Petty Troubles of Married Life

Honoré De Balzac

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Petty Troubles of Married Life, Part First by Honore de BalzacThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it,give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online atwww.gutenberg.netTitle: Petty Troubles of Married Life, Part FirstAuthor: Honore de BalzacRelease Date: June 28, 2005 [EBook #6033]Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARRIED LIFE ***Produced by Dagny; and John BickersPETTY TROUBLES OF MARRIED LIFEPART FIRSTBYHONORE DE BALZACPREFACEIN WHICH EVERY ONE WILL FIND HIS OWN IMPRESSIONS OF MARRIAGE.A friend, in speaking to you of a young woman, says: "Good family, well bred, pretty, and three hundred thousand inher own right." You have expressed a desire to meet this charming creature.Usually, chance interviews are premeditated. And you speak with this object, who has now become very timid.YOU.—"A delightful evening!"SHE.—"Oh! yes, sir."You are allowed to become the suitor of this young person. THE MOTHER-IN-LAW (to the intended groom).—"You can't imagine how susceptible the dear girl is of attachment." Meanwhile there is a delicate pecuniary question to be discussed by the two families. YOUR FATHER (to the mother-in-law).—"My property is valued at five hundred thousand francs, my dear madame!" YOUR FUTURE MOTHER-IN-LAW.—"And our house, my dear sir, is on ...

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• Publié par: ansui
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 29
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Petty Troubles of Married Life, Part First by Honore de Balzac This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Petty Troubles of Married Life, Part First Author: Honore de Balzac Release Date: June 28, 2005 [EBook #6033] Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARRIED LIFE ***

Produced by Dagny; and John Bickers

PETTY TROUBLES OF MARRIED LIFE

PART FIRST

BY

HONOREDEBALZAC

HI WIN CEFAREP O SNAM FERPMOISS ri fd,en IARR. A GEO ENW LIHCE EVYRIS OWN IL FIND H imyl dafllb  ,ew, saoman"Gooys: a fo uoyw gnuoy easpn  io  tngki  nirhg.t "oY uah housand in her ow rht h eerdnut ded,rere py,ttnd a , chally . Usu turercaeni gahmrsic tht ee mtoe iresd a desserpxe ev s objectwith thi upsae k .nA doyitededate aremprivre sweecnatni  ir."s, s! ye—"Oh ew dlaolra eoY usue the omec btouoy siht fo roti s now be, who ha yitim.docemv re lidetfghU.YOA —""!gn .EHS e luinev gani tmi   w s   eoh ptibuscehe dle tlrig raea fo si enhmactt ea M "   t. gnp reos.n   HT EMOTHER-IN-LAW (tht oni ednetg deomro—").u Yon'ca REHTAF RUOY   .selimifao twe thy  p or"—yMwa.)nil-her- mot the (to p etnuceed aacilrehes  ihinw tlesues   d b  b  eidcsstion toiary que -IERTHMO—"W.LAN-RUOY   "!  ERUTUF ar sy deis oir, uo rnA d,em ohsu    at vefiun heddr trepsi ylav  deu , my dear madamet ohsuna drfnasc thn twe  ne o he . Tj seegduaf oilim  a smallotaries, dna b gi o en   , a  p  uwnra ds,owlln suoedih owt yb lot.ner  cor n a    tofrtcac no  " A   edih otc rebmah. T er n heatwh. ?  c uhcr,hb fero econducting the br livic ehrtsigam ans e'athe ttod eneci  t yotssravoy  conto tyou  SE TUC T ENUIKDNTH owllg:inthe foe l kiel,sorbunet reseunfotty f peo dworc a emoc nhe ty,Wh. . . .   but exceedinglyuahgetsri--nal,wnsson--iw la doruofof dny ro ruoot; ew ns prit iorbudnt  Inkel ?r  otyetouofpra I .LLA FO p a ti s ed the lth, call slevene si mfo ihashrwie r,me p—an tsocwelttial e famheirle teguineb w moihhchtw  yo" s?hi tise bluort tahW" .seili teyt !oY uumtsb   petty for you. "Pihc c dlstsoret joe ngkiwh;  ay, s aalmiitemet-ny deribl excar!" ta ,dnatpab ehthao-tos-sbhuy pp uad ethg fforuoy wwel il wr,m hoht ewseeacllb  yf CAROLIt name o w ew mohw dna ,EN yp the tkemal ilse .w via ll efo lik is,lineCaro asu mek We. ! llsiht,si kil am eny petty trouble sfom rairdel file b ae,fog insso emos r h uoY .en  fouave,nthsr moec ,s niei damrr wh beo  tlykelie rom si eh tuB .tcoun visoung a yahspp re ,rodueg —tes ohe diriresfo leht  ehtaedit seek,—lies muslb eafimtas neis of evah  rof dnug,inrmhaou ynd aidse galyrc  ,evl ote alyounher  e nanign,reej a r,ye c ataap, ini  siehtrea l wa her a husband who alywhT e ia.rsih  ain,captthe er,  na ,ega sih ,dlr hofr locoe thd  os-nnil-tr ,ht ephe, andaw, Adoleenit ,reht gne in, ho s jhegeud  (Setor.e  Pr e th. e T ) feca hpeoih s n soy nlic r aofdednal heirporp  er may be his poisitnoi  nht eowx ni wwel illlcaODA EHPLhw ,veta dny efa  riwy uor ofghte dauonly

PETTY TROUBLES OF MARRIED LIFE

.ou  niMss aC  eesnei ily, hav his fam —.II ehT lora;eniMi.— Css liro: I ne

Here, as in the Chamber of Deputies, we are compelled to call for a division of the house: 1.—As to your wife. Your wife is to inherit the property of a maternal uncle, a gouty old fellow whom she humors, nurses, caresses, and muffles up; to say nothing of her father's fortune. Caroline has always adored her uncle, —her uncle who trotted her on his knee, her uncle who—her uncle whom—her uncle, in short,—whose property is estimated at two hundred thousand. Further, your wife is well preserved, though her age has been the subject of mature reflection on the part of your son-in- law's grandparents and other ancestors. After many skirmishes between the mothers-in-law, they have at last confided to each other the little secrets peculiar to women of ripe years. "How is it with you, my dear madame?" "I, thank heaven, have passed the period; and you?" "I really hope I have, too!" says your wife. "You can marry Caroline," says Adolphe's mother to your future son-in-law; "Caroline will be the sole heiress of her mother, of her uncle, and her grandfather." 2.—As to yourself. You are also the heir of your maternal grandfather, a good old man whose possessions will surely fall to you, for he has grown imbecile, and is therefore incapable of making a will. You are an amiable man, but you have been very dissipated in your youth. Besides, you are fifty-nine years old, and your head is bald, resembling a bare knee in the middle of a gray wig. III.—A dowry of three hundred thousand. IV.—Caroline's only sister, a little dunce of twelve, a sickly child, who bids fair to fill an early grave. V.—Your own fortune, father-in-law (in certain kinds of society they say papa father-in-law ) yielding an income of twenty thousand, and which will soon be increased by an inheritance. VI.—Your wife's fortune, which will be increased by two inheritances —from her uncle and her grandfather. In all, thus:  Three inheritances and interest, 750,000  Your fortune, 250,000  Your wife's fortune, 250,000                                        __________ Total, 1,250,000 which surely cannot take wing! Such is the autopsy of all those brilliant marriages that conduct their processions of dancers and eaters, in white gloves, flowering at the button-hole, with bouquets of orange flowers, furbelows, veils, coaches and coach-drivers, from the magistrate's to the church, from the church to the banquet, from the banquet to the dance, from the dance to the nuptial chamber, to the music of the orchestra and the accompaniment of the immemorial pleasantries uttered by relics of dandies, for are there not, here and there in society, relics of dandies, as there are relics of English horses? To be sure, and such is the osteology of the most amorous intent. The majority of the relatives have had a word to say about this marriage. Those on the side of the bridegroom: "Adolphe has made a good thing of it." Those on the side of the bride: "Caroline has made a splendid match. Adolphe is an only son, and will have an income of sixty thousand, some day or other !" Some time afterwards, the happy judge, the happy engineer, the happy captain, the happy lawyer, the happy only son of a rich landed proprietor, in short Adolphe, comes to dine with you, accompanied by his family. Your daughter Caroline is exceedingly proud of the somewhat rounded form of her waist. All women display an innocent artfulness, the first time they find themselves facing motherhood. Like a soldier who makes a brilliant toilet for his first battle, they love to play the pale, the suffering; they rise in a certain manner, and walk with the prettiest affectation. While yet flowers, they bear a fruit; they enjoy their maternity by anticipation. All those little ways are exceedingly charming—the

 house of Orlean saw sboileg dot the cre n.owro Fht m om ta tnemeht  y; H Jul V wenrye sauodleszili y tuthoitrone oheidnoc sufo snoit a aptr C .ni eadsy s first aroline' hgua rett dnd eh bto nede art pu ehg met  ehtg va er amothThe  ame. ro elbuod yalp ntve ehe ts:itqu vlewop esdnuiw ,oy bwe, hiig tngdli  s apseldndiother's last chi il ton l m reH .evl ir gleil watthvarec dailttuo sd ischilale, a p esakou ythe  matlno no ysi eeht annoyanconjugal  .hTsic dea s noires dvehau yos raey neetxis roF air.nt huria luxa dneehtowt htt  " ayhwigla f ais e gnirett oisserpxr thn fothere moal.wi--n afimhT e  ton hhehwig!"ayyas oy ss rui-non-law's family. R"boeb dnot ehh   lliw ,strap eerld oll akeli, beer,nihdls'c m ne feebus, fuloscro aht ht th ylsepoicwhdih che d il exeeptcived shtne in thed fortu fi eruw a  niwhtlivee def yory o a hcihw t  detatig y etxianha tkeliW li ltib  eilekle, an abortion.imafa yltiawht s tlylio ? vee Th re tsecuuld n wo doscenoa s rr:i  wchanbrr geunyo eht ot enorht ehing the eans dur efoO lrht eohsu dssBee  Dheheuc tnet fofnocmeni -lawn-inr so younaecnnyosia  .hT au,yor foe ony rof eno suoires   and you on to younIs ohtr riwef .  the swos  i tof si mmocsexeti , needytr uoa sry he mll tprouore iht ni ,natsni suryo, cenierat p seatlb,em  yedra sir! REVELATIONS rf dt mof eh tcaattht  i in is ntco ahc eurt reh tibhiext nos oe danw mouogna y ni,gpeakly seral . Gen ediheh s .sraehS rethyee wo tr  om rairdeah sebneill she racter t rsfir he, ysjot m eht ni fo tsditendt init, ing lust rafhtuo ,iwcisoy et da to e,nc hS .og ei se otnties of pleasurefoh ref ritsp ra uryolfsees be id oF .oy r tiw  yoj h enated wur rejuvtaatnidefi eah scae  bstmut ha w  naidnI  eht dellmen;f wo er  o Summ s ehes,sn rus ehsah f a  b llu saeroft il m Hk! cermolpxeoi nsif ersh, her color isip erup w dna knIn. tehior fer hcenoyts-ra , deyaffeshe the cts  abybs otl tilt ean, buys young womdewo yb  tuolloflkwaabs inck, gst ira dnacspre sroid embrse,a nu .sesserddaeh tseginnncue thn  oes  resolved to insA elaxdnirenh sa berhey exr plamcurteh tad rthgu andtfulpy.  hapehi ;es ilhg sed leubro tttpea ,   tey dnA a si siht es. At l artificn r tarula o en ,ehon, bye sl, lyowtsacffo  ,ec sahquen eloiouselichtd  eiwpskotn smevemot aslee oshw ,suoicaviv os hc ,os namitade , e and wit, so arp ehecal fo cargov lsue lipp tedo  frusea dnilef fir theleasst pydal gnumohw ni fewir ouyoe th,  everbo r esru of fl ea lthd gelitod  f irhgetY uoa er find yoned. You ehs semitemos ,t.ac tlettlis hahtren iec nas ehasonr ree no jok e inckla nt s ileel ,tc ehsd si,llu yourself deceive;db tun :oC ralo dtoy trevlibeisoy ,ti e kniht uyou ast eiveperct urt ehoY uht ! rmha cofl ul fn,oitautis siht ni r a ithes neeavetal  ,htnasg ni p ghe Tshn nhmad.oot doow oig mohlrse, and  and nur somhtre eebocem srif s'e;seliw torsc eanov loft  snoft y arf ormrde  is  sheuallgradalerevitot sohs he sis vs itr heuonrye snow ti hw you off, she j f caohylalcn yem ivesat g ne th t, o c rof esuac uoy . Y orrrtet anston eyra sforof uo re life b intimatid uvocsrofeoy eedceglin aerexn   is , itssibimpo oujelt fo  a gd e  Yn.mawouieq rouneht ,er eerht , word nor a momen tof rboesvrtaoi sn,h uce ars ittlumilpic desera ".eugntor hed ol her h ieplths , at sinlaremit b seer yitely received: coeiyt ,ewerp lo to irhe t ins ueng h elpoepdleh eva t yo; bure cu we dfotsaeilgns im nrohap yt hgt eh tngouhr disliarroecl aesu tepfrre you mths, whe Y .srettat ni meest-elfser ou yve s veyodea nnebneady alreave ou h —s " "  Aerugal racbbage-head." "Howuoc h dlw ,ei ohces airty nlmaa s ne nfohcooes ," "He se—? uld  sho,etacudeh hcaet e,if wiskemar  o hat afteertain tperauter royrud  lenkeoohe tom wto h rehta dcae id yo : "Dsaidand   edAdamaraM  ueh it lurYo " " e?phol i ehs ,namow elt t ts.emirif e, now tYour wif-rnil-waehm toeh o tais tlaceke pomrrt -ooY,uwo .pehoe omcoa n  iitatlusn taht no the population aagni"! oY uahevs  so! ou yre ary t gnii otercn esa  ooysyt  dasirne  "Ahgly:ghin u lau  ruoy dna ,gnint fgeleol cstdeol eensws htre !hTike lighpreads lsla si o ruoefiwanctmot n  apeex ad fo kr Y .ssenkrnevidiw woe ths omhtc e -o-nalrei- ng eernif thye onnid ,re ehtcsidl earsheAf. r teeht irset  ooccnpiness public, sap her hesshwie niloraC nehw ;sp wee , she ughsr lahgetd uah rehWneseor. tsig t chtrussfo eeht erp rself tojects hehp,es buo  fdAlo f  iu yon,cais" uoy na r yrgoterrt. "It's as bad sab iegnr boeb d !"lfseura s ay st dneirfno uoy o Bou therd. " leva  !odeWllumhca  s hW" . y ,y isopnoit ueogyo,  oou rldgutht  o,uy uoo ed of yobe asham h ruoy ni sngier ythbo; ldhoseouiwefuo rdny uoa lse a fa in  are j uonryet  otIlaountry or make anartc egufnonois Iy.shn t,or s amutsiccr sosnaec one ! ast  uch In s og sdnac eht otorim tmesbhus ou octors cut the dorsp;yb ylt ehd  ttli lle  oala f a ehvirrifnot mr re, ou aat yn th damraet-dehk ni remes  iite op huoy ,der nrut uoy