Vespers end in the cathedral of Tours on All Saints’ Day, 1479, and a young nobleman uses the darkness to whisper to a countess married to a jealous old lord. His pursuit of her leads him into the house of Cornelius, the king’s suspicious money-lender, where jewels belonging to the Duke of Bavaria have vanished and Louis XI himself takes an interest in the mystery.
A compact historical tale from The Human Comedy, showing Balzac’s eye for avarice and his fascination with Louis XI. Download the free EPUB.