nication with a powerful, creative intellect.
She sent to a Paris bookseller an order for everything written by
Balzac. She read, reread, marked and interlined. Balzac seemed to be
writing for her. She kept a daily journal of her thoughts and jottings
and this she sent to Balzac.

He neglected to acknowledge the parcel, and she wrote begging he would
insert a personal in a certain Paris paper, to which she was a
subscriber, so she would know that he was alive and well.

He complied with the unusual request, and it seemed to both of them as
if they were getting acquainted. To the woman, especially, it was a
half-forbidden joy: a clandestine correspondence with a single
gentleman! It had all the sweet, divine flavor of a sin. So she probably
repeated the joy by confessing it to the priest, for the lady was a good
Catholic. Next she sent Balzac her miniature, and even this he did not
acknowledge, being too busy, or too indifferent, or both.

It was about this time that Madame De Berney plunged a stiletto into his
pride. And the gaze of Balzac turned towards Poland, and he began to
write letters to the imprisoned chatelaine, pouring out his soul to her.
His heart was full of sorrow. To ease the pain he traveled for six
months through Southern France and Italy, but care rode on the crupper.

He was trying to forget. Occasionally, he met beautiful women and
endeavored to become interested in them, and in several instances nearly
succeeded.

Madame Hanska's letters now were becoming more and more intimate. She
described her domestic affairs, and told of her hopes, ideals and
plans.

Balzac had his pockets full of these letters, and once in an incautious
moment showed them to Madame Carraud, a worthy woman to whom he was
paying transient court. Madame Carraud wrote an ardent love-letter to
Madame Hanska, breathing the most intense passion, and signed Balzac's
name to the missive. It was a very feminine practical joke. Balzac was
told about it--after the letter was mailed. He was at first furious, and
then faint with fear.

Madame Hanska was delighted with the letter, yet mystified to think that
Balzac should use a secretary in writing a love-letter. And Balzac wrote
back that he had written the letter with his left hand, and that was
doubtless the reason it seemed a different penmanship. At one stage of
their evolution, lovers are often great liars, but at this time Balzac
was only playing at love. He could not forget M