Honore de Balzac 
Marriage Contract 

"The Marriage Contract" is included in "Scenes from Private Life" and follows the marriage of a Parisian gentleman to beautiful Spanish girl, who comes into a lot of money. Presenting an intriguing portrait of the relationships between people, their romantic adventures, and marriage contracts in general, the novel abounds in philosophical, ethical, and financial dialogues. The naivete of the characters and their illusions of married life clash with a bang against reality, resulting in unnecessary and often humorous suffering. –