he had an opportunity of seeing much of Madame de Berny, whose patience under suffering and sympathetic nature deeply impressed him.  On her side, she took an interest in him and devoted much time in helping and indeed “creating” him.  Unhappy in her married life, she must have found the companionship of Balzac most interesting, and realizing that the young man had a great future, she acted as a severe critic in correcting his manuscripts, and cheered him in his hours of depression.  Her mother having been one of the Queen’s ladies in waiting, the Royalist principles previously instilled in the mind of the young author were reinforced by this charming woman, as well as by her mother, who could entertain him indefinitely with her exciting stories of imprisonment and hairbreadth escapes.

After a few years of life at Villeparisis, Balzac removed to Paris.  He had met an old friend, M. d’Assonvillez, whom he told of the conflict between his family and himself over his occupation, and this gentleman advised him to seek a business that would make him independent, even offering to provide the necessary funds.  Balzac took the advice, and with visions of becoming extremely rich, launched into a publishing career, proposing to bring out one-volume editions of various authors’ complete works, commencing with La Fontaine and Moliere.  As he did not have the necessary capital for advertising, however, his venture resulted in a loss.  His friend then persuaded him to invest in a printing-press, and in August, 1826, he made another beginning.  He did not lack courage; but though he later manipulated such wonderful business schemes in his novels he proved to be utterly incapable himself in practical life.

A second time he was doomed to failure, but with his indomitable will he resolved that inasmuch as he had met with such financial disasters through the press, he would recover his fortunes in the same way, and set himself to writing with even greater determination than ever.  Now it was that Madame de Berny showed her true devotion by coming to his aid in his financial troubles as well as in his literary ones; she loaned him 45,000 francs, saw to it that the recently purchased type-foundry became the property of her family, and, with the help of Madame Surville, persuaded Madame de Balzac to save her son from the disgrace of bankruptcy by lending him 37,000 francs.  Thus, after less than two years of experience, he found himself burdened with a debt which like a black cloud was to hang over him during his entire life.  Other friends also came to his rescue.  But if Balzac did not have business capacity, his experience in dealing with the financial world, of which he had become a victim, furnished him with material of which he made abundant use later in his works.