aine_ his conduct relative to her.

Madame Kisseleff was one of Madame Hanska's friends whom he probably
met in Vienna; he dined at her home frequently and enjoyed her
company, for she could talk to him of his _Louloup_. She was a friend
of Madame Hamelin, and moved to Fontainebleu to be near her while the
latter was living at _La Madeleine_. While living in Paris, Madame
Kisseleff entertained Madame Hamelin and several other ladies together
with Balzac; these dinners and his _visites de digestion_ caused him
to see much of her for awhile, but as in many of his other
friendships, his ardor cooled later, and he went to her home only when
specially invited. In 1844, she left Paris to reside at Homburg where
she built a house. The novelist took advantage of her friendship to
send articles to Madame Hanska through the Russian ambassador.

Balzac made _visites de politesse_ to the Princesse de Schonburg, an
acquaintance of Madame Hanska's, but no more than were required by
courtesy. It would have been convenient for him to have seen much of
her, had he cared to, for she had placed her child in the same house
with him on account of its vicinity to the orthopaedic hospital.

One of Madame Hanska's friends whom Balzac liked was Madame Jaroslas
Potocka, sister of the Countess Schouwaloff. She wrote some very
pleasing letters to him, but he was too busy to answer them, so he
sent her messages, or enclosed notes to her in his letters to his
_Predilecta_.

La Baronne de Pfaffins, nee Comtesse Mierzciewska, was a Polish lady
whom Balzac met rather late in life. He first thought she was Madame
Hanska's cousin, but later learned that it was to M. de Hanski that
she was related. Her Polish voice reminded him so much of his
_Louloup_ that he was moved to tears; this friendship, however, did
not continue long.

Another acquaintance from the land of Balzac's "Polar Star" was Madame
Delphine Potocka who was a great friend of Chopin, to whom he
dedicated some of his happiest inspirations, and whose voice he so
loved that he requested her to sing while he was dying. Her box at the
opera was near Balzac's so that he saw her frequently, and dined with
her, but did not admire her.

MARIA--HELENE--LOUISE

"To Maria:

"May your name, that of one whose portrait is the noblest ornament
of this work, lie on its opening page like a branch of sacred box,
taken from an unknown tree, but sanctified by religion,