset himself to writing with even greater determination than ever. Nowit was that Madame de Berny showed her true devotion by coming to hisaid in his financial troubles as well as in his literary ones; sheloaned him 45, 000 francs, saw to it that the recently purchasedtype-foundry became the property of her family, and, with the help ofMadame Surville, persuaded Madame de Balzac to save her son from thedisgrace of bankruptcy by lending him 37, 000 francs. Thus, after lessthan two years of experience, he found himself burdened with a debtwhich like a black cloud was to hang over him during his entire life. Other friends also came to his rescue. But if Balzac did not havebusiness capacity, his experience in dealing with the financial world, of which he had become a victim, furnished him with material of whichhe made abundant use later in his works. 

In September, 1828, after this business was temporarily out of theway, Balzac went to Brittany to spend a few weeks with some old familyfriends, the Pommereuls. There he roved over the beautiful country andcollected material for _Les Chouans_, the first novel which he signedwith his own name. Notwithstanding the fact that before he had reachedhis thirtieth year, he was staggering under a debt amounting to about100, 000 francs, Balzac with his never-failing hope in the future andhis ever-increasing belief in his destiny, cast aside his depression, and fought continually to attain the greatness which was never fullyrecognized until long after his death. 

He had entered on what was indeed a period of struggle. Establishinghimself in Paris in the rue de Tournon, and later in the rue deCassini, he battled with poverty, lacking both food and clothing; buthis courage never wavered. Drinking black coffee to keep himselfawake, he wrote eighteen hours a day, and when exhausted would runaway to the country to relax and visit with his friends. The Baron dePommereul was only one of a rather numerous group. He frequentlyvisited Madame Carraud at her hospitable home at Frapesle, and M. DeMargonne in his chateau at Sache on the Indre. Often he would spendmany weeks at a time with the latter, where he made himself perfectlyat home, was treated as one of the family, and worked or rested justas he wished. Leading the hermit's life by preference, he needed thequietude of the country atmosphere in order to recover from the greatstrain to which he subjected himself when the fit of authorship wasupon him. Thus it happened that several of his works were written inthe homes of various friends. 

_Les Chouans_ and other novels met with success. Balzac's reputationnow gradually rose, so that by 1831 he was attracting much favorableattention. Among the younger literary set who sought his acquaintancewas George Sand with whom he formed a true friendship which lastedthroughout his life. Now, too, though he was not betrayed intoneglecting his work for society, he accepted invitations, won by hisgrowing reputation, to some of the most noted salons of the day, amongthem the Empire salon of Madame Sophie Gay, where he met many of theliterary and artistic people of his time, including Delphine, thedaughter of Madame Gay, who, as Madame de Girardin, was to become oneof his intimate friends. Here he met Madame Hamelin and the Duchessd'Abrantes, who was destined to play an important role in his life, and also the tender and impassioned poetess, Madame Desbordes-Valmore. The beautiful Madame Recamier invited him to her salon, too, and hadhim read to her guests, and he was also a frequent visitor in thesalon of the Russian Princess Bagration, where he was fond of tellingstories. Besides the salons, he was invited to numerous houses, diningparticularly often with the Baron de Trumilly, who took a greatinterest in his work. 

As his fame increased, letters arrived from various part of Europe. Some of these were anonymous, and many were from women. Several of thelatter were answered, and early in 1832 Balzac learned that one of hisunknown correspondents was the beautiful Marquise de Castries (laterthe Duchess de Castries). Throwing aside her incognito, she invitedhim to call, and he, anxious to mingle with the exclusive society ofthe Faubourg Saint-Germain, gladly accepted and promptly becameenraptured with her alluring charm. It was doubtless owing to theinfluence of her relative, the Duc de Fitz-James, that he becameactive in politics at this time. 

In the course of this same year (1832) there came to him an anonymousletter of great significance, dated from the distant Ukraine, andsigned _l'Etrangere_. Though not at that time giving him the slightestpresentiment of the outcome, this letter was destined eventually tochange the entire life of the novelist. A notice in the _Quotidienne_acknowledging the receipt of it brought about a correspondence whichin the course of events revealed to the author that the stranger'sreal name was Madame Hanska. 

Love affairs, however, were far from being the only things thatoccupied Balzac. He was continually besieged by creditors; the cloudsof his indebtedness were ever ready to burst over his head. Meanwhile, his mother became more and more displeased with him, and impatient athis constant calls upon her for the performance of all manner ofservices. She now urged him to make a rich marriage and thus put anend to his troubles and hers. But such was not Balzac's inclination, and he rightly considered himself the most deeply concerned in thematter. 

All the while he was prodigiously productive, but the profits from hisworks were exceedingly small. This fact was due to his method ofcomposition, according to which some of his works were revised a dozentimes or more, and also to the Belgian piracies, from which allpopular French authors suffered. In addition to this, his extravaganttastes developed from year to year, and thus prevented him frommaterially reducing his debts. 

Unlike most Frenchmen, Balzac was particularly fond of travel inforeign countries, and when allured by the charms of a beautifulwoman, he forgot his financial obligations and allowed nothing toprevent his responding to the call of the siren. Thus he was enticedby the Marquise de Castries to go to Aix and from there to Geneva in1832, and one year later he rushed to Neufchatel to meet MadameHanska, with whom he became so enamored that a few months afterwardshe spent several weeks with her at this same fatal city of Genevawhere the Marquise had all but broken his heart. In the spring of 1835he followed a similar desire, this time going as far as the beautifulcity of the blue Danube. 

The charms of his sirens were not enough, however, to keep soindefatigable a writer from his work. He permitted himself to enjoysocial diversions for only a few hours daily and some of his mostdelightful novels were written during these visits, where it seemedthat the very shadow of feminine presence gave him inspiration. Itshould be added, too, that in the limited time given to society duringthese journeys, he not only worshipped at the shrine of his particularenchantress of the moment, but managed to meet many other women ofsocial prominence. 

As his fame spread, his extravagance increased; with his famous cane, he was seen frequently at the opera, at one time sharing a box withthe beautiful Olympe. But his business relations with his publisher, Madame Bechet, which seemed to be promising at first, ended unhappily, and the rapidly declining health of his _Dilecta_, Madame de Berny, not to mention the failure of another publisher Werdet, which there isnot space here to recount, cast a gloom from time to time over hisoptimistic spirit. He now became the proprietor of the _Chronique deParis_, but aside from the literary friendships involved, notably thatof Theophile Gautier, he derived nothing but additional worries froman undertaking he was unfitted to carry out. An even greater anxietywas the famous lawsuit with Buloz, which was finally decided in hisfavor, but which proved a costly victory, since it left him physicallyexhausted. 

In order to recuperate, he sought refuge in the home of M. DeMargonne, and travelled afterwards with Madame Marbouty to Italy, where he spent several pleasant weeks looking after some legalbusiness for his friends, M. And Mme. Visconti. It was on his returnfrom this journey that he learned of the death of Madame de Berny. 

During this period of general depression, Balzac devoted a certainamount of attention to another correspondent, Louise, whom he nevermet but whose letters cheered him, especially during his imprisonmentfor refusing to serve in the Garde Nationale. In the same year (1836), he was drawn by the charming Madame de Valette to Guerande, where hesecured his descriptive material for _Beatrix_. 

In the spring of 1837, he went to Italy for the second time, hoping torecuperate, and wishing to see the bust of Madame Hanska which hadbeen made by Bartolini. He visited several cities, and in Milan he wasreceived in the salon of Madame Maffei, where he met some of the bestknown people of the day. He had now thought of another scheme by meansof which he might become very rich, --always a favorite dream of his. He believed that much silver might be extracted from lead turned outof the mines as refuse, and was indiscreet enough to confide his ideasto a crafty merchant whom he met at Genoa. A year later, when Balzacwent to Sardinia to investigate the possibility of the development ofhis plans, he found that his ideas had been appropriated by thisacquaintance. On his return from this trip to Corsica and Sardinia, onwhich he had endured much physical suffering, and had spent much moneyto no financial avail, he stopped again at Milan to look after theinterests of the Viscontis. In the Salon of the same year (1837), thefamous portrait by Boulanger was displayed. About the same time, together with Theophile Gautier, Leon Gozlan, Jules Sandeau andothers, he organized an association called the _Cheval Rouge_ formutual advertisement. 

Balzac now bought a piece of land at Ville d'Avray (Sevres), and had ahouse built, _Les Jardies_, which afforded much amusement to theParisians. He went there to reside in 1838 while the walls were stilldamp. Here he formed another scheme for becoming rich, this time inthe belief that he would be successful in raising pineapples at hisnew home. _Les Jardies_ was a three-story house. The principalstairway was on the outside, because an exterior staircase would notinterfere with the symmetrical arrangement of the interior. The gardenwalls, not long after completion, fell down as they had nofoundations, and Balzac sadly exclaimed over their giving way! After abrief residence here of about two years, he fled from his creditorsand concealed his identity under the name of his housekeeper, Madamede Brugnolle, in a mysterious little house, No. 19, rue Basse, Passy. 

Aside from his novels, which were appearing at a most rapid rate, Balzac wrote many plays, but they all met with failure for variousreasons. Other literary activities, such as his brief directorship ofthe _Revue Parisienne_, numerous articles and short stories, and hiscooperation in the _Societe des Gens-de-Lettres_, which was organizedto protect the rights of authors and publishers, occupied much of hisprecious time; in addition, he had his unremitting financialstruggles. 

This "child-man, " however, with his imagination, optimism, belief inmagnetism and clairvoyance, and great steadfastness of character, kepton hoping. Not discouraged by his ever unsuccessful schemes forbecoming a millionaire, he conceived the project of digging for hiddentreasures, and later thought of making a fortune by transporting toFrance oaks grown in distant Russia. 

In the spring of 1842 Balzac's novels were collected for the firsttime under the name of the _Comedie humaine_. This was shortly afterone of the most important events of his life had occurred, when onJanuary 5 he received a letter from Madame Hanska telling of the deathof her husband the previous November. Balzac wished to leave forRussia immediately, but Madame Hanska's permission was notforthcoming, and it was not until July of 1843 that Balzac arrived atSt. Petersburg to visit his "Polar Star. "

On his return home he became very ill, and from this time onward hisrobust constitution, which he had so abused by overwork and by the useof strong coffee, began to break under the continual strain and hisillnesses became more and more frequent. His visit to his_Chatelaine_, however, had increased his longing to be constantly inher society, and he was ever planning to visit her. During herprolonged stay in Dresden in the winter and spring of 1845, he becameso desperate that he could not longer do his accustomed work, and whenthe invitation to visit her eventually came, he forgot all in hishaste to be at her side. 

With Madame Hanska, her daughter Anna, and the Count George Mniszech, Anna's fiance, Balzac now traveled extensively in Europe. In July, after some preliminary journeys, Madame Hanska and Anna secretlyaccompanied him to Paris where they enjoyed the opportunity ofvisiting Anna's former governess, Lirette, who had entered a convent. In August, after visiting many cities with the two ladies, Balzacescorted them as far as Brussels. In September he left Paris again tojoin them at Baden, and in October, went to meet them at Chalonswhence all four--Count Mniszech being now of the party--journeyed toMarseilles and by sea to Naples. After a few days at Naples, Balzacreturned to Paris, ill, having spent much money and done little work. 

Ever planning a home for his future bride, and buying objects of artwith which to adorn it, Balzac with his numerous worries wasphysically and mentally in poor condition. In March, 1846, he leftParis to join Madame Hanska and her party at Rome for a month. Hetraveled with them to some extent during the summer, and a definiteengagement of marriage was entered into at Strasbourg. In October heattended the marriage of Anna and the Count Mniszech at Wiesbaden, andMadame Hanska visited him secretly in Paris during the winter. 

He was now in better spirits, and his health was somewhat improved, enabling him to do some of his best work, but he was being pressed tofulfil his literary obligations, and, as usual, harassed over hisdebts. In September he left for Wierzchownia, where he remained untilthe following February, continually hoping that his marriage wouldsoon take place. But Mme. Hanska hesitated, and the failure of theChemin de Fer du Nord added more financial embarrassments to hisalready large load. The Revolution of 1848 brought him into moretrouble still, and his health was obviously becoming impaired. Yet hecontinued hopeful. 

After spending the summer in his house of treasure in the rueFortunee, he again left, in September, 1848, for Wierzchownia, thistime determined to return with his shield or upon it. During hisprolonged stay of eighteen months, while his distraught mother waslooking after affairs in his new home, his health became so bad thathe could not finish the work outlined during the summer. No sooner hadhe recovered from one malady than he was overtaken by another. Unableto work, distracted by bad news from his family, and being the witnessof several financial failures incurred by Madame Hanska, Balzacnaturally was supremely depressed. At this time, a touch of what maynot uncharitably be termed snobbishness is seen in his letters to hisfamily when he extols the unlimited virtues of his _Predilecta_ andthe Countess Anna. 

After seventeen long years of waiting, with hope constantly deferred, Balzac at last attained his goal when, on March 14, 1850, MadameHanska became Madame Honore de Balzac. His joy over this great triumphwas beyond all adequate description, but he was unable to depart forParis with his bride until April. After a difficult journey, thecouple arrived at Paris in May, but the condition of Balzac's healthwas hopeless and only a few more months were accorded him. With hisusual optimism, he always thought that he would be spared to finishhis great work, and when informed by his physician on August 17 thathe would live but a few hours, he refused to believe it. 

Unless he had been self-centered, Balzac could never have left behindhim his enormous and prodigious work. In spite of certain unlovelyphases of his private character and failure to fulfil his literary andfinancial obligations, he was a man of great personal charm. Though atvarious times he was under consideration for election to the FrenchAcademy, his name is not found numbered among the "forty immortals. "But he was the greatest of French novelists, a great creator ofcharacters, who by some competent critics has been ranked withShakespeare, and he has left to posterity the incomparable, thoughunfinished _Comedie humaine_, which is in itself sufficient for his"immortality. "

 CHAPTER II

 RELATIVES AND FAMILY FRIENDS

 BALZAC'S MOTHER

 "Farewell, my dearly beloved mother! I embrace you with all my heart. Oh! if you knew how I need just now to cast myself upon your breast as a refuge of complete affection, you would insert a little word of tenderness in your letters, and this one which I am answering has not even a poor kiss. There is nothing but . . . Ah! Mother, Mother, this is very bad! . . . You have misconstrued what I said to you, and you do not understand my heart and affection. This grieves me most of all! . . . "

The above extract is sadly typical of a relationship of thirty years, 1820-1850, between a mother, on the one hand, who never understood orappreciated her son--and a son, on the other, whose longings formaternal affection were never fully gratified. To his mother Balzacdedicated _Le Medicin de Campagne_, one of his finest sociologicalstudies. 

Madame Surville has described Balzac's mother, and her own, as beingrich, beautiful, and much younger than her husband, and as having arare vivacity of mind and of imagination, an untiring activity, agreat firmness of decision, and an unbounded devotion to her family;but as expressing herself in actions rather than in words. She devotedherself exclusively to the education of her children, and felt itnecessary to use severity towards them in order to offset the effectsof indulgence on the part of their father and their grandmother. Balzac inherited from his mother imagination and activity, and fromboth of his parents energy and kindness. 

Madame de Balzac has been charged with not having been a tender mothertowards her children in their infancy. She had lost her first childthrough her inability to nurse it properly. An excellent nurse, however, was found for Honore, and he became so healthy that later hissister Laure was placed with the same nurse. But she never seemedfully to understand her son nor even to suspect his promise. Sheattributed the sagacious remarks and reflections of his youth toaccident, and on such occasions she would tell him that he did notunderstand what he was saying. His only reply would be a sweet, submissive smile which irritated her, and which she called arrogantand presumptuous. With her cold, calculating temperament, she had nopatience with his staking his life and fortune on uncertain financialundertakings, and blamed him for his business failures. She sufferedon account of his love of luxury and his belief in his own greatness, no evidence of which seemed sufficient to her matter-of-fact mind. Shecontinued to misjudge him, unaware of his genius, but in spite of hergrumbling and harassing disposition, she often came to his aid in hisfinancial troubles. 

Contrary to the wishes of his parents, who had destined him to becomea notary, Balzac was ever dreaming of literary fame. His mother notunnaturally thought that a little poverty and difficulty would bringhim to submission; so, before leaving Paris for Villeparisis in 1819she installed him in a poorly furnished _mansard_, No. 9, rueLesdiguieres, leaving an old woman, Madame Comin, who had been in theservice of the family for more than twenty years, to watch over him. Balzac has doubtless depicted this woman in _Facino Cane_ as MadameVaillant, who in 1819-1820 was charged with the care of a youngwriter, lodged in a _mansard_, rue Lesdiguieres. 

After fifteen months of this life, his health became so much impairedthat his mother insisted on keeping him at home, where she cared forhim faithfully. On a former occasion Madame de Balzac had had her sonbrought home to recuperate, for when he was sent away to _college_ atan early age, his health became so impaired that he was hurriedlyreturned to his home. Balzac probably refers to this event in his lifewhen he writes, in _Louis Lambert_, that the mother, alarmed by thecontinuous fever of her son and his symptoms of _coma_, took him fromschool at four or five hours' notice. 

During the five years (1820-1825) that Balzac remained at home inVilleparisis, he longed for the quiet freedom of his garret; he couldnot adapt himself to the bustling family circle, nor reconcile himselfto the noise of the domestic machinery kept in motion by his vigilantand indefatigable mother. She was of a nervous, excitable nature, which she probably inherited from her mother, Madame Sallambier. Sheimagined that he was ill, and of course there was no one to convinceher to the contrary. Had she known that while she thought she wascontributing everything to the happiness of those around her, she wasonly doing the opposite, we may be sure that she of all women wouldhave been the most wretched. 

Balzac having failed in his speculations as publisher and printer, wasaided by his mother financially, and she figured as one of hisprincipal creditors during the remainder of his life. (E. Faguet in_Balzac_, is exaggerating in stating that Madame de Balzac sacrificedher whole fortune for Honore, for much of her means was spent on herfavorite son, Henri. )

M. Auguste Fessart was a contemporary of the family, an observer of agreat part of the life of Honore, and his confidant on more than oneoccasion. In his _Commentaires_ on the work entitled _Balzac, sa Vieet ses Oeuvres_, by Madame Surville, he states that the portrait ofMadame de Balzac is flattering--a daughter's portrait of a mother--anddeclares that Madame de Balzac was very severe with her children, especially with Honore, adding that Balzac used to say that he neverheard his mother speak without experiencing a certain trembling whichdeprived him of his faculties. Spoelberch de Lovenjoul, in reviewingthe _Commentaires_ of M. Fessart, notes the recurring instances inwhich pity is expressed for the moral and material sufferings almostconstantly endured by Balzac in his family circle. These sufferingsseem to have impressed him more than anything else in the career ofthe novelist. In speaking of Balzac's financial appeal to his family, M. Fessart notes: "And his mother did not respond to him. She let himdie of hunger! . . . I repeat that they let him die of hunger; he toldme so several times!" When Madame Surville speaks of their keepingBalzac's presence in Paris a secret, saying that it was moreover ameans of keeping him from all worldly temptations, M. Fessart replies:"And of giving him nothing, and of allowing him to be in need ofeverything!" Finally, when Madame Surville speaks of her parents' notgiving Balzac the fifteen hundred francs he desired, M. Fessartconfirms this, saying that his family always refused him money. 

A letter from Balzac to Madame Hanska testifies to this attitude ofhis family towards him: "In 1828 I was cast into this poor rueCassini, in consequence of a liquidation to which I had beencompelled, owing one hundred thousand francs and being without apenny, when my family would not even give me bread. "

MM. Hanotaux et Vicaire, to whose admirable work we shall haveoccasion to refer often, state that Madame de Balzac advancedthirty-seven thousand six hundred francs for Balzac on August 16, 1822, and that his parents paid a total of forty-five thousand francs forhim. 

Having read M. Fessart's description of Madame de Balzac, one canagree with Madame Ruxton in saying that Balzac has portrayed his ownyouth in his account of the early life of Raphael in _La Peau deChagrin_, Balzac's mother, instead of Raphael's father, beingrecognized in the following passage:

 "Seen from afar, my life appears to contract by some mental process. That long, slow agony of ten years' duration can be brought to memory to-day in some few phrases, in which pain is resolved into a mere idea, and pleasure becomes a philosophical reflection . . . When I left school, my father submitted me to a strict discipline; he installed me in a room near his own study, and I had to rise at five in the morning and retire at nine at night. He intended me to take my law studies seriously. I attended school, and read with an advocate as well; but my lectures and work were so narrowly circumscribed by the laws of time and space, and my father required of me such a strict account, at dinner, that . . . In this manner I cowered under as strict a despotism as a monarch's until I became of age. "

In confirmation of this idea, Madame Ruxton[*] quotes Madame Barnier, granddaughter of the Duchesse d'Abrantes, who knew both Balzac and hismother, and who describes her as a cold, severe, superior, buthard-hearted woman, just the opposite of her son. Balzac himselfstates: "Never shall I cease to resemble Raphael in his garret. "

[*] In _La Dilecta de Balzac_, Balzac states that he has described his own life in _La Peau de Chagrin_. For a picture of Balzac's unhappy childhood drawn by himself, see _Revue des deux Mondes_, March 15, 1920. 

After the death (June 1829) of her husband, Madame de Balzac livedwith her son at different intervals, and during his extended tour ofsix months in 1832 she attended to the details of his business. Withher usual energy and extreme activity, she displayed her ability invarious lines, for she had to have dealings with his publisher, docopying, consult the library, --sending him some books and buyingothers, --have the servant exercise the horses, sell the horses andcarriage and dismiss the servant, arrange to have certain paymentsdeferred, send him money and consult the physician for him, not tomention various other duties. 

While Madame de Balzac was certainly requested to do far more than ason usually expects of his mother, her tantalizing letters were asource of great annoyance to him, as is seen in the following:

 "What you say about my silence is one of those things which, to use your expression, makes me grasp my heart with both hands; for it is incredible I should be able to produce all I do. (I am obeying the most rigorous necessity); so if I am to write, I ought to have more time, and when I rest, I wish to lay down and not take up my pen again. Really, my poor dear mother, this ought to be understood between us once for all; otherwise, I shall have to renounce all epistolary intercourse. . . . And this morning I was about to make the first dash at my work, when your letter came and completely upset me. Do you think it possible to have artistic inspirations after being brought suddenly face to face with such a picture of my miseries as you have traced? Do you think that if I did not feel them, I should work as I do? . . . Farewell, my good mother. Try and achieve impossibilities, which is what I am doing on my side. My life is one perpetual miracle. . . . You ask me to write you in full detail; but, my dear mother, have you yet to be told what my existence is? When I am able to write, I work at my manuscripts; when I am not working at my manuscripts, I am thinking of them; I never have any rest. How is it my friends are not aware of this? . . . I beg of you, my dear mother, in the name of my heavy work, never to write me that such a work is good, and such another bad: you upset me for a fortnight. "

Balzac appreciated what his mother did for him, and while he neverfully repaid her the money she had so often requested of him, shemight have felt herself partially compensated by these kind words ofaffection:

 "My kind and excellent mother, --After writing to you in such haste, I felt my inmost heart melt as I read your letter again, and I worshipped you. How shall I return to you, when shall I return to you, and can I ever return to you, by my love and endeavors for your happiness, all that you have done for me? I can at present only express my deep thankfulness. . . . How deep is my gratitude towards the kind hearts who pluck some of the thorns from my life and smooth my path by their affection. But constrained to an unceasing warfare against destiny, I have not always leisure to give utterance to what I feel. I would not, however, allow a day to pass without letting you know the tenderness your late proofs of devotion excite in me. A mother suffers the pangs of labor more than once with her children, does she not, my mother? Poor mothers, are you ever enough beloved! . . . I hope, my much beloved mother, you will not let yourself grow dejected. I work as hard as it is possible for a man to work; a day is only twelve hours long, I can do no more. . . . Farewell, my darling mother; I am very tired! Coffee burns my stomach. For the last twenty days I have taken no rest; and yet I must still work on, that I may remove your anxieties. . . . Keep your house; I had already sent an answer to Laura, I will not let either you or Surville bear the burden of my affairs. However, until the arrival of my proxy, it is understood that Laura, who is my cash keeper, will remit you a hundred and fifty francs a month. You may reckon on this as a regular payment; nothing in the world will take precedence of it. Then, at the end of November to December 10, you will have the surplus of thirty-six thousand francs to reimburse you for the excess of the expenditure over the receipts during the time of your stewardship; during which, thanks to your devotion, you gave me all the tranquility that was possible. . . . I entreat you to take care of yourself! Nothing is so dear to me as your health! I would give half of myself to keep you well, and I would keep the other half, to do you service. My mother, the day when we shall be happy through me is coming quickly; I am beginning to gather the fruits of the sacrifices I have made this year for a more certain future. Still, a few months more and I shall be able to give you that happy life--that life without cares or anxiety--which you so much need. You will have all you desire; our little vanities will be satisfied no less than the great ambitions of our hearts. Oh do, I pray you, nurse yourself! . . . Your comfort in material things and your happiness are my riches. Oh! my dear mother, do live to see my bright future realized!"[*]

[*] In speaking of Balzac's relations to his mother, Mr. F. Lawton (_Balzac_) states: "Madame Balzac was sacrificed to his improvidence and stupendous egotism; nor can the tenderness of the language--more frequently than not called forth by some fresh immolation of her comfort to his interests--disguise this unpleasing side of his character and action. . . . And his epistolary good-byes were odd mixtures of business with sentiment. "

Thus did the poor mother alternately receive letters full of scoldingsand of terms of endearment from her son whose genius she neverunderstood. She was faithful in her duties, and her ambitious sonprobably did not realize how much he was asking of her. But she mayhave had a motive in keeping him on the prolonged visit during whichthis last letter was written, for she was interested in hisprospective marriage. Although her full name is never mentioned, thewomen in question, Madame D----, was evidently a widow with a fortune, and in view of this prospect was most pleasing to Madame de Balzac. However, this matrimonial plan fell through, and Balzac himself wasnever enthusiastic over it. He felt that his attentions to MadameD---- would consume his very precious time, and that the affair couldnot come off in time to serve his interests. Could it be that Balzacwas alluding to this same Madame D---- when he wrote some time later:"My beloved mother, --the affair has come to nothing, the bird wasfrightened away, and I am very glad of it. I had no time to run afterit, and it was imperative it should be either yes or no. "

This marriage project, like many others planned either for or byBalzac, came to naught, and his mother evidently became displeasedwith him, for she left him on his return, when he was in great need ofconsolation and sympathy. As frequently happened under suchcircumstances, Balzac expressed his deep regrets at his mother'sconduct to one of his best friends, Madame Carraud, and confided toher his loneliness and longings. 

Madame de Balzac was much occupied with religious ideas, and had madea collection of the writings of the mystics. Balzac plunged into thestudy of clairvoyance and mesmerism, and his mother, interested in themarvelous, helped him in his studies, as she knew many of thecelebrated clairvoyants and mesmerists of the time. 

At various times, Balzac's relations with his mother were muchestranged; at one time he did not even know where she was. When shewas disappointed in her favorite child, Henri, she seemed to recognizethe great wrong involved in her lack of affection for Honore and hissister Laure. But she never gave him the attentions that he longedfor. In May, 1840, he wrote to Madame Hanska that he was especiallysad on the day of his _fete catholique_ (May 16) as, since the deathof Madame de Berny, there was no one to observe this occasion, thoughduring her life every day was a _fete_ day; he was too busy to joinwith his sister Laure in the mutual observance of their birthdays, andhis mother cared little for him; once the Duchesse de Castries hadsent him a most beautiful bouquet, --but now there was no one. 

The same year (1840) he took his mother to live with him _Auxjardies_. This he regarded as an additional burden. Her continualharassing him for the money he still owed her, her nervous anddiscordant disposition, her constant intrigues to force him to marry, and her numerous little acts that placed him in positions beneath thedignity of an author's standing were an incessant source of annoyanceto him. 

She did not remain with him long, but he tried to perform his filialduties and make her comfortable, as various letters show. One of thesereads as follows:

 "My dear Mother, --It is very difficult for me to enter into the engagement you ask of me, and to do so without reflection would entail consequences most serious both for you and for myself. The money necessary for my existence is, as it were, wrung from what should go to pay my debts, and hard work it is to get it. The sort of life I lead is suitable for no one; it wears out relations and friends; all fly from my dreary house. My affairs will become more and more difficult to manage, not to say impossible. The failure of my play, as regards money, still further complicates my situation. I find it impossible to work in the midst of all the little storms raised up in a household where the members do not live in harmony. My work has become feeble during the last year, as any one can see. I am in doubt what to do. But I must come to some determination within a few days. When my furniture has been sold, and when I have disposed of 'Les Jardies, ' I shall not have much left. And I shall find myself alone in the world with nothing but my pen, and an attic. In such a situation shall I be able to do more for you than I am doing at this moment? I shall have to live from hand to mouth by writing articles which I can no longer write with the agility of youth which is no more. The world, and even relations, mistake me; I am engrossed by my work, and they think I am absorbed in myself. I am not blind to the fact, that up to the present moment, working as I work, I have not succeeded in paying my debts, nor in supporting myself. No future will save me. I must do something else, look out for some other position. And it is at a time like this that you ask me to enter into an engagement! Two years ago I should have done so, and have deceived myself. Now all I can say is, come to me and share my crust. You were in a tolerable position; I had a domestic whose devotion spared you all the worry of housekeeping; you were not called on to enter into every detail, you were quiet and peaceful. You wished me to count for something in your life, when it was imperative for you to forget my existence and allow me the entire liberty without which I can do nothing. It is not a fault in you, it is the nature of women. Now everything is changed. If you wish to come back, you will have to bear a little of the burden which is about to weigh me down, and which hitherto has only pressed upon you because you chose to take it to yourself. All this is business, and in no way involves my affection for you, which is always the same; so believe in the tenderness of your devoted son. "

Later, when Balzac purchased his home in the rue Fortunee, his motherhad the care of it while he was in Russia. He asked her to visit thehouse weekly and to keep the servants on the alert by enquiring asthough she expected him; yet Balzac wrote his nieces to have theirgrandmother visit them often, lest she carry too far the duties sheimposed on herself in looking after his little home. He cautioned herto allow no one to enter the house, to insist that his old servantFrancois be discreet, and especially that she be prudent in nottalking about his plans; and that by all means she should take acarriage while attending to his affairs; this request was not onlyfrom him but also from Madame Hanska. 

She was most faithful in looking after his home and watching theworkmen to see that his instructions were carried out. In fact, shenever left the house except when, on one occasion, owing to theexcessive odors of the paint, she spent two nights in Laure's home. 

Balzac's stay at Wierzchownia, however, was far from tranquil, for hismother was discontented with the general aspect of his affairs andincreased his vexations by writing a letter in which she addressed himas _vous_, declaring that her affection was conditional on hisbehavior, a thing he naturally resented. "To think, " he writes, "of amother reserving the right to love a son like me, seventy-two years onthe one side, and fifty on the other!"

This letter caused a serious complication in his affairs in Russia, but the mother evidently became reconciled for a few months later shewrote to him expressing her joy at the news of his recovery, andasking him to extend to his friends her most sincere thanks for theircare of him in his serious illness. Aside from knowing of his illnessand her inability to see him, she was most happy in feeling that hewas with such good friends. 

She complained of his not writing oftener, but he replied that he hadwritten to her seven times during his absence, that the letters wereposted by his hostess and that he did not wish to abuse thehospitality with which he was so royally and magnificentlyentertained. He resented his mother's dictating to him, a man of fiftyyears of age, as to how often he should write to his nieces, for whilehe enjoyed receiving their letters, he thought they should feelhonored in receiving letters from him whenever he had time to write tothem. 

When the poor mother attempted to be gracious to her son by sendinghim a box of bonbons, she only brought him trouble, for she packed itin newspapers, and in passing the custom-house, it was taken out andthe candy crushed. Instead of thanking her for her good intentions, herebuked her for her stupidity in regard to sending printed matter intoRussia, as it endangered his stay there. 

Balzac was always striving to pay his mother his long-standingindebtedness, but the Revolution of 1848, in connection with hiscontinued illness, made this impossible. This burden of debt was also, at this time, preventing his obtaining a successful termination of hismission to Russia, for, as he explained to his mother, the ladyconcerned did not care to marry him while he was still encumbered withdebt. Being a woman past forty, she desired that nothing shoulddisturb the tranquillity in which she wished to live. 

Owing to this critical situation and to his poor health, Balzac hadrepeatedly requested his mother never to write depressing news to him, but she paid little attention to this request and sent him a letterhinting at trouble in so vague a manner and with such disquietingexpressions that, in his extremely nervous condition, it might haveproved fatal to him. Yet it did not affect him so seriously as it didMadame Hanska, who read the letter to him, for owing to his terribleillness and the method of treatment, his eyes had become so weak thathe could no longer see in the evening. Madame Hanska was so deeplyinterested in everything that concerned Balzac that this news made hervery ill. For them to live in suspense for forty days without knowinganything definite was far worse than it would have been had his motherenumerated in detail the various misfortunes. From the precedingrevelations of the disposition of Madame de Balzac, one can easilyunderstand how it happened that her son has immortalized some of hertraits in the character of _Cousine Bette_. 

During the remainder of Balzac's stay in the Ukraine, he waspreoccupied with the thought of his mother having every possiblecomfort, with his becoming acclimatized in Russia, --impossible thoughit was for him in his condition, --and above all with the realizationof his long-cherished hope. But he cautioned his mother to observe thegreatest discretion in regard to this hope, "for such things are nevercertain until one leaves the church after the ceremony. "

What must have been his feeling of triumph when he was able to write:

 "My very dear Mother, --Yesterday, at seven in the morning, thanks be to God, my marriage was blessed and celebrated in the church of Saint Barbara, at Berditchef, by the deputy of the Bishop of Jitomir. Monseigneur wished to have married me himself, but being unable, he sent a holy priest, the Count Abbe Czarouski, the eldest of the glories of the Polish Roman Catholic Church, as his representative. Madame Eve de Balzac, your daughter-in-law, in order to make an end of all obstacles, has taken an heroic and sublimely maternal resolution, viz. , to give up all her fortune to her children, only reserving an annuity to herself. . . . There are now two of us to thank you for all the good care you have taken of our house, as well as to testify to you our respectful _tendresses_. "

Balzac was not only anxious that his bride should be properlyreceived, but also that his mother should preserve her dignity. Ontheir way home he writes her from Dresden to have the house ready fortheir arrival (May 19, 20, 21), urging that she go either to her ownhome or to Laure's, for it would not be proper for her to receive herdaughter-in-law in the rue Fortunee, and that she should not calluntil his wife had called on her. After reminding her again not toforget to procure flowers, he suggests that owing to his extremelyfeeble health he meet her at Laure's, for there he would have one lessflight of stairs to climb. These suggestions, however, wereunnecessary, as his mother had been ill in bed for several weeks inLaure's house. 

After the novelist's return to Paris with his bride, his physicalcondition was such that in spite of the efforts of his belovedphysician, Dr. Nacquart, little could be done for him, and he wasdestined to pass away within a short time. Balzac's mother, she withwhom he had had so many misunderstandings, she who had doubtless neverfully appreciated his greatness but who had sacrificed her physicalstrength and worldly goods for his sake, an old woman of almostseventy-two years, showed her true maternal love by remaining with herglorious and immortal son in his last moments. 

 MADAME SURVILLE--MADAME MALLET--MADAME DUHAMEL

 "To the Casket containing all things delightful; to the Elixir of Virtue, of Grace, and of Beauty; to the Gem, to the Prodigy of all Normandy; to the Pearl of the Bayeux; to the Fairy of St. Laurence; to the Madonna of the Rue Teinture; to the Guardian Angel of Caen, to the Goddess of Enchanting Spells; to the Treasury of all Friendship--to Laura!"

Two years younger than Balzac, his sister Laure, not only played animportant part in his life, but after his death rendered valuableservice by writing his life and publishing a part of hiscorrespondence. [*] Being reared by the same nurse as he, and havinghad the same home environment, she was the first of his intimatecompanions, and throughout a large part of his life remained one ofthe most sympathetic of all his confidantes. As children they lovedeach other tenderly, and his chivalrous protection of her led to hisbeing punished more than once without betraying her childish guilt. Once when she arrived in time to confess, he asked her to avow nothingthe next time, as he liked to be scolded for her. 

[*] MM. Hanotaux et Vicaire, _Le Jeunesse de Balzac_, have correctly observed that Balzac's sister, Madame Surville, has written a most delicate and interesting book, but that she had not correctly portrayed her brother because she was blinded by her devotion to him. 

He it was who accompanied her to dances, but having had the misfortuneto slip and fall on one such occasion he was so sensitive to theamused smiles of the ladies that he gave up dancing, and decided todominate society otherwise than by the graces and talents of thedrawing-room. Thus it was that he became merely a spectator of thesefestivities, the memory of which he utilized later. 

It was to Laure that, in the strictest confidence, he sent the plan ofhis first work, the tragedy _Cromwell_, writing it to be a surprise tothe rest of the family when finished. To her he looked for moralsupport, asking her to have faith in him, for he needed some one tobelieve in him. To her also he confided his ambitions early in hiscareer, saying that his two greatest desires were to be famous and tobe loved. 

Laure was married in May, 1820, to M. Midi de la Greneraye Surville, and moved from her home in Villeparisis to Bayeux. When she becamehomesick Balzac wrote her cheerful letters, suggesting various meansof employing her time. His admiration of her was such that he evenasked her to select for him a wife of her own type. He explained toher that his affection was not diminished an atom by distance or bysilence, for there are torrents which make a terrible to-do and yettheir beds are dry in a few days, and there are waters which flowquietly, but flow forever. 

Madame Surville seems to have been the impersonation of discretion andappreciation; she was intimately acquainted with all the characters inhis work and made valuable suggestions; he was most happy whendiscussing plans with her. He longed to have his glory reflect on hisfamily and make the name of Balzac illustrious. When carried away withsome beautiful idea, he seemed to hear her tender voice encouraginghim. He felt that were it not for her devotion to the duties of herhome, their intimacy might have become even more precious and thatstimulated by a literary atmosphere she might herself have become awriter. 

He consulted her frequently with regard to literary help, once askingher to use all her cleverness in writing out fully her ideas on thesubject of the _Deux Rencontres_, about which she had told him, for hewished to insert them in the _Femme de trente Ans_. As early as 1822she received a similar request asking her to prepare for him amanuscript of the _Vicaire des Ardennes_; she was to prepare the firstvolume and he would finish it. And many years later (1842), Balzacasked his sister to furnish him with ideas for a story for youngpeople. After the name of this story had been changed a few times, itwas published under the title of _Un Debut dans la Vie_. This explainswhy Balzac used the following words in dedicating it to her: "ToLaure. May the brilliant and modest intellect that gave me the subjectof this scene have the honor of it!" This, however, was not the firsttime he had honored her by dedicating one of his works to her, for in1835 he inscribed to "Almae Sorori" a short story, _Les Proscrits_. 

Balzac was often depressed, and felt that even his own family was notin sympathy with his efforts; he told his sister that the universewould be startled at his works before his relations or friends wouldbelieve in their existence. Yet he knew that they did appreciate himto a certain extent, for his sister wrote him that in reading the_Recherche de l'Absolu_, and thinking that her own brother was theauthor of it, she wept for joy. 

In his youth, at all events, Balzac seems to have had no secrets fromhis sister, and it is to her that the much disputed letter ofSaturday, October 12, 1833, was addressed. Their friendship wassincere and devoted; and yet there were coolnesses, caused largely bythe influence of their mother, --and of M. Surville, whose jealous andtyrannical disposition prevented their seeing each other as frequentlyas they would have liked. She once celebrated her birthday by visitingher brother, but she held her watch in her hand as she had only twentyminutes for the meeting. For awhile, he could not visit her; later, this estrangement was overcome, and after the first presentation ofhis play _Vautrin_ (1840), his sister cared for him in her home duringhis illness. 

Madame Surville performed many duties for her brother but was notalways skilful in allaying the demands of his creditors. On Balzac'sreturn from a visit to Madame Hanska in Vienna, he found that hisaffairs were in great disorder, and that his sister, frightened at theconditions, had pawned his silverware. In planning at a later date toleave France, however, he did not hesitate to entrust his treasures tohis sister, saying that she would be a most faithful "dragon. " He wasalso wisely thoughtful of her; on one occasion when she had gone to amasked ball contrary to her husband's wishes, Balzac went after herand took her home without giving her time to go round the room. 

She evidently had more influence over their mother than had he, for heasked her when on the verge of taking Madame de Balzac into his homeagain, to assist him in making her reasonable:

 "If she likes, she can be very happy, but tell her that she must encourage happiness and not frighten it away. She will have near her a confidential attendant and a servant, and that she will be taken care of in the way she likes. Her room is as elegant as I can make it. . . . Make her promise not to object to what I wish her to do as regards her dress: I do not wish her to be dressed otherwise than as she _ought to be_, it would give me great pain . . . "

During his prolonged stay in Russia, he requested his sister toconceal from their mother the true condition of his illness and theuncertainty of his marriage, and to entreat her to avoid anything inher letters which might cause him pain. Feeling that she would neverhave allowed such a thing had she known of it, he informed her indetail concerning their mother's letter which had caused him endlesstrouble. 

While Madame Surville was a great stimulus to Balzac early in hisliterary career, she in turn received the deepest sympathy from him inher financial struggle, and, while he was so happy and was living insuch luxury in Russia, he only regretted that he could not assist her, for he had enjoyed hospitality in her home. 

Madame Surville had at least one of her mother's traits--that ofcontinually harassing Balzac by trying to marry him to some richwoman; once she had even chosen for him the goddaughter ofLouis-Philippe. But the most serious breach of relations between thetwo resulted from her failure to approve of Balzac's adoration ofMadame Hanska. While admitting the extreme beauty of the celebratedDaffinger portrait, she was jealous of his _Predilecta_. When she sawthe bound proofs of _La Femme superieure_ which he had intended forMadame Hanska, she felt that she was being neglected. In the end, herobbed his _Chatelaine_ to the profit of his _cara sorella_. But whenshe became impatient at Balzac's prolonged stay at Wierzchownia, heresented it, explaining that marriage is like cream--a change ofatmosphere would spoil it, --that bad marriages could be made with theutmost ease, but good ones required infinite precautions andscrupulous attention. He tried to make her see the advantage of thismarriage, writing her:

 "Consider, dear Laura, none of us are as yet, so to speak, _arrived_; if, instead of being obliged to work in order to live, I had become the husband of one of the cleverest, the best-born, and best-connected of women, who is also possessed of a solid though circumscribed fortune, in spite of the wish of the lady to live retired, to have no intercourse even with the family, I should still be in a position to be much better able to be of use to you all. I have the certainty of the warm kindness and lively interest which Madame Hanska takes in the dear children. Thus it is more than a duty in my mother, and all belonging to me, to do nothing to hinder me from the happy accomplishment of a union which _before all is my happiness_. Again, it must not be forgotten that this lady is illustrious, not only on account of her high descent, but for her great reputation for wit, beauty, and fortune (for she is credited with all the millions of her daughter); she is constantly receiving proposals of marriage from men of the highest rank and position. But she is something far better than rich and noble; she is exquisitely good, with the sweetness of an angel, and of an easy compatibility in daily life which every day surprises me more and more; she is, moreover, thoroughly pious. Seeing all these great advantages, the world treats my hopes with something of mocking incredulity, and my prospects of success are denied and derided on all sides. If we were all to live . . . Under the same roof, I could conceive the difficulties raised by my mother about her dignity; but to keep on the terms which are due to a lady who brings with her (fortune apart) most precious social advantages, I think you need only confine yourself to giving her the impression that my relations are kind and affectionate amongst themselves, and kindly affectionate towards the man she loves. It is the only way to excite her interest and to preserve her influence, which will be enormous. You may all of you, in a great fit of independence, say you have no need of any one, that you intend to succeed by your own exertions. But, between ourselves, the events of the last few years must have proved to you that nothing can be done without the help of others; and the social forces that we can least afford to dispense with are those of our own family. Come, Laura, it is something to be able, in Paris, to open one's _salon_ and to assemble all the _elite_ of society, presided over by a woman who is refined, polished, imposing as a queen, of illustrious descent, allied to the noblest families, witty, well-informed, and beautiful; there is a power of social domination. To enter into any struggle whatever with a woman in whom so much influence centers is--I tell you this in confidence--an act of insanity. Let there be neither servility, nor sullen pride, nor susceptibility, nor too much compliance; nothing but good natural affection. This is the line of conduct prescribed by good sense towards such a woman. "

One can see how Madame Surville would resent such a letter, especiallywhen she might have arranged another marriage, advantageous andsensible, for him. But poor Balzac, knowing her interest in hishappiness, writes to her a joyful letter the day after his marriage:"As to Madame de Balzac, what more can I say about her? I may beenvied for having won her: with the exception of her daughter, thereis no woman in this land who can compare with her. She is indeed thediamond of Poland, the gem of this illustrious house of Rzewuski. "After explaining to her that this was a marriage of pure affection, ashis wife had given her fortune to her children and wished to live onlyfor them and for him, Balzac tells his sister that he hoped to presentMadame Honore de Balzac to her soon, signing the letter, "Your brotherHonore at the summit of happiness. "

A great attraction for Balzac in the home of Madame Surville were histwo nieces, Sophie and Valentine, to whom he was devoted, and withwhom he frequently spent his evenings. The story is told that oneevening on entering his sister's home, he asked for paper and pencil, which were given him. After spending about an hour, not in makingnotes, as one might imagine, but in writing columns of figures andadding them, he discovered that he owed fifty-nine thousand francs, and exclaimed that his only recourse was to blow his brains out, orthrow himself into the Seine! When questioned by his niece Sophie intears as to whether he would not finish the novel he had begun forher, he declared that he was wrong in becoming so discouraged, to workfor her would be a pleasure; he would no longer be depressed, butwould finish her book, which would be a masterpiece, sell it for threethousand _ecus_, pay all his creditors within two years, amass a dowryfor her and become a peer of France!

Balzac had forbidden his nieces to read his books, promising to writeone especially for them. The book referred to here is _Ursule Mirouet_which he dedicated to Sophie as follows:

 "To Mademoiselle Sophie Surville. 

 "It is a real pleasure, my dear niece, to dedicate to you a book of which the subject and the details have gained the approbation--so difficult to secure--of a young girl to whom the world is yet unknown, and who will make no compromise with the high principles derived from a pious education. You young girls are a public to be dreaded; you ought never to be permitted to read any books less pure than your own pure souls, and you are forbidden certain books, just as you are not allowed to see society as it really is. Is it not enough, then, to make a writer proud, to know that he has satisfied you? Heaven grant that affection may not have misled you! Who can say? The future only, which you, I hope, will see, though he may not, who is your uncle "BALZAC. "

To Valentine Surville he dedicated _La Paix du Menage_. 

The novelist was interested in helping his sister find suitablehusbands for her daughters. He and Sophie had a wager as to which--sheor he--would marry first; so when Balzac finally reached his ownlong-sought goal, he did not forget to remind his niece that she owedhim a wedding gift. 

Sophie became an accomplished musician, having for her master AmbroiseThomas. Balzac spoke very lovingly of Valentine during her earlychildhood; but she was so attractive that he feared she would bespoiled. And spoiled she was, or perhaps naturally inclined toindolence, for he wrote her a few years later:

 "I should be very glad to learn that Valentine studies as much as the young Countess, who, besides all her other studies, practices daily at her piano. The success of this education is owing to hard work, which Miss Valentine shuns a little too much. Now, I say to my dear niece that to do nothing except what we feel inclined to do is the origin of all deterioration, especially in women. Rules obeyed and duties fulfilled have been the law of the young Countess from childhood, although she is an only child and a rich heiress. . . . Thus I beg Valentine not to exhibit a Creole _nonchalance_; but to listen to the advice of her sister, to impose tasks on herself, and to do work of various sorts, without neglecting the ordinary and daily cares of the household, and, above all, constantly to withstand the inclination we all have, more or less, to give ourselves up to what we find pleasant; it is by this yielding to inclination that we deteriorate and fall into misfortune. "

While Balzac was living in Wierzchownia, he urged his nieces to writeto him oftener, as the young Countess Anna took the greatest interestin their chatter; they were like two nightingales coming by post toenchant the Ukrainian solitude. He had portrayed them so well that alltook an interest in them, and their letters were called for firstwhenever he received a package from Paris. He requested them to sendhim certain favorite recipes, and planned to have Sophie play with theyoung countess. 

Sophie seemed to have some of the traits of her grandmother; for thenovelist wrote his sister:

 "Sophie has traced out a catechism of what she considers _my duties_ towards you, just as last year my mother wrote me a catechism of my duties towards my nieces; it is a sort of cholera peculiar to our family, to lecture uncles both at home and abroad. I make fun if it, but all these little things are remarked upon, which I do not like; then these blank pages make me furious. I forgive Sophie on account of the _motif_, which is you, and for all she and Valentine have done for your _fete_. Ah! if my wishes are ever realized, how I shall enjoy introducing my dear nieces, both so unspoiled by the devil! I have sung their praises here. I have said Sophie is a great musician: I add, Valentine is a _man of letters_, and she is tired with writing three pages. "

If certain letters received by Balzac from his family irritated him, he perhaps unconsciously was making his sister jealous by continuallyextolling the young Countess Mniszech:

 "She has a genius, as well as a love, for music; if she had not been an heiress, she would have been a great artiste. If she comes to Paris in eighteen months or two years, she will take lessons in thorough bass and composition. It is all she needs as regards music. She has (without exaggeration) hands the size of a child of eight years old. These minute, supple, white hands, three of which I could hold in mine, have an iron power of finger, in the proportion, like that of Liszt. The keys, not the fingers, bend; she can compass ten keys by the span and elasticity of her fingers; this phenomenon must be seen to be believed. Music, her mother, and her husband: these three words sum up her character. She is the Fenella of the fireside; the will-o'-wisp of our souls; our gaiety; the life of the house. When she is not here, the very walls are conscious of her absence--so much does she brighten them by her presence. She had never known misfortune; she knows nothing of annoyance; she is the idol of all who surround her, and she had the sensibility and goodness of an angel: in one word, she unites qualities which moralists consider incompatible; it is, however, only a self-evident fact to all who know her. She is evidently well informed, without pedantry; she has a delightful _naivete_; and though long since married, she has still the gaiety of a child, loving laughter like a little girl, which does not prevent her from possessing a religious enthusiasm for great objects. Physically, she has a grace even more beautiful than beauty, which triumphs over a complexion still somewhat brown (she is hardly sixteen);[*] a nose well formed, but not striking, except in the profile; a charming figure, supple and _svelte_; feet and hands exquisitely formed, and wonderfully small, as I have just mentioned. All these advantages are, moreover, thrown into relief by a proud bearing, full of race, by an air of distinction and ease which all queens have not, and which is now quite lost in France, where everybody wishes to be equal. This exterior--this air of distinction--this look of a _grande dame_, is one of the most precious gifts which God--the God of women can bestow. The Countess Georges speaks four languages as if she were a native of each of the countries whose tongue she knows so thoroughly. She has a keenness of observation which astonishes me; nothing escapes her. She is besides extremely prudent; and entirely to be relied on in daily intercourse. There are no words to describe her, but _perle fine_. Her husband adores her; I adore her; two cousins on the point of _old-maidism_ adore her--she will always be adored, as fresh reasons for loving her continually arise. "

[*] For the incorrectness of this statement, see the chapter on the Countess Mniszech. 

Such adoration of Madame Hanska's daughter was enough to make MadameSurville jealous, especially when she was so despondent over herfinancial situation, but Balzac tried to cheer her thus: "You shouldbe proud of your two children, they have written two charming letters, which have been much admired here. Two such daughters are the rewardof your life; you can afford to accept many misfortunes. "[*]

[*] Sophie Surville, the older daughter, whose matrimonial possibilities were so much discussed, was finally unhappily married to M. Mallet. She was a good harpist, and taught the harp. She died without issue. Valentine was married, 1859, to M. Louis Duhamel, a lawyer. She had a good voice for singing and literary talent; she took charge of having Balzac's correspondence published. She had two children; a daughter who became Mme. Pierre Carrier-Belleuse, wife of an artist, and a son, _publiciste distingue_. Laurence de Balzac had two sons; the older Alfred de Montzaigle, dissipated, a friend of Musset, died in 1852 without issue. The younger son, Alfonse, married Mlle. Caroline Jung; he died in 1868 at Strasbourg. Of their three children, only one, Paul de Montzaigle, lived. M. Surville-Duhamel, Mme. Pierre Carrier-Belleuse, and M. De Montzaigle are the only living relatives of Balzac. Mme. Belleuse and M. De Montzaigle have each a little daughter. 

 MADAME SALLAMBIER--MADAME DE MONTZAIGLE--MADAME DE BRUGNOLLE --MADAME DELANNOY--MADAME DE POMMEREUL--MADAME DE MARGONNE

 "Ah we are fine specimens in this blessed family of ours! What a pity we can't put ourselves into novels. "

Another member of Balzac's family circle was his affectionate andamiable grandmother, whom he loved from childhood. After her husband'sdeath, Madame Sallambier lived with her daughter, Madame de Balzac. She seems to have had a kind disposition, and having the requisitemeans, she could indulge Honore in various ways. When he was broughtback from _college_ in wretched health, she condemned the schools fortheir neglect. 

While studying at home, Balzac frequently spent his evenings playingwhist or Boston with her. Through voluntary inattention or foolishplays, she allowed him to win money which he used to buy books. Throughout his life he loved these games in memory of her. Sheencouraged him in his writings, and when _L'Heritiere de Birague_ wassold for eight hundred francs, he was sure of the sale of the _first_copy, for she had promised to buy it. He was devoted to her, and whenhe had neglected writing to her for some time, he atoned by sending toher a most affectionate letter. 

After the marriage of his sister Laure, Balzac kept her informed indetail concerning the family life. Of his grandmother, we find thefollowing:

 "Grandmamma begs me to say all the pretty things she would write if that unfortunate malady did not rob her of all her facilities! Nevertheless she begins to think her head is better, and if the spring comes there is every reason to hope she will recover her wonted gaiety. . . . Grandmamma is suffering from a nervous attack; . . . Papa says that grandmamma is a clever actress who knows the value of a walk, of a glance, and how to fall gracefully into an easy chair. "

If Madame Sallambier with her nervous attacks annoyed Balzac in hisyouth, he spoke beautifully of her after her death, and referred toher as his "grandmother who loved him, " or his "most excellentgrandmother. " In speaking of his grief over the death of Madame deBerny, he said that never, since the death of his grandmother, had heso deeply sounded the gulf of separation. One of his characteristicshe inherited from his grandmother, that of keeping trivial thingswhich had belonged to those he loved. 

Not a great deal is said of Balzac's younger sister, Laurentia, but hehas left this pen picture of her:

 "On the whole you know that Laurentia is as beautiful as a picture --that she has the prettiest of arms and hands, that her complexion is pale and lovely. In conversation people give her credit for plenty of sense, and find that it is all a natural sense, which is not yet developed. She has beautiful eyes, and though pale many men admire that. . . . You are not aware that Laurentia has taken a violent fancy to Augustus de L-----. Say nothing that might lead her to suspect I have betrayed the secret, but I have all the trouble in the world to get it into her head that authors are the most villainous of matches (in respect of fortune, be it understood). Really Laurentia is quite romantic. How she would hate me if she knew with what irreverence I allude to her tender attachment. "

This attachment was evidently not very serious, for not long afterwardLaurentia was married to Monsieur de Montzaigle. His family had atitle and stood well in the town, so Laurentia's parents were pleasedwith the marriage. This was a great event in the family, and Balzacdescribes to his married sister, Laure, the accompanying excitement inthe home:

 "Grandmamma is in a great state of delight; papa is quite satisfied, --so am I, --so are you. As to mamma, recall the last days of your own _demoisellerie_, and you will have some idea of what Laurentia and I have to endure. Nature surrounds all roses with thorns: mamma follows nature. "[*]

[*] It was from the father of Laurentia's husband that M. And Madame de Berny bought their home in Villeparisis. 

The happiness of poor Laurentia was of short duration. She died fiveyears after her marriage, having two children. Her husband did notprove to be what the Balzac family had expected, and her children wereleft destitute for Madame de Balzac to care for. Balzac always spoketenderly of her, and once in despair he exclaimed that at times heenvied his poor sister Laurentia, who had been lying for many years inher coffin. 

After Balzac's return from St. Petersburg, his letters were filledwith allusions to Madame de Brugnolle, his housekeeper and financialcounselor. He brought presents to various friends, and her hepresented with a muff. Besides being very practical, economical andkind, she was a good manager for Balzac financially and strict withhim regarding his diet; the _bonne montagnarde_ did almost everythingpossible, from running his errands to making his home happy. He sentbusiness letters under her name, and her fidelity and devotion areseen in her denying herself clothes in order to buy householdnecessities for him. 

She served the novelist as a spy when he and Gavault disagreed. WhenLirette visited Paris, she treated her very kindly and gave up her ownroom in order to arrange comfortable quarters for her. She had somerelatives who had entered a convent, and she talked of ending her daysin one, but Balzac begged her to keep house for him. He felt that shewas born for that! Madame de Brugnolle was of much help to him inlooking after Lirette's financial affairs, visiting her in theconvent, and carrying messages to her from him. Many times shecomforted him by promising to look out for his family, even consentingto go to Wierzchownia, if necessary, as Lirette's visit had helped herto realize as never before the angelic sweetness of his _Loup_. 

In return for this devotion, he took her with him to Frankfort and toBury to visit Madame de Bocarme. He celebrated the birthday of the_montagnarde_ in 1844, giving her some very attractive presents. Hereconomy and devotion seemed to increase with time, and enabled him totravel without any worry about his home. What must not have been thetrial to him when this happy household came to be broken up later byher marriage!

Madame Delannoy was an old family friend of the Balzacs. She aidedBalzac in his financial troubles as early in his career as 1826, andthough he remained indebted to her for more than twenty years, hetried to repay her and was ever grateful to her, calling her hissecond mother. The following, written late in his career, reveals hisgeneral attitude towards her:

 "I have just written a long letter to Madame Delannoy, with whom I have settled my business; but this still leaves me with obligations of conscientiousness towards her, which my first book will acquit. No one could have behaved more like a mother, or been more adorable than she has been throughout all this business. She has been a mother, I will be a son. "

But if she remained one of his principal creditors, she received manyliterary proofs of his appreciation. As early as 1831 he dedicated toher a volume of his _Romans et Contes philosophiques_, but laterchanged the title to _Etudes philosophiques_, and dedicated to her _LaRecherche de L'Absolu_:

 "To Madame Josephine Delannoy, nee Doumerg. 

 "Madame, may God grant that this book have a longer life than mine! The gratitude which I have vowed to you, and which I hope will equal your almost maternal affection for me, would last beyond the limits prescribed for human feeling. This sublime privilege of prolonging the life in our hearts by the life of our works would be, if there were ever a certainty in this respect, a recompense for all the labor it costs those whose ambition is such. Yet again I say: May God grant it!

 "DE BALZAC. "

Balzac once thought of buying from Madame Delannoy a house that wasleft her by her friend, M. Ferraud, but which she could not keep. Hefelt that this would be advantageous to them both, but the plan wasnever carried out. Besides their financial and literary relations, their social relations were most cordial. He speaks of accompanyingher and her daughter to the Italian opera twice during the absence ofMadame Visconti. 

In 1842, Balzac dedicated _La Maison-du-Chat-qui-pelote_ toMademoiselle Marie de Montbeau, the daughter of Camille Delannoy, afriend of his sister, and the granddaughter of Madame Delannoy. 

Another friend of Balzac's family was Madame de Pommereul. In the fallof 1828 after his serious financial loss, Balzac went to visit Baronand Madame de Pommereul in Brittany, where he obtained the materialfor _Les Chouans_, and became familiar with the chateau de Fougere. Toplease Madame de Pommereul, Balzac changed the name of his book from_Le Gars_ to _Les Chouans_, after temporarily calling it _Le DernierChouan_. 

She has given a beautiful pen portrait of the youthful Balzac in whichshe describes minutely his appearance, noting his beautiful hands, hisintelligent forehead and his expressive golden brown eyes. There wassomething in his manner of speaking, in his gestures, in his generalappearance, so much goodness, confidence, naivete and frankness thatit was impossible to know him without loving him, and his exuberantgood nature was infectious. In spite of his misfortunes, he had notbeen in their company a quarter of an hour, and they had not evenshown him to his room, before he had brought the general and herselfto tears with laughter. 

 "On some evenings he remained in the drawing-room in company with his hosts, and entered into controversies with Madame de Pommereul, who, being very pious herself, tried to persuade him to make a practice of religion; while Balzac, in return, when the discussion was exhausted, endeavored to teach her the rules of backgammon. But the one remained unconverted and the other never mastered the course of the noble game. Occasionally he helped to pass the time by inventing stories, which he told with all the vividness of which he was master. "

A few months after this prolonged visit, Balzac wrote to General dePommereul, expressing his deep appreciation of their hospitality, andin speaking of the book which he had just written, hoped that Madamede Pommereul would laugh at some details about the butter, theweddings, the stiles, and the difficulties of going to the ball, etc. , which he had inserted in his work, --if she could read it withoutfalling asleep. 

Balzac made perhaps his most prolonged visits in the home of anotherold family friend, M. De Margonne, who was living with his wife atSache. He describes his life there thus:

 "Sache is the remains of a castle on the Indre, in one of the most delicious valleys of Touraine. The proprietor, a man of fifty-five, used to dandle me on his knee. He has a pious and intolerant wife, rather deformed and not clever. I go there for him; and besides, I am free there. They accept me throughout the region as a child; I have no value whatever, and I am happy to be there, like a monk in a monastery. I always go there to meditate serious works. The sky there is so blue, the oaks so beautiful, the calm so vast! . . . Sache is six leagues from Tours. But not a woman, not a conversation possible!"

Not only did Balzac visit them when he wished to compose a seriouswork, but he often went there to recuperate from overwork. He probablydid not enjoy their company, as he spoke of "having" to dine with themand he is perhaps even chargeable with ingratitude when he speaks oftheir parsimony. 

Like his own family, these old people were interested in seeing himmarried to a rich lady, but to no avail. In spite of his unkindremarks about them, Balzac appreciated their hospitality, andexpressed it by dedicating to M. De Margonne _Une Tenebreuse Affaire_. 

 MADAME CARRAUD--MADAME NIVET

 "You are my public, you and a few other chosen souls, whom I wish to please; but yourself especially, whom I am proud to know, you whom I have never seen or listened to without gaining some benefit, you who have the courage to aid me in tearing up the evil weeds from my field, you who encourage me to perfect myself, you who resemble so much that angel to whom I owe everything; in short, you who are so good towards my ill-doings. I alone know how quickly I turn to you. I have recourse to your encouragements, when some arrow has wounded me; it is the wood-pigeon regaining its nest. I bear you an affection which resembles no other, and which can have no rival, because it is alone of its kind. It is so bright and pleasant near you! From afar, I can tell you, without fear of being put to silence, all I think about your mind, about your life. No one can wish more earnestly that the road be smooth for you. I should like to send you all the flowers you love, as I often send above your head the most ardent prayers for your happiness. "

Balzac's friendship with Madame Zulma Carraud was not only of thepurest and most beautiful nature, but it lasted longer than hisfriendship with any other woman, terminating only with his death. Itwas even more constant than that with his sister Laure, which wasbroken at times. Though Madame Surville states that it began in 1826, the following passage shows an earlier date: "I embrace you, and pressyou to a heart devoted to you. A friendship as true and tender now in1838 as in 1819. Nineteen years!" The first letter to her in eitheredition of his correspondence, however, is dated 1826. 

Madame Carraud, as Zulma Tourangin, attended the same convent asBalzac's sister Laure. Her husband was a distinguished officer in theartillery and a man of learning, but absolutely lacking in ambition, preferring to direct the instruction of Saint-Cyr rather than to riskthe chances of advancement presented in active service. He becameinspector of the gunpowder manufactory at Angouleme, and later retiredto his home at Frapesle, near Issoudun. Though an excellent husband, his inactivity was a great annoyance to his wife. According to severalBalzacian writers, Madame Carraud became the type of the _femmeincomprise_ for Balzac, but the present writer is inclined to agreewith M. Serval when he calls this judgment astonishing, since she wasa woman who adored her husband and sons, was an author of some moralbooks for children, and nothing in her suggested either vagueness ofsoul or melancholy. Madame Carraud herself gives a glimpse of hermarried life in saying to Balzac that she and her husband are notsympathetic in everything, that being of different temperaments thingsappear differently to them, but that she knows happiness, and her lifeis not empty. 

Often when sick, discouraged, overworked or pursued by his creditors, Balzac sought refuge in her home, and with a pure and disinterestedmaternal affection, she calmed him and inspired him with courage tocontinue the battle of life. It was indeed the maternal element thathe needed and longed for, and Madame Carraud seems to have been a raremother who really understood her child. He confided in her not onlyhis financial worries, but also his love affairs, his aspirations inlife, and his ideas of woman:

 "I care more for the esteem of a few persons, amongst whom you are one of the first, both in friendship and in high intellect--one of the noblest souls I have ever known, --than I care for the esteem of the masses, for whom I have, in truth, a profound contempt. There are some vocations that must be obeyed, and something drags me irresistibly towards glory and power. It is not a happy life. There is in me a worship of woman, and a need of loving, which has never been completely satisfied. Despairing of ever being loved and understood as I desire, by the woman I have dreamt of (never having met her, except under one form--that of the heart), I have thrown myself into the tempestuous region of political passions and into the stormy and parching atmosphere of literary glory. . . . If ever I should find a wife and a fortune, I could resign myself very easily to domestic happiness; but where are these things to be found? Where is the family which would have faith in a literary fortune? It would drive me mad to owe my fortune to a woman, unless I loved her, or to owe it to flatteries; I am obliged, therefore, to remain isolated. In the midst of this desert, be assured that friendships such as yours, and the assurance of finding a shelter in a loving heart, are the best consolations I can have. . . . To dedicate myself to the happiness of a woman is my constant dream, but I do not believe marriage and love can exist in poverty. . . . I work too hard and I am too much worried with other things to be able to pay attention to those sorrows which sleep and make their nest in the heart. It may be that I shall come to the end of my life, without having realized the hopes I entertained from them. . . . As regards my soul, I am profoundly sad. My work alone keeps me alive. Will there never be a woman for me in this world? My fits of despondency and bodily weariness come upon me more frequently, and weigh upon me more heavily; to sink under this crushing load of fruitless labor, without having near me the gentle caressing presence of woman, for whom I have worked so much!"

Though Balzac and his mother were never congenial, he became verylonely after she left him in 1832. In the autumn of that year he had abreak with the Duchesse de Castries, so he began the new year bysumming up his trials and pouring forth his longings to Madame Carraudas he could do to no other woman, not even to his _Dilecta_. Inresponse to this despondent epistle, she showed her broad sympatheticfriendship by writing him a beautiful and comforting letter, in whichshe regretted not being able to live in Paris with him, so as to seehim daily and give him the desired affection. 

Not only through the hospitality of her home, but by sending variousgifts, she ministered to Balzac's needs or caprices. To make his studymore attractive, she indulged his craving for elegance and grace bysurprising him with the present of a carpet and a lovely tea service. In thanking her for her thoughtfulness, he informed her that she hadinspired some of the pages in the _Medicin de Campagne_. 

Besides being so intimate a friend of Madame Carraud, the novelist wasalso a friend of M. Carraud, whom he called "Commandant Piston, " anddiscussed his business plans with him before going to Corsica andSardinia to investigate the silver mines. M. Carraud had a finescientific mind; he approved of Balzac's scheme, and thought of goingwith him; his wife was astonished on hearing this, since he never leftthe house even to look after his own estate. However, his naturalhabit asserted itself and he gave up the project. 

Madame Carraud was much interested in politics, and many of Balzac'spolitical ideas are set forth in his letters to her when he was acandidate for the post of deputy. She reproached him for a mobility ofideas, an inconstancy of resolution, and feared that the influence ofthe Duchesse de Castries had not been good for him. To this lastaccusation, he replied that she was unjust, and that he would never besold to a party for a woman. 

Another tie which united Balzac to Madame Carraud was her sympathy forhis devotion to Madame de Berny, of whom she was not jealous. Bothwomen were devoted to him, and were friendly towards each other, somuch so that in December, 1833, she invited Balzac to bring Madame deBerny with him to spend several days in her home at Frapesle. This heespecially appreciated, since neither his mother nor his sisterapproved of his relations with his _Dilecta_. 

Madame Carraud occupied in Balzac's life a position rather betweenthat of Madame de Berny and that of a sister. Indeed, he oftenreferred to her as a sister, and she was generous minded enough to askhim not to write to her when she learned how unpleasant his mother andsister were in regard to his writing to his friends. 

Seeing his devotion to her, one can understand why he begged her tospare him neither counsels, scoldings nor reproaches, for all werereceived kindly from her. One can perceive also the sincerity of thefollowing expressions of friendship:

 "You are right, friendship is not found ready made. Thus every day mine for you increases; it has its root both in the past and in the present. . . . Though I do not write often, believe that my friendship does not sleep; the farther we advance in life, precious ties like our friendship only grow the closer. . . . I shall never let a year pass without coming to inhabit my room at Frapesle. I am sorry for all your annoyances; I should like to know you are already at home, and believe me, I am not averse to an agricultural life, and even if you were in any sort of hell, I would go there to join you. . . . Dear friend, let me at least tell you now, in the fulness of my heart, that during this long and painful road four noble beings have faithfully held out their hands to me, encouraged me, loved me, and had compassion on me; and you are one of them, who have in my heart an inalienable privilege and priority over all other affections; every hour of my life upon which I look back is filled with precious memories of you. . . . You will always have the right to command me, and all that is in me is yours. When I have dreams of happiness, you always take part in them; and to be considered worthy of your esteem is to me a far higher prize than all the vanities the world can bestow. No, you can give me no amount of affection which I do not desire to return to you a thousand-fold. . . . There are a few persons whose approval I desire, and yours is one of those I hold most dear. "

Among those to whom Balzac could look for criticism, Madame Carraudhad the high intelligence necessary for such a role; he felt thatnever was so wonderful an intellect as hers so entirely stifled, andthat she would die in her corner unknown. (Perhaps this estimate ofher caused various writers to think that Madame Carraud was Balzac'smodel for the _femme incomprise_. ) Balzac not only had her serve himas a critic, but in 1836 he requested her to send him at once thenames of various streets in Angouleme, and wished the "Commandant" tomake him a rough plan of the place. This data he wanted for _Les deuxPoetes_, the first part of _Les Illusions perdues_. 

Like his family and some of his most intimate friends, she toointerested herself in his future happiness, but when she wrote to himabout marriage, he was furious for a long time. Concerning thisquestion, Balzac informs her that a woman of thirty, possessing threeor four hundred thousand francs, who would take a fancy to him, would find him willing to marry her, provided she were gentle, sweet-tempered and good-looking, although enormous sacrifices would beimposed on him by this course. Several months later, he writes herthat if she can find a young girl twenty-two years of age, worth twohundred thousand francs or even one hundred thousand, she must thinkof him, provided the dowry can be applied to his business. 

If the Vicomte de Spoelberch de Lovenjoul is correct in his statement, Balzac showed Madame Carraud the first letter from _l'Etrangere_, inspite of his usual extreme prudence and absolute silence in suchmatters. She answered it, so another explanation of Balzac's varioushandwritings might be given. At least, Madame Carraud's seal was used. 

In later years, Madame Carraud met with financial reverses. Thefollowing letter, which is the last to her on record, shows not onlywhat she had been to Balzac in his life struggle, but his deepappreciation and gratitude:

 "We are such old friends, you must not hear from any one else the news of the happy ending of this grand and beautiful soul-drama which has been going on for sixteen years. Three days ago I married the only woman I have ever loved, whom I love more than ever, and whom I shall love to my life's end. I believe this is the reward God has kept in store for me through so many years of neither a happy youth nor a blooming spring; I shall have the most brilliant summer and the sweetest of all autumns. Perhaps, from this point of view, my most happy marriage will seem to you like a personal consolation, showing as it does that Providence keeps treasures in store to bestow on those who endure to the end. . . . Your letter has gained for you the sincerest of friends in the person of my wife, from whom I have had no secrets for a long time past, and she has known you by all the instances of your greatness of soul, which I have told her, also by my gratitude for your treasures of hospitality toward me. I have described you so well, and your letter has so completed your portrait, that now you are felt to be a very old friend. Also, with the same impulse, with one voice, and with one and the same feeling in our hearts, we offer you a pleasant little room in our house in Paris, in order that you may come there absolutely as if it were your own house. And what shall I say to you? You are the only creature to whom we could make this offer, and you must accept it or you would deserve to be unfortunate, for you must remember that I used to go to your house, with the sacred unscrupulousness of friendship, when you were in prosperity, and when I was struggling against all the winds of heaven, and overtaken by the high tides of the equinox, drowned in debts. I have it now in my power to make the sweet and tender reprisals of gratitude . . . You will have some days' happiness every three months: come more frequently if you will; but you are to come, that is settled. I did this in the old times. At St. Cyr, at Angouleme, at Frapesle, I renewed my life for the struggle; there I drew fresh strength, there I learned to see all that was wanting in myself; there I obtained that for which I was thirsty. You will learn for yourself all that you have unconsciously been to me, to me a toiler who was misunderstood, overwhelmed for so long under misery, both physical and moral. Ah! I do not forget your motherly goodness, your divine sympathy for those who suffer. . . . Well, then as soon as you wish to come to Paris, you will come without even letting us know. You will come to the Rue Fortunee exactly as to your own house, absolutely as I used to go to Frapesle. I claim this as my right. I recall to your mind what you said to me at Angouleme, when broken down after writing _Louis Lambert_, ill, and as you know, fearing lest I should go mad. I spoke of the neglect to which these unhappy ones are abandoned. 'If you were to go mad, I would take care of you. ' Those words, your look, and your expression have never been forgotten. All this is still living in me now, as in the month of July 1832. It is in virtue of that word that I claim your promise to-day, for I have almost gone mad with happiness. . . . When I have been questioned here about my friendships you have been named the first. I have described that fireside always burning, which is called Zulma, and you have two sincere woman-friends (which is an achievement), the Countess Mniszech and my wife. "[*]

[*] Balzac is not exaggerating about the free use he made of her home, for besides going there for rest, he worked there, and two of his works, _La Grenadiere_ and _La Femme abandonnee_, were signed at Angouleme. 

His devotion is again seen in the beautiful words with which hededicates to her in 1838 _La Maison Nucingen_:

 "To Madame Zulma Carraud. 

 "To whom, madame, but to you should I inscribe this work, to you whose lofty and candid intellect is a treasury to your friends, to you who are to me not only an entire public, but the most indulgent of sisters? Will you deign to accept it as a token of a friendship of which I am proud? You, and some few souls as noble as your own, will grasp my thought in reading _la Maison Nucingen_ appended to _Cesar Birotteau_. Is there not a whole social contrast between the two stories?

 "DE BALZAC. "

While hiding from his creditors, Balzac took refuge with MadameCarraud at Issoudun, where he assumed the name of Madame Dubois toreceive his mail. Here he met some people whose names he made immortalby describing them in his _Menage de Garcon_, called later _LaRabouilleuse_. The priest Badinot introduced him to _La Cognette_, thelandlady to whom the vineyard peasant sold his wine. La Cognette, someof whose relatives are still living, plays a minor role in the_Comedie humaine_. Her real name was Madame Houssard; her husband, whom Balzac incorrectly called "Pere Cognet, " kept a little cabaret inthe rue du Bouriau. "Mere Cognette, " who lost her husband about 1835, opened a little cafe at Issoudun during the first years of herwidowhood. Balzac was an intermittent and impecunious client of hers;he would enter her shop, quaff a cup of coffee, execrable to thepalate of a connoisseur like him, and "chat a bit" with the good oldwoman who probably unconsciously furnished him with curious material. 

The coffee drunk, the chat over, Balzac would strike his pockets, anddeclaring they were empty, would exclaim: "Upon my word, MereCognette, I have forgotten my purse, but the next time I'll pay forthis with the rest!" This habit gave "Mere Cognette" an extremelymediocre estimate of the novelist, and she retained a very badimpression of him. Upon learning that he had, as she expressed it, "put me in one of his books, " she conceived a violent resentment whichended only with her death (1855). "The brigand, " she exclaimed, "hewould have done better to pay me what he owes me!"

Another poor old woman, playing a far more important role in Balzac'swork, lived at Issoudun and was called "La Rabouilleuse. " For a longtime, she had been the servant and mistress of a physician in thetown. This wretched creature had an end different to the one Balzacgave his Rabouilleuse, but just as miserable, for having grown old, sick, despoiled and without means, she did not have the patience towait until death sought her, but ended her miserable existence bythrowing herself into a well. 

The doctor, it seems, at his death had left her a little home and somemoney, but his heirs had succeeded in robbing her of it entirely. --Perhaps this story is the origin of the contest of Dr. Rouget'sheirs with his mistress. 

This Rabouilleuse had a daughter who inherited her name, there beingnothing else to inherit; she was a dish washer at the Hotel de laCloche, where Balzac often dined while at Issoudun. Can it be that hesaw her there and learned from her the story of her mother?

Balzac was acquainted also with Madame Carraud's sister, MadamePhilippe Nivet. M. Nivet was an important merchant of Limoges, livingin a pretty, historical home there. It was in this home that Balzacvisited early in his literary career, going there partly in order tovisit these friends, partly to see Limoges, and partly to examine thescene in which he was going to place one of his most beautiful novels, _Le Cure de Village_. While crossing a square under the conduct of theyoung M. Nivet, Balzac perceived at the corner of the rue de laVieille-Poste and the rue de la Cite an old house, on the ground-floorof which was the shop of a dealer in old iron. With the clearness ofvision peculiar to him, he decided that this would be a suitablesetting for the work of fiction he had already outlined in his mind. It is here that are unfolded the first scenes of _Le Cure de Village_, while on one of the banks of the Vienne is committed the crime whichforms the basis of the story. 

 CHAPTER III

 LITERARY FRIENDS

 MADAME GAY--MADAME HAMELIN--MADAME DE GIRARDIN--MADAME DESBORDES-VALMORE--MADAME DORVAL

 "O matre pulchra filia pulchrior!"

Though Balzac did not go out in "society" a great deal, he wasfortunate in associating with the best literary women of his time, andin knowing the charming Madame Sophie Gay, whose salon he frequented, and her three daughters. Elisa, the eldest of these, was married toCount O'Donnel. Delphine was married June 1, 1831, to Emile deGirardin, and Isaure, to Theodore Garre, son of Madame Sophie Gail, anintimate friend of Madame Gay. These two women were known as "Sophiela belle" and "Sophie la laide" or "Sophie de la parole" and "Sophiede la musique. " Together they composed an _opera-comique_ which hadsome success. In 1814, Madame Gay wrote _Anatole_, an interestingnovel which Napoleon is said to have read the last night he passed atFontainebleau before taking pathetic farewell of his guard. A fewyears before this, she wrote another novel which met with muchsuccess, _Leonine de Monbreuse_, a study of the society and customs ofthe _Directoire_ and of the Empire. 

Madame Gay had made a literary center of her drawing-room in the rueGaillon where she had grouped around her twice a week not only many ofthe literary and artistic celebrities of the epoch, but also heracquaintances who had occupied political situations under the Empire. Madame Gay, who had made her debut under the _Directoire_, had beenrather prominent under the Empire, and under the Restoration tookdelight in condemning the government of the Bourbons. Introduced intothis company, though yet unknown to fame, Balzac forcibly impressedall those who met him, and while his physique was far from charming, the intelligence of his eyes reveled his superiority. Familiar andeven hilarious, he enjoyed Madame Gay's salon especially, for here heexperienced entire liberty, feeling no restraint whatever. At herreceptions as in other salons of Paris, his toilet, neglected at timesto the point of slovenliness, yet always displayed some distinguishingpeculiarity. 

Having acquired some reputation, the young novelist started to carryabout with him the enormous and now celebrated cane, the first of aseries of magnificent eccentricities. A quaint carriage, a groom whomhe called Anchise, marvelous dinners, thirty-one waistcoats bought inone month, with the intention of bringing this number to three hundredand sixty-five, were only a few of the number of bizarre things, whichastonished for a moment his feminine friends, and which he laughinglycalled _reclame_. Like many writers of this epoch, Balzac was notpolished in the art of conversing. His conversation was but littlemore than an amusing monologue, bright and at times noisy, butuniquely filled with himself, and that which concerned him personally. The good, like the evil, was so grossly exaggerated that both lost allappearance of truth. As time went on, his financial embarrassmentscontinually growing and his hopes of relieving them increasing in thesame proportion, his future millions and his present debts were thesubject of all his discourses. 

Madame Gay was by no means universally beloved. In her sharp anddisagreeable voice she said much good of herself and much evil ofothers. She had a mania for titles and was ever ready to mention somecount, baron or marquis. In her drawing-room, Balzac found a directcontrast to the Royalist salon of the beautiful Duchesse de Castrieswhich he frequented. In both salons, he met a society entirelyunfamiliar to him, and acquainted himself sufficiently with theconventions of these two spheres to make use of them in his novels. 

The _Physiologie du Mariage_, published anonymously in December, 1829, gave rise to a great deal of discussion. According to Spoelberch deLovenjoul, two women well advanced in years, Madame Sophie Gay andMadame Hamelin, are supposed to have inspired the work, and even tohave dictated some of its anecdotes least flattering to their sex. This Madame Hamelin, born in Guadeloupe about 1776, was the marvel ofthe _Directoire_, and several times was sent on secret missions byNapoleon. The role she played under the _Directoire_, the _Consulat_and the Empire is not clear, but she was a confidential friend ofChateaubriand, lived in the noted house called the _Madeleine_, nearthe forest of Fontainebleau, and wrote about it as did Madame deSevigne about _Les Rochers_. While living there, she received herBonapartist friends as well as her Legitimist friends. Having lived ina society where life means enjoyment, she had many anecdotes torelate. She was a fine equestrienne, a most beautiful dancer, apparently naturally graceful, and bore the sobriquet of _la jolielaide_. Her marriage to the banker, M. Hamelin, together with heraccomplishments, secured her a place in the society of the_Directoire_. Balzac, in a letter to Madame Hanska, refers to her as_une vieille celebrite_, and states that she wept over the letter ofMadame de Mortsauf to Felix in _Le Lys dans la Vallee_. It isinteresting to note that he later built his famous house and breathedhis last in the rue Fortunee to which Madame Hamelin gave herChristian name, since it was cut through her husband's property, theformer Beaujon Park, and that it became in 1851 the rue Balzac. 

Delphine Gay, the beautiful and charming daughter of Madame SophieGay, was called "the tenth muse" by her friends, who admired thesonorous original verses which she recited as a young girl in hermother's salon. She became, in June, 1831, the wife of Emile deGirardin, the founder of the _Presse_. Possessing in her youth, a_bellezza folgorante_, Madame de Girardin was then in all the splendorof her beauty; her magnificent features, which might have been toopronounced for a young girl, were admirably suited to the woman andharmonized beautifully with her tall and statuesque figure. Sometimes, in the poems of her youth, she spoke as an authority on the subject of"the happiness of being beautiful. " It was not coquetry with her, itwas the sentiment of harmony; her beautiful soul was happy in dwellingin a beautiful body. 

She held receptions for her friends after the opera, and Balzac wasone of the frequenters of her attractive salon. Of her literaryfriends she was especially proud. According to Theophile Gautier, thiswas her coquetry, her luxury. If in some salon, some one--as was notunusual at that time--attacked one of her friends, with what eloquentanger did she defend them! What keen repartees, what incisive sarcasm!On these occasions, her beauty glowed and became illuminated with adivine radiance; she was magnificent; one might have thought Apollowas preparing to flay Marsyas!

 "Madame de Girardin professed for Balzac a lively admiration to which he was sensible, and for which he showed his gratitude by frequent visits; a costly return for him who was, with good right, so avaricious of his time and of his working hours. Never did woman possess to so high a degree as Delphine, --we were allowed to call her by this familiar name among ourselves--the gift of drawing out the wit of her guests. With her, we always found ourselves in poetical raptures, and each left her salon amazed at himself. There was no flint so rough that she could not cause it to emit one spark; and with Balzac, as you may well believe, there was no need of trying to strike fire; he flashed and kindled at once. " (Theophile Gautier, _Life Portraits, Balzac_. )

Balzac was interested in the occult sciences--in chiromancy andcartomancy. He had been told of a sibyl even more astonishing thanMademoiselle Lenormand, and he resolved that Madame de Girardin, Meryand Theophile Gautier should drive with him to the abode of thepythoness at Auteuil. The address given them was incorrect, only afamily of honest citizens living there, and the old mother becameangry at being taken for a sorceress. They had to make an ignominiousretreat, but Balzac insisted that this really was the place andmuttered maledictions on the old woman. Madame de Girardin pretendedthat Balzac had invented all this for the sake of a carriage drive toAuteuil, and to procure agreeable traveling companions. But ifdisappointed on this occasion, Balzac was more successful at anothertime, when with Madame de Girardin he visited the "magnetizer, " M. Dupotet, rue du Bac. 

Besides enjoying for a long time the "happiness of being beautiful, "Delphine also enjoyed almost exclusively, in her set, that of beinggood. In this respect, she was superior to her mother who for the sakeof a witticism, never hesitated to offend another. She had but fewenemies, and, wishing to have none, tried to win over those who wereinimical towards her. For twenty-five years she played the diplomatamong all the rivals in talent and in glory who frequented her salonin the rue Laffitte or in the Champs-Elysees. She prevented VictorHugo from breaking with Lamartine; she remained the friend of Balzacwhen he quarreled with her autocratic husband. She encouraged Gautier, she consoled George Sand; she had a charming word for every one; andalways and everywhere prevailed her merry laughter--even when shelonged to weep. But her cheery laugh was not her highest endowment;her greatest gift was in making others laugh. 

Balzac had a sincere affection for Delphine Gay and enjoyed her salon. In his letters to her he often addressed her as _Cara_ and _Ma chereecoliere_. Her poetry having been converted into prose by her prosaichusband, she submitted her writings to Balzac as to an enlightenedmaster. He asked _Delphine Divine_ to write a preface for his _Etudesde Femmes_, but she declined, saying that an habitue of the opera whocould so transform himself so as to paint the admirable AbbeBirotteau, could certainly surpass her in writing _une preface defemme_. She did, however, write the sonnet on the _Marguerite_ whichLucien de Rubempre displayed as one of the samples of his volume ofverses to the publisher Dauriat; also _Le Chardon_. Balzac made use ofthis poem, however, only in the original edition of his work; it wasreplaced in the _Comedie humaine_ by another sonnet, written probablyby Lassailly. Madame de Girardin brings her master before the publicby mentioning his name in her _Marguerite, ou deux Amours_, where apersonage in the book tells about Balzac's return from Austria and hisinability to speak German when paying the coachman. 

It was at the home of Madame de Girardin that Lamartine met Balzac forthe first time, June, 1839. He asked her to invite Balzac to dinnerwith him that he might thank him, as he was just recovering from anillness during which he had "simply lived" on the novels of the_Comedie humaine_. The invitation she wrote Balzac runs as follows:"M. De Lamartine is to dine with me Sunday, and wishes absolutely todine with you. Nothing would give him greater pleasure. Come then andbe obliging. He has a sore leg, you have a sore foot, we will takecare of both of you, we will give you some cushions and footstools. Come, come! A thousand affectionate greetings. " And Lamartine has leftthis appreciation of her and her friendship for Balzac:

 "Madame Emile de Girardin, daughter of Madame Gay who had reared her to succeed on her two thrones, the one of beauty, the other of wit, had inherited, moreover, that kindness which inspires love with admiration. These three gifts, beauty, wit, kindness, had made her the queen of the century. One could admire her more or less as a poetess, but, if one knew her thoroughly, it was impossible not to love her as a woman. She had some passion, but no hatred. Her thunderbolts were only electricity; her imprecations against the enemies of her husband were only anger; that passed with the storm. It was always beautiful in her soul, her days of hatred had no morrow. . . . She knew my desire to know Balzac. She loved him, as I was disposed to love him myself. . . . She felt herself in unison with him, whether through gaiety with his joviality, through seriousness with his sadness, or through imagination with his talent. He regarded her also as a rare creature, near whom he could forget all the discomforts of his miserable existence. "

A few years after their meeting, Lamartine inquired Balzac's addressof Madame de Girardin, as she was one of the few people who knew wherehe was hiding on account of his debts. Balzac was appreciative of themany courtesies extended to him by Madame de Girardin and wasdelighted to have her received by his friends, among whom was theDuchesse de Castries. 

Madame de Girardin made constant effort to keep the peace betweenBalzac and her husband, the potentate of the _Presse_. Balzac hadknown Emile de Girardin since 1829, having been introduced to him byLevavasseur, who had just published his _Physiologie du Mariage_. Later Balzac took his Verdugo to M. De Girardin which appeared in _LaMode_ in which Madame de Girardin and her mother were collaborating;but these two men were too domineering and too violent to haveamicable business dealings with each other for any length of time. Balzac, while being _un bourreau d'argent_, would have thought himselfdishonored in subordinating his art to questions of commercialism; M. De Girardin only esteemed literature in so far as it was a profitablebusiness. They quarreled often, and each time Madame de Girardindefended Balzac. 

Their first serious controversy was in 1834. Balzac was no longerwriting for _La Mode_; he took the liberty of reproducing elsewheresome of his articles which he had given to this paper; M. De Girardininsisted that they were his property and that his consent should havebeen asked. Madame de Girardin naturally knew of the quarrel and had adifficult role to play. If she condemned Balzac, she would be lackingin friendship; if she agreed with him, she would be both disrespectfulto her husband and unjust. Like the clever woman that she was, shesaid both were wrong, and when she thought their anger had passed, shewrote a charming letter to Balzac urging him to come dine with her, since he owed her this much because he had refused her a short timebefore. She begged that they might become good friends again and enjoythe beautiful days laughing together. He must come to dinner the nextSunday, Easter Sunday, for she was expecting two guests from Normandywho had most thrilling adventures to relate, and they would bedelighted to meet him. Again, her sister, Madame O'Donnel, was ill, but would get up to see him, for she felt that the mere sight of himwould cure her. 

Anybody but Balzac would have accepted this invitation of Madame deGirardin's, were it only to show his gratitude for what she had donefor him; but Balzac was so fiery and so mortified by the letter of M. De Girardin that, without taking time to reflect, he wrote to MadameHanska:

 "I have said adieu to that mole-hill of Gay, Emile de Girardin and Company. I seized the first opportunity, and it was so favorable that I broke off, point-blank. A disagreeable affair came near following; but my susceptibility as man of the pen was calmed by one of my college friends, ex-captain in the ex-Royal Guard, who advised me. It all ended with a piquant speech replying to a jest. "

However, in answering the invitation of Madame de Girardin, Balzacwrote most courteously expressing his regrets at Madame O'Donnel'sillness and pleading work as his excuse for not accepting. This didnot prevent the ardent peacemaker from making another attempt. Takingadvantage of her husband's absence a few weeks later, she invitedBalzac to lunch with Madame O'Donnel and herself. But time had not yetdone its work, so Balzac declined, saying it would be illogical forhim to accept when M. De Girardin was not at home, since he did not gothere when he was present. The following excerpts from his letters, declining her various invitations, show that Balzac regarded her ashis friend:

 "The regret I experience is caused quite as much by the blue eyes and blond hair of a lady who I believe to be my friend--and whom I would gladly have for mine--as by those black eyes which you recall to my remembrance, and which had made an impression on me. But indeed I can not come. . . . Your _salon_ was almost the only one where I found myself on a footing of friendship. You will hardly perceive my absence; and I remain alone. I thank you with sincere and affectionate feeling, for your kind persistence. I believe you to be actuated by a good motive; and you will always find in me something of devotion towards you in all that personally concerns yourself. "

Her attempts to restore the friendship were futile, owing to theobstinacy of the quarrel, but she eventually succeeded by means of hernovel, _La Canne de Monsieur de Balzac_. In describing this cane as asort of club made of turquoises, gold and marvelous chasings, Madamede Girardin incidentally compliments Balzac by making Tancrede observethat Balzac's large, black eyes are more brilliatn than these gems, and wonder how so intellectual a man can carry so ugly a cane. 

This famous cane belongs to-day to Madame la Baronne de Fontenay, daughter of Doctor Nacquart. In October, 1850, Madame Honore de Balzacwrote a letter to Doctor Nacquart, Balzac's much loved physician, asking him to accept, as a souvenir of his illustrious friend, thiscane which had created such a sensation, --the entire mystery of whichconsisted in a small chain which she had worn as a young girl, andwhich had been used in making the knob. There has been much discussionas to its actual appearance. He describes it to Madame Hanska (March30, 1835), as bubbling with turquoise on a chased gold knob. Thedescription of M. Werdet can not be relied on, for he states thatGosselin brought him the cane in October, 1836, and that Balzacconceived the idea of it while at a banquet in prison, but, as hasbeen shown, the cane was in existence as early as March, 1835, andMadame de Girardin's book appeared in May, 1836. As to the descriptionof the cane given by Paul Lacroix, the Princess Radziwill states thatthe cane owned by him is the one that Madame Hanska gave Balzac, andwhich he afterwards discarded for the gaudier one he had ordered forhimself. This first cane was left by him to his nephew, EdouardLacroix. Several years later (1845), Balzac had Froment Meurice make acane _aux singes_ for the Count George de Mniszech, future son-in-lawof Madame Hanska, so the various canes existing in connection withBalzac may help to explain the varying descriptions. 

Balzac could not remain indifferent after Madame de Girardin had thusbrought his celebrated cane into prominence. He was absent from Pariswhen the novel appeared, and scarcely had he returned when he wroteher (May 27, 1836), cordially thanking her as an old friend. He alsoafter this made peace with M. De Girardin. But one difficulty wasscarcely settled before another began, and the ever faithful Delphinewas continually occupied in trying to establish peace. Her numerousletters to Balzac are filled with such expressions as: "Cometo-morrow, come to dinner. Come, we can not get along without you!Come, Paris is an awful bore. We need you to laugh. Come dine with us, come! Come!!! Now come have dinner with us to-morrow or day afterto-morrow, to-day, or even yesterday, every day!! A thousand greetingsfrom Emile. " Thus with her hospitality and merry disposition, shebridged many a break between her husband and Balzac. 

Finally, not knowing what to do, she decided not to let Balzac mentionthe latest quarrel. When he referred to it, she replied: "Oh, no, Ibeg you, speak to Theophile Gautier. If is not for nothing that I havegiven him charge of the _feuilleton_ of the _Presse_. That no longerconcerns me, make arrangements with him. " Then she counseled herhusband to have Theophile Gautier direct this part of the _Presse_ inorder not to contend with Balzac, but the novelist was so unreasonablethat M. De Girardin had to intervene. "My beautiful Queen, " once wroteTheophile to Delphine, "if this continues, rather than be caughtbetween the anvil Emile and the hammer Balzac, I shall return my apronto you. I prefer planting cabbage or raking the walls of your garden. "To this, Madame de Girardin replied: "I have a gardener with whom I amvery well satisfied, thank you; continue to maintain order _dupalais_. "

The relations between M. De Girardin and the novelist became sostrained that Balzac visited Madame de Girardin only when he knew hewould not encounter her husband. M. De Girardin retired early in theevening; his wife received her literary friends after the theater oropera. At this hour, Balzac was sure not to meet her husband, whosenon-appearance permitted the intimate friends to discuss literature attheir ease. 

Although Madame de Girardin was married to a publicist, she did notlike journalists, so she conceived the fancy of writing a satiricalcomedy, _L'Ecole des Journalistes_, in which she painted thejournalists in rather unflattering colors. The work was received bythe committee of the Theatre-Francais, but the censors stopped theperformance. Balzac was angry at this interdiction, for he toodisliked journalists, but Madame de Girardin took the censorshipphilosophically. In her salon she read _L'Ecole des Journalistes_ toher literary friends; there Balzac figured prominently, dressed forthis occasion in his blue suit with engraved gold buttons, making hiscoarse Rabelaisian laughter heard throughout the evening. 

Balzac's fame increased with the years, but he still regarded thefriendship of Madame de Girardin among those he most prized, and in1842 he dedicated to her _Albert Savarus_. When she moved into thelittle Greek temple in the Champs-Elysees, she was nearer Balzac, whowas living at that time in the rue Basse at Passy, so their relationsbecame more intimate. Yet when, after his return from St. Petersburgwhere he had visited Madame Hanska in 1843, the _Presse_ published thescandalous story about his connection with the Italian forger, hevowed he would never see again the scorpions Gay and Girardin. 

Madame de Girardin regretted Balzac's not being a member of theAcademy. In 1845, a chair being vacant, she tried to secure it forhim. Although her salon was not an "academic" one, she had severalfriends who were members of the Academy and she exerted her influencewith them in his behalf; when, after all her solicitude, he failed togain a place among the "forty immortals, " she had bitter words fortheir poor judgment, Balzac at that time being at the zenith of hisreputation. Some time before this, too, she promised to write a_feuilleton_ on the great conversationalists of the day, maintainingthat Balzac was one of the most brilliant; and she was thoughtful ininserting in her _feuilleton_ a few gracious words about his recentillness and recovery. 

Balzac confided to Madame de Girardin his all absorbing passion forMadame Hanska. She knew of the secret visit of the "Countess" to Parisand of his four days' visit with her in Wiesbaden. She knew all thenoble qualities and countless charms of the adored "Countess, " butnever having seen her, she felt that Madame Hanska did not fullyreciprocate the passionate love of her _moujik_. Becoming ironical, she called Balzac a _Vetturino per amore_, and told him she had heardthat Madame Hanska was, to be sure, exceedingly flattered by hishomage and made him follow wherever she went--but only through vanityand pride, --that she was indeed very happy in having for _patito_ aman of genius, but that her social position was too high to permit hisaspiring to any other title. 

When the _Avant-Propos_ of the _Comedie humaine_ was reprinted in the_Presse_, October 25, 1846, it was preceded by a very flatteringintroduction written by Madame de Girardin. She continued to entertainthe novelist, sending him many amusing invitations. In spite of the"Potentate of the _Presse_, " her friendship with Balzac lasted until1847, when she had to give him up. 

The ever faithful Delphine knew of Balzac's financial embarrassmentand persuaded her husband to postpone pressing him for the debts whichhe had partially paid before setting out for the Ukraine. TheRevolution of February seriously affected Balzac's financial matters. After the death of Madame O'Donnel, in 1841, Madame de Girardin'sfriendship lost a part of its charm for Balzac and the rest of itvanished in these troubles. Since the greater part of the last fewyears of Balzac's life was spent in the Ukraine, she saw but little ofhim, but she hoped for his return with his long sought bride to thehome he had so lovingly prepared for her in the rue Fortunee. 

Whether Balzac was fickle in his nature, or whether he was trying toconvince Madame Hanska that she was the only woman for whom he cared, one finds, throughout his letters to her, various comments on Madamede Girardin, some favorable, some otherwise. He admired her beautyvery much, and was saddened when, at the height of her splendor, shewas stricken with smallpox. He was grateful to her for the service sherendered him in arranging for the first presentation of his play_Vautrin_, throughout the misfortune attending this production sheproved to be a true friend. Although he accepted her hospitalityfrequently, at times being invited to meet foreigners, among them theGerman Mlle. De Hahn, enjoying himself immensely, he regretted thetime he sacrificed in this manner, and when he quarreled with herhusband, he expressed his happiness in severing his relations withthem. While a charming hostess at a small dinner party, she became, Balzac felt, a less agreeable one at a large reception, her talentsnot being sufficient to conceal her _bourgeois_ origin. 

Madame de Girardin was in the country near Paris when she heard thesad news of the death of the author of the _Comedie humaine_. Theshock was so great that she fainted, and, on regaining consciousness, wept bitterly over the premature death of her fried. A few yearsbefore her own death, in 1855, Madame de Girardin was greatlydepressed by painful disappointments. The death of Balzac may benumbered as one of the sad events which discouraged, in the decline oflife, the heart and the hope of this noble woman. 

Madame Desbordes-Valmore was another literary woman whom Balzac met inthe salon of Madame Sophie Gay, where she and Delphine recited poetry. Losing her mother at an early age under especially sad circumstancesand finding her family destitute, after long hesitation, she resignedherself to the stage. Though very delicate, by dint of studiousnights, close economy and many privations, she prepared herself forthis work. At this time she contracted a _habit_ of suffering whichpassed into her life. She played at the _Opera Comique_ and recitedwell, but did not sing. At the age of twenty her private griefscompelled her to give up singing, for the sound of her own voice madeher weep. So from music she turned to poetry, and her first volume ofpoems appeared in 1818. She began her theatrical career in Lille, played at the Odeon, Paris, and in Brussels, where she was married in1817 to M. Valmore, who was playing in the same theater. Though shewent to Lyons, to Italy, and to the Antilles, she made her home inParis, wandering from quarter to quarter. 

Of her three children, Hippolyte, Undine (whose real name wasHyacinthe) and Ines, the two daughters passed away before her. Herhusband was honor and probity itself, and suffered only as a man can, from compulsory inaction. He asked but for honest employment and theprivilege to work. She was so sensitive and felt so unworthy that shedid not call for her pension after it was secured for her by herfriends, Madame Recamier and M. De Latouche. A letter written by herto Antoine de Latour (October 15, 1836) gives a general idea of herlife: "I do not know how I have slipped through so many shocks, --andyet I live. My fragile existence slipped sorrowfully into this worldamid the pealing bells of a revolution, into whose whirlpool I wassoon to be involved. I was born at the churchyard gate, in the shadowof a church whose saints were soon to be desecrated. "

She was indeed a "tender and impassioned poetess, . . . One who unitedan exquisite moral sensibility to a thrilling gift of song. . . . Herverses were doubtless the expression of her life; in them she isreflected in hues both warm and bright; they ring with her cries oflove and grief. . . . Hers was the most courageous, tender andcompassionate of souls. "

A letter written to Madame Duchambye (December 7, 1841), shows whatpart she played in Balzac's literary career:

 "You know, my other self, that even ants are of some use. And so it was I who suggested, not M. De Balzac's piece, but the notion of writing it and the distribution of the parts, and then the idea of Mme. Dorval, whom I love for her talent, but especially for her misfortunes, and because she is dear to me. I have made such a moan, that I have obtained the sympathy and assistance of--whom do you guess?--poor Thisbe, who spends her life in the service of the _litterrateur_. She talked and insinuated and insisted, until at last he came up to me and said, 'So it shall be! My mind is made up! Mme. Dorval shall have a superb part!' And how he laughed! . . . Keep this a profound secret. Never betray either me or poor Thisbe, particularly our influence on behalf of Mme. Dorval. "

His friendship for her is seen in a letter written to her in 1840:

 "Dear Nightingale, --Two letters have arrived, too brief by two whole pages, but perfumed with poetry, breathing the heaven whence they come, so that (a thing which rarely happens with me) I remained in a reverie with the letters in my hand, making a poem all alone to myself, saying, 'She has then retained a recollection of the heart in which she awoke an echo, she and all her poetry of every kind. ' We are natives of the same country, madame, the country of tears and poverty. We are as much neighbors and fellow-citizens as prose and poetry can be in France; but I draw near to you by the feeling with which I admire you, and which made me stand for an hour and ten minutes before your picture in the Salon. Adieu! My letter will not tell you all my thoughts; but find by intuition all the friendship which I have entrusted to it, and all the treasures which I would send you if I had them at my disposal. "

Soon after Balzac met Madame Hanska, he reserved for her the originalof an epistle from Madame Desbordes-Valmore which he regarded as amasterpiece. Balzac's friendship for the poetess, which began so earlyin his literary life, was a permanent one. Just before leaving for hisprolonged visit in Russia, he wrote her a most complimentary letter inwhich he expressed his hopes of being of service to M. Valmore at theComedie Francaise, and bade her good-bye, wishing her and her familymuch happiness. 

Madame Desbordes-Valmore was one of the three women whom Balzac usedas a model in portraying some of the traits of his noted character, Cousin Bette. He made Douai, her native place, the setting of _LaRecherche de l'Absolu_, and dedicated to her in 1845 one of his earlystories, _Jesus-Christ en Flandres_:

 "To Marceline Desbordes-Valmore, "To you, daughter of Flanders, who are one of its modern glories, I dedicate this naive tradition of old Flanders. 

 "DE BALZAC. "

Though Balzac's first play, and first attempt in literature, _Cromwell_, was a complete failure, this did not deter him fromlonging to become a successful playwright. After having establishedhimself as a novelist, he turned again to this field of literature. Having written several plays, he was acquainted, naturally, with theleading actresses of his day; among these was Madame Dorval, whom heliked. He purposed giving her the main role in _Les Ressources deQuinola_, but when he assembled the artists to hear his play, he hadnot finished it, and improvised the fifth act so badly that MadameDorval left the room, refusing to accept her part. 

Again, he wished her to take the leading role in _La Maratre_ (as theplay was called after she had objected to the name, _Gertrude, Tragedie bourgeoise_). To their disappointment, however, the theaterdirector, Hostein, gave the heroine's part to Madame Lacressoniere;the tragedy was produced in 1848. The following year, while in Russia, Balzac sketched another play in which Madame Dorval was to have theleading role, but she died a few weeks later. 

Mademoiselle Georges was asked to take the role of Brancadori in _LesRessources de Quinola_, presented for the first time on March 19, 1842, at the Odeon. 

Balzac was acquainted with Mademoiselle Mars also, and was careful topreserve her autograph in order to send it to his "Polar Star, " whenthe actress wrote to him about her role in _La grande Mademoiselle_. 

 LA DUCHESSE D'ABRANTES

 "She has ended like the Empire. "

Another of Balzac's literary friends was Madame Laure Junot, theDuchesse d'Abrantes. She was an intimate friend of Madame de Girardinand it was in the salon of the latter's mother, Madame Sophie Gay, that Balzac met her. 

The Duchesse d'Abrantes, widow of Marechal Junot, had enjoyed underthe Empire all the splendors of official life. Her salon had been oneof the most attractive of her epoch. Being in reduced circumstancesafter the downfall of the Empire and having four children (Josephine, Constance, Napoleon and Alfred) to support, her life was a constantstruggle to obtain a fortune and a position for her children. But asshe had no financial ability, and had acquired very extravaganthabits, the money she was constantly seeking no sooner entered herhands than it vanished. Wishing to renounce none of her formerluxuries, she insisted upon keeping her salon as in former days, trying to conceal her poverty by her gaiety; but it was a sorrowfulcase of _la misere doree_. 

Feeling that luxury was as indispensable to her as bread, and findingher financial embarrassment on the increase, she decided to supportherself by means of her pen. She might well have recalled the wisewords of Madame de Tencin when she warned Marmontel to beware ofdepending on the pen, since nothing is more casual. The man who makesshoes is sure of his pay; the man who writes a book or a play is neversure of anything. 

Though the Generale Junot belonged to a society far different fromBalzac's they had many things in common which brought him frequentlyto her salon. Balzac realized the necessity of frequenting the salon, saying that the first requisite of a novelist is to be well-bred; hemust move in society as much as possible and converse with thearistocratic _monde_. The kitchen, the green-room, can be imagined, but not the salon; it is necessary to go there in order to know how tospeak and act there. 

Though Balzac visited various salons, he presented a differentappearance in the drawing-room of Madame d'Abrantes. The glories ofthe Empire overexcited him to the point of giving to his relationswith the Duchesse a vivacity akin to passion. The first evening, heexclaimed: "This woman has seen Napoleon as a child, she has seen himoccupied with the ordinary things of life, then she has seen himdevelop, rise and cover the world with his name! She is for me a saintcome to sit beside me, after having lived in heaven with God!" Thislove of Balzac for Napoleon underwent more than one variation, but atthis time he had erected in his home in the rue de Cassini a littlealtar surmounted by a statue of Napoleon, with this inscription: "Whathe began with the sword, I shall achieve with the pen. "

When Balzac first met the Duchesse d'Abrantes, she was about fortyyears of age. It is probably she whom he describes thus, under thename of Madame d'Aiglemont, in _La Femme de trente Ans_:

 "Madame d'Aiglemont's dress harmonized with the thought that dominated her person. Her hair was gathered up into a tall coronet of broad plaits, without ornament of any kind, for she seemed to have bidden farewell forever to elaborate toilets. Nor were any of the small arts of coquetry which spoil so many women to be detected in her. Only her bodice, modest though it was, did not altogether conceal the dainty grace of her figure. Then, too, the luxury of her long gown consisted in an extremely distinguished cut; and if it is permissible to look for expression in the arrangement of materials, surely the numerous straight folds of her dress invested her with a great dignity. Moreover, there may have been some lingering trace of the indelible feminine foible in the minute care bestowed upon her hand and foot; yet, if she allowed them to be seen with some pleasure, it would have tasked the utmost malice of a rival to discover any affectation in her gestures, so natural did they seem, so much a part of old childish habit, that her careless grace absolves this vestige of vanity. All these little characteristics, the nameless trifles which combine to make up the sum of a woman's beauty or ugliness, her charm or lack of charm, can not be indicated, especially when the soul is the bond of all the details and imprints on them a delightful unity. Her manner was in perfect accord with her figure and her dress. Only in certain women at a certain age is it given to put language into their attitude. Is it sorrow, is it happiness that gives to the woman of thirty, to the happy or unhappy woman, the secret of this eloquence of carriage? This will always be an enigma which each interprets by the aid of his hopes, desires, or theories. The way in which she leaned both elbows on the arm of her chair, the toying of her inter-clasped fingers, the curve of her throat, the freedom of her languid but lithesome body which reclined in graceful exhaustion, the unconstraint of her limbs, the carelessness of her pose, the utter lassitude of her movements, all revealed a woman without interest in life. . . . "

Balzac's parents having moved from Villeparisis to Versailles, he hadan excellent opportunity of seeing the Duchess while visiting them, asshe was living at that time in the Grand-Rue de Montreuil No. 65, in apavilion which she called her _ermitage_. In _La Femme de trente Ans_, Balzac has described her retreat as a country house between the churchand the barrier of Montreuil, on the road which leads to the Avenue deSaint-Cloud. This house, built originally for the short-lived loves ofsome great lord, was situated so that the owner could enjoy all thepleasures of solitude with the city almost at his gates. 

Soon after their meeting, a sympathetic friendship was formed betweenthe two writers; they had the same literary aspirations, the same lovefor work, the same love of luxury and extravagant tastes, the samestruggles with poverty and the same trials and disappointments. 

Since Balzac was attracted to beautiful names as well as to beautifulwomen, that of the Duchesse d'Abrantes appealed to him, independentlyof the wealth of history it recalled. He was happy to make theacquaintance of one who could give him precise information of thedetails of the _Directoire_ and of the Empire, an instruction begun bythe _commere Gay_. Thus the Duchesse d'Abrantes was to exercise overhim, though in a less degree, the same influence for the comprehensionof the Imperial world that Madame de Berry did for the Royalist world, just as the Duchesse de Castries later was to initiate him into thesociety of the Faubourg Saint-Germain. 

Madame d'Abrantes, pleased as she was to meet literary people, welcomed most cordially the young author who came to her seekingstories of the Corsican. Owing to financial difficulties she wasleading a rather retired and melancholy life, and the brilliant andcolorful language of Balzac, fifteen years her junior, aroused herheart from its torpor, and her friendship for him took a peculiartinge of sentiment which she allowed to increase. It had been manyyears since she had been thus moved, and this new feeling, which cameto her as she saw the twilight of her days approaching, was for her alove that meant youth and life itself. 

Hence her words pierced the very soul of Balzac and kindled anenthusiasm which made her appear to him greater than she really was;she literally dazzled and subjugated him. Her gaiety and animation inrelating incidents of the Imperial court, and her autumnal sunshine, its rays still glowing with warmth as well as brightness, compelledBalzac to perceive for the second time in his life the insatiabilityof the woman who has passed her first youth--the woman of thirty, orthe tender woman of forty. The fact is, however, not that Balzaccreated _la femme sensible de guarante ans_, as is stated by PhilareteChasles, so much as that two women of forty, Madame de Berny andMadame d'Abrantes, created him. 

This affection savored of vanity in both; she was proud that at heryears she could inspire love in a man so much younger than herself, while Balzac, whose affection was more of the head than of the heart, was flattered--it must be confessed--in having made the conquest of aduchess. Concealing her wrinkles and troubles under an adorable smile, no woman was better adapted than she to understand "the man who bathedin a marble tub, had no chairs on which to sit or to seat his friends, and who built at Meudon a very beautiful house without a flight ofstairs. "[*]

[*] This house, _Les Jardies_, was at Ville-d'Avray and not at Meudon. 

But the love on Balzac's side must have been rather fleeting, for manyyears later, on March 17, 1850, he wrote to his old friend, MadameCarraud, announcing his marriage with Madame Hanska: "Three days ago Imarried the only woman I have ever loved. " Evidently he had forgotten, among others, the poor Duchess, who had passed away twelve yearsbefore. 

But how could Balzac remain long her ardent lover, when Madame deBerny, of whom Madame d'Abrantes was jealous, felt that he was leavingher for a duchess? And how could he remain more than a friend toMadame Junot, when the beautiful Duchesse de Castries was for a shorttime complete mistress of his heart, [*] and was in her turn to bereplaced by Madame Hanska? The Duchess could probably understand hisinconstancy, for she not only knew of his attachment to Madame deCastries but he wrote her on his return from his first visit to MadameHanska at Neufchatel, describing the journey and saying that the Valde Travers seemed made for two lovers. 

[*] It is an interesting coincidence that the Duchess whose star was waning had been in love with the fascinating Austrian ambassador, Comte de Metternich, and the Duchess who was to take her place, was just recovering from an amorous disappointment in connection with his son when she met Balzac. 

Knowing Balzac's complicated life, one can understand how, having goneto Corsica in quest of his Eldorado just before the poor Duchessbreathed her last, he could write to Madame Hanska on his return toParis: "The newspapers have told you of the deplorable end of the poorDuchesse d'Abrantes. She has ended like the Empire. Some day I willexplain her to you, --some good evening at Wierzschownia. "

Balzac wished to keep his visits to Madame d'Abrantes a secret fromhis sister, Madame Surville, and some obscurity and a "mysteriouspavilion" is connected with their manner of communication. For a whileshe visited him frequently in his den. He enjoyed her society, andthough oppressed by work, was quite ready to fix upon an evening whenthey could be alone. 

It was not without pain that she saw his affection for her becomingless ardent while hers remained fervent. She wrote him tender lettersinviting him to dine with her, or to meet some of her friends, assuring him that in her _ermitage_ he might feel perfectly at home, and that she regarded him as one of the most excellent friends Heavenhad preserved for her. 

 "Heaven grant that you are telling me the truth, and that indeed I may always be for you a good and sincere friend. . . . My dear Honore, every one tells me that you no longer care for me. . . . I say that they lie. . . . You are not only my friend, but my sincere and good friend. I have kept for you a profound affection, and this affection is of a nature that does not change. . . . Here is _Catherine_, here is my first work. I am sending it to you, and it is the heart of a friend that offers it to you. May it be the heart of a friend that receives it! . . . My soul is oppressed on account of this, but it is false, I hope. "

Balzac continued to visit her occasionally, and there exists a curiousspecimen of his handwriting written (October, 1835) in the album ofher daughter, Madame Aubert. He sympathized with the unfortunateDuchess who, raised to so high a rank, had fallen so low, and tried tocheer her in his letters:

 "You say you are ill and suffering, and without any hope that finer weather will do you any good. Remember that for the soul there arises every day a fresh springtime and a beautiful fresh morning. Your past life has no words to express it in any language, but it is scarcely a recollection, and you cannot judge what your future life will be by that which is past. How many have begun to lead a fresh, lovely, and peaceful life at a much more advanced age than yours! We exist only in our souls. You cannot be sure that your soul has come to its highest development, nor whether you receive the breath of life through all your pores, nor whether as yet you see with all your eyes. "

Being quite a linguist, Madame d'Abrantes began her literary career bytranslations from the Portuguese, Spanish and Italian, and by writingnovels, in the construction of which, Balzac advised her. As she hadno business ability, he was of great assistance to her also inarranging for the publication of her work:

 "In the name of yourself, I entreat you, do not enter into any engagement with anybody whatsoever; do not make any promise, and say that you have entrusted your business to me on account of my knowledge of business matters of this kind, and of my unalterable attachment to yourself personally. I believe I have found what I may call _living money_, seventy thousand healthy francs, and some people, who will jump out of themselves, to dispose in a short time of 'three thousand d'Abrantes, ' as they say in their slang. Besides, I see daylight for a third and larger edition. If Mamifere (Mame) does not behave well, say to him, 'My dear sir, M. De Balzac has my business in his charge still as he had on the day he presented you to me; you must feel he has the priority over the preference you ask for. ' This done, wait for me. I shall make you laugh when I tell you what I have concocted. If Everat appears again, tell him that I have been your attorney for a long time past in these affairs, when they are worth the trouble; one or two volumes are nothing. But twelve or thirteen thsousand francs, oh! oh! ah! ah! things must not be endangered. Only manoeuver cleverly, and, with that _finesse_ which distinguishes Madame the Ambassadress, endeavor to find out from Mame how many volumes he still has on hand, and see if he will be able to oppose the new edition by slackness of sale or excessive price. 

 "Your entirely devoted. " (H. DE BALZAC. )

Such assistance was naturally much appreciated by a woman so utterlyignorant of business matters. But if Balzac aided the Duchess, hecaused her publishers much annoyance, and more than once he received asharp letter rebuking him for interfering with the affairs of Madamed'Abrantes. 

It was doubtless due to the suggestion of Balzac that Madamed'Abrantes wrote her _Memoires_. He was so thrilled by her vividaccounts of recent history, that he was seized with the idea that shehad it in her power to do for a brilliant epoch what Madame Rolandattempted to do for one of grief and glory. He felt that she hadwitnessed such an extraordinary multiplicity of scenes, had known aremarkable number of heroic figures and great characters, and thatnature had endowed her with unusual gifts. 

A few years before her death, _La Femme abandonnee_ was dedicated:

 "To her Grace the Duchesse d'Abrantes, "from her devoted servant, "HONORE DE BALZAC. "

If such was the role played by Balzac in the life of Madamed'Abrantes, how is she reflected in the _Comedie humaine_?

It is a well known fact that Balzac not only borrowed names fromliving people, but that he portrayed the features, incidents andpeculiarities of those with whom he was closely associated. In the_Avant-propos de la Comedie humaine_, he writes: "In composing typesby putting together traits of homogeneous natures, I might perhapsattain to the writing of that history forgotten by so manyhistorians, --the history of manners. "

In fact, he too might have said: "I take my property wherever I findit;" accordingly one would naturally look for characteristics ofMadame d'Abrantes in his earlier works. 

According to M. Joseph Turquain, Mademoiselle des Touches, in_Beatrix_, generally understood to be George Sand, has also some ofthe characteristics of Madame d'Abrantes. Balzac describesMademoiselle des Touches as being past forty and _un peu homme_, whichreminds one that the Countess Dash describes Madame d'Abrantes asbeing rather masculine, with an _organe de rogome_, and a virago whenpast forty. Calyste became enamored of Beatrix after having lovedMademoiselle des Touches, while Balzac became infatuated with Madamede Castries after having been in love with Madame d'Abrantes, in eachcase, the blonde after the brunette. 

Mademoiselle Josephine, the elder and beloved daughter of Madamed'Abrantes, entered the Convent of the Sisters of Charity ofSaint-Vincent de Paul, contrary to the desires of her mother. In writingto the Duchess (1831), Balzac asks that Sister Josephine may not forgethim in her prayers, for he is remembering her in his books. Balzac mayhave had her in mind a few years later when he said of Mademoiselle deMortsauf in _Le Lys dans la Vallee_: "The girl's clear sight had, though only of late, seen to the bottom of her mother's heart. . . . "for Mademoiselle Josephine entered the convent for various reasons, one being in order to relieve the financial strain and make marriagepossible for her younger sister, another perhaps being to atone forthe secret she probably suspected in the heart of her mother, andwhich she felt was not complimentary to the memory of her father. Andalso, in _La Recherche de l'Absolu_: "There comes a moment, in theinner life of families, when the children become, either voluntarilyor involuntarily, the judges of their parents. "

In writing the introduction to the _Physiologie du Mariage_, Balzacstates that here he is merely the humble secretary of two women. He isdoubtless referring to Madame d'Abrantes as one of the two when hesays:

 "Some days later the author found himself in the company of two ladies. The first had been one of the most humane and most intellectual women of the court of Napoleon. Having attained a high social position, the Restoration surprised her and caused her downfall; she had become a hermit. The other, young, beautiful, was playing at that time, in Paris, the role of a fashionable woman. They were friends, for the one being forty years of age, and the other twenty-two, their aspirations rarely caused their vanity to appear on the same scene. 'Have you noticed, my dear, that in general women love only fools?'--'_What are you saying, Duchess?_'"[*]

[*] M. Turquain states that Madame Hamelin is one of these women and that the Duchesse d'Abrantes in incontestably the other. For a different opinion, see the chapter on Madame Gay. The italics are the present writer's. 

In _La Femme abandonnee_, Madame de Beauseant resembles the Duchess asportrayed in this description:

 "All the courage of her house seemed to gleam from the great lady's brilliant eyes, such courage as women use to repel audacity or scorn, for they were full of tenderness and gentleness. The outline of that little head, . . . The delicate, fine features, the subtle curve of the lips, the mobile face itself, wore an expression of delicate discretion, a faint semblance of irony suggestive of craft and insolence. It would have been difficult to refuse forgiveness to those two feminine failings in her in thinking of her misfortunes, of the passion that had almost cost her her life. Was it not an imposing spectacle (still further magnified by reflection) to see in that vast, silent salon this woman, separated from the entire world, who for three years had lived in the depths of a little valley, far from the city, alone with her memories of a brilliant, happy, ardent youth, once so filled with fetes and constant homage, now given over to the horrors of nothingness? The smile of this woman proclaimed a high sense of her own value. "

In the postscript to the _Physiologie du Mariage_, Balzac mentions agesture of one of these "intellectual" women, who interrupts herselfto touch one of her nostrils with the forefinger of her right hand ina coquettish manner. In _La Femme abandonnee_, Madame de Beauseant hasthe same gesture. Another gesture of Madame de Beauseant in _La Femmeabandonnee_ indicates that Balzac had in mind the Duchesse d'Abrantes:". . . Then, with her other hand, she made a gesture as if to pull thebell-rope. The charming gesture, the gracious threat, no doubt, calledup some sad thought, some memory of her happy life, of the time whenshe could be wholly charming and graceful, when the gladness of herheart justified every caprice, and gave one more charm to herslightest movement. The lines of her forehead gathered between herbrows, and the expression of her face grew dark in the softcandle-light. . . . " The Duchesse d'Abrantes had on two occasions rungto dismiss her lovers, M. De Montrond and General Sebastiani. Balzachad doubtless heard her relate these incidents, and they are containedin the _Journal intime_, which she gave him. [*]

[*] Madame d'Abrantes presented several objects of a literary nature to Balzac, among others, a book of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a few leaves of which he presented to Madame Hanska for her collection of autographs. 

In _La Femme abandonnee_, Balzac describes Madame de Beauseant ashaving taken refuge in Normandy, "after a notoriety which women forthe most part envy and condemn, especially when youth and beauty insome way excuse the transgression. " Can it be that the novelist thuscondones the fault of this noted character because he wishes to pardonthe _liaison_ of Madame d'Abrantes with the Comte de Metternich?

Is it then because so many traces of Madame d'Abrantes are found in_La Femme abandonnee_, and allusions are made to minute episodes knownto them alone, that he dedicated it to her?

Was Balzac thinking of the Duchesse d'Abrantes when, in _Un GrandHomme de Province a Paris_, speaking of Lucien Chardon, who had justarrived in Paris at the beginning of the Restoration, he writes: "Hemet several of those women who will be spoken of in the history of thenineteenth century, whose wit, beauty and loves will be none the lesscelebrated than those of queens in times past. "

In depicting Maxime de Trailles, the novelist perhaps had in mind M. De Montrond, about whom the Duchess had told him. Again, manycharacteristics of her son, Napoleon d'Abrantes, are seen in LaPalferine, one of the characters of the _Comedie humaine_. 

If Madame de Berny is Madame de Mortsauf in _Le Lys dans la Vallee_, Madame d'Abrantes has some traits of Lady Dudley, of whom Madame deMortsauf was jealous. The Duchess gave him encouragement andconfidence, and Balzac might have been thinking of her when he madethe beautiful Lady Dudley say: "I alone have divined all that you wereworth. " After Balzac's affection for Madame de Berny was rekindled, Madame d'Abrantes, who was jealous of her, had a falling out with him. 

It was probably Madame Junot who related to Balzac the story of thenecklace of Madame Regnault de Saint-Jean d'Angely, to which allusionis made in his _Physiologie du Mariage_, also an anecdote which istold in the same book abut General Rapp, who had been an intimatefriend of General Junot. At this time Balzac knew few women of theEmpire; he did not frequent the home of the Countess Merlin untillater. While Madame d'Abrantes was not a duchess by birth, Madame Gaywas not a duchess at all, and Madame Hamelin still further removedfrom nobility. 

It is doubtless to Madame d'Abrantes that he owes the subject of _ElVerdugo_, which he places in the period of the war with Spain; to heralso was due the information about the capture of Senator Clement deRis, from which he writes _Une tenebreuse Affaire_. 

M. Rene Martineau, in proving that Balzac got his ideas for _Unetenebreuse Affaire_ from Madame d'Abrantes, states that this is allthe more remarkable, since the personage of the senator is the onlyone which Balzac has kept just as he was, without changing hisphysiognomy in the novel. The senator was still living at the timeMadame d'Abrantes wrote her account of the affair, his death nothaving occurred until 1827. In her _Memoires_, Madame d'Abrantesrefers frequently to the kindness of the great Emperor, and it isdoubtless to please her that Balzac, in the _denouement_ of _Unetenebreuse Affaire_, has Napoleon pardon two out of the threecondemned persons. Although the novelist may have heard of this affairduring his sojourns in Touraine, it is evident that the origin of thelawsuit and the causes of the conduct of Fouche were revealed to himby Madame Junot. 

Who better than Madame d'Abrantes could have given Balzac thebackground for the scene of Corsican hatred so vividly portrayed in_La Vendetta_? Balzac's preference for General Junot is noticeablewhen he wishes to mention some hero of the army of the Republic or ofthe Empire; the Duc and Duchesse d'Abrantes are included among thenoted lodgers in _Autre Etude de Femme_. It is doubtless to please theDuchess that Balzac mentions also the Comte de Narbonne (_Le Medecinde Campagne_). 

Impregnating his mind with the details of the Napoleonic reign, sovividly portrayed in _Le Colonel Chabert_, _Le Medecin de Campagne_, _La Femme de trente Ans_ and others, she was probably the directauthor of several observations regarding Napoleon that impress one asbeing strikingly true. Balzac read to her his stories of the Empire, and though she rarely wept, she melted into tears at the disaster ofthe Beresina, in the life of Napoleon related by a soldier in a barn. 

The Generale Junot had a great influence over Balzac; she enlightenedhim also about women, painting them not as they should be, but as theyare. [*]

[*] M. Joseph Turquain states that when the correspondence of Madame d'Abrantes and Balzac, to which he has had access, is published, one will be able to determine exactly the role she has played in the formation of the talent of the writer, and in the development of his character. His admirable work has been very helpful in the preparation of this study of Madame d'Abrantes. 

During the last years of the life of Madame d'Abrantes, a somber tintspread over her gatherings, which gradually became less numerous. Herfinancial condition excited little sympathy, and her friends becameestranged from her as the result of her poverty. Under her gaiety andin spite of her courage, this distress became more apparent with time. Her health became impaired; yet she continued to write when unable tosit up, so great was her need for money. From her high rank she hadfallen to the depth of misery! When evicted from her poverty-strickenhome by the bailiff, her maid at first conveyed her to a hospital inthe rue de Chaillot, but there payment was demanded in advance. Thatbeing impossible, the poor Duchess, ill and abandoned by all herfriends, was again cast into the street. Finally, a more charitablehospital in the rue des Batailles took her in. Thus, by ironical fate, the widow of the great _Batailleur de Junot_, who had done little elseduring the past fifteen years than battle for life, was destined toend her days in the rue des Batailles. 

 LA PRINCESSE BELGIOJOSO. --MADAME MARBOUTY. --LA COMTESSE D'AGOULT. --GEORGE SAND. 

 "The Princess (Belgiojoso) is a woman much apart from other women, not very attractive, twenty-nine years old, pale, black hair, Italian-white complexion, thin, and playing the vampire. She has the good fortune to displease me, though she is clever; but she poses too much. I saw her first five years ago at Gerard's; she came from Switzerland, where she had taken refuge. "

The Princesse Belgiojoso had her early education entrusted to men ofbroad learning whose political views were opposed to Austria. She wasreared in Milan in the home of her young step-father, who had beenconnected with the _Conciliatore_. His home was the rendezvous of theartistic and literary celebrities of the day; but beneath the surfacelay conspiracy. At the age of sixteen she was married to her fellowtownsman, the rich, handsome, pleasure-loving, musical PrinceBelgiojoso, but the union was an unhappy one. Extremely patriotic, sheplunged into conspiracy. 

In 1831, she went to Paris, opened a salon and mingled in politics, meeting the great men of the age, many of whom fell in love with her. Her salon was filled with people famous for wit, learning and beauty, equaling that of Madame Recamier; Balzac was among the number. IfMadame de Girardin was the Tenth Muse, the Princesse Belgiojoso wasthe Romantic Muse. She was almost elected president of _Les Academiesde Femmes en France_ under the faction led by George Sand, the rivalparty being led by Madame de Girardin. 

Again becoming involved in Italian politics, and exiled from her homeand adopted country, she went to the Orient with her daughter Maria, partly supporting herself with her pen. After her departure, thefinding of the corpse of Stelzi in her cupboard caused her to becompared to the Spanish Juana Loca, but she was only eccentric. Whilein the Orient she was stabbed and almost lost her life. In 1853 shereturned to France, then to Milan where she maintained a salon, butshe deteriorated physically and mentally. 

For almost half a century her name was familiar not alone in Italianpolitical and patriotic circles, but throughout intellectual Europe. The personality of this strange woman was veiled in a haze of mystery, and a halo of martyrdom hung over her head. Notwithstanding hereccentricities and exaggerations, she wielded an intellectualfascination in her time, and her exalted social position, her beauty, and her independence of character gave to her a place of conspicuousprominence. 

As to whether Balzac always sustained an indifferent attitude towardsthe Princesse Belgiojoso there is some question, but he alwaysexpressed a feeling of nonchalance in writing about her to MadameHanska. He regarded her as a courtesan, a beautiful _Imperia_, but ofthe extreme blue-stocking type. She was superficial in her criticism, and received numbers of _criticons_ who could not write. She wrote himat the request of the editor asking him to contribute a story for the_Democratie Pacifique_. 

Balzac visited her frequently, calling her the Princesse_Bellejoyeuse_, and she rendered him many services, but he probablyguarded against too great an intimacy, having witnessed the fate ofAlfred de Musset. He was, however, greatly impressed by her beauty, and in the much discussed letter to his sister Laure he speaks ofMadame Hanska as a masterpiece of beauty who could be compared only tothe Princesse _Bellejoyeuse_, only infinitely more beautiful. Someyears later, however, this beauty had changed for him into an uglinessthat was even repulsive. 

It amused the novelist very much to have people think that he haddedicated to the Princesse Belgiojoso _Modeste Mignon_, a work writtenin part by Madame Hanska, and dedicated to her. In the first editionthis book was dedicated to a foreign lady, but seeing the falseimpression made he dedicated it, in its second edition to a Polishlady. He did, however, dedicate _Gaudissart II_ to:

 Madame la Princesse de Belgiojoso, nee Trivulce. 

Balzac found much rest and recuperation in travel, and in going toTurin, in 1836, instead of traveling alone, he was accompanied by amost charming lady, Madame Caroline Marbouty. She had literarypretensions and some talent, writing under the pseudonym of _ClaireBrune_. Her work consisted of a small volume of poetry and severalnovels. She was much pleased at being taken frequently for GeorgeSand, whom she resembled very much; and like her, she dressed as aman. Balzac took much pleasure in intriguing every one regarding hischarming young page, whom he introduced in aristocratic Italiansociety; but to no one did he disclose the real name or sex of histraveling companion. 

On his return from Turin he wrote to Comte Frederic Sclopis deSalerano explaining that his traveling companion was by no means theperson whom he supposed. Knowing his chivalry, Balzac confided to theCount that it was a charming, clever, virtuous woman, who never havinghad the opportunity of breathing the Italian air and being able toescape the ennui of housekeeping for a few weeks, had relied upon hishonor. She knew whom the novelist loved, and found in that thegreatest of guarantees. For the first and only time in her life sheamused herself by playing a masculine role, and on her return home hadresumed her feminine duties. 

During this journey Madame Marbouty was known as _Marcel_, this beingthe name of the devoted servant of Raoul de Nangis in Meyerbeer'smasterpiece, _Les Huguenots_, which had been given for the first timeon February 29, 1836. The two travelers had a delightful but veryfatiguing journey, for there were so many things to see that they eventook time from their sleep to enjoy the beauties of Italy. In writingto Madame Hanska of this trip, he spoke of having for companion afriend of Madame Carraud and Jules Sandeau. 

Madame Marbouty was also a friend of Madame Carraud's sister, MadameNivet, so that when Balzac visited Limoges he probably called on hisformer traveling companion. 

When the second volume of the _Comedie humaine_ was published (1842), Balzac remembered this episode in his life and dedicated _LaGrenadiere_ to his traveling companion:

 "To Caroline, to the poetry of the journey, from the grateful traveler. "

In explaining this dedication to Madame Hanska, Balzac states that the_poesie du voyage_ was merely the poetry of it and nothing more, andthat when she comes to Paris he will take pleasure in showing to herthis intimate friend of Madame Carraud, this charming, intellectualwoman whom he has not seen since. 

Balzac went to Madame Marbouty's home to read to her the first acts of_L'Ecole des Menages_, which she liked; a few days later, he returned, depressed because a great lady had told him it was _ennuyeux_, so shetried to cheer him. _Souvenirs inedits_, dated February, 1839, left byher, and a letter from her to Balzac dated March 12, 1840, in whichshe asks him to give her a ticket to the first performance of hisplay, [*] show that they were on excellent terms at this time. Butlater a coolness arose, and in April, 1842, Madame Marbouty wrote _Unefausse Position_. The personages in this novel are portraits, andBalzac appears under the name of Ulric. This explains why thededication of _La Grenadiere_ was changed. Some writers seem to thinkthat Madame Marbouty suggested to Balzac _La Muse du Departement_, aBerrichon bluestocking. 

[*] The play referred to is doubtless _Vautrin_, played for the first time March 14, 1840. 

Among the women in the _Comedie humaine_ who have been identified withwomen the novelist knew in the course of his life, Beatrix (Beatrix), depicting the life of the Comtesse d'Agoult, is one of the most noted. Balzac says of this famous character: "Yes, Beatrix is even too muchMadame d'Agoult. George Sand is at the height of felicity; she takes alittle vengeance on her friend. Except for a few variations, _thestory is true_. "

Although Balzac wrote _Beatrix_ with the information about the heroinewhich he had received from George Sand, he was acquainted with Madamed'Agoult. Descended from the Bethmanns of Hamburg or Frankfort, shewas a native of Touraine, and played the role of a "great lady" atParis. She became a journalist, formed a _liaison_ with Emile deGirardin, and wrote extensively for the _Presse_ under the name ofDaniel Stern. She had some of the characteristics of the PrincesseBelgiojoso; she abandoned her children. Balzac never liked her, anddescribed her as a dreadful creature of whom Liszt was glad to be rid. She made advances to the novelist, and invited him to her home; hedined there once with Ingres and once with Victor Hugo, but he did notenjoy her hospitality. Notwithstanding the aversion which Balzac hadfor her, he sent her autograph to Madame Hanska, and met her atvarious places. 

Among women Balzac's most noted literary friend was George Sand, whomhe called "my brother George. " In 1831 Madame Dudevant, havingattained some literary fame by the publication of _Indiana_, desiredto meet the author of _La Peau de Chagrin_, who was living in the rueCassini, and asked a mutual friend to introduce her. [*] After she hadexpressed her admiration for the talent of the young author, he inturn complimented her on her recent work, and as was his custom, changed the conversation to talk of himself and his plans. She foundthis interview helpful and he promised to counsel her. After thisintroduction Balzac visited her frequently. He would go puffing up thestairs of the many-storied house on the quai Saint-Michel where shelived. The avowed purpose of these visits was to advise her about herwork, but thinking of some story he was writing, he would soon beginto talk of it. 

[*] Different statements have been made as to who introduced George Sand to Balzac. In her _Histoire de ma Vie_, George Sand merely says it was a friend (a man). Gabriel Ferry, _Balzac et ses Amies_, makes the same statement. Seche et Bertaut, _Balzac_, state that it was La Touche who presented her to him, but Miss K. P. Wormeley, _A Memoir of Balzac_, and Mme. Wladimir Karenine, _George Sand_, state that it was Jules Sandeau who presented her to him. Confirming this last statement, the Princess Radziwill states that it was Jules Sandeau, and that her aunt, Madame Honore de Balzac, has so told her. 

They seem to have had many enjoyable hours with each other. Sherelates that one evening when she and some friends had been diningwith Balzac, after a rather peculiar dinner he put on with childishglee, a beautiful brand-new _robe de chambre_ to show it to them, andpurposed to accompany them in this costume to the Luxembourg, with acandlestick in his hand. It was late, the place was deserted, and whenGeorge Sand suggested that in returning home he might be assassinated, he replied: "Not at all! If I meet thieves they will think me insane, and will be afraid of me, or they will take me for a prince, and willrespect me. " It was a beautiful calm night, and he accompanied themthus, carrying his lighted candle in an exquisite carved candlestick, talking of his four Arabian horses, which he never had had, but whichhe firmly believed he was going to have. He would have conducted themto the other end of Paris, if they had permitted him. 

Once George Sand and Balzac had a discussion about the _Contesdroletiques_ during which she said he was shocking, and he retortedthat she was a prude, and departed, calling to her on the stairway:"_Vous n'etes qu'une bete!_" But they were only better friends afterthis. 

Early in their literary career Balzac held this opinion of her: "Shehas none of the littleness of soul nor any of the base jealousieswhich obscure the brightness of so much contemporary talent. Dumasresembles her in this respect. George Sand is a very noble friend, andI would consult her with full confidence in my moments of doubt on thelogical course to pursue in such or such a situation; but I think shelacks the instinct of criticism: she allows herself to be too easilypersuaded; she does not understand the art of refuting the argumentsof her adversary nor of justifying herself. " He summarized theirdifferences by telling her that she sought man as he ought to be, butthat he took him as he is. 

If Madame Hanska was not jealous of George Sand, she was at leastinterested to know the relations existing between her and Balzac, forwe find him explaining: "Do not fear, madame, that Zulma Dudevant willever see me attached to her chariot. . . . I only speak of thisbecause more celebrity is fastened on that woman than she deserves;which is preparing for her a bitter autumn. . . . _Mon Dieu!_ how isit that with such a splendid forehead you can think little things! Ido not understand why, knowing my aversion for George Sand, you makeme out her friend. " Since Madame Hanska was making a collection ofautographs of famous people, Balzac promised to send her GeorgeSand's, and he wished also to secure one of Aurore Dudevant, so thatshe might have her under both forms. 

It is interesting to note that at various times Balzac compared MadameHanska to George Sand. While he thought his "polar star" far morebeautiful, she reminded him of George Sand by her coiffure, attitudeand intellect, for she had the same feminine graces, together with thesame force of mind. 

On his way to Sardinia, Balzac stopped to spend a few days with GeorgeSand at her country home at Nohant. He found his "comrade George" inher dressing-gown, smoking a cigar after dinner in the chimney-cornerof an immense solitary chamber. In spite of her dreadful troubles, shedid not have a white hair; her swarthy skin had not deteriorated andher beautiful eyes were still dazzling. She had been at Nohant about ayear, very sad, and working tremendously. He found her leading aboutthe same life as he; she retired at six in the morning and arose atnoon, while he retired at six in the evening and arose at midnight;but he conformed to her habits while spending these three days at herchateau, talking with her from five in the evening till five the nextmorning; after this, they understood each other better than they haddone previously. He had censured her for deserting Jules Sandeau, butafterwards had the deepest compassion for her, as he too had found himto be a most ungrateful friend. 

Balzac felt that Madame Dudevant was not lovable, and would always bedifficult to love; she was a _garcon_, an artist, she was grand, generous, devoted, chaste; she had the traits of a man, --she was not awoman. He delighted in discussing social questions with a comrade towhom he did not need to show the _galanterie d'epiderme_ necessary inconversation with ordinary women. He thought that she had greatvirtues which society misconstrued, and that after hours of discussionhe had gained a great deal in making her recognize the necessity ofmarriage. In discussing with him the great questions of marriage andliberty, she said with great pride that they were preparing by theirwritings a revolution in manners and morals, and that she was none theless struck by the objections to the one than by those to the other. 

She knew just what he thought about her; she had neither force ofconception, nor the art of pathos, but--without knowing the Frenchlanguage--she had _style_. Like him, she took her glory in raillery, and had a profound contempt for the public, which she called_Jumento_. Defending her past life, he says: "All the follies that shehas committed are titles to fame in the eyes of great and noble souls. She was duped by Madame Dorval, Bocage, Lammennais, etc. , etc. Throughthe same sentiment she is now the dupe of Liszt and Madame d'Agoult;she has just realized it for this couple as for la Dorval, for she hasone of those minds that are powerful in the study, through intellect, but extremely easy to entrap on the domain of reality. "

During this week-end visit, Madame Dudevant related to Balzac thestory of Liszt and Madame d'Agoult, which he reproduced in _Beatrix_, since in her position, she could not do so herself. In the same book, George Sand is portrayed as Mademoiselle des Touches, with thecomplexion, pale olive by day, and white under artificial light, characteristic of Italian beauty. The face, rather long than oval, resembles that of some beautiful Isis. Her hair, black and thick, falls in plaited loops over her neck, like the head-dress with rigiddouble locks of the statues at Memphis, accentuating very finely thegeneral severity of her features. She has a full, broad forehead, bright with its smooth surface on which the light lingers, and moldedlike that of a hunting Diana; a powerful, wilful brow, calm and still. The eyebrows, strongly arched, bend over the eyes in which the firesparkles now and again like that of fixed stars. The cheek-bones, though softly rounded, are more prominent than in most women, andconfirm the impression of strength. The nose, narrow and straight, hashigh-cut nostrils, and the mouth is arched at the corners. Below thenose the lip is faintly shaded by a down that is wholly charming;nature would have blundered if she had not placed there that tendersmoky tinge. 

Balzac admitted that this was the portrait of Madame Dudevant, sayingthat he rarely portrayed his friends, exceptions being G. Planche inClaude Vignon, and George Sand in Camille Maupin (Mademoiselle desTouches), both with their consent. 

Madame Dudevant was an excessive smoker, and during Balzac's visit toher, she had him smoke a hooka and latakia which he enjoyed so muchthat he wrote to Madame Hanska, asking her to get him a hooka inMoscow, as he thought she lived near there, and it was there or inConstantinople that the best could be found; he wished her also, ifshe could find true latakia in Moscow, to send him five or six pounds, as opportunities were rare to get it from Constantinople. Later, onhis visit to Sardinia, he wrote her from Ajaccio: "As for the latakia, I have just discovered (laugh at me for a whole year) that Latakia isa village of the island of Cyprus, a stone's throw from here, where asuperior tobacco is made, named from the place, and that I can get ithere. So mark out that item. "[*]

[*] _Lettres a l'Etrangere. This contradicts the statement of S. De Lovenjoul, _Bookman_, that Balzac had a horror of tobacco and is known to have smoked only once, when a cigar given him by Eugene Sue made him very ill. He evidently had this excerpt of a letter in mind: "I have never known what drunkenness was, except from a cigar which Eugene Sue made me smoke against my will, and it was that which enabled me to paint the drunkenness for which you blame me in the _Voyage a Java_. " This visit to George Sand was made five years after this letter was written. Or S. De Lovenjoul might have had in mind the statement of Theophile Gautier that Balzac could not endure tobacco in any form; he anathematized the pipe, proscribed the cigar, did not even tolerate the Spanish _papelito_, and only the Asiatic narghile found grace in his sight. He allowed this only as a curious trinket, and on account of its local color. 

George Sand and Balzac discussed their work freely and did nothesitate to condemn either plot or character of which they did notapprove. Some of Balzac's women shocked her, but she liked _Lapremiere Demoiselle_ (afterwards L'Ecole des Manages), a play whichMadame Surville found superb, but which Madame Hanska discouragedbecause she did not like the plot. She aided him in a financial mannerby signing one of his stories, _Voyage d'un Moineau de Paris_. At thattime, Balzac needed money and Stahl (Hetzel) refused to insert in hisbook, _Scenes de la Vie privee de Animaux_ (2 vols. , 1842), this storyof Balzac's, who had already furnished several articles for thiscollection. George Sand signed her name, and in this way, Balzacobtained the money. 

Madame Dudevant not only remained a true friend to Balzac in aliterary and financial sense, but was glad to defend his character, and was firm in refuting statements derogatory to him. In apologizingto him for an article that had appeared without her knowledge in the_Revue independente_, edited by her, she asked his consent to write alarge work about him. He tried to dissuade her, telling her that shewould create enemies for herself, but, after persistence on her part, he asked her to write a preface to the _Comedie humaine_. The plan ofthe work, however, was very much modified, and did not appear untilafter Balzac's death. 

Balzac dined frequently with Madame Dudevant and political as well associal and literary questions were discussed. He enjoyed opposing herviews; after his return from his prolonged visit to Madame Hanska inSt. Petersburg (1843), George Sand twitted him by asking him to givehis _Impressions de Voyage_. 

A story told at Issoudun illustrates further the genial association ofthe two authors: Balzac was dining one day at the Hotel de la Clochein company with George Sand. She had brought her physician, who was toaccompany her to Nohant. The conversation turned on the subject ofinsane people, and the peculiar manner in which the exterior signs ofinsanity are manifested. The physician claimed to be an expert inrecognizing an insane person at first sight. George Sand asked veryseriously: "Do you see any here?" Balzac was eating, as always, ravenously, and his tangled hair followed the movement of his head andarm. "There is one!" said the Doctor; "no doubt about it!" George Sandburst out laughing, Balzac also, and, the introduction made, theconfused physician was condemned to pay for the dinner. 

Balzac expresses his admiration for her in the dedication of the_Memoires de deux jeunes mariees_:

 "To George Sand. 

 "This dedication, dear George, can add nothing to the glory of your name, which will cast its magic luster on my book; but in making it there is neither modesty nor self-interest on my part. I desire to bear testimony to the true friendship between us which continues unchanged in spite of travels and absence, --in spite, too, of our mutual hard work and the maliciousness of the world. This feeling will doubtless never change. The procession of friendly names which accompany my books mingles pleasure with the pain their great number causes me, for they are not written without anxiety, to say nothing of the reproach cast upon me for my alarming fecundity, --as if the world which poses before me were not more fecund still. Would it not be a fine thing, George, if some antiquary of long past literatures should find in that procession none but great names, noble hearts, pure and sacred friendships, --the glories of this century? May I not show myself prouder of that certain happiness than of other successes which are always uncertain? To one who knows you well it must ever be a great happiness to be allowed to call himself, as I do here, "Your friend, "DE BALZAC. "

 CHAPTER IV

 BUSINESS AND SOCIAL FRIENDS

 MADAME BECHET--MADAME WERDET

A woman with whom Balzac was to have business dealings early in hisliterary career was Madame Charles Bechet, of whom he said: "Thispublisher is a woman, a widow whom I have never seen, and whom I donot know. I shall not send off this letter until the signatures areappended on both sides, so that my missive may carry you good newsabout my interests; . . . "

Thus began a business relation which, like many of Balzac's financialaffairs, was to end unhappily. At first he liked her very much anddined with her, meeting in her company such noted literary men asBeranger, but as usual, he delayed completing his work, meanwhileresorting, in mitigation of his offense, to tactics such as thefollowing words will indicate: ". . . A pretty watch given at theright moment to Madame Bechet may win me a month's freedom. I am goingto overwhelm her with gifts to get peace. "

Balzac often caused his publishers serious annoyance by re-writing hisstories frequently, but at the beginning of this business relation heagreed with Madame Bechet about the cost of corrections. He says ofthe fair publisher: "The widow Bechet has been sublime: she had takenupon herself the expense of more than four thousand francs ofcorrections, which were set down to me. Is this not still pleasanter?"

But this could not last long, for she became financially embarrassedand then had to be very strict with him. She refused to advance anymoney until his work was delivered to her and called upon him to payfor the corrections. This he resented greatly:

 "Madame Bechet has become singularly ill-natured and will hurt my interests very much. In paying me, she charges me with corrections which amount on the twelve volumes to three thousand francs, and also for my copies, which will cost me fifteen hundred more. Thus four thousand five hundred francs and my discounts, diminish by six thousand the thirty-three thousand. She could not lose a great fortune more clumsily, for Werdet estimates at five hundred thousand francs the profits to be made out of the next edition of the _Etudes de Moeurs_. I find Werdet the active, intelligent, and devoted publisher that I want. I have still six months before I can be rid of Madame Bechet; for I have three volumes to do, and it is impossible to count on less than two months to each volume. "

She evidently relented, for he wrote later that Madame Bechet had paidhim the entire thirty-three thousand francs. This, however, did notend their troubles, and he longed to be free from his obligations, andto sever all connection with her. 

In the spring of 1836, Madame Bechet became Madame Jacquillart. Whether she was influenced by her husband or had become weary ofBalzac's delays, she became firmer. The novelist felt that she was tooexacting, for he was working sixteen hours a day to complete the lasttwo volumes for her, and he believed that the suit with which shethreatened him was prompted by his enemies, who seemed to have swornhis ruin. Madame Bechet lost but little time in carrying out herthreat, for a few days after this he writes:

 "Do you know by what I have been interrupted? By a legal notice from Bechet, who summons me to furnish her within twenty-four hours my two volumes in 8vo, with a penalty of fifty francs for every day's delay! I must be a great criminal and God wills that I shall expiate my crimes! Never was such torture! This woman has had ten volumes 8vo out of me in two years, and yet she complains at not getting twelve!"

There had been a question of a lawsuit as early as the autumn of 1835;to avoid this he was then trying to finish the _Fleur-des-Pois_(afterwards _Le Contrat de Mariage_). But their relations were morecordial at that time, for a short time later, he writes: "Mypublisher, the sublime Madame Bechet, has been foolish enough to sendthe corrected proofs to St. Petersburg. I am told nothing is spoken ofthere but of the _excellence of this new masterpiece_. "

Both Madame Bechet and Werdet were in despair over Balzac's journey toVienna in 1835, but things grew even worse the next year. The novelistgives this glimpse of his troubles:

 "My mind itself was crushed; for the failure of the _Chronique_ came upon me at Sache, at M. De Margonne's, where, by a wise impulse, I was plunged in work to rid myself of that odious Bechet. I had undertaken to write in ten days (it was that which kept me from going to Nemours!) the two volumes which had been demanded of me, and in eight days I had invented and composed _Les Illusions perdues_, and had written a third of it. Think what such application meant! All my faculties were strained; I wrote fifteen hours a day. . . . "

In explaining Balzac's association with Madame Bechet, M. Henrid'Almeras states that Madame Bechet was interested, at first, inattaching celebrated writers to her publishing house, or those who hadpromise of fame. She organized weekly dinner parties, which took placeon Saturday, and here assembled Beranger, Henri de Latouche, LouisReybaud, Leon Gozlan, Brissot-Thivars, Balzac and Dr. Gentil. It waswith Madame Bechet as with Charles Gosselin. The publication, lesslucrative than she expected, of the first series of the _Scenes de laVie parisienne_ and the _Scenes de la Vie de Province_ made itparticularly disagreeable to her to receive the reproaches of a writerwho, with his admirable talent, could not become resigned to meet withless success than other litterateurs not so good as he. 

The termination of their business relations is recounted thus:"_Illusions perdues_ appears this week. On the 17th I have a meetingto close up all claims from Madame Bechet and Werdet. So there is onecause of torment the less. "

If M. Hughes Rebell is correct in his surmise, at least a part ofWerdet's admiration for the novelist was inspired by his wife, who hadbecome a great admirer of the works of the young writer, not wellknown at that time. Madame Werdet persuaded her husband to speak toMadame Bechet about Balzac, and to advise her to publish his works. Her husband did so, but Madame Werdet did not stop at this. Sheconvinced him that he should leave Madame Bechet and become Balzac'ssole publisher; this he was for five years, and, moreover, served himas his banker. M. Rebell thinks also that Madame Werdet is the"delicious _bourgeoise_" referred to in Balzac's letter to MadameSurville. 

 MADAME ROSSINI--MADAME RECAMIER--LA DUCHESSE DE DINO--LA COMTESSE APPONY--MADAME DE BERNARD--MADAME DAVID--LA BARONNE GERARD

 "You wish to know if I have met Foedora, if she is true? A woman from cold Russia, the Princess Bagration, is supposed in Paris to be the model for her. I have reached the seventy-second woman who has had the impertinence to recognize herself in that character. They are all of ripe age. Even Madame Recamier is willing to _foedorize herself_. Not a word of all that is true. I made Foedora out of two women whom I have known without having been intimate with them. Observation sufficed me, besides a few confidences. There are also some kind souls who will have it that I have courted the handsomest of Parisian courtesans and have concealed myself behind her curtains. These are calumnies. I have met a Foedora; but that one I shall not paint; besides, it has been a long time since _La Peau de Chagrin_ was published. "

Quoting Amedee Pichot and Dr. Meniere, S. De Lovenjoul states thatMademoiselle Olympe Pelissier is the woman whom Balzac used as a modelfor his Foedora, and that, like Raphael, he concealed himself in herbedroom. She is indeed the woman without a heart; she kept in the rueNeuve-du-Luxembourg a salon frequented by noted political people suchas the Duc de Fitz-James. Being rich as well as beautiful, and havingan exquisite voice, she was highly attractive to the novelist, whoaspired to her hand, and who regarded her refusal with bitterness allhis life. Several years later she was married to her former voiceteacher, M. Rossini. 

Balzac met the famous Olympe early in his literary career; he says ofher:

 "Two years ago, Sue quarreled with a _mauvaise courtesone_ celebrated for her beauty (she is the original of Vernet's _Judith_). I lowered myself to reconcile them, and they gave her to me. M. De Fitz-James, the Duc de Duras, and the old count went to her house to talk, as on neutral ground, much as people walk in the alley of the Tuileries to meet one another; and one expects better conduct of me than of those gentlemen! . . . As for Rossini, I wish him to write me a nice letter, and he has just invited me to dine with his mistress, who happens to be that beautiful _Judith_, the former mistress of Horace Vernet and of Sue you know. . . . "

Some months after this Balzac gave a dinner to his _Tigres_, as hecalled the group occupying the same box with him at the opera. Concerning this dinner, he writes:

 "Next Saturday I give a dinner to the _Tigres_ of my opera-box, and I am preparing sumptuosities out of all reason. I shall have Rossini and Olympe, his _cara dona_, who will preside. . . . My dinner? Why, it made a great excitement. Rossini declared he had never seen eaten or drunk anything better among sovereigns. This dinner was sparkling with wit. The beautiful Olympe was graceful, sensible and perfect. "[*]

[*] The present writer has not been able to find any date that would prove positively that Balzac knew Madame Rossini before writing _La Peau de Chagrin_ which appeared in 1830-1831. 

Balzac was a great admirer of Rossini, wrote the words for one of hiscompositions, and dedicated to him _Le Contrat de Mariage_. 

Among the famous salons that Balzac frequented was that of MadameRecamier, who was noted even more for her distinction and grace thanfor her beauty. She appreciated the ability of the young writer, andinvited him to read in her salon long before the world recognized hisname. He admired her greatly; of one of his visits to her he writes:

 "Yesterday I went to see Madame Recamier, whom I found ill but wonderfully bright and kind. I have heard that she did much good, and acted very nobly in being silent and making no complaint of the ungrateful beings she has met. No doubt she saw upon my face a reflection of what I thought of her, and without explaining to herself this little sympathy, she was charming. "

Although one would not suspect Madame Hanska of being jealous ofMadame Recamier, perhaps it is because she wished to _foedorize_herself that Balzac writes:

 "_Mon Dieu!_ do not be jealous of any one. I have not been to see Madame Recamier or any one else. . . . As to my relations with the person you speak of, I never had any that were tender; I have none now. I answered a very unimportant letter, and apropos of a sentence, I explained myself; that was all. There are relations of politeness due to women of a certain rank whom one has known; but a visit to Madame Recamier is not, I suppose, _relations_, when one visits her once in three months. "

One of the famous women whom Balzac met soon after he began to acquireliterary fame was the Duchesse de Dino, who was married toTalleyrand's nephew in 1809. 

 "When her husband's uncle became French Ambassador at Vienna in 1814, she went with him as mistress of the embassy. When he was sent to London in 1830, she accompanied him in the same capacity. She lived with him till his death in 1838, entirely devoted to his welfare, and she had given us in these pages a picture of the old Talleyrand which is among the masterpieces of memoir-writing. From this connection she was naturally for many years in the very heart of political affairs, as no one was, save perhaps that other Dorothea of the Baltic, the Princess de Lieven. To great beauty and spirit she added unusual talents, and in the best sense was a great lady of the _haute politique_. "

Balzac had met her in the salon of Madame Appony, but had nevervisited her in her home until 1836, when he went to Rochecotte to seethe famous Prince de Talleyrand, having a great desire to have a viewof the "witty turkeys who plucked the eagle and made it tumble intothe ditch of the house of Austria. " Several years later, on his returnfrom St. Petersburg, he stopped in Berlin, where he was invited to agrand dinner at the home of the Count and Countess Bresson. He gavehis arm to the Duchesse de Talleyrand (ex-Dino), whom he thought themost beautiful lady present, although she was fifty-two years of age. 

The Duchesse has left this appreciation of the novelist: ". . . Hisface and bearing are vulgar, and I imagine his ideas are equally so. Undoubtedly, he is a very clever man, but his conversation is neithereasy nor light, but on the contrary, very dull. He watched andexamined all of us most minutely. "

Notwithstanding that the beautiful Dorothea did not admire Balzac, hewas sincere in his appreciation of her. A novel recently brought tolight, _L'Amour Masque_, or as the author first called it, _Imprudenceet Bonheur_, was written for her. Balzac had been her guestrepeatedly; he had recognized in her one of the rare women, who bytheir intelligence and, as it were, instinctive appreciation of geniuscan compensate to a great _incompris_ like Balzac for the lack ofrecognition on the part of his contemporaries; one of those women nearwhom, thanks to tactful treatment, a depressed man will regainconfidence in himself and courage to go on. 

Of the distinguished houses which were open to Balzac, that of theComte Appony was one of the most beautiful. This protege of the Princeof Metternich, having had the rare good fortune to please bothgovernments, was retained by Louis-Philippe, and was as well liked andappreciated in the role of ambassador and diplomat as in that of manof the world. The Countess Appony possessed a very peculiar charm, andwas a type of feminine distinction. Balls and receptions were givenfrequently in her home, where all was of a supreme elegance. 

Balzac visited the Count and Countess frequently, often having aletter or a message to deliver for the Comtesse Marie Potocka. Herealized that it would be of advantage to be friendly toward theAmbassador of Austria, and he doubtless enjoyed the society of hischarming wife. He writes of one of these visits:

 "Alas! your _moujik_ also has been _un poco_ in that market of false smiles and charming toilets; he has made his debut at Madame Appony's, --for the house of Balzac must live on good terms with the house of Austria, --and your _moujik_ had some success. He was examined with the curiosity felt for animals from distant regions. There were presentations on presentations, which bored him so that he placed himself in a corner with some Russians and Poles. But their names are so difficult to pronounce that he cannot tell you anything about them, further than that one was a very ugly lady, friend of Madame Hahn, and a Countess Schouwalof, sister of Madame Jeroslas. . . . Is that right? The _moujik_ will go there every two weeks, if his lady permits him. "

The novelist met many prominent people at these receptions, among themPrince Esterhazy; he went to the beautiful soirees of Madame Apponywhile refusing to go elsewhere, even to the opera. 

Several women Balzac probably met through his intimacy with theirhusbands. Among these were Madame de Bernard, whose name wasClementine, but whom he called "Mentine" and "La Fosseuse, " thischaracter being the frail nervous young girl in _Le Medecin deCampagne_. In August, 1831, M. Charles de Bernard wrote a veryfavorable article about _La Peau de Chagrin_ in the _Gazette deFranche-Comte_, which he was editing at that time. This naturallypleased the novelist; their friendship continued through many years, and in 1844, Balzac dedicated to him _Sarrazine_, written in 1830. 

Early in his literary career Balzac knew Baron Gerard, and in writingto the painter, sent greetings to Madame Gerard. Much later in life, while posing for his bust, made by David d'Angers, he saw Madame Davidfrequently, and learned to like her. He felt flattered that shethought he looked so much younger than he really was. On his returnfrom St. Petersburg, in 1843, he brought her a pound of Russian tea, which, as he explained, had no other merit than the exceedingdifficulties it had encountered in passing through twentycustom-houses. 

 LA COMTESSE VISCONTI--MADAME DE VALETTE--MADEMOISELLE KOZLOWSKA

 "Madame de Visconti, of whom you speak to me, is one of the most amiable of women, of an infinite, exquisite kindness; a delicate and elegant beauty. She helps me much to bear my life. She is gentle, and full of firmness, immovable and implacable in her ideas and her repugnances. She is a person to be depended on. She has not been fortunate, or rather, her fortune and that of the Count are not in keeping with this splendid name. . . . It is a friendship which consoles me under many griefs. But, unfortunately, I see her very seldom. "

Madame Emile Guidoboni-Visconti, nee (Frances Sarah) Lowell, was anEnglishwoman another _etrangere_. Balzac shared the same box with herat the Italian opera, and in the summer of 1836, he went to Turin tolook after some legal business for the Viscontis. He had not knownthem long before this, for he writes, in speaking of _Le Lys dans laVallee_: "Do they not say that I have painted Madame Visconti? Suchare the judgments to which we are exposed. You know that I had theproofs in Vienna, and that portrait was written at Sache and correctedat La Bouleauniere, before I had ever seen Madame Visconti. "[*]

[*] La Bouleauniere was the home of Madame de Berny, at Nemours. Balzac visited Madame Hanska at Vienna in the spring of 1835. 

Either this new friendship became too ardent for the comfort of MadameHanska, or she heard false reports concerning it, for she madeobjections to which Balzac responds:

 "Must I renounce the Italian opera, the only pleasure I have in Paris, because I have no other seat than in a box where there is also a charming and gracious woman? If calumny, which respects nothing, demands it, I shall give up music also. I was in a box among people who were an injury to me, and brought me into disrepute. I had to go elsewhere, and, in all conscience, I did not wish Olympe's box. But let us drop the subject. "

The friendship continued to grow, however, and in December, 1836, thenovelist offered her the manuscript of _La vieille Fille_. He visitedher frequently in her home, and on his return from an extended tour toCorsica and Sardinia in 1838 he spent some time in Milan, lookingafter some business interests for the Visconti family. 

When Balzac was living secluded from his creditors, Madame Viscontishowed her friendship for him in a very material way. The bailiff hadbeen seeking him for three weeks, when a vindictive Ariadne, having astrong interest in seeing Balzac conducted to prison, presentedherself at the home of the creditor and informed him that the novelistwas residing in the Champs-Elysees, at the home of Madame Visconti. Nothing could have been more exact than this information. Two hourslater, the home was surrounded, and Balzac, interrupted in the midstof a chapter of one of his novels, saw two bailiffs enter, armed withthe traditional club; they showed him a cab waiting at the door. Awoman had betrayed him--now a woman saved him. Madame Visconti flungten thousand francs in the faces of the bailiffs, and showed them thedoor. [*]

[*] Eugene de Mirecourt, _Les Contemporains_, does not give the date of this incident. Keim et Lumet, _H. De Balzac_, state that it occurred in 1837, but E. E. Saltus, _Balzac_, states that it was in connection with the indebtedness to William Duckett, editor of the _Dictionnaire de la Conversation_, in 1846. F. Lawton, _Balzac_, states that it was in connection with his indebtedness to Duckett on account of the _Chronicle_, and that Balzac was sued in 1837. If the letter to Mme. De V. , _Memoir and Letters of Balzac_, was addressed to Madame Visconti, he was owing her in 1840. M. F. Sandars, _Honore de Balzac_, states that about 1846-1848, Balzac borrowed 10, 000 or 15, 000 francs from the Viscontis, giving them as guarantee shares in the Chemin de Fer du Nord. 

During Balzac's residence _aux Jardies_ he was quite near MadameVisconti, as she was living in a rather insignificant house justopposite the home Balzac had built. He enjoyed her companionship, andwhen she moved to Versailles he regretted not being able to see hermore frequently than once a fortnight, for she was one of the few whogave him their sympathy at that time. 

Several months later Balzac was disappointed in her, and referred toher bitterly as _L'Anglaise_, _L'Angleterre_, or "the lady who livedat Versailles. " He felt that she was ungrateful and inconsiderate, andwhile he remained on speaking terms with her, he regarded thisfriendship as one of the misfortunes of his life. 

After the death of Madame Visconti (April 28, 1883), a picture ofBalzac which had been in her possession was placed in the museum atTours. This is supposed to be the portrait painted by Gerard-Seguin, exhibited in the _Salon_ in 1842, and presented to her by Balzac atthat time. 

In answering several of Madame Hanska's questions, Balzac writes: "No, I was not happy in writing _Beatrix_; you ought to have known it. Yes, Sarah is Madame de Visconti; yes, Mademoiselle des Touches is GeorgeSand; yes, Beatrix is even too much Madame d'Agoult. " A few monthslater he writes: "The friendship of which I spoke to you, and at whichyou laughed, apropos of the dedication, is not all I thought it. English prejudices are terrible, they take away what is an essentialto all artists, the _laisser-aller_, unconstraint. Never have I doneso well as when, in the _Lys_, I explained the women of that countryin a few words. "[*]

[*] This is probably the basis for Mr. Monahan's statement that Balzac pictured Madame Visconti as Lady Dudley in _Le Lys dans la Vallee_. 

From the above, one would suppose that Madame Visconti is the "Sarah"whom Balzac addresses in the dedication of _Beatrix_:

 "To Sarah. 

 "In clear weather, on the Mediterranean shores, where formerly extended the magnificent empire of your name, the sea sometimes allows us to perceive beneath the mist of waters a sea-flower, one of Nature's masterpieces; the lacework of its tissues, tinged with purple, russet, rose, violet, or gold, the crispness of its living filigrees, the velvet texture, all vanish as soon as curiosity draws it forth and spreads it on the strand. Thus would the glare of publicity offend your tender modesty; so, in dedicating this work to you, I must reserve a name which would, indeed, be its pride. But, under the shelter of its half-concealment, your superb hands may bless it, your noble brow may bend and dream over it, your eyes, full of motherly love, may smile upon it, since you are here at once present and veiled. Like this pearl of the ocean-garden, you will dwell on the fine, white, level sand where your beautiful life expands, hidden by a wave that is transparent only to certain friendly and reticent eyes. I would gladly have laid at your feet a work in harmony with your perfections; but as that was impossible, I knew, for my consolation, that I was gratifying one of your instincts by offering you something to protect. 

 "DE BALZAC. "[*]

[*] S. De Lovenjoul, _Histoire des Oeuvres de Balzac_, states that the "Sarah" to whom Balzac dedicated _Beatrix_ is no other than an Englishwoman, Frances Sarah Lowell, who became the Comtesse Emile Guidoboni-Visconti. She was born at Hilks, September 29, 1804, and died at Versailles April 28, 1883. 

In sending the corrected proofs of _Beatrix_ to "Madame de V----, "Balzac writes:

 "My dear friend, --Here are the proofs of _Beatrix_: a book for which you have made me feel an affection, such as I have not felt for any other book. It has been the ring which has united our friendship. I never give these things except to those I love, for they bear witness to my long labors, and to that patience of which I spoke to you. My nights have been passed over these terrible pages, and amongst all to whom I have presented them, I know no heart more pure and noble than yours, in spite of those little attacks of want of faith in me, which no doubt arises from your great wish to find a poor author more perfect than he can be. . . . "

In contradiction to the preceding, M. Leon Seche thinks that _Beatrix_was dedicated to Madame Helene-Marie-Felicite Valette, and that sheis the "Madame de V-----" to whom the letter is addressed. Helene deValette (she probably had no right to the "nobiliary" _de_ althoughshe signed her name thus) was the daughter of Pierre Valette, Lieutenant de Vaisseau, who after the death of Madame Valette, in1818, became a priest at Vannes in order to be near their daughterHelene, who was in the convent of the Ursulines. At the age ofeighteen he married her to a notary of Vannes, thirty years hersenior, a widower with a bad reputation, whose name wasJean-Marie-Angele Gougeon. Scarcely had she married when she had anintrigue with a physician; her husband died soon after this, and sheresumed her maiden name. She adopted the daughter of a _paludier_, [*]Le Gallo, whose wife had saved her from drowning, and named her"Marie" in memory of de Balzac's favorite name for herself. 

[*] _Paludier_. One who works in the salt marshes. 

In stating that the letter to "Madame de V-----" is addressed toMadame Valette, M. Seche publishes a letter almost identical with theone that is found in both the _Memoir and Letters of Balzac_ and the_Correspondence, 1819-1850_, one of the chief differences being thatin this letter Balzac addresses her as "My dear Marie" instead of "Mydear friend. " In telling "Madame de V-----" that he is sending her theproofs of _Beatrix_, Balzac refers to the suppression of his play_Vautrin_, and says that the director _des beaux-arts_ has come asecond time to offer him an indemnity which _ne faisait pas votresomme_. This might lead one to think that he had had some financialdealings with her. 

In the dedication of _Beatrix_, dated _Aux Jardies_, December, 1838, Balzac speaks of Sarah's being a pearl of the Mediterranean. In theIsland of Malta is a town called Cite-Vallette--suggestive of the nameFelicite Valette. Felicite is also the name of the heroine, Felicitedes Touches, although Marie is the name of Madame Valette that Balzacliked best. 

In 1836, after reading some of Balzac's novels, Madame de Valettewrote to Balzac. Attracted by her, he went to Guerande where he tookhis meals at a little hotel kept by the demoiselles Bouniol, mentionedin _Beatrix_. Under her guidance he roamed over the country and thenwrote _Beatrix_. She pretended to him to have been born at Guerandeand to have been reared as a _paludiere_ by her godmother, Madame deLamoignon-Lavalette, whence the reference in the dedication to theformer "empire of your name. " Her real godmother was Marie-FeliciteBurgaud. Balzac did not know that she had been married to the notaryGougeon, and thought that her mother was still living. 

When Madame de Valette went to Paris to reside, she was noted for herbeauty and eccentric manners; she rode horseback to visit Balzac _auxJardies_. She met a young writer, Edmond Cador, who revealed to Balzacall that she had kept from him. This deception provoked Balzac andgave rise to an exchange of rather sharp letters, and a long silencefollowed. After Balzac's death she gave Madame Honore de Balzactrouble concerning _Beatrix_ and her correspondence with Balzac, whichshe claimed. She died January 14, 1873, at the home of the BaronLarrey whom she had appointed as her residuary legatee. She is buriedin the Pere-Lachaise cemetery, and on her tomb is written _VeuveGougeon_. 

In her letters to Balzac, given by Spoelberch de Lovenjoul to theFrench Academy, she addressed him as "My dear beloved treasure, " andsigned her name _Babouino_. There exists a letter from her to him inwhich she tells him that she is going to Vannes to visit for afortnight, after which she will go to Bearn to make the acquaintanceof her husband's people, and asks him to address her under the name ofHelene-Marie. [*]

[*] Leon Seche, _Les Inspiratrices de Balzac, Helene de Valette, Les Annales Romantiques_, supposes that this is another falsehood, since he could find no record of where any member of the Gougeon family had ever lived in Bearn. Much of his information has been secured from Dr. Closmadeuc, who lived at Vannes and who attended Madame de Valette in her late years; also, from her adopted daughter, Mlle. Le Gallo. 

After the death of Madame de Valette, the Baron Larrey, in memory ofher relations with Balzac, presented to the city of Tours thecorrected proofs of _Beatrix_, and a portrait of Balzac which he hadreceived from her. 

Among Balzac's numerous Russian friends was Mademoiselle SophieKozlowska. "Sophie is the daughter of Prince Kozlowski, whose marriagewas not recognized; you must have heard of that very witty diplomat, who is with Prince Paskevitch in Warsaw. "[*]

[*] _Lettres a l'Etrangere_. By explaining to Madame Hanska who Sophie is, one would not suppose that Balzac met her at Madame Hanska's home, as M. E. Pilon states in his article. 

This friendship seems to have been rather close for a while, Balzacaddressing her as _Sofka_, _Sof_, _Sophie_ and _carissima Sofi_. Justbefore the presentation of his play _Quinola_ he wrote her, asking forthe names and addresses of her various Russian friends who wishedseats, as many enemies were giving false names. He wanted to place thebeautiful ladies in front, and wished to know in what party she wouldbe, and the definite number of tickets and location desired for eachfriend. 

In this same jovial vein he writes her: "Mina wrote me that you wereill, and that dealt me a blow as if one had told Napoleon hisaide-de-camp was dead. " His attitude towards her changed some monthsafter writing this; she became the means of alienating his friendGavault from him, or at least he so suspected, and thought that she wasinfluenced by Madame Visconti. This coldness soon turned to enmity, and she completely won from him his former friend, Gavault, who hadbecome very much enamored with her. The novelist expressed the samebitterness of feeling for her as he did for Madame Visconti, but asthe years went by, either his aversion to these two women softened, orhe thought it good policy to retain their good will, for he wishedtheir names placed on his invitation list. 

Balzac's feeling of friendship for her must have been sincere at onetime, for he dedicated _La Bourse_:

 "To Sofka. 

 "Have you not observed, mademoiselle, that the painters and sculptors of the Middle Ages, when they placed two figures in adoration, one on each side of a fair Saint, never fail to give them a family likeness? On seeing your name among those who are dear to me, and under whose auspices I place my works, remember that touching harmony, and you will see in this not so much an act of homage as an expression of the brotherly affection of your devoted servant, "DE BALZAC. "

 LA COMTESSE TURHEIM--LA COMTESSE DE BOCARME--LA COMTESSE MERLIN --LA PRINCESSE GALITZIN DE GENTHOL--LA BARONNE DE ROTHSCHILD --LA COMTESSE MAFFEI--LA COMTESSE SERAFINA SAN-SERVERINO --LA COMTESSE BOLOGNINI

 "I have found a letter from the kind Comtesse Loulou, who loves you and whom you love, and in whose letter your name is mentioned in a melancholy sentence which drew tears to my eyes; . . . I am going to write to the good Loulou without telling her all she has done by her letter, for such things are difficult to express, even to that kind German woman. But she spoke of you with so much soul that I can tell her that what in her is friendship, in me is worship that can never end. "

The Countess Louise Turheim called "Loulou" by her intimate friendsand her sister Princess Constantine Razumofsky, met Madame Hanska inthe course of her prolonged stay in Vienna in 1835, and the threewomen remained friends throughout their lives. The Countess Loulou wasa canoness, and Balzac met her while visiting in Vienna; he admiredher for herself as well as for her friendship for his _Chatelaine_. Her brother-in-law, Prince Razumofsky, wished Balzac to secure him areader at Paris, but since there was limitation as to the price, hehad some trouble in finding a suitable one. This made a correspondencewith the Countess necessary, as it was she who made the request; butMadame Hanska was not only willing that Balzac should write to her butsent him her address and they exchanged messages frequently about thecanoness. 

In 1842, _Une double Famille_, a story written in 1830, was dedicated:

 "To Madame la Comtesse de Turheim

 "As a token of remembrance and affectionate respect. 

 "DE BALZAC. "

The Countess de Bocarme, nee du Chasteler, was an artist who helpedBalzac by painting in water-colors the portraits of her uncle, thefield-marshal, and Andreas Hofer; he wished these in order to be ableto depict the heroes of the Tyrol in the campaign of 1809. She paintedalso the entire armorial for the _Etudes de Moeurs_; this consisted ofabout one hundred armorial bearings, and was a masterpiece. Shepromised to paint his study at Passy in water-colors, which was to bea souvenir for Madame Hanska of the place where he was to finishpaying his debts. All this pleased the novelist greatly, but shepresented him with one gift which he considered as in bad taste. Thiswas a sort of monument with a muse crowning him, another writing on afolio: _Comedie humaine_, with _Divo Balzac_ above. 

Madame de Bocarme had been reared in a convent with a niece of MadameRosalie Rzewuska, had traveled much, and was rather brilliant indescribing what she had seen. She visited Balzac while he was living_aux Jardies_. She was a great friend of the Countess Chlendowska, whose husband was Balzac's bookseller, and the novelist counted on herto lend the money for one of his business schemes. Being fond ofwhist, she took Madame Chlendowska to Balzac's house during hisillness of a few weeks, and they entertained him by playing cards withhim. 

Balzac called her _Bettina_, and after she left Paris for the Chateaude Bury in Belgium, he took his housekeeper, Madame de Brugnolle, tovisit her. Madame de Chlendowska was there also, but he did not carefor her especially, as she pretended to know too much about hisintimacy with his "polar star. " Madame de Bocarme had one fault thatannoyed him very much; she, too, was inclined to gossip about hisassociation with Madame Hanska. 

In 1843, Balzac erased from _Le Colonel Chabert_ the dedication to M. De Custine, and replaced it by one to Madame la Comtesse Ida deBocarme, nee du Chasteler. 

One of the most attractive salons in Paris at the beginning of theMonarchy of July was that of Countess Merlin, where all thecelebrities met, especially the musicians. Born in Havana, the young, beautiful, rich and talented Madame Merlin added to the poetic graceof a Spaniard the wit and distinction of a French woman. GeneralMerlin married her in Madrid in 1811, and brought her to Paris, whereshe created a sensation. Being an accomplished musician, she gavedelightful concerts, and though also gifted as a writer she was assimple and unpretentious as if she had been created to remain obscure. In addition, she was so truly good that she had almost no enemies; hercharity was inexhaustible, and she possessed one of those hearts whichlive only to do good and to love. 

It was Balzac's good fortune to be introduced into the salon. Heexplained to Madame Hanska that he went there to play lansquenet inorder to escape becoming insane! He was anxious to have Madame Merlinpresent at the first presentation of his _Quinola_, where she wishedto have Martinez de la Rosa with her, but the novelist dissuaded herfrom this. 

Madame Merlin was a friend of Madame de Girardin, and ridiculed thePrincesse Belgiojoso when these two were rival candidates for thepresidency of the new Academy that was being formed. 

During Madame Hanska's secret visit to Paris in 1847, Balzac declinedan invitation to dinner with Madame Merlin, excusing himself on theground of lack of time, but promised to call upon her soon. A fewmonths before this (1846), he dedicated to her _Les Marana_, a shortstory written in 1832. _Juana_ is inscribed to her also. 

As has been seen, Balzac frequently depicted the features, lives, orpeculiarities of various friends under altered names, but toward theclose of _Beatrix_ he laid aside all disguise in comparing theappearance of one of his famous women to the beauty of the Countess:"Madame Schontz owed her fame as a beauty to the brilliancy and colorof a warm, creamy complexion like a creole's, a face full of originaldetails, with the clean-cut, firm features, of which the Countess deMerlin was the most famous example and the most perenniallyyoung . . . "

In 1846, Balzac dedicated _Un Drame au Bord de la Mer_, writtenseveral years before, to Madame La Princesse Caroline Galitzin deGenthod, nee Comtesse Walewska. Balzac doubtless met her whilevisiting Madame Hanska in Geneva in 1834, as she was living atGenthod. He met a Princesse Sophie Galitzin, whom he considered farmore attractive, and later met another Princesse Galitzin. One ofthese ladies evidently aroused the suspicions of Madame Hanska, butthe novelist assured her that there was no cause for her anxiety. 

Another woman whom Balzac honored with a dedication of one of hisbooks, but for whom he apparently cared little, was Madame la Baronnede Rothschild, wife of the founder of the banking house in Paris. Balzac had met Baron James de Rothschild and his wife at Aix, whereshe coquetted with him. He had business dealings with this firm, andplanned, several years later, to present to Madame de Rothschild as aNew Year's greeting some of his works handsomely bound; the volumeswere delayed, and he accordingly made a change in some of his businessmatters, for this was evidently a gift with a motive. The dedicationto her of _L'Enfant Maudit_ in 1846, as well as that of _Un Hommed'Affaires_ to her husband in 1845, was perhaps for financial reasonsor favors, since he never seemed to care for the couple in society. 

In the winter of 1837, Countess San-Severino Porcia wrote from Paristo her friend in Milan, the Countess Clara Maffei, that Balzac wascoming to her city, and suggested that she receive him in her salon. This distinguished and cultured woman had visited the novelist inParis, and had been much surprised at the kind of home in which he wasliving, how like a hermit he was secluded from the world and thepersecutions of his creditors; she was amazed when he received her inhis celebrated monastic role. 

The Countess Maffei retained her title after her marriage (in 1832)with the poet, Andrea Maffei, who was many years older than she. Shewas a great friend of the Princess Belgiojoso, and during the stirringtimes of 1848 the Princess had been a frequent visitor in her salon. Six years younger than the Princess, the Countess threw herself heartand soul into the political and literary life of Milan. 

 "For fifty-two consecutive years (1834-1886) her salon was the rendezvous not merely of her compatriots but of intellectual Europe. The list of celebrities who thronged her modest drawing-room rivals that of Belgiojoso's Parisian salon, and includes many of the same immortal names. Daniel Stern, Balzac, Manzoni, Liszt, Verdi, and a score of others, are of international fame; but the annuals of Italian patriotism, belles-lettres and art teem with the names of men and women who, during that half century of uninterrupted hospitality, sought guidance, inspiration and intellectual entertainment among the politicians, poets, musicians and wits who congregated round the hostess. "[*]

[*] W. R. Whitehouse, _A Revolutionary Princess_. 

Balzac arrived in Milan in February, 1837, was well received, and wasinvited to the famous salon of Countess Maffei. The novelist was atonce charmed with his hostess, whom he called _la petite Maffei_, andfor whom he soon began to show a tender friendship which later becameblended with affection. 

Unfortunately Balzac did not like Milan; only the fascination ofthe Countess Maffei pleased him. He quarreled with the PrincessSan-Severino Porcia, who would not allow him to say anything unkindabout Italy, and was depressed when calling on the Princess Bolognini, who laughed at him for it. 

In the salon of the Countess Maffei the novelist preferred listeningto talking; occasionally he would break out into sonorous laughter, and would then listen again, and--in spite of his excessive use ofcoffee--would fall asleep. The Countess was often embarrassed byBalzac's disdainful expressions about people he did not like but whowere her friends. She tried to please him, however and had many of herFrench-speaking friends to meet him, but he seemed most to enjoy teawith her alone. Referring to her age, he wrote in her album: "Attwenty-three years of age, all is in the future. "

After Balzac's return to Paris he asked her, in response to one of herletters, to please ascertain why the Princess San-Severino was angrywith him. Later he showed his appreciation of her kindness by sendingher the corrected proofs of _Martyres ignores_, and by dedicating toher _La fausse Maitresse_, published in 1841. The dedication, however, did not appear until several months later. 

In a long and beautiful dedication, Balzac inscribed _Les Employes_ tothe Comtesse Serafina San-Severino, nee Porcia, and to her brother, Prince Alfonso Serafino di Porcia, he dedicated _Splendeurs et Miseresdes Courtisanes_, concerning which he thought a great deal whilevisiting in the latter's home in Milan. The hotel having becomeintolerable to the novelist, he was invited by Prince Porcia to occupya little room in his home, overlooking the gardens, where he couldwork at his ease. The Prince, a man of about Balzac's age, was verymuch in love with the Countess Bolognini, and was unwilling to marryat all unless he could marry her, but her husband was still living. The Prince lived only ten doors from his Countess, and his happinessin seeing her so frequently, together with his riches, provoked gloomymeditations in the mind of the poor author, who was so far from his_Predilecta_, so overcome with debts, and forced to work so hard. 

To Madame la Comtesse Bolognini, nee Vimercati, who was afterwardsmarried to Prince Porcia, Balzac dedicated _Une Fille d'Eve_:

 "If you remember, madame, the pleasure your conversation gave to a certain traveler, making Paris live for him in Milan, you will not be surprised that he should lay one of his works at your feet, as a token of gratitude for so many delightful evenings spent in your society, nor that he should seek for it in the shelter of your name which, in old times, was given to not a few of the tales by one of your early writers, dear to the Milanese. You have a Eugenie, already beautiful, whose clever smile proclaims her to have inherited from you the most precious gifts a woman can possess, and whose childhood, it is certain, will be rich in all those joys which a sad mother refused to the Eugenie of these pages. If Frenchmen are accused of bring frivolous and inconstant, I, you see, am Italian in my faithfulness and attachments. How often, as I write the name of Eugenie, have my thoughts carried me back to the cool stuccoed drawing-room and little garden of the _Viccolo dei Capuccini_, which used to resound to the dear child's merry laughter, to our quarrels, and our stories. You have left the _Corso_ for the _Tre Monasteri_, where I know nothing of your manner of life, and I am forced to picture you, no longer amongst the pretty things, which doubtless still surround you, but like one of the beautiful heads of Raffaelle, Titian, Correggio or Allori which, in their remoteness, seem to us like abstractions. If this book succeeds in making its way across the Alps, it will prove to you the lively gratitude and respectful friendship of your humble servant, "DE BALZAC. "

 LA PRINCESSE BAGRATION--LA COMTESSE BOSSI--MADAME KISSELEFF --LA PRINCESSE DE SCHONBURG--MADAME JAROSLAS POTOCKA --LA BARONNE DE PFAFFINS--LA COMTESSE DELPHINE POTOCKA

Several women whom Balzac knew, but who apparently had no specialinfluence over his life, are mentioned here; he evidently did not careenough for them or did not know them well enough to include theirnames in the dedicatory register of the _Comedie humaine_. This, however, by no means exhausts the list of his acquaintances amongwomen. Many of them he had met through his intimacy with his "PolarStar"; he was indeed so popular that he once exclaimed to her that hewas overwhelmed with Russian princesses and took to flight to avoidthem. 

The noted salon of the charming Princesse Bagration, wife of theRussian field-marshal, was open to the novelist early in his career. With her aristocratic ease and the distinction of her manners, she hadbeen one of the most brilliant stars at Vienna where her salon, as atParis, was one of the most popular. Among her intimate friends wasMadame Hamelin whom she had known during her stay in Vienna. Notwithstanding Balzac's careless habits of dress, he was welcome inthis salon, where the ladies enjoyed the stories which he told withsuch charm, and at which he was always the first to laugh, though toldagainst himself. 

As has been mentioned the Princess Bagration passed at Paris for themodel of Foedora. If M. Gabriel Ferry is correct, Balzac met theDuchesse de Castries in the salon of the Princess Bagration beforetheir correspondence began, but never talked to her and did notsuppose that he had attracted her attention. 

One of Balzac's acquaintances whom he met during his visit to MadameHanska at Geneva was the Countess Bossi. He met her again at Milan in1838, on his return from his journey to Corsica, but he was notfavorably impressed with her, although he once deemed it wise toexplain to his _Chatelaine_ his conduct relative to her. 

Madame Kisseleff was one of Madame Hanska's friends whom he probablymet in Vienna; he dined at her home frequently and enjoyed hercompany, for she could talk to him of his _Louloup_. She was a friendof Madame Hamelin, and moved to Fontainebleu to be near her while thelatter was living at _La Madeleine_. While living in Paris, MadameKisseleff entertained Madame Hamelin and several other ladies togetherwith Balzac; these dinners and his _visites de digestion_ caused himto see much of her for awhile, but as in many of his otherfriendships, his ardor cooled later, and he went to her home only whenspecially invited. In 1844, she left Paris to reside at Homburg whereshe built a house. The novelist took advantage of her friendship tosend articles to Madame Hanska through the Russian ambassador. 

Balzac made _visites de politesse_ to the Princesse de Schonburg, anacquaintance of Madame Hanska's, but no more than were required bycourtesy. It would have been convenient for him to have seen much ofher, had he cared to, for she had placed her child in the same housewith him on account of its vicinity to the orthopaedic hospital. 

One of Madame Hanska's friends whom Balzac liked was Madame JaroslasPotocka, sister of the Countess Schouwaloff. She wrote some verypleasing letters to him, but he was too busy to answer them, so hesent her messages, or enclosed notes to her in his letters to his_Predilecta_. 

La Baronne de Pfaffins, nee Comtesse Mierzciewska, was a Polish ladywhom Balzac met rather late in life. He first thought she was MadameHanska's cousin, but later learned that it was to M. De Hanski thatshe was related. Her Polish voice reminded him so much of his_Louloup_ that he was moved to tears; this friendship, however, didnot continue long. 

Another acquaintance from the land of Balzac's "Polar Star" was MadameDelphine Potocka who was a great friend of Chopin, to whom hededicated some of his happiest inspirations, and whose voice he soloved that he requested her to sing while he was dying. Her box at theopera was near Balzac's so that he saw her frequently, and dined withher, but did not admire her. 

 MARIA--HELENE--LOUISE

 "To Maria:

 "May your name, that of one whose portrait is the noblest ornament of this work, lie on its opening page like a branch of sacred box, taken from an unknown tree, but sanctified by religion, and kept ever fresh and green by pious hand to protect the home. 

 "DE BALZAC. "

Just who is the "Maria" to whom the dedication of _Eugenie Grandet_ isaddressed is a question that in the opinion of the present writer hasnever been satisfactorily answered. The generally accepted answer isthat of Spoelberch de Lovenjoul, who thought that "Maria" was the girlwhom Balzac described as a "poor, simple and delightful _bourgeoise, . . . The most naive creature that ever was, fallen like a flower fromheaven, " and who said to Balzac: "Love me a year, and I will love youall my life. "

Even admitting that this much disputed letter of October 12, 1833, waswritten by Balzac, though it does not bear his signature, the name"Maria" does not appear in it, so it is no proof that she is the womanto whom Balzac dedicated one of his greatest and probably the mostpopular of his works, _Eugenie Grandet_, although the heroine has someof the characteristics of the woman referred to in that letter in thatshe is a "naive, simple, and delightful _bourgeoise_. " But inreviewing the women to whom Balzac dedicated his stories in the_Comedie humaine_, one does not find any of this type. Either they aremembers of his family, old family friends, literary friends, richpeople to whom he was indebted, women of the nobility, or women whomhe loved for a time at least, and all were women whom he could respectand recognize in society, while the woman referred to in the letter ofOctober 12, 1833, does not seem to have had this last qualification. 

In reply to his sister Laure's criticism that there were too manymillions in _Eugenie Grandet_, he insisted that the story was true, and that he could create nothing better than the truth. Ininvestigating the truth of this story, it has been found that JeanNiveleau, a very rich man having many of the traits of Grandet, livedat Saumur, and that he had a beautiful daughter whom he is said tohave refused to give in marriage to Balzac. Whether this be true ornot, the novelist has screened some things of a personal nature inthis work. 

Although the book is dated September, 1833, he did not finish it untillater. It was just at this time that he met Madame Hanska, and visitedher on two different occasions during the period that he was workingon _Eugenie Grandet_. As he was pressed for money, as usual, his_Predilecta_ offered to help him financially; this he refused, butimmortalized the offer by having Eugenie give her gold to her lover. 

In declining Madame Hanska's offer, he writes her:

 "Beloved angel, be a thousand times blessed for your drop of water, for your offer; it is everything to me and yet it is nothing. You see what a thousand francs would be when ten thousand a month are needed. If I could find nine, I could find twelve. But I should have liked, in reading that delightful letter of yours, to have plunged my hand into the sea and drawn out all its pearls to strew them on your beautiful black hair. . . . There is a sublime scene (to my mind, and I am rewarded for having it) in _Eugenie Grandet_, who offers her fortune to her cousin. The cousin makes an answer; what I said to you on that subject was more graceful. But to mingle a single word that I have said to my Eve in what others will read!--Ah! I would rather have flung _Eugenie Grandet_ into the fire! . . . Do not think there was the least pride, the least false delicacy in my refusal of what you know of, the drop of gold you have put angelically aside. . . . "

The novelist not only gave Madame Hanska the manuscript of _EugenieGrandet_, but had her in mind while writing it: "One must love, myEve, my dear one, to write the love of _Eugenie Grandet_, a pure, immense, proud love!"

The dedication of _Eugenie Grandet_ to "Marie" did not appear until in1839. Balzac knew several persons named "Marie. " The present writerwas at one time inclined to think that this Marie might have been theCountess Marie Potocka, whom he met while writing _Eugenie_, but hercousin, the Princess Radziwill, says that she is sure she is not theone he had in mind, and that she was not the type of woman to whomBalzac would ever have dedicated a book. The novelist had dealingswith Madame Marie Dorval, and in 1839, at the time the dedication waswritten, doubtless knew of her love for Jules Sandeau. Balzac knewalso the Countess Marie d'Agoult, but she never would have inspiredsuch a dedication. 

Still another "Marie" with whom he was most intimate about 1839, isMadame Helene-Marie-Felicite de Valette, and it will be rememberedthat while she was usually called "Helene, " "Marie" was Balzac'sfavorite name for her. But it is doubtful that he knew her when hewrote the book. 

Yet Balzac's love was so fleeting that if he had had this "Maria" inmind in 1833 when he wrote _Eugenie_, he probably would have longsince forgotten her by the time the dedication was made. It is a wellknown fact that Balzac dedicated many of his earlier books to friendsthat he did not meet until years later, and many dedications were notadded until 1842. 

 "To Helene:

 "The tiniest boat is not launched upon the sea without the protection of some living emblem or revered name, placed upon it by the mariners. In accordance with this time-honored custom, Madame, I pray you to be the protectress of this work now launched upon our literary ocean; and may the imperial name which the Church has canonized and your devotion has doubly sanctified for me guard it from peril. "DE BALZAC. "

The identity of the enchantress who inspired this beautiful dedicationof _Le Cure de Village_ has been the subject of much speculation forstudents of Balzac. The author of the _Comedie humaine_ knew thebeautiful Helene Zavadovsky as early as 1835, and, as has been seen, knew Madame de Valette in 1836. 

The Princess Radziwill states that this "Helene" was a sister ofMadame Hanska, and that she died unmarried in 1842. She was much lovedby all her family, and after the death of her mother in 1837 made herhome with her sister Eve in Wierzchownia. The present author has foundno mention of her in Balzac's letters in connection with _Le Cure deVillage_, of which novel he speaks frequently, nor of his having knownher personally, but since Balzac was continually twitting MadameHanska about her pronunciation of various words, he was doubtlessreferring to her sister Helene's Russian pronunciation when he writes:"From time to time, I recall to mind all the gowns I have seen youwear from the white and yellow one that first day at Peterhof(Petergoff, _idiome_ Helene), . . . "

While Balzac evidently knew personally the women whom he had in mindin the dedications to "Maria" and to "Helene, "--problems which haveperplexed students of Balzac, --he found time for correspondence with alady whom he never saw, and about whom he knew nothing beyond theChristian name "Louise. " The twenty-three letters addressed to herbear no precise dates, but were written in 1836-1837. 

Her first letter was sent to Balzac through his bookseller, who sawher seal; but Balzac allayed, without gratifying, his curiosity byassuring him that such letters came to him frequently. The writer wasunder the impression that Balzac's name was "Henry" and some of hercorrespondence was in English. 

That he should have taken the time to write to this unknowncorrespondent shows that her letters must have possessed someintrinsic value for him, yet he refused to learn her identity. 

 "Chance permitted me to know who you might be, and I refused to learn. I never did anything so chivalrous in my life; no, never! I consider it is grander than to risk one's life for an interview of ten minutes. Perhaps I may astonish you still more, when I say that I can learn all about you in any moment, any hour, and yet I refuse to learn, because you wish I should not know!"

In reply to a letter from Louise in which she complained that her timewas monopolized by visits, he writes:

 "Visits! Do they leave behind them any good for you? For the space of twelve years, an angelic woman stole two hours each day from the world, from the claims of family, from all the entanglements and hindrances of Parisian life--two hours to spend them beside me --without any one else's being aware of the fact; for twelve years! Do you understand all that is contained in these words? I can not wish that this sublime devotedness which has been my salvation should be repeated. I desire that you should retain all your illusions about me without coming one step further; and I do not dare to wish that you should enter upon one of these glorious, secret, and above all, rare and exceptional relationships. Moreover, I have a few friends among women whom I trust--not more than two or three--but they are of an insatiable exigence, and if they were to discover that I corresponded with an _inconnue_, they would feel hurt. "[*]

[*] _Memoir and Letters of Balzac_. The woman Balzac refers to here is Madame de Berny, but this is an exaggeration. 

He revealed to her his ideas regarding women and friendship; how helonged to possess a tender affection which would be a secret betweentwo alone. He complained of her want of confidence in him, and of hiswork in his loneliness. She tried to comfort him, and being artistic, sent him a sepia drawing. He sought a second one to hang on the otherside of his fireplace, and thus replaced two lithographs he did notlike. As a token of his friendship he sent her a manuscript of one ofhis works, saying:

 "All this is suggested while looking at your sepia drawing; and while preparing a gift, precious in the sight of those who love me, and of which I am chary, I refuse it to all who have not deeply touched my heart, or who have not done me a service; it is a thing of no value, except where there is heartfelt friendship. "

During his imprisonment by order of the National Guard, she sent himflowers, for which he was very profuse in expressing his thanks. Heappreciated especially the roses which came on his birthday, andwished her as many tender things as there were scents in the bloomingbuds. 

She apparently had some misfortune, and their correspondenceterminated abruptly in this, his last letter to her:

 "_Carina_, . . . On my return from a long and difficult journey, undertaken for the refreshment of my over-tired brain, I find this letter from you, very concise, and melancholy enough in its solitude; it is, however, a token of your remembrance. That you may be happy is the wish of my heart, a very pure and disinterested wish, since you have decided that thus it is to be. I once more take up my work, and in that, as in a battle, the struggle occupies one entirely; one suffers, but the heart becomes calm. "

_Facino Cane_ was dedicated to Louise:

 "As a mark of affectionate gratitude. "

 CHAPTER V

 SENTIMENTAL FRIENDSHIPS

 MADAME DE BERNY

 "I have to stand alone now amidst my troubles; formerly I had beside me in my struggles the most courageous and the sweetest person in the world, a woman whose memory is each day renewed in my heart, and whose divine qualities make all other friendships when compared with hers seem pale. I no longer have help in the difficulties of life; when I am in doubt about any matter, I have now no other guide than this final thought, 'If she were alive, what would she say?' Intellects of this order are rare. "

Balzac loved to seek the sympathy and confidence of people whose mindswere at leisure, and who could interest themselves in his affairs. With his artistic temperament, he longed for the refinement, societyand delicate attentions which he found in the friendships of variouswomen. "The feeling of abandonment and of solitude in which I amstings me. There is nothing selfish in me; but I need to tell mythoughts, my efforts, my feelings to a being who is not myself;otherwise I have no strength. I should wish for no crown if there wereno feet at which to lay that which men may put upon my head. "

One of the first of these friendships was that formed with Madame deBerny, nee (Laure-Louise-Antoinette) Hinner. She was the daughter ofa German musician, a harpist at the court of Louis XVI, and ofLouise-Marguerite-Emelie Quelpec de Laborde, a lady in waiting at thecourt of Marie Antoinette. M. Hinner died in 1784, after which MadameHinner was married to Francois-Augustin Reinier de Jarjayes, adjutant-general of the army. M. Jarjayes was one of the best knownpersons belonging to the Royalist party during the Revolution, achampion of the Queen, whom he made many attempts to save. He was oneof her most faithful friends, was intrusted with family keepsakes, andwas made lieutenant-general under Louis XVIII. Madame Jarjayes wasmuch loved by the Queen; she was also implicated in the plots. Beforedying, Marie Antoinette sent her a lock of her hair and a pair ofearrings. Laure Hinner was married April 8, 1793, to M. Gabriel deBerny, almost nine years her senior, who was of the oldest nobility. Madame de Berny, her husband, her mother and her stepfather wereimprisoned for nine months, and were not released until after the fallof Robespierre. 

The married life of Madame de Berny was unhappy; she was intelligentand sentimental; he, capricious and morose. She seems to have realizedthe type of the _femme incomprise_; she too was an _etrangere_, andbore some traits of her German origin. Coming into Balzac's life atabout the age of forty, this _femme de quarante ans_ became for himthe _amie_ and the companion who was to teach him life. Stillbeautiful, having been reared in intimate court circles, having beenthe confidante of plotters and the guardian of secrets, possessed ofrare trinkets and souvenirs--what an open book was this _memoirevivante_, and with what passion did the young interrogator absorb thepages! Here he found unknown anecdotes, ignored designs, and here thesources of his great plots, _Les Chouans_, _Madame de la Chanterie_, and _Un Episode sous la Terreur_. 

All this is what she could teach him, aided perhaps by his mother, wholived until 1837. Here is the secret of Balzac's royalism; here iswhere he first learned of the great ladies that appear in his work, largely portrayed to him by the _amie_ who watched over his youth andguided his maturity. 

Having consulted the _Almanach des 25, 000 adresses_, Madame Ruxtonthinks that Balzac met Madame de Berny when the two families livednear each other in Paris; M. De Berny and family spent the summers inVilleparisis, and resided during the winters at 3, rue Portefoin, Paris. It is possible that he met her at the soirees, which hefrequented with his sisters, and where his awkwardness provoked smilesfrom the ladies. While it is generally supposed that they met atVilleparisis, MM. Hanotaux et Vicaire also believed that they musthave known each other before this, if Balzac is referring to his ownlife in _Oeuvres diverses: Une Passion au College_. 

Madame de Berny is first mentioned in Balzac's correspondence in 1822when, in writing his sister Laure the general news, he informs herthat Madame de Berny has become a grandmother, and that after fortyyears of reflection, realizing that money is everything, she hadinvested in grain. But he must have met her some time before this, forhis family was living in Villeparisis as early as 1819. 

M. De Berny bought in 1815 the home of M. Michaud de Montzaigle inVilleparisis, and remained possessor of it until 1825. M. Parquin, thepresent owner of this home, is a Balzacien who has collected all thetraditions remaining in Villeparisis concerning the two families. According to Villeparisis tradition, Madame de Berny was a woman ofgreat intelligence who wrote much, and her notes and stories were notonly utilized by Balzac, but she was his collaborator, especially inwriting the _Physiologie du Mariage_ and the first part of the _Femmede trente Ans_. 

When Balzac went to Villeparisis to reside, he became tutor to hisbrother Henri, and it was arranged that he should also give lessons toone of the sons of M. And Madame de Berny. Thus Balzac probably sawher daily and was struck by her patience and kindness toward herhusband. She was apparently a gentle and sympathetic woman whounderstood Balzac as did no one else, and who ignored her own troublesand sufferings for fear of grieving him in the midst of his struggles. 

It was owing to the strong recommendation of M. De Berny, councilor atthe Court at Paris, that Balzac obtained in the spring of 1826 hisroyal authorization to establish himself as a printer. During the year1825-1826, Madame de Berny loaned Balzac 9250 francs; after hisfailure, she entered in _name_ into the type-foundry association ofLaurent et Balzac. She advanced to Balzac a total of 45, 000 francs, and established her son, Alexandre de Berny, in the house where herprotege had been unsuccessful. 

Though Balzac states that he paid her in full, he can not be reliedupon when he is dealing with figures, and MM. Hanotaux et Vicairequestion this statement in relating the incident told by M. ArthurRhone, an old friend of the de Berny family. M. De Berny told M. Rhonethat the famous bust of Flore cost him 1500 francs. One day whilevisiting Balzac, his host told him to take whatever he liked as areimbursement, since he could not pay him. M. De Berny took sometrifle, and after Balzac's death, M. Charles Tuleu, knowing hisfondness for the bust of Flore, brought it to him as a souvenir oftheir common friend. This might explain also why M. De Berny possesseda superb clock and other things coming from Balzac's collection. 

It was while Balzac was living in a little apartment in the rue desMarais that his _Dilecta_ began her daily visits, which continued solong, and which made such an impression on him. 

Madame de Berny was of great help to Balzac in the social world andwas perhaps instrumental in developing the friendship between him andthe Duchesse de Castries. It was the Duc de Fitz-James who askedBalzac (1832) to write a sort of program for the Royalist party, andlater (1834), wished him to become a candidate for deputy. This Duc deFitz-James was the nephew of the godmother of Madame de Berny. It wasto please him and the Duchesse de Castries that Balzac published abeautiful page about the Duchesse d'Angouleme. 

Although Madame de Berny was of great help to Balzac in the financialand social worlds, of greater value was her literary influence overhim. With good judgment and excellent taste she writes him: "Act, mydear, as though the whole multitude sees you from all sides at theheight where you will be placed, but do not cry to it to admire you, for, on all sides, the strongest magnifying glasses will instantly beturned on you, and how does the most delightful object appear whenseen through the microscope?"

She had had great experience in life, had suffered much and had seenmany cruel things, but she brought Balzac consolation for all hispains and a confidence and serenity of which his appreciation isbeautifully expressed:

 "I should be most unjust if I did not say that from 1823 to 1833 an angel sustained me through that horrible struggle. Madame de Berny, though married, was like a God to me. She was a mother, friend, family, counselor; she made the writer, she consoled the young man, she created his taste, she wept like a sister, she laughed, she came daily, like a beneficent sleep, to still his sorrows. She did more; though under the control of a husband, she found means to lend me as much as forty-five thousand francs, of which I returned the last six thousand in 1836, with interest at five per cent. , be it understood. But she never spoke to me of my debt, except now and then; without her, I should, assuredly, be dead. She often divined that I had eaten nothing for days; she provided for all with angelic goodness; she encouraged that pride which preserves a man from baseness, --for which to-day my enemies reproach me, calling it a silly satisfaction in myself--the pride that Boulanger has, perhaps, pushed to excess in my portrait. "

Balzac's conception of women was formed largely from his associationwith Madame de Berny in his early manhood, and a reflection of theseideas is seen throughout his works. It was probably to give Madame deBerny pleasure that he painted the mature beauties which won for himso many feminine admirers. 

It is doubtless Madame de Berny whom Balzac had in mind when in_Madame Firmiani_ he describes the heroine:

 "Have you ever met, for your happiness, some woman whose harmonious tones give to her speech the charm that is no less conspicuous in her manners, who knows how to talk and to be silent, who cares for you with delicate feeling, whose words are happily chosen and her language pure? Her banter caresses you, her criticism does not sting; she neither preaches or disputes, but is interested in leading a discussion, and stops at the right moment. Her manner is friendly and gay, her politeness is unforced, her earnestness is not servile; she reduces respect to a mere gentle shade; she never tires you, and leaves you satisfied with her and yourself. You will see her gracious presence stamped on the things she collects about her. In her home everything charms the eye, and you breathe, as it seems, your native air. This woman is quite natural. You never feel an effort, she flaunts nothing, her feelings are expressed with simplicity because they are genuine. Though candid, she never wounds the most sensitive pride; she accepts men as God made them, pitying the victims, forgiving defects and absurdities, sympathizing with every age, and vexed with nothing because she has the tact of foreseeing everything. At once tender and gay, she first constrains and then consoles you. You love her so truly that if this angel does wrong, you are ready to justify her. Such was Madame Firmiani. "

It was to Madame de Berny's son, Alexandre, that Balzac dedicated_Madame Firmiani_, and he no doubt recognized the portrait. 

Balzac often portrayed his own life and his association with women inhis works. In commenting on _La Peau de Chagrin_, he writes:

 "Pauline is a real personage for me, only more lovely than I could describe her. If I have made her a dream it is because I did not wish my secret to be discovered. "

And again, in writing of _Louis Lambert_:

 "You know when you work in tapestry, each stitch is a thought. Well, each line in this new work has been for me an abyss. It contains things that are secrets between it and me. "

In portraying the yearnings and sufferings of Louis Lambert (_LouisLambert_), of Felix de Vandenesse (_Le Lys dans la Vallee_) and ofRaphael (La Peau de Chagrin_), Balzac is picturing his own life. Pauline de Villenoix (_Louis Lambert_) and Pauline Gaudin (_Le Peau deChagrin_) are possibly drawn from the same woman and have manycharacteristics of Madame de Berny. Madame de Mortsauf (_Le Lys dansla Vallee_) is Pauline, though not so outspoken. Then, is it not _LaDilecta_ whom the novelist had in mind when Louis Lambert writes:

 "When I lay my head on your knees, I could wish to attract to you the eyes of the whole world, just as I long to concentrate in my love every idea, every power within me";

and near the end of life, could not Madame de Berny say as did Paulinein the closing lines of _Louis Lambert_:

 "His heart was mine; his genius is with God"?

The year 1832 was a critical one in the private life of Balzac. Madamede Berny, more than twenty years his senior, felt that they shouldsever their close connection and remain as friends only. Balzac'sfamily had long been opposed to this intimate relationship and hadrepeatedly tried to find a rich wife for him. Madame de Castries, whohad begun an anonymous correspondence with him, revealed her identityearly in that year, and the first letter from l'Etrangere, who wassoon to over-shadow all his other loves, arrived February 28, 1832. During the same period Mademoiselle de Trumilly rejected his hand. With so many distractions, Balzac probably did not suffer from thisseparation as did his _Dilecta_. But he never forgot her, andconstantly compared other women with her, much to her detriment. Heregarded her, indeed, as a woman of great superiority. 

In June (1832), Balzac left Paris to spend several weeks with hisfriends, M. And Mme. De Margonne, and there at their chateau de Sache, he wrote _Louis Lambert_ as a sort of farewell of soul to soul to thewoman he had so loved, and whose equal in devotion he never found. Inmemory of his ten years' intimacy with her, he dedicated this work toher: _Et nunc et semper dilectae dicatum 1822-1832_. It is to heralso, that he gave the beautiful Deveria portrait, resplendent withyouth and strength. [*]

[*] MM. Hanotaux et Vicaire think that it is Madame de Berny who was weighing on Balzac's soul when he relates, in _Le Cure de Village_, the tragic story of the young workman who dies from love without opening his lips. 

M. Brunetiere has suggested that the woman whose traits best recallMadame de Berny is Marguerite Claes, the victim in _La Recherche del'Absolu_, while the nature of Balzac's affection for this greatfriend of his youth has not been better expressed than in BalthasarClaes, she always ready to sacrifice all for him, and he, asBalthasar, always ready, in the interest of his "grand work, " to robher and make her desperate while loving her. However, Balzac states, in speaking of Madame de Berny:

 "At any moment death may take from me an angel who has watched over me for fourteen years; she, too, a flower of solitude, whom the world had never touched, and who has been my star. My work is not done without tears! The attentions due to her cast uncertainty upon any time of which I could dispose, though she herself unites with the doctor in advising me some strong diversions. She pushes friendship so far as to hide her sufferings from me; she tries to seem well for me. You understand that I have not drawn Claes to do as he! Great God! what changes in her have been wrought in two months! I am overwhelmed. "

M. Le Breton has suggested that Madame de Berny is Catherine in _LaDerniere Fee_, Madame d'Aiglemont in _La Femme de trente Ans_, andMadame de Beauseant in _La Femme abandonnee_, and has strengthenedthis last statement by pointing out that Gaston de Nueil came toMadame de Beauseant after she had been deserted by her lover, theMarquis d'Ajuda-Pinto, just as the youthful Balzac came to Madame deBerny after she had had a lover. 

It is doubtless to this friendship that Balzac refers when he writesin the last lines of _La Duchesse de Langeais_: "It is only the lastlove of a woman that can satisfy the first love of a man. " It is ofinterest to note that Antoinette is the Christian name of the heroineof this story. Throughout the _Comedie humaine_ are seen quite youngmen who fall in love with women well advanced in years, as Calyste deGuenic with Mademoiselle Felicite des Touches in _Beatrix_, and Luciende Rubempre with Madame Bargeton in _Illusions perdues_. 

In _Eugenie Grandet_ Balzac writes:

 "Do you know what Madame Campan used to say to us? 'My children, so long as a man is a Minister, adore him; if he falls, help to drag him to the ditch. Powerful, he is a sort of deity; ruined, he is below Marat in his sewer, because he is alive, and Marat, dead. Life is a series of combinations, which must be studied and followed if a good position is to be successfully maintained. '"

Since Madame Campan was _femme de chambre_ of Marie Antoinette, Balzacprobably heard this maxim through Madame de Berny. 

Although some writers state that Madame de Berny was one of Balzac'scollaborators in composing the _Physiologie du Mariage_, he says, regarding this work: "I undertook the _Physiologie du Mariage_ and the_Peau de Chagrin_ against the advice of that angel whom I have lost. "She may have inspired him, however, in writing _Le Cure de Tours_, asit is dated at her home, Saint-Firmin, 1832. 

In 1833, Balzac wrote Madame Hanska that he had dedicated the fourthvolume of the _Scenes de la Vie privee_ to her, putting her seal atthe head of _l'Expiation_, the last chapter of _La Femme de trenteAns_, which he was writing at the moment he received her first letter. But a person who was as a mother to him and whose caprices and evenjealousy he was bound to respect, had exacted that this silenttestimony should be repressed. He had the sincerity to avow to herboth the dedication and its destruction, because he believed her tohave a soul sufficiently lofty not to desire homage which would causegrief to one as noble and grand as she whose child he was, for she hadrescued him when in youth he had nearly perished in the midst ofgriefs and shipwreck. He had saved the only copy of that dedication, for which he had been blamed as if it were a horrible coquetry, andwished her to keep it as a souvenir and as an expression of histhanks. 

Balzac was ever loyal to Madame de Berny and refused to reveal herbaptismal name to Madame Hanska; soon after their correspondence beganhe wrote her: "You have asked me the baptismal name of the _Dilecta_. In spite of my complete and blind faith, in spite of my sentiment foryou, I cannot tell it to you; I have never told it. Would you havefaith in me if I told it? No. "

After 1834 Madame de Berny's health failed rapidly, and her last dayswere full of sorrow. Among her numerous family trials Balzacenumerates:

 "One daughter become insane, another daughter dead, the third dying, what blows!--And a wound more violent still, of which nothing can be told. Finally, after thirty years of patience and devotion, forced to separate from her husband under pain of dying if she remained a few days longer. All this in a short space of time. This is what I suffer through the heart that created me. . . . Madame de Berny is much better; she has borne a last shock, the illness of a beloved son whose brother has gone to bring him home from Belgium. . . . Suddenly, the only son who resembles her, a young man handsome as the day, tender and spiritual like herself, like her full of noble sentiments, fell ill, and ill of a cold which amounts to an affection of the lungs. The only child out of _nine_ with whom she can sympathize! Of the nine, only four remain; and her youngest daughter has become hysterically insane, without any hope of cure. That blow nearly killed her. I was correcting the _Lys_ beside her; but my affection was powerless even to temper this last blow. Her son (twenty-three years old) was in Belgium where he was directing an establishment of great importance. His brother Alexandre went for him, and he arrived a month ago, in a deplorable condition. This mother, without strength, almost expiring, sits up at night to nurse Armand. She has nurses and doctors. She implores me not to come and not to write to her. "[*]

[*] _Lettres a l'Etrangere. Various writers in speaking of Madame de Berny, state that she had eight children; others, nine. Balzac remarks frequently that she had nine. Among others, Madame Ruxton says that she had eight. She gives their names and dates of birth. The explanation of this difference is probably found in the following: "I am going to fulfil a rather sad duty this morning. The daughter of Madame de B . . . And of Campi . . . Asks for me. In 1824, they wished me to marry her. She was bewitchingly beautiful, a flower of Bengal! After twenty years, I am going to see her again! At forty years of age! She asks a service of me; doubtless a literary ambition! . . . I am going there. . . . Three o'clock. I was sure of it! I have seen Julie, to whom and for whom I wrote the verses: 'From the midst of those torrents of glory and of light, etc. :' which are in _Illusions perdues_. . . . " Neither the name _Julie_ nor the date of her birth is given by Madame Ruxton. 

Some secret pertaining to Madame de Berny remains untold. In 1834Balzac writes Madame Hanska: "The greatest sorrows have overwhelmedMadame de Berny. She is far from me, at Nemours, where she is dying ofher troubles. I cannot write you about them; they are things that canonly be spoken of with the greatest secrecy. " He might have revealedthis secret to her in 1835 when he visited her in Vienna; thefollowing secret, however, is not explained in subsequent letters, andBalzac did not see Madame Hanska again until seven years later in St. Petersburg:

 "I have much distress, even enormous distress in the direction of Madame de Berny; not from her directly but from her family. It is not of a nature to be written. Some evening at Wierzchownia, when the heart wounds are scars, I will tell it to you in murmurs so that the spiders cannot hear, and so that my voice can go from my lips to your heart. They are dreadful things, which dig into life to the bone, deflowering all, and making one distrust all, except you for whom I reserve these sighs. "

Though Madame de Berny may have been jealous of other women in herearlier association with Balzac, she evidently changed later, for hewrites:

 "Alas! Madame de Berny is no better. The malady makes frightful progress, and I cannot express to you how grand, noble and touching this soul of my life has been in these days measured by illness, and with what fervor she desires that another be to me what she has been. She knows the inward spring and nobility that the habit of carrying all things to an idol gives me. My God is on earth. "

Contrary to his family, Madame Carraud sympathized with Balzac in hisdevotion to Madame de Berny, and invited them to be her guests. Inaccepting he writes:

 "Her life is so much bound up in mine! Ah, no one can form any true idea of this deep attachment which sustains me in all my work, and consoles me every moment in all I suffer. You can understand something of this, you who know so well what friendship is, you who are so affectionate, so good. . . . I thank you beforehand for your offer of Frapesle to her. There, amid your flowers, and in your gentle companionship, and the country life, if convalescence is possible, and I venture to hope for it, she will regain life and health. "

He apparently did not receive such sympathy from Madame Hanska intheir early correspondence:

 "Why be displeased about a woman fifty-eight years old, who is a mother to me, who folds me in her heart and protects me from stings? Do not be jealous of her; she would be so glad of our happiness. She is an angel, sublime. There are angels of earth and angels of heaven; she is of heaven. "

Madame de Berny's illness continued to grow more and more serious. Thereading of the second number of _Pere Goriot_ affected her so muchthat she had another heart attack. But as her illness and griefschanged and withered her, Balzac's affection for her redoubled. He didnot realize how rapidly she was failing, for she did not wish him tosee her unless she felt well and could appear attractive. On hisreturn to France from a journey to Italy with Madame Marbouty, he wasovercome with grief at the news of the death of Madame de Berny. Hefound on his table a letter from her son Alexandre briefly announcinghis mother's death. 

But the novelist did not cease to respect her criticism:

 "I resumed my work this morning; I am obeying the last words that Madame de Berny wrote me; 'I can die; I am sure that you have upon your brow the crown I wished there. The _Lys_ is a sublime work, without spot or flaw. Only, the death of Madame de Mortsauf does not need those horrible regrets; they injure the beautiful letter she writes. ' Therefore, to-day I have piously effaced a hundred lines, which, according to many persons, disfigure that creation. I have not regretted a single word, and each time that my pen was drawn through one of them, never was the heart of man more deeply stirred. I thought I saw that grand and sublime woman, that angel of friendship, before me, smiling as she smiled to me when I used a strength so rare, --the strength to cut off one's own limb and feel neither pain nor regret in correcting, in conquering one's self. "

Balzac was sincere in his friendship with Madame de Berny, and neverceased to revere her memory. The following appreciations of her worthare a few of the numerous beautiful tributes he has paid her:

 "I have lost the being whom I love most in the world. . . . She whom I have lost was more than a mother, more than a friend, more than any human creature can be to another; it can only be expressed by the word _divine_. She sustained me through storms of trouble by word and deed and entire devotedness. If I am alive this day, it is to her that it is due. She was everything to me; and although during the last two years, time and illness kept us apart, we saw each other through the distance. She inspired me; she was for me a spiritual sun. Madame de Mortsauf in _Le Lys dans la Vallee_, only faintly shadows forth some of the slighter qualities of this woman; there is but a very pale reflection of her, for I have a horror of unveiling my own private emotions to the public, and nothing personal to myself will ever be known. "

 "Madame de Berny is dead. I can say no more on that point. My sorrow is not of a day; it will react upon my whole life. For a year I had not seen her, nor did I see her in her last moments. . . . _She_, who was always so lovingly severe to me, acknowledged that the _Lys_ was one of the finest books in the French language; she decked herself at last with the crown which, fifteen years earlier, I had promised her, and, always coquettish, she imperiously forbade me to visit her, because she would not have me near her unless she were beautiful and well. The letter deceived me. . . . When I was wrecked the first time, in 1828, I was only twenty-nine years old and I had an angel at my side. . . . There is a blank which has saddened me. The adored is here no longer. Every day I have occasion to deplore the eternal absence. Would you believe that for six months I have not been able to go to Nemours to bring away the things that ought to be in my sole possession? Every week I say to myself, 'It shall be this week! . . . ' I was very unhappy in my youth, but Madame de Berny balanced all by an absolute devotion, which was understood to its full extent only when the grave had seized its prey. Yes, I was spoiled by that angel. "[*]

[*] Madame de Berny died July 27, 1836. 

So faithful was Balzac to the memory of his _Dilecta_ that nine yearsafter her death, he was deeply affected on seeing at the _Courd'Assises_ a woman about forty-five years of age, who stronglyresembled Madame de Berny, and who was being arraigned for deedscaused by her devotion to a reckless youth. 

 LA DUCHESSE DE CASTRIES. --MADEMOISELLE DE TRUMILLY

 "He who has not seen, at some ball of Madame, Duchesse de Berry, glide airily, scarcely touching the floor, so moving that one perceived in her only grace before knowing whether she was a beauty, a young woman with blond, deep-golden hair; he who has not seen appear then the young Marquise de Castries in a fete, cannot, without doubt, form an idea of this new beauty, charming, aerial, praised and honored in the salons of the Restoration. "

Balzac had a brief, yet ardent friendship with the Duchesse deCastries which ended so unhappily for him that one might say: "Heavenhas no rage like love to hatred turned. " Madame de Castries was thedaughter of the Duchesse (nee Fitz-James) and the Duc de Maille. Shedid not become a duchess until in 1842, and bore the title of marquiseprevious to that time. Separated from her husband as the result of afamous love affair, the Marquise gathered round her a group ofintellectual people, among whom were the writers Balzac, Musset, Sainte-Beuve, etc. , and continued active in literary and artisticcircles until her death (1861). 

On Balzac's return to Paris after a prolonged visit with his friendsat Sache during the month of September, 1831, he received an anonymousletter, dated at Paris, a circumstance which was with him of ratherfrequent occurrence, as with many men of letters. 

This lady criticized the _Physiologie du Mariage_, to which Balzacreplies, defending his position:

 "The _Physiologie du Mariage_, madame, was a work undertaken for the purpose of defending the cause of women. I knew that if, with the view of inculcating ideas favorable to their emancipation and to a broad and thorough system of education for them, I had gone to work in a blundering way, I should at best, have been regarded as nothing more than an author of a theory more or less plausible. I was therefore, obliged to clothe my ideas, to disguise them under a new shape, in biting, incisive words that should lay hold on the mind of my readers, awaken their attention and leave behind, reflections upon which they might meditate. Thus then any woman who has passed through the 'storms of life' would see that I attribute the blame of all faults committed by the wives, entirely to their husbands. It is, in fact, a plenary absolution. Besides this, I plead for the natural and inalienable rights of woman. A happy marriage is impossible unless there be a perfect acquaintance between the two before marriage--a knowledge of each other's ways, habits and character. And I have not flinched from any of the consequences involved in this principle. Those who know me are aware that I have been faithful to this opinion ever since I reached the age of reason; and in my eyes a young girl who has committed a fault deserves more interest than she who, remaining ignorant, lies open to the misfortunes of the future. I am at this present time a bachelor, and if I should marry later in life, it will only be to a widow. "

Thus was begun the correspondence, and the Duchess ended by liftingher mask and inviting the writer to visit her; he gladly accepted hergracious offer to come, not as a literary man nor as an artist, but ashimself. It is a striking coincidence that Balzac accepted thisinvitation the very day, February 28, 1832, that he received the firstletter from _l'Etrangere_. 

What must have been Balzac's surprise, and how flattered he must havefelt, on learning that his unknown correspondent belonged to thehighest aristocracy of the Faubourg Saint-Germain, and that herhusband was a peer of France under Charles X!

 "Madame de Castries was a coquettish, vain, delicate, clever woman, with a touch of sensibility, piety and _chaleur de salon_; a true Parisian with all her brilliant exterior accomplishments, qualities refined by education, luxury and aristocratic surroundings, but also with all her coldness and faults; in a word, one of those women of whom one must never ask friendship, love or devotion beyond a light veneer, because nature had created some women morally poor. "

At first, Balzac was too enraptured to judge her accurately, but afterfrequenting her salon for several months, he says of her:

 "It is necessary that I go and climb about at Aix, in Savoy, to run after some one who, perhaps, will laugh at me--one of those aristocratic women of whom you no doubt have a horror; one of those angelic beauties to whom one ascribes a soul; a true duchess, very disdainful, very loving, subtle, witty, a coquette, like nothing I have ever yet seen, and who says she loves me, who wants to keep me in a palace at Venice (for I tell you everything), and who desires I should write nothing, except for her; one of those women who must be worshiped on one's knees when they wish it, and whom one has such pleasure in conquering; a woman to be dreamt of, jealous of everything. "

A few weeks later he writes from Aix:

 "I have come here to seek at once both much and little. Much, because I see daily a person full of grace and amiability, little, because she is never likely to love me. "

Under the influence of the Duchesse de Castries and the Duc deFitz-James, Balzac gave more and more prominence to Catholic andLegitimist sentiments; and it was perhaps for her sake that thenovelist offered himself as a candidate for deputy in severaldistricts, but was defeated in all of them. He thought it quiteprobable that the Duc de Fitz-James would be elected in at least twodistricts, so if he were not elected at Angouleme, the Duke mightuse his interest to get him elected for the place he declined. 

It was after Balzac met Madame de Castries that one notes hisextravagant tastes and love of display as shown in his horses andcarriage, his extra servant, his numerous waistcoats, his goldbuttons, his appearance at the opera with his wonderful cane, and hisindulgence in rare pictures, old furniture, and bric-a-brac ingeneral. 

Induced to follow her to Aix, he continued his work, rising at five inthe morning and working until half past five in the afternoon. Hislunch came from the circle, and at six o'clock, he dined with Madamede Castries, and spent the evening with her. His intimacy with thisillustrious family increased, and he accepted an invitation toaccompany them to Italy, giving several reasons for this journey:

 "I am at the gates of Italy, and I fear to give way to the temptation of passing through them. The journey would not be costly; I could make it with the Fitz-James family, who would be exceedingly agreeable; they are all perfect to me. . . . I travel as fourth passenger in Mme. De Castries' _vetturino_ and the bargain--which includes everything, food, carriages, hotels--is a thousand francs for all of us to go from Geneva to Rome; making my share two hundred and fifty francs. . . . I shall make this splendid journey with the Duke, who will treat me as if I were his son. I also shall be in relation with the best society; I am not likely to meet with such an opportunity again. M. De Fitz-James has been in Italy before, he knows the country, and will spare me all loss of time. Besides this, his name will throw open many doors to me. The Duchess and he are both more than kind to me, in every way, and the advantages of their society are great. "

From Aix they went to Geneva. Just what happened here, we shallprobably never know. Suddenly abandoning the proposed trip, Balzacwrites his mother:

 "It is advisable I should return to France for three months. . . . Besides, my traveling companions will not be at Naples till February. I shall, therefore, come back, but not to Paris; my return will not be known to any one; and I shall start again for Naples in February, via Marseilles and the steamer. I shall be more at rest on the subjects of money and literary obligations. "

Later he alludes thus to his sudden departure from Geneva:

 "_Mon Dieu, Mon Dieu!_ God, in whom I believe, owed me some sweet emotions at the sight of Geneva, for I left it disconsolate, cursing everything, abhorring womankind! With what joy shall I return to it, my celestial love, my Eva!"

Thus was ended an ardent friendship of about eight months' duration, for instead of rejoining the Duchesse de Castries in Italy Balzac'sfirst visit to that country was made many years later, and then in thedelightful company of his "Polar Star. "

In speaking of this sudden breach, Miss M. F. Sandars says:

 "We can only conjecture the cause of the final rupture, as no satisfactory explanation is forthcoming. The original 'Confession' in the _Medecin de Campagne_, which is the history of Balzac's relations and parting with Madame de Castries, is in the possession of the Vicomte de Spoelberch de Lovenjoul. The present 'Confession' was substituted for it, because the first revealed too much of Balzac's private life. However, even in the original 'Confession, ' we learn no reason for Madame de Castries' sudden resolve to dismiss her adorer, as Balzac declares with indignant despair that he can give no explanation of it. Apparently she parted from him one evening with her usual warmth of affection, and next morning everything was changed, and she treated him with the utmost coldness. "

Fully to appreciate what this friendship meant to both, one mustconsider the private life of each. As has been seen, it was in thesummer of 1832 that Balzac and his _Dilecta_ decided to sever theirintimate connection, and since his _Chatelaine_ of Wierzchownia hadnot yet become the dominating force in his life, his heart wasdoubtless yearning for some one to adore. 

There was also an aching void in the heart of Madame de Castries. She, too, was recovering from an amorous attachment, more serious than washis, for death had recently claimed the young Count Metternich. Perhaps then, each was seeking consolation in the other's society. 

There was nothing more astonishing or charming than to see in theevening, in one of the most simple little drawing-rooms, antiquelyfurnished with tables, cushions of old velvet and screens of theeighteenth century, this woman, her spine injured, reclining in herinvalid's chair, languid, but without affectation. This woman--withher profile more Roman than Greek, her hair falling over her high, white brow--was the Duchesse de Castries, nee de Maille, related tothe best families of the Faubourg Saint-Germain. Accompanying theyoung Comte de Metternich on the hunt, she was caught in the branch ofa tree, and fell, injuring her spine. But a shadow of her formerbrilliant self--such had become this beauty, once so dazzling that themoment she entered the drawing-room, her gorgeous robe falling overshoulders worthy of a Titian, the brilliancy of the candles wasliterally effaced. [*]

[*] Philarete Chasles was a frequent visitor of her salon. When Balzac visited Madame Hanska at Vienna in the summer of 1835, he did a favor for the Duchesse de Castries while there. He wrote _La Filandiere_, 1835, one of his _Contes drolatiques_, for Madame de Castries' son, M. Le baron d'Aldenburg. 

Balzac refers frequently to Count Metternich in writing to MadameHanska of his association with Madame de Castries:

 "There is still a Metternich in this adventure; but this time it is the son, who died in Florence. I have already told you of this cruel affair, and I had no right to tell you. Though separated from that person out of delicacy, all is not over yet. I suffer through her; but I do not judge her. . . . Madame de C---- insists that she has never loved any one except M. De M---- and that she loves him still, that Artemisia of Ephesus. . . . You asked me, I believe, about Madame de C---- She has taken the thing, as I told you, tragically, and now distrusts the M---- family. Beneath all this, on both sides there is something inexplicable, and I have no desire to look for the key of mysteries which do not concern me. I am with Madame de C---- on the proper terms of politeness, and as you yourself would wish me to be. "

After their abrupt separation at Geneva, their relations continued tobe estranged:

 "For the moment I will tell you that Madame de C---- has written me that we are not to see each other again; she has taken offense at a letter, and I at many other things. Be assured that there is no love in all this! . . . I meant to speak to you of Madame de C----, but I have not the time. Twenty-five days hence I will tell you by word of mouth. In two words, your Honore, my Eva, grew angry at the coldness which simulated friendship. I said what I thought; the reply was that I ought not to see again a woman to whom I could say such cruel things. I asked a thousand pardons for the 'great liberty, ' and we continue on a very cold footing. "

Balzac was deeply wounded through his passionate love for Madame deCastries, and resented her leaving him in the depths of an abyss ofcoldness after having inflamed him with the fire of her soul; he beganto think of revenge:

 "I abhor Madame de C----, for she blighted my life without giving me another, --I do not say a comparable one, but without giving me what she promised. There is not the shadow of wounded vanity, oh! but disgust and contempt . . . If Madame de C----'s letter displeases you, say so frankly, my love. I will write to her that my affections are placed in a heart too jealous for me to be permitted to correspond with a woman who has her reputation for beauty, for charm, and that I act frankly in telling her so. . . . "

Indeed, his experience with Madame de Castries at Geneva had made himso unhappy that on his return to that city to visit his _Predilecta_, he had moments of joy mingled with sorrow, as the scenery recalledhow, on his previous visit, he had wept over his _illusions perdues_. While other writers suggest different causes, one might surmise thatthis serious disappointment was the beginning of Balzac's hearttrouble, for in speaking of it, he says: "It is necessary for my lifeto be bright and pleasant. The cruelties of the woman whom you knowhave been the cause of the trouble; then the disasters of 1848. . . . "

He tried to overcome his dejection by intense work, but he could notforget the tragic suffering he had undergone. The experience he hadrecently passed through he disclosed in one of his most noted stories, _La Duchesse de Langeais_, which he wrote largely in 1834 at the samefatal city of Geneva, but this time, while enjoying the society of thebeautiful Madame Hanska. In this story, under the name of the heroine, the Duchesse de Langeais, he describes the Duchesse de Castries:

 "This was a woman artificially educated, but in reality ignorant; a woman whose instincts and feelings were lofty, while the thought which should have controlled them was wanting. She squandered the wealth of her nature in obedience to social conventions; she was ready to brave society, yet she hesitated till her scruples degenerated into artifice. With more wilfulness than force of character, impressionable rather than enthusiastic, gifted with more brain than heart; she was supremely a woman, supremely a coquette, and above all things a _Parisienne_, loving a brilliant life and gaiety, reflecting never, or too late; imprudent to the verge of poetry, and humble in the depths of her heart, in spite of her charming insolence. Like some straight-growing reed, she made a show of independence; yet, like the reed, she was ready to bend to a strong hand. She talked much of religion, and had it not at heart, though she was prepared to find in it a solution of her life. "

In the same story under the name of the Marquis de Montriveau, Balzacis doubtless portraying himself. It was probably in the home of theDuchesse de Castries that Balzac conceived some of his ideas of thearistocracy of the exclusive Faubourg Saint-Germain, a picture ofwhich he has drawn in this story of which she is the heroine. Herinfluence is seen also in the characters so minutely drawn of theheartless _Parisienne_, no longer young, but seductive, refined andaristocratic, though deceptive and perfidious. 

Before publishing _La Duchesse de Langeais_, the novelist was eithertactful or vindictive enough to call on Madame de Castries and read toher his new book. He says of this visit: "I have just returned fromMadame de C----, whom I do not want for an enemy when my book comesout and the best means of obtaining a defender against the FaubourgSaint-Germain is to make her approve of the work in advance; and shegreatly approved of it. " But a few weeks later, he writes: "Here I am, on bad terms with Madame de C---- on account of the _Duchesse deLangeais_--so much the better. " If Balzac refers to Madame de Castriesin the following except, one may even say that he had her correct hiswork. 

 "Say whatever you like about _La Duchesse de Langeais_, your remarks do not affect me; but a lady whom you may perhaps know, illustrious and elegant, has approved everything, corrected everything like a royal censor, and her authority on ducal matters is incontestable; I am safe under the shadow of her shawl. "

Balzac continued to call on her and to write to her occasionally, andwas very sympathetic to her illness, especially as her Parisianfriends seemed to have abandoned her. Though death did not come to heruntil more than twenty-five years later, he writes at this time:

 "Madame de Castries is dying; the paralysis is attacking the other limb. Her beauty is no more; she is blighted. Oh! I pity her. She suffers horribly and inspires pity only. She is the only person I visit, and then, for one hour every week. It is more than I really can do, but the hour is compelled by the sight of that slow death. "

In her despondency he tries to cheer her:

 "I do not like your melancholy; I should scold you well if you were here. I would put you on a large divan, where you would be like a fairy in the midst of her palace, and I would tell you that in this life you must love in order to live. Now, you do not love. A lively affection is the bread of the soul, and when the soul is not fed it grows starved, like the body. The bonds of the soul and body are such that each suffers with the other. . . . A thousand kindly things in return for your flowers, which bring me much happiness, but I wish for something more. . . . You have mingled bitterness with the flatteries you have the goodness to bestow on my book, as if you knew all the weight of your words and how far they would reach. I would a thousand times rather you would consider the book and the pen as things of your own, than receive these praises. "[*]

[*] It is interesting to note Balzac's fondness for flowers, as is seen in his association of them with various women, and the prominent place he has given them in some of his works. 

Though his visits continued, their friendship gradually grew colder, and in 1836 he writes: "I have broken the last frail relations ofpoliteness with Madame de C----. She enjoys the society of MM. Janniand Sainte-Beauve, who have so outrageously wounded me. It seemed tome bad taste, and now I am happily out of it. "

_La Duchesse de Langeais_ appeared in 1834, but Madame de Castries hadnot fully wreaked her revenge on Balzac. For some time an Irish woman, a Miss Patrickson, had insisted on translating Balzac's works. Madamede Castries engaged her as teacher of English, and used her as a meansof ensnaring Balzac by having her write him a love letter and sign it"Lady Nevil. " Though suspicious about this letter, he answered it, anda rendezvous was arranged at the opera. That day he called on Madamede Castries, and she had him remain for dinner. When he excusedhimself to go to the opera, she insisted on accompanying him; he thenrealized that he was a victim of her strategy, which he thusdescribes:

 "I go to the opera. No one there. Then I write a letter, which brings the miss, old, horrible, with hideous teeth, but full of remorse for the part she had played, full of affection for me and contempt and horror for the Marquise. Though my letters were extremely ironical and written for the purpose of making a woman masquerading as a false lady blush, she (Miss Patrickson) had recovered them. I had the upper hand of Madame de C---- She ended by divining that in this intrigue she was on the down side. From that time forth she vowed me a hatred which will end only with life. In fact, she may rise out of her grave to calumniate me. She never opened _Seraphita_ on account of its dedication, and her jealousy is such that if she could completely destroy the book she would weep for joy. "[*]

[*] Seized with pity for this poor Irish woman, Balzac called later to see about some translations and found her overcome by drink in the midst of poverty and dirt. He learned afterwards that she was addicted to the habit of drinking gin. 

Notwithstanding their enmity Balzac visited her occasionally. She hadbecome so uncomely that he could not understand his infatuation atAix, ten years before. He disliked her especially because she had forthe moment, in posing as Madame de Balzac, made Madame Hanska believehe was married. He enjoyed telling her of Madame Hanska's admirationfor and devotion to him, and sarcastically remarked to her that shewas such a "true friend" she would be happy to learn of his financialsuccess. Thus, during a period of several years, while speaking of heras his enemy, the novelist continued to dine with her, but was everready to overwhelm her with sarcasm, even while her guest. Yet, in1843, he dedicated to her _L'Illustre Gaudissart_, a work written tenyears before. 

Though he was fully recovered with time, this drama, played by acoquette, was almost tragic for the author of the _Comedie humaine_. No other woman left so deep a mark of passion or such rankling woundsin his bleeding heart, as did she of whom he says:

 "It has required five years of wounds for my tender nature to detach itself from one of iron. A gracious woman, this Duchess of whom I spoke to you, and one who had come to me under an incognito, which, I render her this justice, she laid aside the day I asked her to. . . . This _liaison_ which, whatever may be said, be assured has remained by the will of the woman in the most reproachable conditions, has been one of the great sorrows of my life. The secret misfortunes of my situation actually come from the fact that I sacrificed everything to her, for a single one of her desires; she never divined anything. A wounded man must be pardoned for fearing injuries. . . . I alone know what there is of horror in the _Duchesse de Langeais_. "

In 1831 Balzac asked for the hand of a young lady of the FaubourgSaint-Germain, Mademoiselle Eleonore de Trumilly, second daughter ofhis friend the Baron de Trumilly, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Artilleryof the Royal guard under the Restoration, a former _emigre_, and ofMadame Alexandra-Anna de Montiers. This request was received by herfather, who transmitted it to her, but she rejected the suitor andmarried June 18, 1833, Francois-Felix-Claude-Marie-Marguerite Labroue, Baron de Vareilles-Sommieres, of the diocese of Poitiers. 

The Baron de Trumilly (died April 7, 1832) held high rank among theofficers of the artillery, and his cultured mind rendered him one ofthe ornaments of society. He lived in friendly and intellectualrelations with Balzac while the future novelist was working on the_Chouans_ and the _Physiologie du Mariage_, and at the time Balzac wasrevising the latter for publication, he went to dine frequently at thehome of the Baron, who used to work with him until late in theevening. In this work he introduces an old _emigre_ under the initialsof Marquis de T---- which are quite similar to those of the Baron deTrumilly. This Marquis de T---- went to Germany about 1791, whichcorresponds to the life of the Baron. 

Baron de Trumilly welcomed Balzac into his home, took a great interestin his work, and seemed willing to give him one of his threedaughters; but one can understand how the young novelist, who had notyet attained great fame, might not favorably impress a young lady ofthe social standing of Mademoiselle de Trumilly, and her father didnot urge her to accept him. 

Although Balzac wrote Madame Hanska that when he called the girl lovedby Dr. Benassis in his "Confession" (Le Medecin de Campagne)"Evelina, " he said to himself, "She will quiver with joy in seeingthat her name has occupied me, that she was present to my memory, andthat what I deemed loveliest and noblest in the young girl, I havenamed for her, " some think that the lady he had in mind was not Mme. Hanska, but Eleonore de Trumilly, who really was a young unmarriedgirl, while Madame Hanska was not only married, but the mother ofseveral children. Again, letters written by the author to his familyshow his condition to have been desperate at that time. Balzac assertsthat the story of _Louis Lambert_ is true to life; hence, despondentover his own situation, he makes Louis Lambert become insane, andcauses Dr. Benassis to think of suicide when disappointed in love. 

Thus was the novelist doomed, early in his literary career, to meetwith a disappointment which, as has been seen, was to be repeated somemonths later with more serious results, when his adoration for theDuchesse de Castries was suddenly turned into bitterness. 

 MADAME HANSKA. --LA COMTESSE MNISZECH. --MADEMOISELLE BOREL. --MESDEMOISELLES WYLEZYNSKA. --LA COMTESSE ROSALIE RZEWUSKA. --MADEMOISELLE CALISTE RZEWUSKA. --MADAME CHERKOWITSCH. --MADAME RIZNITSCH. --LA COMTESSE MARIE POTOCKA. 

 "And they talk of the first love! I know nothing as terrible as the last, it is strangling. "

The longest and by far the most important of Balzac's friendshipsbegan by correspondence was the one with Madame Eveline Hanska, whosefirst letter arrived February 28, 1832. The friendship soon developedinto a more sentimental relationship culminating March 14, 1850, whenMadame Hanska became Madame Honore de Balzac. This "grand andbeautiful soul-drama" is one of the noblest in the world, and in thehistory of literature the longest. 

So long was Balzac in pursuit of this apparent chimera, and so ardentwas his passion for his "polar star" that the above words of Quinolamay well be applied to his experience. So fervent was his adoration, so pathetic his sufferings and so persistent his pursuit during theseventeen long years of waiting that Miss Betham-Edwards hasappropriately said of his letters to Madame Hanska:

 "Opening with a pianissimo, we soon reach _a con molto expressione_, a _crescendo_, a _molto furore_ quickly following. Every musical term, adjectival, substantival, occurs to us as we read the thousand and odd pages of the two volumes. . . . Nothing in his fiction or any other, records a love greatening as the tedious years wore on, a love sovereignly overcoming doubt, despair and disillusion, such a love as the great Balzac's for _l'Etrangere_. "

Their relationship from the beginning of their correspondence to thetragic end which came so soon after Balzac had arrived "at the summitof happiness, " has been shrouded in mystery. This mystery has beenheightened by the vivid imagination of some of Balzac's biographers, where fancy replace facts. 

Miss Katherine P. Wormeley denies the authenticity of some of theletters published in the _Lettres a l'Etrangere_, saying:

 "No explanation is given of how these letters were obtained, and no proof or assurance is offered of their authenticity. A foot-note appended to the first letter merely states as follows: 'M. Le vicomte de Spoelberch de Lovenjoul, in whose hands are the originals of these letters, has related the history of this correspondence in detail, under the title of _Un Roman d'Amour_ (Calmann Levy, publisher). Madame Hanska, born Evelina (Eve) Rzewuska, who was then twenty-six or twenty-eight years old, resided at the chateau of Wierzchownia, in Volhynia. An enthusiastic reader of the _Scenes de la Vie privee_, uneasy at the different turns which the mind of the author was taking in _La Peau de Chagrin_, she addressed to Balzac--then thirty-three years old, in the care of the publisher Gosselin, a letter signed _l'Etrangere_, which was delivered to him February 18, 1832. Other letters followed; that of November 7 ended thus: 'A word from you in the _Quotidienne_ will give me the assurance that you have received my letter, and that I can write to you without fear. Sign it; to _l'E---- H. De B_. ' This acknowledgment of reception appeared in the _Quotidienne_ of December 9. Thus was inaugurated the system of _petite_ correspondence now practised in divers newspapers, and at the same time, this correspondence with her who was seventeen years later, in 1850, to become his wife. "[*]

[*] Miss M. F. Sandars states that a copy of the _Quotidienne_ containing this acknowledgment was in the possession of the Vicomte de Spoelberch de Lovenjoul, and that she saw it. At the time of writing this preface, Miss Wormeley did not believe the correspondence began until February, 1833. In undertaking to prove this, she cited a letter from Balzac written to Madame Hanska, dated January 4, 1846, in which he says that the thirteen years will soon be completed since he received her first letter. She corrects this statement, however, in writing her _Memoir of Balzac_ three years later. The mistake in this letter here mentioned is only an example of the inaccuracy of Balzac, found not only in his letters, but throughout the _Comedie humaine_. But Miss Wormeley's argument might have been refuted by quoting another letter from Balzac to Madame Hanska dated February, 1840: "After eight years you do not know me!"

Regarding the two letters published in _Un Roman d'Amour_, pp. 33-49, dated November 7, 1832, and January 8, 1833, and signed _l'Etrangere_, Miss Wormeley says it is not necessary to notice them, since theauthor himself states that they are not in Madame Hanska'shandwriting. 

She is quite correct in this, for Spoelberch de Lovenjoul writes: "Howmany letters did Balzac receive thus? No one knows. But we possesstwo, neither of which is in Madame Hanska's handwriting. " In speakingof the first letter that arrived, he says:

 "This first record of interest which was soon to change its nature, has unfortunately not been found yet. Perhaps this page perished in the _autodafe_ which, as the result of a dramatic adventure, Balzac made of all the letters he had received from Madame Hanska; perhaps also, by dint of rereading it, he had worn it out and involuntarily destroyed it himself. We do not know. In any case, we have not found it in the part of his papers which have fallen into our hands. We regret it very much, for this letter must be remarkable to have produced so great an impression on the future author of the _Comedie humaine_. "

The question arises: If Balzac burned in 1847 "all the letters he hadreceived from Madame Hanska, " how could de Lovenjoul publish in 1896two letters that he alleged to be from her, dated in 1832 and 1833?

The Princess Radziwill who is the niece of Madame Honore de Balzac andwas reared by her in the house of Balzac in the rue Fortunee, has beenboth gracious and generous to the present writer in giving her muchvaluable information that could not have been obtained elsewhere. Inanswer to the above question, she states:

 "Balzac said that he burned my aunt's letters in order to reassure her one day when she had reasons to fear they would fall into other hands than those to whom they belonged. After his death, my aunt found them all, and I am sorry to say that _it was she who burned them_, and that I was present at this _autodafe_, and remember to this day my horror and indignation. But my aunt as well as my father had a horror of leaving letters after them, and strange to say, they were right in fearing to leave them because in both cases, papers had a fate they would not have liked them to have. "

The sketch of the family of Madame Honore de Balzac as given in _UnRoman d'Amour_, is so inaccurate that the Princess Radziwill has verykindly made the following corrections of it for the present writer:

 "(1) Madame Hanska was really born on December _24th, not 25th_, 1801. You will find the date on her grave which is under the same monument as that of Balzac, in Pere Lachaise in Paris. I am absolutely sure of the day, because my father was also born on Christmas Eve, and there were always great family rejoicings on that occasion. You know that the Roman Catholic church celebrates on the 24th of December the fete of Adam and Eve, and it is because they were born on that day that my father and his sister were called Adam and Eve. I am also quite sure that the year of my aunt's birth was 1801, and my father's 1803, and should be very much surprised if my memory served me false in that respect. But I repeat it, the exact dates are inscribed on my aunt's grave. . . . I looked up since I saw you a prayer book which I possess in which the dates of birth are consigned, and thus found 1801, and I think it is the correct one, but at all events I repeat it once more, the exact date is engraved on her monument. 

 "(2) Caroline Rzewuska, my aunt's eldest sister, and the eldest of the whole family, is the Madame Cherkowitsch of Balzac's letters, and not Shikoff, as the family sketch says. It is equally ridiculous to say that some people aver she was married four times, and had General Witte for a husband; but Witte was a great admirer of hers at the time she was Mme. Sobanska. There is also a detail connected with her which is very little known, and that is that she nearly married Sainte-Beauve, and that the marriage was broken off a few days before the one fixed for it to take place. That was before she married Jules Lacroix, and wicked people say that it was partly disappointment at having been unable to become the wife of the great critic, which made her accept the former. 

 "(3) My aunt Pauline was married to a Serbian banker settled in Odessa, a very rich man called Jean Riznitsch, but he was _neither a General nor a Baron_. Her second daughter, Alexandrine, married Mr. Ciechanowiecki who also never could boast of a title, and whose father had never been _Minister de l'Interieur en Pologne_. 

 "(4) My aunt Eve was neither married in 1818 nor in 1822 to Mr. Hanski, but in 1820. It was not because of _revers de fortune_ that she was married to him, but it was the custom in Polish noble families to try to settle girls as richly as possible. Later on, my grandfather lost a great deal of money, but this circumstance, which occurred after my aunt's marriage, had nothing to do with it. My grandfather, --this by the way, --was a very remarkable man, a personal friend of Voltaire. You will find interesting details about him in an amusing book published by Ernest Daudet, called _La Correspondence du Comte Valentin Esterhazy_, in the first volume, where among other things is described the birth of my aunt Helene, whose personality interests you so much, a birth which nearly killed her mother. Besides Helene, my grandparents had still another daughter who also died unmarried, at seventeen years of age, and who, judging by her picture, must have been a wonder of beauty; also a son Stanislas, who was killed accidentally by a fall from his horse in 1826. 

 "(5) My uncle Ernest was not the second son of his parents, but the youngest in the whole family. "

It is interesting to note that Balzac wished to have his worksadvertised in newspapers circulating in foreign countries and wrotehis publisher to advertise in the _Gazette_ and the _Quotidienne_, asthey were the only papers admitted into Russia, Italy, etc. Herepeated this request some months later, by which time he not onlyknew that _l'Etrangere_ read the _Quotidienne_, but he had becomeinterested in her. 

As has been mentioned, it is a strange coincidence that this firstletter from _l'Etrangere_ arrived on the very day that the novelistwrote accepting the invitation of the Duchesse de Castries. Balzacdoubtless little dreamed that this was the beginning of acorrespondence which was destined to change the whole current of hislife. 

Many versions have been given as to what this letter contained, somesaying that Madame Hanska had been reading the _Peau de Chagrin_, others, the _Physiologie du Mariage_, and others, the _Maison duChat-qui-pelote_, but if the letter no longer exists how is one toprove what it contained? Yet it must have impressed Balzac, for hewanted to dedicate to her the fourth volume of the _Scenes de la Vieprivee_ in placing her seal and "Diis ignotis 28 fevrier 1832" at thehead of _l'Expiation_, the last chapter of _La Femme de trente Ans_, which he was writing when her letter arrived, but Madame de Bernyobjected, so he saved the only copy of that dedication and wishedMadame Hanska to keep it as a souvenir, and as an expression of histhanks. 

According to Spoelberch de Lovenjoul, Balzac showed one of MadameHanska's letters to Madame Carraud, and she answered it for him; butwith his usual skill in answering severe cross-examinations, hereplies:

 "You have asked me with distrust to give an explanation of my two handwritings; but I have as many handwritings as there are days in the year, without being on that account the least in the world versatile. This mobility comes from an imagination which can conceive all and remain vague, like glass which is soiled by none of its reflections. The glass is in my brain. "

In this same letter, which is the second given, Balzac writes: ". . . I am galloping towards Poland, and rereading all your letters, --I havebut three of them, . . . " If this last statement be true, the answerto Spoelberch de Lovenjoul's question, "How many letters did Balzacreceive thus?" is not difficult. 

Miss Wormeley seems to be correct in saying that this second letter isinconsistent with the preceding one dated also in January, 1833, showing an arbitrary system of dating. There are others which areinconsistent, if not impossible, but if Spoelberch de Lovenjoul afterthe death of Madame Honore de Balzac found these letters scatteredabout in various places, as he states, it is quite possible thatcontents as well as dates are confused. [*]

[*] One can see at once the injustice of the criticism of M. Henry Bordeaux, _la Grande Revue_, November, 1899, in censuring Madame Hanska for publishing her letters from Balzac. 

The husband of Madame Hanska, M. Wenceslas de Hanski, who was never acount, but a very rich man, was many years her senior, and sufferedfrom "blue devils" and paresis a long time before his death. Though hewas very generous with his wife in allowing her to travel, she oftensuffered from ennui in her beautifully furnished chateau ofWierzchownia, which Balzac described as being "as large as theLouvre. " This was a great exaggeration, for it was comparativelysmall, having only about thirty rooms. With her husband, her littledaughter Anna, her daughter's governess, Mademoiselle Henriette Borel, and two Polish relatives, Mesdemoiselles Severine and DeniseWylezynska, she led a lonely life and spent much of her time inreading, or writing letters. The household comprised the only peopleof education for miles around. 

Having lost six of her seven children, and being an intensely maternalwoman, the deepest feelings of her heart were devoted to her daughterAnna, who also was destined to occupy much of the time and thought ofthe author of the _Comedie humaine_. 

If the letters printed in _Un Roman d'Amour_ are genuine, in the onedated January 8, 1833, she speaks of having received with delight thecopy of the _Quotidienne_ in which his notice is inserted. She tellshim that M. De Hanski with his family are coming nearer France, andshe wishes to arrange some way for him to answer her letters, but hemust never try to ascertain who the person is who will transmit hisletters to her, and the greatest secrecy must be preserved. 

It is not known how she arranged to have him send his letters, but hewrote her about once a month from January to September, and after thatmore frequently, as he was arranging to visit her. M. De Hanski withhis numerous family had come to Neufchatel in July, having stopped inVienna on the way. Here Balzac was to meet l'Etrangere for the firsttime. He left Paris September 22, stopping to make a business visit tohis friend, Charles Bernard, at Besancon, and arriving at NeufchatelSeptember 25. (Although this letter to M. Bernard is dated August, 1833, Balzac evidently meant September, for there is no Sunday, August22, in 1833. He did not leave Paris until Sunday, September 22, 1833. )On the morning after his arrival, he writes her:

 "I shall go to the Promenade of the faubourg from one o'clock till four. I shall remain during that time looking at the lake, which I have never seen. "

Just what happened when they met, no one knows. The Princess Radziwillsays that her aunt told her that Balzac called at her hotel to meether and that there was nothing romantic in their introduction. Nevertheless, the most varied and amusing stories have been told oftheir first meeting. 

Balzac remained in Neufchatel until October 1, having made a visit offive days. He took a secret box to Madame Hanska in which to keep hisletters, having provided himself with a similar one in which to keephers. If we are to credit the disputed letter of Saturday, October 12, we may learn something of what took place. Even before meeting MadameHanska, he had inserted her name in one of his books, calling theyoung girl loved by M. Benassis "Evelina" (Le Medecin de Campagne). 

Early in October M. De Hanski took his family to Geneva to spend thewinter. After Balzac's departure from Neufchatel the tone of hisletters to Madame Hanska changed; he used the _tutoiement_, and hisadoration increased. For a while he wrote her a daily account of hislife and dispatched the journal to her weekly. 

Madame Hanska came into Balzac's life at a psychological moment. Fromhis youth, his longing was "to be famous and to be loved. " Havingfound the emptiness of a life of fame alone, having apparently grownweary of the poor Duchesse d'Abrantes, about to cease his intimacywith Madame de Berny, having been rejected by Mademoiselle deTrumilly, and having suffered bitterly at the hands of the Duchesse deCastries, he embraced this friendship with a new hope, and becameMadame Hanska's slave. 

If Balzac was charmed with the stories of the daughter of the _femmede chambre_ of Marie Antoinette, was infatuated with a woman who hadknown Napoleon, and flattered by being invited to the home of one ofthe beautiful society ladies of the Faubourg Saint-Germain, what musthave been his joy in learning that his new _Chatelaine_ belonged toone of the most aristocratic families of Poland, the grandniece ofQueen Marie Leczinska, the daughter of the wise Comte de Rzewuska, andthe wife of one of the richest men in Russia!

But Madame Hanska was a very different woman from the kind, self-sacrificing, romantic Madame de Berny; the witty, splendor-loving, indulgent, poverty-stricken Duchesse d'Abrantes; or the frail, dazzling, blond coquette, the Duchesse de Castries. With more strengthphysically and mentally than her rivals, she possessed a markedauthoritativeness that was not found in Madame de Berny, a breadth ofvision impossible to Madame Junot, and freedom from the frivolity andcoquetry of Madame de Castries. 

The Princess Radziwill feels that the Polish woman who has come downto posterity merely as the object of Balzac's adoration, should beknown as the being to whom he was indebted for the development of hismarvelous genius, and as his collaborator in many of his works. According to the Princess, _Modeste Mignon_ is almost entirely thework of Madame Hanska's pen. She gives this description of her aunt, which corresponds to Balzac's continual reference to her "analyticalforehead":

 "Madame de Balzac was perhaps not so brilliant in conversation as were her brothers and sisters. Her mind had something pedantic in it, and she was rather a good listener than a good talker, but whatever she said was to the point, and she was eloquent with her pen. She had that large glance only given to superior minds which allows them, according to the words of Catherine of Russia, 'to read the future in the history of the past. ' She observed everything, was indulgent to every one. . . . Her family, who stood in more or less awe of her, treated her with great respect and consideration. . . . We all of us had a great opinion of the soundness of her judgments, and liked to consult her in any difficulty or embarrassment in our existence. "

No sooner had Balzac returned from his visit to Neufchatel intoxicatedwith joy, than he began to plan his visit to Geneva. He would work dayand night to be able to get away for a fortnight; he decided later tospend a month there, but he did not arrive until Christmas day. In themeantime, he referred to their promise (to marry) which was as holyand sacred to him as their mutual life, and he truly described hislove as the most ardent, the most persistent of loves. _Adoremus inaeternum_ had become their device, and Madame Hanska, not having asyet become accustomed to his continual financial embarrassment, wishedto provide him with money, an offer which is reproduced in _EugenieGrandet_. 

Upon his arrival at Geneva the novelist found a ring awaiting him; heconsidered it as a talisman, wore it working, and it inspired_Seraphita_. He became her _moujik_ and signed his name _Honoreski_. She became his "love, " his "life, " his "rose of the Occident, " his"star of the North, " his "fairy of the _tiyeuilles_, " his "onlythought, " his "celestial angel, " the end of all for him. "You shall bethe young _dilecta_, --already I name you the _predilecta_. "[*]

[*] Balzac was imitating Madame Hanska's pronunciation of _tilleuls_ in having Madame Vauquer (_Pere Goriot_) pronounce it _tieuilles_. 

His adoration became such that he writes her: "My loved angel, I amalmost mad for you . . . I cannot put two ideas together that you donot come between them. I can think of nothing but you. In spite ofmyself my imagination brings me back to you. . . . " It was during hisstay in Geneva that Madame Hanska presented her chain to him, which heused later on his cane. 

Balzac left Geneva February 8, 1834, having spent forty-four days withhis _Predilecta_, but his work was not entirely neglected. Whilethere, he wrote almost all of _La Duchesse de Langeais_, and a largepart of _Seraphita_. This work, which she inspired, was dedicated:

 "To Madame Eveline de Hanska, nee Countess Rzewuska. 

 "Madame:--here is the work you desired of me; in dedicating it to you I am happy to offer you some token of the respectful affection you allow me to feel for you. If I should be accused of incapacity after trying to extract from the depths of mysticism this book, which demanded the glowing poetry of the East under the transparency of our beautiful language, the blame be yours! Did you not compel me to the effort--such an effort as Jacob's--by telling me that even the most imperfect outline of the figure dreamed of by you, as it has been by me from my infancy, would still be something in your eyes? Here, then, is that something. Why cannot this book be set apart exclusively for those lofty spirits who, like you, are preserved from worldly pettiness by solitude? They might impress on it the melodious rhythm which it lacks, and which, in the hands of one of our poets, might have made it the glorious epic for which France still waits. Still, they will accept it from me as one of those balustrades, carved by some artist full of faith, on which the pilgrims lean to moderate on the end of man, while gazing at the choir of a beautiful church. I remain, madame, with respect, your faithful servant, "DE BALZAC. "

In the spring of 1834, M. De Hanski and his family left Geneva forFlorence, traveled for a few months, and arrived in Vienna during thesummer, where they remained for about a year. But Balzac continued hiscorrespondence with Madame Hanska. She was interested in collectingthe autographs of famous people, and Balzac not only had an album madefor her, but helped her collect the signatures. 

More infatuated, if possible, than ever with her, he wanted her tosecure her husband's consent for him to visit them at Rome. Then hefelt that he must go to Vienna, see the Danube, explore thebattlefields of Wagram and Essling, and have pictures maderepresenting the uniforms of the German army. 

In _La Recherche de l'Absolu_, he gave the name of Adam deWierzchownia to a Polish gentleman, Wierzchownia being the name ofMadame Hanska's home in the Ukraine. "I have amused myself like a boyin naming a Pole, M. De Wierzchownia, and bringing him on the scene in_La Recherche de l'Absolu_. That was a longing I could not resist, andI beg your pardon and that of M. De Hanski for the great liberty. Youcould not believe how that printed page fascinates me!" He writes herof another character, La Fosseuse, (Le Medecin de Campagne): "Ah! if Ihad known your features, I would have pleased myself in having themengraved as La Fosseuse. But though I have memory enough for myself, Ishould not have enough for a painter. "

Either Balzac's adoration became too ardent, or displeasure was causedin some other way, for no letters to Madame Hanska appear from August26 to October 9, 1834. In the meantime, a long letter was written toM. De Hanski apologizing for two letters written to his wife. Heexplained that one evening she jestingly remarked to him, beside thelake of Geneva, that she would like to know what a love-letter waslike, so he promised to write her one. Being reminded of this promise, he sent her one, and received a cold letter of reproof from her afteranother letter was on the way to her. Receiving a second rebuke, hewas desperate over the pleasantry, and wished to atone for this bypresenting to her, with M. De Hanski's permission, some manuscriptsalready sent. He wished to send her the manuscript of _Seraphita_also, and to dedicate this book to her, if they could forgive him thiserror, for which he alone was to be censured. 

Balzac was evidently pardoned, for he not only dedicated _Seraphita_to her, as has been shown, but arrived in Vienna on May 16, 1835, tovisit her, bringing with him this manuscript. His stay was rathershort, lasting only to June 4. While there, he was quite busy, workingon _Le Lys dans la Vallee_, and declined many invitations. To get histwelve hours of work, he had to retire at nine o'clock in order torise at three; this monastic rule dominated everything. He yieldedsomething of his stern observance to Madame Hanska by giving himselfthree hours more freedom than in Paris, where he retired at six. 

Soon after his return from Vienna, the novelist was informed that apackage from Vienna was held for him with thirty-six francs due. Having, of course, no money, he sent his servant in a cab for thepackage, telling him where he could secure the money and, dead oralive, to bring the package. After spending four hours in an agony ofanticipation, wondering what Madame Hanska could be sending him, hismessenger arrived with a copy of _Pere Goriot_ which he had given herin Vienna with the request that she give it to some one to whom itmight afford pleasure. 

It will be remembered that while in Vienna, Balzac's financial strainbecame such that his sister Laure pawned his silver. He afterwardsadmitted that the journey to Vienna was the greatest folly of hislife; it cost him five thousand francs and upset all his affairs. Hehad other financial troubles also, but found time and means to consulta somnambulist frequently as to his _Predilecta_, and regretted thathe did not have one or two soothsayers, so that he might know dailyabout her. His superstition is seen early in their correspondencewhere he considered it a good omen that Madame Hanska had sent him the_Imitation de Jesus-Christ_ while he was working on _Le Medecin deCampagne_. Again and again he insisted that she tell him when any ofher family were ill, feeling that he could cure at a distance thosewhom he loved; or that she should send him a piece of cloth worn nextto her person, that he might present this to a clairvoyant. 

After delving deeply into mysticism, and writing some books dealingwith it, the novelist writes his "Polar Star":

 "I am sorry to see that you are reading the mystics: believe me, this sort of reading is fatal to minds like yours; it is a poison; it is an intoxicating narcotic. These books have a bad influence. There are follies of virtue as there are follies of dissipation and vice. If you were not a wife, a mother, a friend, a relation, I would not seek to dissuade you, for then you might go and shut yourself up in a convent at your pleasure without hurting anybody, although you would soon die there. In your situation, and in your isolation in the midst of those deserts, this kind of reading, believe me, is pernicious. The rights of friendship are too feeble to make my voice heard; but let me at least make an earnest and humble request on this subject. Do not, I beg of you, ever read anything more of this kind. I have myself gone through all this, and I speak from experience. "

As has been stated, Madame Hanska was of assistance to Balzac in hisliterary work. He used her ideas frequently, and was gracious inexpressing his appreciation of them to her:

 "I must tell you that yesterday . . . I copied out your portrait of Mademoiselle Celeste, and I said to two uncompromising judges: 'Here is a sketch I have flung on paper. I wanted to paint a woman under given circumstances, and launch her into life through such and such an event. ' What do you think they said?--'Read that portrait again. ' After which they said:--'That is your masterpiece. You have never before had that _laisser-aller_ of a writer which shows the hidden strength. ' 'Ha, ha!' I answered, striking my head; 'that comes from the forehead of _an analyst_. ' I kneel at your feet for this violation; but I left out all that was personal. . . . I thank you for your glimpses of Viennese society. What I have learned about Germans in their relations elsewhere confirms what you say of them. Your story of General H---- comes up periodically. There has been something like it in all countries, but I thank you for having told it to me. The circumstances give it novelty. "[*]

[*] This is only one of the numerous allusions Balzac made to the analytical forehead of Madame Hanska. 

Though Balzac's letters to Madame Hanska became less effervescent astime went on, each year seemed to add to his admiration and "dog-likefidelity. " She, on the other hand, complained of his dissipation, thesociety he kept, and his short letters. 

While Balzac was in Vienna, he was working on _Le Lys dans la Vallee_. Although he said that Madame de Mortsauf was Madame de Berny, M. AdamRzewuski, a brother of Madame Hanska, always felt that this characterrepresented his sister, and called attention to the same intensematernal feeling of the two women, and the same sickly, morosehusband. The Princess Radziwill also believes that this is a portraitof her aunt, which hypothesis is further strengthened by comments ofEmile Faguet, who says that to one who has read Balzac's letters in1834-1835 closely, it is clear that Madame de Mortsauf is MadameHanska, and that the marvelous M. De Mortsauf is M. De Hanski. 

Mr. F. Lawton also thinks that Balzac has shown his relations toMadame Hanska in making Felix de Vandenesse console himself with LadyDudley while swearing high allegiance to his Henriette, just as Balzacwas "inditing oaths of fidelity to his 'earth-angel' in far-awayRussia while worshipping at shrines more accessible. Lady Dudley maywell have been, for all his denial, the Countess Visconti, of whomMadame Hanska was jealous and on good grounds, or else the Duchesse deCastries, to whom he said that while writing the book he had caughthimself shedding tears. " Balzac says of this book:

 "I have received five _formal complaints_ from persons about me, who say that I have unveiled their private lives. I have very curious letters on this subject. It appears that there are as many Messieurs de Mortsauf as there are angels at Clochegourde, and angels rain down upon me, but _they are not white_. "

In the early autumn of 1835, M. De Hanski and his family, having spentseveral weeks at Ischl, returned to their home at Wierzchownia afteran absence of more than two years. It was during this long stay atVienna that Madame Hanska had Daffinger make the miniature whichoccupies so much space in Balzac's letters in later years. 

It must have been a relief to poor Balzac when his _Chatelaine_returned to her home, for while traveling she was negligent aboutgiving him her address, so that he was never sure whether she receivedall his letters, and she did not number hers, as he had asked her todo, so that he was not certain that he received all that she wrotehim; neither would she--though leading a life of leisure--write asoften as he wished. But if he scolded her for this, she had othermatters to worry her. She was ever anxious about the safety of herletters, asked for many explanations of his conduct, forinterpretations of various things in his works, and who certainfriends were, so much so that his letters are filled with vindicationsof himself. Even before they had ever met, he wrote her that he couldnot take a step that was not misinterpreted. She seemed continually tobe hearing of something derogatory to his character, and trying toinvestigate his actions. The reader has had glimpses enough ofBalzac's life to understand what a task was hers. Yet she doubtlesssometimes accused him unnecessarily, and he in turn became impatient:

 "This letter contains two reproaches which have keenly affected me; and I think I have already told you that a few chance expressions would suffice to make me go to Wierzchownia, which would be a misfortune in my present perilous situation; but I would rather lose everything than lose a true friendship. . . . In short, you distrust me at a distance, just as you distrusted me near by, without any reason. I read quite despairingly the paragraph of your letter in which you do the honors of my heart to my mind, and sacrifice my whole personality to my brain. . . . In your last letters, you know, you have believed things that are irreconcilable with what you know of me. I cannot explain to myself your tendency to believe absurd calumnies. I still remember your credulity in Geneva, when they said I was married. "

Even her own family added to her suspicions:

 ". . . Your letter has crushed me more than all the heavy nonsense that jealousy and calumny, lawsuit and money matters have cast upon me. My sensibility is a proof of friendship; there are none but those we love who can make us suffer. I am not angry with your aunt, but I am angry that a person as distinguished as you say she is should be accessible to such base and absurd calumny. But you yourself, at Geneva, when I told you I was as free as air, you believed me to be married, on the word of one of those fools whose trade it is to sell money. I began to laugh. Here, I no longer laugh, because I have the horrible privilege of being horribly calumniated. A few more controversies like the last, and I shall retire to the remotest part of Touraine, isolating myself from everything, renouncing all, . . . Think always that what I do has a reason and an object, that my actions are _necessary_. There is, for two souls that are a little above others, something mortifying in repeating to you for the tenth time not to believe in calumny. When you said to me three letters ago, that I gambled, it was just as true as my marriage at Geneva. . . . You attribute to me little defects which I do not have to give yourself the pleasure of scolding me. No one is less extravagant than I; no one is willing to live with more economy. But reflect that I work too much to busy myself with certain details, and, in short, that I had rather spend five to six thousand francs a year than marry to have order in my household; for a man who undertakes what I have undertaken either marries to have a quiet existence, or accepts the wretchedness of La Fontaine and Rousseau. For pity's sake, do not talk to me of my want of order; it is the consequence of the independence in which I live, and which I desire to keep. "

In spite of these reproaches, Balzac's affection for her continued, and he decided to have his portrait made for her. Boulanger was theartist chosen, and since he wished payment at once, Madame Hanska sentthe novelist a sum for this purpose. For a Christmas greeting, 1836, she sent him a copy of the Daffinger miniature made at Vienna thepreceding year. Again--this time in _Illusions perdues_--he gave hername, Eve, to a young girl whom he regarded as the most charmingcreature he had created (Eve Chardon, who became Madame DavidSechard). 

In the spring of 1837 Balzac went to Italy to spend a few weeks. Seeing at Florence a bust of his _Predilecta_, made by Bartolini, heasked M. De Hanski's permission to have a copy of it, half size, madefor himself, to place on his writing desk. This journey aroused MadameHanska's suspicions again, but he assured her he was not dissipating, but was traveling to rejuvenate his broken-down brain, since, workingnight and day as he did, a man might easily die of overstrain. 

He continued to save his manuscripts for her, awaiting an opportunityto send or take them to her. Her letters became less frequent and fullof stings, but he begged her to disbelieve everything she heard of himexcept from himself, as she had almost a complete journal of his life. He explained that the tour he purposed making to the Mediterranean wasneither for marriage nor for anything adventurous or silly, but he waspledged to secrecy, and, whether it turned out well or ill, he riskednothing but a journey. As to her reproaches how he, knowing all, penetrating and observing all, could be so duped and deceived, hewondered if she could love him if he were always so prudent that nomisfortune ever happened to him. 

In the spring of 1838 he took his Mediterranean trip, going toCorsica, Sardinia, and Italy in quest of his Eldorado, but, as usual, he was doomed to meet with disappointment. On his return he went to_Les Jardies_ to reside, which was later to be the cause of anotherfinancial disaster. Replying to her criticism of his journey toSardinia, he begged her never to censure those who feel themselvessunk in deep waters and are struggling to the surface, for the richcan never comprehend the trials of the unfortunate. One must bewithout friends, without resources, without food, without money, toknow to its depths what misfortune is. 

In spite of her reproaches he continued to protest his devotion toher. Though her letters were cold, he begged her to gaze on theportrait of her _moujik_ and feel that he was the most constant, leastvolatile, most steadfast of men. He was willing to obey her in allthings except in his affections, and she was complete mistress ofthose. Seized with a burning desire to see her, he planned a visit toWierzchownia as soon as his financial circumstances would permit. 

During a period of three months, Balzac received no letter from his"Polar Star, " but he expressed his usual fidelity to her. Miserable orfortunate, he was always the same to her; it was because of hisunchangeableness of heart that he was so painfully wounded by herneglect. Carried away, as he often was, by his torrential existence, he might miss writing to her, but he could not understand how shecould deprive him of the sacred bread which restored his courage andgave him new life. 

His long struggle with his debts and his various financial anddomestic troubles seemed at times to deprive him of his usual hope andpatience. In a depressed vein, he replies to one of her letters:

 "Ah! I think you excessively small; and it shows me that you are of this world! Ah! you write to me no longer because my letters are rare! Well, they were rare because I did not have the money to post them, but I would not tell you that. Yes, my distress had reached that point and beyond it. It is horrible and sad, but it is true, as true as the Ukraine where you are. Yes, there have been days when I proudly ate a roll of bread on the boulevard. I have had the greatest sufferings: self-love, pride, hope, prospects, all have been attacked. But I shall, I hope, surmount everything. I had not a penny, but I earned for those atrocious Lecou and Delloye seventy thousand francs in a year. The Peytel affair cost me ten thousand francs, and people said I was paid fifty thousand! That affair and my fall, which kept me as you know, forty days in bed, retarded my business by more than thirty thousand francs. Oh! I do not like your want of confidence! You think that I have a great mind, but you will not admit that I have a great heart! After nearly eight years, you do not know me! My God, forgive her, for she knows not what she does!"

The novelist wrote his _Predilecta_ of his ideas of marriage, and howhe longed to marry, but he became despondent about this as well asabout his debts; he felt that he was growing old, and would not livelong. His comfort while working was a picture of Wierzchownia whichshe had sent him, but in addition to all of his other troubles he wasannoyed because some of her relatives who were in Paris carried falseinformation to her concerning him. 

Not having heard from her for six months, he resorted to his frequentmethod of allaying his anxiety by consulting a clairvoyant to learn ifshe were ill. He was told that within six weeks he would receive aletter that would change his entire life. Almost four more monthspassed, however, without his hearing from her and he feared that shewas not receiving his letters, or that hers had gone astray, as he nolonger had a home. 

For once, the sorcerer had predicted somewhat correctly! Not withinsix weeks, to be sure, but within six months, the letter came that wasto change Balzac's entire life. On January 5, 1842, a letter arrivedfrom Madame Hanska, telling of the death of M. De Hanski which hadoccurred on November 10, 1841. 

His reply is one of the most beautiful of his letters to her:

 "I have this instant received, dear angel, your letter sealed with black, and, after having read it, I could not perhaps have wished to receive any other from you, in spite of the sad things you tell me about yourself and your health. As for me, dear, adored one, although this event enables me to attain to that which I have ardently desired for nearly ten years, I can, before you and God, do myself this justice, that I have never had in my heart anything but complete submission, and that I have not, in my most cruel moments, stained my soul with evil wishes. No one can prevent involuntary transports. Often I have said to myself, 'How light my life would be with _her_!' No one can keep his faith, his heart, his inner being without hope. . . . But I understand the regrets which you express to me; they seem to me natural and true, especially after the protection which has never failed you since that letter at Vienna. I am, however, joyful to know that I can write to you with open heart to tell you all those things on which I have kept silence, and disperse the melancholy complaints you have founded on misconceptions, so difficult to explain at a distance. I know you too well, or I think I know you too well, to doubt you for one moment; and I have often suffered, very cruelly suffered, that you have doubted me, because, since Neufchatel, you are my life. Let me say this to you plainly, after having so often proved it to you. The miseries of my struggle and of my terrible work would have tired out the greatest and strongest men; and often my sister has desired to put an end to them, God knows how; I always thought the remedy worse than the disease! It is you alone who have supported me till now, . . . You said to me, 'Be patient, you are loved as much as you love. Do not change, for others change not. ' We have both been courageous; why, therefore, should you not be happy to-day? Do you think it was for myself that I have been so persistent in magnifying my name? Oh! I am perhaps very unjust, but this injustice comes from the violence of my heart! I would have liked two words for myself in your letter, but I sought them in vain; two words for him who, since the landscape in which you live has been before his eyes, has not passed, while working, ten minutes without looking at it; I have there sought all, ever since it came to me, that we have asked in the silence of our spirits. "

He was concerned about her health and wished to depart at once, butfeared to go without her permission. She was anxious about herletters, but he assured her that they were safe, and begged her toinform him when he could visit her; for six years he had been longingto see her. "Adieu, my dear and beautiful life that I love so well, and to whom I can now say it. _Sempre medisimo_. "

The role played by M. De Hanski[*] in this friendship was a peculiarone. The correspondence, as has been seen, began in secrecy, butBalzac met him when he went to Neufchatel to see Madame Hanska. Theirrelations were apparently cordial, for on his return to Paris, thenovelist wrote him a friendly note, enclosing an autograph of Rossiniwhom M. De Hanski admired. The Polish gentleman (he was never a count)must have been willing to have Balzac visit his wife again, at Geneva, when their friendship seemed to grow warmer. Balzac called him_l'honorable Marechal de l'Ukraine_ or the _Grand Marechal_, andextended to him his thanks or regards in sending little notes toMadame Hanska, and thus he was early cognizant of theircorrespondence. The future author of the _Comedie humaine_ seems tohave been taken into the family circle and to have become somewhat afavorite of M. De Hanski, who was suffering with his "blue devils" atthat time. 

[*] The present writer is following the predominant custom of using the _de_ in connection with M. De Hanski's name, and omitting it in speaking of his wife. 

Since Balzac was not only an excellent story-teller but naturally veryjovial, and M. De Hanski suffered from ennui and wished to be amused, they became friends. On his return to Paris, they exchanged a fewletters, and Balzac introduced stories to amuse him in his letters toMadame Hanska. He wrote most graciously to the _Marechal_, apologizingfor the two love letters he had written his wife, and this letter wasanswered. The novelist was invited by him to visit them inWierzchownia--an invitation he planned to accept, but did not. 

In the spring of 1836, M. De Hanski sent Balzac a very handsomemalachite inkstand, also a cordial letter telling him the family news, how much he enjoyed his works, and that he hoped with his family tovisit him in Paris within two years. He mentioned that his wife waspreparing for Balzac a long letter of several pages, and assured himof his sincere friendship. Balzac was most appreciative of the gift ofthe beautiful inkstand, but felt that it was too magnificent for apoor man to use, so would place it in his collection and prize it asone of his most precious souvenirs. 

Besides discussing business with the Polish gentleman, Balzacapologized often for not answering his letters, offering lack of timeas his excuse, but he planned to visit Wierzchownia, where he and M. De Hanski would enjoy hearty laughs while Madame Hanska could work athis comedies. In spite of this friendly correspondence, the _Marechal_probably hinted to his wife that her admiration for the author was toowarm, for Balzac asked her to reassure her husband that he was notonly invulnerable, but immune from attack. Balzac spoke of dedicatingone of his books in the _Comedie humaine_ to M. De Hanski, but nodedication to him is found in this work. His death, which occurredsome months after this suggestion, doubtless prevented the realizationof it. 

Balzac evidently received a negative reply to his letter to MadameHanska asking to be permitted to visit her immediately after herhusband's death. It would have been a breach of the _convenances_ hadhe gone to visit her so early in her widowhood. Soon after learning ofM. De Hanski's death, he saw an announcement of the death of aCountess Kicka of Volhynia, and since his "Polar Star" had spoken ofbeing ill, he was seized with fear lest this be a misprint for Hanska, and was confined to his bed for two days with a nervous fever. 

What must have been Balzac's disappointment, when almost ready toleave at any moment, to receive a letter which, as he expressed it, killed the youth in him, and rent his heart! She felt that she owedeverything to her daughter, who had consoled her, and nothing to him;yet she knew that she was everything to him. 

He thought that she loved Anna too much, protested his fidelity to herwhen she accused him, and reverted to his favorite theme of comparingher to the devoted Madame de Berny. He complained of her coldness, wanted to visit her in August at St. Petersburg, and desired her topromise that they would be married within two years. 

Princess Radziwill wrote: "When Madame Hanska's husband died, it wassupposed that her union with Balzac would occur at once, but obstacleswere interposed by others. Her own family looked down upon the greatFrench author as a mere story-teller; and by her late husband's peoplesordid motives were imputed to him, to account for his devotion to theheiress. The latter objection was removed, a few years later, by thewidow's giving up to her daughter the fortune left to her by MonsieurHanski. "

It is at this period that Balzac furnishes us with the key to one ofhis works, _Albert Savarus_, in writing to Madame Hanska:

 "_Albert Savarus_ has had much success. You will read it in the first volume of the _Comedie humaine_, almost after the _fausse Maitresse_, where with childish joy I have made the name _Rzewuski_ shine in the midst of those of the most illustrious families of the North. Why have I not placed Francesca Colonna at Diodati? Alas, I was afraid that it would be too transparent. Diodati makes my heart beat! Those four syllables, it is the cry of the _Montjoie Saint-Denis!_ of my heart. "

Francesca Colonna, the Princess Gandolphini, is the heroine of_l'Ambitieux par Amour_, a novel supposed to have been published byAlbert Savarus and described in the book which bears his name. Usingher name, the hero is represented as having written the story of theDuchesse d'Argaiolo and himself, he taking the name of Rodolphe. Hereare given, in disguise again, the details of Balzac's early relationsto Madame Hanska. Albert Savarus, while traveling in Switzerland, seesa lady's face at the window of an upper room, admires it and seeks thelady's acquaintance. She proves to be the Duchesse d'Argaiolo, anItalian in exile. She had been married very young to the Duked'Argaiolo, who was rich and much older than she. The young man fallsin love with this beautiful lady, and she promises to be his as soonas she becomes free. 

Gabriel Ferry states that Balzac first saw Madame Hanska's face at awindow, and the Princess Radziwill says that Balzac went to the hotelto meet her aunt. It is to be noted that the year 1834 is that inwhich Balzac and Madame Hanska were in Geneva together. 

The Villa Diodati, noted for having been inhabited by Lord Byron, issituated on Lake Geneva, at Cologny, not far from Pre Leveque, [*]where M. De Hanski and his family resided in the _maisonMirabaud-Amat_. 

[*] Balzac preserved a remembrance of the happy days he had spent with Madame Hanska at Pre-Leveque, Lake Geneva, by dating _La Duchesse de Langeais_, January 26, 1834, Pre-Leveque. 

There are numerous allusions to Diodati in Balzac's correspondence, from which one would judge that he had some very unhappy associationswith Madame de Castries, and some very happy ones with Madame Hanskain connection with Diodati:

 "When I want to give myself a magnificent fete, I close my eyes, lie down on one of my sofas, . . . And recall that good day at Diodati which effaced a thousand pangs I had felt there a year before. You have made me know the difference between a true affection and a simulated one, and for a heart as childlike as mine, there is cause there for an eternal gratitude. . . . When some thought saddens me, then I have recourse to you; . . . I see again Diodati, I stretch myself on the good sofa of the Maison Mirabaud. . . . Diodati, that image of a happy life, reappears like a star for a moment clouded, and I began to laugh, as you know I can laugh. I say to myself that so much work will have its recompense, and that I shall have, like Lord Byron, my Diodati. I sing in my bad voice: 'Diodati, Diodati!'"

Another excerpt shows that Balzac had in mind his own life inconnection with Madame Hanska's in writing _Albert Savarus_:

 ". . . It is six o'clock in the morning, I have interrupted myself to think of you, reminded of you by Switzerland where I have placed the scene of _Albert Savarus_. --Lovers in Switzerland, --for me, it is the image of happiness. I do not wish to place the Princess Gandolphini in the _maison Mirabaud_, for there are people in the world who would make a crime of it for us. This Princess is a foreigner, an Italian, loved by Savarus. "

Many of Balzac's traits are seen in Albert Savarus. Like Balzac, Albert Savarus was defeated in politics, but hoped for election; was alawyer, expected to rise to fame, and was about three years older thanthe woman he loved. Like Madame Hanska, the Duchesse d'Argaiolo, knownas the Princess Gandolphini, was beautiful, noble, a foreigner, andmarried to a man very rich and much older than she, who was notcompanionable. It was on December 26 that Albert Savarus arrived atthe Villa on Lake Geneva to visit his princes, while Balzac arrivedDecember 25 to visit Madame Hanska at her Villa there. The two loversspent the winter together, and in the spring, the Duc d'Argaiolo(Prince Gandolphini) and his wife went to Naples, and Albert Savarus(Rodolphe) returned to Paris, just as M. De Hanski took his family toItaly in the spring, while Balzac returned to Paris. 

Albert Savarus was falsely accused of being married, just as MadameHanska had accused Balzac. The letters to the Duchess from Savarus arequite similar to some Balzac wrote to Madame Hanska. Like Balzac, Savarus saw few people, worked at night, was poor, ever hopeful, communed with the portrait of his adored one, had trouble in regard tothe delivery of her letters, and was worried when they did not come;yet he was patient and willing to wait until the Duke should die. LikeMadame Hanska, the Duchess feared her lover was unfaithful to her, andin both cases a woman sowed discord, though the results weredifferent. [*]

[*] Miss K. P. Wormeley does not think that _Albert Savarus_ was inspired by Balzac's relations with Madame Hanska. For her arguments, see _Memoir of Balzac_. 

Madame Hanska did not care for this book, but Balzac told her she wasnot familiar enough with French society to appreciate it. 

Miss Mary Hanford Ford thinks that Madame Hanska inspired another ofBalzac's works: "It is probable that in Madame de la Chanterie we aregiven Balzac's impassioned and vivid idealization of the woman whobecame his wife at last. . . . Balzac's affection for Madame Hanskawas to a large degree tinged with the reverence which the Brotherhoodshared for Madame de la Chanterie. . . . " While the Freres de laConsolation adored Madame de la Chanterie in a beautiful manner, neither her life nor her character was at all like Madame Hanska's. This work is dated December, 1847, Wierzchownia, and was doubtlessfinished there, but he had been working on it for several years. 

In the autumn of 1842, [*] Madame Hanska went to St. Petersburg. Shecomplained of a sadness and melancholy which Balzac's most ardentdevotion could not overcome. He became her _patito_, and she the queenof his life, but he too suffered from depression, and even consentedto wait three years for her if she would only permit him to visit her. He insisted that his affection was steadfast and eternal, but inaddition to showing him coldness, she unjustly rebuked him, havingheard that he was gambling. She had a prolonged lawsuit, and he wishedher to turn the matter over to him, feeling sure that he could win thecase for her. 

[*] Emile Faguet, _Balzac_, says that it was in 1843 that Madame Hanska went to St. Petersburg. He has made several such slight mistakes throughout this work. 

Thus passed the year 1842. She eventually consented to let him come inMay to celebrate his birthday. But alas! A great _remora_ stood in theway. Poor Balzac did not have the money to make the trip. Then also hehad literary obligations to meet, but he felt very much fatigued fromexcessive work and wanted to leave Paris for a rest. Her letters wereso unsatisfactory that he implored her to engrave in her dear mind, ifshe would not write it in her heart, that he wished her to use some ofher leisure time in writing a few lines to him daily. As was hiscustom when in distress, he sought a fortune-teller for comfort, andas usual, was delighted with his prophecy. The notorious Balthazardescribed to him perfectly the woman he loved, told him that his lovewas returned, that there would never be a cloud in their sky, in spiteof the intensity of their characters, and that he would be going tosee her within six months. The soothsayer was correct in this laststatement, at least, for Balzac arrived at St. Petersburg soon afterthis interview. 

Madame Hanska felt that she was growing old, but Balzac assured herthat he should love her even were she ugly, and he relieved her mindof this fear by writing in her _Journal intime_ that although he hadnot seen her since they were in Vienna, he thought her as beautifuland young as then--after an interval of seven years. [*]

[*] Balzac should have said an interval of _eight_ years instead of _seven_, for he visited her in Vienna in May and June, 1835, and he wrote this in September 1843. This is only one of the novelist's numerous mistakes in figuring, seen throughout his entire works. 

Balzac arrived in St. Petersburg on July 17_29, and left there late inSeptember, [*] 1843, stopping to visit in Berlin and Dresden. Becomingvery ill, he cut short his visit to Mayence and Cologne and arrived inParis November 3, in order to consult his faithful Dr. Nacquart. Excess of work, the sorrow of leaving Madame Hanska, disappointment, and deferred hopes were too much for his nervous system. His lettersto Madame Hanska were, if possible, filled with greater detail thanever concerning his debts, his household and family matters, his worksand society gossip. The _tu_ frequently replaces the _vous_, andhaving apparently exhausted all the endearing names in the Frenchlanguage, he resorted to the Hebrew, and finds that _Lididda_ means somany beautiful things that he employs this word. He calls her _Liline_or _Line_; she becomes his _Louloup_, his "lighthouse, " his "happystar, " and the _sicura richezza, senza brama_. 

[*] Unless the editor of _Lettres a l'Etrangere_ is confusing the French and Russian dates, he has made a mistake in dating certain of Balzac's letters from St. Petersburg. He had two dated October 1843, St. Petersburg, and on his way home from there Balzac writes from Taurogen dating his letter September 27-October 10, 1843. Hence the exact date of his departure from St. Petersburg is obscure. 

Madame Hanska and Balzac seem to have had many idiosyncrasies incommon, among which was their _penchant_ for jewelry, as well asperfumes. Since their meeting at Geneva, the two exchanged gifts ofjewelry frequently, and the discussion, engraving, measuring, andexchanging of various rings occupied much of Balzac's precious time. 

His fondness for antiques was another extravagance, and he investednot a little in certain pieces of furniture which had belonged toMarie de Medicis and Henri IV; this purchase he regretted later, andtalked of selling, but, instead, added continually to his collection. He was constantly sending, or wanting to send some present to MadameHanska or to her daughter Anna, but nothing could be compared with thepriceless gift he received from her. The Daffinger miniature arrivedFebruary 2, 1844. 

As a New Year's greeting for 1844, Balzac dedicated to Madame Hanska_Les Bourgeois de Paris_, later called _Les petits Bourgeois_, sayingthat the first work written after his brief visit with her should beinscribed to her. This dedication is somewhat different from the onepublished in his OEuvres:

 "To Constance-Victoire:[*]

 "Here, madame and friend is one of those works which fall, we know not whence, into an author's mind and afford him pleasure before he can estimate how they will be received by the public, that great judge of our time. But, almost sure of your good-will, I dedicate it to you. It belongs to you, as formerly the tithe belonged to the church, in memory of God from whom all things come, who makes all ripen, all mature! Some lumps of clay left by Moliere at the base of his statue of Tartufe have been molded by a hand more audacious than skilful. But, at whatever distance I may be below the greatest of humorists, I shall be satisfied to have utilized these little pieces of the stage-box of his work to show the modern hypocrite at work. That which most encouraged me in this difficult undertaking is to see it separated from every religious question, which was so injurious to the comedy of _Tartufe_, and which ought to be removed to-day. May the double significance of your name be a prophecy for the author, and may you be pleased to find here the expression of his respectful gratitude. 

 "DE BALZAC. "January 1, 1844. "

[*] _Constance_ was either one of Madame Hanska's real names, or one given her by Balzac, for he writes to her, in speaking of Mademoiselle Borel's entering the convent: "My most sincere regards to _Soeur Constance_, for I imagine that Saint Borel will take one of your names. " Although Balzac hoped at one time to have _Les petits Bourgeois_ completed by July 1844, it was left unfinished at his death, and was completed and published in 1855. 

During the winter of 1844, Madame Hanska wrote a story and then threwit into the fire. In doing this she carried out a suggestion given herby Balzac several years before, when he wrote her that he liked tohave a woman write and study, but she should have the courage to burnher productions. She told the novelist what she had done, and herequested her to rewrite her study and send it to him, and he wouldcorrect it and publish it under his name. In this way she could enjoyall the pleasure of authorship in reading what he would preserve ofher beautiful and charming prose. In the first place, she must paint aprovincial family, and place the romantic, enthusiastic young girl inthe midst of the vulgarities of such an existence; and then, bycorrespondence, _make a transit_ to the description of a poet inParis. A friend of the poet, who is to continue the correspondence, must be a man of decided talent, and the _denouement_ must be in hisfavor against the great poet. Also the manias and the asperities of agreat soul which alarm and rebuff inferior souls should be shown; indoing this she would aid him in earning a few thousand francs. 

Her story, in the hands of this great wizard, grew like a mushroom, without pain or effort, and soon developed into the romantic novel, _Modeste Mignon_. She had thrown her story into the fire, but the firehad returned it to him and given him power, as did the coal of fire onthe lips of the great prophet, and he wished to give all the glory tohis adored collaborator. 

When reading this book, Madame Hanska objected to Balzac's having madethe father of the heroine scold her for beginning a secretcorrespondence with an author, feeling that Balzac was disapproving ofher conduct in writing to him first, but Balzac assured her that suchwas not his intention, and that he considered this _demarche_ of hersas _royale and reginale_. Another trait, which she probably did notrecognize, was that just as the great poet Canalis was at firstindifferent to the letters of the heroine, and allowed Ernest de laBriere to answer them, so was Balzac rather indifferent to hers, andMadame Carraud--as already stated--is supposed to have replied to oneof them. 

There is no doubt that Balzac had his _Louloup_ in mind while writingthis story, for in response to the criticism that Modest was tooclever, he wrote Madame Hanska that she and her cousin Caliste who hadserved him as models for his heroine were superior to her. He firstdedicated this work to her under the name of _un Etrangere_, butseeing the mistake the public made in ascribing this dedication to thePrincesse Belgiojoso, he at a later date specified the nationality, and inscribed the book:

 "To a Polish Lady:

 "Daughter of an enslaved land, an angel in love, a demon in imagination, a child in faith, an old man in experience, a man in brain, a woman in heart, a giant in hope, a mother in suffering and a poet in your dreams, --this work, in which your love and your fancy, your faith, your experience, your suffering, your hopes and your dreams are like chains by which hangs a web less lovely than the poetry cherished in your soul--the poetry whose expression when it lights up your countenance is, to those who admire you, what the characters of a lost language are to the learned--this work is yours. 

 "DE BALZAC. "

In _La fausse Maitresse_, Balzac represented Madame Hanska in the roleof the Countess Clementine Laginska, who was silently loved by ThaddeePaz, a Polish refugee. This Thaddee Paz was no other than ThaddeeWylezynski, a cousin who adored her, and who died in 1844. Balzaclearned of the warm attachment existing between Madame Hanska and hercousin soon after meeting her, and compared his faithful friend Borgetto her Thaddee. On hearing of the death of Thaddee, he writes her:"The death of Thaddee, which you announce to me, grieves me. You havetold me so much of him, that I loved one who loved you so well, _although_! You have doubtless guessed why I called Paz, Thaddee. Poordear one, I shall love you for all those whose love you lose!"

Balzac longed to be free from his debts, and have undisturbedpossession of _Les Jardies_, where they could live _en pigeonsheureux_. Ever inclined to give advice, he suggested to her that sheshould have her interests entirely separate form Anna's, quoting theaxiom, _N'ayez aucune collision d'interet avec vos enfants_, and thatshe was wrong in refusing a bequest from her deceased husband. Sheshould give up all luxuries, dismiss all necessary employees and notspend so much of her income but invest it. He felt that she and herdaughter were lacking in business ability; this proved to be too true, but Balzac was indeed a very poor person to advise her on thissubject; however, her lack of accuracy in failing to date her letterswas, to be sure, a great annoyance to him. 

On the other hand, she suspected her _Nore_, had again heard that hewas married, and that he was given to indulging in intoxicatingliquors; she advised him not to associate so much with women. 

Having eventually won her lawsuit, she returned to Wierzchownia in thespring of 1844, after a residence of almost two years in St. Petersburg. Her daughter Anna had made her debut in St. Petersburgsociety, and had met the young Comte George de Mniszech, who wasdestined to become her husband. Balzac was not pleased with thischoice, and felt that the _protege_ of the aged Comte Potocki wouldmake a better husband, for moral qualities were to be consideredrather than fortune. 

After spending the summer and autumn at her home, Madame Hanska wentto Dresden for the winter. As early as August, Balzac soughtpermission to visit her there, making his request in time to arrangehis work in advance and secure the money for the journey, in case sheconsented. While in St. Petersburg, she had given him money to buysome gift for Anna, so he planned to take both of them many beautifulthings, and _une cave de parfums_ as a gift _de nez a nez_. If shewould not consent to his coming to Dresden, he would come to Berlin, Leipsic, Frankfort, Aix-la-Chapelle, or anywhere else. He becameimpatient to know his fate, and her letters were so irregular that heexclaimed: "In heaven's name, write me regularly three times a month!"

Poor Balzac's dream was to be on the way to Dresden, but this was notto be realized. It will be remembered, that Madame Hanska's family didnot approve of Balzac nor did they appreciate his literary worth, theyfelt that the marriage would be a decided _mesalliance_, and exertedtheir influence against him. Discouraged by them and her friends, sheforbade his coming. While her family called him a _scribe exotique_, Balzac indirectly told her of the appreciation of other women, sayingthat Madame de Girardin considered him to be one of the most charmingconversationalists of the day. 

This uncertainty as to his going to visit his "Polar Star" affectedhim to such a degree that he could not concentrate his mind on hiswork, and he became impatient to the point of scolding her:

 "But, dear Countess, you have made me lose all the month of January and the first fifteen days of February by saying to me: 'I start --to-morrow--next week, ' and by making me wait for letters; in short, by throwing me into rages which I alone know! This has brought a frightful disorder into my affairs, for instead of getting my liberty February 15, I have before me a month of herculean labor, and on my brain I must inscribe this which will be contradicted by my heart: 'Think no longer of your star, nor of Dresden, nor of travel; stay at your chain and work miserably! . . . Dear Countess, I decidedly advise you to leave Dresden at once. There are princesses in that town who infect and poison your heart, and were it not for _Les Paysans_, I should have started at once to prove to that venerable invalid of Cythera how men of my stamp love; men who have not received, like her prince, a Russian pumpkin in place of a French heart from the hands of hyperborean nature. . . . Tell your dear Princess that I have known you since 1833, and that in 1845 I am ready to go from Paris to Dresden to see you for a day; and it is not impossible for me to make this trip; . . . "

In the meantime she had not only forbidden his coming to visit her, but had even asked him not to write to her again at Dresden, to whichhe replies:

 "May I write without imprudence, before receiving a counter-order? Your last letter counseled me not to write again to Dresden. However, I take up my pen on the invitation contained in your letter of the 8th. Since you, as well as your child, are absolutely determined to see your Lirette again, there is but one way for it, viz. , to come to Paris. "

He planned how she could secure a passport for Frankfort and the Rhineand meet him at Mayence, where he would have a passport for his sisterand his niece so that they could come to Paris to remain from March 15until May 15. Once in Paris, in a small suite of rooms furnished byhim, they could visit Lirette at the convent, take drives, frequentthe theatres, shop at a great advantage, and keep everything in thegreatest secrecy. He continues:

 "Dear Countess, the uncertainty of your arrival at Frankfort has weighed heavily on me, for how can I begin to work, whilst awaiting a letter, which may cause me to set out immediately? I have not written a line of the _Paysans_. From a material point of view, all this has been fatal to me. Not even your penetrating intelligence can comprehend this, as you know nothing of Parisian economy nor the difficulties in the life of a man who is trying to live on six thousand francs a year. "

Thus was his time wasted; and when he dared express gently andlovingly the feelings which were overpowering him, his beautiful_Chatelaine_ was offended, and rebuked him for his impatience. Desperate and almost frantic, he writes her:

 "Dresden and you dizzy me; I do not know what is to be done. There is nothing more fatal than the indecision in which you have kept me for three months. If I had departed the first of January to return February 28, I should be more advanced (in work) and I would have had two good months at St. Petersburg. Dear sovereign star, how do you expect me to be able to conceive two ideas, to write two sentences, with my heart and head agitated as they have been since last November; it is enough to drive a man mad! I have drenched myself with coffee to no avail, I have only increased the nervous trouble of my eyes; . . . I am between two despairs, that of not seeing you, of not having seen you, and the financial and literary chagrin, the chagrin of self-respect. Oh! Charles II was right in saying: 'But She? . . . ' in all matters which his ministers submitted to him. "

On receipt of a letter from her April 18, 1845, saying, "I desire muchto see you, " he rushed off at once to Dresden, forgetful of all else. In July, Madame Hanska and her daughter accompanied him home, traveling incognito as Balzac's sister and his niece, just as he hadplanned. Anna is said to have taken the name of Eugenie, perhaps inremembrance of Balzac's heroine, Eugenie Grandet. After stopping atvarious places on the way, they spent a few weeks at Paris. Balzac hadprepared a little house in Passy near him for his friends, and he tookmuch pleasure in showing them his treasures and Paris. Their identitywas not discovered, and in August he accompanied them as far asBrussels on their return to Dresden. There they met Count GeorgeMniszech, the fiance of Anna, who had been with them most of the time. 

Balzac could scarcely control his grief at parting, but he was notseparated from his _Predilecta_ long. The following month he spentseveral days with her at Baden-Baden, saying of his visit:

 "Baden has been for me a bouquet of sweet flowers without a thorn. We lived there so peacefully, so delightfully, and so completely heart to heart. I have never been so happy before in my life. I seemed to catch a glimpse of that future which I desire and dream of in the midst of my overwhelming labors. . . . "

The happiness of Madame Hanska did not seem to be so great, for, everuncertain, she consulted a fortune-teller about him. To this hereplies: "Tell your fortune-teller that her cards have lied, and thatI am not preoccupied with any blonde, except Dame Fortune. " As towhether she was justified in being suspicious, one can judge from thepreceding pages. Balzac always denied or explained to her theseaccusations; however true were some of his vindications of himself, hecertainly exaggerated in assuring her that he always told her theexact truth and never hid from her the smallest trifle whether good orbad. 

In October, 1845, the novelist left Paris again, met his "Polar Star, "her daughter and M. De Mniszech at Chalons, and accompanied them ontheir Italian tour by way of Marseilles as far as Naples. On hisreturn to Marseilles on November 12, he invested in wonderful bargainsin bric-a-brac, a favorite pursuit which eventually cost him a greatdeal in worry and time as well as much money. Madame Hanska hadsupplied his purse from time to time. 

Although he was being pressed by debts and for unfinished work, havingwasted almost the entire year and having had much extra expense intraveling, Balzac could not rise to the situation, and implored his_Chatelaine_ to resign herself to keeping him near her, for he haddone nothing since he left Dresden. In this frame of mind, he writes:

 "Nothing amuses me, nothing distracts me, nothing enlivens me; it is the death of the soul, the death of the will, the collapse of the entire being; I feel that I cannot take up my work until I see my life decided, fixed, settled. . . . I am quite exhausted; I have waited too long, I have hoped too much, I have been too happy this year; and I no longer wish anything else. After so many years of toil and misfortune, to have been free as a bird of the air, a thoughtless traveler, super-humanly happy, and then to come back to a dungeon! . . . Is that possible? . . . I dream, I dream by day, by night; and my heart's thought, folding upon itself, prevents all action of the thought of the brain--it is fearful!"

Balzac was ever seeing objects worthy to be placed in his artcollection, going quietly through Paris on foot, and having his friendMery continue to secure bargains at Marseilles. A most important eventat this period is the noticeable decline in the novelist's health. Though these attacks of neuralgia and numerous colds were regarded asrather casual, had he not been so imbued with optimism--an inheritancefrom his father--he might have foreseen the days of terrible sufferingand disappointment that were to come to him in Russia. Nature wasbeginning to revolt; the excessive use of coffee, the strain of longhours of work with little sleep, the abnormal life in general which hehad led for so many years, and this suspense about the ultimatedecision of the woman he so adored, were weakening him physically. 

In January, 1846, Madame Hanska was in Dresden again, and as wasalways the case when in that city, she wrote accusing him. This timethe charge was that of indulging in ignoble gossip, and the reproachwas so unjust that, without finishing the reading of the letter, heexposed himself for hours in the streets of Paris to snow, to cold andto fatigue, utterly crushed by this accusation of which he was soinnocent. In his delicate physical condition, such shocks wereconducive to cardiac trouble, especially since his heart had long beenaffected. After perusing the letter to the end, he reflected thatthese grievous words came not from her, but from strangers, so hepoured forth his burning adoration, his longing for a _home_, where hecould drink long draughts of a life in common, the life of two. 

In the following March the passionate lover was drawn by his_Predilecta_ to the Eternal City, and a few months later they were inStrasbourg, where a definite engagement took place. In October hejoined her again, this time at Wiesbaden, to attend the marriage ofAnna to the Comte George de Mniszech. This brief visit had adelightful effect: "From Frankfort to Forbach, I existed only inremembrance of you, going over my four days like a cat who hasfinished her milk and then sits licking her lips. "

Madame Hanska had constantly refused to be separated from herdaughter, but now Balzac hoped that he could hasten matters, so heapplied to his boyhood friend, M. Germeau, prefect of Metz, to see ifhe, in his official capacity, could not waive the formality of the lawand accelerate his marriage; but since all Frenchmen are equal beforethe _etat-civil_, this could not be accomplished. 

It was during their extensive travels in 1846 that Balzac begancalling the party "Bilboquet's troup of mountebanks": Madame Hanskabecame Atala; Anna, Zephirine; George, Gringalet; and Balzac, Bilboquet. Although Madame Hanska cautioned him about his extravagancein gathering works of art, he persisted in buying them whiletraveling, so it became necessary to find a home in which to place hiscollection. It is an interesting fact that while making thiscollection, he was writing _Le Cousin Pons_, in which the hero has apassion for accumulating rare paintings and curios with which he fillshis museum and impoverishes himself. Balzac had purposed calling thisbook _Le Parasite_, but Madame Hanska objected to this name, whichsmacked so strongly of the eighteenth century, and he changed it. Ashe was also writing _La Cousine Bette_ at this time, we can see notonly that his power of application had returned to him, but that hewas producing some of his strongest work. 

For some time Balzac had been looking for a home worthy of his_fiancee_ and had finally decided on the Villa Beaujon, in the rueFortunee. Since this home was created "for her and by her, " it wasnecessary for her to be consulted in the reconstruction and decorationof it, so he brought her secretly to Paris, and her daughter andson-in-law returned to Wierzchownia. This was not only a longseparation for so devoted a mother and daughter, but there was somedanger lest her incognito be discovered; Balzac, accordingly, tookevery precaution. It is easy to picture the extreme happiness of thenovelist in conducting his _Louloup_ over Paris, in having her nearhim while he was writing some of his greatest masterpieces, and, naturally, hoping that the everlasting debts would soon be defrayedand the marriage ceremony performed, but fortunately, he was notpermitted to know beforehand of the long wait and the many obstaclesthat stood in his way. 

Just what happened during the spring and summer of 1847 is uncertain, as few letters of this period exist in print. Miss Sandars (_Balzac_), states that about the middle of April Balzac conducted Madame Hanskato Forbach on her return to Wierzchownia, and when he returned toParis he found that some of her letters to him had been stolen, 30, 000francs being demanded for them at once, otherwise the letters to beturned over to the Czar. Miss Sandars states also that this troublehastened the progress of his heart disease, and that when the letterswere eventually secured (without the payment) Balzac burned them, lestsuch a catastrophe should occur again. The Princess Radziwill saysthat the story of the letters was invented by Balzac and isridiculous; also, that it angered her aunt because Balzac revealed hisignorance of Russian matters, by saying such things. Lawton (_Balzac_)intimates that Balzac and Madame Hanska quarreled, she being jealousand suspicious of his fidelity, and that he burned her letters. DeLovenjoul (_Un Roman d'Amour_) makes the same statement and adds thatthis trouble increased his heart disease. But he says also (_La Genesed'un Roman de Balzac_) that Madame Hanska spent two months secretly inParis in April and May; yet, a letter written by Balzac, datedFebruary 27, 1847, shows that she was in Paris at that time. 

Balzac went to Wierzchownia in September, 1847, and traveled soexpeditiously that he arrived there several days before his letterwhich told of his departure. When one remembers how he had plannedwith M. De Hanski more than ten years before to be his guest in thischateau, one can imagine his great delight now in journeying thitherwith the hope of accomplishing the great desire of his life. He wasroyally entertained at the chateau and was given a beautiful littlesuite of rooms composed of a salon, a sitting-room, and a bed-room. [*]

[*] This house, where all the mementos of Balzac, including his portrait, were preserved intact by the family, has been utterly destroyed by the Bolsheviks. 

Regarding the vital question of his marriage, he writes his sister:

 "My greatest wish and hope is still far from its accomplishment. Madame Hanska is indispensable to her children; she is their guide; she disentangles for them the intricacies of the vast and difficult administration of this property. She has given up everything to her daughter. I have known of her intentions ever since I was at St. Petersburg. I am delighted, because the happiness of my life will thus be freed from all self-interest. It makes me all the more earnest to guard what is confided to me. . . . It was necessary for me to come here to make me understand the difficulties of all kinds which stand in the way of the fulfilment of my desires. "[*]

[*] The above shows that Balzac's ardent passion for his _Predilecta_ was for herself alone, and that he was not actuated by his greed for gold, as has been stated by various writers. 

During this visit, Balzac complained of the cold of Russia in January, but his friends were careful to provide him with suitable wraps. Business matters compelled him to return to Paris in February. Inleaving this happy home, he must have felt the contrast in arriving inParis during the Revolution, and having to be annoyed again with hisold debts. This time, he went to his new home in the rue Fortunee, thehome that had cost the couple so much money and was to cause him somuch worry if not regret. 

About the last of September, 1848, Balzac left Paris again for Russia, and his family did not hear from him for more than a month after hisarrival. His mother was left with two servants to care for his home inthe rue Fortunee, as he expected to return within a few months. It isworthy of note that in this first letter to her, he spoke of being invery good health, for immediately afterwards, he was seized with acutebronchitis, and was ill much of the time during his prolonged stay ofeighteen months. 

Madame Hanska planned to have him pay the debts on their future homeas soon as the harvest was gathered, but concerning the most importantquestion he writes:

 "The Countess will make up her mind to nothing until her children are entirely free from anxieties regarding their fortune. Moreover, your brother's debts, whether his own, or those he has in common with the family, trouble her enormously. Nevertheless, I hope to return toward the end of August; but in no circumstance will I ever again separate myself from the person I love. Like the Spartan, I intend to return with my shield or upon it. "

Things were very discouraging at Wierzchownia; Madame Hanska hadfailed to receive much money which she was to inherit from an uncle, and, in less than six weeks, four fires had consumed several farmhouses and a large quantity of grain on the estate. Although they bothwere anxious to see the rue Fortunee, their departure was uncertain. 

But the most distressing complication was the condition of Balzac'shealth, which was growing worse. He complained of the frightfulAsiatic climate, with its excessive heat and cold; he had a perpetualheadache, and his heart trouble had increased until he could not mountthe stairs. But he had implicit faith in his physician, and with hisusual hopefulness felt that he would soon be cured, congratulatinghimself on having two such excellent physicians as Dr. Knothe and hisson. His surroundings were ideal, and each of the household had forhim an attachment tender, filial and sincere. It was necessary to hiswelfare that his life should be without vexation, and he asked hissister to entreat their mother to avoid anything which might cause himpain. 

On his part, he tried to spare his mother also from unpleasant news, and desired his sister to assist him in concealing from her the realfacts. He had had another terrible crisis in which he had been ill formore than a month with cephalalgic fever, and he had grown very thin. 

Though several of Balzac's biographers have criticized Madame Hanskamost bitterly for holding Balzac in Russia, and some have even gone sofar as to censure her for his early death, it will be remembered thathis health had long begun to fail, and that no constitution could longendure the severe strain he had given his. No climate could help hisworn-out body to a sufficient degree. Balzac himself praised theconduct of the entire Hanski family. The following is only one of hisnumerous testimonies to their devotion. 

 "Alas! I have no good news to send. In all that regards the affection, the tenderness of all, the desire to root out the evil weeds which encumber the path of my life, mother and children are sublime; but the chief thing of all is still subject to entanglements and delays, which make me doubt whether it is God's will that your brother should ever be happy, at least in that way; but as regards sincere mutual love, delicacy and goodness, it would be impossible to find another family like this. We live together as if there were only one heart amongst the four; this is repetition, but it cannot be helped, it is the only definition of the life I lead here. "

The situation of the author of the _Comedie humaine_ was at this timemost pitiable. Broken in health and living in a climate to which hisconstitution refused to be acclimated, [*] weighed down by a load ofdebt which he was unable to liquidate in his state of health (his workhaving amounted to very little during his stay in Russia), consumedwith a burning passion for the woman who had become the overpoweringfigure in the latter half of his literary career, possessing a pridethat was making him sacrifice his very life rather than give up hislong-sought treasure, the diamond of Poland, his very soul became soimbued with this devouring passion that the pour _moujik_ was scarcelymaster of himself. 

[*] Concerning the climate of Kieff, the Princess Radziwill says: "The story that the climate of Kieff was harmful to Balzac is also a legend. In that part of Russia, the climate is almost as mild as is the Isle of Wight, and Balzac, when he was staying with Madame Hanska, was nursed as he would never have been anywhere else, because not only did she love him with her whole heart, but her daughter and the latter's husband were also devoted to him. "

His family were suffering various misfortunes, and these, togetherwith his deplorable condition, caused Madame Hanska to contemplategiving up an alliance with a man whose family was so unfortunate andwhose social standing was so far beneath hers. She preferred to remainin Russia where she was rich, and moved in a high aristocratic circle, rather than to give up her property and assume the life of anxiety andtrials which awaited her as Madame Honore de Balzac. 

At times he became most despondent; the long waiting was affecting himseriously, and he hesitated urging a life so shattered as was his uponthe friend who, like a benignant star, had shone upon his path duringthe past sixteen years. 

 "If I lose all I have hoped to gain here, I should no longer live; a garret in the rue Lesdiguieres and a hundred francs a month would suffice for all I want. My heart, my soul, my ambition, all that is within me, desires nothing, except the one object I have had in view for sixteen years. If this immense happiness escapes me, I shall need nothing. I will have nothing. I care nothing for la rue Fortunee for its own sake; la rue Fortunee has only been created _for her_ and _by her_. "

The novelist was cautious in his letters lest there should be gossipabout his secret engagement, and his possible approaching marriage. Apropos of his marriage, he would say that it was postponed forreasons which he could not give his family; Madame Hanska had met withfinancial losses again through fires and crop failures. With hiscontinued illness, he had many things to trouble him. 

But with all his trials, Balzac remained in many ways a child. Afterthe terrible Moldavian fever which had endangered his life, in thefall of 1849 he took great pleasure in a dressing-gown of _termolana_cloth. He had wanted one of these gowns since he first saw this clothat Geneva in 1834. Again he was ill, for twenty days, and his onlyamusement was in seeing Anna depart for dances in costumes of royalmagnificence. The Russian toilettes were wonderful, and while thewomen ruined their husbands with their extravagance, the men ruinedthe toilettes of the ladies by their roughness. In a mazurka where themen contended for ladies' handkerchiefs, the young Countess had oneworth about five hundred francs torn in pieces, but her motherrepaired the loss by giving her another twice as costly. 

The year 1850, which was to prove so fatal to Balzac, opened with abad omen, had he realized it. His health, which he had neverconsidered as he should have done, was seriously affected, and earlyin January another illness followed which kept him in bed for severaldays. He thought that he had finally become acclimated, but afteranother attack a few weeks later he concluded that the climate wasimpossible for nervous temperaments. 

Such was, in brief, the story of his stay in Russia, but his optimismand devotion continued, and he writes:

 "It is sanguine to think I could set off on March 15, and in that case I should arrive early in April. But if my long cherished hopes are realized, there would be a delay of some days, as I should have to go to Kieff, to have my passport regulated. These hopes have become possibilities; these four or five successive illnesses--the sufferings of a period of acclimatization--which my affection has enabled me to take joyfully, have touched this sweet soul more than the few little debts which remain unpaid have frightened her as a prudent woman, and I foresee that all will go well. In the face of this happy probability, the journey to Kieff is not to be regretted, for the Countess has nursed me heroically without once leaving the house, so you ought not to afflict yourself for the little delay which will thus be caused. Even in that case, my, or our, arrival would be in the first fortnight of April. "

Until the very last, Balzac was very careful that his family shouldnot announce his expected wedding. Finally, all obstacles overcome, the long desired marriage occurred March 14, 1850. [*]

[*] Though Balzac speaks of having to obtain the Czar's permission to marry, the Princess Radziwill states that no permission was required, asked or granted. Balzac always gave March 14, 1850, as the date of his marriage while de Lovenjoul and M. Stanislas Rzewuski give the date as April 15, 1850. The Princess Radziwill writes: "Concerning the date of Balzac's marriage, it was solemnized as he wrote it to his family on March 2_14_1850, at Berditcheff in Poland. Balzac, however, was a French subject, and as such had to be married according to the French civil law, by a French consul. There did not exist one in Berditcheff, so they had perforce to repair to Kieff for this ceremony. The latter took place on April 3_15 of the same year, and this explains the discrepancy of dates you mention which refer to two different ceremonies. "

What must have been the novelist's feeling of triumph, after almostseventeen years of waiting, suffering and struggle, to write:

 "Thus, for the last twenty-four hours there has been a Madame Eve de Balzac, nee Countess Rzewuska, or a Madame Honore de Balzac, or a Madame de Balzac the elder. This is no longer a secret, as you see I tell it to you without delay. The witnesses were the Countess Mniszech, the son-in-law of my wife, the Count Gustave Olizar, brother-in-law of the Abbe Czarouski, the envoy of the Bishop; and the cure of the parish of Berditcheff. The Countess Anna accompanied her mother, both exceedingly happy . . . "

With great joy and childish pride, Balzac informed his old friend andphysician, Dr. Nacquart, who knew so well of his adoration for his"Polar Star" and his seventeen long years of untiring pursuit, that hehad become the husband of the grandniece of Marie Leczinska and thebrother-in-law of an aide-de-camp general of His Majesty the Emperorof all the Russias, the Count Adam Rzewuski, step-father of CountOrloff; the nephew of the Countess Rosalia Rzewuska, first lady ofhonor to Her Majesty the Empress; the brother-in-law of Count HenriRzewuski, the Walter Scott of Poland as Mizkiewicz is the Polish LordByron; the father-in-law of Count Mniszech, of one of the mostillustrious houses of the North, etc. , etc. !

Though this was by far and away Balzac's greatest and most passionatelove, the present writer cannot agree with the late Professor HarryThurston Peck in the following dictum: "It was his first real love, and it was her last; and, therefore, their association realized thevery characteristic aphorism which Balzac wrote in a letter to herafter he had known her but a few short weeks: 'It is only the lastlove of a woman that can satisfy the first love of a man. '"

After their marriage, the homeward journey was delayed several weeks. The baggage, which was to be conveyed by wagon, only left April 2, andit required about two weeks for it to reach Radziwiloff, owing to thegeneral thaw just set in. Then Balzac had a severe relapse due to lungtrouble, and it was twelve days before he recovered sufficiently totravel. He had an attack of ophthalmia at Kieff, and could scarcelysee; the Countess Anna fell ill with the measles, and her mother wouldnot leave until the Countess recovered. They started late in April forwhat proved to be a terrible journey, he suffering from heart trouble, and she from rheumatism. On the way they stopped for a few days atDresden, where Balzac became very ill again. His eyes were in such acondition that he could no longer see the letters he wrote. Thefollowing was written from Dresden, gives a glimpse of their troubles:

 "We have taken a whole month to go a distance usually done in six days. Not once, but a hundred times a day, our lives have been in danger. We have often been obliged to have fifteen or sixteen men, with levers, to get us out of the bottomless mudholes into which we have sunk up to the carriage-doors. . . . At last, we are here, alive, but ill and tired. Such a journey ages one ten years, for you can imagine what it is to fear killing each other, or to be killed the one by the other, loving each other as we do. My wife feels grateful for all you say about her, but her hands do not permit her to write. . . . "

Madame de Balzac has been most severely criticized for her lack ofaffection for Balzac, and their married life has generally beenconceded to have been very unhappy. This supposition seems to havebeen based largely on hearsay. Miss Sandars quotes from a letterwritten to her daughter on May 16 from Frankfort, in which, speakingof Balzac as "poor dear friend, " she seems to be quite ignorant of hiscondition, and to show more interest in her necklace than in herhusband. The present writer has not seen this _unpublished_ letter;but a _published_ letter dated a few days before the other, in whichshe not only refers to Balzac as her husband but shows both heraffection for him and her interest in his condition, runs as follows:

 "Hotel de Russie (Dresden). My husband has just returned; he has attended to all his affairs with a remarkable activity, and we are leaving to-day. I did not realize what an adorable being he is; I have known him for seventeen years, and every day, I perceive that there is a new quality in him which I did not know. If he could only enjoy health! Speak to M. Knothe about it, I beg you. You have no idea how he suffered last night! I hope his natal air will help him, but if this hope fails me, I shall be much to be pitied, I assure you. It is such happiness to be loved and protected thus. His eyes are also very bad; I do not know what all that means, and at times, I am very sad. I hope to give you better news to-morrow, when I shall write you. "

Comments have been made on the fact that Balzac wrote his sister hiswife's hands were too badly swollen from rheumatism to write and yetshe wrote to her daughter, but there is a difference between amother's letter to her only child, and one to a mother-in-law ashostile as she knew hers to be. She probably did not care to write, and Balzac, to smooth matters for her, gave this excuse. 

The long awaited but tragic arrival took place late in the night ofMay 20, 1850. The home in the rue Fortunee was brilliantly lighted, and through the windows could be seen the many beautiful flowersarranged in accordance with his oft repeated request to his poor oldmother. But alas! to their numerous tugs at the door-bell no responsecame, so a locksmith had to be sent for to open the doors. Theminutest details of Balzac's orders for their reception had beenobeyed, but the unfortunate, faithful Francois Munch, under theexcitement and strain of the preparations, had suddenly gone insane. 

Was this a sinister omen, or was it an exemplification of the oldTurkish proverb, "The house completed, death enters"? Our hero'smarriage proved to be the last of his _illusions perdues_, for onlythree months more were to be granted him. MM. Hanotaux et Vicaire havepertinently remarked that five years before his death, Balzac closed_Les petites Miseres de la Vie conjugal_ with these prophetic words:"Who has not heard an Italian opera of some kind in his life? . . . You must have noticed, then, the musical abuse of the word_felichitta_ lavished by the librettist and the chorus at the timeevery one is rushing from his box or leaving his stall. Ghastly imageof life. One leaves it the moment the _felichitta_ is heard. " After somany years of waiting and struggle, he attained the summit ofhappiness, but was to obey the summons of death and leave this worldjust as the chorus was singing "_Felichitta_. "

Some of Balzac's biographers have criticized Madame Honore de Balzacnot only for having been heartless and indifferent towards him, butfor having neglected him in his last days on earth. Her nephew, M. Stanislas Rzewuski, defended her, he said, not because she was hisaunt but because of the injustice done to the memory of this poor_etrangere_, whose faithful tenderness, admiration and devotion hadcomforted the earthly exile of a man of genius. Balzac, realizing hishopeless condition, was despondent; his hopes were blighted, and hisphysical sufferings doubtless made him irritable. On the other hand, Madame de Balzac, however, seductive and charming, however worthy ofbeing adored and being his "star, " had a high temper. This was thenatural temper of an aristocratic woman. It never passed the limits ofdecorum, but it was violent and easily provoked. [*] Then too, she hadbeen accustomed to luxury and had never known poverty. She was illalso and probably disappointed in life. 

[*] The Princess Radziwill states that there are several inaccuracies in this article by her half-brother. He was very young when their aunt died, and he was influenced by his mother, who never liked Madame de Balzac. She points out that her aunt's temper was most even, that she never heard her raise her voice, and only once saw her angry. 

M. Rzewuski has resented, and doubtless justly so, the oft-quoteddeath scene by Victor Hugo. He says that at such a time the great poetwas perhaps a most unwelcome guest and she had left the room to avoidhim; that she probably returned before Balzac's last moments came;that Hugo was only there a short while; that if she did not return shecould not have known that this was to be Balzac's last night on earth, and that, worn out with watching and waiting, she was justified inretiring to seek a much needed rest. [*]

[*] As to Octave Mirbeau's calumnious story, denied by both the Countess Mniszech and Gigoux's nephew and heir, the Princess Radziwill states that when Balzac died, her aunt did not know Gigoux and had never seen him. He was introduced to her only in 1860 by her daughter, who asked him to paint her mother's portrait; and they became good friends. 

The story is told that when Dr. Nacquart informed Balzac that he mustdie, the novelist exclaimed: "Go call Bianchon! Bianchon will save me!Bianchon!" The Princess Radziwill states, however, that she has heardher aunt say often that this story is not true. But were it true, Balzac's condition was such that no physician could have saved him, even though possessing all the ability portrayed by the novelist inthe notable and omnipresent Dr. Horace Bianchon, who had saved so manycharacters of the _Comedie humaine_, who had comforted in their dyinghours all ranks from the poverty-stricken Pere Goriot to the wealthyMadame Graslin, from the corrupt Madame Marneffe to the angelicPierette Lorrain, whose incomparable fame had spread over a large partof Europe. 

Madame Hanska has been reproached also for the medical treatment givenBalzac in Russia. It is doubtless true that lemon juice is notconsidered the proper treatment for heart disease in this enlightenedage, but seventy years ago, in the wilds of Russia, there was probablyno better medical aid to be secured; and even if Dr. Knothe and hisson were "charlatans, " it will be remembered that Balzac not only hada _penchant_ for such, but that he was very fond of these twophysicians and thought their treatment superior to that which wasgiven at Paris. 

M. De Fiennes complained that grass was allowed to grow on Balzac'sgrave. To this M. Eugene de Mirecourt replied that what M. De Fienneshad taken for grass was laurel, thyme, buckthorn and white jasmine;the grave of Balzac was constantly and religiously kept in good orderby his widow. One could ask any of the gardeners of Pere-Lachaisethereupon. 

Whatever the attitude of Balzac's wife towards him during his life, she acted most nobly indeed in the matter of his debts. Instead ofaccepting the inheritance left her in her husband's will and sellingher rights in all his works, the beautiful _etrangere_ acceptedcourageously the terrible burden left to her, and paid the novelist'smother an annuity of three thousand francs until her death, whichoccurred March, 1854. She succeeded in accomplishing this liquidation, which was of exceptional difficulty, and long before her death everyone of Balzac's creditors had been paid in full. 

There seems to be no _authoritative_ proof that Balzac's married lifewas either happy or unhappy. The Princess Radziwill always understoodfrom her aunt that they were as happy as one could expect, consideringthat Balzac's days were numbered. The present writer is fain to say, with Mr. Edward King: "He died happy, for he died in the fullrealization of a pure love which had upheld him through some of thebitterest trials that ever fall to the lot of man. "

 "Say to your dear child the most tenderly endearing things in the name of one of the most sincere and faithful friends she will ever have, not excepting her husband, for I love her as her father loved her. "[*]

[*] The Countess Mniszech died in September, 1914, at the age of eighty-nine, so must have been born about 1825 or 1826. She spent the twenty-five years preceding her demise in a convent in the rue de Vaugirard in Paris and retained her right mind until the day of her death. It will always be one of the greatest regrets of the present writer that she did not know of this before the Countess's death, for the Countess could doubtless have given her much information not to be obtained elsewhere. 

Balzac was probably never more sincere than when he wrote thismessage, for perhaps no father ever loved his own child more devotedlythan he loved Anna, the only child living of M. And Mme. De Hanski. 

Most of Balzac's biographers who state that he met Madame Hanska onthe promenade, say that her little daughter was with her. Wherever hefirst met her, she won his heart completely. Some pebbles she gatheredduring his first visit to her mother at Neufchatel, Balzac had madeinto a little cross, on the back of which was engraved: _adoremus inaeternum_. She was at this time about seven or eight years of age. When he visited them again at Geneva, their friendship increased, andin writing to her mother he sent the child kisses from _son pauvrecheval_. He loved her little playthings, some of which he kept on hisdesk; was always wanting to send her gifts, anxious for her health andhappiness, took great interest in her musical talent, and was everdelighted to hear of her progress or pleasures. One of his rathertypical messages to her in her earlier years was: "Place a kiss onAnna's brow from the most tranquil steed she will ever have in herstables. "

As she grew older, the novelist thought of dedicating one of his worksto her, and wrote to her mother that the first _young girl_ story heshould compose he would like to dedicate to Anna, if agreeable to bothof them. The mother's consent was granted, and he assured her that thestory Pierrette (written, by the way, in ten days) was suitable forAnna to read. "_Pierrette_ is one of those tender flowers ofmelancholy which in advance are certain of success. As the book is forAnna, I do not wish to tell you anything about it, but leave you thepleasure of surprise. "

 "To Mademoiselle Anna de Hanska:

 "Dear Child, you, the joy of an entire home, you whose white or rose-colored scarf flutters in the summer through the groves of Wierzchownia, like a will-o'-the-wisp, followed by the tender eyes of your father and mother--how can I dedicate to you a story full of melancholy? But is it not well to tell you of sorrow such as a young girl so fondly loved as you are will never know? For some day your fair hands may comfort the unfortunate. It is so difficult, Anna, to find in the history of our manners any incident worthy of meeting your eye, that an author has no choice; but perhaps you may discern how happy you are from reading this story, sent by

 "Your old friend, "DE BALZAC. "

Balzac was very proud of the success of _Pierrette_, and wished MadameHanska to have Anna read it, assuring her that there was nothing"improper" in it. 

 "_Pierrette_ has appeared in the _Siecle_. The manuscript is bound for Anna. _L'envoi_ has appeared; I enclose it to you. Friends and enemies proclaim this little book a masterpiece; I shall be glad if they are not mistaken. You will read it soon, as it is being printed in book form. People have placed it beside the _Recherche de l'Absolu_. I am willing. I myself would like to place it beside Anna. "[*]

[*] The dedication was placed at the end, _en envoi_. 

After the death of Anna's father, Balzac advised her mother in manyways. His interest in Anna's musical ability, which was very rare, increased and he had Liszt call on Madame Hanska and play for themwhen he went to St. Petersburg. He expressed his gratitude to Lisztfor this favor by dedicating to him _La Duchesse de Langeais_. Heregretted this later, after the musician fell into such discredit. 

Balzac was anxious that Madame Hanska should manage the estate wisely, and that she should be very careful in selecting a husband for Anna. The young girl had many suitors at St. Petersburg, and he expressedhis opinion freely about them. He wanted her to be happily married, and wrote her mother regarding the essential qualities of a husband. He loved Anna for her mother's sake as well as for her own, and whenthe fond mother wrote him about certain traits of her daughter heencouraged her to be proud of Anna, for she was far superior to thebest-bred young people of Paris. 

He did not approve, at first, of the young Count de Mniszech andchampioned another suitor; later he and the Count became warm friends, and in 1846, he dedicated to him _Maitre Cornelius_, written in 1831. Besides having a very handsome cane made for him, he sent him manygifts. 

Balzac expressed his admiration of Anna not only to her mother, but toothers. He wrote the Count, who was soon to become her husband, thatshe was the most charming young girl he had ever seen in the mostrefined circles of society. He found her far more attractive than hisniece, who had the bloom of a beautiful Norman, and he thought thatpossibly some of his admiration for her was due to his great affectionfor her mother. 

One is surprised to see what foresight Balzac had--so many things hesaid proved to be true. He thought, for instance, that Anna had thephysique to live a hundred years, that she had no sense of thepractical, that her mother--as he took care to warn her--would do wellto keep her estate separate from her daughter's, or otherwise shemight some day have cause for regret. Whether Madame Honore de Balzacwas too busy with literary and business duties after her husband'sdeath, or whether her extreme affection prevented her from refusingher only child anything she wished, the results were disastrous. Itwas fortunate for Balzac that he did not live to see the fate of thisparagon, for this would have grieved him deeply, while he probablywould not have been able to remedy matters. 

While a part of Balzac's affection for Anna was doubtless owing to hisadoration for her mother, she must have had in her own person somevery charming traits, for after he had lived in their home for morethan a year, where he must have studied her most carefully, he says ofher: "It is true that the Countess Anna and Count George are two idealperfections; I did not believe two such beings could exist. There is anobleness of life and sentiment, a gentleness of manners, an evennessof temper, which cannot be believed unless you have lived with them. With all this, there is a playfulness, a spontaneous gaiety, whichdispels weariness or monotony. Never have I been so thoroughly in myright place as here. "

Balzac certainly was not tactful in continually praising the youngCountess to his sister and his nieces, but he was doubtless sincere, and no record has been found of his ever having changed his opinion ofthis young Russian whom he loved so tenderly. 

A woman who played an important role in Balzac's association withMadame Hanska was Mademoiselle Henriette Borel, called Lirette. Shehad been governess in the home of Madame Hanska since 1824. Sympathetic and devoted to the children, she grieved when death tookthem. She helped save Anna's life, for which the entire family lovedher. It was doubtless due to her influence that M. De Hanski and hisfamily chose Neufchatel, her home city, as a place to sojourn. Theyarrived there in the summer of 1833, and left early in October of thesame year. While at Neufchatel they were very gracious to Lirette'srelatives and Madame Hanska invited them to visit her at Geneva. 

Whether Lirette wrote with her own hand the first letter sent byMadame Hanska to Balzac--letters which de Lovenjoul says were not inthe handwriting of the _Predilecta_--we shall probably never know, butthat she knew of the secret correspondence and aided in it is seenfrom the following:

 "My celestial love, find an impenetrable place for my letters. Oh! I entreat you, let no harm come to you. Let Henriette be their faithful guardian, and make her take all the precautions that the genius of woman dictates in such a case. . . . Do not deceive yourself, my dear Eve; one does not return to Mademoiselle Henriette Borel a letter so carefully folded and sealed without looking at it. There are clever dissimulations. Now I entreat you, take a carriage that you may never get wet in going to the post. . . . Go every Wednesday, because the letters posted here on Sunday arrive on Wednesday. I will never, whatever may be the urgency, post letters for you on any day except Sunday. Burn the envelopes. Let Henriette scold the man at the post-office for having delivered a letter which was marked _poste restante_, but scold him laughing, . . . "

Balzac courteously sent greetings to Lirette in his letters to MadameHanska, and evidently liked her. Her religious tendencies probablyimpressed him many years before she took the veil, for he writes ofher praying for him. 

While Balzac naturally met Lirette in his visits to Madame Hanska, itwas while he was at St. Petersburg in the summer of 1843 that hebecame more intimate with her, for she had decided to become a nun, and consulted him on many points. Since she was to enter a convent atParis, he visited a priest there for her, secured the necessarydocuments, and advised her about many matters, especially her propertyand the convent she should enter. Though he aided her in every way hecould, he did not approve of this step, but when she arrived in Paris, he entertained her in his home, giving up his room for her. At varioustimes he went with her to the convent and his housekeeper, Madame deBrugnolle, also was very kind to her. 

Lirette impressed the novelist as being very stupid, and he wonderedhow his "Polar Star" could have ever made a friend of her. She was asblind a Catholic as she had been a blind Protestant. She seemedwilling now to have him marry Madame Hanska, after many years ofaversion to him. He tried to impress upon her that a rich nun was muchbetter treated than a poor one, but she would not listen to him, andinsisted on making what he considered a premature donation ofeverything she possessed to her convent. She annoyed him very muchwhile he was trying to save her property, yet he was pleased to dothis for the sake of his _Predilecta_ and Anna. He looked after herwith the same solicitude that a father would have for his child, andafter doing everything possible for her, he conducted her to the_Convent de la Visitation_ without a word of thanks from her, thoughhe had made sacrifices for her, and though his housekeeper had slepton a mattress on the floor, giving up her room in order that Liretteshould have suitable quarters. But although hurt by her ingratitude hehad enjoyed talking with her, for she brought him news from hisfriends in Russia. 

Lirette evidently did not realize what she was doing in the matter ofthe convent, and was displeased with many things after entering it. Balzac was vexed at what she wrote to Madame Hanska, but felt that shewas not altogether responsible for her actions, believing that it wasa very personal sentiment which caused her to enter the convent. [*] Hecould not understand her indifference to her friends, she did penanceby keeping a letter from Anna eighteen days before opening it. Hefound her stupidity unequaled, but he sent his housekeeper to see her, and visited her himself when he had time. 

[*] It has been stated that Mademoiselle Borel was so impressed by the chants, lights and ceremony at the funeral of M. De Hanski in November 1841, that it caused her to give up her protestant faith and enter the convent. Miss Sandars (_Balzac_) has well remarked: "We may wonder, however, whether tardy remorse for her deceit towards the dead man, who had treated her with kindness, had not its influence in causing this sudden religious enthusiasm, and whether the Sister in the Convent of the Visitation in Paris gave herself extra penance for her sins of connivance. " Mademoiselle died in this convent, rue d'Enfer, in 1857. 

In addition to all this, the poor novelist had one more trial toundergo; this was to see her take the vows (December 2, 1845). He wasmisinformed as to the time of the ceremony, so went too soon andwasted much precious time, but he remained through the long service inorder to see her afterwards. But in all this Lirette was to accomplishone thing for him. As she had helped in his correspondence, she wassoon to be the means of bringing him and his _Chatelaine_ togetheragain; the devotion of Madame Hanska and Anna to the former governessbeing such that they came to Paris to see her. 

In the home of the de Hanskis in the Russian waste were two otherwomen, Mesdemoiselles Severine and Denise Wylezynska, who were to playa small part in Balzac's life. Both of these relatives probably camewith M. De Hanski and his family to Switzerland in 1833; their namesare mentioned frequently in his letters to Madame Hanska, and soonafter his visit at Neufchatel the novelist asks that MademoiselleSeverine preserve her gracious indifference. These ladies were cousinsof M. De Hanski, and probably were sisters of M. Thaddee Wylezynski, mentioned in connection with Madame Hanska. After her husband's death, Madame Hanska must have invited these two ladies to live with her, forBalzac inquires about the two young people she had with her. 

Mademoiselle Denise has been suspected of having written the firstletter for Madame Hanska, and the dedication of _La Grenadiere_ hasbeen replaced by the initials "A. D. W. , " supposed to mean "a DeniseWylezynska"; the actual dedication is an unpublished correction ofBalzac himself. 

The relative that caused Balzac the most discomfort was the CountessRosalie Rzewuska, nee Princess Lubomirska, wife of Count WenceslasRzewuski, Madame Hanska's uncle. She seems to have been continuallyhearing either that he was married, or something that was detrimental, and kept him busy denying these reports:

 "I have here your last letter in which you speak to me of Madame Rosalie and of _Seraphita_. Relative to your aunt, I confess that I am ignorant by what law it is that persons so well bred can believe such calumnies. I, a gambler! Can your aunt neither reason, calculate nor combine anything except whist? I, who work, even here, sixteen hours a day, how should I go to a gambling-house that takes whole nights? It is as absurd as it is crazy. . . . Your letter was sad; I felt it was written under the influence of your aunt. . . . Let your aunt judge in her way of my works, of which she knows neither the whole design nor the bearing; it is her right. I submit to all judgements. . . . Your aunt makes me think of a poor Christian who, entering the Sistine chapel just as Michael-Angelo has drawn a nude figure, asks why the popes allow such horrors in Saint Peter's. She judges a work from at least the same range in literature without putting herself at a distance and awaiting its end. She judges the artist without knowing him, and by the sayings of ninnies. All that give me little pain for myself, but much for her, if you love her. But that you should let yourself be influenced by such errors, that does grieve me and makes me very uneasy, for I live by my friendships only. "

In spite of this, Balzac wished to obtain the good will of "MadameRosalie, " and sympathized with her when she lost her son. But she hada great dislike for Paris, and after the death of M. De Hanski, sheobjected to her niece's going there. The novelist felt that she washis sworn enemy, and that she went too far in her hatred of everythingimplied in the word _Paris_[*]; yet he pardoned her for the sake ofher niece. 

[*] The reason why Madame Rosalie had such a horror of Paris was that her mother was guillotined there, --the same day as Madame Elizabeth. Madame Rosalie was only a child at that time, and was discovered in the home of a washerwoman. 

It was Caliste Rzewuska, the daughter of this aunt, whom Balzac had inmind when he sketched _Modeste Mignon_. She was married to M. Michele-Angelo Cajetani, Prince de Teano and Duc de Sermoneta, to whom_Les Parents pauvres_ is dedicated. 

Balzac seems to have had something of the same antipathy for MadameHanska's sister Caroline that he had for her aunt Rosalie, but sincehe wrote to his _Predilecta_ many unfavorable things of a privatenature about his family, she may have done the same concerning hers, so that he may not have had a fair opportunity of judging her. He wasfriendly towards her at times, and she is the Madame Cherkowitch ofhis letters. 

It was probably Madame Hanska's sister Pauline, Madame Jean Riznitch, whose servants were to receive a reward from a rich _moujik_ in casethey could arrange to have him see Balzac. This _moujik_ was a greatadmirer of the novelist, had read all his books, burnt a candle toSaint Nicholas for him every week, and was anxious to meet him. SinceMadame Riznitch lived not far from Madame Hanska, he hoped to seeBalzac when he visited Wierzschownia. 

The relative whose association with Balzac seems to have caused MadameHanska the most discomfort was her cousin, the Countess Marie Potocka. He met her when he visited his _Chatelaine_ in Geneva_, where theCountess Potocka entertained him, and after his return to Paris, hecalled on Madame Appony, wife of the Austrian ambassador, to deliver aletter for her. Before going to Geneva he had heard of her, and hadconfused her identity with that of the _belle Grecque_ who had diedseveral years before. 

During his visit to Geneva the novelist deemed it wise to explain hisattentions to Madame P-----: "It would have seemed ridiculous (to theothers) for me to have occupied myself with you only. I was bound torespect you, and in order to talk to you so much, it was necessary forme to talk to Madame P-----. What I wrote you this morning is of anature to show you how false are your fears. I never ceased to look atyou while talking to Madame P-----. "

After his return to Paris he wrote a letter to Madame P-----, and wascareful to explain this also:

 "Do not be jealous of Madame P-----'s letter; that woman must be _for us_. I have flattered her, and I want her to think that you are disdained. . . . My enemies are spreading a rumor of my _liaison_ with a Russian princess; they name Madame P----- . . . Oh! my love, I swear to you I wrote to Madame P----- only to prevent the road to Russia being closed to me. "

He received a letter from her which he did not answer, for he wishedto end this correspondence. It is within the bounds of possibilitythat Balzac cared more for the Countess Potocka than he admitted tohis "Polar Star, " but several years later, when she had becomeavaricious, he formed an aversion to her and warned Madame Hanska tobeware of her cousin. 

 CONCLUSION

 "I live by my friendships only. "

Many people write their romances, others live them; Honore de Balzacdid both. This life so full of romantic fiction mingled with sternreality, where the burden of debt is counter-balanced by dramaticpassion, where hallucination can scarcely be distinguished from fact, where the weary traveler is ever seeking gold, rest, or love, everlonging to be famous and to be loved, where the hero, secluded as in amonastery, suddenly emerges to attend an opera, dressed in the mostgaudy attire, where he lacks many of the comforts of life, yetsuddenly crosses half the continent, allured by the fascinations of awoman, this life is indeed a _roman balzacien par excellence_!

He tried to shroud his life, especially his association with women, inmystery. Now since the veil is partially lifted, one can see how greatwas the role they played. It has been said that twelve thousandletters were written to Balzac by women, some to express theiradmiration, some to recognize themselves in a delightful personage hehad created, others to thank him or condemn him for certain attitudeshe had sustained towards woman. 

For him to have so thoroughly understood the feminine mind andtemperament, to have given to this subtle chameleon its various hues, to have portrayed woman with her many charms and caprices, and to havedescribed woman in her various classes and at all ages, he must haveobserved her, or rather, he must have known her. He very justly saysin his _Avant-propos_:

 "When Buffon described the lion, he dismissed the lioness with a few phrases; but in society the wife is not always the female of the male. There may be two perfectly dissimilar beings in one household. The wife of a shopkeeper is sometimes worthy of a prince and the wife of a prince is often worthless compared with the wife of an artisan. The social state has freaks which are not found in the natural world; it is nature _plus_ society. The description of the social species would thus be at least double that of the animal species, merely in view of the two sexes. "

Thus, he made a special study of woman, penetrated, like a fatherconfessor, into her innermost secrets, and if he has not painted theduchesses with the delicacy due them, it was not because he did notknow or had not studied them, but probably because he was picturingthem with his Rabelaisian pen. 

He knew many women who were active during the reign of Louis XVI, women who were conspicuous under the Empire, and women who wereprominent in society during the Restoration, hence, one wouldnaturally expect to find traces of them in his works. 

But it is not only this type of woman that Balzac has presented. Hepainted the _bourgeoise_ in society, as seen in the daughters of_Pere Goriot_, and many others, the various types of the _vieillefille_ such as Mademoiselle Zephirine Guenic (_Beatrix_) who neverwished to marry, Cousine Bette who failed in her matrimonial attempts, and Madame Bousquier (_La vieille Fille) who finally succeeded inhers. 

The working class is represented in such characters as MadameRemonencq (_Le Cousin Pons_) and Madame Cardinal (_Les petitsBourgeois_), while the servant class is well shown in the person ofthe _grand_ Nanon (_Eugenie Grandet_), the faithful Fanny (_LaGrenadiere_), and many others. As has been seen, there is a trace ofhis old servant, Mere Comin, in the person of Madame Vaillant (_FacinoCane_), and Mere Cognette and La Rabouilleuse (_La Rabouilleuse_) aresaid to be people he met while visiting Madame Carraud. The novelistmust have known many such women, for his mother and sisters hadservants, and in the homes of Madame de Berny, Madame Carraud andMadame de Margonne, he certainly knew the servants, not to mentionthose he observed at the cafes and in his wanderings. 

Balzac knew several young girls at different periods of his life. Hissister Laure was his first and only companion in his earlier years, and he knew his sister Laurence especially well in the yearsimmediately preceding her marriage. Madame Carraud was a schoolmate ofMadame Surville and visited in his home as a young girl. He was notonly acquainted with the various daughters of Madame de Berny, but atone time there was some prospect of his marrying Julie. Josephine andConstance, daughters of Madame d'Abrantes, were acquaintances of hisduring their early womanhood. He must have known Mademoiselle deTrumilly as he presented himself as her suitor, and being entertainedin her home frequently, doubtless saw her sisters also. Since heaccompanied his sister to balls in his youth, it is natural to supposethat he met young girls there, even if there is no record of it. 

A few years later he became devoted to the two daughters of his sisterLaure, and lived with her for a short time. He knew Madame Hanska'sdaughter Anna in her childhood, but was most intimate with her whenshe was about twenty. While Madame de Girardin was not so young, hemet her several years before her marriage, called her Delphine, andregarded her somewhat as his pupil. He liked Marie de Montbeau and hermother, Camille Delannoy, who was a friend of his sister Laure and thedaughter of the family friend, Madame Delannoy. Though not intimatewith her, he met and observed Eugenie, the daughter of Madame deBolognini at Milan, and probably was acquainted with Inez andHyacinthe, the two daughters of Madame Desbordes-Valmore. 

In his various works, he has portrayed quite a number of young girlsvarying greatly in rank and temperament, among the most prominentbeing Marguerite Claes (_La Recherche de l'Absolu_), noted for herability and her strength of character, headstrong and much pettedEmilie de Fontaine (_Le Bal de Sceaux_), Laurence de Cinq-Cygne, thevery zealous Royalist (_Une tenebreuse Affaire_), romantic ModesteMignon, pitiable Pierrette Lorrain, dutiful and devout Ursule Mirouet, unfortunate Fosseuse (_Le Medecin de Campagne_), bold and unhappyRosalie de Watteville (_Albert Savarus_), and the well-known EugenieGrandet. 

The novelist has revealed to us that he modeled one of these heroineson a combination of the woman who later became his wife, and hercousin, a most charming woman. It is quite possible that some if notall of the other heroines would be found to have equally interestingsources, could they be discovered. 

Concerning the much discussed question as to whether Balzac portrayedyoung girls well, M. Marcel Barriere remarks:

 "There are critics stupid enough to say that Balzac knew nothing of the art of painting young girls; they make use of the inelegant, unpolished word _rate_ to qualify his portraits of this _genre_. To be sure, Balzac's triumph is, we admit, in his portraits of mothers or passionate women who know life. Certain authors, without counting George Sand, have given us sketches of young girls far superior to Balzac's, but that is no reason for scoffing in so impertinent a manner at the author of the _Comedie humaine_, when his unquestionable glory ought to silence similar pamphletistic criticisms. We advise those who reproach Balzac for not having understood the simplicity, modesty and graces so full of charm, or often the artifice of the young girl, to please reread in the _Scenes de la Vie privee_ the portraits of Louise de Chaulieu, Renee de Maucombe, Modeste Mignon, Julie de Chatillonest, Honorine de Beauvan, Mademoiselle Guillaume, Emilie de Fontaine, Mademoiselle Evangelista, Adelaide du Rouvre, Ginervra di Piombo, etc. , without mentioning, in other _Scenes_, Eugenie Grandet, Eve Sechard, Pierrette Lorrain, Ursule Mirouet, Mesdemoiselles Birotteau, Hulot d'Ervy, de Cinq-Cygne, La Fosseuse, Marguerite Claes, Juana de Mancini, Pauline Gaudin, and I hope they will keep silence, otherwise they will cause us to question their good sense of criticism. "

Balzac said it would require a Raphael to create so many virgins;accordingly, from time to time the type of woman of the other extremeis also seen. She is portrayed in the _grande dame_ and in the_courtisane_, that is, at the top and the bottom of the social ladder. On the one side are the Princesse de Cadignan, the Comtesse de Seriby, etc. , while on the other are Esther Gobseck, Valerie Marneffe, andothers. Some of the novelist's most striking antitheses were attainedby placing these horrible creatures by the side of his noblest andpurest creations. 

In his _Avant-propos_, he criticized Walter Scott for having portrayedhis women as Protestants, saying: "In Protestantism there is nopossible future for the woman who has sinned; while, in the CatholicChurch, the hope of forgiveness makes her sublime. Hence, for theProtestant writer there is but one woman, while the Catholic writerfinds a new woman in each new situation. " Naturally, most of the womenof the _Comedie humaine_ are Catholic, but among the exceptions isMadame Jeanrenaud (_L'Interdiction_), who is a Protestant; JosephaMirah and Esther Gobseck are of Jewish origin. In portraying variouswomen as Catholics, convent life for the young girl is seen in_Memoires de deux jeunes mariees_, and for the woman weary of society, in _La Duchesse de Langeais_. Extreme piety is shown in Madame deGranville (_Une double Famille_), and Madame Graslin devoted herselfto charity to atone for her crime. 

Various pictures are given of woman in the home. Ideal happiness isportrayed in the life of Madame Cesar Birotteau. Madame Grandet, Madame Hulot (_La Cousine Bette_), and Madame Claes (_La Recherche del'Absolu_) were martyrs to their husbands, while Madame Serizy made amartyr of hers. Beautiful motherhood is often seen, as in MadameSauviat (_Le Cure de Village_), yet some of the mothers in Balzac aremost heartless. A few professions among women are represented, actresses, artists, musicians and dancers being prominent in some ofthe stories. 

It is quite possible and even probable that Balzac pictured many morewomen whom he knew in real life than have been mentioned here, andthese may yet be traced. For obvious reasons, he avoided exactportraiture, yet in a few instances he indulged in it, notably in thesketch of George Sand as Mademoiselle des Touches. And lest one mightnot recognize the appearance of Madame Merlin as Madame Schontz(_Beatrix_), he boldly made her name public. 

In presenting the women whom we know, the novelist was usuallyconsistent. As has been seen, he regarded the home of Madame Carraudat Frapesle as a haven of rest, and went there like a wood-pigeonregaining its nest. The suffering Felix de Vandenesse (_Le Lys dans laVallee_) could not, therefore, find calm until he went to the chateaude Frapesle to recuperate. The novelist could easily give this minutedescription of Frapesle with its towers, as well as the chateau deSache, the home of M. De Margonne, having spent so much of his time atboth of these places. 

The reader, having seen in the early pages of this book, Balzac'srelation to his mother, --in case Felix de Vandenesse represents Balzachimself--is not surprised to learn that the mother of Felix was coldand tyrannical, indifferent to his happiness, that he had but littleor no money to spend, that his brother was the favorite, that he wassent away to school early in life and remained there eight years, thathis mother often reproached him and repressed his tenderness, and thatto escape all contact with her he buried himself in his reading. 

Felix was in this unhappy state when he met Madame de Mortsauf, whoseshoulders he kissed suddenly, and whose love for him later made himforget the miseries of childhood; in the same manner, Balzac made hisfirst declaration to Madame de Berny. Madame de Mortsauf could easilybe Madame de Berny with all her tenderness and sympathy, or she couldbe Madame Hanska. The intense maternal love of the heroine couldrepresent either, but especially the latter. M. De Mortsauf could beeither M. De Berny or M. De Hanski. Balzac left Madame de Berny andbecame enraptured with Madame de Castries, and had had a similarinfatuation for Madame d'Abrantes, just as Felix made Madame deMortsauf jealous by his devotion to Lady Arabelle Dudley. It will beremembered that Madame Hanska was suspicious of Balzac's relationswith an English lady, Countess Visconti, although the novelist statesthat he had written this work before he knew Madame Visconti. Thenovelist has doubtless combined traits of various women in a singlecharacter, but the fact still remains that he was depicting life as heknew it, even if he did not attempt exact portraiture. 

While the famous Vicomtesse de Beauseant (_La Femme abandonnee_) hasmany characteristics of the Duchesse d'Abrantes, and some of those ofMadame de Berny, and _La Femme abandonnee_ was written the year Balzacsevered his relations with his _Dilecta_. But it is especially in thegentleness and patience portrayed in Madame Firmiani, in the affectionand self-sacrifice of Pauline de Villenoix for Louis Lambert, and thedevotion of Pauline Gaudin to Raphael in _La Peau de Chagrin_ thatMadame de Berny is most strikingly represented. She was all this andmore to Balzac. Furthermore, he may have obtained from her hishistorical color for _Un Episode sous la Terreur_, just as he wasinfluenced by Madame Junot in writing stories of the Empire andCorsican vengeance. 

It was perhaps to avoid recognition of the heroine and to revengehimself on Madame de Castries that he made the Duchesse de Langeaisenter a convent and die, after her failure to master the Marquis deMontriveau, while for his part the hero soon forgot her. 

Soon after introducing Madame de Mortsauf (_Le Lys dans la Vallee_), Balzac compares her to the fragrant heather gathered on returning fromthe Villa Diodati. After studying carefully his long period ofassociation with Madame Hanska, one can see the importance which theVilla Diodati had in his life. This is only another incident, smallthough it be, showing how this woman impressed herself so deeply onthe novelist that almost unconsciously he brought memories of his_Predilecta_ into his work. It has been shown that she served as amodel for some of his most attractive heroines; was honored, underdifferent names, with the dedication of three works besides the onededicated to her daughter; and was the originator of one of his mostpopular novels for young girls, while many traces of herself and herfamily connections are found throughout the whole _Comedie humaine_. 

Though by far the most important of them all, she was only one of themany _etrangeres_ he knew. As has been observed, he knew women ofRussia, Poland, Germany, Austria, England, Italy and Spain, and hadtraveled in most of these countries; hence one is not surprised at thelarge number of foreign women who have appeared in his work. Among themost noted of these are Lady Brandon (_La Grenadiere_); Lady Dudley(_Le Lys dans la Vallee_); Madame Varese (_Massimilla Doni_); laDuchesse de Rhetore (_Albert Savarus_), who was in reality MadameHanska, although presented as being Italian; Madame Claes (_LaRecherche de l'Absolu_), of Spanish origin though born in Brussels;Paquita Valdes (_La Fille aux Yeux d'Or_); and the Corsican MadameLuigi Porta (_La Vendetta_). 

In regard to Balzac's various women friends, J. W. Sherer has veryappropriately observed: "And the man was worthy of them: the studentof his work knows what a head he had; the student of his life, what aheart. "