ysician claimed to be an expert in
recognizing an insane person at first sight. George Sand asked very
seriously: "Do you see any here?" Balzac was eating, as always,
ravenously, and his tangled hair followed the movement of his head and
arm. "There is one!" said the Doctor; "no doubt about it!" George Sand
burst out laughing, Balzac also, and, the introduction made, the
confused physician was condemned to pay for the dinner.

Balzac expresses his admiration for her in the dedication of the
_Memoires de deux jeunes mariees_:

"To George Sand.

"This dedication, dear George, can add nothing to the glory of your
name, which will cast its magic luster on my book; but in making
it there is neither modesty nor self-interest on my part. I desire
to bear testimony to the true friendship between us which
continues unchanged in spite of travels and absence,--in spite,
too, of our mutual hard work and the maliciousness of the world.
This feeling will doubtless never change. The procession of
friendly names which accompany my books mingles pleasure with the
pain their great number causes me, for they are not written
without anxiety, to say nothing of the reproach cast upon me for
my alarming fecundity,--as if the world which poses before me were
not more fecund still. Would it not be a fine thing, George, if
some antiquary of long past literatures should find in that
procession none but great names, noble hearts, pure and sacred
friendships,--the glories of this century? May I not show myself
prouder of that certain happiness than of other successes which
are always uncertain? To one who knows you well it must ever be a
great happiness to be allowed to call himself, as I do here,

"Your friend,
"DE BALZAC."

CHAPTER IV

BUSINESS AND SOCIAL FRIENDS

MADAME BECHET--MADAME WERDET

A woman with whom Balzac was to have business dealings early in his
literary career was Madame Charles Bechet, of whom he said: "This
publisher is a woman, a widow whom I have never seen, and whom I do
not know. I shall not send off this letter until the signatures are
appended on both sides, so that my missive may carry you good news
about my interests; . . ."

Thus began a business relation which, like many of Balzac's financial
affairs,