ankness that
it was impossible to know him without loving him, and his exuberant
good nature was infectious. In spite of his misfortunes, he had not
been in their company a quarter of an hour, and they had not even
shown him to his room, before he had brought the general and herself
to tears with laughter.

"On some evenings he remained in the drawing-room in company with
his hosts, and entered into controversies with Madame de
Pommereul, who, being very pious herself, tried to persuade him to
make a practice of religion; while Balzac, in return, when the
discussion was exhausted, endeavored to teach her the rules of
backgammon. But the one remained unconverted and the other never
mastered the course of the noble game. Occasionally he helped to
pass the time by inventing stories, which he told with all the
vividness of which he was master."

A few months after this prolonged visit, Balzac wrote to General de
Pommereul, expressing his deep appreciation of their hospitality, and
in speaking of the book which he had just written, hoped that Madame
de Pommereul would laugh at some details about the butter, the
weddings, the stiles, and the difficulties of going to the ball, etc.,
which he had inserted in his work,--if she could read it without
falling asleep.

Balzac made perhaps his most prolonged visits in the home of another
old family friend, M. de Margonne, who was living with his wife at
Sache. He describes his life there thus:

"Sache is the remains of a castle on the Indre, in one of the most
delicious valleys of Touraine. The proprietor, a man of fifty-five,
used to dandle me on his knee. He has a pious and intolerant
wife, rather deformed and not clever. I go there for him; and
besides, I am free there. They accept me throughout the region as
a child; I have no value whatever, and I am happy to be there,
like a monk in a monastery. I always go there to meditate serious
works. The sky there is so blue, the oaks so beautiful, the calm
so vast! . . . Sache is six leagues from Tours. But not a woman,
not a conversation possible!"

Not only did Balzac visit them when he wished to compose a serious
work, but he often went there to recuperate from overwork. He probably
did not enjoy their company, as he spoke of "having" to dine with them
and he is perhaps even chargeable with ingratitude when he speaks of
their parsimony.

Like his own family, these old people were interested