An Old Maid | Page 3

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Etext prepared by John Bickers, [email protected] and
Dagny, [email protected]

AN OLD MAID
BY
HONORE DE BALZAC

Translated By Katharine Prescott Wormeley

DEDICATION
To Monsieur Eugene-Auguste-Georges-Louis Midy de la Greneraye
Surville, Royal Engineer of the Ponts at Chausses.
As a testimony to the affection of his brother-in-law,

De Balzac

AN OLD MAID


CHAPTER I
ONE OF MANY CHEVALIERS DE VALOIS
Most persons have encountered, in certain provinces in France, a
number of Chevaliers de Valois. One lived in Normandy, another at
Bourges, a third (with whom we have here to do) flourished in Alencon,
and doubtless the South possesses others. The number of the Valesian
tribe is, however, of no consequence to the present tale. All these
chevaliers, among whom were doubtless some who were Valois as
Louis XIV. was Bourbon, knew so little of one another that it was not
advisable to speak to one about the others. They were all willing to
leave the Bourbons in tranquil possession of the throne of France; for it
was too plainly established that Henri IV. became king for want of a
male heir in the first Orleans branch called the Valois. If there are any
Valois, they descend from Charles de Valois, Duc d'Angouleme, son of
Charles IX. and Marie Touchet, the male line from whom ended, until
proof to the contrary be produced, in the person of the Abbe de
Rothelin. The Valois-Saint-Remy, who descended from Henri II., also
came to an end in the famous Lamothe-Valois implicated in the affair
of the Diamond Necklace.
Each of these many chevaliers, if we may believe reports, was, like the
Chevalier of Alencon, an old gentleman, tall, thin, withered, and
moneyless. He of Bourges had emigrated; he of Touraine hid himself;
he of Alencon fought in La Vendee and "chouanized" somewhat. The
youth of the latter was spend in Paris, where the Revolution overtook
him when thirty years of age in the midst of his conquests and
gallantries.
The Chevalier de Valois of Alencon was accepted by the highest

aristocracy of the province as a genuine Valois; and he distinguished
himself, like the rest of his homonyms, by excellent manners, which
proved him a man of society. He dined out every day, and played cards
every evening. He was thought witty, thanks to his foible for relating a
quantity of anecdotes on the reign of Louis XV. and the beginnings of
the Revolution. When these tales were heard for the first time, they
were held to be well narrated. He had, moreover, the great merit of not
repeating his personal bons mots and of never speaking of his
love-affairs, though his smiles and his airs and graces were delightfully
indiscreet. The worthy gentleman used his privilege as a Voltairean
noble to stay away from mass; and great indulgence was shown to his
irreligion because of his devotion to the royal cause. One of his
particular graces was the air and manner (imitated, no doubt, from
Mole) with which he took snuff from a gold box adorned with the
portrait of the Princess Goritza,--a charming Hungarian, celebrated for
her beauty in the last years of the reign of Louis XV. Having been
attached during his youth to that illustrious stranger, he still mentioned
her with emotion. For her sake he had fought a duel with Monsieur de
Lauzun.
The chevalier, now fifty-eight years of age, owned to only fifty; and he
might well allow himself that innocent deception, for, among the other
advantages granted to fair thin persons, he managed to preserve the still
youthful figure which saves men as well as women from an appearance
of old age. Yes, remember this: all of life, or rather all the elegance that
expresses life, is in the figure. Among the chevalier's other possessions
must be counted an enormous nose with which nature had endowed
him. This nose vigorously divided a pale face into two sections which
seemed to