The Lily of the Valley by Honoré de Balzac
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The Lily of the Valley
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Lily of the Valley, 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 Lily of the Valley
Author: Honore de Balzac
Release Date: January 25, 2005 [EBook #1569]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LILY OF THE VALLEY ***
Produced by John Bickers and Dagny
THE LILY OF THE VALLEY
BY
HONORE DE BALZAC
Translated by Katharine Prescott Wormeley
DEDICATION
To Monsieur J. B. Nacquart, Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine.
Dear Doctor--Here is one of the most carefully hewn stones in the second course of the foundation of a literary edifice which I have slowly and laboriously constructed. I wish to inscribe your name upon it, as much to thank the man whose science once saved me as to honor the friend of my daily life.
De Balzac.
THE LILY OF THE VALLEY
ENVOI
Felix de Vandenesse to Madame la Comtesse Natalie de Manerville:
I yield to your wishes. It is the privilege of the women whom we love more than they love us to make the men who love them ignore the ordinary rules of common-sense. To smooth the frown upon their brow, to soften the pout upon their lips, what obstacles we miraculously overcome! We shed our blood, we risk our future!
You exact the history of my past life; here it is. But remember this, Natalie; in obeying you I crush under foo