The Marriage Contract by Honoré de Balzac
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The Marriage Contract
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Marriage Contract, 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: The Marriage Contract
Author: Honore de Balzac
Release Date: March 12, 2005 [EBook #1556]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT ***
Produced by John Bickers, and Dagny
THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT
BY
HONORE DE BALZAC
Translated by Katharine Prescott Wormeley
DEDICATION
To Rossini.
THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT
CHAPTER I
PRO AND CON
Monsieur de Manerville, the father, was a worthy Norman gentleman, well known to the Marechael de Richelieu, who married him to one of the richest heiresses of Bordeaux in the days when the old duke reigned in Guienne as governor. The Norman then sold the estate he owned in Bessin, and became a Gascon, allured by the beauty of the chateau de Lanstrac, a delightful residence owned by his wife. During the last days of the reign of Louis XV., he bought the post of major of the Gate Guards, and lived till 1813, having by great good luck escaped the dangers of the Revolution in the following manner.
Toward the close of the year, 1790, he went to Martinque, where his wife had interests, leaving the management of his property in Gascogne to an honest man, a