The Project Gutenberg EBook of An Old Maid, by Honore de Balzac

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Title: An Old Maid

Author: Honore de Balzac

Translator: Katharine Prescott Wormeley

Release Date: June, 1998 [Etext #1352]
Posting Date: February 23, 2010

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN OLD MAID ***

Produced by John Bickers, and Dagny

AN OLD MAID

By Honore De Balzac

Translated by Katharine Prescott Wormeley

DEDICATION

To Monsieur Eugene-Auguste-Georges-Louis Midy de la Greneraye
Surville, Royal Engineer of the Ponts at Chausses.

As a testimony to the affection of his brother-in-law,

De Balzac

AN OLD MAID

CHAPTER I. ONE OF MANY CHEVALIERS DE VALOIS

Most persons have encountered, in certain provinces in France, a number
of Chevaliers de Valois. One lived in Normandy, another at Bourges,
a third (with whom we have here to do) flourished in Alencon, and
doubtless the South possesses others. The number of the Valesian
tribe is, however, of no consequence to the present tale. All these
chevaliers, among whom were doubtless some who were Valois as Louis XIV.
was Bourbon, knew so little of one another that it was not advisable
to speak to one about the others. They were all willing to leave the
Bourbons in tranquil possession of the throne of France; for it was too
plainly established that Henri IV. became king for want of a male heir
in the first Orleans branch called the Valois. If there are any Valois,
they descend from Charles de Valois, Duc d'Angouleme, son of Charles
IX. and Marie Touchet, the male line from whom ended, until proof to
the contrary be produced, in the person of the Abbe de Rothelin. The
Valois-Saint-Remy, who descended from Henri II., also came to an end
in the famous Lamothe-Valois implicated in the affair of the Diamond
Necklace.

Each of these many chevaliers, if we may believe reports, was, like
the Chevalier of Alencon, an old gentleman, tall, thin, withered, and
moneyless. He of Bourges had emigrated; he of Touraine hid himself; he
of Alencon fought in La Vendee and "chouanized" somewhat. The yout