The Seamy Side of History: Madame de la Chanterie by Honoré de Balzac

L’Envers de l’Histoire Contemporaine: Madame de la Chanterie
The Seamy Side of History: Madame de la Chanterie
Also translated as The Brotherhood of Consolation: Madame de la Chanterie
Also translated as The Wrong Side of Paris

 

Madame de la Chanterie: The household and boarders/associates:
  Godefroid
  Madame de la Chanterie
  Manon Godard – Maid/serving-woman
  Abbe de Veze – performs early mass at Notre-Dame
  Monseiur Alain – middle-class Paris citizen
  Monsieur Nicolas – retired Colonel of the Gendarmerie (Marquis de Montauran, younger brother of Alphonse de Montauran, the commander of the Chouans who married Marie de Verneuil just before they were executed)
  Monsieur Joseph – formerly Councillor to the Bench of the King’s Court in Paris (Lecamus, Baron de Tresnes)

 
One evening in September, 1836, Godefroid is leaning over the parapet, lost in contemplation. He overhears a conversation

A Man of Business by Honoré de Balzac

Un Homme d’Affaires
A Man of Business

 
The notary Cardot is hosting an evening at the home of his paramour Malaga. The conversations are quite entertaining at these dinners where wives are never present. After dinner when the talk turns to debts and the collection of same, Desroches relates the story of the affair between Maxime de Trailles and Cerizet.

At the time Maxime was tricked into paying a debt, he was keeping Antonia Chocardelle and it was through her that Cerizet, in disguise and playing a part, was able to get the face value of bills drawn by Maxime which he had purchased at very low prices.

 
Read it here

Summarized by Dagny, June 2010