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 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.