Scandal_. The characters are neither demons, like Cousin Betty, nor
reckless debauchees, like Gertrude in _The Stepmother_. The whole
motif is comic. Moliere himself might have lent a touch of his refined
and fragrant wit to the composition; and the situation is one which
the author could realize from experience, but had only learned to
regard from a humorous standpoint in the ripeness of his premature old
age. Balzac makes money rule in his stories, as the most potent factor
of social life. He describes poverty as the supreme evil, and wealth
as the object of universal aspiration. In line with this attitude
comes _Mercadet_ with his trials and schemes. Scenes of ridiculous
surprises succeed each other till by the return of the absconder with
a large fortune, the greedy, usurious creditors are at last paid in
full, and poetic justice is satisfied by the marriage of Julie to the
poor man of her choice.

EPIPHANIUS WILSON.



INTRODUCTION

BY

J. WALKER MCSPADDEN

The greatest fame of Balzac will rest in the future, as in the past,
upon his novels and short stories. These comprise the bulk of his work
and his most noteworthy effort--an effort so pronounced as to hide all
side-excursions. For this reason his chief side-excursion--into the
realms of drama--has been almost entirely overlooked. Indeed, many of