A Prince of Bohemia

Mme. de la Baudraye reads a manuscript drawn from a story told by a friend, opening a tale built around another conversation. Within that manuscript, the writer Nathan speaks with a marquise in a Paris salon and describes Charles Edward de la Palferine. A nobleman with an elaborate family history but little money, La Palferine brings clever wit and pride to the company of young bohemians. Nathan's anecdotes show how he uses social rank in his dealings with other people.

Claudine's devotion to La Palferine gives that portrait another angle. He demands that she have a title, a carriage, liveried servants and the admiration of all Paris, making her outward standing a matter of his own vanity. Honoré de Balzac links affection with ambition and social display through sharp exchanges and the judgments of the characters telling the story. Readers interested in fiction about class and personal relationships can examine the tension between La Palferine's charm and his demands.