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

"To Maria:

"May your name, that of one whose portrait is the noblest ornament of this work, lie on its opening page like a branch of sacred box,  taken from an unknown tree, but sanctified by religion, and kept  ever fresh and green by pious hand to protect the home.

"DE BALZAC." Just who is the "Maria" to whom the dedication of Eugenie Grandet is addressed is a question that in the opinion of the present writer has never been satisfactorily answered. The generally accepted answer is that of Spoelberch de Lovenjoul, who thought that "Maria" was the girl whom Balzac described as a "poor, simple and delightful bourgeoise, . . . the most naive creature that ever was, fallen like a flower from heaven," and who said to Balzac: "Love me a year, and I will love you all my life."

Even admitting that this much disputed letter of October 12, 1833, was written by Balzac, though it does not bear his signature, the name "Maria" does not appear in it, so it is no proof that she is the woman to whom Balzac dedicated one of his greatest and probably the most popular of his works, Eugenie Grandet, although the heroine has some of the characteristics of the woman referred to in that letter in that she is a "naive, simple, and delightful bourgeoise." But in reviewing the women to whom Balzac dedicated his stories in the Comedie humaine, one does not find any of this type. Either they are members of his family, old family friends, literary friends, rich people to whom he was indebted, women of the nobility, or women whom he loved for a time at least, and all were women whom he could respect and recognize in society, while the woman referred to in the letter of October 12, 1833, does not seem to have had this last qualification.

In reply to his sister Laure's criticism that there were too many millions in Eugenie Grandet, he insisted that the story was true, and that he could create nothing better than the truth. In investigating the truth of this story, it has been found that Jean Niveleau, a very rich man having many of the traits of Grandet, lived at Saumur, and that he had a beautiful daughter whom he is said to have refused to give in marriage to Balzac. Whether this be true or not, the novelist has screened some things of a personal nature in this work.

Although the book is dated September, 1833, he did not finish it until later. It was just at this time that he met Madame Hanska, and visited her on two different occasions during the period that he was working on Eugenie Grandet. As he was pressed for money, as usual, his Predilecta offered to help him financially; this he refused, but immortalized the offer by having Eugenie give her gold to her lover.

In declining Madame Hanska's offer, he writes her: "Beloved angel, be a thousand times blessed for your drop of water, for your offer; it is everything to me and yet it is nothing. You  see what a thousand francs would be when ten thousand a month are  needed. If I could find nine, I could find twelve. But I should  have liked, in reading that delightful letter of yours, to have  plunged my hand into the sea and drawn out all its pearls to strew  them on your beautiful black hair. . . . There is a sublime scene  (to my mind, and I am rewarded for having it) in Eugenie  Grandet, who offers her fortune to her cousin. The cousin makes  an answer; what I said to you on that subject was more graceful.  But to mingle a single word that I have said to my Eve in what  others will read!&mdash;Ah! I would rather have flung Eugenie Grandet  into the fire! . . . Do not think there was the least pride, the  least false delicacy in my refusal of what you know of, the drop of gold you have put angelically aside. . . ." The novelist not only gave Madame Hanska the manuscript of Eugenie Grandet, but had her in mind while writing it: "One must love, my Eve, my dear one, to write the love of Eugenie Grandet, a pure, immense, proud love!"

The dedication of Eugenie Grandet to "Marie" did not appear until in 1839. Balzac knew several persons named "Marie." The present writer was at one time inclined to think that this Marie might have been the Countess Marie Potocka, whom he met while writing Eugenie, but her cousin, the Princess Radziwill, says that she is sure she is not the one he had in mind, and that she was not the type of woman to whom Balzac would ever have dedicated a book. The novelist had dealings with Madame Marie Dorval, and in 1839, at the time the dedication was written, doubtless knew of her love for Jules Sandeau. Balzac knew also the Countess Marie d'Agoult, but she never would have inspired such a dedication.

Still another "Marie" with whom he was most intimate about 1839, is Madame Helene-Marie-Felicite de Valette, and it will be remembered that while she was usually called "Helene," "Marie" was Balzac's favorite name for her. But it is doubtful that he knew her when he wrote the book.

Yet Balzac's love was so fleeting that if he had had this "Maria" in mind in 1833 when he wrote Eugenie, he probably would have long since forgotten her by the time the dedication was made. It is a well known fact that Balzac dedicated many of his earlier books to friends that he did not meet until years later, and many dedications were not added until 1842.

"To Helene:

"The tiniest boat is not launched upon the sea without the protection of some living emblem or revered name, placed upon it  by the mariners. In accordance with this time-honored custom,  Madame, I pray you to be the protectress of this work now launched  upon our literary ocean; and may the imperial name which the  Church has canonized and your devotion has doubly sanctified for  me guard it from peril.                                                    "DE BALZAC." The identity of the enchantress who inspired this beautiful dedication of Le Cure de Village has been the subject of much speculation for students of Balzac. The author of the Comedie humaine knew the beautiful Helene Zavadovsky as early as 1835, and, as has been seen, knew Madame de Valette in 1836.

The Princess Radziwill states that this "Helene" was a sister of Madame Hanska, and that she died unmarried in 1842. She was much loved by all her family, and after the death of her mother in 1837 made her home with her sister Eve in Wierzchownia. The present author has found no mention of her in Balzac's letters in connection with Le Cure de Village, of which novel he speaks frequently, nor of his having known her personally, but since Balzac was continually twitting Madame Hanska about her pronunciation of various words, he was doubtless referring to her sister Helene's Russian pronunciation when he writes: "From time to time, I recall to mind all the gowns I have seen you wear from the white and yellow one that first day at Peterhof (Petergoff, idiome Helene), . . ."

While Balzac evidently knew personally the women whom he had in mind in the dedications to "Maria" and to "Helene,"&mdash;problems which have perplexed students of Balzac,&mdash;he found time for correspondence with a lady whom he never saw, and about whom he knew nothing beyond the Christian name "Louise." The twenty-three letters addressed to her bear no precise dates, but were written in 1836-1837.

Her first letter was sent to Balzac through his bookseller, who saw her seal; but Balzac allayed, without gratifying, his curiosity by assuring him that such letters came to him frequently. The writer was under the impression that Balzac's name was "Henry" and some of her correspondence was in English.

That he should have taken the time to write to this unknown correspondent shows that her letters must have possessed some intrinsic value for him, yet he refused to learn her identity. "Chance permitted me to know who you might be, and I refused to learn. I never did anything so chivalrous in my life; no, never! I  consider it is grander than to risk one's life for an interview of  ten minutes. Perhaps I may astonish you still more, when I say  that I can learn all about you in any moment, any hour, and yet I  refuse to learn, because you wish I should not know!" In reply to a letter from Louise in which she complained that her time was monopolized by visits, he writes: "Visits! Do they leave behind them any good for you? For the space of twelve years, an angelic woman stole two hours each day from  the world, from the claims of family, from all the entanglements  and hindrances of Parisian life&mdash;two hours to spend them beside me  &mdash;without any one else's being aware of the fact; for twelve  years! Do you understand all that is contained in these words? I  can not wish that this sublime devotedness which has been my  salvation should be repeated. I desire that you should retain all  your illusions about me without coming one step further; and I do  not dare to wish that you should enter upon one of these glorious,  secret, and above all, rare and exceptional relationships.  Moreover, I have a few friends among women whom I trust&mdash;not more  than two or three&mdash;but they are of an insatiable exigence, and if  they were to discover that I corresponded with an inconnue, they would feel hurt."

He revealed to her his ideas regarding women and friendship; how he longed to possess a tender affection which would be a secret between two alone. He complained of her want of confidence in him, and of his work in his loneliness. She tried to comfort him, and being artistic, sent him a sepia drawing. He sought a second one to hang on the other side of his fireplace, and thus replaced two lithographs he did not like. As a token of his friendship he sent her a manuscript of one of his works, saying: "All this is suggested while looking at your sepia drawing; and while preparing a gift, precious in the sight of those who love  me, and of which I am chary, I refuse it to all who have not  deeply touched my heart, or who have not done me a service; it is  a thing of no value, except where there is heartfelt friendship." During his imprisonment by order of the National Guard, she sent him flowers, for which he was very profuse in expressing his thanks. He appreciated especially the roses which came on his birthday, and wished her as many tender things as there were scents in the blooming buds.

She apparently had some misfortune, and their correspondence terminated abruptly in this, his last letter to her: "Carina, . . . On my return from a long and difficult journey, undertaken for the refreshment of my over-tired brain, I find this  letter from you, very concise, and melancholy enough in its  solitude; it is, however, a token of your remembrance. That you  may be happy is the wish of my heart, a very pure and  disinterested wish, since you have decided that thus it is to be.  I once more take up my work, and in that, as in a battle, the  struggle occupies one entirely; one suffers, but the heart becomes  calm." Facino Cane was dedicated to Louise: "As a mark of affectionate gratitude."