



Produced by Dagny; and John Bickers





                               VAUTRIN
                         A DRAMA IN FIVE ACTS

                                  BY

                           HONORE DE BALZAC



                Presented for the first time at the
                 Porte-Saint-Martin Theatre, Paris
                           March 14, 1840



                           AUTHOR'S PREFACE

It is difficult for the playwright to put himself, five days after the
first presentation of his piece, in the situation in which he felt
himself on the morning after the event; but it is still more difficult
to write a preface to _Vautrin_, to which every one has written his
own. The single utterance of the author will infallibly prove inferior
to so vast a number of divergent expressions. The report of a cannon
is never so effective as a display of fireworks.

Must the author explain his work? Its only possible commentator is M.
Frederick Lemaitre.

Must he complain of the injunction which delayed the presentation of
his play? That would be to betray ignorance of his time and country.
Petty tyranny is the besetting sin of constitutional governments; it
is thus they are disloyal to themselves, and on the other hand, who
are so cruel as the weak? The present government is a spoilt child,
and does what it likes, excepting that it fails to secure the public
weal or the public vote.

Must he proceed to prove that _Vautrin_ is as innocent a work as a
drama of Berquin's? To inquire into the morality or immorality of the
stage would imply servile submission to the stupid Prudhommes who
bring the matter in question.

Shall he attack the newspapers? He could do no more than declare that
they have verified by their conduct all he ever said about them.

Yet in the midst of the disaster which the energy of government has
caused, but which the slightest sagacity in the world might have
prevented, the author has found some compensation in the testimony of
public sympathy which has been given him. M. Victor Hugo, among
others, has shown himself as steadfast in friendship as he is
pre-eminent in poetry; and the present writer has the greater
happiness in publishing the good will of M. Hugo, inasmuch as the
enemies of that distinguished man have no hesitation in blackening his
character.

Let me conclude by saying that _Vautrin_ is two months old, and in the
rush of Parisian life a novelty of two months has survived a couple of
centuries. The real preface to _Vautrin_ will be found in the play,
_Richard-Coeur-d'Eponge_,[*] which the administration permits to be
acted in order to save the prolific stage of Porte-Saint-Martin from
being overrun by children.

[*] A play never enacted or printed.

PARIS, May 1, 1840.



                         PERSONS OF THE PLAY

Jacques Collin, known as Vautrin
The Duc de Montsorel
The Marquis Albert de Montsorel, son to Montsorel
Raoul de Frascas
Charles Blondet, known as the Chevalier de Saint-Charles
Francois Cadet, known as the Philosopher
Fil-de-Soie
Buteux
Philippe Boulard, known as Lafouraille
A Police Officer
Joseph Bonnet, footman to the Duchesse de Montsorel
The Duchesse de Montsorel (Louise de Vaudrey)
Mademoiselle de Vaudrey, aunt to the Duchesse de Montsorel
The Duchesse de Christoval
Inez de Christoval, Princesse D'Arjos
Felicite, maid to the Duchesse de Montsorel
Servants, Gendarmes, Detectives, and others

SCENE: Paris

TIME: 1816, after the second return of the Bourbons.





                               VAUTRIN



                                ACT I.


SCENE FIRST.
(A room in the house of the Duc de Montsorel.)
The Duchesse de Montsorel and Mademoiselle de Vaudrey.

The Duchess
Ah! So you have been waiting for me! How very good of you!

Mademoiselle de Vaudrey
What is the matter, Louise? This is the first time in the twelve years
of our mutual mourning, that I have seen you cheerful. Knowing you as
I do, it makes me alarmed.

The Duchess
I cannot help showing my unhappiness, and you, who have shared all my
sorrows, alone can understand my rapture at the faintest gleam of
hope.

Mademoiselle de Vaudrey
Have you come upon any traces of your lost son?

The Duchess
He is found!

Mademoiselle de Vaudrey
Impossible! When you find out your error it will add to your anguish.

The Duchess
A child who is dead has but a tomb in the heart of his mother; but the
child who has been stolen, is still living in that heart, dear aunt.

Mademoiselle de Vaudrey
Suppose you were overheard!

The Duchess
I should not care. I am setting out on a new life, and I feel strong
enough to resist even the tyranny of De Montsorel.

Mademoiselle de Vaudrey
After twenty-two years of mourning, what possible occurrence can give
you ground for hope?

The Duchess
I have much more than hope! After the king's reception, I went to the
Spanish ambassador's, where I was introduced to Madame de