Paz
  by　Honore　de　Balzac
  Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley
  DEDICATION
  Dedicated　to　the　Comtesse　Clara　Maffei。
  PAZ
  （LA　FAUSSE　MAITRESSE）
  I
  In　September；　1835；　one　of　the　richest　heiresses　of　the　faubourg
  Saint…Germain；　Mademoiselle　du　Rouvre；　the　only　daughter　of　the
  Marquis　du　Rouvre；　married　Comte　Adam　Mitgislas　Laginski；　a　young
  Polish　exile。
  We　ask　permission　to　write　these　Polish　names　as　they　are　pronounced；
  to　spare　our　readers　the　aspect　of　the　fortifications　of　consonants　by
  which　the　Slave　language　protects　its　vowels；probably　not　to　lose
  them；　considering　how　few　there　are。
  The　Marquis　du　Rouvre　had　squandered　nearly　the　whole　of　a　princely
  fortune；　which　he　obtained　originally　through　his　marriage　with　a
  Demoiselle　de　Ronquerolles。　Therefore；　on　her　mother's　side　Clementine
  du　Rouvre　had　the　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles　for　uncle；　and　Madame　de
  Serizy　for　aunt。　On　her　father's　side　she　had　another　uncle　in　the
  eccentric　person　of　the　Chevalier　du　Rouvre；　a　younger　son　of　the
  house；　an　old　bachelor　who　had　become　very　rich　by　speculating　in
  lands　and　houses。　The　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles　had　the　misfortune　to
  lose　both　his　children　at　the　time　of　the　cholera；　and　the　only　son　of
  Madame　de　Serizy；　a　young　soldier　of　great　promise；　perished　in　Africa
  in　the　affair　of　the　Makta。　In　these　days　rich　families　stand　between
  the　danger　of　impoverishing　their　children　if　they　have　too　many；　or
  of　extinguishing　their　names　if　they　have　too　few；a　singular　result
  of　the　Code　which　Napoleon　never　thought　of。　By　a　curious　turn　of
  fortune　Clementine　became；　in　spite　of　her　father　having　squandered
  his　substance　on　Florine　（one　of　the　most　charming　actresses　in
  Paris）；　a　great　heiress。　The　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles；　a　clever
  diplomatist　under　the　new　dynasty；　his　sister；　Madame　de　Serizy；　and
  the　Chevalier　du　Rouvre　agreed；　in　order　to　save　their　fortunes　from
  the　dissipations　of　the　marquis；　to　settle　them　on　their　niece；　to
  whom；　moreover；　they　each　pledged　themselves　to　pay　ten　thousand
  francs　a　year　from　the　day　of　her　marriage。
  It　is　quite　unnecessary　to　say　that　the　Polish　count；　though　an　exile；
  was　no　expense　to　the　French　government。　Comte　Adam　Laginski　belonged
  to　one　of　the　oldest　and　most　illustrious　families　in　Poland；　which
  was　allied　to　many　of　the　princely　houses　of　Germany；Sapieha；
  Radziwill；　Mniszech；　Rzewuski；　Czartoryski；　Leczinski；　Lubormirski；
  and　all　the　other　great　Sarmatian　SKIS。　But　heraldic　knowledge　is　not
  the　most　distinguishing　feature　of　the　French　nation　under　Louis…
  Philippe；　and　Polish　nobility　was　no　great　recommendation　to　the
  bourgeoisie　who　were　lording　it　in　those　days。　Besides；　when　Adam
  first　made　his　appearance；　in　1833；　on　the　boulevard　des　Italiens；　at
  Frascati；　and　at　the　Jockey…Club；　he　was　leading　the　life　of　a　young
  man　who；　having　lost　his　political　prospects；　was　taking　his　pleasure
  in　Parisian　dissipation。　At　first　he　was　thought　to　be　a　student。
  The　Polish　nationality　had　at　this　period　fallen　as　low　in　French
  estimation；　thanks　to　a　shameful　governmental　reaction；　as　the
  republicans　had　sought　to　raise　it。　The　singular　struggle　of　the
  Movement　against　Resistance　（two　words　which　will　be　inexplicable
  thirty　years　hence）　made　sport　of　what　ought　to　have　been　truly
  respected；the　name　of　a　conquered　nation　to　whom　the　French　had
  offered　hospitality；　for　whom　fetes　had　been　given　（with　songs　and
  dances　by　subscription）；　above　all；　a　nation　which　in　the　Napoleonic
  struggle　between　France　and　Europe　had　given　us　six　thousand　men；　and
  what　men！
  Do　not　infer　from　this　that　either　side　is　taken　here；　either　that　of
  the　Emperor　Nicholas　against　Poland；　or　that　of　Poland　against　the
  Emperor。　It　would　be　a　foolish　thing　to　slip　political　discussion　into
  tales　that　are　intended　to　amuse　or　interest。　Besides；　Russia　and
  Poland　were　both　right；one　to　wish　the　unity　of　its　empire；　the
  other　to　desire　its　liberty。　Let　us　say　in　passing　that　Poland　might
  have　conquered　Russia　by　the　influence　of　her　morals　instead　of
  fighting　her　with　weapons；　she　should　have　imitated　China　which；　in
  the　end；　Chinesed　the　Tartars；　and　will；　it　is　to　be　hoped；　Chinese
  the　English。　Poland　ought　to　have　Polonized　Russia。　Poniatowski　tried
  to　do　so　in　the　least　favorable　portion　of　the　empire；　but　as　a　king
  he　was　little　understood；because；　possibly；　he　did　not　fully
  understand　himself。
  But　how　could　the　Parisians　avoid　disliking　an　unfortunate　people　who
  were　the　cause　of　that　shameful　falsehood　enacted　during　the　famous
  review　at　which　all　Paris　declared　its　will　to　succor　Poland？　The
  Poles　were　held　up　to　them　as　the　allies　of　the　republican　party；　and
  they　never　once　remembered　that　Poland　was　a　republic　of　aristocrats。
  From　that　day　forth　the　bourgeoisie　treated　with　base　contempt　the
  exiles　of　the　nation　it　had　worshipped　a　few　days　earlier。　The　wind　of
  a　riot　is　always　enough　to　veer　the　Parisians　from　north　to　south
  under　any　regime。　It　is　necessary　to　remember　these　sudden
  fluctuations　of　feeling　in　order　to　understand　why　it　was　that　in　1835
  the　word　〃Pole〃　conveyed　a　derisive　meaning　to　a　people　who　consider
  themselves　the　wittiest　and　most　courteous　nation　on　earth；　and　their
  city　of　Paris　the　focus　of　enlightenment；　with　the　sceptre　of　arts　and
  literature　within　its　grasp。
  There　are；　alas！　two　sorts　of　Polish　exiles；the　republican　Poles；
  sons　of　Lelewel；　and　the　noble　Poles；　at　the　head　of　whom　is　Prince
  Adam　Czartoryski。　The　two　classes　are　like　fire　and　water；　but　why
  complain　of　that？　Such　divisions　are　always　to　be　found　among　exiles；
  no　matter　of　what　nation　they　may　be；　or　in　what　countries　they　take
  refuge。　They　carry　their　countries　and　their　hatreds　with　them。　Two
  French　priests；　who　had　emigrated　to　Brussels　during　the　Revolution；
  showed　the　utmost　horror　of　each　other；　and　when　one　of　them　was　asked
  why；　he　replied　with　a　glance　at　his　companion　in　misery：　〃Why？
  because　he's　a　Jansenist！〃　Dante　would　gladly　have　stabbed　a　Guelf　had
  he　met　him　in　exile。　This　explains　the　virulent　attacks　of　the　French
  against　the　venerable　Prince　Adam　Czartoryski；　and　the　dislike　shown
  to　the　better　class　of　Polish　exiles　by　the　shopkeeping　Caesars　and
  the　licensed　Alexanders　of　Paris。
  In　1834；　therefore；　Adam　Mitgislas　Laginski　was　something　of　a　butt
  for　Parisian　pleasantry。
  〃He　is　rather　nice；　though　he　is　a　Pole；〃　said　Rastignac。
  〃All　these　Poles　pretend　to　be　great　lords；〃　said　Maxime　de　Trailles；
  〃but　this　one　does　pay　his　gambling　debts；　and　I　begin　to　think　he
  must　have　property。〃
  Without　wishing　to　offend　these　banished　men；　it　may　be　allowable　to
  remark　that　the　light…hearted；　careless　inconsistency　of　the　Sarmatian
  character　does　justify　in　some　degree　the　satire　of　the　Parisians；
  who；　by　the　bye；　would　behave　in　like　circumstances　exactly　as　the
  Poles　do。　The　French　aristocracy；　so　nobly　succored　during　the
  Revolution　by　the　Polish　lords；　certainly　did　not　return　the　kindness
  in　1832。　Let　us　have　the　melancholy　courage　to　admit　this；　and　to　say
  that　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain　is　still　the　debtor　of　Poland。
  Was　Comte　Adam　rich；　or　was　he　poor；　or　was　he　an　adventurer？　This
  problem　was　long　unsolved。　The　diplomatic　salons；　faithful　to
  instructions；　imitated　the　silence　of　the　Emperor　Nicholas；　who　held
  that　all　Polish　exiles　were　virtually　dead　and　buried。　The　court　of
  the　Tuileries；　and　all　who　took　their　cue　from　it；　gave　striking　proof
  of　the　political　quality　which　was　then　dignified　by　the　name　of
  sagacity。　They　turned　their　backs　on　a　Russian　prince　with　whom　they
  had　all　been　on　intimate　terms　during　the　Emigration；　merely　because
  it　was　said　that　the　Emperor　Nicholas　gave　him　the　cold　shoulder。
  Between　the　caution　of　the　court　and　the　prudence　of　the　diplomates；
  the　Polish　exiles　of　distinction　lived　in　Paris　in　the　Biblical
  solitude　of　〃super　flumina　Babylonis；〃　or　else　they　haunted　a　few
  salons　which　were　the　neutral　ground　of　all　opinions。　In　a　city　of
  pleasure；　like　Paris；　where　amusements　abound　on　all　sides；　the
  heedless　gayety　of　a　Pole　finds　twice　as　many　encouragements　as　it
  needs　to　a　life　of　dissipation。
  It　must　be　said；　however；　that　Adam　had　two　points　against　him；his
  appearance；　and　his　mental　equipment。　There　are　two　species　of　Pole；
  as　there　are　two　species　of　Englishwoman。　When　an　Englishwoman　is　not
  very　handsome　she　is　horribly　ugly。　Comte　Adam　belonged　in　the　second
  category　of　human　beings。　His　small　face；　rather　sharp　in　expression；
  looked　as　if　it　had　been　pressed　in　a　vise。　His　short　nose；　and　fair
  hair；　and　reddish　beard　and　moustache　made　him　look　all　the　more　like
  a　goat　because　he　was　small　and　thin；　and　his　tarnished　yellow　eyes
  caught　you　with　that　oblique　look　which　Virgil　celebrates。　How　came
  he；　in　spite　of　such　obvious　disadvantages；　to　possess　reall