A Second Home

"A Second Home" by Honoré de Balzac is a short story first published in 1830. This tale explores the moral complexities of a double life through Comte de Granville, an aristocratic magistrate trapped in a loveless marriage to a sanctimonious woman. When he encounters Caroline Crochard, a young woman living in poverty, he establishes a secret second family with her. Balzac contrasts the cold righteousness of the Count's aristocratic home with the warmth of his hidden life, raising questions about virtue, happiness, and the consequences of forbidden love.

A Second Home, by Honoré de Balzac. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #1810.