Honore De Balzac

The Duchesse of Langeais Honore De Balzac

In this novel, Antoinette, the Duchesse de Langeais trifles with the feelings of General Armande de Montriveau, who is a member of the Thirteen. On the advice of one of his fellow members, Armande kidnaps the Duchesse and threatens to have her branded in the forehead as a criminal. Instead, he returns her unharmed. At this point, the Duchesse suddenly conceives a grand passion for Armande, who at this point will have nothing to do with her. After repeated attempts, including having all of Paris thinking she is visiting him (by having her empty carriage with its identifying family insignia parked at his apartments), she disappears...