This volume contains 5 stories by Balzac. At the Sign of the Cat and Racket is a short novel about an artist who falls in love with the daughter of a cloth merchant. The novella, The ball at Sceaux tells the story of a girl who falls in love with a mysterious young man at the village dance at Sceaux, only to reject him when she discovers that he is merely a simple cloth merchant. Madame Firmiani is a short story about a beautiful young woman whose husband's whereabouts are unknown, and who is the subject of gossip in Paris. The other stories are: The Purse, about an artist who is curious about a mother and daughter who live in his apartment block and Pierrette, a Cinderella-type story about a young orphan girl. Honoré de Balzac (1799 – 1850) was a French novelist and playwright. In his novels Balzac sought to present his characters as real people, neither fully good nor fully evil, but completely human. Everyman’s library no. 349. Published by J.M. Dent in 1949. Book is in good condition. Binding intact. Dust jacket has small tears at edges.