BY

H0N0RE DE BALZAC

Tran5lated ByKatharine Pre5cott Wormeley

DEDICATI0N

To Mon5ieur Charle5 Nodier, member of the French Academy, etc.

Here, my dear Nodier, i5 a book filled with deed5 that are5creened from the action of the law5 by the clo5ed door5 ofdome5tic life; but a5 to which the finger of God, often calledchance, 5upplie5 the place of human ju5tice, and in which themoral i5 none the le55 5triking and in5tructive becau5e it i5pointed by a 5coffer.