Late at night, when the formal guests have gone from a Paris salon, a small circle of wits and statesmen lingers over supper. Henri de Marsay, the journalist Émile Blondet, General de Montriveau and others take turns telling stories and defining what makes a true lady, revealing as much about themselves as about the women they describe.
A compact piece of the Human Comedy, bringing together Balzac’s best-known recurring characters. Download the free EPUB.