“You say you are ill and suffering, and without any hope that finer weather will do you any good.  Remember that for the soul there arises every day a fresh springtime and a beautiful fresh morning.  Your past life has no words to express it in any language, but it is scarcely a recollection, and you cannot judge what your future life will be by that which is past.  How many have begun to lead a fresh, lovely, and peaceful life at a much more advanced age than yours!  We exist only in our souls.  You cannot be sure that your soul has come to its highest development, nor whether you receive the breath of life through all your pores, nor whether as yet you see with all your eyes.”

Being quite a linguist, Madame d’Abrantes began her literary career by translations from the Portuguese, Spanish and Italian, and by writing novels, in the construction of which, Balzac advised her.  As she had no business ability, he was of great assistance to her also in arranging for the publication of her work: 

“In the name of yourself, I entreat you, do not enter into any engagement with anybody whatsoever; do not make any promise, and say that you have entrusted your business to me on account of my knowledge of business matters of this kind, and of my unalterable attachment to yourself personally.  I believe I have found what I may call living money, seventy thousand healthy francs, and some people, who will jump out of themselves, to dispose in a short time of ‘three thousand d’Abrantes,’ as they say in their slang.  Besides, I see daylight for a third and larger edition.  If Mamifere (Mame) does not behave well, say to him, ’My dear sir, M. de Balzac has my business in his charge still as he had on the day he presented you to me; you must feel he has the priority over the preference you ask for.’  This done, wait for me.  I shall make you laugh when I tell you what I have concocted.  If Everat appears again, tell him that I have been your attorney for a long time past in these affairs, when they are worth the trouble; one or two volumes are nothing.  But twelve or thirteen thsousand francs, oh! oh! ah! ah! things must not be endangered.  Only manoeuver cleverly, and, with that finesse which distinguishes Madame the Ambassadress, endeavor to find out from Mame how many volumes he still has on hand, and see if he will be able to oppose the new edition by slackness of sale or excessive price.

“Your entirely devoted.” 
(H.  DE BALZAC.)

Such assistance was naturally much appreciated by a woman so utterly ignorant of business matters.  But if Balzac aided the Duchess, he caused her publishers much annoyance, and more than once he received a sharp letter rebuking him for interfering with the affairs of Madame d’Abrantes.

It was doubtless due to the suggestion of Balzac that Madame d’Abrantes wrote her Memoires.  He was so thrilled by her vivid accounts of recent history, that he was seized with the idea that she had it in her power to do for a brilliant epoch what Madame Roland attempted to do for one of grief and glory.  He felt that she had witnessed such an extraordinary multiplicity of scenes, had known a remarkable number of heroic figures and great characters, and that nature had endowed her with unusual gifts.