Women in the Life of Balzac/Chapter IV/Part I

A woman with whom Balzac was to have business dealings early in his literary career was Madame Charles Bechet, of whom he said: "This publisher is a woman, a widow whom I have never seen, and whom I do not know. I shall not send off this letter until the signatures are appended on both sides, so that my missive may carry you good news about my interests; . . ."

Thus began a business relation which, like many of Balzac's financial affairs, was to end unhappily. At first he liked her very much and dined with her, meeting in her company such noted literary men as Beranger, but as usual, he delayed completing his work, meanwhile resorting, in mitigation of his offense, to tactics such as the following words will indicate: ". . . a pretty watch given at the right moment to Madame Bechet may win me a month's freedom. I am going to overwhelm her with gifts to get peace."

Balzac often caused his publishers serious annoyance by re-writing his stories frequently, but at the beginning of this business relation he agreed with Madame Bechet about the cost of corrections. He says of the fair publisher: "The widow Bechet has been sublime: she had taken upon herself the expense of more than four thousand francs of corrections, which were set down to me. Is this not still pleasanter?"

But this could not last long, for she became financially embarrassed and then had to be very strict with him. She refused to advance any money until his work was delivered to her and called upon him to pay for the corrections. This he resented greatly: "Madame Bechet has become singularly ill-natured and will hurt my interests very much. In paying me, she charges me with corrections  which amount on the twelve volumes to three thousand francs, and  also for my copies, which will cost me fifteen hundred more. Thus  four thousand five hundred francs and my discounts, diminish by  six thousand the thirty-three thousand. She could not lose a great  fortune more clumsily, for Werdet estimates at five hundred  thousand francs the profits to be made out of the next edition of  the Etudes de Moeurs. I find Werdet the active, intelligent, and  devoted publisher that I want. I have still six months before I  can be rid of Madame Bechet; for I have three volumes to do, and  it is impossible to count on less than two months to each volume." She evidently relented, for he wrote later that Madame Bechet had paid him the entire thirty-three thousand francs. This, however, did not end their troubles, and he longed to be free from his obligations, and to sever all connection with her.

In the spring of 1836, Madame Bechet became Madame Jacquillart. Whether she was influenced by her husband or had become weary of Balzac's delays, she became firmer. The novelist felt that she was too exacting, for he was working sixteen hours a day to complete the last two volumes for her, and he believed that the suit with which she threatened him was prompted by his enemies, who seemed to have sworn his ruin. Madame Bechet lost but little time in carrying out her threat, for a few days after this he writes: "Do you know by what I have been interrupted? By a legal notice from Bechet, who summons me to furnish her within twenty-four  hours my two volumes in 8vo, with a penalty of fifty francs for  every day's delay! I must be a great criminal and God wills that I  shall expiate my crimes! Never was such torture! This woman has  had ten volumes 8vo out of me in two years, and yet she complains  at not getting twelve!" There had been a question of a lawsuit as early as the autumn of 1835; to avoid this he was then trying to finish the Fleur-des-Pois (afterwards Le Contrat de Mariage). But their relations were more cordial at that time, for a short time later, he writes: "My publisher, the sublime Madame Bechet, has been foolish enough to send the corrected proofs to St. Petersburg. I am told nothing is spoken of there but of the excellence of this new masterpiece."

Both Madame Bechet and Werdet were in despair over Balzac's journey to Vienna in 1835, but things grew even worse the next year. The novelist gives this glimpse of his troubles: "My mind itself was crushed; for the failure of the Chronique came upon me at Sache, at M. de Margonne's, where, by a wise  impulse, I was plunged in work to rid myself of that odious  Bechet. I had undertaken to write in ten days (it was that which  kept me from going to Nemours!) the two volumes which had been  demanded of me, and in eight days I had invented and composed  Les Illusions perdues, and had written a third of it. Think what  such application meant! All my faculties were strained; I wrote  fifteen hours a day. . . ." In explaining Balzac's association with Madame Bechet, M. Henri d'Almeras states that Madame Bechet was interested, at first, in attaching celebrated writers to her publishing house, or those who had promise of fame. She organized weekly dinner parties, which took place on Saturday, and here assembled Beranger, Henri de Latouche, Louis Reybaud, Leon Gozlan, Brissot-Thivars, Balzac and Dr. Gentil. It was with Madame Bechet as with Charles Gosselin. The publication, less lucrative than she expected, of the first series of the Scenes de la Vie parisienne and the Scenes de la Vie de Province made it particularly disagreeable to her to receive the reproaches of a writer who, with his admirable talent, could not become resigned to meet with less success than other litterateurs not so good as he.

The termination of their business relations is recounted thus: "Illusions perdues appears this week. On the 17th I have a meeting to close up all claims from Madame Bechet and Werdet. So there is one cause of torment the less."

If M. Hughes Rebell is correct in his surmise, at least a part of Werdet's admiration for the novelist was inspired by his wife, who had become a great admirer of the works of the young writer, not well known at that time. Madame Werdet persuaded her husband to speak to Madame Bechet about Balzac, and to advise her to publish his works. Her husband did so, but Madame Werdet did not stop at this. She convinced him that he should leave Madame Bechet and become Balzac's sole publisher; this he was for five years, and, moreover, served him as his banker. M. Rebell thinks also that Madame Werdet is the "delicious bourgeoise" referred to in Balzac's letter to Madame Surville.