“Thus, for the last twenty-four hours there has been a Madame Eve de Balzac, nee Countess Rzewuska, or a Madame Honore de Balzac, or a Madame de Balzac the elder.  This is no longer a secret, as you see I tell it to you without delay.  The witnesses were the Countess Mniszech, the son-in-law of my wife, the Count Gustave Olizar, brother-in-law of the Abbe Czarouski, the envoy of the Bishop; and the cure of the parish of Berditcheff.  The Countess Anna accompanied her mother, both exceedingly happy . . .”

With great joy and childish pride, Balzac informed his old friend and physician, Dr. Nacquart, who knew so well of his adoration for his “Polar Star” and his seventeen long years of untiring pursuit, that he had become the husband of the grandniece of Marie Leczinska and the brother-in-law of an aide-de-camp general of His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, the Count Adam Rzewuski, step-father of Count Orloff; the nephew of the Countess Rosalia Rzewuska, first lady of honor to Her Majesty the Empress; the brother-in-law of Count Henri Rzewuski, the Walter Scott of Poland as Mizkiewicz is the Polish Lord Byron; the father-in-law of Count Mniszech, of one of the most illustrious houses of the North, etc., etc.!

Though this was by far and away Balzac’s greatest and most passionate love, the present writer cannot agree with the late Professor Harry Thurston Peck in the following dictum:  “It was his first real love, and it was her last; and, therefore, their association realized the very characteristic aphorism which Balzac wrote in a letter to her after he had known her but a few short weeks:  ’It is only the last love of a woman that can satisfy the first love of a man.’”

After their marriage, the homeward journey was delayed several weeks.  The baggage, which was to be conveyed by wagon, only left April 2, and it required about two weeks for it to reach Radziwiloff, owing to the general thaw just set in.  Then Balzac had a severe relapse due to lung trouble, and it was twelve days before he recovered sufficiently to travel.  He had an attack of ophthalmia at Kieff, and could scarcely see; the Countess Anna fell ill with the measles, and her mother would not leave until the Countess recovered.  They started late in April for what proved to be a terrible journey, he suffering from heart trouble, and she from rheumatism.  On the way they stopped for a few days at Dresden, where Balzac became very ill again.  His eyes were in such a condition that he could no longer see the letters he wrote.  The following was written from Dresden, gives a glimpse of their troubles: