Eugenie Grandet (French Literature Classic). Honore de Balzac

and made them curious exceptions in the midst of these other people whose lives were purely material. Frightful condition of the human race! there is no one of its joys that does not come from some species of ignorance.

      At the moment when Madame Grandet had won a loto of sixteen sous,—the largest ever pooled in that house,—and while la Grande Nanon was laughing with delight as she watched madame pocketing her riches, the knocker resounded on the house-door with such a noise that the women all jumped in their chairs.

      “There is no man in Saumur who would knock like that,” said the notary.

      “How can they bang in that way!” exclaimed Nanon; “do they want to break in the door?”

      “Who the devil is it?” cried Grandet.