was to end unhappily. At first he liked her very much and
dined with her, meeting in her company such noted literary men as
Beranger, but as usual, he delayed completing his work, meanwhile
resorting, in mitigation of his offense, to tactics such as the
following words will indicate: ". . . a pretty watch given at the
right moment to Madame Bechet may win me a month's freedom. I am going
to overwhelm her with gifts to get peace."

Balzac often caused his publishers serious annoyance by re-writing his
stories frequently, but at the beginning of this business relation he
agreed with Madame Bechet about the cost of corrections. He says of
the fair publisher: "The widow Bechet has been sublime: she had taken
upon herself the expense of more than four thousand francs of
corrections, which were set down to me. Is this not still pleasanter?"

But this could not last long, for she became financially embarrassed
and then had to be very strict with him. She refused to advance any
money until his work was delivered to her and called upon him to pay
for the corrections. This he resented greatly:

"Madame Bechet has become singularly ill-natured and will hurt my
interests very much. In paying me, she charges me with corrections
which amount on the twelve volumes to three thousand francs, and
also for my copies, which will cost me fifteen hundred more. Thus
four thousand five hundred francs and my discounts, diminish by
six thousand the thirty-three thousand. She could not lose a great
fortune more clumsily, for Werdet estimates at five hundred
thousand francs the profits to be made out of the next edition of
the _Etudes de Moeurs_. I find Werdet the active, intelligent, and
devoted publisher that I want. I have still six months before I
can be rid of Madame Bechet; for I have three volumes to do, and
it is impossible to count on less than two months to each volume."

She evidently relented, for he wrote later that Madame Bechet had paid
him the entire thirty-three thousand francs. This, however, did not
end their troubles, and he longed to be free from his obligations, and
to sever all connection with her.

In the spring of 1836, Madame Bechet became Madame Jacquillart.
Whether she was influenced by her husband or had become weary of
Balzac's delays, she became firmer. The novelist felt that she was too
exacting, for he was working sixteen hours a day to complete the last
two volumes for her, and he belie