The young doctor Bianchon catches his master, the brilliant and famously godless surgeon Desplein, slipping into a church to hear a Mass he has paid for. Pressed for an explanation, Desplein tells the story of his poverty-stricken youth in Paris and the humble man who helped him survive it.
One of Balzac’s most perfect short stories, a moving tale of gratitude from La Comédie humaine. Download the free EPUB.