Repertory of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A — ZCerfberr, Anatole
General
Repertory of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A — Z
Cerfberr, Anatole
Balzac, Honoré de, 1799-1850. Comédie humaine
BEAUSEANT (Marquis and Comte de), the father and eldest brother of the
Vicomte de Beauseant, husband of Claire de Bourgogne. [The Deserted
Woman.] In 1819, the marquis and the comte dwelt together in their
house, rue Saint-Dominique, Paris. [Father Goriot.] While the
Revolution was on, the marquis had emigrated. The Abbe de Marolles had
dealings with him. [An Episode under the Terror.]
BEAUSEANT (Marquise de). In 1824 a Marquise de Beauseant, then rather
old, is found to have dealings with the Chaulieus. It was probably the
widow of the marquis of this name, and the mother of the Comte and
Vicomte de Beauseant. [Letters of Two Brides.] The Marquise de
Beauseant was a native of Champagne, coming of a very old family. [The
Deserted Woman.]
BEAUSEANT (Vicomte de), husband of Claire de Bourgogne. He understood
the relations of his wife with Miguel d'Ajuda-Pinto, and, whether he
liked it or not, he respected this species of morganatic alliance
recognized by society. The Vicomte de Beauseant had his residence in
Paris on the rue de Grenelle in 1819. At that time he kept a dancer
and liked nothing better than high living. He became a marquis on the
death of his father and eldest brother. He was a polished man,
courtly, methodical, and ceremonious. He insisted upon living
selfishly. His death would have allowed Mme. de Beauseant to wed
Gaston de Nueil. [Father Goriot. The Deserted Woman.]
BEAUSEANT (Vicomtesse de), born Clair de Bourgogne, in 1792. Wife of
the preceding and cousin of Eugene de Rastignac. Of a family almost
royal. Deceived by her lover, Miguel d'Ajuda-Pinto, who, while
continuing his intimacy with her, asked and obtained the hand of
Berthe de Rochefide, the vicomtesse left Paris secretly before this
wedding and on the morning following a grand ball which was given at
her home where she shone in all her pride and splendor. In 1822 this
"deserted woman" had lived for three years in the most rigid seclusion
at Courcelles near Bayeux. Gaston de Nueil, a young man of three and
twenty, who had been sent to Normandy for his health, succeeded in
making her acquaintance, was immediately smitten with her and, after a
long seige, became her lover. This was at Geneva, whither she had
fled. Their intimacy lasted for nine years, being broken by the
marriage of the young man. In 1819 the Vicomtesse de Beauseant
received at Paris the most famous "high-rollers" of the day
--Malincour, Ronquerolles, Maxime de Trailles, Marsay, Vandenesse,
together with an intermingling of the most elegant dames, as Lady
Brandon, the Duchesse de Langeais, the Comtesse de Kergarouet, Mme. de
Serizy, the Duchesse Carigliano, the Comtesse Ferraud, Mme. de Lantry,
the Marquise d'Aiglemont, Mme. Firmiani, the Marquise de Listomere,
the Marquise d'Espard and the Duchesse de Maufrigneuse. She was
equally intimate with Grandlieu, and the General de Montriveau.
Rastignac, then poor at the time of his start in the world, also
received cards to her receptions. [Father Goriot.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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