Short fiction from the “Scenes from Private Life” section of Balzac’s Human Comedy.

A young daughter seeks independence on her own terms.

A mysterious lawyer shows up in a town, opens a practice, and starts a newspaper.

A young writer’s ruinous affair leads him down a path of suffering, obsession, and finally redemption.

A young man ventures out on his own and suffers the consequences of his pride and impulsiveness.

Two sisters experience very different marriages, and one is saved from a disastrous liaison.

A young man falls for an older woman, who introduces him to a friend in order to distract him.

A young couple work through the details of negotiating a marriage contract.

The story of a young woman who marries badly, told in several vignettes covering the remainder of her life.

A young woman with a miserly father falls in love with her cousin.

As a young woman and her husband try to make something of their printing business, her brother tries to find success as an author in Paris.

A young girl grows up in the care of her uncle and his friends, while his heirs scheme to prevent her from inheriting anything.