第1章

ToMademoiselleSophieSurville，Itisatruepleasure，mydearniece，todedicatetoyouthisbook，thesubjectanddetailsofwhichhavewontheapprobation，sodifficulttowin，ofayounggirltowhomtheworldisstillunknown，andwhohascompromisedwithnoneoftheloftyprinciplesofasaintlyeducation。Younggirlsareindeedaformidablepublic，fortheyoughtnottobeallowedtoreadbookslesspurethanthepurityoftheirsouls；theyareforbiddencertainreading，justastheyarecarefullypreventedfromseeingsociallifeasitis。Mustitnotthereforebeasourceofpridetoawritertofindthathehaspleasedyou？

Godgrantthatyouraffectionformehasnotmisledyou。Whocantell？——

thefuture；whichyou，Ihope，willsee，thoughnot，perhaps。

Youruncle，DeBalzac。

EnteringNemoursbytheroadtoParis，wecrossthecanalduLoing，thesteepbanksofwhichservethedoublepurposeoframpartstothefieldsandofpicturesquepromenadesfortheinhabitantsofthatprettylittletown。Since1830severalhouseshadunfortunatelybeenbuiltonthefarthersideofthebridge。Ifthissortofsuburbincreases，theplacewillloseitspresentaspectofgracefuloriginality。

In1829，however，bothsidesoftheroadwereclear，andthemasterofthepostroute，atall，stoutmanaboutsixtyyearsofage，sittingonefineautumnmorningatthehighestpartofthebridge，couldtakeinataglancethewholeofwhatiscalledinhisbusinessa“rubandequeue。“ThemonthofSeptemberwasdisplayingitstreasures；theatmosphereglowedabovethegrassandthepebbles；noclouddimmedtheblueofthesky，thepurityofwhichinallparts，evenclosetothehorizon，showedtheextremerarefactionoftheair。SoMinoret-

Levrault(forthatwasthepostmaster’sname)wasobligedtoshadehiseyeswithonehandtokeepthemfrombeingdazzled。Withtheairofamanwhowastiredofwaiting，helookedfirsttothecharmingmeadowswhichlaytotherightoftheroadwheretheaftermathwasspringingup，thentothehill-slopescoveredwithcopseswhichextend，ontheleft，fromNemourstoBouron。HecouldhearinthevalleyoftheLoing，wherethesoundsontheroadwereechoedbackfromthehills，thetrotofhisownhorsesandthecrackofhispostilion’swhip。

Nonebutapostmastercouldfeelimpatientwithinsightofsuchmeadows，filledwithcattleworthyofPaulPotterandglowingbeneathaRaffaellesky，andbesideacanalshadedwithtreesafterHobbema。

WhoeverknowsNemoursknowsthatnatureisthereasbeautifulasart，whosemissionistospiritualizeit；there，thelandscapehasideasandcreatesthought。But，oncatchingsightofMinoret-Levraultanartistwouldverylikelyhavelefttheviewtosketchtheman，sooriginalwashisinhisnativecommonness。UniteinahumanbeingalltheconditionsofthebruteandyouhaveaCaliban，whoiscertainlyagreatthing。Whereverformrules，sentimentdisappears。Thepostmaster，alivingproofofthataxiom，presentedaphysiognomyinwhichanobservercouldwithdifficultytrace，beneaththevividcarnationofitscoarselydevelopedflesh，thesemblanceofasoul。Hiscapofbluecloth，withasmallpeak，andsidesflutedlikeamelon，outlinedaheadofvastdimensions，showingthatGall’ssciencehasnotyetproduceditschapterofexceptions。Thegrayandrathershinyhairwhichappearedbelowthecapshowedthatothercausesthanmentaltoilorgriefhadwhitenedit。Largeearsstoodoutfromthehead，theiredgesscarredwiththeeruptionsofhisover-abundantblood，whichseemedreadytogushattheleastexertion。Hisskinwascrimsonunderanoutsidelayerofbrown，duetothehabitofstandinginthesun。

Therovinggrayeyes，deep-sunken，andhiddenbybushyblackbrows，werelikethoseoftheKalmuckswhoenteredFrancein1815；iftheyeversparkleditwasonlyundertheinfluenceofacovetousthought。

Hisbroadpugnosewasflattenedatthebase。Thicklips，inkeepingwitharepulsivedoublechin，thebeardofwhich，rarelycleanedmorethanonceaweek，wasencircledwithadirtysilkhandkerchieftwistedtoacord；ashortneck，rollinginfat，andheavycheekscompletedthecharacteristicsofbruteforcewhichsculptorsgivetotheircaryatids。Minoret-Levraultwaslikethosestatues，withthisdifference，thatwhereastheysupportedanedifice，hehadmorethanhecouldwelldotosupporthimself。YouwillmeetmanysuchAtlasesintheworld。Theman’storsowasablock；itwaslikethatofabullstandingonhishind-legs。Hisvigorousarmsendedinapairofthick，hardhands，broadandstrongandwellabletohandlewhip，reins，andpitchfork；handswhichhispostilionsneverattemptedtotriflewith。

Theenormousstomachofthisgiantrestedonthighswhichwereaslargeasthebodyofanordinaryadult，andfeetlikethoseofanelephant。Angerwasararethingwithhim，butitwasterrible，apoplectic，whenitdidburstforth。Thoughviolentandquiteincapableofreflection，themanhadneverdoneanythingthatjustifiedthesinistersuggestionsofhisbodilypresence。Toallthosewhofeltafraidofhimhispostilionswouldreply，“Oh！he’snotbad。“

ThemasterofNemours，tousethecommonabbreviationofthecountry，woreavelveteenshooting-jacketofbottle-green，trousersofgreenlinenwithgreatstripes，andanampleyellowwaistcoatofgoat’sskin，inthepocketofwhichmightbediscernedtheroundoutlineofamonstroussnuff-box。Asnuff-boxtoapugnoseisalawwithoutexception。

AsonoftheRevolutionandaspectatoroftheEmpire，Minoret-

Levraultdidnotmeddlewithpolitics；astohisreligiousopinions，hehadneversetfootinachurchexcepttobemarried；astohisprivateprinciples，hekeptthemwithinthecivilcode；allthatthelawdidnotforbidorcouldnotpreventheconsideredright。HeneverreadanythingbutthejournalofthedepartmentoftheSeine-et-Oise，andafewprintedinstructionsrelatingtohisbusiness。Hewasconsideredacleveragriculturist；buthisknowledgewasonlypractical。Inhimthemoralbeingdidnotbeliethephysical。Heseldomspoke，andbeforespeakinghealwaystookapinchofsnufftogivehimselftime，nottofindideas，butwords。Ifhehadbeenatalkeryouwouldhavefeltthathewasoutofkeepingwithhimself。

ReflectingthatthiselephantminusatrumpetandwithoutamindwascalledMinoret-Levrault，wearecompelledtoagreewithSterneastotheoccultpowerofnames，whichsometimesridiculeandsometimesforetellcharacters。

Inspiteofhisvisibleincapacityhehadacquiredduringthelastthirty-sixyears(theRevolutionhelpinghim)anincomeofthirtythousandfrancs，derivedfromfarmlands，woodsandmeadows。IfMinoret，beingmasterofthecoach-linesofNemoursandthoseoftheGatinaistoParis，stillworkedathisbusiness，itwaslessfromhabitthanforthesakeofanonlyson，towhomhewasanxioustogiveafinecareer。Thisson，whowasnow(touseanexpressionofthepeasantry)a“monsieur，“hadjustcompletedhislegalstudiesandwasabouttotakehisdegreeaslicentiate，preparatorytobeingcalledtotheBar。MonsieurandMadameMinoret-Levrault——forbehindourcolossuseveryonewillperceiveawomanwithoutwhomthissignalgood-fortunewouldhavebeenimpossible——lefttheirsonfreetochoosehisowncareer；hemightbeanotaryinParis，king’s-attorneyinsomedistrict，collectorofcustomsnomatterwhere，broker，orpostmaster，ashepleased。Whatfancyofhiscouldtheyeverrefusehim？

towhatpositionoflifemighthenotaspireasthesonofamanaboutwhomthewholecountryside，fromMontargistoEssonne，wasinthehabitofsaying，“PereMinoretdoesn’tevenknowhowrichheis“？

Thissayinghadobtainedfreshforceaboutfouryearsbeforethishistorybegins，whenMinoret，aftersellinghisinn，builtstablesandasplendiddwelling，andremovedthepost-housefromtheGrand’Ruetothewharf。Thenewestablishmentcosttwohundredthousandfrancs，whichthegossipofthirtymilesincircumferencemorethandoubled。

TheNemoursmail-coachservicerequiresalargenumberofhorses。ItgoestoFontainebleauontheroadtoParis，andfromtheredivergestoMontargisandalsotoMontereau。Therelaysarelong，andthesandysoiloftheMontargisroadcallsforthemythicalthirdhorse，alwayspaidforbutneverseen。AmanofMinoret’sbuild，andMinoret’swealth，attheheadofsuchanestablishmentmightwellbecalled，withoutcontradiction，themasterofNemours。ThoughheneverthoughtofGodordevil，beingapracticalmaterialist，justashewasapracticalagriculturist，apracticalegoist，andapracticalmiser，Minorethadenjoyeduptothistimealifeofunmixedhappiness，——ifwecancallpurematerialismhappiness。Aphysiologist，observingtherollsoffleshwhichcoveredthelastvertebraeandpresseduponthegiant’scerebellum，and，aboveall，hearingtheshrill，sharpvoicewhichcontrastedsoabsurdlywithhishugebody，wouldhaveunderstoodwhythisponderous，coarsebeingadoredhisonlyson，andwhyhehadsolongexpectedhim，——afactprovedbythename，Desire，whichwasgiventothechild。

Themother，whomtheboyfortunatelyresembled，rivaledthefatherinspoilinghim。Nochildcouldlonghaveresistedtheeffectsofsuchidolatry。AssoonasDesireknewtheextentofhispowerhemilkedhismother’scofferanddippedintohisfather’spurse，makingeachauthorofhisbeingbelievethathe，orshe，alonewaspetitioned。Desire，whoplayedapartinNemoursfarbeyondthatofaprinceroyalinhisfather’scapital，chosetogratifyhisfanciesinParisjustashehadgratifiedtheminhisnativetown；hehadthereforespentayearlysumofnotlessthantwelvethousandfrancsduringthetimeofhislegalstudies。ButforthatmoneyhehadcertainlyacquiredideasthatwouldneverhadcometohiminNemours；hehadstrippedofftheprovincialskin，learnedthepowerofmoneyandseeninthemagistracyameansofadvancementwhichhefancied。Duringthelastyearhehadspentanextrasumoftenthousandfrancsinthecompanyofartists，journalists，andtheirmistresses。Aconfidentialandratherdisquietingletterfromhisson，askingforhisconsenttoamarriage，explainsthewatchwhichthepostmasterwasnowkeepingonthebridge；forMadameMinoret-Levrault，busyinpreparingasumptuousbreakfasttocelebratethetriumphalreturnofthelicentiate，hadsentherhusbandtothemailroad，advisinghimtotakeahorseandrideoutifhesawnothingofthediligence。Thecoachwhichwasconveyingtheprecioussonusuallyarrivedatfiveinthemorninganditwasnownine！Whatcouldbethemeaningofsuchdelay？Wasthecoachoverturned？CouldDesirebedead？Orwasitnothingworsethanabrokenleg？

Threedistinctvolleysofcrackingwhipsrenttheairlikeadischargeofmusketry；theredwaistcoatsofthepostilionsdawnedinsight，tenhorsesneighed。Themasterpulledoffhiscapandwavedit；hewasseen。Thebestmountedpostilion，whowasreturningwithtwograycarriage-horses，setspurstohisbeastandcameoninadvanceofthefivediligencehorsesandthethreeothercarriage-horses，andsoonreachedhismaster。

“Haveyouseenthe’Ducler’？“

Onthegreatmailroutesnames，oftenfantastic，aregiventothedifferentcoaches；such，forinstance，asthe“Caillard，“the“Ducler“

(thecoachbetweenNemoursandParis)，the“GrandBureau。“Everynewenterpriseiscalledthe“Competition。“InthedaysoftheLecomptecompanytheircoacheswerecalledthe“Countess。“——“’Caillard’couldnotovertakethe’Countess’；but’GrandBureau’caughtupwithherfinely，“youwillhearthemensay。Ifyouseeapostilionpressinghishorsesandrefusingaglassofwine，questiontheconductorandhewilltellyou，snuffingtheairwhilehiseyegazesfarintospace，“The’Competition’isahead。“——“Wecan’tgetinsightofher，“criesthepostilion；“thevixen！shewouldn’tstoptoletherpassengersdine。“——“Thequestionis，hasshegotany？“respondstheconductor。

“GiveittoPolignac！“AlllazyandbadhorsesarecalledPolignac。

Sucharethejokesandthebasisofconversationbetweenpostilionsandconductorsontheroofsofthecoaches。Eachprofession，eachcallinginFrancehasitsslang。

“Haveyouseenthe’Ducler’？“askedMinoret。

“MonsieurDesire？“saidthepostilion，interruptinghismaster。“Hay！

youmusthaveheardus，didn’tourwhipstellyou？wefeltyouweresomewherealongtheroad。“