solicit them. When Mme. de Berny was informed of the scheme by Balzac,
she did not try to dissuade him from joining in it, but, on the
contrary, devoted and trusting friend that she was, offered to aid him
by placing a considerable sum of money at his disposal.

In April, 1825, a partnership for the purpose of publishing French
classics, and more especially a Lafontaine in one octavo volume, to be
issued in installments, was formed between Messrs. Urbain Canel,
publisher, Charles Carron, physician, Honore de Balzac, man of letters,
and Benet de Montcarville, retired officer. It was not long before the
partners quarrelled, and M. Hanotaux has published a letter (La
Jeunesse de Balzac: Balzac Imprimeur, 1825-1828 (The Youth of Balzac:
Balzac as Printer), by G. Hanotaux and G. Vicaire, Paris, 1903.),
written by M. Carron, in which the latter complains of Balzac's
arrogant tone, while at the same time apologising to him for having
called him a liar. At all events, when a second partnership was formed
later in that same month of April, with a view to the publishing of a
Moliere, to form a part of the same collection as the Lafontaine, the
only members left were Canel and Balzac, who agreed each to put up half
the capital and divide the profits and losses equally.

Balzac had taken his role quite seriously, and the first partnership
was barely formed when he set off for Alencon, in order to make
arrangements with a certain engraver, Godart fils, who had been chosen
to reproduce the drawings by Deveria, with which the collection was to
be illustrated. He was the most active of all the partners;
nevertheless, as business ventures, the Lafontaine and the Moliere were
very far from profitable. The volumes were to be issued in four parts
at five francs each, making the cost of the complete work in each case
twenty francs. But when the installments of the Lafontaine were issued,