Produced by Dagny and John Bickers                               VAUTRIN                         A DRAMA IN FIVE ACTS                                  BY                           HONORE DE BALZAC                Presented for the first time at the                 PorteSaintMartin Theatre Paris                           March 14 1840                           AUTHORS PREFACEIt is difficult for the playwright to put himself five days after thefirst presentation of his piece in the situation in which he felthimself on the morning after the event but it is still more difficultto write a preface to _Vautrin_ to which every one has written hisown The single utterance of the author will infallibly prove inferiorto so vast a number of divergent expressions The report of a cannonis never so effective as a display of fireworksMust the author explain his work Its only possible commentator is MFrederick LemaitreMust he complain of the injunction which delayed the presentation ofhis play That would be to betray ignorance of his time and countryPetty tyranny is the besetting sin of constitutional governments itis thus they are disloyal to themselves and on the other hand whoare so cruel as the weak The present government is a spoilt childand does what it likes excepting that it fails to secure the publicweal or the public voteMust he proceed to prove that _Vautrin_ is as innocent a work as adrama of Berquins To inquire into the morality or immorality of thestage would imply servile submission to the stupid Prudhommes whobring the matter in questionShall he attack the newspapers He could do no more than declare thatthey have verified by their conduct all he ever said about themYet in the midst of the disaster which the energy of government hascaused but which the slightest sagacity in the world might haveprevented the author has found some compensation in the testimony ofpublic sympathy which has been given him M Victor Hugo amongothers has shown himself as steadfast in friendship as he ispreeminent in poetry and the present writer has the greaterhappiness in publishing the good will of M Hugo inasmuch as theenemies of that distinguished man have no hesitation in blackening hischaracterLet me conclude by saying that _Vautrin_ is two months old and in therush of Parisian life a novelty of two months has survived a couple ofcenturies The real preface to _Vautrin_ will be found in the play_RichardCoeurdEponge_ which the administration permits to beacted in order to save the prolific stage of PorteSaintMartin frombeing overrun by children A play never enacted or printedPARIS May 1 1840                         PERSONS OF THE PLAYJacques Collin known as VautrinThe Duc de MontsorelThe Marquis Albert de Montsorel son to MontsorelRaoul de FrascasCharles Blondet known as the Chevalier de SaintCharlesFrancois Cadet known as the PhilosopherFildeSoieButeuxPhilippe Boulard known as LafourailleA Police OfficerJoseph Bonnet footman to the Duchesse de MontsorelThe Duchesse de Montsorel Louise de VaudreyMademoiselle de Vaudrey aunt to the Duchesse de MontsorelThe Duchesse de ChristovalInez de Christoval Princesse DArjosFelicite maid to the Duchesse de MontsorelServants Gendarmes Detectives and othersSCENE ParisTIME 1816 after the second return of the Bourbons                               VAUTRIN                                ACT ISCENE FIRSTA room in the house of the Duc de MontsorelThe Duchesse de Montsorel and Mademoiselle de VaudreyThe DuchessAh So you have been waiting for me How very good of youMademoiselle de VaudreyWhat is the matter Louise This is the first time in the twelve yearsof our mutual mourning that I have seen you cheerful Knowing you asI do it makes me alarmedThe DuchessI cannot help showing my unhappiness and you who have shared all mysorrows alone can understand my rapture at the faintest gleam ofhopeMademoiselle de VaudreyHave you come upon any traces of your lost sonThe DuchessHe is foundMademoiselle de VaudreyImpossible When you find out your error it will add to your anguishThe DuchessA child who is dead has but a tomb in the heart of his mother but thechild who has been stolen is still living in that heart dear auntMademoiselle de VaudreySuppose you were overheardThe DuchessI should not care I am setting out on a new life and I feel strongenough to resist even the tyranny of De MontsorelMademoiselle de VaudreyAfter twentytwo years of mourning what possible occurrence can giveyou ground for hopeThe DuchessI have much more than hope After the kings reception I went to theSpanish ambassadors where I was introduced to Madame de ChristovalThere I saw a young man who resembled me and had my voice Do you seewhat I mean If I came home late it was because