Madame Firmiani by Honoré de Balzac
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Madame Firmiani
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Madame Firmiani, by Honore de Balzac This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Madame Firmiani
Author: Honore de Balzac
Release Date: February 7, 2005 [EBook #1357]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MADAME FIRMIANI ***
Produced by John Bickers, and Dagny
MADAME FIRMIANI
BY
HONORE DE BALZAC
Translated By
Katharine Prescott Wormeley
DEDICATION
To my dear Alexandre de Berny. His old friend,
De Balzac.
MADAME FIRMIANI
Many tales, either rich in situations or made dramatic by some of the innumerable tricks of chance, carry with them their own particular setting, which can be rendered artistically or simply by those who narrate them, without their subjects losing any, even the least of their charms. But there are some incidents in human experience to which the heart alone is able to give life; there are certain details --shall we call them anatomical?--the delicate touches of which cannot be made to reappear unless by an equally delicate rendering of thought; there are portraits which require the infusion of a soul, and mean nothing unless the subtlest expression of the speaking countenance is given; furthermore, there are things which we know not how to say or do without the aid of secret harmonies which a day, an hour, a fortunate conjunction of celestial signs, or an inward moral tendency may produce.