The Deputy of Arcis
The Deputy of Arcis
"he Deputy of Arcis," of which Balzac wrote and published the first part in 1817. was left unfinished at his death. He designated M. Charles Rabou, editor of the " Revue de Paris," as the person to take his notes and prepare the rest of the volume for the press. It is instructive to a student of Balzac to see how disconnected and out of proportion the story becomes in these latter parts, — showing plainly that the master's hand was in the habit of pruning away half, if not more, of what it had written. Translated by Katharine Prescott Wormeley.
Book Excerpt
spected officers in the Grand
Army, the foundation of his character being absolute integrity joined
to extreme delicacy. Never did he put himself forward; favors, such as
he received, sought him. For this reason he remained eleven years a
mere captain of the artillery of the Guard, not receiving the rank of
major until 1814. His almost fanatical attachment to Napoleon forbade
his taking service under the Bourbons after the first abdication. In
fact, his devotion in 1815 was such that he would have been banished
with so many others if the Comte de Gondreville had not contrived to
have his name effaced from the ordinance and put on the retired list
with a pension, and the rank of colonel.
Madame Marion, /nee/ Giguet, had another brother who was colonel of gendarmerie at Troyes, whom she followed to that town at an earlier period. It was there that she married Monsieur Marion, receiver- general of the Aube, who also had had a brother, the chief-justice of an imperial court. While a mere barrister at Arcis thi
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