Repertory of The Comedie Humaine, Part 1Cerfberr, Anatole
General
Repertory of The Comedie Humaine, Part 1
Cerfberr, Anatole
Balzac, Honoré de, 1799-1850. Comédie humaine
GRANVILLE (Vicomte de), son of Comte de Granville, and comte upon his
father's death; born about 1779; a magistrate through family
tradition. Under the guidance of Cambaceres he passed through all the
administrative and judicial grades. He studied with Maitre Bordin,
defended Michu in the trial resulting from the "Gondreville Mystery,"
and learned officially and officiously of one of its results a short
time after his marriage with a young girl of Bayeux, a rich heiress
and the acquirer of extensive public lands. Paris was generally the
theatre for the brilliant career of Maitre Granville who, during the
Empire, left the Augustin quai where he had lived to take up his abode
with his wife on the ground-floor of a mansion in the Marais, between
rue Vielle-du-Temple and rue Nueve-Saint-Francois. He became
successively advocate-general at the court of the Seine, and president
of one of its chambers. At this time a domestic drama was being
enacted in his life. Hampered in his open and broad-minded nature by
the bigotry of Mme. de Granville, he sought domestic happiness outside
his home, though he already had a family of four children. He had met
Caroline Crochard on rue du Tourniquet-Saint-Jean. He installed her on
rue Taitbout and found in this relation, though it was of brief
duration, the happiness vainly sought in his proper home. Granville
screened this fleeting joy under the name of Roger. A daughter
Eugenie, and a son Charles, were born of this adulterous union which
was ended by the desertion of Mlle. Crochard and the misconduct of
Charles. Until the death of Mme. Crochard, the mother of Caroline,
Granville was able to keep up appearances before his wife. Thus it
happened that he accompanied her to the country, Seine-et-Oise, when
he assisted M. d'Albon and M. de Sucy. The remainder of Granville's
life, after his wife and his mistress left him, was passed in
comparative solitude in the society of intimate friends like Octave de
Bauvan and Serizy. Hard work and honors partially consoled him. His
request as attorney-general caused the reinstatement of Cesar
Birotteau, one of the tenants at No. 397 rue Saint-Honore. He and his
wife had been invited to the famous ball given by Birotteau more than
three years previously. As attorney-general of the Court of Cassation,
Granville secretly protected Rubempre during the poet's famous trial,
thus drawing upon himself the powerful affection of Jacques Collin,
counterbalanced by the enmity of Amelie Camusot. The Revolution of
July upheld Granville's high rank. He was peer of France under the new
regime, owning and occupying a small mansion on rue Saint-Lazare, or
traveling in Italy. At this time he was one of Dr. Bianchon's
patients. [The Gondreville Mystery. A Second Home. Farewell. Cesar
Birotteau. Scenes from a Courtesan's Life. A Daughter of Eve. Cousin
Pons.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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